Scientists solve 40-year mystery over Jupiter's X-ray aurora A research team co-led by UCL (University College London) has solved a decades-old mystery as to how Jupiter produces a spectacular burst of X-rays every few minutes. The X-rays are part of Jupiter's aurora - bursts of visible and invisible light that occur when charged particles interact with the planet's atmosphere. A similar phenomenon occurs on Earth, creating the northern lights, but Jupiter's is much more powerful, releasing hundreds of gigawatts of energy, enough to briefly power all of human civilisation*. In a new study, published in Science Advances, researchers combined close-up observations of Jupiter's environment by NASA's satellite Juno, which is currently orbiting the planet, with simultaneous X-ray measurements from the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory (which is in Earth's own orbit). The research team, led by UCL and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered that X-ray flares were triggered by periodic vibrations of Jupiter's magnetic field lines. These vibrations create waves of plasma (ionised gas) that send heavy ion particles "surfing" along magnetic field lines until they smash into the planet's atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of X-rays. Co-lead author Dr William Dunn (UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory) said: "We have seen Jupiter producing X-ray aurora for four decades, but we didn't know how this happened. We only knew they were produced when ions crashed into the planet's atmosphere. "Now we know these ions are transported by plasma waves - an explanation that has not been proposed before, even though a similar process produces Earth's own aurora. It could, therefore, be a universal phenomenon, present across many different environments in space." X-ray auroras occur at Jupiter's north and south poles, often with clockwork regularity - during this observation Jupiter was producing bursts of X-rays every 27 minutes. The charged ion particles that hit the atmosphere originate from volcanic gas pouring into space from giant volcanoes on Jupiter's moon, Io. This gas becomes ionised (its atoms are stripped free of electrons) due to collisions in Jupiter's immediate environment, forming a donut of plasma that encircles the planet. Co-lead author Dr Zhonghua Yao (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing) said: "Now we have identified this fundamental process, there is a wealth of possibilities for where it could be studied next. Similar processes likely occur around Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and probably exoplanets as well, with different kinds of charged particles 'surfing' the waves." Co-author Professor Graziella Branduardi-Raymont (UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory) said: "X-rays are typically produced by extremely powerful and violent phenomena such as black holes and neutron stars, so it seems strange that mere planets produce them too. "We can never visit black holes, as they are beyond space travel, but Jupiter is on our doorstep. With the arrival of the satellite Juno into Jupiter's orbit, astronomers now have a fantastic opportunity to study an environment that produces X-rays up close." For the new study, researchers analysed observations of Jupiter and its surrounding environment carried out continuously over a 26-hour period by the Juno and XMM-Newton satellites. They found a clear correlation between waves in the plasma detected by Juno and X-ray auroral flares at Jupiter's north pole recorded by X-MM Newton. They then used computer modelling to confirm that the waves would drive the heavy particles towards Jupiter's atmosphere. Why the magnetic field lines vibrate periodically is unclear, but the vibration may result from interactions with the solar wind or from high-speed plasma flows within Jupiter's magnetosphere. Jupiter's magnetic field is extremely strong - about 20,000 times as strong as Earth's - and therefore its magnetosphere, the area controlled by this magnetic field, is extremely large. If it was visible in the night sky, it would cover a region several times the size of our moon. The work was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Royal Society, and Natural Environment Research Council, as well as ESA and NASA. * Jupiter's X-ray aurora alone releases about a gigawatt, equivalent to what one power station might produce over a period of days. ### This story has been published on: 2021-07-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Biden unveils move to counter corporate consolidation Vowing to reset the economy for the benefit of everyday workers and consumers, President Joe Biden unveiled on Friday a wide-ranging plan to tilt the balance of power away from corporations and towards "the little guy." Biden described the initiative as a shift from what he called Washington's 40-year "experiment of letting giant corporations accumulate more and more power" as he signed an executive order directing changes on everything from the sale of hearing aids to the disclosure of airline baggage fees. "We have to get back to an economy that grows from the bottom up," he said. The order, which drew strong praise from consumer advocates but a scathing response from some industry lobbying groups, outlines 72 initiatives across the federal government and announces the creation of the White House Competition Council to monitor progress. A White House fact sheet cited earlier moments in US history when presidents confronted corporate power, such as the trust busting push by President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century that gave "the little guy a fighting chance." The move comes as Biden's legislative agenda faces challenges in a closely-divided Congress. The Democratic president has scored some Republican support for a scaled-down infrastructure package, but his other initiatives have failed to garner their support. Executive orders provide another policy mechanism for presidents, although, unlike legislation, they can be reversed by a successor's pen and have less weight than laws. Achieving the policy's goal of lowering drug prices, or improving small farmers' hands in negotiating with meat processors, will take extensive action from other government bodies and may require years to materialise, experts said. "It is a blueprint for what this administration hopes to accomplish on competition. It remains to be seen how much of this can actually be done," said Daniel Crane, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School specialising in antitrust law. Among the measures, the order calls for greater scrutiny of mergers involving large tech companies, including so-called "killer acquisitions" that are meant to remove a competitive threat. The plan also orders the Federal Trade Commission to establish rules on the surveillance and accumulation of data at tech firms and to ensure small businesses are given a better chance to compete with large companies that own and operate online retail marketplaces. The White House also reversed former president Donald Trump's actions on net neutrality, requiring internet providers to allow access to all services in an effort to boost competition among broadband providers. The measures follow Biden's appointment of prominent Big Tech critics, including Tim Wu at the White House's National Economic Council and Lina Khan as head of the Federal Trade Commission. Other provisions call for the Health and Human Services department to establish rules to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter and the Department of Transportation to ensure more transparent disclosure of airline baggage fees and other ancillary charges. The White House also directed US health authorities to work to import prescription drugs from Canada and to increase supply of generic and biosimilar drugs. The policy includes provisions to protect workers from being forced to sign non-compete agreements when starting a new job, which Biden said are used in industries like construction and fast food for "one reason: to keep wages low." "If you're employer wants to keep you, he or she should have to make it worth your while to stay," Biden said. Zephyr Teachout, a professor at Fordham Law School and an advocate for tough antitrust enforcement, applauded the measure. Biden's announcement "wholly embraces the understanding that concentration of power and market dominance is a central reason for massive inequality," she tweeted. But the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank funded in part by large tech companies, said the order is based on a "false premise" and most of it infringed on Congress' duty to legislate. US Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Neil Bradley dismissed the policy as "out of touch with reality" and vowed to fight "a government-planned economy." (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: NSW reports biggest daily rise in Covid cases Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, reported on Saturday its biggest daily rise in locally acquired cases of COVID-19 so far this year, as total infections in the latest outbreak approached 500. There were 50 new cases of community transmission, compared with 44 a day earlier, the previous 2021 record high. Of Saturday's cases, 26 spent time in the community while they were infectious, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a televised briefing. "When you know that there are 26 cases infectious in the community, the only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better," Berejiklian said. There are currently 47 cases in hospital, 19 of them under the age of 55. Sixteen people are in intensive care. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Do not glorify criminal acts: SJ Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng The National Security Law (NSL) came into effect on June 30 last year. All in all, Hong Kong has reverted to a safe, rational and inclusive society. In order to enhance the understanding of the NSL among the public, the Department of Justice held the National Security Law Legal Forum titled Security Brings Prosperity on July 5. The forum comprised keynote speeches highlighting the features and effects of the NSL, as well as three panel discussions. One of the panel discussions was conducted by four scholars to compare the national security laws of various jurisdictions. The four types of offence set out under the NSL are in fact similar to those in foreign countries. Some countries vest more drastic powers in their law enforcement agencies than those in Hong Kong under the NSL. A speaker even pointed out that there is a country which could put people, who are suspected of endangering national security, in detention without charge for two years. You are all welcome to review the forum on the departments website to learn more about the NSL. On the night of July 1, a man attempted to murder a police officer on duty before committing suicide. Initial investigations by Police indicated that it is a lone wolf-style act of domestic terrorism. As the investigation is still ongoing, no one should comment on the case details. However, I would like to briefly explain some legal principles so that the public can have a proper understanding. Article 27 of the NSL specifies the offence of advocating terrorism. According to the opinion of a textbook on the NSL, advocating refers to the act of propagating, defending or glorifying the theory and practice of terrorism. On advocating terrorism, no one could use freedom of speech, of publication or of the press, etc, as an excuse to advocate or defend terrorist activities and such beliefs or theories, and must not promote or cheer for the mutual destruction slogans and propositions that would endanger the safety of public lives and properties or disrupt public order. In fact, many countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and France have already put in place relevant laws to prohibit advocating or glorifying terrorism. There is an assertion that only attacks targeting civilians are considered terrorism, whereas those targeting the authorities or law enforcement personnel do not constitute terrorism. However, one could easily tell, by making reference to the United Nations Security Council resolutions and anti-terrorism laws of different countries, that serious criminal acts, irrespective of their targets being civilians or any particular individual, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in order to compel a government, are regarded as terrorism. Such common sense is however distorted by some so-called scholars. It is truly disgraceful of those teachers to have misled their students and set a bad example. A number of people wrongly described criminal acts as heroic. Some even brought their children to express condolences by leaving flowers at the crime scene. There is also a student organisation expressing gratitude to the assailant. No sensible person would have agreed to glorify those criminal acts. Such perverse practices are immoral and confusing right from wrong. Let us imagine, what would be the consequence if terrorist activities have been imitated by others? Legally speaking, everyone should be prudent and make his or her remarks responsibly. No one should glorify or advocate terrorist activities. Morally speaking, no one should directly or indirectly advocate or heroise terrorism as it depraves society. I hope the above could raise the vigilance towards terrorist activities and advocacies of terrorism, so that people would not blindly believe in twisted facts against their conscience. I also wish that all of us appreciate the stability and prosperity brought about by the NSL. So, let us join hands together to achieve our common goal of Security Brings Prosperity. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on July 10. This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. How otters' muscles enable their cold, aquatic life Sea otters are the smallest marine mammal. As cold-water dwellers, staying warm is a top priority, but their dense fur only goes so far. We have long known that high metabolism generates the heat they need to survive, but we didn't know how they were producing the heat -- until now. Researchers recently discovered that sea otters' muscles use enough energy through leak respiration, energy not used to perform tasks, that it accounts for their high metabolic rate. The finding explains how sea otters survive in cold water. Physiologist Tray Wright, research assistant professor in Texas A&M University's College of Education & Human Development, conducted the study along with colleagues Melinda Sheffield-Moore, an expert on human skeletal muscle metabolism, Randall Davis and Heidi Pearson, marine mammal ecology experts, and Michael Murray, veterinarian at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Their findings were published in the journal Science. The team collected skeletal muscle samples from both northern and southern sea otters of varying ages and body masses. They measured respiratory capacity, the rate at which the muscle can use oxygen, finding that the energy produced by muscle is good for more than just movement. "You mostly think of muscle as doing work to move the body," Wright said. "When muscles are active, the energy they use for movement also generates heat." Wright said that because muscle makes up a large portion of body mass, often 40-50% in mammals, it can warm the body up quickly when it is active. "Muscles can also generate heat without doing work to move by using a metabolic short circuit known as leak respiration," Wright said. A form of muscle-generated heat we are more familiar with is shivering. Wright said this involuntary movement allows the body to activate muscle by contracting to generate heat, while leak respiration can do the same without the tremors. Wright said one of the most surprising findings was that the muscle of even newborn sea otters had a metabolic rate that was just as high as the adults. "This really highlights how heat production seems to be the driving factor in determining the metabolic ability of muscle in these animals," Wright said. Sea otters require a lot of energy to live in cold water. They eat up to 25% of their body mass per day to keep up with their daily activities and fuel their high metabolism. "They eat a lot of seafood, including crabs and clams that are popular with humans, which can cause conflict with fisheries in some areas," Wright said. Wright said we know how critical muscle is to animals for activities like hunting, avoiding predators and finding mates, but this research highlights how other functions of muscle are also critical to animal survival and ecology. "Regulating tissue metabolism is also an active area of research in the battle to prevent obesity," Wright said. "These animals may give us clues into how metabolism can be manipulated in healthy humans and those with diseases where muscle metabolism is affected." As for future research, Wright said there is still a lot we don't know about otters, including how they regulate their muscle metabolism to turn up the heat on demand. "This is really just the first look into the muscle of these animals, and we don't know if all the various muscle types are the same, or if other organs might also have an elevated ability to generate heat," Wright said. ### This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Bangladesh factory owner held after fire kills 52 The owner of a factory where 52 people died in a fire was arrested for murder on Saturday as it emerged that children as young as 11 had been working there. Police said Abul Hashem and four of his sons were among eight people detained over the inferno, which broke out on Thursday and raged for more than a day. A separate inquiry has been launched into the use of child labour at the food factory. Jayedul Alam, police chief for Narayanganj district where the factory is located, said the entrance had been padlocked along with multiple other breaches of safety regulations. "It was a deliberate murder," said the police chief. Before his arrest, Hashem told the Daily Star newspaper the fire "may have been a result of workers' carelessness" and a discarded cigarette could have sparked the carnage. Emergency services found 48 bodies on the third floor of the Hashem Food and Beverage factory in Rupganj, an industrial town outside Dhaka. The fire department said the exit door to the main staircase had been padlocked and highly flammable chemicals and plastics had been stored in the building. Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour, said inquiries had begun into the use of child workers at the factory. Laizu Begum, who spent hours waiting outside the factory for news of her 11-year-old nephew, said he had been working on the third floor. "We heard the door of the floor where my nephew worked was padlocked. Then we realised after seeing how big the fire was that he is probably dead," said the woman. Outside the burned shell of the factory and at the hospital morgue, survivors and relatives of the dead said child workers at the factory were paid just 20 taka (24 US cents) per hour. Bilal Hossain, whose 14-year-old daughter was among the missing, went to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue with a photo, begging police and doctors to find her remains. "I sent my baby girl to die," said Hossain, who added that the company owed the girl back wages. "How will I tell her mother?" Chandu Mia held a photo of his 15-year-old daughter. "I am not sure if she is alive," he said, holding back tears. State minister Sufian said she had spoken to two survivors aged 14. "I went to the hospital and I asked them how old they are. The youngest were 14," she said. Sufian said some children of 14 were allowed to work in non-hazardous jobs, but that the Hashem factory was considered hazardous. "If child labour is proved, we will take action against the owner and the inspectors," she said. Bangladesh pledged safety reforms after the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, when a nine-storey complex collapsed killing more than 1,100 people. But there has been a series of fires and other disasters since then. At least 70 people died in February 2019 when fire tore through Dhaka apartments where chemicals were illegally stored. Unions have said the latest disaster has again showed how labour and factory laws are poorly enforced. The International Labour Organisation, a UN agency, said the blaze "illustrates the urgent need" for Bangladesh authorities and building owners to ensure that factories meet national safety standards. The ILO said the government must "apply renewed vigour in addressing the safety deficits in workplaces across the country". (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Teresa Cheng inspects new recruits Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng inspected the passing-out parade for 33 probationary inspectors and 116 recruit police constables at the Police College today. While speaking at the ceremony, she encouraged the graduates to rise to challenges and strive ahead with perseverance, bravery and fortitude. Ms Cheng said citizens have a rising expectation towards the quality of public services as society has seen drastic changes in recent years, and Police have been under unprecedented challenges and tests in their work. Joining the force at this time has fully demonstrated the graduates determination, ability, commitment and willingness to serve the community as societys future pillars, she added. Ms Cheng also noted that rule of law and national security are the cornerstones of ensuring Hong Kongs long-term security and sustainable development. She explained that the Department of Justice and Police perform respective roles in upholding the rule of law and national security, as well as protecting public interest for the steady and enduring growth of one country, two systems. Ms Cheng remarked that national security tops the countrys priority, adding that the aspiration of one country, two systems is to uphold national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. She stressed that the Government will strive to fully implement the legal system and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. She said she hoped that all graduates could embrace Polices vision in ensuring that Hong Kong remains one of the safest and most stable societies in the world. This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: US city removes flashpoint Confederate statues The southern US city of Charlottesville on Saturday took down two statues honouring Civil War generals for the pro-slavery Confederacy which had become the focus of protests, including a deadly 2017 rally of white supremacists. The statues of generals Robert E Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson are among hundreds of Confederate monuments in the United States now widely considered symbols of racism, even if their supporters argue they are a historical legacy. Workers in the Virginia city used a crane to remove the statues - which depicted the men in uniform mounted on horses - as a crowd watched and cheered. No clashes were immediately reported. "Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy black people for economic gain," Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who is African American, told reporters before the monuments' removal. Tensions over the fate of the Lee statue led to violence in August 2017, when a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, killing a woman. The protesters had gathered in opposition to white supremacists who staged a "Unite the Right" rally against plans to remove the statue of Lee. Then-president Donald Trump came under fire when he said afterward that there were "very fine people on both sides" of the protests. The Charlottesville violence gave new life to a campaign to remove Confederate symbols which first gained momentum following the June 2015 murders in South Carolina of nine black churchgoers by an avowed white supremacist. The campaign picked up again following the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd, an African American man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the 1861-1865 Civil War, the Confederate South seceded from the United States and fought to maintain slavery, which the rest of the country had abolished. Defenders of preserving the Confederate symbols have argued that they serve as a reminder of a proud Southern heritage, and say that removing them is erasing history. According to historians, however, most of the hundreds of Confederate monuments dotting the southern United States were erected during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation and in response to the civil rights movement. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Vietnam confirms over 1,800 Covid-19 infections on Saturday Vietnam recorded 1,853 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, raising the total number of patients in the country to 27,863, the Ministry of Health has reported. According to the ministry's report,1,844 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 1,320 in Ho Chi Minh City, 140 in Binh Duong, 75 in Tien Giang, 58 in Dong Thap, 37 in Dong Nai, 33 in Phu Yen, 33 in Long An, 28 in Khanh Hoa, 26 in Vinh Long, 14 in Quang Ngai, 12 Ba Ria-Vung Tau, 10 in An Giang, eight in Binh Phuoc, seven in Hanoi, seven in Soc Trang, seven in Hung Yen, four in Tay Ninh, four in Bac Giang, three in Thanh Hoa, two in Ben Tre, two in Tra Vinh, two in Ca Mau, two in Bac Ninh, two in Binh Dinh, two in Thai Binh, and one each in Ninh Thuan, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Ha Tinh, Ha Nam, and Vinh Phuc. Ho Chi Minh City continued to report the highest number of new infections in the country. On Friday, the city also recorded 1,229 new patients, the majority of which are individuals who came into contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients or who were detected in either isolation and locked down areas. The city has imposed social distancing measures in 15 days starting from July 9 in an effort to prevent the virus spread. As of Saturday evening, 24,377 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 11,615 in the virus hotspot of Ho Chi Minh City. The outbreak has so far spread to 57 cities and provinces nationwide. Nine imported patients are all Vietnamese people who recently returned from abroad. They were sent to quarantine areas in Quang Nam, Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, and Hanoi upon arrival and are now being treated at local hospitals. With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 27,863 including 25,947 locally-transmitted cases. As of 6 pm on July 10, a total of 9,204 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. So far there have been 112 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases. At present, over 259,000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home. By the end of July 9, Vietnam has conducted over 4.01 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine. More than 258,000 people have received two doses of the vaccine. Xi stresses new development paradigm, seed industry vitalization, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau development Xinhua) 09:02, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed efforts to foster the new development paradigm, promote the vitalization of the seed industry and advance ecological and environmental protection as well as sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the 20th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of documents, including guidelines on accelerating the building of the new development paradigm, an action plan on vitalizing the seed industry, a plan for ecological and environmental protection as well as sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and measures on pushing innovations in trade and investment facilitation in the country's pilot free trade zones. "Accelerating the building of the new development paradigm is a strategic measure for us to take the initiative in future development," Xi said. "It is aimed at enhancing our ability to survive, compete, develop and sustain in all kinds of predictable and unpredictable stormy weathers, and it is a tough battle and protracted war that calls for a tenacious fighting spirit and strategic composure," he said. Noting that the seed industry is the foundation of agricultural modernization, Xi stressed efforts to achieve self-reliance in the sector and ensure that the country's germplasm resources are independent and controllable. He called for an attitude that is responsible to history, the people and the world in the environmental protection and sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as such deeds are of historical significance and concern the survival and development of the Chinese nation. Efforts should be made to align with international economic and trade rules, actively advance institutional innovation and work harder to plan and promote the high-quality development of pilot free trade zones, he said. Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, attended the meeting. The meeting called for a problem-oriented approach to realizing the transition to the new development paradigm, and stressed the need to carry out reforms that better allocate resources and incentivize the public. "We will give greater prominence to meeting domestic needs and improving the quality of life of the people," the meeting said. The meeting highlighted the importance of the survey, collection, identification and evaluation of germplasm resources. It urged efforts to strengthen research on basic and cutting-edge topics, make breakthroughs on key and core technologies and promote the building of innovation bases. Since 2012, China has comprehensively protected and restored the eco-safety barrier in Tibet, as well as the ecological environment in the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) area and the Qilian Mountains, among other key areas. The trend of ecological deterioration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been effectively curbed, which has helped promote the sustained stability and rapid development in the region, the meeting said. The meeting stressed the need to keep protection a priority and make ecological and environmental protection the prerequisite and boundary for regional development. The meeting also called for adhering to green development and sticking to a development path that is ecologically friendly, green, low-carbon and of high quality, with the characteristics of the plateau. Efforts must be made to deepen the high-level institution-based opening-up, said the meeting, pledging greater autonomy for the pilot free trade zones in reforms to build them into free trade parks with international influence and competitiveness. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China urges Western countries to reflect deeply on their own human rights abuse: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 09:03, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China and other developing countries have expressed concerns about the human rights situation in some Western countries at the ongoing 47th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, urged them to take effective measures to solve their serious human rights problems at home, and opposed them for politicizing and adopting double standards on human rights issues, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday, adding that this is the voice of justice. Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on some Western countries claiming that China's opposition to "microphone diplomacy" and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs "seems to have changed." "I want to stress that it is these Western countries that are using human rights as an excuse to exert pressure and interfere in other countries' internal affairs based on political motivation, false information, lies and rumors. It is these Western countries that proclaim themselves to be "judges", pointing fingers at and humiliating the human rights situation in developing countries, which violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," said Wang. "They have claimed welcoming criticism from outside. However, when China and other developing countries express reasonable concerns about their human rights problems, they appear to be extremely uncomfortable or even unacceptable," said Wang, adding that their claim that China engaged in "microphone diplomacy" and "interference in internal affairs" were typical double standard behavior and fully reflected their deep-rooted arrogance, prejudice and hypocrisy. "Why do they turn a blind eye to issues in Western countries such as the systematic discrimination against ethnic minorities including those from Asian and African descent, infringement on the rights of indigenous people, large-scale human rights violations in immigration detention centers, killing civilians in overseas military operations, military intervention resulting in a large number of civilian casualties and displacement and unilateral coercion measures that seriously damage human rights?" the spokesperson asked. "Why do they never criticize their partners for this on the UN Human Rights Council? Why do they turn a deaf ear to the criticism of the international community?" Wang said, adding that the international community can see clearly whether these countries are real human rights defenders or politicizing human rights issues. China urges these countries to earnestly respond to the concerns of the international community, deeply reflect on their own human rights abuses, face up to and resolve their own human rights issues, and stop deliberately using human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and harm other countries' interests without paying the price, said Wang. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Colombian president extends greetings to Xi via video Xinhua) 09:18, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Ivan Duque extended thanks and greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and the Chinese people recently via video. Duque said that Colombia is deeply grateful for China's continuous support and help since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, especially the recent support for Colombia's COVID-19 vaccination program, which has further strengthened the relationship. The sustained development of bilateral friendship has created more development opportunities for the two nations, Duque said, adding that Colombia sincerely thanks China for its material donations and technological assistance, as well as its efforts to facilitate Colombia's procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. He recalled the sincere speech delivered by Xi to the Colombian people in March, saying it will always be remembered by them. Although COVID-19 has kept Colombia and China apart, the two nations' joint fight against the pandemic has made their relations closer, and the relationship will take on a new look in the post-pandemic era, he said, adding that just as Xi said, bilateral cooperation will be elevated to a new level. He said he sincerely wishes China prosperity with the people living happily in a harmonious society. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) World political party leaders eye closer cooperation with CPC to seek happiness for people Xinhua) 09:19, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Political party leaders across the world have expressed willingness to join forces and deepen cooperation with the Communist Party of China (CPC) to shoulder the responsibility of seeking happiness for people and building a better world. With the conclusion of the CPC and World Political Parties Summit held via video link on Tuesday, they praised China's historic development achievements under the leadership of the CPC and its important contribution to the cause of human progress. Jacques Cheminade, head of the French Solidarity and Progress party, said the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative embodies a vision of global common development and win-win cooperation. In the post-pandemic era, exchanges among political parties need to focus on the future generation and the development of human society, Cheminade said, adding that those exchanges will help each other view problems from a higher perspective. Jeronimo de Sousa, secretary general of the Portuguese Communist Party, said that the people-centered approach of the CPC is key to the remarkable social and economic achievements China has made. "We consider it of great importance that the CPC and the People's Republic of China have contributed to the struggle for a world of peace, progress and cooperation, and for friendship and solidarity among peoples," he stressed. Igor Dodon, president of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, also former Moldovan president, said that strengthening international cooperation requires the joint efforts of all countries in the world. Only with the participation of all nations in strengthening the global cooperation, can all countries on the planet become better, and the role that China will play in this regard is vital, Dodon said. General Secretary of the Communist Party of India D. Raja said that the CPC has made remarkable achievements in the past 100 years since its founding and has inspired other political parties in the world. It is a great achievement that China has achieved the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in poverty reduction 10 years ahead of schedule, Raja said. Raja noted that China made a huge achievement because the CPC has "tried its best to apply the principles of Marxism to the concrete conditions" in China. Under the leadership of the CPC, China has made remarkable achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, and the living standards of the Chinese people have significantly improved, said Denis Sassou Nguesso, chairman of the Central Committee of the Congolese Labor Party and president of the Republic of the Congo. Praising China's achievements from eradication of extreme poverty to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Sassou Nguesso said they have demonstrated that the CPC is practicing the governance philosophy of putting the people front and center. The Congolese president also noted the responsibility for states to serve the people, calling on the whole world to show solidarity for the well-being of their people. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China calls on int'l community to resist politicizing origin-tracing Xinhua) 09:20, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The international community should consciously resist political manipulation on origin-tracing and carry out origin-tracing research in various countries and regions around the world, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Friday. Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to a query on attempts by some people in the United States to push the WHO to carry out the second-phase origin-tracing investigation in China. Wang said origin-tracing is a scientific issue, and science and facts should be respected. The joint WHO-China study on COVID-19 origin-tracing published in March this year clearly pointed out that the origin-tracing should be based on a global perspective, and the work in the future will not be limited to a certain region and will be carried out in multiple countries and regions. From the overall situation of the pandemic, he said COVID-19 has multiple origins and broke out in multiple places. The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey of the United States, said he was infected with COVID-19 in November 2019, and the test results showed he tested positive for antibodies related to the virus that causes COVID-19, which was more than two months earlier than the first confirmed case reported in the United States, and also earlier than the first case reported in China. Wang said studies found that there was evidence of COVID-19 infection in five U.S. states as of December 2019. A joint study between the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Washington has also shown that the number of patients with respiratory symptoms and diseases from late December 2019 to February 2020 has increased significantly, indicating that COVID-19 had already spread in U.S. communities before the country had clinical awareness and testing capabilities. Besides, EVALI broke out on a large scale in Wisconsin in the United States in July 2019, and patients' lung CT showed a fuzzy white mass, which was very similar to the symptoms of COVID-19, he said. Wang stressed that hyping up the so-called second-phase origin tracing in China is not the right way to find the origin of the virus. It does however feed the political manipulation of labeling the virus and politicizing origin-tracing, which will undermine global cooperation in this regard. The international community should consciously resist all kinds of political manipulation on origin-tracing, and carry out origin-tracing research in various countries and regions to ensure that it can effectively prevent and respond to a pandemic that may reappear in the future, he said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China's air-passenger volume sees stable recovery Xinhua) 09:29, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China's civil-aviation industry gradually recovered from the impact of COVID-19 in the first half of this year, data from the country's aviation regulator showed Friday. The industry reported 245 million passenger trips in the January-June period, up 66.4 percent year on year, equivalent to 76.2 percent of the volume during the same period of 2019, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The transportation volume recovered quarter by quarter, and in the second quarter, passenger trips on domestic flights returned to the pre-epidemic level. The air-cargo volume rose 24.6 percent year on year to 3.743 million tonnes during the period, up 6.4 percent compared with the same period of 2019. The aviation sector's investment in fixed assets reached 43.5 billion yuan (about 6.72 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of the year, up 8.5 percent year on year, said the administration. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) 51 confirmed dead in juice factory fire in Bangladesh: official Xinhua) 09:32, July 10, 2021 Firefighters carry the body of a victim after a juice factory fire in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, July 9, 2021. At least 51 workers died as a juice factory in Bangladesh's Narayanganj district, about 20 km from capital Dhaka, caught fire on Thursday, a senior official said Friday. (Xinhua) DHAKA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 51 workers died as a juice factory in Bangladesh's Narayanganj district, about 20 km from capital Dhaka, caught fire on Thursday, a senior official said Friday. The district's chief administrator Mostain Billah told Xinhua that the death toll of Thursday's factory fire has risen to 51 on Friday afternoon. "Another 49 bodies were recovered on Friday afternoon, taking the number of total death toll to 51 from two last night," he said. According to the official, 20 more people were injured in the fire and they were rushed to different hospitals. A total of 18 firefighting units managed to bring the fire at the six-storey building of the local factory under control, after more than 21 hours of fighting at around 3:00 p.m. local time Friday, said the official. Md Abdul Al Arefin, Narayanganj District Fire Service and Civil Defence deputy director, said that they have come to know that the fire originated from a welding accident at around 5:30 p.m. local time Thursday. Enditem (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) We Are China China launches new satellite group Xinhua) 09:35, July 10, 2021 A Long March-6 carrier rocket carrying the Zhongzi-02 satellite group blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in north China's Shanxi Province, July 9, 2021. China on Friday successfully sent a new satellite group into preset orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The Zhongzi-02 satellite group was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket at 7:59 p.m. (Beijing Time). (Photo by Zheng Taotao/Xinhua) TAIYUAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday successfully sent a new satellite group into preset orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The Zhongzi-02 satellite group was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket at 7:59 p.m. (Beijing Time). Friday's launch was the 379th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China releases new images taken by Mars rover Xinhua) 09:46, July 10, 2021 Photo released on June 11, 2021 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows a selfie of China's first Mars rover Zhurong with the landing platform. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Mars rover Zhurong has traveled more than 300 meters on the surface of the red planet and sent back new images about the Martian rocks, sand and dust. As of Thursday, Zhurong has been working on the Martian surface for 54 Martian days and has traveled more than 300 meters, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. A Martian day is approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. Since the rover landed on the surface of Mars, it has been traveling southward to carry out inspection and exploration. The navigation terrain camera takes images of the landforms along the way every day. The subsurface radar, meteorological measurement instrument and surface magnetic field detector were also turned on for detection. When the rover met notable landforms like rocks and sand dunes, the surface composition detector and multispectral camera carried out fixed-point detection. An image shows the texture features of the Martian rocks and ruts of the rover Zhurong.(CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) In two images of Martian rocks, the texture features of the Martian rocks and ruts of the rover are seen clearly, and some rock surfaces are covered with dust. An image shows some Martian rock surfaces are covered with dust. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) June 26 is Zhurong's 42nd Martian day. The rover arrived at a sand dune area. The navigation terrain camera onboard took images of a red sand dune about six meters from it. In one image, stones of different sizes are scattered around the dune. The stone facing the rover is about 0.34 meters wide. An image taken on June 26 shows a red sand dune on Mars.(CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) July 4 is Zhurong's 50th Martian day. It drove to the south side of the sand dune, which is about 40 meters long, eight meters wide and 0.6 meters high. An image taken on July 4 shows the whole picture of a Martian sand dune which is about 40 meters long, eight meters wide and 0.6 meters high. (CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) A cluster of stones with various shapes is shown on the left of an image. And the back cover and parachute of the lander can be seen in the upper right corner. When Zhurong took the image, the linear distance between the rover and the landing point was about 210 meters, and the distance between the rover and the back cover and parachute was about 130 meters. An image taken by China's Mars rover Zhurong shows a cluster of stones with various shapes on the left and the back cover and parachute of the lander can be seen in the upper right corner.(CNSA/Handout via Xinhua) China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. The lander carrying the rover touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars, on May 15. The rover Zhurong drove down from its landing platform to the Martian surface on May 22, starting its exploration of the red planet, and making China the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China, EU should remove distractions, push forward ties: foreign minister Xinhua) 10:27, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China and the European Union should establish correct perception of each other, remove distractions, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties on the right track, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a video meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Wang made the remarks during a video meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Thursday. China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners and the world's two major independent forces without any geopolitical conflicts or clash of fundamental interests, said Wang. "We share the responsibility of maintaining bilateral dialogue and cooperation, we have the obligation to adhere to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and we should be confident of jointly coping with global challenges," he said. Wang stressed that China and Europe should stay committed to their comprehensive strategic partnership, and to the principle of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences. We support the European side in independently developing its relations and cooperation with China, he said. Top priority should be given to strengthening communication and coordination on areas (related to COVID-19) including vaccines, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention and control, with a focus on providing more substantive support to developing countries, he said. China and Europe should continue to support each other in successfully hosting the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in China's Kunming, the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Britain, and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress in the French city of Marseilles. Wang pointed out that all countries should jointly safeguard the international system, with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter at the core, and jointly uphold international order based on international law. He reiterated China's stands on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and human rights, and stressed that China's will and determination to safeguard its national sovereignty and national dignity are unwavering. While regarding China's rapid development as a fact that is in line with the historical trend, Borrell said the EU has no intention of engaging in institutional confrontation or destabilizing EU-China relations, according to a press release of the Chinese foreign ministry. Borrell said that Europe and China should manage their differences instead of allowing differences to hinder their exchanges and cooperation. The EU and China should develop a strong and sincere relationship, which is in the interests of both parties, said Borrell. The EU is willing to restart contact and dialogues with China, and strengthen cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and biodiversity protection. The EU does not agree to unilateral sanctions on other countries based on domestic laws. The European side adheres to its own values, but respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and does not support the "Hong Kong independence," he added. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China announces reserve requirement ratio cut Xinhua) 11:14, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, Friday announced it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points for eligible financial institutions from July 15 to support the real economy. The RRR cut, which will be imposed on all financial institutions except those who have already held the ratio at 5 percent, will likely release 1 trillion yuan (about 154.43 billion U.S. dollars) in long-term funds, the PBOC said. After the reduction, the weighted average RRR for Chinese financial institutions will stand at 8.9 percent, the central bank said. The cut aims to improve the fund structure of financial institutions and boost their capabilities in financial services to improve support of the real economy, the central bank said. Financial institutions will use part of the released funds to repay the maturing medium-term lending facilities. Some funds will also fill the liquidity gap in the tax payment season late this month. The reduction will lower the fund costs for financial institutions by around 13 billion yuan each year, according to the PBOC calculation. The RRR cut is a regular operation after the country's monetary policy returned to the pre-epidemic status, the central bank said. "The direction of the prudent monetary policy has not changed," it said. Rather than resorting to a "flood-like" stimulus, the PBOC pledged to stick to a normal monetary policy while keeping it stable and effective. A State Council meeting decided earlier this week that China will adopt monetary tools such as RRR cuts at an appropriate time to increase financial support for the real economy, especially for small firms. It will also mitigate the impact of commodity price hikes on company operations. Driven by rising commodity prices, China's producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, went up by 8.8 percent year on year in June after registering a 9-percent growth in May. The country's new yuan-denominated loans totaled 2.12 trillion yuan last month, up by 308.6 billion yuan from the same period last year, central bank data also showed Friday. Newly added total social financing, a measurement of funds the real economy receives from the financial system, reached 3.67 trillion yuan in June, 200.8 billion yuan higher than for the same period last year. In the next stage, the PBOC said it would continue to implement a prudent monetary policy while keeping liquidity at a reasonable and ample level to create a suitable monetary and financial environment for China's high-quality development and supply-side structural reform. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) China reduces official vehicles by over 850,000 Xinhua) 14:12, July 10, 2021 BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China has significantly reduced its number of official vehicles during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), according to the National Government Offices Administration. Statistics from the administration show that during the period, 29 provinces have, in combination, cut the number of official vehicles by 858,400, thus completing the country's goal of reforming the official vehicle system. In the same period, 140 central government departments and state organs have reduced the number of official vehicles by 3,868. Regulating the use of official vehicles is among China's many efforts to improve the conduct of government officials. In December 2017, China issued a revised regulation on official vehicle use. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Chinese mobile payment app gains popularity in Turkey amid pandemic Xinhua) 14:14, July 10, 2021 ISTANBUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- WeChat Pay, a Chinese online payment app, is gaining popularity in Turkey as it offers contact-free service amid the COVID-19 pandemic. People learnt the importance of social distancing and going as contactless as possible during the pandemic, so as to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus. "Last year, when the pandemic first broke out in the country, we used to make our payments by putting cash in plastic bags so as not to touch it over contamination concerns," Nurcan Ozel, a resident in the northwestern province of Kirklareli, told Xinhua. "I even had neighbors who used to wash the bank note," Ozel said. Even though this exaggerated hygiene passion in the first days has gone, people still prefer contactless debit or credit cards in their transactions. WeChat Pay, which allows consumers to complete their transactions online, started to be used at the Istanbul Airport a year ago within the framework of an agreement with the Turkish subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). "The project aims to provide convenience to passengers by diversifying payment systems and enabling all WeChat Pay users visiting Turkey, especially Chinese tourists, to use the method they are already familiar with," the Istanbul Airport management said in a written interview with Xinhua. There are 40 point-of-sale (POS) terminal devices for WeChat Pay installed at the Istanbul Airport, which have a 90-million passenger capacity. According to the airport management, WeChat Pay users can easily pay for their purchases by scanning the QR code on their smartphones, and the use of this payment system is increasing every month. The officials expect that after the pandemic, the frequency of using WeChat Pay could grow even further, especially when Chinese tourists start coming to the country again. Canan Ozkan, an airport employee who assists passengers in the terminal, told Xinhua that WeChat Pay has significantly altered people's shopping habits, making the experience a lot easier. "Many people are now used to making their payments with WeChat Pay," Ozkan said. "They no longer use credit cards." The ICBC Turkey said on its website that the WeChat Pay project has been developed into an alternative to the present payment system, offering a fast and easy payment choice for the users. It added that the application would spread all over Turkey in the upcoming period. This method is one of China's most-used mobile payment systems. As of June 2018, Wechat Pay had more than 800 million active user accounts, according to its official website. It also offers services in around 60 countries, according to data released by the company in 2019. Ozel said she also would like to use this application "if it is that simple." "If I am going to make my payments remotely from my phone without having to deal with cards or cash, I will immediately download the application and use it," she said. Enditem (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) HKSAR gov't condemns European Parliament for interfering in affairs of China, HKSAR Xinhua) 14:19, July 10, 2021 HONG KONG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government condemned Friday the European Parliament for passing again a "resolution" relating to Hong Kong that disregards the rule of law, smacks of double standards and constitutes gross interference in the HKSAR's affairs and China's internal affairs at large. As with any other country in the world, China has the power and duty to safeguard national security, a government spokesman said in a statement. Taking account of the severe situation in the HKSAR that posed national security risks, it was reasonable, lawful and necessary for the central authorities to enact the national security law and apply it in Hong Kong by promulgation in June last year, he said. While European countries have their own laws to safeguard national security, the European Parliament blatantly asked China's central authorities to repeal the national security law in Hong Kong, defying logic and manifesting its double standards, the spokesman said. Since its implementation in June 2020, the positive effect of the national security law in restoring peace and stability and safeguarding individual rights and freedoms in the HKSAR has been obvious and indisputable, the spokesman said. After the implementation of the national security law, the media and the general public continue to exercise their right to monitor the government's work and the freedom of criticizing policies every day, while overseas media disseminate information about the national security law and interview people with various stances without any interference, he said. The national security law clearly stipulates four types of offenses endangering national security and the penalties, and law-abiding people will not unwittingly fall foul of the law, the spokesman said. Law enforcement actions and prosecution decisions taken by the law enforcement and prosecution departments against suspected offenders or institutions are strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence, and have nothing to do with their political stances, backgrounds or professional fields, the spokesman said. According to the HKSAR Basic Law, the HKSAR courts can exercise independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, free from any interference, the spokesman said, adding that in exercising their judicial power, judges apply the law and nothing else. Hong Kong's rule of law and judicial independence have been highly respected, the spokesman said. The European Parliament has repeatedly passed so-called "resolutions," demanding the immediate release of suspects arrested by the HKSAR law enforcement agencies or suggesting that persons of certain occupations or with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions, the spokesman said, stressing that such acts are "totally absurd." It not only shows no respect to the rule of law, but also constitutes gross interference in the affairs of the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The decision by the central authorities on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR aims to plug the loopholes in the system and ensure "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesman said. This is in line with international norms as no country in the world would allow its governance power to be vested in people who are not patriotic and who will endanger the interests of the country, the spokesman said. Both of the decisions by the central authorities on enacting the national security law and on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR will go a long way towards ensuring the faithful implementation of "one country, two systems" in the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The HKSAR government condemns the European Parliament for disregarding the facts on the ground and international law and basic norms governing international relations, and attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of China and the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The HKSAR government officers will not be intimidated by the so-called "sanctions" by foreign governments and will continue to discharge their responsibility of safeguarding national security resolutely, the spokesman said. Enditem (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Chinas robotics industry sees rapid development People's Daily Online) 15:16, July 10, 2021 Chinas robotics industry is enjoying rapid development driven by incentive policies and strong market demand. The countrys spending on robotics hit $59.4 billion in 2020, and its robot market accounted for more than 30 percent of the global robot market, according to a report issued by global market intelligence firm International Data Corporation. Photo shows an industrial robotic arm made by SMC. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhao Chao) Service robots have been introduced to provide no-contact services in hospitals, restaurants, airports and other scenarios in China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, boosting the development of the countrys robotics industry. At the beginning of the epidemic, Chinese cloud-based robot maker CloudMinds donated robots to hospitals in Wuhan and Shanghai to guide patients, deliver medicine to them, disinfect quarantined areas, and measure body temperature, effectively reducing cross-infection. Ge Qi, vice president of CloudMinds, said service robots are expected to serve as a tailwind for Chinas robotics industry, as the aging population and rising labor costs will boost the development of the countrys service robot market. Meanwhile, the industrial robot sector is also seeing excellent growth opportunities in China. In April 2020, SMC Corporation, a leading pneumatics company dedicated to factory automation and an industrial robot maker, established its China headquarters in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area, due to the areas first-class business and industrial development environment. Despite the epidemic, SMCs sales revenue of industrial robots in China grew exponentially last year, accounting for 20 percent of the companys total revenue, according to Ma Qinghai, general manager of SMC Investment Management China Co., Ltd. SMCs success is underpinned by Chinas strong domestic demand for industrial robots. It is estimated that China has 65 industrial robots per 10,000 people, which is lower than the global average, illustrating the sectors potential for growth. China has developed all the industrial categories, which means promising prospects for industrial robots, while the accelerated development of new energy vehicles and 5G smartphones will continue to prop up recovery of market demand for industrial robots, Ma explained. In May, Shanghai-based industrial robot and collaborative robot maker Rokae raised more than 300 million yuan (about $46 million) in its series C funding round, also demonstrating the vitality of the industrial robot sector. Photo shows unmanned aerial vehicles of Beijing Zhonghangzhi Technology Co., Ltd. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhao Chao) Rokaes products have been used in industries including precision machining, medical treatment, scientific research, auto parts assembly, computers, communication and consumer electronics, said the companys chief financial officer Tang Shengtian. Robots are changing the production process in various industries and transforming the traditional manufacturing industry, Tang added. The use of robots has also expanded from the manufacturing and service sectors to many other areas. Beijing-based underwater robot manufacturer Boyagongdao has produced 400-kilogram underwater robots that can be used in underwater monitoring and search and rescue work, according to Li Qiao, deputy general manager of the company. The company has provided underwater unmanned operating platforms for China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the countrys largest offshore oil and gas producer, and offered underwater robots to China Gezhouba Group Corporations hydropower stations to carry out dam maintenance, Li added. However, Chinas robotics industry also faces challenges in terms of technological innovation, training of high-end talents and other aspects, which should be addressed through the joint efforts of the entire industry chain. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) National security law enables Hong Kong to open new chapter: legal experts Xinhua) 15:38, July 10, 2021 HONG KONG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- As the national security law in Hong Kong has taken effect for a year, legal experts believe the law has contained violence and safeguarded the rights and freedom of Hong Kong residents, allowing the financial hub to emerge from unrest by ushering in a new chapter. The law plugs loopholes in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, Lawrence Ma, chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, said, adding that the law was enacted at the right time to offer a legal guarantee to Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. The effectiveness of the national security law is obvious as it has navigated Hong Kong out of the predicament in 2019 to return to stability, Teresa Cheng, secretary for justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said. Law enforcement authorities now have a law to follow when cracking down on crimes endangering national security, said Albert Wu, a practicing barrister. With violent activities curbed, people's safety has been ensured, a stable business environment restored and social order re-established, which creates favorable conditions to improve Hong Kong's political system, Wu said. Experts refuted false allegations that "the national security law damages people's freedom", pointing out that the law only targets a handful of criminals and protects the vast majority of Hong Kong residents. The national security law emphasizes the protection of human rights while cracking down on crimes, Wu said, noting that there are a series of provisions concerning the protection of people's rights and freedom in the law. Any rights have boundaries and cannot break the red line of national security, which is in line with international conventions and is also adopted by various countries in their legal practice, Ma said. While Hong Kong has returned to peace and stability, experts still urged constant vigilance and continued efforts to fend off plots of local instigators and external forces. Cautioning against lingering risks of social unrest and terrorism, Wu stressed that the government needs to address Hong Kong's entrenched social problems. For a brighter future, Hong Kong should make use of the support from the mainland and give full play to its advantages to develop the economy so that people will lead a better life, Maggie Chan, founding president of the Small and Medium Law Firms, said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Construction works of China-funded airport in Zambia nears completion: official Xinhua) 15:38, July 10, 2021 LUSAKA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Construction works of Zambia's biggest airport funded by the Chinese company has reached an advanced stage, with over 90 percent of works done, a government agency that manages airports said on Friday. Fumu Mondoloka, Managing Director of the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, said works on the new Kenneth Kaunda International Airport situated in Lusaka, the country's capital, were nearing completion. He said the project will be completed within this quarter, adding that works on the state-of-the-art passenger terminal were almost done and that the entire project currently stands at 92 percent complete. "We are doing a lot of work towards that aspiration, we hope we can make it a fitting tribute to the man it is named after," he was quoted as saying by state-run news agency, the Zambia News and Information Service. According to him, once completed, the airport will be a hub for the southern African region. Currently, the airport has a capacity of 2 million passengers per year and this was expected to increase to about 6 million once commissioned. The construction works started in June 2015 and the contract was awarded to China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation. It comprises of a new passenger terminal, a hotel, rescue and fire station, air traffic control, presidential pavilion, cargo terminal, a shopping mall and an office complex. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Interview: Building community with shared future for mankind reflects CPC's openness, says Mozambican ex-president Xinhua) 15:39, July 10, 2021 MAPUTO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind reflects that the Communist Party of China (CPC) is open and cooperative, and China's great success attained under the party's leadership is inspiring, Joaquim Chissano, former Mozambican president, has said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, the ex-president spoke highly of the CPC for formulating theories on socialism with Chinese characteristics in a groundbreaking way and boasting a capability to self-renovate and keep pace with the times. China's success is "encouraging" and its achievements have shown that "it is possible for countries to find their own solutions to adapt to the evolution of the world," Chissano said. China's experience shows that "poor countries can develop and reach equality with the developed countries," he noted. Chissano, who has paid visits to China out of goodwill, has extended his congratulation on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC this year. Chissano noted that his party Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) has carried out exchanges and cooperation with the CPC, and the friendship between the two parties and the two countries can be traced back to the Mozambican War of Independence against colonial rule. The two sides never cease inter-party exchanges, be it during revolutions when they forged a comradely and brotherly friendship, or in the building of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Chissano said, noting that Mozambique has always firmly supported China on issues concerning its core interests. He listed the results of bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, infrastructure, science and technology, agriculture, and manufacturing. To realize industrialization and build a manpower strong enough to support China's sustainable development, the CPC has already acquired a lot of experience that Mozambique can learn from, said Chissano. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Hong Kong embraces pride, confidence, ends disorder, chaos 16:49, July 10, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) A prospering China and a legally secured Hong Kong are what Hong Kong citizens aspire to, as well as a reality in today's world. However, such a reality is making the foreign supporters of the anti-China forces all hot and bothered. On July 7 local time, the White House unexpectedly announced the so-called "continuation of the national emergency with respect to Hong Kong" and the extension of relevant Hong Kong-related sanctions, claiming that the recent actions taken by China with respect to Hong Kong pose a threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the U.S. How ridiculous it is! The situation in Hong Kong and the national emergency of the U.S. are totally irrelevant. However, the two were unreasonably connected by an executive order imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump last July, which exposed the arrogance of the so-called "world police" and made the U.S. a laughing stock. Today, the farce of the so-called "continuation of the national emergency" went on with the decision of the current U.S. administration, as a warmed-over tactic to tarnish China. It must be pointed out that such stubborn intervention in Hong Kong affairs and China's domestic affairs by the U.S., which stays impenitent, has always been firmly opposed by the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots. The aspiration of the people shall never be violated, and the determination of the Chinese government and Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests shall never be underestimated. The Hong Kong society has a firm resolution to safeguard the rule of law and protect the prosperity and stability of the special administrative region. Today, Hong Kong is shining with national self-esteem and confidence. Fishing boats flying China's national flags and the flags of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) cruise at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) The Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, have just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, both of which fell on July 1. During a flag-raising ceremony held on Hong Kong's Golden Bauhinia Square, the honor guard of Hong Kong's Disciplined Services for the first time performed Chinese-style foot drills, and completed actions according to the commands called out in Putonghua, or Mandarin Chinese. It reflected the common aspiration of the Hong Kong citizens and attracted global attention. Another activity held recently in Hong Kong to showcase China's scientific achievements in the past 100 years was also impressive. During the activity, a batch of top Chinese aerospace scientists visited Hong Kong schools, and lunar soil brought back by China's moon mission and other aerospace exhibits were displayed for the public. It sparked an aerospace mania and patriotism of the Hong Kong citizens, who expressed their ambition to realize personal ideals while pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which showcased their national pride, love for the country, and aspiration to serve the country. However, what forms a sharp contrast against the thriving atmosphere in Hong Kong is the daydream of some people in a few Western countries to disrupt the special administrative region. They are lingering on the chaos happening in Hong Kong in 2019, and even recently posted combo photos of rioters holding foreign national flags to encourage violence two years ago. Picking up from the ash heap of history the so-called acts and executive orders related to Hong Kong they once fabricated, which run counter to the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, they just wish to make some noise again. In a word, they are pleased to see a chaotic Hong Kong, and are upset when the special administrative region is under good governance. The wheels of history always advance. Hong Kong citizens know exactly what the "black terror" meant to economy, society and livelihood, and have long been detesting violence. They cherish the social stability gained since the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, sincerely welcome the decisive law enforcement by the Hong Kong police to safeguard people's lives and properties, and firmly stand on the opposite side of those who fan up violence and hatred. With powerful support of the Hong Kong citizens, the government of the special administrative region has constantly learned from its experiences and earnestly enforced the law, winning the support of the people. The implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong indicates that the slanders made by some foreign political dignitaries and media organizations are totally groundless. Compared with foreign legislations, the national security law in Hong Kong holds higher standards on respecting and safeguarding human rights. It clearly lists the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Hong Kong citizens, as well as important legal principles, fully demonstrating the purpose of the law to punish a very small number of criminals and protect the vast majority. Photo taken on July 8, 2021 shows a citizen running at Tamar Park in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) It is because of the national security law in Hong Kong that the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong citizens are protected, and the business environment in the administrative region guaranteed. A big data report by a non-government think tank showed that 87 percent of foreign public opinions are in support of or neutral toward Hong Kong over the past year since the law was enacted. Negative voices against Hong Kong decreased sharply, and Hong Kong has also been showing increasing attraction for foreign investment, the report said. Citigroup Inc. recently announced to hire 1,500 people in Hong Kong this year, including additional headcount and replacements. The figure is twice as much as that a year ago. Goldman Sachs also said it would recruit 20 percent more employees this year. According to data released by the Hong Kong government, the net inflow of foreign capital has been increasing since mid-2020, reaching $50 billion over the past year. Facts always speak louder than words. Those who run counter against justice with prejudices and double standard, in whatever forms and how long they might last, will finally go to a dismal end. Facts have already proved and will keep proving that the national security law in Hong Kong is a "safety valve" for the long-term stability of the "one country, two systems" principle, a high-standard "model" for international practices, a "sword" cutting external interference, and a "guardian" protecting Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. With the profound influence of the national security law in Hong Kong, the "Pearl of the Orient" will surely embrace a brighter tomorrow. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) (Web editor: Du Mingming, Hongyu) Exhibition marking CPC centenary receives great popularity in Hong Kong Xinhua) 14:09, July 10, 2021 People visit an exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in south China's Hong Kong, July 6, 2021. An exhibition held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has enjoyed great popularity in Hong Kong over the past week. The exhibition open from Saturday to Friday welcomed more than 70,000 individual visitors and 300 groups. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has enjoyed great popularity in Hong Kong over the past week. The exhibition open from Saturday to Friday welcomed more than 70,000 individual visitors and 300 groups. A middle school student surnamed Kwan visited the exhibition on Friday and said she wants to learn more about her country and the CPC. "After the visit, I have a better understanding of the CPC's development in the past century and our country's rapid growth in emerging sectors, which makes me very optimistic about the future of our country," she said. The exhibition tells the great achievements of the CPC in areas including politics, military and economy. Zhang Chunsheng, who is responsible for organizing the exhibition, said it helps Hong Kong residents to know more about the CPC and he hopes to hold similar exhibitions in various other forms in local schools and communities in the future. Enditem (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) Urban, Accessible and Driven A Shared Outlook Maurice Lacroix is pleased to announce it is the Official Timekeeper of the King of the Court Crown Series, a series of Beach Volleyball tournaments played in different cities around the globe. Beyond the convenience of holding events in urban locations, KOTC has shown it shares many values with the Swiss watch brand. In 1915, beach volleyball, an evolution of indoor volleyball, was played for the first time on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. As the sports popularity grew it was played in other parts of the world, most notably in Santa Monica, California which popularised the sport and gave birth to the modern two-player game. Today, beach volleyball is governed by the International Volleyball Federation, the FIVB and has been an Olympic sport since the summer of 1996. Sportworx, a Dutch company, conceived the highly innovative King of the Court format (KOTC). Working in close cooperation with FIVB, KOTC holds Beach Volleyball tournaments in cities around the globe. Beyond the appeal of urban locations, KOTC has made the sport more accessible to fans by framing the courts with sky boxes, stadiums as well as ground-level seating. These formats allow spectators to get close to the action, augmenting the sense of tension and excitement. The KOTC hosts 20 of the worlds finest male and volleyball teams from around the world, including ML Crew members the Beachvolley Vikings, AKA Anders Mol and Christian Srum, and Swiss duo Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre. Maurice Lacroix is the Official Timekeeper of KOTC and the reasons behind this partnership are numerous," sated Stephane Waser, Managing Director of Maurice Lacroix. "Since the inaugural AIKON models were unveiled in 2016, Maurice Lacroix has repeatedly looked to the urban landscape for inspiration, creating watches for ambitious, driven individuals. Therefore, the notion of bringing sporting events to city centres immediately resonated with our brand. King of the Court Maurice Lacroix Time is one of the key elements of our King of the Court sport discipline; its an elimination race in rounds of 15 minutes with the worlds best beach volleyball teams," adds Wilco Nijland, CEO & founder of King of the Court. "With Maurice Lacroix we have, for us, the best possible watch brand on board for our very promising journey. The way Maurice Lacroix is approaching new and existing markets, with innovative watches, is very professional, ambitious, creative and brave. This fits so well with the vision and style of King of the Court. Its great to feel that we are sharing so many of the same mutual brand values; this will be without any doubts recognized by each visitor of our platforms live or online!" Maurice Lacroix also appreciates how KOTC tries to make its experiences accessible, an attribute it shares with Maurice Lacroix, a luxury brand that is known for making affordable watches with a high perceived value. Perhaps, most of all, Maurice Lacroix chooses to work with partners who are driven and crave success. It is for this reason that Anders Mol & Christian Srum and Joana Heidrich & Anouk Verge Depre were invited to join the ML Crew and likewise why Maurice Lacroix and KOTC have chosen to work together. This is King Of The Court Originally a popular training match format, King of the Court has developed into an exhilarating new beach volleyball format. The court is divided into a winning and challenging side, and points can only be scored on the winning side. Instead of two teams, there are five duos playing for time simultaneously in an elimination game. The break between the rallies is limited to eight seconds, ensuring a fast and action-packed game. The format of King of the Court is well suited to the IOC and Olympic Movements vision of attracting younger generations. King of the Court Maurice Lacroix Your Time Is Now With Maurice Lacroix For more than 40 years, Maurice Lacroix has demonstrated all of its watchmaking expertise, crafting watches within the brands Manufacture in Saignelegier, Switzerland. Having won more than fifteen awards, the brand has demonstrated an innovative, avant-garde and perfectionist spirit over the years. Maurice Lacroixs culture is indeed to offer affordable watches, with iconic design and high perceived value. In 2016, Maurice Lacroix reinterpreted its iconic model of the 90s, the Calypso, releasing the AIKON. Modern and daring, the AIKON is made for a generation of Millennials who are connected, cosmopolitan and talented. This ambitious generation is setting out to conquer the worlds cities, embracing their unique spirit. A constant source of inspiration for the Maurice Lacroix creative team, an active and urban brand, that thrives in the electric energy of these cities. With this in mind, Maurice Lacroix chooses to associate its image with a set of activities that allow consumers to experience the unique vitality of city life. As Indonesia deals with a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Biden administration on Friday is sending the nation 3 million doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. "In addition to the vaccines we're also sending, we're moving forward on plans to increase assistance for Indonesia's broader COVID-19 response efforts," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki during a briefing to reporters Friday. "We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases. And our thoughts are with those affected by this surge." Indonesia is battling a record-breaking surge in new cases and deaths due to the highly contagious delta variant. A senior administration official told VOA the shipment was one of the largest batches the U.S. had donated. In total, the U.S. has allocated 4 million doses for Indonesia, with the remaining 1 million doses to be shipped "soon." The administration is also sending 500,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Moldova, the first batch of U.S. vaccine shared with Europe. In addition, 1.5 million Johnson & Johnson doses will be sent to Nepal, and 500,000 Moderna doses to Bhutan. Indonesia Surge During a Friday press conference, Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi confirmed the shipment. "This is the first shipment through the COVAX mechanism," Marsudi said, referring to the United Nations vaccine-sharing mechanism. Indonesia, with only about 5 percent of its population fully vaccinated, relies heavily on Chinese vaccines. The country has procured 108.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine but is seeing rising infection rates among medical workers fully vaccinated with it. After several fully inoculated medical personnel had died from COVID-19, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Friday the government would give 1.47 million health workers a shot of the Moderna vaccine. "The third jab will only be given to health workers, because health workers are the ones who are exposed to high levels of virus every day," he told a press conference. "They must be protected at all costs." The Indonesian government authorized the Moderna vaccine for emergency use last week. Korean fast-fashion brands Topten10 and SPAO have beaten Zara to become the second and third most popular in the domestic market and are challenging No. 1 player Uniqlo. As recently as 2019, Uniqlo's sales here were almost three times higher than Topten10's, but the difference narrowed to around 30 percent last year, and its sales rose from W334 billion to W430 billion over the period, while Uniqlo's shrank from W974.9 billion to W574.6 billion (US$1=W1,146). Industry watchers forecast Topten10 will overtake Uniqlo this year. Topten10 and SPAO opened more and more stores despite the coronavirus pandemic and joined hands with other design and entertainment businesses to come up with collaborative products. Online fashion sales platform Musinsa opened an offline store with its own fast-fashion brand. Rock-bottom prices and aggressive expansion despite the pandemic were the main reason for the local brands' success. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Uniqlo's sales in Korea were hit by a boycott of Japan, and the number of its stores here fell from 190 in 2019 to 157 last year. It shut down 13 more stores this January and February alone. The pandemic also persuaded Zara and H&M to shut outlets. Our correspondents from the area reported that a member of the Damascus government forces called "Ahmed Jamal Tabani, a 39-year-old from the city of Aleppo," was killed last night as a result of the intense artillery and missile shelling of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries, which targeted the village of Arida in the western Gire Spi countryside. It is noteworthy that the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries launched intensive attacks last night with heavy weapons, targeting all villages on the contact lines in the western countryside of Gire Spi, most of which are stationed by Syrian government forces. J.O ANHA New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 93F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some passing clouds. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 93F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 74F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Woburn, MA (01801) Today Scattered thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy with showers. Low 64F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. 2019 is the most recent year with complete data on deaths by firearms from both the US Department of Justice and the US Center for Disease Control. (Can you imagine making personal decisions, today, based on two years old information? Welcome to the government!) But it is interesting that the numbers have been fairly consistent over the past few years. Here are the numbers for 2019. The left-wing media and Democrat politicians will condemn guns and say there are 40,000 gun deaths every year. But the devil is in the details. Less than 4,000 homicides are related to incidents where there was neither suicides nor gang involvement nor police involvement. Those 4,000 homicides are 4 tenths of 1% of all gun owners. The biggest impact on gun related homicides would come if politicians focused on gang violence instead of lawful gun owners. The above statistics give you factual numbers to rebut the wild anti-gun claims of the left. Of course, the left only believes in emotions and not facts. The left wants more gun control laws which will only stop legal gun owners from possessing firearms. Youve heard it many times before, criminals dont obey laws. Look at the numbers from another aspect, the radical left wants to force all gun owners to buy liability insurance; the worst being Sheila Jackson Lees HR127 which would force all gun owners to pay an $800 yearly premium. But, Liability Insurance does not cover suicides or unlawful acts; this would eliminate the 24,380 suicides and the 14,205 other homicides (unlawful acts) from eligibility for liability claims, even if they had bought the insurance - and its doubtful if gang members have legal weapons and insurance. Police generally are covered by their government body and perhaps by their union, so they dont need it. That leaves only the 344 civilian justified uses and the 438 accidents eligible for insurance coverage. Its estimated that there are 100 million gun owners in the USA. Only 1 in 130,000 gun owners would be able to use the insurance related to a gun death. (For comparison purposes, 1 in 40 car owners use their insurance.) The left gets a twofer: price guns out of the reach of most gun owners and raise taxes. To be completely fair, the liability insurance would cover acts where a gun was involved but no one was killed. Its estimated that there are 500,000 to 2 million of these incidents every year where a gun owner uses a firearm in self-defense. (Doesnt necessarily shoots.) 100 million gun owners paying $800 each is $80 billion in taxes. Self-defense be damned, what a pot of gold for trial lawyers; criminals can sue gun owners for using their guns in self-defense. Did I mention, trial lawyers are amongst the biggest contributors to the Democrat Party? Connect the dots and follow the money. Press Release July 9, 2021 GORDON MOBILIZES THE PHILIPPINE RED CROSS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO C-130 CRASH VICTIMS Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), mobilized the humanitarian organization to support the families of the victims immediately upon learning of the C-130 disaster. PRC Welfare Services activated its team as soon as it received its marching orders and dispatched a contingent to attend to the needs of those affected by the catastrophe. "I am proud of the PRC," says Chairman Gordon. "Our staff, in the midst of tragedy, takes the time to counsel those who suffered a horrific loss. They provided first aid, psychosocial, and financial support on the ground, and added logistical support as needed. The military will always take care of its people, and they can always count on the PRC to help in its efforts because we are always available to assist our men in uniform." The families of those who lost their loved ones were attended to promptly by the PRC, and are receiving continuing support. For the survivors from the aircraft and on the ground, the PRC is there to monitor their medical condition and provide their families with the resources to manage their emotional and mental wellbeing. Among the survivors who suffered from third degree burns and other injuries were 13 year old Addhi, a young boy on the ground, and Gieve, Christian, and Jason who were afflicted with serious burns to their heads and arms. Sagge and Patricia, also hurt during the mishap, continue to get medical attention as well. Although they consented to the release of their photos, they requested that their surnames be withheld. "We are the PRC. Always first, always ready, always there. One of those who perished in the crash was the pilot who ferried supplies from China in April 2020. So we have also lost one of our own," adds Gordon. TOLENTINO WANTS DFA TO PREVENT CONFISCATION OF OFW PASSPORTS Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino wants the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other concerned agencies to protect the rights of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to hold on to their passports while working abroad. Tolentino made this suggestion to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Koko Pimentel, in relation to proposals to amend the Philippine Passport Act. "We can make it explicit in our passports that it would be illegal for foreign employers to confiscate passports of Filipino workers," said Tolentino. "Puwede nating idagdag, while valid this passport must not be confiscated by private employers and must be surrendered upon demand by an authorized representative of the Philippine government," he added. Through this, Tolentino said foreign employers will be aware that confiscating passports of Filipino workers is illegal. The Senator said the DFA, through bilateral exchanges and communiques with counterparts, can relay this prohibition so it can also be implemented in other countries. The DFA, through Office of Consular Affairs Executive Director Maria Alnee Gamble, said it can implement Tolentino's suggestion. Press Release July 10, 2021 Bong Go disagrees with proposal to scrap licensure examinations; says professional standards must still be upheld Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his disagreement with the proposal to abolish licensure exams, particularly for nursing and law, saying that it may be detrimental to the quality of education and standards set by professions in the country. "Hindi po ako sang-ayon diyan dahil mayroon tayong sinusunog na, kumbaga, alam mo quality o anuman po na... kailangan po pumasa sila sa standard," said Go in an ambush interview after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Housing Project in Pulangbato, Cebu City on Friday, July 9. "Nag-aral tayo, pagkaaral natin kailangan po mag-exam sila at malalaman kung pwede na nilang gampanan 'yung kanilang propesyon na natapos," he added. Earlier, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III floated the idea of dropping the mandatory board exams for nurses and other professions, saying that the students have already undergone numerous examinations in school. Go said that majority of students who have taken their board exams will not agree with the suggestion. "Eh mahirap po na porke't naka-graduate ka hindi ka na papasok ng board o bar exam. Hindi po, mahirap, hindi po ako sang-ayon dun," said Go. "And I'm sure majority of our students and also mga professionals nakapag-bar at nakapag-board exam ay hindi po sang-ayon dito," he added. Earlier, Go appealed to the government to include frontliners of the Professional Regulation Commission, such as proctors and watchers, for upcoming professional board exams, and board examiners in the A4 priority group for COVID-19 vaccination. This is to ensure that they are able to perform their duties safely as they are protected from COVID-19. "Kaya nga po ako mismo, bilang Senate Committee Chair on Health, ay pinakiusapan ko po ang IATF na bigyan po ng bakuna kaagad 'yung mga PRC examiners para hindi na po ma-postpone 'yung examinations nila," said Go. "Binakunahan na po 'yung PRC examiners para po makapag-conduct na sila ng examinations sa mga nurses. Eh, ganun din po gawin natin, kung kailangan bakunahan 'yung mga examiners and even the examinees ay bakunahan para po protektado sila. Bigyan po natin ng prayoridad," he added. In his previous appeal, Go emphasized the significant role of the PRC in processing and evaluating professionals, particularly nursing graduates, which, in turn, could address the need of the country for more medical frontliners amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, Go also filed in July 2019 Senate Bill No. 395, also known as the "Advanced Nursing Education Act of 2019". The measure seeks to protect and improve the nursing profession by instituting measures that will result in relevant nursing education, humane working conditions, better career prospects and a dignified existence for our nurses. Go's proposed measure will require the establishment of standard basic and graduate programs for nursing education, to be implemented in Commission on Higher Education-accredited institutions of higher learning. Israeli foreign minister Yapir Lapid invited his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita to visit Israel as the two countries prepare to launch direct air links. The invitation was communicated by Director General at Israels foreign ministry Alon Ushpiz who is leading an Israeli delegation on an official visit to Rabat. Ushpiz met with his counterpart at Moroccos foreign ministry Fouad Yazough and held meetings in Rabat on the means to bolster bilateral cooperation following the December deal between the two countries to resume diplomatic ties. The resumption of diplomatic ties between Israel and Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, is a milestone in the relations between our two peoples, said Lapid on his Twitter account. Morocco expects to receive up to 200,000 Israeli tourists in the first year after the launch of direct flight. Moroccos flag carrier RAM signed a deal with Tal Aviation to act as its sales representative in Israel. Nearly, 1 million people living in Israel are of Moroccan descent and up to 70,000 Israelis have been visiting Morocco annually despite lack of direct links. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East As the pandemic ravages the rest of the world, the casualty rate in Africa remains a mystery to those who predicted doom for the continent. Given African countries past experiences with infectious diseases, public health officials at the United Nations, aid agencies, media, and some experts predicted that the continent would be the most vulnerable and susceptible to outbreaks of COVID-19 with mass fatalities. The apocalyptic nature of predictions made many in Africa not only seek information, but also contest truths of COVID-19 even before the continent recorded its first case. These truths rarely engage with what communities can do to avert these predictions, thereby downplaying the agency of Africans and their governments in handling the spread of COVID-19. Instead, portrayals of Africans as helpless victims, waiting passively for their inevitable fate, are rooted in colonial notions of the white mans burden and post-colonial discourses of dysfunctional African states. Accordingly, the African continent was relegated to an ineffectual state of doom, while other countries and regions were viewed based on what they could do, and what they were or were not doing. Indeed, even when other regions such as Hong Kong and Taiwan were credited with obtaining experience from their handling of past outbreaks such as the SARs, African countries with similar past experiences of dealing with infectious diseases like the Ebola outbreak, were still not given the benefit of the doubt. It was not until several months after the first recorded case in Africa that these narratives of COVID-19 began to consider African countries responses to the pandemic as defying earlier predictions. Contrary to earlier predictions, most African countries have in fact minimized the impact of the pandemic. One African country that has received global commendation for its general response is Ghana. In Ghana, as in many other places ravaged by COVID-19, news and concerns about the dreaded novel coronavirus preceded the arrival of the virus itself. After the first global outbreak, anticipation of the virus reaching the shores of Ghana and its potentially devastating effects gripped the country. The fear of importing the virus ultimately influenced the Ghanaian governments first major decision not to evacuate its citizens stranded in the epicenter of Wuhan, China. Nevertheless, the country recorded its first two cases on March 12, 2020. Among the immediate actions after the first imported case was the decision by the government to place a ban on all travel of state officials and a restriction on entry into Ghana by non-Ghanaian citizens (except resident permit holders) traveling from countries that had recorded at least 200 coronavirus cases. Only 10 days later, on 22 March 2020, the Ghanaian government made the decisions to close the countrys land, sea, and air borders to human traffic. As noted earlier, Ghanas handling of COVID-19 has been relatively impressive; indeed, the dire effects of the virus fostered scientific and technological innovations in attempts at its containment. However, the post-first case saw the emergence of several different discourses, both locally generated and globally circulated, which produced varying stories, ideas, and truths about the virusand which served to (mis/under-) inform citizens. In this piece, we ask how discourses about the virus were and are being used as an essential tool for contesting these truths, fostering inclusiveness, and shaping perceptions of the countrys handling of COVID-19 and vaccination program. Through the case of Ghana, we challenge the bleak picture painted by Western agencies, demonstrating instead how African states interventions mobilized various stakeholders to respond to the pandemic. Update No. XX: Measures taken to combat spread of coronavirus The government of Ghana took center stage in addressing and shaping COVID-19 discourses in Ghana. This discursive approach manifested in the institution of periodic televised presidential addresses on COVID-19, titled: Update No. XX: Measures taken to combat spread of coronavirus. At the time of writing this piece, there have been 25 presidential updates. The opening line of each address, Fellow Ghanaians, stuck in the minds of several Ghanaians who anticipated these addresses, with some parodying these speeches on social media. Through this series of public addresses, the president communicates the state of COVID-19 infections and the governments response, reiterates guidelines for conducting business amid the pandemic, and educates the public about best hygiene practices. These updates also serve to announce policies, restrictions, and guidelines for social gatherings, among other kinds of information. The Update No. XX addresses demonstrate the tone of seriousness with which the Ghanaian government responded to the pandemicevidenced by the fact that they are delivered by the president and reinforced by weekly expert updates organized by the Information Ministry. The addresses are also synopsized in two other languages in order to reach a larger audience. As officially distributed discourses, these addresses legitimize and (re)enforce narratives about the pandemic and the Ghanaian governments attempts and intentions to handle it. However, this government-led information distribution campaign is not without resistance from local communities and local elites. For those who neither live nor work in the so-called hotspots, the effort against the pandemic appears merely rhetorical, as they do not see what is being done on the ground. Some citizens express dissatisfaction with what they regard as too much talk and too little action, calling on the president to stop speaking too much English and imploring him to make things better. Experiences of some harder-hit nations, like the United States, suggest that what people do (and not do) is crucial to curbing the spread of COVID-19. Thus, this push for a state narrative seeks to remind people who tend to act as if they have already forgotten about the pandemic that the threat of COVID-19 is still present. In essence, contrary to parts of the world where citizens and experts contested truths put forward by leaders, people in Ghana anticipated the circulation of truths about COVID-19. This, in part, is due to multiple sources of information available to Ghanaians through social media. In a free media environment, we view Ghanaian citizens in a position of power, from the level of middle-class tech-savvy citizens to the grassroots; empowered by technology (smartphones) and connectivity (social and other non-mainstream media), Ghanaians did not rely solely on the government, but consumed, (re)produced, and (re)circulated information both locally and also internationally. Access to information via social media shifts power dynamics with regard to who shapes the narrative, especially when people do not rely on or trust their governments. In Ghana, this distrust was fueled by the fact that the outbreak was happening in a keenly contested election year. Every governmental decision and action was viewed as for political gain or access to financial packages from the World Bank, making each move contested by local citizens, critics, and opposition parties alike. The governments efforts in contesting truths are therefore reactionary and respond to this complex information environment. The Ghanaian governments response is yet again met with contestationssome of which the government needs to clarify further and defend. Nonetheless, the presidential updates ultimately shape the discourses of the truth or the myth of the virus in the country. The Ghanaian governments approach laid the groundwork for its fight against the virus. However, this attempt, contested by local narratives, also serves to contest truths about Africas fate in the face of COVID-19. It highlights the role of state intervention in a public health crisis, even when faced with limited resources, by showing how the use of state-guided narratives can be a tool to support concrete interventions in the fight against COVID-19. Indeed, the importance of state-led truths is critical at a time when other former and current state leaders (such as Trump in the US, Bolsonaro in Brazil, and Magafuli in Tanzania) have fed into public skepticism, resulting in adverse outcomes of the response to the pandemic in their respective countries. Skepticism and vaccine hesitancy In Ghana, discourses about the existence of COVID-19 and its devastating impact are varying and often contested amidst alternate realities for differently situated segments of the populationdepending on where they live relative to the so-called hotspots of the virus. Perceptions range from firm acknowledgment, to accepting the pandemic as a distant threat ravaging communities other than ones own, to staunch and total denial. These contested discourses shaped notions of the virus before its detection in Ghana and have persisted through COVID-19s community spread to the current inoculation efforts. In the following section, we pay particular attention to the discourses and contested truths in Ghana under the vaccination phase of the pandemic. Over a year since the outbreak of COVID-19, much of the world now looks to vaccines as perhaps the only way of returning to some semblance of normalcy. However, there are concerns that developing and underdeveloped nations may be left behind in what has been a global scramble for and hoarding of vaccines by developed nations. This necessitated the formation of the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX)a partnership between the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce vaccine disparity by procuring and delivering vaccines for fair distribution around the world, particularly to poorer countries. Ghana became the first country to receive vaccines under the COVAX scheme. However, Ghanas status as the first COVAX recipient complicated the governments efforts in contesting public discourse, as COVID-19 vaccines were received with increased skepticism. These concerns were primarily grounded in the historical and contemporary experimentation of various vaccines on the African continentwhich has led to much skepticism across a section of Africans about the safety of vaccines. Vaccine skepticism in Ghana was further compounded after a video clip in which a French scientist proposed vaccine experimentation in Africa went viral on social media. In the clip, Jean-Paul Mira cites unavailability of masks, treatment, and resuscitation as justifications for proposing experimenting on Africans, while also drawing parallels with AIDS studies targeting sex workers. These comments were widely decried as racist by many, including the WHO. Some skeptics in Ghana used the video to support their distrust in COVID-19 vaccines. This culminated in the trending hashtag #AfricansAreNotLabRats. Discourses around vaccine safety, efficacy, and potential unknown side-effects have since remained prominent reasons for reluctance in Ghana. Hesitancy was again complicated by reports of rare blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine (which was the vaccine used in Ghana at the time). Strikingly, this challenge and skepticism of government discourse of safety was not only articulated by ordinary citizens but also by well-known politicians. For instance, citing Western engagement with Africa as one of Western interests above all else, an opposition political party leader doubted the efficacy of the vaccineswith a claim that they are of poor quality meant to kill Africans. He even suggests that the vaccine the president took on live television to instill confidence in the vaccination program was a malaria vaccine disguised as the COVID-19 vaccine. Distrust of developed nations interest-driven agendas, rooted in the history of colonialism, capital exploitation, and history of medical experiments in the African continent, led to some questioning or outright disavowing vaccines sent to the country. Dealing with vaccine hesitancy In dealing with vaccine hesitancy, the Ghanaian government again took center stage to shape discourses surrounding the safety, efficacy, and importance of taking the vaccine. First, the various untruths and conspiracy theories about the vaccinessuch as the notion of a potential vaccine altering DNA or causing infertilitywere vehemently debunked by the president through his presidential updates. Further, in a series of glamourous public relations stunts, the president, vice president, his cabinet, members of parliament, leaders from opposition parties, religious and traditional leaders, and other well-known personalities in the country received the first dose of the vaccine on live television to raise awareness and instill confidence in the vaccination program. Such societal elites and leaders became vaccine advocates debunking vaccine conspiracies and serving as living testaments to the safety of the vaccines administered in the country. Religious leaders especially made a significant impact on the members of their various denominational affiliations, some of whom cited religious reasons for reluctance or refusal to take vaccines. For instance, the Church of Pentecost, where a small cross-section of members held views that either propagated or spearheaded the boycott of vaccines for religious reasons, formed a COVID-19 Technical Committee to evaluate myths surrounding vaccines. The Church ultimately issued a communique to the its members debunking reasons for vaccine hesitancy, while advising members not to rely on social media for information. In so doing, they also demonstrated how dealing with COVID-19 disinformation is seen by many in Ghana as a collective responsibility of all community stakeholders. In conclusion, all these efforts of discursively sensitizing the public have contributed to the initial uptake of vaccines in the country. As Ghana struggles to procure more vaccines on its own to increase coverage, it is essential to continue providing reliable information and contesting unreliable information to stand the chance of achieving herd immunity when/if adequate vaccines become available. This is a challenge that is likely to increase with the introduction of a new vaccine, Sputnik V, for deployment. A new vaccine comes with its controversies that might need clarifying in order to gain confidence. Hagan Sibiri is a graduate of Fudan University with a PhD in international politics. His research interest revolves around East AsiaAfrica links, with a particular focus on Chinas African Policy. He also researches Ghanas response to COVID-19 and the resilience of African entrepreneurs in China under COVID-19. His work has appeared in the East Asian Community Review, Insight on Africa, the Kennedy School Review, the Africa Spectrum, Sustainability, Health Policy and Technology, Ethics, Medicine, and Public Health. Ignatius G.D. Suglo is a PhD candidate in China studies at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests include Africa-China relations, discourses and knowledge production about Africans in Chinese popular media, and people-to-people engagement. His work has appeared in the Journal of Asian and African Studies and the Hong Kong Review of Books. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 1:30PM By Glenn Dunks The politics of protest are always going to provide filmmakers with the sort of loaded emotions that make for good movies. Even when peaceful, the fractured dynamics of a society that continuously pits side against side in the fight for progressive ideas have long produced the sorts of anger and fierce determination that explode on camera. Racial equality (and more recently, Black Lives Matter), queer rights and womens liberation have all been seen in compelling documentaries for decades. But as environmental issues become more engrained as a fixture in the political and societal landscape, the street-battles to protect the only Earth we have are just as pertinent even if they perhaps lack the more personal connections that so many of us find in narratives of struggle and protest. In fact, Shannon Krings End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock finds much of its power in the way race, gender and the environment overlap in the fight for our planet's future. Its action is compelling as First Nations women take an important leadership role in the battle against the construction of an American conglomerates oil pipeline through sacred land (conveniently shifted south of Bismarck when it was decided that, yes, an oil spill would contaminate an even larger water supply for North Dakota). Its drama, however, feels unique as Native American women are so rarely given a spotlight as they do in Krings second feature. Of course, anybody paying attention to these sorts of environmental issues will be keenly aware that the story of the Dakota Access Pipeline is not strange or new. Its little more than a transparent ecological assault, built around insidious corporate greed. As a story of protest, too, it is nothing new. The film observes as the peaceful protest begins, First Nations people erecting tents in their Sacred Stone Camp on the reservation land that was marked for their use, but which has been stripped for access by capitalism incarnate. We watch as more and more arrive to lend their voice through both protest and song (including Australian Aboriginal representatives, and Norwegian Sami people). But as more tractors arrive, more barbed wire appears, more uniformed and militarized guards take their position with guns and batons, End of the Line defies the viewer to suggest that this is anything by a gross overstep of authority on behalf of everybody with power. And its clear that the tribes are not the ones with the power. Filmed predominantly in 2016 before the inauguration of Donald Trump, End of the Line is perhaps most notable for featuring previously unseen footage of the police brutality that was inflicted upon those who were attacked for taking their rightful place on their ancestors land. The enforcement video shows the violent attempts made against the peaceful protestors, including rubber bullets (which blinded one) and drag-out assaults. Its unflinching, uncomfortable stuff, but one that is far too familiar. However, it is the focus on the women of these tribes that allows Kring to delve into other, thornier subject matter. From the very nature of womanhood within the First Nations population, to the issue of forces sterilization and systemic abuse of white houses of religion, this documentary grapples with subject matters that positions the fight for Standing Rock not as just one based around environmental stakes for one lake on the Missouri River, but that of the very rights to for Native Americansand all First Nations peopleto exist as they see fit to among western culture. By allowing these people on the ground to speak at the heart of the film is significant. It does so simply and effectively with little need for sensationalizing. By doing so it makes as almost a strong of a case for their cause than the women do themselves. Like Marion Lipschutzs Young Lakota, I so embraced being welcomed into this world and the work of its people like Waste Win Young, Phyllis Young, Vanessa Sioux-Z Dundon and many others. I hope films like End of the Line dont remain as rare as they once have as the world finally opens up to hearing their stories. Release: End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock is available through Fuse. Oscar chances: Hmm, probably not. The film has unfortunately not made a very loud splash on the festival circuit since its premiere at Slamdance, and that's something that most docs have if not impressive box office. Procore Technologies, a leading provider of construction management software, has partnered with Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company to enter the Middle East and North Africa market in a big way, with a special focus on regional heavyweights UAE and Saudi Arabia. The partnership with Mubadala, already an existing Procore shareholder, will advance the opportunity for the US firm's platform to connect information and teams, drive performance, and ensure the safety of workers in the regions construction industry. Procore provides a single unified platform for construction, encompassing Project Management, Quality and Safety, Financials, Resource Management and Analytics, plus the ability to integrate with hundreds of widely used applications through Procores App Marketplace. It helps owners, contractors and subcontractors build smarter by improving collaboration and streamlining communication through the construction supply chain, and providing real-time data and visibility into their project performance. Procore has over 10,000 customers running in excess of one million projects around the world. "At Procore, we build software for the people who build the world. We are excited for our next phase of growth across Mena in partnership with Mubadala," said Tooey Courtemanche, Procore founder and CEO. "Procore is already used in over 125 countries, and expanding globally will enable us to better partner with construction leaders around the world. Our mission is to connect everyone in construction on our global platform, so that our customers can build faster, safer and smarter," noted Courtemanche. Ibrahim Ajami, Head of Ventures and Growth at Mubadala, said: "The construction sector in the Middle East is ripe for disruption as it remains largely undigitized. Procores platform is a game changer, and we are excited to support them on their mission to connect everyone in construction on a global platform, bringing significant efficiencies to the industry across the region." Procore has appointed Mohamed Swidan as its new head of Mena to build regional operations with all customer touchpoints in the team. Swidan is the former head of Uber for Business, Middle East & Africa at Uber, and was previously Head of Cloud, Middle East South at SAP. "Construction businesses in Mena today are accelerating their digitisation and innovation. As the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, owners and contractors are under continued pressure to drive innovation while controlling costs and improving productivity," remarked Swidan. "Procore is thrilled to be on this journey with such a reputable and expert partner in the region. With Mubadala we have a unique opportunity to expand our one platform approach to a growing construction market, working closely with their team to respond to market needs," he added.-TradeArabia News Service UAE contractor Khansaheb said it has achieved a major safety milestone at the project site of the upcoming University of Birmingham Dubai within the Dubai International Academic City, by clocking more than four million work-hours without a lost-time incident (LTI). The achievement reflects successful implementation of the highest health, safety, and environment (HSE) procedures and puts the construction project on track for completion in Q3 with 100 per cent of structural works already finished. Rigorous measures have been adopted to ensure the safety of the more-than 6,000 workers deployed to deliver the campus in Dubais largest academic ecosystem, home to more than 27,000 students from over 100 countries. Khansaheb had implemented stringent HSE protocols in partnership with the university and the Dubai International Academic City. These included working with certified third-party operators, machines and equipment to deliver complex and potentially dangerous work at high and low heights, such as facade fixing, MEP services, plastering, and gypsum application. Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park, said: "The safety milestones marked in the construction of the new University of Birmingham Dubai campus have been remarkable, not just due to the unique environment we currently operate in, but because the project itself involves such intricate levels of attention to detail." Prof David Sadler, the provost of University of Birmingham Dubai, said: "This milestone is an important step forward in the construction of the University of Birmingham Dubais iconic new campus and a testament to the collaborative manner in which this is taking shape." "It not only reflects Khansaheb's strong commitment to the highest safety protocols but excellent planning and execution, he stated. "We look forward to opening the doors to our innovative new building to students in Dubai International Academic City, which is a vibrant destination for learning, and providing a first-class British education to thousands of students," he added. As part of the safety measures, dedicated pedestrian access has been created for workers, staff, and visitors at the new campus to minimise man-machine interface, reducing incident probability. As even minor heights may cause severe accidents, industrial hop-ups have been provided for all high-access work. Bi-weekly maintenance services, constant atmospheric inspections around manholes, regular job rotations, good lighting and cooling in work areas, and strict barricading ensure that the construction site is safe and secure. The new University of Birmingham Dubai campus will eventually be home for up to 2,900 students located opposite the citys first purpose-built student housing community, said Abdulla. Sheltered courtyards and social spaces that have been designed to enhance sustainability will provide a relaxing environment in keeping with the Dubai climate.-TradeArabia News Service The technology group Wartsila said it will develop the regasification system for a new offshore LNG terminal to be built in the Bay of Bengal in India. The project is headed by Crown LNG, a Norwegian group specialising in developing LNG infrastructure for harsh weather conditions, with Oslo-based engineering company Aker Solutions as the main contractor, Wartsila said in a statement. Wartsila Gas Solutions will conduct the front-end engineering and design (Feed) of the regasification system. The early phase of the Feed contract was booked in May 2021. Final Investment Decision for the project expected in 2022 with further equipment delivery of the regasification systems. The terminal will sit on the seabed approximately 19 km north-east of Kakinada on Indias east coast, approximately 11 km from the shoreline. It will be exposed to challenging monsoon weather conditions, and Wartsilas extensive experience in delivering regasification systems for more than 20 similar floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) around the world was cited as a major consideration in the award of the contract. The Wartsila system will serve the terminal with an annual regasification capacity of 7.2 million metric tonnes, and will include the boil-off gas (BOG) handling and fuel gas systems. This will be a challenging project, and the companies selected to engineer and design the systems required must be well qualified. Wartsila has an excellent track record in delivering regasification systems, and we are confident that they are a good match this assignment, said Sturla Magnus, EVP Topsides & Facilities in Aker Solutions. We are honoured to have been chosen to design and deliver the regasification system for this LNG terminal project. Our regas systems are delivered as complete modules, with all the engineering, component procurement, and construction of the module carried out entirely by the companys execution team. This makes integrating the modules very easy, and we look forward to smooth inter-connection work with the other project partners, commented Reidar Strande, General Manager, Strategy & Business Development, Wartsila Gas Solutions. It is estimated that the LNG terminal will be completed and fully operational approximately three years after the final investment decision has been made. Wartsila Gas Solutions is a market leader with innovative systems and lifecycle solutions for the gas value chain. Our main focus areas are the handling of gas in seaborne transport (storage, fuel, transfer and BOG management), gas to power, liquefaction and biogas solutions. We help our customers on the journey towards a sustainable future through a focus on lifecycle, innovation and digitalisation.TradeArabia News Service Biden Sets August Exit From Afghanistan By The Associated Press WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden says the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no mission accomplished moment to celebrate.Biden pushed back against the notion the U.S. mission has failed but also noted that it remains unlikely the government would control all of Afghanistan after the U.S. leaves. He urged the Afghan government and Taliban, which he said remains as formidable as it did before the start of the war, to come to a peace agreement.We did not go to Afghanistan to nation build, Biden said in a Thursday speech from the White Houses East Room. Afghan leaders have to come together and drive toward a future.The administration in recent days has sought to frame ending the conflict as a decision that Biden made after concluding its an unwinnable war and one that does not have a military solution. On Thursday he amplified the justification of his decision even as the Taliban make rapid advances in significant swaths of the country.How many more, how many more thousands of American daughters and sons are you willing to risk? Biden said to those calling for the U.S. to extend the military operation. He added, I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan, with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome."The new withdrawal date comes after former President Donald Trumps administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban to end the U.S. military mission by May 1. Biden after taking office announced U.S. troops would be out by by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, which al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden plotted from Afghanistan, where he had been given refuge by the Taliban.With U.S. and NATO ally forces rapidly drawing down in the past week, there was growing speculation that U.S. combat operations have already effectively ended. But by setting Aug. 31 as the drawdown date, the administration nodded to the reality that the long war is in its final phase, while providing itself some cushion to deal with outstanding matters.The administration has yet to complete talks with Turkey on an arrangement for maintaining security at the Kabul airport and is still ironing out details for the potential evacuation of thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military operation.Biden said that prolonging U.S. military involvement, considering Trump had already agreed to withdraw U.S. troops, would have led to an escalation of attacks on American troops and NATO allies.The Taliban would have again begun to target our forces, Biden said. The status quo was not an option. Staying meant U.S. troops taking casualties. American men and women. Back in the middle of a civil war. And we would run the risk of having to send more troops back in Afghanistan to defend our remaining troops.The president added that there is no mission accomplished moment as the U.S. war comes to an end.The mission was accomplished in that we got Osama bin Laden and terrorism is not emanating from that part of the world," he said. U.S. forces killed bin Laden in 2011.U.S. forces this week vacated Bagram Airfield the U.S. epicenter of the conflict to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 2001 terrorist attacks that triggered the war.Remaining U.S. troops are now concentrated in Kabul, the capital. The Pentagon said the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller, is expected to end his tour of duty this month as final arrangements are made for a reduced U.S. military mission.Biden, answering questions from reporters after his remarks on Thursday, said that Kabul falling to the Taliban would not be an acceptable outcome. The president also pushed back against the notion that such a scenario was certain.Do I trust the Taliban? No," Biden said. But I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped and more competent in terms of conducting war.To be certain, the West hopes Taliban gains will be confined mostly to rural areas, with the Afghan government and its allies retaining control of the cities where much of Afghanistans population resides. And while the Taliban remain a major power in Afghanistan, the governments supporters hope that Afghans will work out the Taliban role in the post-U.S. Afghanistan power structure more through political than military means, partly through the inducements of international legitimacy, aid and other support.Asked by a reporter whether rampant corruption within the Afghan government contributed to the failure of achieving the sort of stability that his predecessors and American military commanders envisioned, Biden didnt exactly dismiss the notion. The mission hasnt failed yet."Biden continues to face pressure from congressional lawmakers to offer further detail on how he intends to go about assisting thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. military as translators, drivers and in other jobs. Many are fearful they will be targets of the Taliban once the U.S. withdrawal is complete.The White House says the administration has identified U.S. facilities outside of the continental United States, as well as third countries, where evacuated Afghans would potentially stay while their visa applications are processed. Biden added that 2,500 Afghans have been granted special immigrant visas since he took office in January.The president faced Republican criticism following his speech.The Taliban is gaining more ground by the day, and there are targets on the backs of our people and our partners, said Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. But rather than taking the opportunity to reassure the American people there are sufficient plans in place to keep American diplomats and our Afghan partners safe, President Biden only offered more empty promises and no detailed plan of action.John Kirby, chief Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that the U.S. military is considering several overseas bases around the world as possible temporary locations for those Afghans awaiting a visa. So far, he said, the numbers of those who have decided to leave Afghanistan are not so high that they cant be handled with a range of installations.Our message to those women and men is clear, Biden said. There is a home for you in the United States if you so choose. We will stand with you, just as you stood with us.Biden noted that as a senator he was skeptical about how much the U.S. could accomplish in Afghanistan and had advocated for a more narrowly tailored mission. He was somewhat opaque in answering whether the cost of the war was worth it, but argued that the U.S. objectives were completed long ago.We went for two reasons: one, to bring Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, as I said at the time," Biden said. "The second reason was to eliminate al-Qaidas capacity to deal with more attacks on the United States from that territory. We accomplished both of those objectives. Period.Thats why I believe this is the right decision and quite frankly overdue. New Laws Now in Effect in Kentucky By West Kentucky Star Staff FRANKFORT - Most new laws approved during the Kentucky General Assembly's 2021 have now gone into effect, including laws dealing with elections and police wrongdoing.Here are the ones now in effect:House Bill 210 will ensure that employers offer parents adopting a child under the age of ten the same amount of time off as birth parents.. Senate Bill 127 encourages schools to keep bronchodilator rescue inhalers in at least two locations and will require schools with inhalers to have policies regarding their use.. House Bill 212 will require data in an annual state report on fatalities among children and new mothers to include information on demographics, race, income and geography associated with the fatalities.. House Bill 254 will raise the penalty for possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor under the age of 12 years to a Class C felony. It will also raise the penalty for the distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance of a minor under the age of 12 years to a Class C felony for the first offense and a Class B felony for each subsequent offense.House Bill 402 will revise child support laws to increase the amount considered flagrant nonsupport from $1,000 to $2,500.Education. House Bill 563 will give families more options when deciding where to send kids to school and will assist families with the cost of educational expenses. The bill will allow the use of education opportunity accounts, a type of scholarship, for students to attend out-of-district public schools or obtain educational materials and supplies. For students in some of the states largest counties, the scholarship funds could be used for private school tuition. Individuals or businesses who donate to organizations that issue education opportunity accounts will be eligible for a tax credit. The legislation will also require a board of education to adopt a nonresident pupil policy by July 1, 2022 to govern terms under which the district allows enrollment of nonresident pupils and includes those pupils in calculating the districts state funding.. House Bill 574 will make permanent some of the election procedures implemented last year to accommodate voting during the pandemic. The measure will offer Kentuckians three days including a Saturday leading up to an election day for early, in-person voting. It will allow county clerks to continue to offer ballot drop boxes for those who do not wish to send their ballots back by mail. It will also counties to offer voting centers where any registered voter in the county could vote.Senate Bill 6 will create standards for ethical conduct for transition team members of all newly elected statewide officeholders. The standards include identifying any team member who is or has been a lobbyist. It will require disclosure of current employment, board member appointments and any non-state sources of money received for their services. It will also prohibit the receipt of nonpublic information that could benefit a transition team member financially.. Senate Bill 86 will designate 100 percent of a new open dumping fine to be paid to the county where the violation occurred.Inmate care. Senate Bill 84 will ban jails, penitentiaries, local and state correctional facilities, residential centers and reentry centers from placing inmates who are pregnant or within the immediate postpartum period in restrictive housing, administrative segregation, or solitary confinement. It will grant an inmate who gives birth 72 hours with a newborn before returning to the correctional facility and will offer six weeks of postpartum care. It also mandates that incarcerated pregnant women have access to social workers and any community-based programs to facilitate the placement and possible reunification of their child.. Senate Bill 102 will include Asian Carp, paddlefish, or sturgeon in the definition of "Kentucky-grown agricultural product".. House Bill 272 will allow water districts to impose a 10 percent late fee and cut off service for nonpayment of bills. Customers who receive financial assistance for their bills are exempt.House Bill 229 will make someone guilty of criminal mischief for intentionally or wantonly causing damage to livestock.Living organ donors. House Bill 75 will prohibit certain insurance coverage determinations based upon the status of an individual as a living organ donor. It will also encourage the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to develop educational materials relating to living organ donation.Medicaid. Senate Bill 55 will prohibit copays for Medicaid beneficiaries.House Bill 155 will allow the use of a "newborn safety device" when a newborn is being anonymously surrendered by a parent at a participating staffed police station, fire station, or hospital. The device allows a parent surrendering an infant to do so safely using a receptacle that triggers an alarm once a newborn is placed inside so that medical care providers can immediately respond and provide care to the child.Senate Bill 80 will strengthen the police decertification process by expanding the number of acts considered professional wrongdoing. Such acts include unjustified use of excessive or deadly force and engaging in a sexual relationship with a victim. The bill also will require an officer to intervene when another officer is engaging in the use of unlawful and unjustified excessive or deadly force. It will also set up a system for an officers automatic decertification under certain circumstances and will prevent an officer from avoiding decertification by resigning before an internal investigation is complete.. House Bill 312 will revise the states open records laws. It will limit the ability of people who do not live, work or conduct business in Kentucky to obtain records through open records laws. These restrictions do not apply to out-of-state journalists. The legislation specifies that open records requests can be made via email. It also calls for a standardized form to be developed for open records request but does not require its use. It will allow the legislative branch to make final and unappealable decisions regarding decisions on open records requests it receives. The bill will allow government agencies up to five days to respond to open records requests.Senate Bill 52 will amend third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy and second-degree sexual abuse statutes so law enforcement officers could be charged with those crimes if they engage in sexual acts with a person under investigation, in custody or under arrest.. House Bill 126 will increase the threshold of felony theft from $500 to $1,000. It will also allow law enforcement to charge members of organized shoplifting rings with a felony if a member steals a total of $1,000 worth of merchandise over 90 days.. Senate Bill 228 will change the way vacancies are filled for a U.S. senator from Kentucky. The bill will require the governor to select a replacement from a list of three nominees selected by the same political party of the departing senator.. House Bill 475 will prohibit, starting on July 1, the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board from adopting or enforcing occupational safety and health administrative regulations that are more stringent than the corresponding federal provisions. by Steve Suwannarat UMNO has announced its decision to withdraw from the coalition government led by Muhyiddin Yassin. The party, which lost popular support in recent years, dominated Malaysian politics since 1957. Parliament will meet on 26 July to discuss the COVID-19 emergency but also to find a way out of the political impasse. Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) Sixteen months after Muhyiddin Yassin took office, his government is facing a crisis. King Abdullah summoned parliament for a special session on 26 July. This will allow lawmakers to adopt urgent measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but might provide a way out of the crisis caused by the decision of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to withdraw its support from the government. UMNO has dominated Malaysian politics since the country gained its independence in 1957, but in recent years it has suffered a sharp loss in support despite repeated attempts to uphold its rule, now considered by many to be illiberal and founded only on claims that it alone can maintain stability. The withdrawal left the National Alliance (Perikatan Nasional) coalition government without the votes needed to rule at a time when crucial decisions are needed to cope with a crisis that threatens the economy and might rekindle sectarian tensions. UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the decision to pull out stems from the governments failure to realise the aspirations of the population, cope with the slowdown of the economy and implement a plan to contain COVID-19. In announcing that his partys withdrawal, Ahmad Zahid urged the prime minister to resign and called for elections to be held once herd immunity is achieved. If, as expected, UMNO members of the cabinet resign, Malaysias 32 million people can expect a time of uncertainty. Some envisage the return of Mahathir Mohamad to mediate. The 95-year-old served as prime minister for a total of 26 years between 1981 and 2020. King Abdullah and Israels new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, met secretly last week. Israel will boost water supplies by 50 million cubic metres this year. The Jordanian king is set to travel to Washington to be the first Mideast leader to visit the White House. Some believe the Muslim Brotherhood played a role in last Aprils attempted coup in Amman. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Israel and the United States are currently trying to boost their ties with Jordans King Abdallah in order to shore up his leadership, fearing that a fall of the Hashemite monarchy might have a negative impact and cause instability in the Middle East region. According to the latest news, King Abdullah and Israels new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met secretly in Amman last week to talk, among other things, about the kingdoms water shortages, with an historic deal to increase water supplies, tensions within the royal family, and the economic crisis. On Tuesday, the US administration announced that the Jordanian monarch would travel to the United States later this month, the first Mideast leader to visit the White House since Democrat Joe Biden took office in January. In announcing the visit, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stressed Jordans role as a key security partner, noting that the visit will showcase Jordans leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region. On Thursday, Israel accepted Jordans request to raise water supplies to counter the kingdoms water crisis. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi also met to discuss the issue. Under the deal, Israel will supply Jordan with an additional 50 million cubic metres of water in 2021. Yesterday, it was also confirmed that Prime Minister Bennett and King Abdullah met last week at the crown palace in Ammann, the first summit between the two countries leaders in three years. The Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic State (IS) group are using Jordans water crisis as a pretext to weaken King Abdullah. However, the drought is not the only danger to the kingdom. Jordans poor economy and high unemployment (at 25 per cent at the end of 2020), both aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ruthless political repression, have also undermined the countrys stability. Despite the lack of evidence, some believe that members of the Muslim Brotherhood were involved in last Aprils coup attempt by King Abdullah's half-brother, Prince Hamzah. For its allies, Jordan is too important to be left to its fate and Bennett came to help Israels neighbour with much needed resources. In addition to water, Israelis and Jordanians are finalising trade agreements to strengthen cooperation and support the Palestinian people, allowing for greater trade between Jordan and the West Bank. Up to now, apart from some isolated incidents, Jerusalem and Amman have always had good relations, partly because Jordan, as custodian of Muslim and Christian holy places, has always contributed to regional peace, acting as a mediator between Islam and the rest of the world. According to some experts, Biden and Bennett are helping Jordan in order to maintain a reliable buffer against hostile forces in the east, first Iraq and more recently Iran. A weak regime in Amman could lead to a power vacuum and encourage jihadi infiltrations along the border. This also explains why the coup attempt in April was met with a harsh crackdown, including the arrest of the kings half-brother. Asked by The Times of Israel, John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, noted that the family saga raised more than one concern in Washington and Jerusalem. Jordan is such an important piece of the puzzle in securing our interests and achieving some level of stability and security in the region, Hannah said. by Vladimir Rozanskij Russian-Laotian friendship goes back a long way, a legacy of Moscows ties with the local communist regime. Thanks to its infrastructure projects, Beijing now plays a dominant role in the country. Nonetheless, Russia and Laos want to renew trade and military collaboration. Moscow (AsiaNews) The recent visit to Laos by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov focused on the China factor. Beijing plays a dominant role in the small Southeast Asian country, above all through the construction of strategic infrastructures. The Chinese are currently building a railway that will connect the Laotian capital Vientiane to Kunming, in the Chinese province of Yunnan, a US$ 7 billion project that is going ahead despite the pandemic. Laos, like other Chinese partners, is becoming an eternal debtor to China. To counterbalance the influence of its powerful neighbour, Laos is seeking Russian support; Moscow however lacks the wherewithal it had during Soviet times, and can hardly compete with China for control of the country. Despite the huge distance that separates Russia from Laos, relations between the two countries have always remained very close and friendly. Minister Lavrov met with Laotian Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and President Thongloun Sisoulith on Thursday without translators, a legacy of 60 years of close ties between the Lao People's Democratic Republic and its Russian brothers, the USSR first and now the Russian Federation. At the start of the visit, Lavrov and his Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith submitted themselves to the traditional photo op. The two officials took off their masks and warmly hugged exchanging compliments in Russian. Before starting his career, Kommasith studied for six years at Moscow State University of International Relations and Lavrov was one of his professors. In Soviet times, President Sisoulith studied at the Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute, now the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia in St Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), and then headed the Russian language programme at the National University of Laos. During his rise through the ranks of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the only party allowed in the country, he never missed an opportunity to visit his second homeland, Russia. More than any other country, the Soviet Union helped the Lao People's Democratic Republic since its founding in 1975, supplying cars, fuel, food and consumer goods. Kommasith thanked Russia for its help in the fight against COVID-19, which remains a major challenge in the country, albeit not as great as in other countries in the region. Back in March Laotian authorities rolled out a major vaccination campaign administering the Russias Sputnik-V vaccine. Although facing shortages at home and a new pandemic wave, Moscow pledged to send large quantities of the vaccine to Laos. Lavrov and Laotian leaders also discussed ways to resume trade. But military cooperation topped the agenda. A special group of Russian deminers cleared an airstrip from more than a thousand pieces of unexploded ordnance left by the US between 1964 and 1973. Now Moscow will help Laos upgrade the military airfield, bringing new supplies and advanced military technologies, and providing training to the countrys armed forces. Food is emotional, Diamond said one day this week as he stood near the corner where his grandfather and uncle first set up business 73 years ago. You can go in the door of the store and the smells trigger feelings and memories. You want to be greeted by a friendly staff, you want it to have low prices and you want it to be clean. Banks had taken action in court first, filing for a peace order against his wife in May. He claimed she was threatening to leave him and ruin his life. He said she called police on him alleging that he pushed her out of a moving vehicle, then refused to speak with officers who came to their home. The 23-year-old Hanover man driving the car that struck the motorcycle was taken into custody after he pulled his car over to the shoulder some distance from the crash, police said. The third component was education and service, which Harris also called service-learning. He said the vision was for them to have the opportunity to help the Puerto Ricans struggling, but also give them the opportunity to learn about those struggles. What do we do? Do we let the country fall into chaos? Private properties destroyed? People killed after the assassination of the president? Or, as a government, do we prevent? he said. Were not asking for the occupation of the country. Were asking for small troops to assist and help us. ... As long as we are weak, I think we will need our neighbors. My producer called and said, "Hey, the village voted and said yes. They'd like the movie to come here. We showed them a movie and they thought it was great." (Roth asked) "What did you show them?" (The producer said) "'Cannibal Holocaust.' They loved it. At first, they thought it was a comedy." Almost everybody signed up to be in the film. Some of them were part of the crew. There are now five-year-old children there who, if you ask them what a movie is, they'll say it's where you pretend to eat people. Her mother cried as officials tried to reassure several families waiting outside the hospital that the bodies would be returned once DNA tests were run, as most had suffered severe burns. Forensic experts collected DNA samples from victims family members, and by late Saturday afternoon samples from 33 of the deceased had been collected, officials at the hospital said. She recruited nearly 100 parents to run in November for school boards across Pennsylvania. While the group coalesced around pushing for schools to fully open, its candidates have also sought to bar the teaching of critical race theory, which among other things holds that racism is embedded in Americas laws and institutions Low-head dams such as the Hammel Woods Dam allow water to flow over top of them, which creates a dangerous undertow despite unassuming looks. Low-head dams have been the site of dozens of fatalities in recent years in the Chicago region. At least 22 people have drowned at a dam in the Kankakee River since 1982. Some refer to low-head dams as drowning machines. But as you saw from that horrific video, it wasnt just one person. Theres one person who dealt the fatal shot, but there were others who were standing by, who dragged that poor woman out of the car, the man who was killed literally used his body as a shield and he paid for that with his life, Lightfoot said, calling it a horrific statement about those involved. Murphy said a second defendant charged in the shooting was heard by a witness encouraging Tart to shoot Funches-Heard. The name of the second defendant a woman was not given in court nor was the charge against her. Friday night, another fatal shooting occurred in the Gresham neighborhood. At 7:21 p.m., a male whose age was unknown was found on a sidewalk in the 600 block of West 80th Street with gunshot wounds to the head and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:35 p.m., according to preliminary data from the medical examiners office. He had not been identified as of Sunday morning. The night falls, and the light show begins. On July 4, buildings along the banks of the Yangtze River in Wuhan flashed tribute messages to medical workers while 600 drones lined the sky. Hovering above the city, they formed various touching images such as doctors fighting on the frontline of COVID-19 battle and an outline of Wuhans landmark Yellow Crane Tower surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms. The cast and crew of "Chinese Doctors," positioned on a cruise ship on the river, had a front-row seat to the spectacle. From there, they watched the magnificent display and performed a rendition of "Endless Wave in Hong Lake," an ode to Hubei province's famous lake. "I have seen varying cuts of the film many times, but every time I watch them, I cry," said Yu Dong, chairman of Bona Film Group and producer of the film. "We wanted to make the film to show the world how the frontline doctors made it through the hard times. We need to remember this time and to record an unforgettable year." Five rounds of standing ovations nearly brought down the theater after the premiere at Wuhan's Hongshan Auditorium, giving locals in what was the former epicenter of the epidemic the opportunity to see the film first. Local representatives of medical workers, police, urban management, medical teachers and students, and anti-epidemic role models attended the event. Many were moved to tears. There were similar reactions when the film showed in Beijing on Tuesday and at other advanced screening events in Chongqing, Shanghai, and various other cities. "China is really amazing; we made it through the epidemic and won," director Andrew Lau said. The director, best known for "Infernal Affairs" and "The Captain," described how the crew hired more than 30 experts as consultants and to train actors to reenact the actual events captured in the film. After each day of filming, the actors, selected medical workers, and experts would check the footage for any errors. "If things went wrong, we would re-shoot it all over again," Lau said. Medical workers who attended the screenings recognized their efforts to remain true to the real-life events, saying that they found the scenes very realistic. Dr. Zhang Wenhong, who heads the Center for Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, and who has been one of the most authoritative figures on COVID-19 since the outbreak, said he went into the film's screening in Shanghai ready to nitpick, "But it went beyond my expectations... I basically didn't find any errors during its running time." A significant portion of the film takes place in Wuhan's Jinyintan Hospital, with actor Zhang Hanyu basing his character on Zhang Dingyu, the head of the hospital. Zhang Dingyu was the recipient of the honorary title of "People's Hero" for treating and saving more than 2,800 coronavirus patients with his colleagues. "This is a true tearjerker," Zhang Dingyu commented. "The temper and some habits of the character in the film were based off of me, but those heroic, courageous, and resolute characteristics are epitome of all medical workers." To capture his personality and observe and learn how he behaves in real life, actor Zhang Hanyu traveled to Wuhan to live and work with Zhang Dingyu. "I'm so impressed by his passion and compassion during critical moments. He is a real hero, a leader, a tough guy, and he's pragmatic, down-to-earth, and optimistic," the actor said. The creative team entered Wuhan soon after the city's 76-day lockdown ended in early April 2020. They then set out to document valuable first-hand information and conduct in-depth interviews with hundreds of frontline workers. Executive producer Peggy Lee Kam-Man said the whole crew overcame many difficulties during that time and implemented strict epidemic prevention measures. Li Chen, the actor who plays a Shanghai doctor who travels to Wuhan during the epidemic, recounted how in one scene, he was on the top of a riverside building shouting, "Go Wuhan!" He then noticed that many nearby residents echoed his call and spontaneously shouted, "Go Wuhan! Go China!" back at him. "I was deeply touched by this," Li said. The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, Friday announced it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points for eligible financial institutions from July 15 to support the real economy. The RRR cut, which will be imposed on all financial institutions except those who have already held the ratio at 5 percent, will likely release 1 trillion yuan (about 154.43 billion U.S. dollars) in long-term funds, the PBOC said. After the reduction, the weighted average RRR for Chinese financial institutions will stand at 8.9 percent, the central bank said. The cut aims to improve the fund structure of financial institutions and boost their capabilities in financial services to improve support of the real economy, the central bank said. Financial institutions will use part of the released funds to repay the maturing medium-term lending facilities. Some funds will also fill the liquidity gap in the tax payment season late this month. The reduction will lower the fund costs for financial institutions by around 13 billion yuan each year, according to the PBOC calculation. The RRR cut is a regular operation after the country's monetary policy returned to the pre-epidemic status, the central bank said. "The direction of the prudent monetary policy has not changed," it said. Rather than resorting to a "flood-like" stimulus, the PBOC pledged to stick to a normal monetary policy while keeping it stable and effective. A State Council meeting decided earlier this week that China will adopt monetary tools such as RRR cuts at an appropriate time to increase financial support for the real economy, especially for small firms. It will also mitigate the impact of commodity price hikes on company operations. Driven by rising commodity prices, China's producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, went up by 8.8 percent year on year in June after registering a 9-percent growth in May. The country's new yuan-denominated loans totaled 2.12 trillion yuan last month, up by 308.6 billion yuan from the same period last year, central bank data also showed Friday. Newly added total social financing, a measurement of funds the real economy receives from the financial system, reached 3.67 trillion yuan in June, 200.8 billion yuan higher than for the same period last year. In the next stage, the PBOC said it would continue to implement a prudent monetary policy while keeping liquidity at a reasonable and ample level to create a suitable monetary and financial environment for China's high-quality development and supply-side structural reform. The 100th China-made mid-fuselage section for the Airbus A220 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shenyang, in northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Friday. The mid-fuselage was manufactured by SAC Commercial Aircraft International Ltd. (SACI), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. Weighing around 4.6 tonnes with a length of up to 16 meters, it is the largest part of the single-aisle A220 aircraft. "The on-time completion and delivery of the mid-fuselage demonstrates our manufacturing capability, which emphasizes safety, quality and reliability," said Deng Yudong, chairman of SACI. "It demonstrates our confidence in the A220 aircraft, in our cooperation with Airbus, and in the Chinese civil-aircraft manufacturing industry," Deng said, adding that the company's confidence is based on market recognition, the strengthening of the domestic supply chain and stable China-Europe cooperation So far, SACI's monthly production rate is sufficient to meet the demands of five A220 aircraft. However, SACI is gearing up its production rate to meet the demands of the Airbus A220 monthly production rate, which will reach six aircraft by early 2022, and 14 by the middle of this decade, according to the company. "Quality is the foundation of safety, the high delivery rate is the guarantee of economy, while new technologies, the low carbon footprint and environmental protection are the guarantee of sustainable development," Deng said. Airbus and SACI have committed to deepening cooperation to ensure the quality and delivery of aircraft parts, as well as ramping up the production rate, he added The A220 family single-aisle aircraft is purpose-built for the 100 to 150-seat market segment. To date, the aircraft family has received more than 640 orders, with 159 delivered to the market. "All of the A220 aircraft flying around the world have their airframes made here. There are many reasons for Airbus to continue and expand cooperation with China, not only in quantity, but also in quality," said Michel Tran Van, chief operating officer of Airbus China. "China is our key market and the hub of our supply chain, but it is far more than that. It's an integral part of the global aviation industrial ecosystem, a country with talented people and innovation vitality, and good potentials," said Tran Van. President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed efforts to foster the new development paradigm, promote the vitalization of the seed industry and advance ecological and environmental protection as well as sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the 20th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of documents, including guidelines on accelerating the building of the new development paradigm, an action plan on vitalizing the seed industry, a plan for ecological and environmental protection as well as sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and measures on pushing innovations in trade and investment facilitation in the country's pilot free trade zones. "Accelerating the building of the new development paradigm is a strategic measure for us to take the initiative in future development," Xi said. "It is aimed at enhancing our ability to survive, compete, develop and sustain in all kinds of predictable and unpredictable stormy weathers, and it is a tough battle and protracted war that calls for a tenacious fighting spirit and strategic composure," he said. Noting that the seed industry is the foundation of agricultural modernization, Xi stressed efforts to achieve self-reliance in the sector and ensure that the country's germplasm resources are independent and controllable. He called for an attitude that is responsible to history, the people and the world in the environmental protection and sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as such deeds are of historical significance and concern the survival and development of the Chinese nation. Efforts should be made to align with international economic and trade rules, actively advance institutional innovation and work harder to plan and promote the high-quality development of pilot free trade zones, he said. Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, attended the meeting. The meeting called for a problem-oriented approach to realizing the transition to the new development paradigm, and stressed the need to carry out reforms that better allocate resources and incentivize the public. "We will give greater prominence to meeting domestic needs and improving the quality of life of the people," the meeting said. The meeting highlighted the importance of the survey, collection, identification and evaluation of germplasm resources. It urged efforts to strengthen research on basic and cutting-edge topics, make breakthroughs on key and core technologies and promote the building of innovation bases. Since 2012, China has comprehensively protected and restored the eco-safety barrier in Tibet, as well as the ecological environment in the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) area and the Qilian Mountains, among other key areas. The trend of ecological deterioration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been effectively curbed, which has helped promote the sustained stability and rapid development in the region, the meeting said. The meeting stressed the need to keep protection a priority and make ecological and environmental protection the prerequisite and boundary for regional development. The meeting also called for adhering to green development and sticking to a development path that is ecologically friendly, green, low-carbon and of high quality, with the characteristics of the plateau. Efforts must be made to deepen the high-level institution-based opening-up, said the meeting, pledging greater autonomy for the pilot free trade zones in reforms to build them into free trade parks with international influence and competitiveness. The international community should consciously resist political manipulation on origin-tracing and carry out origin-tracing research in various countries and regions around the world, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Friday. Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to a query on attempts by some people in the United States to push the WHO to carry out the second-phase origin-tracing investigation in China. Wang said origin-tracing is a scientific issue, and science and facts should be respected. The joint WHO-China study on COVID-19 origin-tracing published in March this year clearly pointed out that the origin-tracing should be based on a global perspective, and the work in the future will not be limited to a certain region and will be carried out in multiple countries and regions. From the overall situation of the pandemic, he said COVID-19 has multiple origins and broke out in multiple places. The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey of the United States, said he was infected with COVID-19 in November 2019, and the test results showed he tested positive for antibodies related to the virus that causes COVID-19, which was more than two months earlier than the first confirmed case reported in the United States, and also earlier than the first case reported in China. Wang said studies found that there was evidence of COVID-19 infection in five U.S. states as of December 2019. A joint study between the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Washington has also shown that the number of patients with respiratory symptoms and diseases from late December 2019 to February 2020 has increased significantly, indicating that COVID-19 had already spread in U.S. communities before the country had clinical awareness and testing capabilities. Besides, EVALI broke out on a large scale in Wisconsin in the United States in July 2019, and patients' lung CT showed a fuzzy white mass, which was very similar to the symptoms of COVID-19, he said. Wang stressed that hyping up the so-called second-phase origin tracing in China is not the right way to find the origin of the virus. It does however feed the political manipulation of labeling the virus and politicizing origin-tracing, which will undermine global cooperation in this regard. The international community should consciously resist all kinds of political manipulation on origin-tracing, and carry out origin-tracing research in various countries and regions to ensure that it can effectively prevent and respond to a pandemic that may reappear in the future, he said. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government condemned Friday the European Parliament for passing again a "resolution" relating to Hong Kong that disregards the rule of law, smacks of double standards and constitutes gross interference in the HKSAR's affairs and China's internal affairs at large. As with any other country in the world, China has the power and duty to safeguard national security, a government spokesman said in a statement. Taking account of the severe situation in the HKSAR that posed national security risks, it was reasonable, lawful and necessary for the central authorities to enact the national security law and apply it in Hong Kong by promulgation in June last year, he said. While European countries have their own laws to safeguard national security, the European Parliament blatantly asked China's central authorities to repeal the national security law in Hong Kong, defying logic and manifesting its double standards, the spokesman said. Since its implementation in June 2020, the positive effect of the national security law in restoring peace and stability and safeguarding individual rights and freedoms in the HKSAR has been obvious and indisputable, the spokesman said. After the implementation of the national security law, the media and the general public continue to exercise their right to monitor the government's work and the freedom of criticizing policies every day, while overseas media disseminate information about the national security law and interview people with various stances without any interference, he said. The national security law clearly stipulates four types of offenses endangering national security and the penalties, and law-abiding people will not unwittingly fall foul of the law, the spokesman said. Law enforcement actions and prosecution decisions taken by the law enforcement and prosecution departments against suspected offenders or institutions are strictly in accordance with the law and the evidence, and have nothing to do with their political stances, backgrounds or professional fields, the spokesman said. According to the HKSAR Basic Law, the HKSAR courts can exercise independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, free from any interference, the spokesman said, adding that in exercising their judicial power, judges apply the law and nothing else. Hong Kong's rule of law and judicial independence have been highly respected, the spokesman said. The European Parliament has repeatedly passed so-called "resolutions," demanding the immediate release of suspects arrested by the HKSAR law enforcement agencies or suggesting that persons of certain occupations or with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions, the spokesman said, stressing that such acts are "totally absurd." It not only shows no respect to the rule of law, but also constitutes gross interference in the affairs of the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The decision by the central authorities on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR aims to plug the loopholes in the system and ensure "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesman said. This is in line with international norms as no country in the world would allow its governance power to be vested in people who are not patriotic and who will endanger the interests of the country, the spokesman said. Both of the decisions by the central authorities on enacting the national security law and on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR will go a long way towards ensuring the faithful implementation of "one country, two systems" in the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The HKSAR government condemns the European Parliament for disregarding the facts on the ground and international law and basic norms governing international relations, and attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of China and the HKSAR, the spokesman said. The HKSAR government officers will not be intimidated by the so-called "sanctions" by foreign governments and will continue to discharge their responsibility of safeguarding national security resolutely, the spokesman said. You are here: China China saw the number of major traffic accidents causing three to 10 deaths drop by 24 percent year on year in 2020, according to an annual report made public on Friday. The report on China's rule of law in 2020 released by the China Law Society elaborates on the country's progress on legislation, social stability and security, law-based administration and legal services. The National People's Congress and its Standing Committee enacted nine laws, revised 12 laws and adopted 12 decisions on legal and other major issues, the report states. Chinese courts at all levels sentenced around 1.53 million criminals, while procuratorates handled a total of 3.01 million cases of various types, down 19.4 percent compared to the previous year, according to the report. The year 2020 also witnessed 1.4 million legal aid cases dealt with and 566,000 brick-and-mortar public legal-service platforms built across the country. China's Mars rover Zhurong has traveled more than 300 meters on the surface of the red planet and sent back new images about the Martian rocks, sand and dust. As of Thursday, Zhurong has been working on the Martian surface for 54 Martian days and has traveled more than 300 meters, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. A Martian day is approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. Since the rover landed on the surface of Mars, it has been traveling southward to carry out inspection and exploration. The navigation terrain camera takes images of the landforms along the way every day. The subsurface radar, meteorological measurement instrument and surface magnetic field detector were also turned on for detection. When the rover met notable landforms like rocks and sand dunes, the surface composition detector and multispectral camera carried out fixed-point detection. In two images of Martian rocks, the texture features of the Martian rocks and ruts of the rover are seen clearly, and some rock surfaces are covered with dust. June 26 is Zhurong's 42nd Martian day. The rover arrived at a sand dune area. The navigation terrain camera onboard took images of a red sand dune about six meters from it. In one image, stones of different sizes are scattered around the dune. The stone facing the rover is about 0.34 meters wide. July 4 is Zhurong's 50th Martian day. It drove to the south side of the sand dune, which is about 40 meters long, eight meters wide and 0.6 meters high. A cluster of stones with various shapes is shown on the left of an image. And the back cover and parachute of the lander can be seen in the upper right corner. When Zhurong took the image, the linear distance between the rover and the landing point was about 210 meters, and the distance between the rover and the back cover and parachute was about 130 meters. China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. The lander carrying the rover touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars, on May 15. The rover Zhurong drove down from its landing platform to the Martian surface on May 22, starting its exploration of the red planet, and making China the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars. Heavy downpours have lashed many localities in south China since July 4, heightening the risk of natural disasters and prompting local authorities to take safety measures. In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, several rounds of rainstorms have pushed up water levels in local small and mid-sized rivers. In Fengjie County, a landslide of about 100,000 cubic meters struck on Wednesday, with authorities managing to evacuate 69 people in advance thanks to the timely warning. In Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, water levels exceeded the limits in two local reservoirs on Thursday, prompting authorities to open the floodgates to release water. Across the province, several reservoirs also saw their water levels rise significantly. Central China's Hubei Province also experienced heavy rainfall. To help fight flooding, the provincial authorities have prepared anti-flood supplies in case disasters strike. The water levels in local rivers, lakes and reservoirs are currently stable. More rainfall is expected to hit south China from Friday to Saturday, according to the National Meteorological Center. You are here: China Southwest China's Yunnan Province reported eight new locally transmitted COVID-19 confirmed cases, all in the city of Ruili, on Thursday, the provincial health commission said Friday. The cases were all found in the all-inclusive nucleic acid testing in Ruili, the commission said. The patients are receiving treatment at a local hospital and are in a stable condition. By Friday noon, Ruili authorities had tracked 2,047 close and sub-close contacts. The city closed off its Wanding Township area starting 2 p.m. Thursday and all local residents are practicing home quarantine. The province also registered nine imported confirmed cases and two asymptomatic cases. Among the confirmed cases, five were from Myanmar, three from Sri Lanka and one from Indonesia. The two asymptomatic cases had lived in Laos before arriving in China. By the end of Wednesday, there were 109 confirmed cases in hospitals in Yunnan, including 31 locally transmitted cases and 78 imported ones. There were also 17 asymptomatic cases, all arriving from overseas. Ruili, which lies along China's border with Myanmar, has been reporting new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since July 4. Flash The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians for 12 months. Resolution 2585, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member council, will allow cross-border aid into Syria from Turkey to run for another 12 months. The current 12-month authorization of aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing expires on Saturday. The draft resolution was adopted unanimously after Russia and the United States reached compromise in last-minute talks. By Thursday, the Security Council was set to vote on two competing draft resolutions: one tabled by Ireland and Norway, the co-penholders of the issue, and the other tabled by Russia. The Ireland-Norway text seeks a 12-month extension of the mandate for Bab al-Hawa, while the Russian text would allow an extension of the border crossing for only six months. Russia and the United States were able to bridge the differences in the two drafts and jointly tabled the final text together with Ireland and Norway. Resolution 2585 decides to extend the mandate for Bab al-Hawa border crossing for six months, till Jan. 10, 2022, with an extension of an additional six months, till July 10, 2022, subject to the issuance of the UN secretary-general's substantive report, with particular focus on transparency in operations, and progress on cross-line access in meeting humanitarian needs. It requests the secretary-general to brief the Security Council monthly and to provide a report on a regular basis, at least every 60 days, on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria. It further requests the secretary-general to include in his reports overall trends in UN cross-line operations and detailed information on the humanitarian assistance delivered through UN humanitarian cross-border operations, including the distribution mechanism, the number of beneficiaries, operating partners, locations of aid deliveries at district-level and the volume and nature of items delivered. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2585. "Cross-border humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for millions of people in the (Northwest) area and beyond. The re-authorization will ensure humanitarian assistance continues for over 3.4 million people in need, including 1 million children," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, in a statement. The United Nations continues to engage with all parties to also facilitate cross-line convoys. They are critical for the expansion of the overall response as humanitarian needs continue to grow. The secretary-general reiterates his call on all parties to the conflict to ensure humanitarian access to all people in need in accordance with international humanitarian law, said the statement. Irish UN ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said Friday was "a good-news day." "We are pleased to announce that the Security Council has come together to unanimously adopt a resolution that allows for an extension of the Bab al-Hawa crossing for 12 months. This is the first time since 2016 that a united Security Council acted on its humanitarian responsibility for Syria in this way," she told reporters after the adoption of Resolution 2585. This 12-month renewal allows for predictability. This is critical to the brave humanitarian actors who work in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances to assist those who are in grave need in Syria, said Nason. Norwegian UN ambassador Mona Juul said the humanitarian situation in Syria has only worsened over the last year. And the COVID-19 pandemic only compounded the crisis. "After 10 years, people are still suffering due to the conflict in Syria. Providing emergency relief is imperative to keeping people alive. But what people also need is peace, security and a political solution for a prosperous future. Ireland and Norway will continue their active engagement in the Security Council as penholders on this file. And the Syrian people will remain our number one priority," said Juul. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, called for the enhancing of cross-line aid delivery in Syria and the lifting of unilateral sanctions against the country. In an explanation of his country's vote after the vote at the Security Council, he said China welcomes the fact that the council unanimously adopted the draft resolution on the extension of humanitarian delivery in Syria. In China's view, all humanitarian operations in Syria should be based on the full respect for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The cross-border mechanism is a special arrangement conceived under specific circumstances. And as such, it should be subjected to timely assessment and necessary adjustment as to its efficacy and applicability in light of the situation on the ground, with a view to transitioning from cross-border to cross-line delivery, he said. The cross-border mechanism is a controversial matter, both politically and legally, whereas the cross-line mechanism should be the dominant channel for delivering humanitarian assistance. Expression of support for cross-line assistance must not remain empty words. The Security Council should identify what stands in the way of cross-line delivery and urge parties concerned to open up as early as possible the delivery route from Damascus to Northwest Syria, he said. It should be stressed that unilateral sanctions are the main obstacles to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria. The international community enjoys a broad consensus on this. China expects Security Council members to continue to take effective measures to eliminate the negative impact of unilateral sanctions and to create favorable conditions for fundamentally overcoming the challenges in the humanitarian situation in Syria and guaranteeing the well-being of the Syrian people, he said. Since 2014, the Security Council had authorized the delivery of aid through four border crossings on Syria's borders with Turkey, Iraq and Jordan. In the past 12 months, only operations through Bab al-Hawa have been allowed. Flash China and the European Union should establish correct perception of each other, remove distractions, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties on the right track, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. Wang made the remarks during a video meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Thursday. China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners and the world's two major independent forces without any geopolitical conflicts or clash of fundamental interests, said Wang. "We share the responsibility of maintaining bilateral dialogue and cooperation, we have the obligation to adhere to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and we should be confident of jointly coping with global challenges," he said. Wang stressed that China and Europe should stay committed to their comprehensive strategic partnership, and to the principle of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences. We support the European side in independently developing its relations and cooperation with China, he said. Top priority should be given to strengthening communication and coordination on areas (related to COVID-19) including vaccines, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention and control, with a focus on providing more substantive support to developing countries, he said. China and Europe should continue to support each other in successfully hosting the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in China's Kunming, the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Britain, and the 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Conservation Congress in the French city of Marseilles. Wang pointed out that all countries should jointly safeguard the international system, with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter at the core, and jointly uphold international order based on international law. He reiterated China's stands on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and human rights, and stressed that China's will and determination to safeguard its national sovereignty and national dignity are unwavering. While regarding China's rapid development as a fact that is in line with the historical trend, Borrell said the EU has no intention of engaging in institutional confrontation or destabilizing EU-China relations, according to a press release of the Chinese foreign ministry. Borrell said that Europe and China should manage their differences instead of allowing differences to hinder their exchanges and cooperation. The EU and China should develop a strong and sincere relationship, which is in the interests of both parties, said Borrell. The EU is willing to restart contact and dialogues with China, and strengthen cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and biodiversity protection. The EU does not agree to unilateral sanctions on other countries based on domestic laws. The European side adheres to its own values, but respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and does not support the "Hong Kong independence," he added. Naomi Osakas fast-paced rise to tennis stardom has been one of the more impressive sports feats in some time. She has been a dominating force, racking up four grand slam titles, leading to her current ranking of No. 2 in the world. Her superhuman athleticism combined with her undeniable cha What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. Coronado, CA (92118) Today Partly cloudy. High around 80F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low around 70F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. When you get one of these kits, it does not snap together, she said. You do have to mill it, and there is a degree of precision in order to be functional. It shouldnt be understated. It all has to line up perfectly to function. Its not a simple plug and play. Two good Samaritans Michael and Stephanie Einsiendel of Andover had been driving their Humvee in the area of the flooded road when two state troopers arrived after a 911 emergency call about a stranded woman. The troopers jumped aboard the Humvee, and they headed down the street to find the woman, whose name has not been released. We informed current Remote Learning Academy (RLA) parents that as planned, we were not offering a remote option for next year. The additional staffing that would be required is not part of the 2021-2022 approved budget, said the district. We are aware that the states decision to not require a remote learning option for the 2021-2022 school year impacts those RLA families whose children may not be able to attend in-person classes in the fall. We are currently considering what options we might be able to provide to support high-risk families or at least bridge the gap until the vaccine is approved for children under 12. We look forward to hearing about what other state supports may be offered. At the same time, they have to keep their businesses running as labor and food costs are skyrocketing, office buildings are still empty, nightlife is still crippled and consumer confidence is still down from before the coronavirus pandemic. And they have to compete with restaurants that all of a sudden can outspend them. 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. Peter Dujardin Staff writer Peter Dujardin has been a reporter at the Daily Press for 24 years. He has mostly covered courts and criminal justice issues for the past 14 years. That includes policing issues, and criminal and civil cases in both state and federal courts. A recreation area is not exactly the same as a national park. While also a unit of the national park system, recreation areas tend to be near bodies of water and allow visitors access to water-based activities such as kayaking and fishing, according to the Interior Department website. There are currently a dozen nationwide. Virginias behavioral health institutions have struggled with a surge of people in psychiatric crisis since the bed of last resort law was enacted in 2014 prevented the release of people from emergency custody if they pose a threat to themselves or others. Admissions under temporary detention orders have increased by almost 400% at state mental hospitals since 2013. Film critic Kathi Mahesh who had been undergoing treatment in Apollo hospital in Chennai, reportedly died on Saturday. A fortnight ago, Mahesh met with an accident near Nellore recently and suffered severe injuries to his eye. He had been shifted to Apollo hospital in Chennai for better treatment, and has been monitored by a team of doctors. However, his conditioned deteriorated and he breathed his last on Saturday. Kathi Mahesh's death news certainly came like a rude shock to everyone, particularly after it was recently reported that his health was stable. It is known that recently Andhra Pradesh government had announced a financail aid of Rs 17 lakhs for meeting Kathi Mahesh's medical expenses. Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited and irrigation department has decided to construct 14 check dams on the Musi River, replicating the one on the Himayatsagar. (PTI Photo) HYDERABAD: The state government in coordination with Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited and irrigation department has decided to construct 14 check dams on the Musi River, replicating the one on the Himayatsagar. The idea is to maintain water levels at sufficient levels so as to create boating facilities at 14 locations, all of which ought to be clean. During a meeting chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, instructions also given to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) to lay emphasis on the construction of the 14 dams and ensure that the water would be stench-free given that the spots have the potential to attract tourists. Officials were told that the state government would rope in bankers, financers and agencies to undertake construction of the project. Besides, there is a proposal to construct several bridges across the Musi and the Esa. The idea was first proposed when the government decided to shelve the iconic bridge project near Salar Jung Museum for financial reasons. The government has now decided to construct 15 bridges across the Musi and the Esa, one of which would be the bridge near Salar Jung Museum that can provide space to about 300 hawkers who would be displaced from Charminar. The authorities have also prepared a detailed project report and decided to take up the project at a cost of Rs 231.5 crore. The government later on asked officials to bring the cost of the pedestrian bridge down to Rs 40 crore and prepare a proposal for another 14 across Musi. The officials prepared proposals to construct an iconic pedestrian bridge at Afzalgunj costing Rs 40 crore and high-level bridges at the following places: missing link corridor no. 99 (cost: Rs 30 crore, Ibrahimbagh causeway (Rs 24.50 crore); Suncity to Chintalmet (power corridor) on the Esa river (Rs 19.10 crore) and one connecting Inner Ring Road (IRR) with Kismathpur road on the Esa at Bandlaguda Jagir (Rs 19.10 crore) The project proposes high-level bridges at Moosarambagh and Chaderghat both costing Rs 30 crore, as well as a new bridge parallel to the existing bridge at Attapur at Rs 46 crore. There will be two bridges to Budvel (IT parks and connecting roads parallel to Esa river), one costing Rs 11 crore and another Rs 41 crore. In the proposals are a bridge connecting Uppal layout to south bank of Musi at Rs 39.1 crore, high-level bridges connecting Manchirevula village and Narsingi (Rs 24.50 crore), Hydershakote-Ramdevguda (Rs 11 crore), Pratapsingaram to Gowrelly (Rs 16 crore) and a link road to Manchirevula bridge costing Rs 11 crore. According to sources, minister K.T. Rama Rao, while going through the proposals, asked officials to prepare plans to construct check dams underneath the 15 bridges. Officials replied that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had called for construction of floodwater dams and gates and to maintain water levels to facilitate boating. The nodal agencies were urged to coordinate with the irrigation department and come up with a detailed study to execute the project. A senior official, requesting anonymity, said that the nodal agencies, including HRDCL and HMWS&SB, have taken appointments with the irrigation departments chief engineers to work out the modalities. HYDERABAD: The Telangana state government finally stopped hydel power generation at Nagarjunasagar on its own on Saturday. It had earlier directed TS Genco to generate hydel power at all projects over the Krishna up to 100 per cent of installed capacity. Hydel generation continues at the Jurala, Srisailam and Pulichantala projects. Following this, TS Genco started hydel power generation at Nagarjunasagar from June 29. It produced 30 million units in 11 days till July 9. This triggered a row over utilisation of Krishna water between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state. The AP government strongly opposed the hydel power generation, arguing that it was leading to depletion of water in the Krishna river projects and pushing AP into a irrigation and drinking water crisis. The AP government dashed off several letters to Union Jal Shakti ministry and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) urging them to direct the Telangana state government to stop hydel power generation. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice complaining against the TS government in the past 10 days. The KRMB too asked the TS government to stop hydel power generation. Despite all this, the TS government refused to stop and continued hydel power generation all these days. But on Saturday, it stopped power generation all of a sudden. Though no reasons were cited officially for this, it is learnt that the decision was taken to ease tension with AP over Krishna water sharing after the KRMB agreed to cancel the three-member meeting on July 9 and instead hold a full-body meeting after July 20 as demanded by the Telangana government. It is learnt that the KRMB has decided to hold full-body meeting on July 24 to resolve Krishna water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state. Official sources said Rama Rao has decided to send a delegation of senior officials soon to Delhi to pursue the case with the Centre. (DC Image) Hyderabad: After getting Indian garment major Kitex to Warangal, industries minister K.T. Rama Rao is seriously working on getting an airport to Warangal. The state government had submitted proposals to the Centre to revive Mamnoor airport on Warangal outskirts in 2018, which is lying pending. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Rama Rao met union civil aviation ministers on multiple occasions earlier and sought revival of Mamnoor airports, considered India's largest airport during the Nizam era. It was closed in 1981. "We will absolutely make it happen. Working on Warangal airport," tweeted Rama Rao on Saturday. Rama Rao's tweet was in response to a tweet made by a netizen, Srikanth Giddey, who tweeted, "KTR garu, Warangal needs your help to get an airport so that it can get it's upliftment that was pending due from a long time. Earlier governments in united Andhra didn't care for Warangal's betterment. We would be very grateful to you for the same." Official sources said Rama Rao has decided to send a delegation of senior officials soon to Delhi to pursue the case with the Centre. He asked officials to keep the required 400 acres ready for airport expansion to meet current needs. The DPR (detailed project report) of Mamnoor airport is expected to be ready in a month after which the state government will speed up land acquisition. In the Budget 2021-22, the government has sanctioned `100 crore towards development of civil aviation facilities in the state. The amount was allocated towards payment of fees to the Airports Authority of India and other preliminary examinations for setting up airports. In August 2020, Rama Rao met the then civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and urged him to include Mamnoor airport in Udaan scheme to improve regional connectivity. The government already secured TEFR (techno economic feasibility report) from AAI for setting up new airport and only the DPR is awaited. In April this year, the civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola called on Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad. The latter explained the need to set up six airstrips in Telangana, including Mamnoor. As on Saturday, with diesel price at Rs 97.20 a litre in Hyderabad, the fuel bill burden on the corporation has become quite stark, according to official sources. (DC file photo) HYDERABAD: One of the largest consumers of diesel in the state, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has been feeling the pinch of rising diesel prices, but its officials are reluctant to even acknowledge that rising diesel price, which crossed Rs 97 a litre, has become a burden on the corporation. The RTC consumes on an average, when its full operations are on, as much as 5.43 lakh litres of high-speed diesel every day with its 10,460 buses covering an average of 5.15 km per litre of fuel. The RTC which spent Rs 66.60 per litre of diesel in the middle of March 2019, saw only a marginal increase in its fuel bill by the end of 2019 spending Rs 68.13 per litre of the fuel in the middle of December that year. As on Saturday, with diesel price at Rs 97.20 a litre in Hyderabad, the fuel bill burden on the corporation has become quite stark, according to official sources. When contacted, RTC officials were circumspect in speaking about how the rising diesel prices were hurting the corporation and were reluctant to answer any question. With the rising fuel prices becoming a political hot button, the RTC, according to sources, has no option but to foot the constantly rising fuel bill and keep silent. It is learnt that any discussion on fuel prices, at least in the public by the RTC, is off the table as the state government too can be accused of not doing anything to bring the prices down by reducing the levies it collects on every litre of diesel sold in the state including a Rs 2 per litre as additional tax on the fuel, apart from the 27 per cent value-added tax per litre of diesel the state government collects. Incidentally, the VAT collected by the state is the second-highest in the country on diesel. Any talk about rising diesel prices in the state by the RTC could well attract criticism from opposition parties that have already asked the state to reduce taxes on fuel. In fact, when some ministers in the Telangana government spoke recently on the rising fuel prices, as did the opposition Congress, some Central ministers responded saying that if the state was worried about the burden on the people, then it could cut the taxes it levied on fuels sold in Telangana state. The TSRTC hiked its fares last on December 16, 2019, when the price of a litre diesel was Rs 68.13. Murthy dropped in last week, the day Id got a bottle of 12-year-old Irish whiskey. I dont know how he does it, but he invariably drops in always without notice, mind you just when Ive got a bottle of something special that I want to keep for an occasion. But this time he drank my whiskey with a distracted air, staring out of the window at the grey drizzle falling outside. Whats up? I asked. I need advice from a statistician, he said. You know a lot of professors, and one of them might be good with statistical analysis, besides being able to keep a secret. Sure, I said, I know a couple of guys. But why? Youre into wheeling and dealing, not stats. He evaded. Its just some minor project that came up a few months ago, you know, after the recent state elections that took us all by surprise. But I knew it was more than that, and, sure enough, a couple of whiskies later, he got expansive. Those elections, he said, theyre going to change the way elections are managed. What do you mean? I asked. He emptied his glass. After I poured him a refill, he continued. I wont name any names, he said, because all this is speculation. You know, during those last elections up in the east of the country, there was this local state-level party facing a national-level juggernaut. Every analyst predicted that the juggernaut, which had done very poorly thus far in that state, would give the local party a drubbing, or, if not that, at least a great fight. There were lots of people who said that the people hated the local party because it was corrupt and favoured some sections of the populace and so on. But when the results came, all that went up in smoke. The local party got a two-thirds majority, the juggernaut got half the seats theyd expected and a third of what their leaders claimed theyd get and everyone else got wiped out. Right, I said. Of course I remembered! That was when all those MLAs who had deserted the local party for the juggernaut began to queue up to return I dont remember seeing such a flood of sleaze ever before. You judge too quickly, he said. Its human nature. You wont succeed if you sit around judging it instead of understanding it and using it. Ill do that when I can stomach it, I said, but whats this all about? Well, practically the only one who got it right was a hired advisor to the local party, he said. He said that if the juggernaut got more than a hundred seats, hed give up his career. Yes, I remember, I said. After the results came, said Murthy, he quit the company that officially assisted the local party, the company that he founded, despite having called it right. So what? I asked. Another state government that will be facing the juggernaut soon, and has dissent within its ranks, has hired him as an individual at an undisclosed fee That fee must be stratospheric. So he has all the power and the money he wants but is accountable to no one. Brilliant! So why are you looking for a good statistician? I asked. Because I figured out what he did, he replied. He figured out a way to beat all the pollsters and election-watchers. Hes changed the way elections are managed. Permanently. You still havent told me how, I complained. Ah, yes, he said, in his best superior manner. Whenever theres an election, parties and candidates Well, they offer voters money and booze to vote for them. Yes, I replied. Part of the sleaze. Well, I think this guy took it a step further, he said. He offered his flock the usual money to vote for his party, and a little extra to tell everyone that they were going to vote for the juggernaut. But why? I asked. Im a simpleton in these matters. Two things, he said. It gave the juggernauts people the wrong idea about how well they were progressing. Second, the poll analysts, too, thought the juggernaut would do better, and got thrown off. But that still doesnt explain why you need a statistician! I said. I thought youd understand, he said, disappointment in his voice. This guy created a lie thats essentially a statistical bias, so I want to know if theres a statistical method to understand and neutralise it. The other thing is, the local party had limited cash. So the guy had to figure out a way to spend his money in critical constituencies in areas where it would have the most effect. There might be a mathematical way to do that. Well, I said, reaching for my phone, Ill put you on to a couple of profs right away. You can speak to them directly. No thanks, he said, emptying his glass again. When I reached for the bottle, he waved it away. No thanks for that, too. Ive just figured out a possible solution. But you dont know any mathematics, I said. I dont, he said. But this is politics and people, not mathematics. This guy we were talking about, he told people to lie: they did one thing and said another. Like double agents, sort of. Yes, I said. If you want to beat him and his double agents, he said, rising to leave, you pay some of those double agents a lot of money to change who they vote for, but not what they say. You pay them to tell the truth about who theyre voting for. You spread the rumour that youre willing to pay other double agents as well. It wont cost much, since youre working with rumours and confusion. So you create not double but triple agents, see? We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Emporia, KS (66801) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 64F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. High school students looking to pursue creative educations don't need to look any further. Academy of Art University is offering its stand-out Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) program-and placements for the summer course are now open. This free art and design program helps freshman and senior students earn money toward their future college degrees while they develop essential artistic skills. Budding artists can explore opportunities for creative careers, build confidence in their technical abilities, and experience the artistic prowess that comes with being an Academy student. Students undertaking the program work with practicing artists, designers, authors, and entrepreneurs who are highly qualified in every artistic niche. Some of the Academy departments that offer PCAE classes include the Schools of Acting, Advertising, Art History, Communications and Media, Fashion, Fine Art, Illustration, Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media, and Web Design and New Media. How PCAE Students Earn Money Towards College Degrees Students earn tuition credit while studying the PCAE program, and the Academy applies this credit to their registrations when they enroll for college degrees. Students receive $1,000 in tuition credit for each class they pass. They can take up to four classes, saving up to $4,000 towards their tuition. Students can take additional classes to further develop their skills, even if they've already earned the maximum contribution toward their scholarship. The Academy offers a variety of PCAE classes, including Character Design, Fashion Design, Figure Drawing, Graphic Design, Photography, Screenwriting, and Comic Book Illustration. Personal Portfolio and Exhibit Opportunity The PCAE program also offers a great opportunity for students to build a creative portfolio for personal development. Though the Academy has an open admissions policy, which means there is no portfolio requirement for applicants, developing a portfolio is a great practice for self-improvement. Plus, those who take part in the program have the chance to present their work in the end-of-semester student exhibit. Freshman and senior students who are thinking about applying for the program will enjoy exploring this year's PCAE Exhibit. Taking Part in the PCAE Program: an Interview With Nattiel Arias Here, the Academy's PCAE Manager Nattiel Arias discusses the benefits of the program. What makes Academy of Art's PCAE different from other pre-college art programs? Our students can participate every semester from the time they are freshmen to their senior year. The students get countless opportunities to try out different classes and continue learning and improving. Our program also does not have any tuition, application, or registration fees. Why should high school students consider applying for the PCAE program? Our pre-college program offers the opportunity for students to try different classes in different areas of art and design free of tuition costs. This is great for students to try other classes and interests and help their decision-making process when they are ready to apply for school. It also provides the students with insight into what it is like to attend classes at The Academy and how we set our students up for success. What can students look forward to/expect from PCAE? To learn the basics, get comfortable with critiques, and be challenged to think like artists. We have curated our classes to engage and help the students understand how their degree would feel. Why should PCAE students submit to the program's end-of-semester exhibition? "Part of what we do as artists is showcase our work and let the world see our vision. The PCAE final exhibition offers students the opportunity to share their work with the public and experience what it's like to be part of an artist exhibition." Apply for Academy of Art University's Summer PCAE Program Students can now apply for the summer PCAE program, which will run from July 5, 2021, to August 14, 2021. Students can choose art and design classes from a selection of over 50 options, which they'll study over four weeks. Usually, students can take the pre-college program either at the Academy's San Francisco campus or online all year round. However, due to COVID-19, all classes will take place virtually this year. The Academy is also running its fall course, which will run from October 2, 2021, to November 12, 2021. The spring course will take place at dates TBC in February-April 2022. Read more about the PCAE program. About Academy of Art University Academy of Art University opened as a family-owned art and design school in 1929. Since then, the Academy has grown into one of the largest private, accredited design schools in the United States. The widely acclaimed university has welcomed numerous creatives over the years, helping these students develop their skills so they can flourish in an array of industries. The Academy firmly believes that students shouldn't only learn in the classroom. That's why it partners with several successful industry companies, which offer placements and schemes to help students develop real-life skills and share their works with the wider world. University of Florida Announces Fulbright Awards for 2021-2022 The University of Florida is pleased to announce nine Fulbright Finalists and four Alternates for the 2021-2022 academic year. Top (l-r) Ikrom Alajoulin, Camille Armada, Kacey Aukema, Zariah Brown, Rosana Gutierrez, Kaitlyn Salyer; Bottom (l-r): Alexandra St Tellien, Kasia Wiech, Priya Amilineni, Catherine Bush, Karen Coker, Julia Paoli These 13 Gators were selected from a pool of 11,728 applicantsa record high for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and an 11.9% increase over the previous Fulbright application cycle. Fulbright finalists study, conduct research and teach abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Selected in an open, merit-based competition, these scholars work in service of Fulbrights mission to build mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Their careers are also enriched as Fulbright alumni by joining a network of esteemed recipients, many of whom are leaders in their fields. The achievements of these 13 students are a testament to the intellectual daring and interdisciplinary depth of UF students, says Honors Program Director Dr. Mark Law. Their commitment to making global contributions to research, teaching and service is indicative of the caliber of our scholars and their impact as future leaders. UFs selected students are: Finalists: Ikrom Alajoulin 21, BA in criminology, BA in sociology, granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Brazil Camille Armada, MEd 20, BS communication sciences and disorders 19, granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Colombia Kacey Aukema 21, master of agronomy, awarded a research grant in Brazil Zariah Brown, Honors grad and BA political science, BA sociology 21 granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Brazil Rosana Gutierrez 19, a linguistics and political science major granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Argentina Kaitlyn Salyer 21, Honors grad and international studies/philosophy double major granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Tajikistan Alexandra St Tellien 20, psychology/linguistics double major granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Cote dIvoire Kasia Wiech 20, physics major awarded a research grant at the University of Warsaw in Poland UF alum, granted an English Teaching Assistant award in Taiwan Alternates: Priya Amilineni 19, political science major, alternate for graduate study in the UK Catherine Bush 20, music education major, alternate English Teaching Assistant in Germany Karen Coker, PhD candidate in Public Health, alternate for research in Senegal Julia Paoli 21, Honors student, microbiology and cell sciences major, alternate for graduate study in the UK Student Perspectives For Finalist Kasia Wiech, this win comes with great personal significance. Researching at the University of Warsaw in Poland on the Fulbright grant will serve as on opportunity to become closer to her own culture (Wiech is the daughter of two Polish immigrants) while preparing for a future as a researcher and educator. After I return to the US, I will begin my Ph.D. in Physics at Syracuse University, and I am confident my time in Poland will prepare me for graduate-level research, says Wiech. In the future, I plan to become a professor, work on international collaborations and help other students gain international research experience. Finalist Alexandra St Tellien is headed to Cote dIvoire to teach English. An immigrant from Haiti, St Tellien remembers always feeling a strong connection to the African diaspora, her first motivation for service to the continent. Additional inspirations were born from St Telliens involvement in UFs English Language Institute (ELI), along with a class called The Languages of Africa and support for Cote d'Ivoires efforts to educate girls and women. She notes that the countrys push to include gender-sensitive education and provide equitable access to education to those of marginalized identities strongly appealed to her as a feminist. Because I am in favor of these policies, I want to contribute what I have learned to help build bridges, says St Tellien. I know that I will gain more cultural awareness and understanding, and as an aspiring educator, cultural competence is key. Fulbright Alternate Julia Paoli has thought deeply about her career plans. My dream job is to be a virologist working on pandemic preparedness and response for the US State Department, CDC, or the World Health Organization, says Paoli, who recently completed an internship with the US Department of State's Office of International Health and Biodefense. Effective pandemic preparedness and response rely on strong international cooperation between governments, scientists, and health organizations, so it will be advantageous to my future success as a public health leader to form global connections early. Paolis vision is an excellent example of projects that align with Fulbrights mission. Sponsored by the U.S. government, Fulbright is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Application to the Fulbright Program is open to all UF students and alumni. The campus deadline for the 2021-2022 application cycle is 5 pm on August 27, 2021. For more information about applying to Fulbright, contact UFs External Scholarship & Fellowship Coordinator Kelly J. Medley at kmedley@honors.ufl.edu. If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading the Wharton Journal Spectator. Jung Yu-na / Courtesy of Voices from the North Jung Yu-na was a featured speaker at the May 15 Asia Regional Forum organized by Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and sponsored by UniKorea. Below is an excerpt of her remarks. Ed. By Jung Yu-na Today, I want to share my first moments of freedom with you. Each moment may seem obvious to many of you, but I can assure you that they were very precious and special to me. When you are born free, it may be difficult to see how precious freedom is. How easy it is to take things for granted without ever thinking about the consequences of being without it. Today I will tell you about my three moments of freedom. One, becoming a South Korean citizen. Two, getting a driver's license. Three, getting a passport. These moments are so precious for me because I was born in North Korea without any liberty. I couldn't say the words I wanted to say, see what I wanted to see, hear what I wanted to hear. That was the world I used to live in not knowing what freedom meant. Some say that ignorance is bliss.?Well, that depends on your definition of "bliss." I never expected that my first trip to another country would be when I escaped from my own. I thought if I went to China, I would have freedom, but that expectation was completely wrong because I always had to run and hide myself from the Chinese police. I needed a passport to show them, but like other North Korean defectors, I didn't have any traveling documents. We were never allowed to have a passport to go outside of North Korea, except for official business approved by the authorities. And not many North Korean people went on official business trips. Furthermore, the North Korean authorities demanded that China catch North Korean defectors and immediately send them back to North Korea. For that reason, I was always being pursued by Chinese police. If they had caught me, they would have deported me to North Korea where I could have been jailed or even executed. Luckily, my aunt escaped to South Korea before me, so she brought me here and finally my first taste of real freedom began. My first moment of freedom was the day I got my South Korean citizenship. I was so happy and looked forward to living out my dreams in this country that felt like a gift to me. When I was in North Korea, I had North Korean citizenship, but the meaning was different. Unlike here where citizenship has power, the North Korean one shows that you are a slave of that dictatorial government. Here, being a citizen means you can vote for the president and you can have a say in the nation's democracy, but in North Korea, the government dictates the rules and laws to the people. My first surprise about South Korea was that people can go anywhere in South Korea without needing permission. In the North, you must apply for a permit when you want to go travel anywhere. If you ask North Korean defectors if they have ever visited Pyeongyang, many will say they have not. Even though they are North Korean citizens, they can't legally go to Pyeongyang without carrying a permit. So, the little South Korean citizenship card meant a lot to me. It meant I had real power and real freedom for the first time. My second moment of freedom was the day I got my driver's license. I never thought that I could drive my own car, because it is difficult to own a car in North Korea. After I learned about South Korea, I constantly dreamed of escaping. Watching South Korean dramas taught me a lot. I found out a lot of things were different than in the North; that South Koreans could drive and go wherever they wanted. It seemed like they had real freedom. My third moment of freedom was the day I got my passport. Can you picture someone actually getting a passport who never thought they could? How exciting would that be? If I could have had a passport before, then I could have avoided the dangerous experiences I went through in other countries en route to South Korea. Having a passport at last, I suddenly got an idea. What if I go to China with this powerful document? I asked my case manager what I needed to do to get permission from the South Korean government to go to China. He said "nothing!" I only needed to apply for a visa to China. That's all. I was shocked by that answer. In the North it takes one year to get a passport because they check your origin, your family connections, your level of loyalty to the regime. And only chosen people can apply for a passport. For example, government officials and some people who were selected to be overseas workers. With my South Korean passport, I went to China. It felt so weird; so delightful. I felt so refreshed, like I had colonized the colonizers. It was like a drama; that one little girl escaped her own country. She left behind her hometown with her childhood memories. She tried her best to take in the last scene of her home. She knew she loved her hometown, but she also knew the government didn't let people live in freedom and they didn't care about human rights. So, she swallowed her tears and crossed the Tumen river to have a better life with freedom and human rights. You can see how hard it is to move as a North Korean citizen and how precious it is when you are finally free to move or travel as you wish. If I were still in North Korea, I would never have taken a flight in an airplane, I would still believe that Americans look like wolves and have enormous noses. And I would still be singing songs for the North Korean regime. The lyrics of one song state that North Koreans are Kim Il-sung's people and Kim Jong-il's is their true family. Even the land and the air belong to the Kim dynasty. There is no freedom for the people. Even the rich and powerful are all slaves controlled by that dictatorial government. I am now a South Korean citizen. I still can't believe I own a car and have a passport so I can go anywhere freely. And also I can't believe that I can say the words I want to say, listen to anything I want. That is true freedom. Can you imagine you can't use the internet in your daily life? Or that you can't have the job you want or that the government can force you to go anywhere it wants at any time? If you don't know about them, then you wouldn't feel frustrated. Once you experience those things, you can't go back to living as a slave. How hopeless would that be? When you are born in freedom, you can take that freedom for granted. Freedom is everything for us. Without it, it feels like living in prison. I now know what it feels like to be treated as a real human being. Today I shared with you my three moments of freedom. Becoming a South Korean citizen, being able to own a car, and getting a passport allowing me to travel anywhere in the world. North Koreans still in North Korea deserve that kind of freedom, to have their own moments of freedom, and to have the opportunity to answer the question, "What does freedom mean to me?" Jung's remarks were edited by Casey Lartigue Jr., editor of Voices from the North. The river port of Yongsan, circa the 1900s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff In May 1903, Charles Allen Clark, an American missionary, made his first trip outside of the comforts of Seoul. Clark was still relatively new to Korea and his language ability and familiarity with Korean culture were still somewhat lacking. He did, however, provide an interesting view of what it was like to travel down the Han River to the Yellow Sea at the beginning of the twentieth century. Clark and another missionary departed Seoul through the South Gate on May 4, Buddha's Birthday. They were not alone. Accompanying them were Clark's teacher, the party's cook and the cook's mother-in-law. Clark declared that "heathendom was in gala attire" and that every house was decorated with flags and streamers. "Huge fish-shaped balloons [floated] from poles over houses where male children had come during the year." The streets were crowded with people from the countryside who had come to the capital to sightsee and were entertained by "a dozen cheap Japanese theatres [that] had sprung up in [the middle of the] night." The South Gate, circa 1900. Robert Neff Collection Although Clark had seen the Han River before (when he arrived in Seoul), he professed being surprised on this trip, due to its size. He declared it to be as big as the mighty Mississippi River and in some places over a half mile (800 meters) wide. He noted that even upriver from Seoul, the tide from the Yellow Sea had an effect on life along the river especially in regards to transport. "When the tide is running out [the sailors] get in the stream and float. It carries them over four miles (6.4 kms) an hour. When the tide goes against them they anchor. Time is no object to them. They won't carry a cargo except for exorbitant prices. One fourth the value of their boat for a fifty mile (80 kms) freight is a fair charge. One cargo keeps them in tobacco and rice for a month. Between times and, in fact all of the time, they are absolutely indifferent as to whether they go anywhere or not." Looking about the river, Clark noticed a large "number of pleasure boats on which young boys were dancing for the amusement of their rich patrons." While watching them, he got his first introduction to Korean music, and, like many early Western visitors, he did not find it to his liking. He denounced it as the "the queerest conglomeration of rhythmless, tuneless, irregular sounds" that he had ever heard, but acknowledged that his Korean hosts seemed to find pleasure in it. Isabella Bird Bishop's boat during her exploration of the upper Han River in the mid-1890s. Robert Neff Collection The music wasn't the only thing that bothered him. Their vessel was a rickety old sampan about 25 feet (7.6 meters) long with one long oar behind and two men to row." The captain was definitely a character that Clark would remember; "he had one eye and a [cleft] lip and was grizzled and worn with age and weather." The crew were extremely talkative especially one man who took the liberty to "volubly" explain everything they saw on the river. Conditions aboard the boat were cramped. At the bow, "the slimy old anchor" was stored, which took up nearly a quarter of the ship. Then the two crewmen had their quarter of the boat, from which they rowed from, another quarter was covered and used for the goods and baggage, as well as the sleeping quarters. The final quarter of the vessel was reserved for Clark and his missionary companion. At three in the afternoon, the one-eyed captain raised anchor and the ship began to "meander casually" down the river. They passed the river ports of Mapo and Yangwha where they noticed hundreds of ships many of them flying colorful flags or banners that were used in the prayers to the patron gods for protection. Entertaining Korean gentry in the late 19th or early 20th century. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection Clark recalled: "As we passed one boat, a large one, there was a tremendous hubbub, beating of drums, shouting, singing, and waving flags. It continued for some minutes. Then we saw them begin to lift their sails and at the same time a great cloud of smoke arose incense apparently. As the boat began to glide away we saw they had left on the water a great mass of burning material. It was the incense burning and continuing their prayer to the storm god for safe guidance." River travel was inherently dangerous. It was fairly common for the small steamships plying the river to run afoul of a sandbank or strike a submerged rock in fact, it was rather strange when they didn't. There were also pirates on the river who occasionally plundered lone ships, killing the crew and passengers so there would be no witnesses to their crimes. Some of the more superstitious believed water ghosts haunted the river, seeking companionship through the deaths of the living. And, in the exaggerated accounts of one American doctor from San Francisco in 1907, tigers leapt from the banks of the river onto unwary boat passengers while crocodiles waited in the river's depths for someone unlucky enough to fall in. Boats on the river in the early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection Throughout the afternoon and evening the boat continued slowly to drift down river. At night, the teacher, cook, the cook's mother-in-law, and the vessel's crew all slept in the sleeping quarters. "I don't know how they managed it," observed Clark but he opined that "it must have been spoon fashion." Clark and his companion had their own small shelter set up: a simple dirty thin mat was draped over a pole providing them with a flimsy roof that allowed the breeze and the moonlight in. "[We] slept the sleep of the just, unheeding the smell of the old anchor or the water-bugs, rocked in the cradle of the deep," declared Clark. Later, in the middle of the night when the tide changed Clark was awakened when the rowers went to their position and began to row the boat. "It was pleasant to lie and listen to the lapping of the wave, the singing of the boatmen on other boats, or the various faraway noises from the land." In the afternoon they arrived at Ganghwa Island. Clark explained that "in ancient times the king used to flee [to the island] in times of war." It was here that "the famous turtle seal of state, the symbol of royalty" was kept. He noted that it was the scene of our (meaning the United States') "little war of the 60s." (Clark tried to quote William E. Griffis but mistook the year the French attacked the island in 1866 and the Americans in 1871). Some of the larger boats that plied the Han River and the coast in the late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection Clark's further description of the island seems somewhat mixed; there is pride but also a sense of loss. "I was most interested in the forts of the island. There must be at least a hundred old heavy ruins they are now, covered with moss and ivy. Nearly all are deserted. They once guarded the Han securely and kept Korea a hermit. They couldn't stand long before modern war guns, and, as they fell, so the walls of exclusion went down." After they left the island, Clark and his companions landed on the mainland and journeyed on foot to Gaeseong. The discomforts of the tight space aboard the boat were soon eclipsed by the agonies of sore feet (covered with blisters), bed bugs and fleas in less-than-humble inns and meager rations. On May 23, Clark and his companions returned to Seoul where Clark promptly wrote a letter to his family. The final sentence of it was powerfully short: "Glad to be alive." Tomorrow we will examine another river adventure, but this one from 1971. Ganghwa Island, circa the 1890s-1900s. Robert Neff Collection An American flag is seen in front of the logo for Chinese ride hailing company Didi during the IPO on the New York Stock Exchange floor in New York City, June 30. Reuters-Yonhap SsangYong Motor, a debt-ridden automaker, decided to sell the site of its plant in Pyeongtaek as part of self-rescue efforts, the local government said Saturday. The company has been under court receivership since April, as its Indian parent, Mahindra & Mahindra, failed to secure a buyer for its 75 percent stake in the automaker. The city government of Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the court-appointed manager of SsangYong and its labor union, regarding the sale of the site, which measures 850,000 square meters and is valued at 900 billion won ($786 million). The plant was constructed in 1979. The company will build a new factory in Pyeongtaek, and the city will provide administrative support in the process of construction and relocation, the city said. "We will actively support SsangYong Motor to grow into a global company that contributes to the development of the local economy," Jung Jang-seon, mayor of Pyeongtaek, said. Chung Yong-won, court-appointed administrator, said the new plant will focus on green and self-driving cars as a base for the company's long-term survival. SsangYong opened an auction for its majority stake on June 28. EY Han Young, an accounting firm in charge of the sale process, issued a public notice that it will accept letters of intent from potential buyers until the end of July and conduct preliminary reviews on them in August. (Yonhap) Gov't to nurture local battery material, component, equipment ecosystem By Baek Byung-yeul With the global economy transitioning to clean energy to better respond to climate change, Korea is scurrying to foster local materials, components and equipment businesses for the secondary battery industry in a bid to make this a next-generation growth engine. Secondary or rechargeable batteries grew into a $50 billion business in 2020, according to data from the Bank of Korea, and the figure is expected to triple to $150 billion by 2025 as more countries are encouraging consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs). Also, increasing reliance on renewable energy around the world will lead to an eventual increase in the use of batteries in energy storage systems (ESS) that store electricity. Korea is capitalizing on the changing trend as its three big battery makers LG Energy Solution (LGES), Samsung SDI and SK Innovation (SKI) occupied over 33 percent of the global market between January and May, according to data from market tracker SNE Research. While Korean firms are competing with rival firms such as CATL and BYD of China, and Panasonic of Japan, the government has vowed to boost its support to help local players strengthen their competitiveness. On July 8, President Moon Jae-in visited an LGES battery-manufacturing plant here and pledged robust support to upgrade the industry as a core growth engine along with semiconductors. The support measures include providing tax incentives for investments and fostering over 1,100 professionals in the industry every year. The President added it is essential to improve the capabilities of local materials, components and equipment companies, as securing a supply chain for high-tech parts will help the country solidify its position amid ongoing geopolitical tension. Local players in the battery industry said they are increasing investments in anticipation of large-scale orders from China, Europe and the United States. With their battery-manufacturing capability being recognized, Korean battery companies are increasingly being courted by overseas countries that want to attract them to build battery-manufacturing facilities on their turf. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his wish to attract an LG factory during President Moon's visit to England in June. Also, it was reported that Spain will join the race to host battery factories built Korea firms, a senior government official said. "We've noticed that local governments in some countries are trying to attract battery cell makers and components, materials and equipment makers. With European countries raising the number of EVs, their attempts to attract Korean battery companies will be increasing," an official from a local battery company said. Among local players strengthening their investments, POSCO Chemical said recently it will invest 600 billion won ($525 million) to build a new cathode material plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. The POSCO affiliate said it generated sales of roughly 550 billion won in battery materials including cathodes in 2020. A cathode is one of the four main components in a battery cell along with the anode, electrolytes and separators. "When the new cathode plant is completed, POSCO Chemical will have an annual production capacity of 160,000 tons, which will be enough to supply 1.8 million EVs with 60-kilowatt-hour battery packs," a company official said. A POSCO Chemical researcher tests rechargeable batteries at a lab in this photo provided by the company, Thursday. Courtesy of POSCO Chemical Haiti's Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph / AP-Yonhap Haiti's interim government said Friday that it had asked the U.S. and UN to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare the way for elections in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. ''We definitely need assistance and we've asked our international partners for help,'' Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told The Associated Press in an interview, declining to provide further details. ''We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation.'' Joseph said that he was dismayed by opponents who've tried to take advantage of Moise's murder to seize political power an indirect reference to a group of lawmakers who have declared their loyalty and recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haiti's dismantled senate, as provisional president and Ariel Henry, whom Moise designated as prime minister a day before he was killed. ''I'm not interested in a power struggle,'' Joseph said in the brief phone interview, without mentioning Lambert by name. ''There's only one way people can become president in Haiti. And that's through elections.'' Joseph spoke just hours after the head of Colombia's police said that the Colombians implicated in Moise's assassination were recruited by four companies and traveled to the Caribbean nation in two groups via the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, the U.S. said it would send senior FBI and Homeland Security officials to help in the investigation. Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles said 17 suspects have been detained in the brazen killing of Moise that stunned a nation already reeling from poverty, widespread violence and political instability. As the investigation moves forward, the killing has taken on the air of a complicated international conspiracy. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian Americans, who have been described as translators for the attackers. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwan's Embassy where they were believed to have sought refuge. At a news conference in Colombia's capital of Bogota, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said four companies had been involved in the ''recruitment, the gathering of these people'' implicated in the assassination, although he did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified. Two of the suspects traveled to Haiti via Panama and the Dominican Republic, Vargas said, while a second group of 11 arrived in Haiti on July 4 from the Dominican Republic. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials will be sent to Haiti ''as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist.'' ''The United States remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president,'' Psaki said. Following Haiti's request for U.S. troops, a senior administration official reiterated Psaki's earlier comments that the administration is sending officials to assess how it can be most helpful, but added there were no plans to provide military assistance at this time. The U.S. sent troops to Haiti following the last presidential assassination in the country, the murder of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915 at the hands of an angry mob that had raided the French Embassy where he had sought refuge. In Haiti, National Police Chief Leon Charles said another eight suspects were still at large and being sought for. Investigative Judge Clement Noel told the French-language newspaper Le Nouvelliste that the Haitian Americans arrested, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers originally planned only to detain Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers. The same newspaper quoted Port-au-Prince prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude as saying he ordered an investigative unit of the National Police Force to interrogate all the security agents supposed to protect Moise. These include Moise's security coordinator Jean Laguel Civil and Dimitri Herard, head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace. ''If you are responsible for the president's security, where have you been? What did you do to avoid this fate for the president?'' Claude said. Soldiers guard the Dajabon border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti after the border was closed due to the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise by an armed group July 8 (local time). AFP-Yonhap FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a reporter consumed by a love of local government and politics to cover county and municipal authorities on Floridas Space Coast. Were looking for an experienced, proven journalist who loves to dig, who can handle a demanding mix of daily beat coverage and long-form enterprise, and who is deeply curious about political power and those who wield it. We value accuracy, fairness and fearless reporting. If you settle for simplistic answers from bureaucrats, this is not the job for you. Brevard County, with a population more than 600,000, faces environmental, growth, social justice and political challenges. You will have a commitment to holding those in power accountable, reporting on solutions, a passion for storytelling and innovation, using video and social media to tell stories as well as to find stories, develop sources and promote your reporting. The ideal candidate would have some background covering politics, government and elections and a proven track record of using public records and data to find hidden stories. You can produce smart, context-filled stories on tight deadlines, and you understand the difference in writing for print and digital platforms. A distinctive writing style is important, as is the ability to collaborate. The successful candidate will regularly break news, tell stories about how policy and the actions of the county commission and other government bodies impact Brevard Countys diverse residents and communities. As government and politics reporter you will be responsible for developing sources on your beat, using public records and databases to uncover stories, tracking the money, from government spending to campaign contributions and expenditures, and writing a mix of daily and enterprise stories. You will know when to quickly post stories online and then develop them further as needed. You will also know how to use social media tools to develop, distribute and enhance stories. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in journalism or related discipline At least three years of reporting experience Excellent communication and time management skills Ability to produce accurate and detailed content in a competitive environment Expertise with all major social media platforms Video production skills a plus A valid driver's license is required This is a high-profile position in the Florida Today newsroom and requires a versatile journalist. This position is full-time with benefits and you'll be based in our office in Rockledge on Floridas Space Coast, where beach trips and rocket launches are part of our communitys daily life. We're surrounded by water and beautiful parks. The communities that make up the Space Coast are growing and we're a short drive from Orlando. As part of the USA TODAY Network, there are opportunities for a statewide and national platform, as well as growth potential. Please include a cover letter to tell us why youre right for this job. We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. Applications Developer Salary: $44.12 - $66.21 Hourly Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Temporary - Benefit Eligible Department: Seattle Information Technology Job Number: 2021-00942 Closing: 7/20/2021 4:00 PM Pacific Position Description The City of Seattle is seeking candidates for a Term-Limited-Temporary Applications Developer within the Applications Division of Seattle Information Technology (IT). This assignment is anticipated to last two (2) years with the possibility of extension. Seattle IT is the technology backbone of the City of Seattle's complex operations and its ability to deliver a wide array of services for the residents of Seattle. The 600+ strong professionals in Seattle IT are involved in the full spectrum of a modern IT enterprise offering many dynamic career opportunities. Our vision is simple: be a Best-in-Class digital services delivery team and set best practices for others to follow. Job Responsibilities This position is a part of the Human Resources (HR) and Finance Application Services team and will mainly support the software product called Unifier and related integrations used by the business clients at the Seattle Public Utilities Department. Unifier is a SaaS, vendor product and has integration with a custom in-house developed application. The working environment involves interfacing with clients from the Seattle Public Utilities, understanding how IT services aid them with critical business functions and help facilitate and manage the day-to-day operational work, addressing critical production issues and implementing new feature enhancements. Job Responsibilities Act as Unifier software product expert with knowledge of how it is used to support construction contracts management business. Work with the business to prioritize goals and identify opportunities for system improvement, which includes user interface configurations, new reports, and data integration between systems. Code, test, troubleshoot and document system issues and modifications, both for new development as well as maintenance. Design and support interface between Unifier and existing custom-built applications, which includes a C# .NET application and reporting using Crystal Reports. Perform software development work using technology and processes that conform to standards and best practices. Perform activities typical within a Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) including activities such as, ITIL based change and incident management processes, iterative agile and waterfall development processes and release management activities. Participate in regular outstanding work request reviews and team stand-ups, track, maintain and report work items using Azure DevOps (ADO). Collaborate with the business clients and other team members and subject matter experts to analyze tradeoffs between usability and performance needs. Work with other team developers to perform technical analysis, options and estimates and knowledge sharing. Provide peer reviews on code and program modifications to ensure system internal controls and technical standards are maintained. Translate business requirements into clear and concise technical documentation. Prepare scalable, robust, and flexible design documents, both conceptual and detailed. Proactively and effectively communicate and collaborate with external and internal customers to determine information needs and development requirements. May require some after hours on call or stand by work. Qualifications Required Qualifications : Note: Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered for the required qualifications except where specifically noted. Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business Administration, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Experience: Strong understanding of Unifier software product, its configurations and how the product supports constructions management business needs. Experience with ASP.NET Core and developing using C# .NET. Demonstrated experience working with a variety of applications including COTS, SaaS and custom-built applications. Significant experience working as analyst-developer on various technologies including client/server applications, relational databases (Oracle and SQL Server) and web-based applications. Ability to handle multiple tasks and deadlines concurrently. Ability to be innovative, resourceful, reliable. Demonstrated experience with source control mediums. Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a professional team. Experience working a Software Development Lifecycle (SDCLC). Capabilities: Ability to build trust and engagement with executives, customers, peers and team. Ability to work in a matrixed environment. Demonstrated team collaboration and team building skills in a formal or informal capacity. Understand the importance of teamwork, building relationships and facilitation. Ability to produce high quality deliverables while maintaining schedule commitments. Experience creating strong working relationships with co-workers in business units, technology teams and across all levels of the organization. Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a project team. Strong oral and written communication skills to convey technical information to non-technical staff or customers; commitment to excellent customer service; outstanding customer relationship skills. Proven ability to proactively solve problems and recommend solutions. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Process orientation with strong attention to detail. High energy: able to deal with demanding pace and changing priorities and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Must show ability to multi-task as needed. Ability to maintain confidentiality, use good judgment and discretion, and interact with diverse workforce within the City and customer base. Additional Information Additional Information: How to Apply: To be considered for this position, please submit both a cover letter and resume at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle/. This position is open to all candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. The Seattle Information Technology Department values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. ITD encourages people of all backgrounds to apply. Note: This position is covered by a collective bargaining unit; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 77. #LI-MV1 Agency City of Seattle Address Seattle Municipal Tower 700 5th Avenue, Suite 5500 Seattle, Washington, 98104 Website http://www.seattle.gov/jobs recblid 7kmqtj6h6a4hjqdgzu252ywjqh73oe Position Summary: The Counselor - Multicultural Specialist is responsible for contributing to the goals of University Counseling Services and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. Prioritizing work with students from marginalized communities including Black/African American, Latinx, Undocumented, Indigenous/First Nations, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Multi-racial, and other students of color, the Multicultural Specialist provides culturally affirming mental health services including initial consultations, assessments, brief, focused individual counseling, psychotherapy groups and workshops, triage and crisis appointments. Responsibilities: Counseling: - Provide individual, group or couples mental health counseling adhering to a brief psychotherapy model that is time sensitive and goal-oriented with a priority in service provision to students of color. - Administer and interpret inventories and tests given to students in conjunction with individual or group counseling. - Provide crisis intervention with students and support for other involved persons. - Identify and implement strategies and/or programs to improve access to mental health services for students of color. - Consult with the director and other UCS staff regularly regarding case management issues. - Make appropriate referrals. - Participate in weekly staffing, psychiatric staffing and planning meetings in counseling services and within the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. Programming: - Develop programs in conjunction with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs to respond to students of colors mental health needs. - Serves as the Wellness Coordinator for Precollege Programs and SUCCEED Summer Bridge Program. - Coordinate multicultural outreach programs, services, training and professional development for Counseling Services. - In collaboration with director and UCS staff, identity and implement strategies and/or programs to improve access for underrepresented students. Administration: - Adhere to administrative policies and procedures of UCS specifically and the University as a whole. - Maintain accurate and thorough electronic medical records. - Provide liaison support to the department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. - Assist in UCS publicity and public relations efforts as outlined or requested by the director. - Develop and assist in the distribution of reference materials for students in line with their perceived personal, educational, and vocational needs. - When appropriate, serve as a resource or consultant to individuals or groups. - Consult with community counseling or psychiatric personnel/agencies as needed. - Other duties as assigned. What Youll Need to Succeed: - Masters degree in counseling, psychology, social work or related field - Professional licensure in counseling or social work, or eligibility for licensure as a Professional Counselor or Social Worker in Wisconsin with a minimum of 3 years mental health counseling experience. Why Its Great to be a Pioneer: Campus Information: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, founded in 1866, enrolls students in 42 baccalaureate and 6 master's programs. It possesses institutional strengths in middle level education, engineering, industrial technology, agriculture, criminal justice and business. The campus is located in Southwest Wisconsin's largest and most historic community. The region offers excellent school systems, high quality medical and hospital facilities, outstanding recreational opportunities, and vibrant businesses and industries. UW-Platteville is a cultural and educational center for the Tri-State region of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Take a virtual tour of our campus! Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted through our online applicant portal, applications due by: July 28, 2021, applications will be reviewed until position has been filled. How to Apply: The following documents are required for applicant consideration: Letter of application addressing all required qualifications A current resume Contact information (name, telephone number, and email address) for 3 professional references. Additional documents as needed We Support Diversity and Inclusion: Our mission is to foster a diverse environment that contributes to an inclusive culture and climate by promoting critical discourse and meaningful interactions between all members of our campus community. Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is committed to recruiting, supporting and fostering a diverse, inclusive and civil community of outstanding faculty, staff and students, and is an AA/EEO Employer. A criminal background check is required for employment. Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the U.S. at time of hire. Employment will require a criminal background check. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System is engaged in a Title and Total Compensation (TTC) project to redesign job titles and compensation structures. As a result of the TTC project, official job titles on current job postings may change in Fall 2021. Job duties and responsibilities will remain the same. For more information please visit: wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/title-and-total-compensation-study/. recblid jnu3bhyy10bz8vdqc3yar8gmvak5bk POLICE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION NOTICE OF JULY 31, 2021 TESTING COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION AND CERTIFIED LIST OF ELIGIBILITY TO PROBATIONARY POLICE OFFICER IN THE MARTINSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT Notice is hereby given pursuant to the West Virginia Code 8-14-13, that position(s) for the rank of Probationary Police Officer exist in the Martinsburg Police Department and will be filled by appointment by the City Manager from a list of eligibles certified by the Martinsburg Police Civil Service Commission. In order to be placed on the list of eligibles, an interested party must: Be between the ages of 18 and 40 at the time of application. Secure, from the City Recorders office or online at www.cityofmartinsburg.org, an application for employment for the position of probationary Police Officer. The correct Application MUST be completed, verified and returned to the City Recorder no later than 5 PM on Friday, July 23, 2021. Applicants must undergo and achieve a passing score on a competitive written exam, on Saturday, July 31 at 8 AM. On the date of exam, successful applicants will achieve a passing score on a physical agility screening test for WV state and local law enforcement officers. Certification of a physician will be required prior to participating in any physical testing and must be presented on the day of the exam. Undergo a complete medical examination testing the applicants general physical condition in a manner prescribed by the Commission. Undergo a complete psychiatric examination testing the applicants mental stability for appointment in a manner prescribed by the Commission. Submit to and cooperate with authorities in a background investigation as to the applicants suitability for the position. Appear for scheduled oral interviews. Submit to any additional examinations as to the applicants suitability for the position in a manner prescribed by the Commission. Probationary Police Officer is paygrade 19, beginning at $45,924. Employees of the City of Martinsburg are provided a range of fringe benefits including vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, health/life/dental and vision insurance, longevity pay, police pension and modified take home vehicle policy. Applicants with a current WV Law Enforcement Certification will receive a $3,000.00 sign on bonus, if hired. West Virginia residency is NOT required, however, officers must live within 25 air miles of the Town Square within 90 days of employment. The City of Martinsburg reserves the right to amend date and/or location to remain in compliance with any COVID-19 guidelines in effect at the time of testing. Anyone not meeting the above requirements, as set by the Commission, will NOT be placed on the list of eligibles. The City of Martinsburg is an equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Martinsburg Police Civil Service Commission. recblid k9g6czr1l8j43snpo7ah6jmvimjl9c Description A.T. Still University (ATSU) is seeking an Accounts Payable Operator on the Kirksville, Missouri, campus. The position reports to the Assistant Controller- Accounting Services. The Accounts Payable Operator will maintain current vendor accounts and process weekly invoices. We are seeking an experienced candidate who can assign payments to the proper expense code, work with vendors in a timely manner to resolve past due invoices, and reconcile monthly vendor statements. Major Job Duties Maintain email and inbox for invoices, department requests, and vendor correspondence Code invoices, vouchers, and check requests Check invoice and purchase orders for accuracy and proper coding Prioritize invoices according to cash discount potential and payment terms Process payments through accounting and purchasing software Process and balance weekly check and electronic payments under a strict weekly deadline Verify vendor information to IRS records Monthly reconciliation of accounts payable detail each month to general ledger control account Process voids on vendor payments Reconcile vendor statements and resolve differences Continual improvement focus on processes and system efficiencies Provide cross-training to other employees Prepare journal entries to correct expense coding Special projects related to accounts payable Requirements Experience with tax forms (i.e. W-8/W-9) and 1099 reporting Basic knowledge of purchasing/accounts payable process Organizational and time management skills are crucial for this position Effectively communicate verbally and electronically with internal and external Detail oriented to ensure accuracy and quality of work Continuous improvement mindset Must excel in a team environment and be willing to assist others when needed We are an evolving department that is always innovating and becoming more efficient. An individual ready and willing to be creative and open to change will thrive. recblid h65jwfqxq6v8ubehpvpwda2uv311no Position Objective The Phlebotomist aims to serve patients by executing the best method for obtaining biological specimens and ensuring quality specimen for testing. This position enhances the laboratory and hospital reputation by demonstrating a courteous and professional demeanor during all encounters. Essential Functions: Determines and executes the best method for obtaining biological specimens from patients of all ages as required to include venipuncture, capillary, and heel-stick puncture to ensure quality specimens for testing following the established productivity guidelines with minimal errors. Maintains laboratory supplies inventory and orders appropriate tests in Laboratory Information System (LIS) as requested by authorized provider by accurately reading and interpreting orders and being familiar with test mnemonics. Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations and that allows for easy staff interchange. Conserves laboratory resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results; Performs preventative maintenance and troubleshoots problems to the full extent of ability. Practices proper patient identification verification according to standard work; manages work queues to ensure appropriate and complete patient registration including demographic, insurance information. correct date of service, ordering caregiver and special flags. Maintains inter- and intradepartmental work flow by fostering a spirit of cooperation (hand offs). Actively participate in the laboratory quality plan/program (ex. investigative reports, notification of delays, etc.). Participate in the training of new staff and students by serving as a mentor and technical resource; Knowledge/Experience: Minimum Education: High School Diploma or equivalent and specialized training in phlebotomy Minimum Experience: N/A Required License/Certifications: Phlebotomy certification with the National Phlebotomy Association or American Society of Clinical Pathology or eligible; current American Heart Association Health Care Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification; requires travel to various sites. Preferred Qualifications: Experience: One year of experience working in an acute care facility in an equivalent role. License /Certifications: Phlebotomy certification with the National Phlebotomy Association or American Society of Clinical Pathology Working Conditions/Physical Requirements Medium work . Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. There is reasonable expectation that employees in this position will be exposed to blood-borne pathogens. The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Salary $67,496.00 - $103,147.20 Annually Location (Sequoia Plaza) *ART Bus Accessible*, VA Job Type Full-Time Permanent Department Department of Human Services Job Number 1506-22A-DHS-CW Position Information Please note: This recruitment is open until filled with a preferred filing date of August 6, 2021. The Arlington Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking an analytical and outcome-oriented professional to serve as a Compliance Analyst in the Quality and Administration Division. DHS is an integrated department with a staff of over 700, providing a full range of behavioral health, social services, public health, employment, and economic assistance services for Arlington County. To learn more about DHS, please visit DHS . The Compliance Analyst collaborates with staff and managers throughout DHS to improve service quality and outcomes and mitigate risks through education, support, and continuous improvement strategies. The employee conducts compliance audits, provides regulatory expertise, analyzes and reports on quality improvement measures, develops and delivers training, and contributes to a variety of projects to improve the quality of DHS's services while working independently in a fast-paced environment and as part of the Compliance and Records Management Team (CRT) within the Quality and Administration Division (QUAD). Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs. Responsibilities: Program Analysis: Performing internal audits to ensure compliance with regulations and controls by examining and analyzing records, reports, operating practices and documentation, including developing evaluation tools and recommending corrective action. Assisting in the investigation and research of compliance issues, such as allegations of HIPAA violations, fraud/waste/abuse, and other compliance issues. Assisting in the facilitation of external reviews. Data Analysis: Developing measures to assess performance and impact of programs and initiatives. Analyzing data sets to develop action-oriented recommendations for program leadership. Designing visual dashboard and reports to communicate results. Creating advanced data collection tools using Excel and other software. R egulatory Knowledge and Policy Liaison : Maintaining a strong, current, working knowledge of human services related legislation, statutes, regulations, and emerging issues to assist managers in keeping up to date with and operationalizing relevant regulations and policies. Partnering with program management to review and recommend changes to business processes, promoting compliance and improved outcomes. Special Projects: Participating in special projects to support DHS priorities, including leading workgroups and committees, creating and delivering engaging and effective online and in-person trainings, and conducting analyses of public datasets to inform policy decisions. The Analyst is responsible for designing, developing, delivering, and supporting training for staff at all levels of the organization. The Analyst must have the flexibility to provide the structured and just-in-time, ad hoc training events. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, co-workers, other departments and agencies, boards and commissions as well as a desire to engage in creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and positive solutions. Selection Criteria MINIMUMS: A Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field; At least two years' experience in program administration or program management performing work in compliance, quality improvement, internal audit, program or data analysis, or utilization management; Proven experience designing advanced data collection and analysis tools using Microsoft Excel, and ability to rapidly learn new reporting and analysis software; Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; Collaborative team builder and team player; Ability to communicate complex data in written, visual, and oral formats; and Proficiency using Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint at an intermediate level or above. SUBSTITUTION: Direct experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year for year basis. Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following: Relevant certifications in compliance or internal audit such as CHC (Certified in Healthcare Compliance); Experience working in program administration or management in a health or human services setting; Knowledge of continuous quality improvement in human services and the use of data to inform decision making; and Experience delivering training to adult learners including methods of assuring effectiveness. Special Requirements This position requires a pre-employment federal background check. A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates who are selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information. The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or ability to use alternative modes of transportation. If the applicant possesses or acquires a license, the applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide, a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. An assessment of Microsoft Office proficiency will be required before a candidate is appointed to this position. Additional Information Work Hours: Monday- Friday 800a.m. - 5:00p.m. with some flexibility. Telework is available. Each section of the application must be completed. A resume may be attached, however, it will not substitute for the completed application. The Supplemental Questionnaire must be completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled. Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: (see application details) Permanent, Full-Time Appointments All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available: Paid Leave : Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year. Health and Dental Insurance : Three group health insurance plans are offered - a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs. Life Insurance : A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee's age and smoker/non-smoker status. Retirement : The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan. For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay. Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits. Permanent, Part-Time Appointments: Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week. Limited Term Appointments: Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status. Temporary Regular Appointments: Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays. Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments: Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements. 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 aclja3dshlnj03ym52afhnm2d1hz73 We are looking for Detail-Oriented CNC LATHE and/or CNC MILLING MACHINISTS Knowledge of Mechanical Blueprint Requirements Self-Starter Ability to Set Up Machines and Edit G Code Programs with Fanuc Controls Ability to Trouble Shoot Issues and Improve Efficiency of a job Minimum 3-5 Years Experience Good Communication and Accountability on Production Data Familiar with ISO 9001-2015 Requirements Willingness to PAY WELL for the right candidate with knowledge and Experience. Clean Climate Controlled Building. Deriving 1/3 of Energy Used through Solar Energy. Get an Early start on your weekend - We close at 2:30 PM on Fridays. Hours: Monday to Thursday 6:00AM- 2:30 PM, 2 hours overtime Monday through Thursdays until 4:30PM. Occasional Saturdays until 12:00 PM, if needed. Benefits Including; Paid Holidays; Paid Vacation; Life Insurance, Medical and Dental Insurance John Prosock Machine has been in business since 1982. We our located in Quakertown, PA close to the Pa Turnpike; Routes 309, 100, 29,73 and Route 113. Interested candidates, click "APPLY" today! recblid wxkdzn0d32xeu82r9ne67y3yvhlv2y Sr. UI Engineer, Video Applications Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary Posted: Jul 9, 2021 Role Number: 200264129 The Video Applications group develops high-profile media creation applications used by millions of people. iMovie, Clips, Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor are state-of-the-art media authoring tools which consumers and creative professionals rely on for everything from broadcast news and feature films to documentaries and home movies. Our user base is passionate and loyal, and our products sit at the center of a rich partner ecosystem in a vibrant industry. The Video Applications team is seeking a senior UI engineer to help drive the design and user interface components of applications for video content creation with a particular focus on iOS and iPadOS user experiences. You should have significant experience in user interface implementation and application architecture as well as iOS frameworks and design patterns. Key Qualifications 8+ years software development experience. Strong skills in Swift, Objective-C, and C/C++. Deep knowledge of SwiftUI, UIKit, CoreAnimation and AutoLayout. Experience with complex MVC patterns and Modular UI Design. Experience with multi-threading, concurrent programming, memory management, and performance optimization. Proven track record in developing and shipping high quality software products. Strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with others. Familiarity with content creation tools is an added plus. Ability to communicate effectively. Self-driven and thrives when facing open-ended tasks. Description This is an extraordinary opportunity to join the team responsible for Final Cut Pro X, iMovie, and Clips. In this role you will participate in the creation of world-class video editing applications whose usage crosses the gamut between students, consumers, and professionals. You will be challenged to find creative solutions to technical problems, feel comfortable working with complex systems and large data sets, develop short-term and long-term solutions based on schedule constraints, collaborate in a team environment, and communicate technical concepts across a broad multi-disciplinary organization. You will go beyond industry norm and demonstrate creativity in problem solving, think dynamically outside of standard convention, and adapt quickly to new technical environments. We promote innovation to improve our product performance and stay deeply focused on delighting our users. Education & Experience BS or MS in Computer Science preferred. If you already subscribe to our eEdition edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading the El Campo Leader News. Magnolia, AR (71754) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 91F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. 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 popular diorama was covered up for the first time in 120 years on June 29, 2020, in the wake of demonstrations related to systemic racism and the police killings of Black people. At the time, Stephen Tonsor, the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin interim director of the museum, explained that some people of color were disturbed by it. Their traumatic experience with racialized violence leads them to see this diorama primarily through that lens. And theyve told us its disturbing to them to see a person of color be violently attacked, especially when its displayed in such a prominent place in the museum where you cannot avoid it, Tonsor said. If the state finds that taxes are the reason to keep them, simply raise the taxes to 50% on the sale of the product. That will keep sales down and less fireworks from being bought. You must think like a politician, he said. Reflecting on our experiences, it is imperative to preserve available resources so as not to place Pennsylvanias financial security in jeopardy when federal support ends. We experienced significant challenges when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ended in 2011, with revenue not recovering for five years and deficits recurring for nearly a decade. : mofia (Mofia), : Military : covid : BBS (Fri Jul 9 09:20:20 2021, ) Swarajya Staff Thu, 8 July, 2021, 6:39 am2-min read The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected Covid-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media announced. Indonesia, which has relied on the Chinese-made vaccine for its health workers, is struggling with a new surge in coronavirus cases Atleast 131 health care workers, mostly vaccinated with the Sinovac shot, have died since June The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected Covid-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media announced Kumparan news service said Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar had died of the coronavirus. Sindonews quoted an official of state-owned pharmaceuticals company BioFarma as saying she had been buried according to Covid-19 protocols. State enterprises minister Erick Thohir took to Instagram to post a message mourning her huge loss at BioFarma, which is making the vaccine. He did not give the cause of her death. Swarajya Staff Thu, 8 July, 2021, 6:39 am2-min read The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected Covid-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media announced. Indonesia, which has relied on the Chinese-made vaccine for its health workers, is struggling with a new surge in coronavirus cases Atleast 131 health care workers, mostly vaccinated with the Sinovac shot, have died since June The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected Covid-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media announced Kumparan news service said Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar had died of the coronavirus. Sindonews quoted an official of state-owned pharmaceuticals company BioFarma as saying she had been buried according to Covid-19 protocols. State enterprises minister Erick Thohir took to Instagram to post a message mourning her huge loss at BioFarma, which is making the vaccine. He did not give the cause of her death. She was lead scientist and head of dozens of clinical trials done by BioFarma, including Covid-19 vaccine clinical trials in cooperation with Sinovac, he said. It has been produced and injected into tens of millions people in Indonesia, as part of our effort to be free from this Covid-19 pandemic. According to a local tracking group, 131 health care workers, mostly vaccinated with the Sinovac shot, have died since June, including 50 in July. Earlier last week, Indonesian health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin defended the countrys use of Chinas Sinovac vaccine, blaming a surge of Covid-19 cases over the past month on the more contagious Delta variant. Sadikin said it was wrong to blame the vaccine for the surge as countries like Israel and Britain, where most people were given the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca jabs, were also experiencing surges. The issue that we are facing is not about the different efficacy between vaccines, it is primarily because of the Delta variant. It hits every country, so nobody is safe, Budi said in a webinar held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club. Indonesia is battling one of Asia's worst coronavirus outbreaks, fuelled by the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. On Wednesday, deaths caused by Covid-19 in Indonesia exceeded 1,000 per day for the first time, as the country battles to contain a resurgence of infections that has overwhelmed its medical system. The nation reported 1,040 more deaths over the past 24 hours, double the number just a week ago, the latest ministry data shows. It also registered 34,379 new cases on Wednesday, another daily record. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 192.] Sayre, PA (18840) Today Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High 69F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Infotainment Blogger Karl Rock says India has blocked his entry; MHA says he violated visa July 9, (Agencies) | Publish Date: 7/9/2021 1:39:19 PM IST Popular YouTuber Karl Rock on Friday alleged that the Indian government has blocked his entry into the country and added his name to the blacklist, separating him from his wife and family in Delhi. Originally from New Zealand, Rock said that he has not been provided with a reason why his name was added to the blacklist, The Indian Express report stated. In a Twitter post, tagging New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Rock said, Dear Jacinda Ardern, the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife and family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Meanwhile, Union Home Ministry officials told news agency PTI that the New Zealand national has been restricted from entering India till the next year for violating the terms and conditions of his visa. He was found to be doing business activities on a tourist visa and also violating other visa conditions, they said without specifying. Rock, who has over 17,00,000 subscribers on his travel YouTube channel where he explores various cities in India, has been living with his wife, Manisha, and her family in Rohini for the past few years. I left India to go travel Dubai and Pakistan in October 2020, and upon leaving, they cancelled my visa at the airport. They wouldnt tell me why, Rock wrote in a blog post, adding that when he applied for a new visa, he was told that he has been blacklisted. During this time weve written to the Home Ministry multiple times, Manisha tried to speak with them at their office in Delhi, weve written to the High Commissioner of India in New Zealand. But His Excellency ignored me, even when I turned up to his office with my wifes Covid positive report, he wrote. Alleging that he has been through a lot of separation trauma, Rock said he will be moving to the Delhi High Court to find out the reason behind being blacklisted and request removal. Last year in July, Karl was parised by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after he donated plasma at a Delhi government plasma bank during the first Covid wave. (The Indian Express) International South African court rejects Zumas bid to delay prison ESTCOURT (SOUTH AFRICA), JUL 9 (AP) | Publish Date: 7/9/2021 1:36:47 PM IST A South African court has rejected former South African President Jacob Zumas request to postpone his current jail term. Zuma, who started his 15-month jail sentence Thursday, will remain behind bars after his application for his prison term be delayed was dismissed by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday. Zuma has one more legal bid to be released which will be heard by the Constitutional Court, the countrys apex court, on Monday. He is currently imprisoned in the Estcourt Correctional Center for failing to obey a court order to testify at a judicial commission that is investigating allegations of corruption during his term as South Africas president from 2009 to 2018. "It just felt like my office was shaking quite a bit. It was about the longest earthquake I've felt since living here for 20 years so I thought it was pretty significant," resident of Pleasanton, California Dave McMorrow said when asked about his experience with the recent shaking in Bay Area from the Eastern Sierra earthquake. A magnitude of 6.0 earthquake centered in between Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake, eastern Sierra Nevada was recorded on Thursday afternoon. The residents in Bay Area were rattled by the feeling of rumble or a wave, as described by them, that felt 'a little different'. People from across the Bay Area, Concord, Hayward, and Daly City shared videos on the internet of the swinging or swaying of light fixtures and chandeliers. "I was in my room and all of a sudden everything was shaking and I have these little clouds on my ceiling and they were moving back and forth. My brother and sister came running out of their rooms. They're like, 'did you feel it, did you feel it, did you feel it?'" said Emma Nelson, a resident of Dublin. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the shaking could be felt hundreds of miles from the epicenter, including Redding to Sacramento, Sacramento to Fresno, and out to San Jose and San Francisco. Shaking in Bay Area The USGS initially reported the magnitude of the quake as 5.9. but upgraded it to a 6.0 later. The earthquake struck in the Antelope Valley fault zone where several faults can be found, with an epicenter 4 miles away from west-southwest of Walker, a California town, where around 900 residents felt the shaking that lasted about 30 seconds. Carolina Estrada, a manager at the Walker Coffee Company said that boulders 'the size of cars' fell nearby Highway 395. A temporary closure of the road was made, including north of Highway 182 in Bridgeport to the Nevada state line. Fortunately, no major damages or injuries were reported during the rockslide according to the California Highway Patrol reported. The roadway was reopened around 5:20 P.M. Also read: Earthquake Warnings and Tsunami Hazards Along Coasts Higher Than Expected - New Study Aftershocks May Come in the Following Days "People in the area should expect aftershocks for days following an earthquake of this size," said Jason Ballman with the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California. "We've already seen a pretty vigorous aftershock sequence." In fact, on Thursday afternoon, a dozen of aftershocks was already recorded that persisted until the evening. USGS aftershock forecast suggests 6% chance of a larger aftershock, larger than the initial quake, might occur. Ballman added that updated reports for damages or injuries might not be available in the next few days as a lot of the shaking could still be felt in remote areas. Officials say that the Thursday's event was the largest recorded earthquake since 1994 when a magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Bay Area. Also read: Enormous Sinkhole Suddenly Appears in the Middle of a Field in Mexico It looks like the oil spilled from Deepwater Horizon at the Gulf of Mexico continues to 'spread in disturbing ways' a decade later, according to a new study. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) 2010 Oil Spill had been a major devastating event in history which up until now, the effects are still being felt. On the day of April 20, 2010, the drilling rig exploded due to a wellhead blowout that killed 11 crew members and injured 17 people. The platform located near New Orleans, Louisiana sank two days later and fell 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) to the seafloor. Although the well was sealed 4 months after, 4.9 million barrels of crude oil already poured out the ocean, making it the largest spill in U.S. history. A study funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative looked into the full extent of damage the disaster has caused including the biogeochemical processes of the petroleum chemicals that remained after the Deepwater Horizon accident. The 'Ultimate Fate' of Unrecovered Oil 10 years ago, the devastating oil spill had spread far and wide the gulf's depth and surface, putting marine life at grave risk. Despite the massive cleanup and containment measures at the time, escaping large amounts of oil had reached the point of unmanageable. Co-author of the published overview John Farrington, also a marine geochemist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and his team found that these oils that escaped had made its way to the surface, which is still present up until now. The oil has been going through a photooxidation process where the oil's chemistry is transformed into all kinds of 'unsavory compounds', in that of which some had become airborne. According to the researchers, the process 'played a significant role in the fate of the spilled oil'. Meanwhile, it is still unknown exactly how much of the oils were affected by the process. Also read: Sea Turtles Coated in Toxic Oil Spill Get Healed by Mayonnaise The Other Possible Journey Some oils followed a different fate, such as those that reached the shore. A 2013 research estimated up to 1,102 miles (1,773 kilometers) wide affected areas including the beaches and coastal marshes from Florida to Texas, while residues were found along the wetlands of Gulf Coast shoreline, according to the Oceanography paper. Furthermore, some spills were stuck into 'marine snows' or the decaying bits of sea matter, which the scientists described as 'marine oil snow'. This is rather detrimental for many deep-sea animals as they feed on this gunk, which also indicates danger for humans who happen to consume seafood caught from affected regions. Lastly, the remaining oil that did not undergo the said processes are left to settle onto the seafloor where it could linger forever, unless broken down by microbes. Unfortunately, some more of this event is still happening around the world, which had the authors advice to stay informed on how oil spills affect ecosystems and develop better methods of tracking and cleaning up oil spills. Also read: Towering Inferno Explodes Above the Caspian Sea, Triggered by Mud Volcano New York City has been battered by tropical storm Elsa, with commuters wading through waist-deep water on subway concourses, rain falling directly onto train platforms, and frantic motorists rescued by police from their flooded automobiles. Elsa has prompted concerns about how effectively the city is prepared for the effects of climate change. Elsa Fatality Elsa has already caused at least one fatality in Florida and Georgia before moving north and unleashing a torrent of thunderstorms on Thursday. The storm is now anticipated to hit the Boston region, with flash flood warnings for roughly 40 million people from New Jersey to Maine. Murky New York Water Some subway system ya got there. This is the 157th St. 1 line right now. @NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/xyfTAUPPNu Paullee #TaxTheRich (@PaulleeWR) July 8, 2021 On Thursday afternoon, New York City witnessed some of the most spectacular moments. People were seen wading through murky floodwater to catch the subway at the 157th St station in videos recorded by passengers. "The water was dirty. One neighboring resident described the water as "completely opaque, a dark gray-green with fragments of debris floating in it." "It was truly revolting." Passengers at the 149th St station were seen nervously moving along a platform as rainwater flowed from the roof. In contrast, commuters at Spring St were seen tentatively moving along a platform as rainfall gushed from the ceiling. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is in charge of the subway, warned that if street drains didn't manage the water, it would enter stations through vents. However, personnel has helped return stations to normalcy by Friday. Rescuing Stranded Vehicles Above ground, a key roadway in the Bronx was totally inundated, prompting authorities to use a truck to rescue at least a dozen vehicles stranded by the rapidly rising waters. The crumbling infrastructure of New York City was soon blamed. Eric Adams, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City this week, chastised the MTA for "decades of poor budget decisions." "This cannot be New York," the former cop concluded. Effects of Climate Change However, other experts have pointed out that the severe rainstorms impacting the northeastern United States, especially New York, are consistent with the consequences of a climate unlike anything seen before. Rain intensity is increasing as a result of global warming, according to a major federal government climate assessment released in 2018, which also warned that the region's aging infrastructure is "not designed for the projected wider variability of future climate conditions compared to those recorded in the last century." Flooding Flooding in New York City "has already become more regular than in the past," according to Andra Garner, a climate scientist at Rowan University. "As long as we continue to warm the globe, we can anticipate more of this, not less," she said. According to Garner's research, catastrophic floods of more than 2.25m (7ft), enough to inundate the first floor of a skyscraper, might impact New York City every five years during the next decade if planet-warming emissions are not drastically decreased. In the 1970s, big floods were predicted just once every 25 years. Superstorm Sandy In October, the city will mark the ninth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, perhaps the most well-known storm to have caused major flooding and power outages in New York City. Elsa has fueled criticisms that the city is still not adequately prepared for flooding, bringing transportation to a halt. Subway Reparations Officials from the state and city have proposed several initiatives to repair subway stations and install flood barriers along New York's extensive shoreline, but some worry if enough has been done. A municipal council member, Mark Levine, stated that the city was "far behind on hardening our infrastructure." "Climate change is here," Levine added. Also Read: Storm Anxiety: How to Handle Extreme Weather Phobias During Hurricane Season For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News! If you reside in the United Kingdom, putting a live lobster straight into the pot may get you in trouble with the law. Revising the Bill According to the London Evening Standard, major animal welfare legislation is making its way through the UK legislative system. Mollusks such as lobsters, crabs, octopuses, and squid will be recognized as sentient animals capable of feeling pain under new changes to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. Previously, the bill only applied to vertebrates. However, revisions to the law would require chefs and fishmongers to kill mollusks promptly and humanely by stunning them rather than plunging them into boiling water. Furthermore, according to the Evening Standard, encasing a live crab in shrink-wrap or shipping crustaceans by mail will almost certainly be prohibited. Considering Adding More Creatures The House of Lords is now debating new laws that would allow mollusks additional rights. According to the British news site The Independent, the restrictions were enacted after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that his administration will consider the feelings and well-being of animals when developing new legislation. Related Article: Deadly Crustaceans: Xanthidaes Among the Most Poisonous Crabs in the World Notions Feeling Pain However, the notion that lobsters may be subjected to unnecessary pain while being cooked is not new. Crustaceans, too, are "sentient animals with the potential to suffer," according to a report published by the Humane Society of the United States in 2008. The crabs do not die immediately after being slaughtered with a knife through the skull, according to the study, because they lack a centralized nervous system. Animal Welfare Animal welfare campaigner Maisie Tomlinson, the director of UK charity Crustacean Compassion, told the British daily newspaper The Times that the best way to gently kill a lobster is to electrically shock it. "Electrically shocked crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish should be rendered unconscious within a second," Tomlinson told The New York Times. "You must next ensure that its nervous system is destroyed in a matter of minutes." A few nations, like Switzerland and New Zealand, have made it illegal to boil crabs alive. Crustaceans Feeling Pain Crustaceans have long been thought to have reflexes that do not induce internal suffering, implying that they are not genuinely aware of pain (as noted by Elwood 2019). A reflex is characterized by firing a small number of neurons, resulting in a rapid reaction to stimuli. The neurotransmitters implicated in pain, on the other hand, are slower and linger behind the reflex response. This lag period is recognizable to anybody who has stubbed their toe and relished the few pain-free seconds before the tsunami of anguish arrives. The 'pain' signal never reaches the brain in certain animals. Thus the reflex reaction is maintained distinct from a pain-induced reaction. The key difference is that, unlike a reflex, pain is felt in the brain rather than in the body. Also Read: Sea Sponge: The Strongest 'Uncrushable' Glass Skeleton Species For more news update about biology, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Authorities announced that this animal is no longer endangered but has been reclassified as a susceptible specie with a population outside captivity of 1,800. Relentless Conservation Efforts After years of conservation efforts, Chinese officials said Giant pandas are not endangered in the wild any longer, but they are still susceptible with a population outside captivity of 1,800. Cui Shuhong, the leader of the environment ministry's department of nature and ecology conservation said this animal was reclassified due to the better living conditions and efforts China made in keeping their home integrated. Cui Shuhong said the announcement brought to mind the national efforts of China to conserve biodiversity in recent years. The authorities have made a lot of effort to increase the size of giant pandas' habitats and also replant bamboo forests to serve as their source of food. Cui told a press conference this week that the number of Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, amur leopards, and crested ibis have also "clearly increased" and this is due to the relentless conservation efforts in recent years. Also Read: Giant Pandas Meant to Eat Meat, Not Bamboo The Decision The decision by the country's own conservation authority comes five years following the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) removal of giant pandas from the list of endangered species and classifying them as susceptible. At the time, many Chinese experts were not in support of the decision, disputing that it was deceitful and would bring about complacency in China, where the animals are recognized as a national treasure. Since the 1950s, this animal has been used as a part of Beijing's international diplomacy. The announcement made this week was met with excitement on social media. On Weibo, related hashtags have been read almost 10m times. One post said "wonderful, wonderful news." Adding that It means all the efforts have been rewarded. Another encouraged conservationists in China to keep up their work, saying It's indeed a great start, but there are still menaces to these species. Do not relax. Climate Change The issue of conservation also correlate into Beijing's diplomacy in recent months, observers say. On Thursday, Wang Wenbin, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said the notion that clear water and lush mountains are worth their weight in silver and gold has been established among the public in China. He said they stand prepared to work with every country of the world to strengthen international cooperation in ecological preservation and environmental management to jointly. Pandas, however, still experience face long-term threats. Climate change could destroy over 35% of their bamboo home in the 80 years to come. Giant panda, (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also referred to as panda bear are bearlike mammals living in bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. Its conspicuous coat of white and black, joined with a bulky body and oval face, gives it an enthralling appearance that has made it special to people around the world. Related Article: China to Create Massive Panda Reserve, 3 Times the Size of Yellowstone National Park For more news, updates about giant pandas and simlar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) pilots have been commended for averting a major accident after an emergency landing with their Mi-35 helicopter gunship in Chitungwiza, which had developed a technical fault. As a result of the actions, there were no casualties or damage to property on the ground and all the crew on board, including five aircraft technicians, did not sustain injuries. Commander AFZ Air Marshal Elson Moyo commended the pilots for a masterful landing that saved the lives of the aircrew and the people on the ground. It took tremendous skill and presence of mind for the pilots to put the lives of the people on the ground first, while experiencing an emergency, he said. I wish to commend the aircrew for averting a major accident and saving lives and damage to property. According to the AFZ, the pilots made the emergency landing after the helicopter developed a technical fault during flight on Thursday while flying from Kutanga Range in Kwekwe to Manyame Air Force Base. Group Captain Maxwell Sakupwanya as the Captain and Flight Lieutenant Atiowin Tsongora, as the co-pilot/navigator, however had the presence of mind to steer the helicopter away from built up areas and other obstacles before making a forced landing about five kilometres to the south of Chitungwiza (Unit L cemeteries), said the AFZ. Some Chitungwiza residents also praised the pilot for being astute. The incident occurred at 4.30pm and we feared for the worst, but the helicopter ended up landing at the dumpsite where there are no buildings, Mr Spencer Kandoma said. In April, four people, including two pilots and an engineer, died while two others were injured after an Air Force of Zimbabwe Agusta Bell 412 (AB 412) helicopter crashed in the Hukuru Area in Arcturus, Mashonaland East. Herald Prominent academic and lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki who died yesterday has been described as a hands-on person who loved his country. He was 70. He succumbed to Covid-19 at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday. Family spokesperson Mr Innocent Kaso said funeral arrangements will be announced in due course. Nothing is on the ground at the moment, but mourners are gathered at 1977, area D, Westgate, he said. UZ Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo described the late academic as a hands-on person who loved his country. Indeed we have lost a great man. He had love for his country, said Prof Mapfumo. He was known for his unwavering support for the ruling party (ZANU PF). He was a man of many talents and had a passion for helping people. Prof Mpepereki was a hands-on and practical person who championed the production of soyabean. Apart from that, he was a regional and global scientist respected particularly in areas of microbiology and soil chemistry. He was formerly a presenter on ZBC TV where he co-hosted Zvavanhu with other academics, including the late Dr Vimbai Chivaura, Dr Tafataona Mahoso and Professor Claude Mararike. After the Land Reform Programme, he also presented Murimi wanhasi, a farming programme that aired on ZBC TV. Prof Mpepereki previously served as board chairperson of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and board member of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). He is survived by his wife and daughter, Nyaradzo. Sunday Mail SEVEN ex-convicts, who completed prison terms in South Africa, were yesterday deported via Beitbridge along with 213 other Zimbabweans who had been raided for violating Pretorias immigration laws. The group arrived in the country around midday in a convoy of four hired buses. The move to deport the Zimbabweans is part of the South Africans plans to decongest migrants holding centres and minimise the rate of new Covid19 infections. Most of those deported were undocumented or had used fake travel documents while others had overstayed. Zimbabweans are allowed a stay of not more than 90 days (three months) within a period of 12 months. However, most of those who are there on a less formal arrangement are in the habit of extending their stay illegally and are routinely rounded up by the police or immigration officers. Yesterdays group is the largest contingent of deportees to arrive via Beitbridge since the beginning of the year. Zimbabwes Consul-General in Johannesburg Mrs Melody Chaurura said their hosts have not been able to deport people in the last two weeks and that the group had been detained at Lindela Holding Centre in Gauteng province. She said on average, less than 100 people were being sent home from South Africa weekly. This is the largest group so far. Its part of the routine weekly deportations. The high number is due to the fact that no deportations were carried out two weeks prior, said Mrs Chaurura. Upon arrival at Beitbridge, the deportees were screened by the border and health authorities and also tested for Covid19. Those that will test positive of the virus will be put in isolation, while those testing negative will be sent to their respective homes for quarantine. With respect to the ex-cons, they will also profiled by the police. By end of the day yesterday, the deportees were still being processed. Between January and June this year 3 203 Zimbabweans were deported from South Africa. In addition, an average of 9 000 are rounded up for various immigration offences and deported via Beitbridge annually. Since the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic, the deportees and returnees are being processed at the Beitbridge Quarantine, Isolation and Transit Centre. So far, over 18 000 Zimbabweans, among them deportees from Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa have passed through the centre between March 2020 and June 2021. Meanwhile, the Provincial Social Development Officer Mr Criswell Nyakudya said the Government was now gradually re-opening quarantine and isolation centres to accommodate deportees and Zimbabwean returnees coming in through Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts. The centres had been closed as the country moved into Covid-19 lockdown level 2. Mr Nyakudya said prior to the latest development, they had left only the Beitbridge and Esigodini quarantine centres open. We will open the various quarantine centres in the country depending on the demand for space, he said. Chronicle Even in this protective custody unit, Mr. Cicero was punched in his eye socket and head by another inmate seeking to get retribution on the police for recent high profile instances of police misconduct. Mr. Cicero did not fight back when attacked. He was taken to the clinic for treatment, and returned to the unit, Feldman wrote in a letter filed in White Plains Federal Court on June 29. A thorough investigation into how this occurred is underway to ensure that this does not happen again, and disciplinary action, if warranted, will be taken at the conclusion of the investigation, Thorne said. The unidentified victim was trying to cross Broadhollow Road near the Long Island Expressway about 9:30 p.m. Friday when Shane Decamp, 48, driving a Mazda CX-5, crashed into the pedestrian, Suffolk County police said. The man, who was holding several bags and had a drink in his hand, said nothing as he stormed up to the woman and bashed her with a mysterious object, knocking her to the ground. They went on to stash the container in a storage unit, though Balboa would return on May 31 with a different friend, who has since been identified as 27-year-old Dylan Walker. The pair picked up the foul-smelling container together and then drove to the motel in Jasper, about 115 miles northeast of Houston. Later the same afternoon, the concerned mother called police, telling them she wanted to pick up her son from Banks home, but could not get in touch with the teen. Officers responded around 4:40 p.m Tuesday to the residence, where they discovered a hole in the wall covered by a white linen on the top floor. Hes now also wanted in Orange County, Calif., the countys district attorney said Friday in a press release. A 16-year-old girl said Hutchinson took her to his vacation home in Laguna Beach in April and raped her while she was unconscious. Hes also charged with four counts of sexual battery against the alleged victim. I fell well short of providing [the family] the comfort they so desperately needed. Instead, I added to their pain. I deeply regret that, and I am sorry, he wrote, adding that he was working with the Archdiocese to ensure that I can serve more effectively in the future. Californias northern mountain areas already have seen several large fires that have destroyed more than a dozen homes. Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire prompted evacuation orders or warnings for roughly 2,800 people in California along with the closure of nearly 200 square miles of Plumas National Forest. It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles, Smith said in an interview for the 2014 book Tales From the Cult Film Trenches. He said his understanding of Lees legacy and the statues message evolved as he became an adult. He said it was important to consider the context of the Jim Crow era during which the statue was erected and said especially after Heyers death there was no reason the statue should stay. This is a mission-driven movement, so if you dont sit back and rejoice in this moment, shame on you, he said. One of your own is going to move to become mayor of the most important city in the most important country around the globe. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call. And should I be confirmed, Ill bring this same energy, commitment and love for this city to my new role and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles, he said. From Kathryn Garcia: End single-family zoning to allow duplexes and triplexes everywhere in the city. Garcia correctly tied that idea together with some important ideas that Adams already supports, including legal basement apartments and, crucially, the Single Residence Occupancies or SROs that provided affordable shelter for generations of single adults here who otherwise might have ended up homeless and who presently make up one-third of all the households in the city. (On the zoning shift, writer Alex Yablon has offered what should be a motto for everyone who wants to see New York build its way toward affordability: people should have the right to stay in their homes, but not the right to stop new homes accommodating more people.) There is no judgment, there is only the offer of the hope of an alternative. When a doorman says were a pain in the a-- or a neighbor says: Shut the f--- up, you are, whether you realize it or not, calling for shutting down the possibility that a girl or young woman may have to make an actual choice. The Sisters of Life Visitation mission is not too far away from Bleecker and Mott. These women serve and put no pressure on a pregnant woman. They make her feel loved so she can consider what she really wants. They let her know she can choose life. There are resources, they will walk with her. Rev. Herbert Daughtry and others got tired of fighting from the outside. They later assembled 13 of us in the basement of the House of the Lord Church and told us that they wanted us to go into law enforcement and fight from within, Adams told me. I had so much faith in them I was the youth leader of the Black United Front at the time and I joined the New York Police Department. I do not understand really how you can be blasphemous about something that happened You cannot basically change history after the fact. You can talk about that was wrong or not, but you cannot change history. I think the word blasphemy for me in this case is stupid, Verhoeven said. So now Im standing across from this man with those same big old eyeballs, those same eyes, they might not be massive like a movie screen, but those are the same exact eyes and theyre looking at me in real life, in real time, Haddish recalled. And all I could think about is the guy that I went to the movies with and were making out and that feeling and how weird I feel remembering this in front of (Cage). Director Tony Simotes, who also directed Mad Cows comic The Little Foxes and Hand to God, among many others, has set the overall pace well to keep the silliness bubbling along. But, as seen on opening night, theres a sameness to the rhythm of the scenes when there could moments of sped-up dialogue and fraught-with-tension pauses that would heighten both the drama and the comedy. Jessica Tillman, another parent leading the effort to protest Beamons hiring, said she is also working on filing a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics. She and about a dozen others also attended the ceremony last week where Griffin handed the keys to the district to Beamon, leaving in protest as the new superintendent was called to the front of the room. 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. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Security Council Committee on Libya Saturday heard a virtual briefing from the Panel of Experts on Libya on its programme of work, particularly armed groups and the resurgence of mercenary recruitment in the North African country Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - A report published by a non-governmental organization (NGO)- Femmes, Developpement et Droits Humains en Guinee - (Women, Development and Human Rights in Guinea) affirms that women are victims of insults and humiliation of all kinds in the country during the coronavirus (COVID-19) period A snapshot of the some of the week's mining sector stories ( ) reported a stronger balance sheet after a third-quarter that saw record mining rates and tonnes processed. Cash on the balance sheet rose to US$80.5mln at the end of June from US$72.8mln at the start, even with a US$10.8mln interim dividend payment made during the period. Net cash stood at US$41.8mln, after allowing for debt. ( ) has appointed Christopher Toon as chief financial officer, in a non-board role, with effect from July 12, 2021. Toon is a senior finance professional with a track record of overseeing the development of fast-growing mining businesses, said the AIM-listed exploration and development company. ( ) said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanwa Co. Ltd, a major Japanese global trading and investment company, to expand markets for its flake and speciality graphite products in the Far East. The London-listed company said it and Hanwa have already identified various prospective buyers in the Far East ( )(AQSE:ORCP) has commenced geochemical sampling at its 100%-owned Jundee East gold project in Australia. The sampling will cover virtually the whole tenement, and will expand on the maiden geochemical sampling programme which returned highly positive results in June. ( ) is raising 1.94mln in a placing of shares at 5.5p. Each share comes with a two-year warrant attached, exercisable at 8.5p. Amur Minerals Corp ( ) said it agreed to sell its subsidiary Carlo Holdings Ltd (CHL) for US$6.14mln in cash. Amur also announced the departure of its president Adam Habib, but provided no details. . ( )( ) has released the first batch of results from its diamond drilling programme at the United Downs copper-tin project in Cornwall. The drill programme is designed to follow up on the discovery of high-grade copper-tin mineralisation in a structure named "Lithium Lode" Due diligence drilling on the Clontibret deposit controlled by Conroy Gold and Natural Resources ( ) is now complete. The drilling was conducted ahead of the final sign-off of the proposed joint venture between Conroy and Demir Export, a Turkish conglomerate. Shanta Gold Ltd ( ) said drilling at the Bauhinia Creek East Area 1 target at the New Luika gold mine (NLGM) in Tanzania generated 39,786 ounces of indicated resources of gold grading 4.74 grammes a tonne (g/t). A total of 38 holes were drilled in the second quarter. ( ) told investors it is considering a listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) in Zimbabwe to reinforce its commitment to the country that hosts the Blanket gold mine. ( ) said drilling results confirmed gold to be a significant component of the Kokkinoyia deposit within the Magellan project in Cyprus. The average grade of the mineralised zone returned 128.77 metres at 0.5% copper and 0.55 grammes a tonne (g/t) gold, based on results from the first hole. ( ) said work programmes for three exploration permits (EPM) at its Lolworth District licence territories in North Queensland, Australia have been approved by the Department of Resources and Environmental Authority. British Lithium Ltd applied for two more patents, making a total of three in less than three months, as it continues to work to sustainably extract lithium from the mica in granite. The Cornwall-based company said the latest applications are part of an innovative hydro-metallurgical process that uses salt, rather than acid. (LON:MTR, ASX:MTR) welcomed Sandfire Resources Ltds ( ) announcement it was granted a mining licence by the government of Botswana for the Motheo copper mine. Metal Tiger has a capped US$2mln 2% net smelter royalty over production from the mine. Arc Minerals PLC ( ) shares lost a fifth of their value as the companys exclusivity period agreement with Anglo American ( ) lapsed. During the exclusivity period, which started in July 2020, Anglo had permission to conduct a technical review of Arcs copper exploration licences in Zambia. BlueRock Diamonds Plc ( ) said its second-quarter production performance was very pleasing as the operator of the Kareevlei Diamond mine in South Africa revealed a rebound in production following a Coronavirus (COVID-19)-hampered 2020. "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 A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The highly infectious Delta plus variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in Tripura after the Delta strain was detected in three northeastern states -- Assam, Manipur and Mizoram, doctors said here on Saturday. Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) Microbiology department head Tapan Mazumder said that after the samples of Tripura were tested in the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) at Kalyani in West Bengal, 138 cases of Delta plus, 10 cases of Delta (plain) and three cases of UK variant were found in the northeastern state. Majumder, who was present along with Director of Health and Family Welfare Radha Debbarma and Covid-19 Surveillance Officer Deep Kumar Debbarma said that the Delta plus strain is more transmissible and evades the body's immunity. "It is a cause of concern that the Delta plus variants were found in all the eight districts of Tripura and the Delta (plain) and UK variants found in few districts," he told the media. Majumder, who is also the Professor of AGMC, said that Delta plus strain also can reduce the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine. The Delta variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in Assam and then in Manipur and Mizoram following which the doctors and the authorities have asked the people to be more cautious and follow Covid appropriate behaviour. The Delta variant was observed in Europe in March and it was notified and brought into public domain on June 13. Last month, the scientists in Delhi said the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated further to form the 'Delta plus' or 'AY.1' variant, but there is no immediate cause for concern in India as its incidence in the country is still low. The new Delta plus variant formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India, and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave, they had said. With the rising trend of Covid cases, the Tripura government has extended the curfew for another week and tightened the various restrictions from Saturday. The Centre had recently deputed multi-disciplinary teams to three northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Manipur -- in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases being reported from these states. The central teams, consisting of a clinician and a public health expert, are now visiting the states and monitoring the overall implementation of Covid management measures, including testing, surveillance and containment operations, Covid appropriate behaviours and their enforcement, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics, vaccination etc. Tripura Covid-19 Surveillance Officer Deep Kumar Debbarma said that the two-member central team led by R.N. Sinha, Director, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, arrived in the state on Monday and is now visiting various districts of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting with Council of Ministers on July 14 to discuss key issues amid ongoing Covid-19 crisis as well as other issues to take forward the country to fulfill his 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self reliant India) vision. Sources said that the Prime Minister will take a brief plan from each of the ministers about their future roadmap to manage the crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic which has widely affected almost all sectors of the economy, especially the health sector, and other matters related to the growth of the country. The meeting is expected to witness many notable issues and discussion related to key ministries like Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, now being handled by Mansukh Mandaviya, and education being taken care of by Dharmendra Pradhan. The meeting would be the second such interaction with the 75 council of Ministers after Modi carried out a major expansion and reshuffle of his ministers on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet and the Council of Ministers meetings were held back-to-back on Thursday, a day after the major rejig in the Central government. It is usual for the Prime Minister to convene meetings of the Union Cabinet as well as the Council of Ministers after a reshuffle and expansion exercise. On Wednesday's exercise saw the induction 36 new ministers and promotion of seven old ministers. Security forces have foiled a major Maoist attack by recovering a 40-kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Jharkhand's Giridih district. The IED was recovered and later defused by a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police on Friday afternoon following a tip-off. On getting information that Maoists have planted an IED in the forest area of village Tengrakhurd under Nimiyaghat police station to target the security forces, an operation was immediately launched by the troops of Quick Action Team (QAT) 154 CRPF and state police to detect and defuse the IED and avert any losses, said the CRPF. "The troops carefully searched the area looking for probable clues of the IED. The troops recovered an IED weighing about 40 kg in a steel container with a command mechanism to trigger the explosion," said the CRPF. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday registered an emphatic victory in elections for the posts of block panchayat chief in Uttar Pradesh, winning 635 out of 825 seats for which block panchayat chiefs were to be elected. However, there were also reports of widespread violence during the polling process, which took place from 11am to 3pm. Taking to his Twitter handle, PM Modi said that the people of UP have benefitted from the BJP governments policies. @BJP4UP has also raised its flag in the election of block chiefs in Uttar Pradesh. @myogiadityanath The benefits that the public has got from the government's policies and public interest schemes have been reflected in the party's massive victory. All party workers deserve congratulations for this victory, he wrote. Meanwhile, the Union Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Co-Operation, Amit Shah also took to Twitter to celebrate the victory. The BJP minister handed the victory to PM Modi. Uttar Pradesh Block Chief Elections @BJP4UP Prime Minister got this grand victory @narendramodi under the guidance of Ji. It is the result of the public's faith in the welfare policies of the Yogi government. Congratulations to Ji and all the hardworking workers of the party, he tweeted. The counting of votes for UP Block Panchayat Chief concluded at 3 PM on Saturday. Votes were polled for the 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs in the state. As per reports, BJP managed to bag all seats of 8 blocks in Lucknow and Kannauj. The party also registered victory of six out of eight seats in Moradabad and three seats out of six in Bhadohi. The BJP also managed to stay victorious in 15 seats out of 19 in Sitapur, where three seats were won by SP. The party also claimed victory in 14 seats out of 19 blocks in Hardoi. BJP won comfortably in 14 seats in Agra and managed to defeat SP in Barauli Aheer, BJP defeated SP. The counting took with strict security arrangements set by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The tough security was set up following a series of violent clashes in the state, which broke out during the nomination filings. "Peace and security" prevailed along the border between Iran and Afghanistan after Taliban militants reportedly took over two crossings between the countries, a government official in Tehran said. "There is no insecurity on our border with Afghanistan," Xinhua news agency quoted Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying on Friday. On Thursday, Taliban militants claimed to have captured the customs offices of Islam Qala and Abu Nasr Farahi in the Afghanistan-Iran border. Islam Qala is considered the main of three trade gateways between the two countries. Khatibzadeh confirmed rumours about "a number of Afghan employees" having entered Iran due to heavy fighting between governmental forces and Taliban militants. Iran, the spokesman added, will act "in accordance with the border agreements with Afghanistan and within the framework of good neighbourliness". Afghan officials are yet to make comments on the Taliban claims. Hearing July 15 on controversial after the fact permit An application for a conditional use permit to establish and operate a cemetery for 30 years at the St. Barbara Monastery on the outskirts of Santa Paula at 15799 Ojai Road will be heard by the Ventura County Planning Commission on Thursday, July 15, at 8:30 a.m. at the county Government Center. The applicant is the Foundation for the Support of the St. Barbara Monastery Cemetery and the application number is PL18-0116. The Planning Commission meets in the Board of Supervisors meeting room in the Ventura County Government Centers Hall of Administration, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura. According to its website, stbarbaramonastery.org, the monastery is a womens monastic community of the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America. The monastery was founded in 1992 and moved to its location in the unincorporated area on Ojai Road in 2005. It is a quarter mile past Thomas Aquinas College from Santa Paula. In the monasterys April-May newsletter, it references a special day in the second week after Pascha, called The Day of rejoicing, when Orthodox Christians visit the graves of the departed and pray the paschal memorial service for them. The newsletter reads, in part, Here at St. Barbara Monastery, we will walk the short distance to the grave shared by two of our departed nuns, Mother Mariamne and Mother Julian, and then continue down to the infant cemetery in the woods near the creek. The nuns who live on the property hold daily liturgical services and partly earn their living by growing and selling lavender and lavender products, making and selling caskets, giving retreats, and operating a small bookstore, according to the monastery website. The CUP application is for an after-the-fact authorization of the burial of two adults and 26 infant remains, according to the county Planning Department. New interments would be in a different location from the current interments. They are planned to be located 100 feet from the Federal Emergency Management Act floodplain, according to the application. The current interments would go through a flood-plain clearance process through the county Public Works Agency, according to Planning staff. It is estimated in the application that there would be about three burials a year. A 1,450-square-foot chapel was built on the site through a Planned Development Permit. Notice of the CUP application was placed in a newspaper legal ad and 23 postcards were sent to residents within 300 feet of the monasterys property 10 days in advance of the hearing, according to the Planning Department. On the anniversary of Ghassan Kanafani's assassination, The New Arab takes stock of the history and legacy of Palestinian cultural figures assassinated by Israel, and how their enduring significance continues to permeate within the Palestinian mind. by Nadine Sayegh Today in 1972, at 36-years-old, the prolific author, journalist, and leading figure in the Palestinian resistance Ghassan Kanafani, was assassinated by the Mossad in Lebanon as a response to the Lod airport massacre. Kanafani's assassination should be situated within a broader strategy of Israeli military and intelligence policy during the 1970s and 1980s to target, and inevitably remove influential Palestinian leaders. Mahmoud Darwish, arguably Palestine's national poet, wrote in his eulogy to Kanafani: They blew up you, as they would up a front, a base, a mountain, and a capital, and they went to war with you, as they would an army. Because you are a symbol, and a civilisation is a wound. And why you? Why you? Because the homeland in you is real and transparent, and innovation for rivers whose waters are carved from the blood of migrants. Its streaks are always burnt, in which the late olive shade blends between memory and earth. The impact of both his life and death highlights is a clear reminder of his effect on the Palestinian people. He and other cultural icons of his age were targeted because of the profoundness in their work which was carried through into their audience. Yet we also find from novelist Elias Khoury, the sad irony of preserving the legacy of figures of the Palestinian resistance, as shown by Gazan poet Kamal Nasser's sarcastic reaction to Darwish's eulogy to Kanafani. Tragically, Nasser was also killed by the Israelis: Darwish recalled that he was taken by surprise when the Palestinian poet Kamal Nasser walked angrily into his office at the Palestinian Research Centre in 1972, holding the obituary the poet had written for Kanafani. Nasser threw the article on the desk and demanded, gently, 'What will you write about my death, now that you've written everything in this article?'" These exchanges highlight in a personal perspective how cultural resistance lives on with the icons legacy, even in a sardonically competitive spirit. Kamal Nasser was killed one year later through a targeted assassination by the Mossad in Beirut, alongside Kamal Adwan, a leading Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) politician, and Abu Yusef, a militant member of the organisation. Cultural influences were deemed as dangerous as political power through the eyes of the Israeli Special Forces, and continued to repeat the strategy of suppression. Outcry and testimony are an absolute result from a population under duress and manifests, in some ways, by what is deemed art and aesthetic political resistance. This kind of art has been a driver, and mirror of the collective psyche of a certain time in history, viewed then and now by Israel as a permanent threat. Upon Nassers death, in an almost linear fashion, Darwish published a short poem called the Palestinian Wedding: This is the Palestinian wedding: Never will lover reach lover, except as a martyr or fugitive. Another voice silenced by the Mossad was Naji al-Ali. The latter was a journalist and caricaturist who is best known for creating one of the most iconic Palestinian symbols, Handala. This sentiment holds true, not only for the fictional and non-fiction works of Nasser and Kanafani and their works which had a significant impact on the Palestinian consciousness of their time but of their counterparts in different artistic domains. In 1987, in London where al-Ali was residing at the time, he was shot in the head, later succumbing to his injuries. Like his counterparts, his creative work had and continues to be prescient within Palestinian contemporary popular culture. Whether their assassinations propelled their fame is an argument to be had, however, their work, symbolisms, icon-isms, have lived on, morphing to differing circumstances and struggles relating to the Palestinian experience. Today, you can readily find original artwork, from graffiti to sculpture, which will include quotations from these men, images of them, and replication of both images and images of their imaginations. The stories of the literary trio, and how they are interwoven with a number of cultural practitioners, is further testament to the impact of their presence and that of their publications, and of their ability to paint accurate pictures of a collective state of being. Today, their assassinations are now part of the wider culture surrounding the historic and contemporary Palestinian struggle. This cultural martyrdom resonates throughout the narrative of the resistance movement in tandem with political and militant martyrdom; they are held in the same regard, not only to the enemy but to society as a whole as well. Both cultural and political assassinations continue till this day; recent cases are the loss of prominent thinkers, authors and activists: Basel al-Araj and Nizar Banat. Like Kanafani, both of these men had a significant impact on their surroundings and were viewed as pioneers of resistance. Al-Araj was killed by an Israeli counter-terror' unit, allegedly facilitated by the Palestinian Authority, and Nizar Banat, killed less than one month ago, at the hands of the US-trained PA forces. Both these men were referred to as martyrs who resisted through education and writing, and they both had suspicions that they would meet their end because of it. On the commemoration of Kanafanis assassination, it is an opportunity to look back into the recent history of Palestinian resistance. To observe strategies used against their fruitful dissent, and to prepare and protect cultural influences accordingly. His assassination is a reminder of others who have been taken due to their heavy influence. In turn, todays ongoing digital struggle to raise awareness of the Palestinian movement provides space for individuals to identify todays cultural leaders and protect them from what befell so many others. Nadine Sayegh is a multidisciplinary writer and researcher covering the Arab world. She has covered topics including gender in the region, countering violent extremism, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, amongst other social and political issues. Childrens education is among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world. Prolonged school closure and limited access to distant learning has deprived children of their universal right to education, particularly in poorer countries -UNICEF by Raj Gonsalkorale The COVID pandemic has accentuated a disparity that already exists between facilities that are available for poorer children in semi urban and rural areas, and those in more urban and affluent situations. While standards of educational institutions are different to what they were some years ago, there are many schools amongst the nearly 12,000 schools in Sri Lanka which lack even basic teaching needs, and worse, even essential facilities like decent toilets, water, electricity and other amenities. Often what is taken for granted in an urban central school, is a luxury in many rural schools. Opportunities for a quality school education was never on a level playing in the country, and in a practical sense it has been a very challenging exercise to make it so. Over the years, the disparities that exist between those who have or had opportunities for a quality education irrespective of where they lived, or their socio economic conditions, and those who did not, and still do not, have been bridged to some degree.Yet, inequity does exist. There are many school children who do not have basic needs such as exercise books, pens, pencils and other basic requisites they require for their education, although they receive text books from the State. Poverty levels, general socio economic conditions of parents or guardians of children, orphaned children or those with one parent without an adequate income to send every child to a school, is nothing unusual not just in rural settings, but even in urban settings. In this context, school closures due to the pandemic and many children losing out on an education for extended periods of time, unfortunately, is not a new phenomenon for some children who have faced this situation with or without a pandemic on account of other socio economic factors. The new manthra of online education for school children in Sri Lanka is and has been foreign to many children, as the COVID pandemic itself. However, now, thanks in a way to COVID itself, an opportunity has arisen to introduce a mechanism for the country which could act as the leveller of opportunity for all children irrespective of their socio economic status, and where they live, by way of online education. It is of course easier said than done to bring a degree of universality to the concept and practice of online education to school children throughout the country. The very reasons that impacted on a universality prior to COVID, plus many other reasons makes this difficult, particularly in the short to medium term. In Sri Lanka, and in almost all countries in the world, online education for school children was not a priority policy consideration until COVID struck the world. No doubt it may have been happening to varying degrees in different countries and in different settings dictated to by a variety of reasons, including geography and physical access to schools. The COVID pandemic struck in this climate and children at all stages of schooling got affected irrespective of their fortunes or the lack of it. This misfortune has not been confined to Sri Lanka, and the BBC reckons that some 147 million children have got affected in South Asia. In a report titled Coronavirus: How the lockdown has changed schooling in South Asia by Shruti Menon in BBC Reality Check on the 21st September 2020 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-54009306), Menon says many South Asian countries lack a reliable internet infrastructure and the cost of online access can be prohibitive for poorer communities.The UN says at least 147 million children are unable to access online or remote learning. In India, only 24% of households have access to the internet, according to a 2019 government survey.In rural parts of India, the numbers are far lower with only 4% of households having access to the internet.Bangladesh has better overall connectivity than India. It's estimated that 60% can get online, although the quality of broadband internet is often very poor.Nepal's latest Economic Survey report says that of the nearly 30,000 government schools, fewer than 30% have access to a computer, and only 12% can offer online learning. Save the Children contends that children have lost more than a third of their school year to the pandemic and they have also said there are huge discrepancies in access to learning in wealthier nations as well during the pandemic- reliefweb.int/report/world/children-have-lost-more-third-their-school-year-pandemic-save-children Save the Children says that students in the U.S. for example are more disconnected from the internet than students in other high-income countries, which likely also impacted their access to remote learning. Only two EU countries have lower levels of internet access than the U.S. Bulgaria and Romania. At the start of the pandemic, upwards of 15 million students from kindergarten through to high school in U.S. public schools lacked adequate internet for distance learning at home.Other wealthier countries also struggled to provide equal online alternatives for school-based learning. In Norway, while almost all youth between 9 and 18 years old has access to a smartphone, 30 percent did not have access to a PC at home. In the Netherlands, one in five children do not have a PC or tablet for home learning. New analysis by Save the Children of data for 194 countries and different regions shows that children in Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia, missed out on almost triple the education of children in Western Europe. Broken down at regional level, the difference in lost days of education becomes painfully clear, Save the Children said: Both in Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia, children went through around 110 days without any education; Children in the Middle East lost 80 days of education; Children in Sub-Saharan Africa lost an average of 69 days; In East Asia and the Pacific, children lost an average of 47 days; In Europe and Central Asia, children lost out on an average of 45 days; In Western Europe alone, it was 38 days. Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, said: Almost a year after the global pandemic was officially declared, hundreds of millions of children remain out of school. 2021 must be the year to ensure that children do not pay the price for this pandemic.As schools closed and remote learning was not equally accessible for all children, the biggest education emergency in history widened the gap between countries and within countries, Save the Children said. The divide grew between wealthier and poorer families; urban and rural households; refugees or displaced children and host populations; children with disabilities and children without disabilities In this context, voicing concerns over the limited reach of remote learning exacerbated with regional inequalities, UNICEF has urged countries to prioritise the safe-reopening of schools considering that in their assessment, 66% of children are unable to get remote learning are from south Asia, Africa The situation in Sri Lanka is quite consistent with what has been happening in many countries in the world, although one wishes it wasnt. The penchant to find fault with the government for not providing online education to the entirety of the country within a short period of time is both unfair and unrealistic considering the challenges faced that are not uncommon to many other countries. Nadia Fazlulhaq writing in the Sunday Times states that the Pandemic has exposed digital learning gap between students who can afford online learning and students who cannot and she states that 70% of Lankas students have no access to online study. (https://www.sundaytimes.lk/210207/news/70-of-lankas-students-have-no-access-to-online-study-431769.html) Sarah Hannan writing in the Morning on the 23rd of May in an article titledOnline and distance learning for students: Pandemic education still a challenge, has quoted theCeylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin as saying that switching to online and distance learning has not only affected students in the rural schools but also most students in urban schools as well. Stalin had added that certain directors from the zonal and divisional education offices are threatening teachers stating that if they fail to conduct online lessons, their salary increment letters would not be signed, pointing out that it is unfair by the teachers, as they have not been provided with the necessary equipment or with the necessary internet data facilities to conduct lessons. He had gone onto say thatmoreover, teachers have not even been given training to conduct online lessons. We had two Covid-19 waves during which these pain points could be addressed, but that has not taken place so far. In a popular school in Colombo, teachers are requested to share lessons using WhatsApp from 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and they have been asked to conduct lessons through Zoom from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. In regard to the situation in rural schools, Mr Stalin had noted that the situation is even worse. For instance, if there are three children in a family and lessons are to be conducted in the present manner, these three children will need three phones. What we have also observed is that many parents are even inconvenienced by phone shops, as they are charging them exuberant amounts to obtain printouts from their phones of the assignments that are being shared through WhatsApp and to even install or configure the apps that are used for online education, Stalin added. The context in which one looks at online education is important in forging a future for this technology driven development. There are some factors that needs to be considered a. The situation in Sri Lanka is not very different to that in many other countries, developed as well as developing countries. b. Disparities in education opportunities was a reality well before the COVID Pandemic although the divide between those who had better opportunities and those who did not had been bridged to some degree over time. Online education was not going to bring redress to this situation within a few months. c. Online teaching methods and abilities are at a nascent stage in Sri Lanka and many teachers are not familiar, equipped and trained to engage in online education especially in semi urban and rural settings d. Connectivity and internet access limitations in the country. This is a major impediment even if online teaching abilities were at a high level. People walking around outside their homes and looking for areas to get connectivity in their mobile phones in not uncommon in rural areas, and even in areas not far from Colombo. It is not a rare phenomenon as some who are ignorant of grass root realities may be inclined to think. e. Lack of necessary tools like smart mobile phones as a minimum, and laptops, tablets etc for students. In households with three or four school going children, this is a major challenge in most parts of the country. f. While the introduction of TV for teaching is growing, the ability for a household to cater to the needs of more than one school going child is again a challenge. g. There does not appear to be a comprehensive national policy and a practical implementation plan to further online education while adhoc arrangements seem to be the practice. All of above points out for the need to come to terms with some realities while the COVID pandemic and the restrictions consequential to that last. Firstly, the inequity in online education opportunities, access, lack of tools, teacher non preparedness and the reality that some students will be missing school education for varying periods. The challenge for authorities is as to how this situation could be addressed and the lost time recovered when a degree of normalcy returns and children are able to go to their schools. The second challenge is how the country could gear itself to use a combination of this methodology and the physical presence in a school to become a norm rather than the exception in time to come. Universities are progressively moving in this direction and so are the special Mahindodaya schools being set up in the country. Use of the TV medium is very likely going to be a preferred standard approach in schools supplementing face to face teaching. How much and how well this is to be done in some 12000 schools will be a major challenge. Associated with the second challenge is the next challenge, which is how teachers could be equipped, trained and their capacity built to conduct online teaching. For some teachers this will be a generation challenge. The fourth challenge which underpins all other challenges is the technology itself and access to it. Possessing a smart mobile phone doesnt automatically enable access although without one access will not be possible. The bandwidth needed to cater to a vast population that will require fast and uninterrupted internet access, transmission towers that will enable such a proliferation, and the economic cost of data, besides the cost of purchasing several smart phones in households with several users and the ability of many families to afford such an expense, will be significant. Use of the TV as a medium for online education is attractive although conducting interactive sessions will require access to the internet and the use of appropriate software to enable interactive sessions. Delivering lessons using the TV medium is less complex. However, for any type of delivery and interactive sessions will require a vast number of TV sets both in schools and in homes. Online teaching is a strategy that has to be considered from a long term perspective, and it is best for the country if a committee of experts in this field, in teaching as well as in technology, and certainly not politicians, give consideration to all challenges and come up with a proposal that includes short term, medium and long term objectives and milestones, resource requirements, both technology related and human resource related, that could guide the country towards a successful future in online teaching. 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(0x7fc002ff9b30)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc002ffdbf0)', '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(0x7fc002ff9b30)') 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(0x7fc002ffdbf0)') 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(0x7fc002ff91d0)') 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(0x7fc002ffdbf0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc002ffdbf0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fc00268b9f8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc002e5cb40)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fc002e5cb40)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Galway Digital Radio Group The Galway Digital Radio Group are currently working on a D-Star Repeater kindly donated by the West Tyrone Repeater Group in Northern Ireland and ICOM UK. The ICOM RPV4000V is a UHF Repeater and includes an ID-RC2P controller unit. This repeater was replaced with an MMDVM Multi-mode Repeater covering DMR, D-Star and C4FM. There are repairs alongside a Software and Firmware installation to carry out before this system can activated. The Galway Digital Radio Group are indebted to Billy Pollock, Philip Hosey, Eric Barker and Miceal Na Bpiob for their kind donation. D-Star is slowly finding its feet in the Galway area with a Multi-Mode Gateway presently supplying a D-Star Service. Whilst there are currently five active operators on D-Star in Galway, there are many more that have the equipment to operate on this mode. D-Star is currently operating from the Galway Multi-Mode Gateway, EI2GCD, on the West Side of the City. IRTS Lake Charles, LA (70615) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Travelers with only one vaccine will have to still abide by previous rules and quarantine in hotel and the remaining 14 days at home. Unvaccinated children traveling with fully vaccinated parents do not have to stay in a hotel, but they do have to isolate at home. No concrete plans have been developed for new policies, Assistant County Administrator Patrick Rutter said. Tuesdays meeting is expected to be the first step in moving toward a definitive plan, which means any potential new laws would likely be voted on in a later County Commission meeting. At the heart of the case is the mystery of how the body of another woman involved in the plot, 26-year-old Brianne Slabaugh, wound up rotting in the swamp four months before Slaters arrest. The gruesome discovery on Feb. 22, 2020, is what led FBI agents to the murder-for-hire plot in the first place. Britain's biggest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is in Gibraltar for a few days for a logistics visit, its first outside the UK. For some of the newest sailors on board this is their first run ashore other than Portsmouth. The 65,000-tonne ship, which spent the spring and summer on sea trials off southern England, arrived in Gibraltar on Tuesday and is due to leave on Saturday. In 2019, the British spirits writer Paul Jackson launched World Rum Day. Since then the second Saturday of July has become a day to honour the drink and its richness and diversity are highlighted across the world. Here in southern Spain, Motril has a special relationship with rum, as does Gibraltar: Motril boasts an almost unique rum factory in Spain; and Gibraltar is mentioned in Admiral Nelson's legend. Sweet history Rum is mostly made from molasses, extracted from sugar cane. The strong drink was mentioned in records from Barbados in about 1650 and in Marco Polo's stories. The first distillation was carried out on Caribbean islands, covered with sugar cane fields and mills for refining the crop. Sugar cane had been taken to the islands by Christopher Columbus from Andalucia in 1493. Later, it was the General Governor of Jamaica who first mentioned the word 'rum' in an order form dated 8 July, 1661. The origin of the word 'rum' might be from the large drinking glasses, 'rummers,' that usually Dutch seamen used, or it is a derivative of a word 'rumbullion,' meaning 'a great tumult or uproar,' and used by Devonshire settlers in Barbados. In Spain and Latin-American countries the word 'ron' is used for rum, whereas 'ron anejo' indicates a rum that has been aged and is often used for premium products. Taste of Jamaica in Fuengirola. / SUR Pirates Rum's association with piracy occurred thanks to literary works including Stevenson's Treasure Island. Some of the British privateers who initially started trading became pirates and buccaneers, with a continuing fondness for rum. In 1655, rum became a key attribute of the Royal Navy, after the capture of the island of Jamaica. With the availability of this domestically produced drink on the Caribbean island, French brandy, given daily to seamen, was exchanged for rum. Apparently, a 'tot of rum' was used to help them stay healthy (moreover, even during the WWI it was said that rum increased the soldiers' bone mineral density). The rum ration on ships was served by a special person, called the purser, who issued the strong drink daily - half at 12 noon and the second half at about 5-6pm. The tradition of issuing the so-called 'Pusser's Rum' was abolished on 31 July 1970. Nelson The history of Gibraltar is connected to rum, or rather to a legend about Admiral Nelson pickled in rum. It is believed that less than an hour before the end of the battle at Trafalgar in 1805, Horatio Nelson was shot and died. His body was stripped of his uniform except for his shirt, and put in a cask which was then filled with rum (though some sources claim it was French brandy) to allow transport of his body back to England. However, the damaged HMS Victory returned to Gibraltar for repairs where the cask with the admiral was filled once again. The story says that during the transportation of the body, sailors were drinking the rum from holes drilled in the cask. It is believed that they hoped to benefit from some of the prominent military leader's 'spirit'. Since then 'Pusser's Rum' is sometimes known as 'Nelsons Blood.' Costa Tropical Motril rum. / SUR Andalucia can claim to be a rum region due to its production in Motril, on the Costa Tropical. The family business was founded by Francisco Montero who grew up in the area between Nerja and Motril where sugar cane was traditionally cultivated. His dream of making rum finally came true in 1963, when Ron Montero was produced by using a traditional process. Ron Montero has several types of rum depending on their ageing. Restrictions permitting, the factory in Motril can be visited. Entrance is free with a telephone reservation. During the tour guests are invited to an Andalusian rum-tasting of their award winning product, which is sold throughout Spain and internationally. Caribbean styles The Caribbean is the hugest producer of rum. However each island or production area has its own unique style. Their range of rums can be found in the Fuengirola shop Licoreria La Latina. On the shelves one can find Barbados' Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd., from the world's oldest rum producer dating back to 1703, as well as the second oldest Appleton Jamaica, dating back to 1749. The shop assistant explains the difference between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking areas of rum production. Licoreia La Latina. / SUR "If it is 'English' then rum is darker, with a fuller taste that retains a greater amount of the underlying molasses flavour. Note that a version called 'Rude Rum' or 'John Crow Batty' is reportedly much stronger in alcohol than the typical 40 to 50%, and is listed as one of the ten strongest drinks in the world." Jamaica currently produces the widest varieties of rum in the world. Fresh water sources, and the use of special technology have helped the islands' distilleries create rums with their own unique identity and presence. On the Costa del Sol, authentic Jamaican cocktails are a must in the bar Taste of Jamaica, located in Los Boliches (Fuengirola). The Jamaican owner, Basil, prepares classical cocktails based on gold and dark rums - from Mai Tai to Grog, though Jamaica Rum Punch remains one of the most popular drinks. H0w to drink Like other strong drinks, rum can be served in its simple combination - with a splash of water or ice, and a slice of lime. Cola, apple juice, coconut water or even ginger ale are often added. Besides cocktails, rum can be drunk neat in a small glass, warmed by hands. Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez has launched what he describes as a "new phase" for his government with a thorough reshuffle of his Cabinet. Rather than repeating the minor moves he has made in the past, this Saturday Sanchez announced changes that affect the core of his government. Out go his first Deputy PM, Carmen Calvo, and his head of Cabinet, Ivan Redondo, thought to have been until now one of the biggest influences on Sanchez's decisions. The PM has also got rid of the PSOE Socialist party's secretary of Organisation and Transport Minister, Jose Luis Abalos, who leaves both jobs. The new Transport minister is Raquel Sanchez, until now mayor of the Catalan town of Gava. The five ministers belonging to the Socialists' coalition partners, left-wing Unidas Podemos, remain in their posts, as agreed with the third Deputy PM Yolanda Diaz. The first Deputy PM position left by Calvo will be occupied by until now second deputy and Finance Minister Nadia Calvino, a move interpreted as a sign to Brussels that Spain is serious about meeting its EU responsibilities. The Defence and Interior ministers, Margarita Robles and Fernando Grande-Marlaska keep their jobs, while Justice minister Juan Carlos Campo will be replaced by Pilar Llop, a judge who currently has the role of 'speaker' in the Senado (upper house). There are also changes at the helm of the ministries of Foreign Affairs (out goes Gonzalez Laya to be replaced by Sanchez's adviser Jose Manuel Albares); Science and Innovation (out goes former astronaut Pedro Duque and in comes Diana Morant, currently mayor of Gandia); and Education and Professional Training (out Isabel Celaa, in Pilar Alegria). The new minister for the prime minister's office is Felix Bolanos and Isabel Rodriguez takes over as government spokesperson and minister of Territorial Policy. The new arrivals to the cabinet, explained Sanchez on Saturday, bring the average age of the government ministers down from 55 to 50 There were two noteworthy legal developments in Spain this week, one of which may appear as a victory for the right, the other as a win for the left. In fact, both transcend party-political boundaries: the first essentially consists of a defence of freedom of speech, and the second in a significant alteration to sexual violence legislation, specifically that applying to rape cases. One of this week's developments concerned Vox's campaign poster ahead of Madrid's May 4th election, which the Socialists wanted taken down. What was unclear from the start, though, is why the poster's critics couldn't argue against the ideas and claims it expressed, rather than taking the lazy option of asking for their removal from the public arena. The poster made two straightforward claims: that MENAs (the Spanish acronym for unaccompanied foreign minors living in Spain) are taking 4,700 euros a month from the state, and that that money would be better spent on Spaniards. Also implied, of course, was the idea that most, if not all, of these young foreigners are involved in some kind of shady activity. Well - the financial claim clearly can be easily falsified or verified, and the latter two points constitute standard right wing scaremongering about immigration. If you disagree with them, argue against them. Rightly, the Madrid provincial court rejected the Socialists' request to ban the poster, arguing that it was displayed "within the context of a legitimate ideological and party struggle". The judges also said that migration is a "social and political problem" in Spain - a fact which the right can't simplify any more than the left can ignore. It may be misleading to represent all MENAs as layabouts nicking your grandma's pension, but a quick look at the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla reveals flaws in the Socialists' approach to migration. As regards the change to Spain's sexual violence laws, it seems right to make consent or lack of it the crucial aspect of rape cases, rather than the use of violence or intimidation - a skewed focus which resulted in the counter-intuitive rulings of the 'Wolf Pack' case. But couldn't an ingenious defence lawyer construe lack of struggle as "an act that clearly expressed the individual's will [i.e. consent], considering the circumstances of the case"? In other words, where does lack of resistance cross over into consent, or at least the absence of non-consent (the latter of which isn't defined by the new law)? These, one imagines, will be the nexus of disputes in future sexual violence cases. Perhaps more importantly, the change to the law jettisons the notion of sexual abuse. There was justified outrage when judges in the 'Wolf Pack' case ruled that no intimidation (and therefore no rape) had taken place, although five men had surrounded one woman in a darkened vestibule: any reform that classifies such situations as nightmarishly intimidating is to be welcomed. On 4 July, the USA celebrated their Independence Day. Here on the Costa del Sol, Macharaviaya became the centre of celebration because this village in the Axarquia is the birthplace of Bernardo de Galvez - a Spanish military leader and colonial administrator. Additionally, Galvez is considered a hero of the American Revolutionary War, by gaining independence from the British Crown. However, most American historians took little note of him. It seems that Spain is trying to change this injustice. More events devoted to Galvez take place and more books about him and his heroic actions are published. Sculptures of him have at least twice been donated by Spain to Washington - in 1976 and in 2019. As for America, a couple of towns were named after Galvez, a long time ago. In 2014, US President Obama signed the joint resolution of the US Congress conferring honorary US citizenship to the Spaniard for risking his life for the freedom of the people of the United States. This was an official recognition of Galvezs heroism. However, he was actually the last of the other Revolutionary War heroes to be honoured in this way. The French aristocrat and military officer Lafayette and the Polish military leader Casimir Pulaski had been awarded this title before, in 2002 and 2009, respectively. The American writer Erick Trickey, covering politics, history, and science, thinks that it was not done unwittingly as Galvezs involvement may not have been altruistic. In his work The Little-Remembered Ally Who Helped America Win the Revolution, Trickey writes, First by stealth, then by open warfare, Galvez became a key ally of the American Revolution. He stresses, that in the USA Galvez is recognised as an ally with less effusive praise than other foreign volunteers. Unlike Lafayette or Kosciuszko, he wasnt inspired to volunteer by a revolutionary spirit, and he didnt fight on the soil of the original 13 colonies. Whats more, getting assistance from a monarchist serving his king didnt fit the patriotic narrative of the American Revolution. In this context, the question arises - what is the best way to evaluate historys heroes? We live in a world where a small sign of attention can be considered a harassment, a small token of appreciation - a bribe. Today the tide has sharply turned, and many values and views, applauded in the past, are considered outmoded and even heinous. It seems there is no one absolutely true morality any more. That being said, it is not surprising that after a couple of centuries actions such as Galvezs, might be construed and interpreted differently, in accordance with our modern day idioms. If so, then Galvez might be accused of opportunism because he displayed sympathy to the Americans by maintaining his administrative mission and also advancing the interests of the King of Spain. Moreover, his marrying a woman of Creole descent and sympathising with the local Creole population might be described with the word populism. Either way, despite discussions about being (or not) a revolutionary hero, Bernardo de Galvez is buried in America of his own free will, and this fact makes him more American than anything/anybody else. Thats for sure. I am not sure, though, if there is a correct answer to the question How shall we judge the moral actions of figures from the past? During the pandemic, Malaga's Glass and Crystal Museum has been closed but it is due to open again in September. Some of the crystal and glass masterpieces, however, can be viewed in the Museum of Nerja from now until 3 October, as part of the exhibition Dos Decadas Prodigiosas (Two Prodigious Decades). Studio glass was born in America. It is all about artistic glassmaking, or rather, an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks with a focus on making one-of-a-kind objects. The movement originated in Ohio, where a series of workshops were held at the Toledo Museum of Art in 1962. The enthusiasm of these creative visionaries resulted in a new concept of glassmaking spreading rapidly to Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, as well as to Australia and Asia, thus creating enormous appeal and interest in artistic circles. Harvey Littleton is considered the father of studio glass. The revolutionary glass artists, Samuel Herman in the UK, Sybren Walkema in the Netherlands and first of all Erwin Eisch in Germany were the pioneers of the movement in Europe. In the 60s, they started a fertile period of experimentation by working on a massive scale and using small furnaces and a variety of other techniques to highlight power of glass with its brilliance and transparency. Studio glass art is the creation of a one-of-a-kind work. Therefore pieces are unique, and made in a small limited edition with the prices ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of euros. The owner of the collection of Glass and Crystal Museum, Gonzalo Fernandez-Prieto, is exhibiting in Nerja only the glass pieces representing German production created between 1975 to 1995 when the Rosenthal factory played a significant role in the field of art glass. Masters such as Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Samuel Herman and Tapio Wirkkal designed for Rosenthal. The Rosenthal pieces together with the masterpieces by Erwin Eisch have a very special meaning for Fernandez-Prieto. "Most of them I have bought in Germany where I have friends and relatives and where I usually spend my summer holidays. I personally know many of the artists from Studio Glass, for example Uta Majmudar. This passionate woman from Haan is one of the most important glass artists in Germany. Some artworks shown in Nerja - from small ornaments to larger vases - have never yet been exhibited in the Glass Museum due to lack of space. Therefore I am glad of this first collaboration with the Museum of Nerja and its director Juan Bautista Salado. He is a friend and we are both familiar with many concepts in dealing with culture. I hope this exhibition is the start of many more collaborations." The exhibition is free and is on display until 3 October. 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. Opec+ has delayed its decision on the extent of crude oil production increases, raising questions about the alliances capacity to coordinate production and highlighting disagreements about supply policies, according to Fitch Ratings. Earlier this week, Opec+ postponed for a third time its meeting to finalise the decision on the next phase of production increases and each countrys production quota. Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UAE are reportedly struggling to reach a compromise, it stated. Oil prices have increased to the highest levels in three years due to a widening oil deficit, which we currently assess at slightly more than 1 million barrels per day (mmb/d). Oil supply is constrained by the previous alliance output decision, while crude oil demand is growing as the global economy recovers from pandemic-related shocks, said Fitch Ratings in its report. While Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UAE have offered to boost the alliances production by 0.4 mmb/d each month from August to December, the UAE also demands to increase its baseline production (a starting point from which its cuts and increases are calculated) from April 2022 to account for its larger production capacity following investment. The country has capacity of about 4 mmb/d and this may increase to 5 mmb/d by 2030, based on its investment plans. However, the country has an Opec+ production quota of just over 2.7 mmb/d in July. The gridlock tests the alliances ability and effectiveness to coordinate output decisions. In addition to the UAE, some other countries in the alliance, such as Iraq, Kuwait and Russia, are considering investments to increase production capacity. Allowing one country to raise its baseline capacity may spur similar demands from other members and jeopardise efforts to control crude supply. Although the price increases benefit crude oil producers, they are not driven by a structural deficit as about 6 mmb/d of production capacity has been removed from the market by Opec+ and could easily be returned. "We ultimately expect Opec+ to agree on production increases. In addition, Iran could add about 1.5 mmb/d of supplies if US sanctions are lifted. Given the recovery of the global economy and mobility, the increased supply should mostly be absorbed by higher demand leading to a continued rundown in inventories this year," he added. Opec+ output policies have been the main driving force behind the oil price recovery in 2020-2021, after a sharp decline in demand in March 2020 and a short period of unilateral decisions on production volumes taken by key alliance members. Although oil demand has been recovering, emerging coronavirus variants are a risk to this recovery, making swift output decisions key to preventing sudden price drops, said the Fitch Ratings report. The improved pricing environment strengthened the liquidity positions of oil and gas producers, particularly for sub-investment-grade issuers. This helped to stabilise the rating Outlooks of many sector issuers, it added.-TradeArabia News Service New Delhi, Jul 9 (UNI) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday called for reducing use of steel and cement in road construction without comprising on quality through innovation and research. Addressing 16th Annual Conference on Road Development in India he said, natural fuel like CNG, LNG and ethanol should be used for the road equipment machinery and also emphasized on import substitution, cost effective, pollution free and indigenous methods and development of alternative fuel. Mr Gadkari said India with about 63 lakh kms of road network is the second largest road network in the world. He said road infrastructure plays a critical role in the growth of the economy as 70 percent of the goods and nearly 90 percent of passenger traffic uses roads to commute. He also said that the Prime Minister has set a vision for India to become a five trillion dollar economy in next five years. Government is investing 1.4 trillion dollars, equivalent to Rs 111 lakh crore in infrastructure development through national infrastructure pipeline, further this year, Government has increased year on year infrastructure capex by 34 per cent to Rs 5.54 lakh crores, he added. The Transport and Highways Minister further said that increased investment in infrastructure would help create employment during Covid pandemic and reiterated that his aim was to construct 60,000 km world class national highway at the rate of 40 km per day. UNI AKS BATON ROUGE - Newly-released audio recordings of the call for help from the Blue Zoo to animal experts suggested staff watched the snake escape its enclosure and had exhausted their own ability to search when they finally called for help more than a day after the snake got loose. "We need your help locating 'our friend,'" an employee is heard on a recording phoning animal control asking for help. Listen to a recording of the phone call here "Professional help, you being the professionals, would be greatly appreciated," the worker tells the animal control operator. Amid some chuckling among those on the call about the bizarre nature of the situation, store employees express some concern. "We've checked all over, but for us to get professional help, is a little more secure," an employee said. The worker said security camera video showed the snake slithering out of its enclosure and entering the store's ceiling. The store is in the space formerly occupied by Hollister near Dillard's. As the operator leaves the conversation briefly, store workers are heard on the recording discussing their stress and shock. "I didn't sleep well," one worker is heard in the background. "I was on the break of going into...shock," they commented. When the store called animal control Tuesday morning, the snake had been missing for more than a day. Records show employees believe the snake escaped around 2 a.m. Monday. The search began in earnest with the call to animal control and firefighters helped, too, Tuesday mid-morning. "We have track marks and scales and her on camera and everything," the worker said on the call. "She went into the ceiling at Blue Zoo. Now, the mall of Louisiana is closed because there's a 12-foot Burmese python loose," workers told animal control agents on the phone. They were certain at the time the snake wasn't able to leave the store area, although they wanted assurance: [The snake is] in the roofing area of our facility, we don't think she has access outside of our facility." "That presents a problem already," the animal control operator said. Cara, a 12-foot Burmese python, weighs about 150-pounds. Store operators have said the snake is non-venomous and is "friendly." The Blue Zoo was closed Tuesday and Wednesday for the search. The mall itself was briefly closed Tuesday morning. Wednesday, maintenance experts in plumbing and HVAC helped search pipes and ductwork in the store. Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Business Owner in Court on Trafficking Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A McCracken County man was in court Thursday for charges stemming from a multi-agency investigation in May into thousands of dollars worth of drugs, weapons and counterfeit money.Rick Hall was arraigned in court and a not guilty plea was entered. He has a pretrial conference scheduled for September 20.During the investigation in May, detectives allegedly bought methamphetamine from Hall several times.Deputies arrested him in the parking lot of a Paducah business on Hinkleville Road. During a search of his vehicle detectives recovered $50,000 in counterfeit money, along with other money believed to be proceeds of illegal drug sales.Detectives searched Hall's home, where his wife, Cindy Carney-Hall, was found inside. Detectives said in the home they found additional crystal meth, two handguns and several ecstasy pills.During a search of Hall's business, Elite Bargain Outlet, detectives reportedly found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of crystal meth.Rick Hall was charged with three counts of firearm-enhanced trafficking in methamphetamine, firearm-enhanced trafficking in ecstasy, two counts of possession of handgun by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia.Rick Hall is convicted felon and unable to lawfully possess firearms. Deputies said their investigation revealed he intended to purchase illegal drugs with the seized counterfeit money.Deputies said the seized drugs in the investigation have an estimated street value of $20,000.On the Net: Couple Appears in Court on Drug Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A Paducah couple appeared in court Thursday to face drug trafficking charges.Both 57-year-old Marland Riley and 40-year-old Ashley Riley were arraigned in court on Thursday and will now face a pretrial conference September 27.They were arrested on January 6 after McCracken County deputies said a search of their vehicle uncovered 93 grams of marijuana packaged to sell and 100 oxycodone pills.Both face charges of trafficking in marijuana, trafficking in a controlled substance (drug unspecified), tampering with physical evidence, drug paraphernalia possession, and prescription not in its original container.Marland is also charged with disregarding a stop sign. Ashley is additionally charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance. Man Arraigned on Theft-Related Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A man arrested in March for receiving stolen property charges was in court on Thursday.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk says 36-year-old Jonathon McGuire was arraigned and plead not guilty. His pre-trial conference is set for September 20.McGuire was arrested on March 24 after a car dealership on Paducah's southside reported a theft. State Troopers found the vehicle a short time later and arrested 36-year-old Joseph Owen.Deputies followed leads, which led them to search a storage unit rented by McGuire. They allegedly found several items that had been reported stolen, including a gun. McGuire faces two counts of receiving stolen property over $500.More stolen items, including a cargo trailer and commercial grade inflatables, were found at a home in Carlisle County, which led to the arrest of 30-year-old Brandy Grooms. She told officers the items had been brought there by someone she knows. On the Net: Police: Teen Reported Missing Friday is Safe By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The search for a missing teen is over, according to police.The Paducah Police Police Department says 15-year-old Amari Harris has been located and is safe.He had been reported missing from the area of Walter Jetton Boulevard on Friday.Previous Story:Police are requesting the public's help with locating a missing Paducah teen.The Paducah Police Department is searching for 15-year-old Amari Harris.Harris is black, 5 feet 4 inches tall, approximately 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.He was last seen on Walter Jetton Boulevard wearing red shorts and a white shirt.Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Paducah Police Department. West Paducah Home Destroyed By Fire By West Kentucky Star Staff WEST PADUCAH - A West Paducah home was destroyed by fire early Friday morning.Just before 4 am, the West McCracken Fire Department responded to the 8200 block of Ogden Landing Road, near Palestine Cemetery. Several other agencies responded to help fight the blaze or control traffic since the road was blocked by fire trucks.Fire Department Captain Chuck Bean said the home was occupied by two adults and one child, and the were able to safely escape, but a pet cat died in the home.The road was reopened and other fire departments left the scene about 8 am, while the West McCracken fire put out some recurring hot spots until about 9:30 am.Bean said the home was a total loss, and it's not known what caused the fire. Traffic Violation Leads to Drug Trafficking Arrest By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Paducah man was arrested Friday night on multiple charges after a traffic stop.A vehicle driven by 55-year-old Tommy J. Amis was pulled over on Clarks River Road. The deputy's search reportedly found over 6 grams of methamphetamine, multiple items of drug paraphernalia, and cash believed to be the proceeds of drug sales.Amis was arrested and booked into McCracken County Jail on charges of trafficking in a controlled substance (meth), possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with one headlight, careless driving, and failure to register a vehicle's transfer. White Appears in Court, Pretrial Conference Set By West Kentucky Star Staff MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A Paducah man who was arrested last year on several charges after a police pursuit plead not guilty in McCracken Circuit Court at his arraignment Thursday.Court records show 46-year-old Shaun White now has a pretrial conference set for August 30.White was arrested in May, 2020 after police responded to a call of a man passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle. Police said White yelled at them and refused to pull over. After finding White's parked vehicle a short time later, police said White fled on foot but was captured.White was charged with first-degree fleeing or evading police, second-degree fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest, disregarding a traffic control device, driving under the influence, and driving with a suspended or revoked operator's license. He also had bench warrants charging him with three counts of contempt of court.On the Net: Woman Appears in Court on Drug, Gun Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Paducah woman was in court Thursday, facing drug charges from her May arrest.Twenty-two-year-old Chelsea Figley was in McCracken Circuit Court, and a not guilty plea was entered for her felony charges. Judge Tim Kaltenbach set a preliminary hearing for September 20.Figley was arrested May 21 by McCracken County Sheriff's Detectives, who reportedly got several complaints that she was selling methamphetamine. They executed a search warrant at her Nace Lane home and say they found meth, marijuana, hydrocodone, drug paraphernalia and a handgun.Figley faces two charges of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.On the Net: Tonight's Ballard County Tractor Pull Postponed By West Kentucky Star Staff LA CENTER - Organizers of a benefit tractor pull in Ballard County tonight have announced that it has been postponed.On Facebook, Ballard County Fairgrounds and Kids Helping Kids Ballard County both announced the change, based on the amount of rain that has fallen and the chance for heavy storms again tonight. They are working on rescheduling the event.However, at least one of the other fundraisers is still taking place - the drawing to give away an $1,800 John Deere gun safe will be held tonight. Raffle tickets are being sold at the 4-H office, and will also be sold at the fairgrounds between 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Soft drinks and popcorn will also be available at the fairgrounds.Proceeds from the drawing and the rescheduled tractor pull will go to the families of Emily Dulworth and Hudson Pace, who are both battling childhood cancer.Original Story:There will be plenty of noise and raw horsepower at the Ballard County fairgrounds tonight to benefit a good cause.A benefit tractor and truck pull begins at 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Proceeds from the event will go to the families of Emily Dulworth and Hudson Pace, who are both battling childhood cancer.It will feature super stock and super farm tractors, pro-stock diesel trucks, 4.1 limited pro, hot farm tractors and light mixed tractors.The Ballard County 4-H will raffle off a John Deere gun safe, valued at $1,800. Raffle tickets are $10 each. Ticket stubs must be turned in by 4 p.m. Friday at the 4-H office at 110 Broadway in La Center. The drawing will take place at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. You do not need to be present to win.There will also be a silent auction from 5:30 to 9 p.m., and concessions will be available.Admission is $10 per person. Kids 8 and under get in free.Click the link below for more information.On the Net: Kuttawa Man Arrested Again, Without Horse By West Kentucky Star Staff LYON COUNTY - A man arrested last weekend after he rode a horse onto a Kuttawa restaurant patio. was arrested again Tuesday during a traffic stop.The Lyon County Sheriff's Office said they arrested 60-year-old Gary W. Wagoner of Kuttawa while he was driving on KY 93. Charges included driving on a DUI suspended license, no insurance, improper registration and possession of marijuana.The Sheriff's office said Wagoner was out of custody on bond for two other Lyon County court cases and on Wednesday, his previous bond was revoked for bond violations by a District Court Judge.Last weekend, Wagoner was arrested after he rode a horse into the outdoor dining area at Hu-B's Restaurant in Kuttawa.On the Net: MSU Hosts "Racer Ready Enrollment Days" in July By West Kentucky Star Staff MURRAY - Murray State University will host three "Racer Ready Enrollment Days" in July for admitted students for the upcoming fall as well as for prospective students and their families.Upcoming dates include July 12, July 19 and July 26 and will take place from 8am to 2pm on the first floor of the Curris Center.Staff will be available to assist in the following areas: recruitment/admissions, financial services, student life, housing and dining. Campus tours will be available as well.There is still time for students to apply for admission for the upcoming academic year. Individuals seeking on-site admission at the Racer Ready Enrollment Days must bring their high school transcript and all college transcripts if applicable. The $40 application fee will be waived at these three July dates.Pre-registration is not required. Passengers Unloaded; Cruise Ship Still on Sandbar By West Kentucky Star Staff LAKE BARKLEY - Passengers stranded on a cruise ship stuck for two days on a Lake Barkley sandbar were finally able to get to their destination on Friday night.The U.S. Coast Guard from Paducah helped 120 passengers disembark from the American Jazz, and loaded them onto buses bound for Nashville.Coast Guard Lt. John Nolan told WKDZ the passengers appeared to be in good spirits and there were no injuries reported among passengers or crew.Nolan said removal of 11-13 tons of passenger weight, along with about half of the water it was carrying, could lighten the 300-foot-long ship enough to allow it to get free."Every little bit of weight helps to get a vessel unstuck from being grounded. I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make, we're still evaluating those plans and we will determine that based on some engineering calculations," Nolan said.Some essential crew members are still on the ship.Nolan said Saturday afternoon that the unified command team - which includes local, state, and federal officials - is still determining the best course of action for the salvage operation.The cruise ship ran onto a sandbar in six feet of water outside the marked navigational channel Wednesday afternoon. Multiple towboats unsuccessfully attempted to push the ship free on Friday.The American Jazz is part of the American Cruise Line fleet that offers eight-day cruises up the Mississippi River from Memphis to Cairo, then up the Ohio River to Paducah. The ships travel down the Tennessee River to Clarksville and dock in Nashville. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-09 22:38:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Mars rover Zhurong has traveled more than 300 meters on the surface of the red planet and sent back new images about the Martian rocks, sand and dust. As of Thursday, Zhurong has been working on the Martian surface for 54 Martian days and has traveled more than 300 meters, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. A Martian day is approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. Since the rover landed on the surface of Mars, it has been traveling southward to carry out inspection and exploration. The navigation terrain camera takes images of the landforms along the way every day. The subsurface radar, meteorological measurement instrument and surface magnetic field detector were also turned on for detection. When the rover met notable landforms like rocks and sand dunes, the surface composition detector and multispectral camera carried out fixed-point detection. In two images of Martian rocks, the texture features of the Martian rocks and ruts of the rover are seen clearly, and some rock surfaces are covered with dust. June 26 is Zhurong's 42nd Martian day. The rover arrived at a sand dune area. The navigation terrain camera onboard took images of a red sand dune about six meters from it. In one image, stones of different sizes are scattered around the dune. The stone facing the rover is about 0.34 meters wide. July 4 is Zhurong's 50th Martian day. It drove to the south side of the sand dune, which is about 40 meters long, eight meters wide and 0.6 meters high. A cluster of stones with various shapes is shown on the left of an image. And the back cover and parachute of the lander can be seen in the upper right corner. When Zhurong took the image, the linear distance between the rover and the landing point was about 210 meters, and the distance between the rover and the back cover and parachute was about 130 meters. China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. The lander carrying the rover touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars, on May 15. The rover Zhurong drove down from its landing platform to the Martian surface on May 22, starting its exploration of the red planet, and making China the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-09 23:05:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation has stood the test of time and remains relevant, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. "Twenty years of experience dedicated to the progressive deepening of bilateral ties demonstrates that the treaty has successfully stood the test of time, and its provisions continue to remain relevant in modern conditions," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing. On June 28, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement, officially deciding to extend the treaty. Russia is committed to further realizing the potential of the treaty and deepening its ties with China in a wide range of areas, Zakharova added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 00:03:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Workers are busy at the factory of Zhuolang Intelligent Machinery Co., Ltd. in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, Friday announced it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points for eligible financial institutions from July 15 to support the real economy. The RRR cut, which will be imposed on all financial institutions except those who have already held the ratio at 5 percent, will likely release 1 trillion yuan (about 154.43 billion U.S. dollars) in long-term funds, the PBOC said. After the reduction, the weighted average RRR for Chinese financial institutions will stand at 8.9 percent, the central bank said. The cut aims to improve the fund structure of financial institutions and boost their capabilities in financial services to improve support of the real economy, the central bank said. Financial institutions will use part of the released funds to repay the maturing medium-term lending facilities. Some funds will also fill the liquidity gap in the tax payment season late this month. The reduction will lower the fund costs for financial institutions by around 13 billion yuan each year, according to the PBOC calculation. The RRR cut is a regular operation after the country's monetary policy returned to the pre-epidemic status, the central bank said. "The direction of the prudent monetary policy has not changed," it said. Rather than resorting to a "flood-like" stimulus, the PBOC pledged to stick to a normal monetary policy while keeping it stable and effective. A State Council meeting decided earlier this week that China will adopt monetary tools such as RRR cuts at an appropriate time to increase financial support for the real economy, especially for small firms. It will also mitigate the impact of commodity price hikes on company operations. Driven by rising commodity prices, China's producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, went up by 8.8 percent year on year in June after registering a 9-percent growth in May. The country's new yuan-denominated loans totaled 2.12 trillion yuan last month, up by 308.6 billion yuan from the same period last year, central bank data also showed Friday. Newly added total social financing, a measurement of funds the real economy receives from the financial system, reached 3.67 trillion yuan in June, 200.8 billion yuan higher than for the same period last year. In the next stage, the PBOC said it would continue to implement a prudent monetary policy while keeping liquidity at a reasonable and ample level to create a suitable monetary and financial environment for China's high-quality development and supply-side structural reform. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 00:33:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Firefighters take a break at the fire site of a juice factory in Narayanganj on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 9, 2021. At least 52 people have died as a huge fire raged for a second day in the juice factory in Narayanganj. (Xinhua) by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 people have died as a huge fire raged for a second day in a juice factory in Narayanganj on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka. Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defense Debashish Bardhan told reporters that they had pulled 49 bodies from the debris of the burning factory on Friday afternoon. "Forty nine bodies, most of them beyond recognition, were recovered from the 4th floor of the building on Friday afternoon," he said, adding that the bodies will be identified through DNA test for handover to their family members. Three more deaths were reported in the immediate aftermath of the fire on Thursday night. The district's chief administrator Mostain Billah told Xinhua on Friday night that "49 people were reported missing." But he said they don't know immediately whether the 49 charred bodies, beyond recognition already recovered from the fire site, are of the missing persons. He said that a total of 20 people were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery following the fire devastation. But local media reports put the number of injured people at 50. Firefighters said many people jumped off the building in a bid to save themselves from the blaze and three of them succumbed to their injuries on Thursday. A total of 18 firefighting units managed to bring the fire at the six-storey building of the local factory under control, after a day of fighting at around 3:00 p.m. local time Friday, said Billah. But local media reports say the fire in the factory has not yet been completely doused though it was almost under control since Thursday night. TV reports Friday night showed fires were still raging in some parts of the factory. According to the officials, the six-storey factory used to produce various juices, soft drinks and food items, caught fire around 5:30 p.m. local time on Thursday. Md Abdul Al Arefin, Narayanganj District Fire Service and Civil Defence deputy director, told reporters that it would take some time more for them to completely douse the fire. Until the fire is extinguished completely, he said it would not be possible to assess how much damage has occurred and find the exact cause of the fire. A spokesman of the factory was not immediately available for comment. Officials said the fire originated from the ground floor of the six-storey building, and spread quickly to several other upper floors because of the presence of chemicals and plastic materials. They said severe heat from the blaze has caused cracks in a part of the building and its windows are falling apart, with plumes of black smoke billowing out of the factory. Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed profound shock and grief over the loss of lives in the fire. A seven-member probe committee has been formed by the district administration to look into the incident. However, survivors and relative alleged that the only gate to enter and exit the factory premises was locked and they staged demonstration outside and around the factory premises on Friday. Against this backdrop, law enforcers in large numbers have been deployed to maintain law and order situation at the site. The factory building had reportedly no proper fire safety measures, according to the workers. The exact cause of the blaze in factory is still unclear, but the district's Police chief Md Zayedul Alam told Xinhua earlier in the day that it may have been triggered by a short circuit. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 01:33:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Peace and security prevail along the border between Iran and Afghanistan after Taliban militants reportedly took over two border crossings between the two countries on Thursday, local media reported Friday. "There is no insecurity on our border with Afghanistan," said Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as quoted by official daily Hamshahri. On Thursday, Taliban militants claimed to have captured the customs offices of Islam Qala and Abu Nasr Farahi in the Afghanistan-Iran border. Islam Qala is considered the main of three trade gateways between the two countries. Khatibzadeh confirmed rumors about "a number of Afghan employees" having entered Iran due to heavy fighting between governmental forces and Taliban militants. Iran, the spokesman added, will act "in accordance with the border agreements with Afghanistan and within the framework of good neighborliness." Afghan officials have yet to make comments on the Taliban claims. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 03:49:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called for the enhancing of cross-line aid delivery in Syria and the lifting of unilateral sanctions against the country. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the appeal after the Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for 12 months. China welcomes the fact that the council unanimously adopted the draft resolution on the extension of humanitarian delivery in Syria. China attaches great importance to the humanitarian situation in Syria and supports the international community and UN agencies in scaling up humanitarian assistance to Syrian people in line with UN guiding principles, he told the Security Council in an explanation of China's vote. In China's view, all humanitarian operations in Syria should be based on the full respect for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. "The cross-border mechanism is a special arrangement conceived under specific circumstances. And as such, it should be subjected to timely assessment and necessary adjustment as to its efficacy and applicability in light of the situation on the ground, with a view to transitioning from cross-border to cross-line delivery," said Zhang. It should be stressed that unilateral sanctions are the main obstacles to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria. The UN secretary-general, the high commissioner for human rights, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have repeatedly expressed concerns over the negative humanitarian consequences brought about by the unilateral sanctions, and have called for the lifting of these measures. The international community enjoys a broad consensus on this, he said. The cross-border mechanism is a controversial matter, both politically and legally, whereas the cross-line mechanism should be the dominant channel for delivering humanitarian assistance. Expression of support for cross-line assistance must not remain empty words. The Security Council should identify what stands in the way of cross-line delivery and urge parties concerned to open up as early as possible the delivery route from Damascus to Northwest Syria, he said. At the same time, it is of critical importance to enhance the monitoring of cross-border delivery so as to help prevent the border crossing from being used in a manner that goes beyond the council's mandate, said Zhang. "As it is the Security Council that has mandated the establishment of the cross-border mechanism, it naturally bears the responsibility of ensuring the transparency and impartiality of the mechanism and guarantee its humanitarian nature." Thanks to the joint efforts by all the parties concerned, elements were included in the draft resolution that the Security Council just voted on, with regard to enhancing cross-line delivery, strengthening the transparency of the cross-border mechanism, post-war reconstruction and COVID-19 response, said Zhang. These elements reflect the legitimate concerns of China and other council members. Their inclusion is a right step toward properly and comprehensively resolving the Syrian humanitarian issue under the new circumstances, he said. In view of this, China voted in favor of the draft resolution. However, at the same time, China still believes that there was much to improve in the draft, especially when it comes to calling in clear terms for the lifting of unilateral sanctions. China expects Security Council members to continue to take effective measures to eliminate the negative impact of unilateral sanctions and to create favorable conditions for fundamentally overcoming the challenges in the humanitarian situation in Syria and guaranteeing the well-being of the Syrian people, he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 04:05:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2020 shows the EU flags flying outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) The calculation was made in line with the provisions of the Brexit deal, an EU spokesperson said. The total amount will be paid over several years in installments. BRUSSELS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom (UK) is liable to an amount of 47.5 billion euros (56.4 billion U.S. dollars) to the European Union (EU) and the calculation is final, a European Commission spokesperson said here on Friday. The amount includes outstanding commitments made prior to Jan. 1, 2020; contributions to the EU's pension and sickness schemes; as well as other minor items, according to Balazs Ujvari, the Commission's spokesperson for budget and human resources. The calculation was made in line with the provisions of the Brexit deal, Ujvari said. The total amount will be paid over several years in installments. For 2021, the UK will have to pay 6.8 billion euros. The June installment has already been paid in full. The next bill will be sent in September. Photo taken on Dec. 21, 2020 shows the Union Jack flag and the Big Ben clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Asked to comment on a reported discrepancy with the UK's calculation, Ujvari said the EU's figure was final, but he refrained from commenting on speculations that the payments might fall short of the EU's expectation. "So far, everything that has to be done was done. Therefore, we have no indication whatsoever that the overall figure will be contested," Ujvari said. The UK joined the EU in 1973 but announced its withdrawal in 2016 after a referendum. It officially left the bloc on Jan. 31, 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 04:09:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Representatives of United Nations Security Council members raise their hands to vote in favor of a draft resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians for 12 months at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 9, 2021. The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians for 12 months. Resolution 2585, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member council, will allow cross-border aid into Syria from Turkey to run for another 12 months. The current 12-month authorization of aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing expires on Saturday. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians for 12 months. Resolution 2585, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member council, will allow cross-border aid into Syria from Turkey to run for another 12 months. The current 12-month authorization of aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing expires on Saturday. The draft resolution was adopted unanimously after Russia and the United States reached compromise in last-minute talks. By Thursday, the Security Council was set to vote on two competing draft resolutions: one tabled by Ireland and Norway, the co-penholders of the issue, and the other tabled by Russia. The Ireland-Norway text seeks a 12-month extension of the mandate for Bab al-Hawa, while the Russian text would allow an extension of the border crossing for only six months. Russia and the United States were able to bridge the differences in the two drafts and jointly tabled the final text together with Ireland and Norway. Resolution 2585 decides to extend the mandate for Bab al-Hawa border crossing for six months, till Jan. 10, 2022, with an extension of an additional six months, till July 10, 2022, subject to the issuance of the UN secretary-general's substantive report, with particular focus on transparency in operations, and progress on cross-line access in meeting humanitarian needs. It requests the secretary-general to brief the Security Council monthly and to provide a report on a regular basis, at least every 60 days, on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and on compliance by all relevant parties in Syria. It further requests the secretary-general to include in his reports overall trends in UN cross-line operations and detailed information on the humanitarian assistance delivered through UN humanitarian cross-border operations, including the distribution mechanism, the number of beneficiaries, operating partners, locations of aid deliveries at district-level and the volume and nature of items delivered. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2585. "Cross-border humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for millions of people in the (Northwest) area and beyond. The re-authorization will ensure humanitarian assistance continues for over 3.4 million people in need, including 1 million children," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, in a statement. The United Nations continues to engage with all parties to also facilitate cross-line convoys. They are critical for the expansion of the overall response as humanitarian needs continue to grow. The secretary-general reiterates his call on all parties to the conflict to ensure humanitarian access to all people in need in accordance with international humanitarian law, said the statement. Irish UN ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said Friday was "a good-news day." "We are pleased to announce that the Security Council has come together to unanimously adopt a resolution that allows for an extension of the Bab al-Hawa crossing for 12 months. This is the first time since 2016 that a united Security Council acted on its humanitarian responsibility for Syria in this way," she told reporters after the adoption of Resolution 2585. This 12-month renewal allows for predictability. This is critical to the brave humanitarian actors who work in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances to assist those who are in grave need in Syria, said Nason. Norwegian UN ambassador Mona Juul said the humanitarian situation in Syria has only worsened over the last year. And the COVID-19 pandemic only compounded the crisis. "After 10 years, people are still suffering due to the conflict in Syria. Providing emergency relief is imperative to keeping people alive. But what people also need is peace, security and a political solution for a prosperous future. Ireland and Norway will continue their active engagement in the Security Council as penholders on this file. And the Syrian people will remain our number one priority," said Juul. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, called for the enhancing of cross-line aid delivery in Syria and the lifting of unilateral sanctions against the country. In an explanation of his country's vote after the vote at the Security Council, he said China welcomes the fact that the council unanimously adopted the draft resolution on the extension of humanitarian delivery in Syria. In China's view, all humanitarian operations in Syria should be based on the full respect for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The cross-border mechanism is a special arrangement conceived under specific circumstances. And as such, it should be subjected to timely assessment and necessary adjustment as to its efficacy and applicability in light of the situation on the ground, with a view to transitioning from cross-border to cross-line delivery, he said. The cross-border mechanism is a controversial matter, both politically and legally, whereas the cross-line mechanism should be the dominant channel for delivering humanitarian assistance. Expression of support for cross-line assistance must not remain empty words. The Security Council should identify what stands in the way of cross-line delivery and urge parties concerned to open up as early as possible the delivery route from Damascus to Northwest Syria, he said. It should be stressed that unilateral sanctions are the main obstacles to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria. The international community enjoys a broad consensus on this. China expects Security Council members to continue to take effective measures to eliminate the negative impact of unilateral sanctions and to create favorable conditions for fundamentally overcoming the challenges in the humanitarian situation in Syria and guaranteeing the well-being of the Syrian people, he said. Since 2014, the Security Council had authorized the delivery of aid through four border crossings on Syria's borders with Turkey, Iraq and Jordan. In the past 12 months, only operations through Bab al-Hawa have been allowed. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 05:05:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Alberto Fernandez on Friday led celebrations marking the 205th anniversary of the declaration of independence with a call for unity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. "If we have courage and bravery, and we unite to understand once and for all that no one is saved alone, and that in addition to being free and equal we must be fraternal and in solidarity with one another, everything will be easier," said Fernandez. Speaking from the Historic House of Independence Museum in San Miguel de Tucuman, capital of northern Tucuman province, Fernandez urged Argentines to maintain self-care and comply with social distancing measures. "We are going through a unique time for humanity, a clearly frustrating time that prevents us from doing many things," the president said, according to a statement from his office. He also pledged to accelerate the vaccination campaign against COVID-19. Argentina registered its first case of COVID-19 in March 2020 and has to date accumulated 4,613,019 confirmed cases of infection and 97,904 deaths from the disease. More than 24.04 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines have been applied against the disease since December, when the inoculation campaign began. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 05:21:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia reported record daily coronavirus deaths on Friday with 189 new fatalities, bringing the death toll from the virus to 16,050. New infections in the North African country rose by 8,506 to 481,735, according to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry. The total number of recoveries reached 378,917, while the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reached 4,345, including 643 in intensive care units. A total of 1,895,679 lab tests have been carried out in Tunisia so far, according to the ministry. Since the start of the national vaccination campaign against the coronavirus on March 13, a total of 2,082,765 people have received the vaccines, with 614,710 having received two doses, according to the ministry. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 05:56:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinian protesters were injured on Friday in clashes with Israeli soldiers in several West Bank cities and villages, medics and eyewitnesses said. The clashes broke out near the village of Beita, south of the West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and teargas canisters at the protesters, who threw stones at the soldiers, waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans, said the eyewitnesses. Medics of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a press statement that at least 83 Palestinians were injured. After Friday prayers, a demonstration broke out against a settlement outpost opposite Jabal Sabih, from which settlers had been evacuated a week ago. Still, the Israeli army remained there for security considerations. The residents demanded the Israeli army stationed at the outpost to completely evacuate it, remove the mobile homes, and return the lands to the original Palestinian owners. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians, including children, suffered suffocation from teargas during clashes with the Israeli army in the village of Kafr Qaddoum, east of Qalqilya. Other protests erupted in the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, and Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, leaving dozens of people wounded. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 06:14:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to reporters after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians for 12 months, at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 9, 2021. The Russian and U.S. ambassadors at the United Nations on Friday saw the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution on Syria as an important moment for their countries' relations. The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the re-authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians after Russia and the United States reached compromise in last-minute talks. (Xinhua/Xie E) UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Russian and U.S. ambassadors at the United Nations on Friday saw the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution on Syria as an important moment for their countries' relations. The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on the re-authorization of the cross-border aid mechanism for Syrians after Russia and the United States reached compromise in last-minute talks. By Thursday, the Security Council was set to vote on two competing draft resolutions: one tabled by Ireland and Norway, the co-penholders of the issue, and the other tabled by Russia. The Ireland-Norway text seeks a 12-month extension of the cross-border mechanism, while the Russian text would allow an extension of only six months. Russia and the United States were able to bridge the differences in the two drafts and jointly tabled the final text together with Ireland and Norway. This is the first time since 2016 that the Security Council acted unanimously on the Syria humanitarian file. Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia described the deal as a historical moment. "Today, we are witnessing a historical moment. For the first time, Russia and the United States not only managed to find an agreement, but to present a joint text, which was supported by all our colleagues in the council. We expect that this kind of day would become a turning point that not only Syria will win from this, but the Middle Eastern region as a whole, and the world as a whole," he told the Security Council after the vote. "We are grateful for this to all members of the council. We're grateful to our American colleagues who were working in the spirit of the agreements achieved during the Geneva summit between Presidents (Vladimir) Putin and (Joe) Biden," he said. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador, said Friday's deal was an important moment in her country's relationship with Moscow. "I certainly see it as an important moment in our relationship. And it shows that what we can do with the Russians if we work with them diplomatically on common goals. And this was a common goal that we were able to come to an agreement on. And I look forward to looking for other opportunities to work with the Russians on issues of common interest to our two governments," she told reporters after the adoption of the Syria resolution. The United Nations welcomed the statements from the Russian and U.S. ambassadors. Asked for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' comment on this issue, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman of Guterres, said: "There is nothing that we'd like more than close, positive and productive cooperation between members of the Security Council, between the permanent members of the Security Council, and between the United States and the Russian Federation." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 06:38:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday asked the Group of 20 (G20) largest economies to address COVID-19 vaccine gap, provide debt relief to developing economies, and finance climate action. Guterres spoke virtually to the third meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, which was being held in Venice, Italy. Friday's meeting was held behind closed doors, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman of Guterres. The secretary-general reiterated his call for a global vaccination plan to at least double the production of vaccines and to ensure equitable distribution, using COVAX as the platform, said Dujarric. Guterres said many developing countries are teetering on the verge of debt default. He called on the G20 to expand the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and Common Framework for Debt Treatment to include vulnerable middle-income countries and small island developing states. On climate change, Guterres said he was deeply concerned over the lack of progress on public climate financing and once again called on the G20 to mobilize 100 billion U.S. dollars annually for developing countries, as agreed to in 2009. Guterres told the ministers that to restore trust in multilateralism, there is a need to deliver on vaccines, economic recovery and climate finance, said the spokesman. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 08:59:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close 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 78 after the remains of 14 more victims were found overnight in the rubble, authorities said on Friday. There are 62 people who remain unaccounted for, and 200 accounted for, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. (U.S.-Building collapse) - - - - NEW DELHI -- Local health ministry officials in the southern Indian state of Kerala Friday said 14 cases of Zika virus have been detected in the state. Following the detection of cases, authorities have sounded an alert in the state. (India-Zika-Virus) - - - - VALLETTA -- As from July 14, Malta will restrict entry to travelers with a recognized vaccination certificate in an effort to counter a spike in new COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Chris Fearne said here on Friday. Moreover, the country will once again close its English language teaching schools after most of the new cases were students who traveled to Malta to learn English, Fearne said at a press conference. (Malta-Health) - - - - ADDIS ABABA -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 5,827,269 as of Friday afternoon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic stands at 149,635 while 5,082,564 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease. (Africa CDC-COVID-19 Cases-Number) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 10:20:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Ghana is to commence the piloting of its electronic currency by September, a senior official of the central bank said Friday. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, first deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana, revealed this in his keynote address at a two-day capacity-building session for Journalists for Business Advocacy in Ghana. He said the introduction of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) was one of the critical post-COVID-19 policy imperatives, as the pandemic has quickened the drive towards a cashless economy and is likely to shape monetary policy going forward. "Digital Currency is part of the central bank acknowledging the need for digital payment and digital delivery of financial services. By this, the Bank of Ghana will provide a platform on which we can add more value to digital transactions," said Opoku-Afari. He added that the duration of the piloting phase "will be determined by how easily the public accepts it and how quickly the operational dynamics come to the fore and operational undergirding built to contain any operational challenges arising." "We anticipate that the Bank's CBDC would further advance financial inclusion, promote the efficiency and stability of the payment system, and foster competition in the financial sector," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 10:22:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The first West Nile Virus (WNV) death in California in 2021 was confirmed in San Luis Obispo County this week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Friday. Dr. Tomas J. Aragon, director of the CDPH and state public health officer, was quoted by a press release as saying that more cases of the fatal virus, which could be transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito, had been reported recently. "West Nile virus activity in the state is increasing, so I urge Californians to take every possible precaution to protect against mosquito bites," he said. As of July 9, WNV had been detected in 45 dead birds from six counties and 177 mosquito samples from 13 counties, the CDPH noted, adding hot temperatures this month are contributing to increasing numbers of mosquitoes and the increased risk of virus transmission to humans. Nationwide, new reports from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that at least six states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Colorado had detected mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus, and humans had contracted the disease in four of these places. The CDPH said WMV is influenced by many factors, including climate, the number and types of birds and mosquitoes in an area, and the level of WNV immunity in birds. While the risk of serious illness to most people is low, some individuals, less than one percent, can develop serious neurologic illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 14:40:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAPUTO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind reflects that the Communist Party of China (CPC) is open and cooperative, and China's great success attained under the party's leadership is inspiring, Joaquim Chissano, former Mozambican president, has said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, the ex-president spoke highly of the CPC for formulating theories on socialism with Chinese characteristics in a groundbreaking way and boasting a capability to self-renovate and keep pace with the times. China's success is "encouraging" and its achievements have shown that "it is possible for countries to find their own solutions to adapt to the evolution of the world," Chissano said. China's experience shows that "poor countries can develop and reach equality with the developed countries," he noted. Chissano, who has paid visits to China out of goodwill, has extended his congratulation on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC this year. Chissano noted that his party Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) has carried out exchanges and cooperation with the CPC, and the friendship between the two parties and the two countries can be traced back to the Mozambican War of Independence against colonial rule. The two sides never cease inter-party exchanges, be it during revolutions when they forged a comradely and brotherly friendship, or in the building of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Chissano said, noting that Mozambique has always firmly supported China on issues concerning its core interests. He listed the results of bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, infrastructure, science and technology, agriculture, and manufacturing. To realize industrialization and build a manpower strong enough to support China's sustainable development, the CPC has already acquired a lot of experience that Mozambique can learn from, said Chissano. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 15:06:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday confirmed 1,828 new COVID-19 cases amid fears of another wave of the pandemic in the Asian country, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said Saturday. The NCOC said that the country saw the total tally rise to 971,304, including 912,295 recoveries. The number of active cases has risen to 36,454 who are under treatment across the country, including 2,049 critical patients. According to the NCOC, 35 patients died from the coronavirus epidemic on Friday, bringing the overall death toll to 22,555. The eastern Punjab province is the most affected region in Pakistan with 347,793 infections and 10,815 deaths recorded in total, followed by the southern Sindh province with 345,269 cases including 5,583 deaths so far. Currently, Sindh has 22,826 active cases while Punjab has 8,424 active cases. The NCOC said on its website that Pakistan has administered 19,067,352 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country, with 3,746,989 people fully vaccinated so far. Pakistan's daily new cases started rising after it reported 663 positive cases on June 21, marking the lowest figure in the last three weeks. Earlier on Friday evening, Deputy Commissioner of the Pakistani capital Islamabad Muhammed Hamza Shafqaat told the public in an audio message that the capital has already been facing the fourth wave of the pandemic as the daily cases surpassed 100. Local media quoting official sources reported on Saturday morning that at least 28 people have been diagnosed with the Delta variant in Rawalpindi, a neighboring district of Islamabad. The authorities have started to adopt special measures to check further spread of the highly infectious variant of the COVID-19 virus, including keeping the infected persons under strict quarantine and ensuring strict measures of standard operating procedures against the pandemic, added the reports. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 15:24:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- "If you are sick, who should you get advice from? "If you try asking a five-year-old child this question, he or she would probably say: the doctors. But in some Western countries, politicians are sparing no effort to make science "politically correct" and persecute scientists who speak the truth. Australian virologist Danielle Anderson, who repeatedly opposed the theory that COVID-19 was leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, paid a price for her honesty. She received insulting emails that read, for instance, "eat a bat and die." She was named as "the woman running projects with weaponized COVID." The attack she faced was so vehement that she had to call the police. Anderson has extensive experience in bat-borne virus research and is the only foreign scientist that has worked in the high-security Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Anderson said the virus has a natural origin. "I have worked in this exact laboratory at various times for the past two years. I can personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there. The staff at (Wuhan Institute of Virology) are incredibly competent, hard-working, and are excellent scientists with superb track records," she told the Sydney Morning Herald in a recent interview. She is not alone. An evolutionary biologist, Professor Edward Holmes, at the University of Sydney faced "a steady battering of online harassment and death threats from conspiracy theorists," said the Sydney Morning Harold last October. "Professor Holmes became the target of unrelenting online attacks after he co-authored a paper in Nature Medicine debunking the pervading conspiracy theory that the virus was engineered in or escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan," the report said. He was accused of being paid by China, and of "mass murder" for failing to support the lab leak theory. Anthony Fauci, an American immunologist who serves as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the president, faced criticism and calls to resign over his earlier claim that COVID-19 originated from wild animals rather than the Wuhan lab. Elise Stefanik, chair of the U.S. House Republican Conference, sent a fundraising email recently with the subject line "FIRE FAUCI." Senators Rand Paul and Josh Hawley asked Dr. Fauci to resign. In a telephone interview with Xinhua, an Australian scientist, who asked not to be named, agreed that political motivation was put ahead of science and truth in the search for the origins of the coronavirus. If a scientist insists on telling the truth rather than joining the "politically correct" smear campaign against China, she would be labeled as a puppet of the Communist Party of China. Scientists worldwide are under tremendous pressure and some have already opted for silence, giving political agenda and biased media reports a bigger influence in shaping public opinion. Bending science to suit political ends will lead to a public health crisis, especially at such a critical moment when COVID-19 deaths passed 4 million worldwide. More lives will be lost if the pandemic is exploited for political gains. COVID-19 is not political. Thus, the response should not be politicized. Persecuting scientists who speak the truth is a barbaric act that risks returning the human race to the age of confusion and ignorance. Research is usually a plodding, tedious process. The probe into the origins of COVID-19 might take years. Scientists have spent about 13 years determining the origin of the SARS epidemic. In 2006, more than 20 years after HIV spread across the world and killed millions, researchers confirmed that HIV-1, the main virus responsible for human AIDS, originated in wild chimpanzees, and there are still mysteries unsolved. The origin of Ebola has not been determined yet, although the disease has caused epidemics since the 1970s. A better and friendlier environment is needed for scientists to solve the intricate epidemiological puzzle. Let science, not politics, prevail in humanity's fight against the pandemic of the century. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 15:26:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia registered 72 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 276,871 as of Friday evening, the country's Ministry of Health said. The ministry said one new death and 116 more recoveries were reported during the same period, bringing the national death toll to 4,342 and total recoveries to 261,933. Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation, has so far reported the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region. According to the ministry, Ethiopia currently has 10,594 active COVID-19 cases, of whom 126 are under severe health conditions. Figures from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Ethiopia's COVID-19 cases accounted for about 5 percent of Africa's total. Ethiopia is among the countries the hardest hit by COVID-19 in Africa, following South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Amid the national push for vaccination, the East African country has so far administered a total of 2,055,593 COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to the ministry. It received the first batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government in March. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 16:00:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo taken on Jan. 14, 2021 shows a message board that reads "COVID ALERT" near Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei) A better and friendlier environment is needed for scientists to solve the intricate epidemiological puzzle. Let science, not politics, prevail in humanity's fight against the pandemic of the century. BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- "If you are sick, who should you get advice from? "If you try asking a five-year-old child this question, he or she would probably say: the doctors. But in some Western countries, politicians are sparing no effort to make science "politically correct" and persecute scientists who speak the truth. Australian virologist Danielle Anderson, who repeatedly opposed the theory that COVID-19 was leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, paid a price for her honesty. A staff member carries out testing at the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine quality inspection lab of Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) She received insulting emails that read, for instance, "eat a bat and die." She was named as "the woman running projects with weaponized COVID." The attack she faced was so vehement that she had to call the police. Anderson has extensive experience in bat-borne virus research and is the only foreign scientist that has worked in the high-security Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Anderson said the virus has a natural origin. "I have worked in this exact laboratory at various times for the past two years. I can personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there. The staff at (Wuhan Institute of Virology) are incredibly competent, hard-working, and are excellent scientists with superb track records," she told the Sydney Morning Herald in a recent interview. People queue up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside a hospital in Madrid, Spain, July 7, 2021. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua) She is not alone. An evolutionary biologist, Professor Edward Holmes, at the University of Sydney faced "a steady battering of online harassment and death threats from conspiracy theorists," said the Sydney Morning Harold last October. "Professor Holmes became the target of unrelenting online attacks after he co-authored a paper in Nature Medicine debunking the pervading conspiracy theory that the virus was engineered in or escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan," the report said. He was accused of being paid by China, and of "mass murder" for failing to support the lab leak theory. Anthony Fauci, an American immunologist who serves as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the president, faced criticism and calls to resign over his earlier claim that COVID-19 originated from wild animals rather than the Wuhan lab. Elise Stefanik, chair of the U.S. House Republican Conference, sent a fundraising email recently with the subject line "FIRE FAUCI." Senators Rand Paul and Josh Hawley asked Dr. Fauci to resign. Leaf artist Subham Saha shows his creation depicting doctors and COVID-19 vaccination, on the outskirts of Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, June 11, 2021. (Str/Xinhua) In a telephone interview with Xinhua, an Australian scientist, who asked not to be named, agreed that political motivation was put ahead of science and truth in the search for the origins of the coronavirus. If a scientist insists on telling the truth rather than joining the "politically correct" smear campaign against China, she would be labeled as a puppet of the Communist Party of China. Scientists worldwide are under tremendous pressure and some have already opted for silence, giving political agenda and biased media reports a bigger influence in shaping public opinion. Bending science to suit political ends will lead to a public health crisis, especially at such a critical moment when COVID-19 deaths passed 4 million worldwide. More lives will be lost if the pandemic is exploited for political gains. COVID-19 is not political. Thus, the response should not be politicized. Persecuting scientists who speak the truth is a barbaric act that risks returning the human race to the age of confusion and ignorance. Research is usually a plodding, tedious process. The probe into the origins of COVID-19 might take years. Scientists have spent about 13 years determining the origin of the SARS epidemic. In 2006, more than 20 years after HIV spread across the world and killed millions, researchers confirmed that HIV-1, the main virus responsible for human AIDS, originated in wild chimpanzees, and there are still mysteries unsolved. The origin of Ebola has not been determined yet, although the disease has caused epidemics since the 1970s. A better and friendlier environment is needed for scientists to solve the intricate epidemiological puzzle. Let science, not politics, prevail in humanity's fight against the pandemic of the century. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 16:40:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 27 people were held accountable over a fatal gold mine fire in east China's Shandong Province in February, authorities said. Among them were Wang Jingzhi, legal representative of the Caojiawa Gold Mine in the city of Zhaoyuan, and the mine's director Li Jingui, according to the provincial government. Wang and Li have been under police custody, and judicial organs are advised to pursue their criminal responsibilities, according to the provincial government. The accident happened at around 6 a.m. on Feb. 17, when workers were conducting equipment maintenance at the Caojiawa Gold Mine. Six people were killed in the fire and four were rescued. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 16:41:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter on the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF) and the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD). China set up both of these, and they highlight the country's unyielding commitment and concrete contributions to South-South cooperation. Over the past five years, the SSCAF has worked closely with more than 10 international organizations to implement more than 100 livelihood projects in more than 50 countries, benefiting more than 20 million people. It has made tangible contributions to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals implementation, ranging from responding to tropical cyclone Idai to combating Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. The SSCAF has also been involved in promoting maternal and child health, solving migration crises, strengthening agricultural governance, enhancing civil aviation safety, and helping people with disabilities find employment to reduce poverty. The ISSCAD has enrolled more than 200 master and doctoral students from nearly 60 countries, introducing national development theories, sharing experiences in governance, building research and exchange platforms, and contributing to the training of high-end talents for many developing countries. The participants have witnessed China's ongoing efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity and experienced the vitality of the flourishing South-South cooperation. With the joint support of all parties, the SSCAF and the ISSCAD have developed into a vital public product in the cause of South-South cooperation and a significant international brand for developing countries to promote South-South cooperation and sustainable development. Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, has sent congratulations on the occasion, expressing appreciation of the SSCAF and willingness to continue partnering with the SSCAF and the ISSCAD, especially on sharing development experience. If history is any guide, China has continuously demonstrated a spirit of internationalism and humanitarianism. It supports other developing countries' efforts to improve their people's lives and achieve development. From the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, even though China was itself short of funds, it started offering assistance to needy countries in support of their efforts to promote economic and social development. It laid a solid foundation for long-term friendship and cooperation with those countries. After launching reform and opening up in 1978, China has provided other developing economies with even more aid in more diverse forms to boost development. China is ready to work with other developing countries to further release the potential of South-South cooperation and share development opportunities, Xi said in the congratulatory letter, underlining China's continued willingness in this regard. Despite China's tremendous achievements, two realities have not changed: China is in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come, and China is still the world's largest developing economy. "China's vote in the United Nations will always belong to the developing countries," Xi said at the general debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in 2015. China's development cooperation is a form of mutual assistance between developing countries. It falls into the category of South-South cooperation and therefore is essentially different from North-South cooperation. China is a staunch supporter, active participant, and a vital contributor to South-South cooperation. It will continue to shoulder the international responsibilities commensurate with its development level and capacity and further expand South-South cooperation to promote mutual development. China will continue to share without reserve its governance experience and all appropriate technology. The world's largest developing country will increase the supply of global public goods, channel more resources to developing countries to support their sustainable economic and social development, and do more to help them remove development obstacles. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 17:24:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 10, 2021 shows the scene of a suicide car bombing attack in Mogadishu, Somalia. At least seven people were killed and ten others injured in a suicide car bombing attack targeting Mogadishu police chief in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police and witnesses said. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua) Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 17:32:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of foreign political parties and governments continued extending warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In messages addressed to General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee or to the CPC Central Committee, they warmly congratulated remarkable achievements China has made in various fields under the leadership of the CPC, and looked forward to deepened inter-party exchanges and cooperation to make greater contribution to promoting world peace and development. Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi said that over the years, Tanzania-China relations have continued to develop through high-level and well-functioning cooperation mechanisms and strategic interactions, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and their people. Tanzania looks forward to pushing bilateral cooperation to a new height and making joint efforts for the two countries and parties to play a more important role on the world stage. Mathibeli Mokhothu, leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and Lesotho's deputy prime minister, said that the Kingdom of Lesotho and the LCD are ready to walk side by side with China and the CPC in the future journey of reform and development, and look forward to sharing a prosperous and bright future with China and the CPC. Chuan Leekpai, president of the Thai National Assembly and speaker of the House of Representatives, said that the CPC has made remarkable achievements in the past 100 years since its founding, adding that especially in the past 40 years, the country has achieved leapfrog development in all-round construction. Cameroon's House Speaker of National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril said that the CPC is committed to safeguarding national unity, and has made brilliant achievements in national development and won trust and support of the Chinese people. Sergio Massa, president of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, said that the CPC has led China and the Chinese people on their own path of economic and social development, and raised the living standards of the Chinese people to an unprecedented level. Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, speaker of Jamaica's House of Representatives, said that under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups have developed the country into a major country of the world with firm determination and a spirit of unity. Ashimbayev Maulen Sagathanuly, chairperson of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, said that the CPC has provided a strong guarantee for China's vigorous development and the improvement of the people's well-being. He believed that the friendly relations between the two countries would continue to deepen and expand in the future. Bakir Izetbegovic, chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Party of Democratic Action, and rotating chairman of the House of Peoples, said that the CPC has experienced changes in the world and celebrated its centennial birthday, which fully demonstrates its character, strength, status and significance to China. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that China's human rights development has achieved universally-recognized achievements, which has been vividly demonstrated in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Anutin, also leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, added that Thailand firmly opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 18:28:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported one new imported case of COVID-19 Saturday, taking the total tally to 11,950. The new imported case involved a male arriving in Hong Kong from Britain. A total of 40 cases have been reported in the past 14 days, including two import-related cases, according to the CHP. Hong Kong launched a COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 26, and more than 4.27 million doses have been administered so far. Some 2.54 million people, or about 37.4 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of the vaccine, and more than 1.73 million people have been fully vaccinated. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 19:14:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government has said that 176 turtles, four whales, and 20 dolphins had died and washed ashore on Sri Lankan beaches up to July 7 as a result of the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship in May, local media reported here Saturday. Sri Lanka's Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena told the parliament on Friday the Government Analyst and Veterinary Research Institute were conducting investigations to ascertain the cause of the marine animals' death. Wildlife department officials said the dead marine animals had washed ashore on beaches from the southern to western coast of the country in recent weeks. The X-Press Pearl container ship flying the flag of Singapore was carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tons of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics from the port of Hazira, India on May 15. The vessel sent out a distress call while being close to the Colombo Port on May 20, and soon caught fire. Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority said that the burning of the vessel has caused a massive environmental disaster as beaches were damaged due to the debris which washed ashore. A criminal probe is presently underway in finding out how the fire on board the container ship started. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 19:52:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted North Sulawesi province in central part of Indonesia on Saturday, and no immediate report of damage or casualties has been issued, an official said. "In some areas here, the jolts were felt, but they were not strong. So far, there are no reports of houses damaged, or people injured or killed by the quake," Rivo Pudihang, head of disaster management agency's operation affairs in Kepulauan Sangihe district said. - - - - BOGOTA -- Colombia is investigating four companies for hiring 17 former Colombian military personnel allegedly involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, authorities said on Friday. "The official information we have (from Haiti) is that 15 people have been captured, and we have been asked about the Colombian nationals as well as two people who died in a police procedure," Director of the Colombian Police Jorge Luis Vargas said during a press conference. - - - - LOS ANGELES -- California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Friday that the most populous U.S. state will continue to require that masks be worn in school settings in the coming new term. "In places where we don't have the ability to have distancing as one of the other mitigating strategies... masking is the superior form of mitigation," California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said. - - - - ACCRA -- Ghana is to commence the piloting of its electronic currency by September, a senior official of the central bank said Friday. "Digital Currency is part of the central bank acknowledging the need for digital payment and digital delivery of financial services. By this, the Bank of Ghana will provide a platform on which we can add more value to digital transactions," said Maxwell Opoku-Afari, first deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 20:35:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A health worker works at a vaccination site in Bangkok, Thailand, July 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) In the grim fight against the coronavirus, the world must come together, reject politicization and work together to build a global community of health for all. BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The world passed the "tragic milestone" of 4 million recorded COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, adding that the pandemic's true toll was probably higher. "From a moral, epidemiological or economic point view, now is the time for the world to come together to tackle this pandemic collectively," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The global fight against the pandemic is far from over. Due to a dramatic inequity in vaccine coverage, some underdeveloped regions in Africa and South Asia have already missed the best opportunity to put the pandemic under control. The fast-moving virus variants such as Delta and Lambda have led to an alarming spike in cases and deaths worldwide, including in countries that previously had better control. Medical workers wheel a patient into the emergency room at Maimonides Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, March 8, 2021. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) The world's slow progress in curbing the pandemic cannot be attributed to virus variants alone. "Vaccine nationalism, where a handful of nations have taken the lion's share, is morally indefensible," Tedros said. Some rich nations in the West not only hoard far more doses than their citizens need and refuse to share their vaccines with developing countries, but also exclude vaccines developed by some developing countries from major international vaccine supply channels, further worsening vaccine shortages. The Washington Post previously estimated that the United States has bought enough coronavirus vaccines to vaccinate 750 million people, well over the threshold needed to fully immunize the 260 million adults in the country. The COVID-19 patients receive medical care at Martini Hospital in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Feb. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Hassan Bashi) Meanwhile, many countries are still struggling to get a single dose. Data released by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that as of June 10, only about 0.6 percent of Africa's population had been vaccinated. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly blasted vaccine nationalism and urged to make doses available, affordable and accessible to all. "If the virus is allowed to spread like wildfire in the Global South, or parts of it, it will mutate again and again," he warned. In the grim fight against the coronavirus, the world must come together, reject politicization and work together to build a global community of health for all. At this critical moment, it is all the more important for major countries to set an example and share more vaccines and other public goods with other countries. Photo taken on June 8, 2021 shows packages of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arriving at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) China has played a part in helping close the vaccination gap. It has supplied more than 480 million doses to the international community, provided vaccine assistance to nearly 100 countries, and exported vaccines to more than 50 countries. China is the world's largest vaccine supplier, and has decided to provide vaccines to UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee, and will continue to take actions to support COVAX, the global vaccine sharing scheme. No global problem can be solved by any one country alone. Only by working together can humankind finally defeat the pandemic. The best way for the world to remember the 4 million people who have died from the coronavirus is to re-commit to the principle of human solidarity and cooperation in battling the raging pandemic. Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 20:58:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of Cholera has killed 325 people in 15 states and the capital of Nigeria between January and June of this year, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said in a report on Saturday. In an update of the Cholera outbreak in Nigeria, the health agency said a total of 14,343 suspected cases of cholera were reported from 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the period, with 325 deaths. According to the report, about 27 percent of suspected cases across the country are those in the 5-14 years bracket. The health agency added that it has been supporting states to ensure a coordinated, rapid and effective response to the current outbreak, including deployment of rapid response teams to support the response at the state level, provision of medical and laboratory supplies, and scale-up of risk communications amongst other activities. Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterized in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration. The outbreak is frequently reported in Nigeria due to the lack of potable water supply, especially in densely populated areas. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 21:41:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A virtual reality team work on heritage restoring projects in Mosul, Iraq, July 3, 2021. (Xinhua) MOSUL, Iraq, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Hustle and bustle returning to destroyed streets, houses springing up from ruins, and young adults endeavoring to start businesses, this is what the Iraqi old city of Mosul looks like four years after the country's second largest city was liberated from the extremist Islamic State (IS) group. RESTORING HISTORICAL HERITAGE In 2014, the IS proclaimed the establishment of a caliphate in the Al-Nuri Mosque, a landmark of Mosul for centuries. Days before government forces retook the old city in June 2017, the extremist group blew up the mosque and its leaning minaret. Efforts are underway to rebuild the iconic mosque through a UNESCO initiative called the Revive the Spirit of Mosul. At the fenced location of the Al-Nuri Mosque, rubble of the bombed complex has been removed, and the destroyed framework and dome have been consolidated. Meanwhile, a team from QAF Lab, led by young innovators in Mosul, has rebuilt some important historical sites in the old city of Mosul through virtual reality (VR) technology. They hope that videos of the reconstructed mosque, churches and ancient houses will survive for the future generations. "Most heritage sites of Mosul were destroyed as a result of the IS occupation," said Malak Maqdad, a project coordinator of the lab. "VR technology is a good method to make sure that heritage sites are going to be part of Mosul, at least for the coming years and future generations," she explained. Young people have witnessed bombardments, bloodshed and deaths, Maqdad said, adding the talented, including women, are forced by harsh reality to stand up to rebuild society. More and more young women are allowed to work outside home to support their families, though rare in Muslim culture, she noted. NURTURING START-UPS An incubator called the Station has been active in Mosul to help the young start up businesses. The Station provides co-working spaces and training programs nurturing entrepreneurship, marketing and design skills. So far, more than 10 start-ups have been incubated, ranging from media and design studios to traditional handicraft workshops. They are invigorating the private sector and encouraging young talents to convert ideas into job opportunities. "We think entrepreneurship is one of the most important things that we need to rebuild the city," said Zainab Azzam, a communication specialist from the Station. In the co-working space of the Station, Ameen Amjad, a student from Northern Technical University in Mosul, writes a management program for his family's store, which was looted and destroyed during the IS occupation. "It was a nightmare," Amjad recalled. Due to the suspension of higher education from 2014 to 2017, Amjad spent more time studying C++ language. He wants to be a much-needed computer programmer after graduation. RESUMING LIFE Inside commercial areas in the old city, grocery stores and shops are reopening when many buildings remain in ruins. Ahmed Abdul-Munim, 33, who works in a bakery, said the government has paved roads and brought electricity and water to help residents return home over the last four years. "More work needs to be done," said Munim, noting only 20 to 30 percent of residents have returned and the old city suffers economic difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a neighborhood around the western bank of the Tigris that was almost completely ruined by airstrikes against the IS, several new houses have been erected. Although the upper floor is unfinished, Ali Saadi has moved into their newly-built house with his family. He could not be more satisfied because his family had been homeless since battles destroyed his house and severely injured his teenage daughter. "Some families have rebuilt their homes, and some are planning to return. This gives hope that life will return soon," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 21:52:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Sixty-nine percent of young Chinese people surveyed by the China Youth Daily felt the spirit shown and achievements made during China's manned exploration of space were encouraging and inspiring. According to the newspaper's recent survey of 2,047 people aged between 14 and 35, China's achievements in the human exploration of space have demonstrated a brave and ambitious spirit, a rigorous work style that always seeks excellence, and strong willpower and loyalty to the country. Wang Junjie, a researcher, participated in the survey. He said he and his colleagues couldn't help but applaud when they saw the successful launch of China's Shenzhou-12 manned space mission. "As a researcher, I can very much relate to that joy. Research can go unnoticed for years, and researchers are all waiting for their day of success to come," said Wang. Having watched the successful launch, 66 percent of the respondents said they had strong interest in and curiosity about the space industry and hope to contribute to it in the future. Over 98 percent of respondents said they would continue to follow the development of the space industry. Hu Muchen, a university student majoring in computer science and technology, said that aerospace science is inseparable from computer-related knowledge. "If I could really contribute to the aerospace industry, I would feel extremely honored." Nearly 64 percent of people surveyed said they wanted to learn more about the construction of China's space station, and 52 percent said they wanted to know how human space missions are realized. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 22:14:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of foreign political parties and governments continued extending warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In messages addressed to General Secretary Xi Jinping of the CPC Central Committee or to the CPC Central Committee, they warmly congratulated remarkable achievements China has made in various fields under the leadership of the CPC, and looked forward to deepened inter-party exchanges and cooperation to make greater contribution to promoting world peace and development. Ivan Melnikov, chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association and first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma, said over the past 100 years, the CPC has kept forging ahead and strongly led China to continuously make greater achievements. He spoke highly of the contributions that General Secretary Xi Jinping has made to bringing China-Russia ties to the highest level in history. Pierre Laurent, president of the National Council of the French Communist Party and vice president of the French Senate, said the CPC has led China to successfully shake off backwardness and promote the modernization process, realizing economic independence and science and technology take-off. He added that China has achieved exponentially amazing development especially since the reform and opening-up. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, president emeritus of the Philippines' Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party and former president of the Philippines, said that the CPC has led China from being tyrannized and oppressed by big powers, as well as enduring impoverishment and long-standing debility, to national prosperity and national rejuvenation, which has freed hundreds of millions of populations from poverty. Arroyo said the CPC has made great achievements that no political parties else across the world can compare with. Joyce Banda, president of Malawi's People's Party and former president of Malawi, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malawi and China, China has become a trustworthy good friend of Malawi. Cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of Malawi, Banda said, adding that his party wishes the Chinese people a better future. Xanana Gusmao, chairman of Timor-Leste's National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction and former prime minister of Timor-Leste, said they are willing to take the CPC's centenary as an opportunity to thoroughly study the CPC's experience in governance and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, so as to promote continuous development of the relations between the two countries and between the two parties. Youssef Chahed, president of Tunisia's Tahya Tounes party and former Tunisian prime minister, said the CPC led by General Secretary Xi Jinping has not only made China prosperous and strong, but also made significant contributions to world peace and development, as well as the progress of human civilization. Domingos Simoes Pereira, president of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and former prime minister of Guinea-Bissau, said the CPC's centenary is a grand event with vital global significance and far-reaching historical influence. The special friendship between the PAIGC and the CPC has withstood tests of the changing international circumstances, and the friendly relationship between the two parties has remained unshakable and become even stronger as time goes by, Pereira said. Massimo D'Alema, former prime minister of Italy and president of Italianieuropei Foundation, said the CPC has led China to national liberation and independence, and has turned China from a poor country into a world power. D'Alema said he sincerely expects the CPC and the international society can jointly respond to global challenges and open a new chapter in international cooperation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 23:41:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Saturday inaugurated an international airport in the eastern Khost province, a move in the latest efforts to improve people's livelihood, the presidential office said. Ghani joined dozens of Afghan officials, dignitaries and locals at a ceremony to launch the operation of the Khost airport in the province, 150 km southeast of the national capital Kabul. (Afghanistan-Airport-Inauguration) - - - - MOGADISHU -- At least seven people were killed and ten others injured in a suicide car bombing attack targeting Mogadishu police chief in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police and witnesses said. A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that a vehicle borne improvised explosive device targeted the vehicle of Mogadishu police commander Frahan Qarole at Banadir junction. The attack caused casualties but the police chief survived the attack. (Somalia-Bombing) - - - - ALGIERS -- A total of 18 people were killed and 11 others injured in a road accident in the northeastern region of Algeria on Friday night, TSA news website reported Saturday. A bus and a truck collided in the province of Constantine, killing 11 women, six children and one man, TAS quoted a report from the Algerian National Gendarmerie as saying. (Algeria-Accident) - - - - HANOI -- Vietnam reported a new record high of 1,853 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, surpassing the previous record of 1,625 cases registered on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health. The new infections include 1,844 locally transmitted and nine imported, bringing the total tally to 27,863, the ministry said. (Vietnam-Pandemic) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 23:55:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHICAGO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- CBOT agricultural futures declined in the past week with corn the downside price leader, Chicago-based research company AgResource noted. But as the expanding COVID-19 variants are producing worry in the recovery in emerging nations, AgResource maintains a bullish outlook. CBOT corn futures ended sharply lower as last weekend's weather forecast trended wetter across Iowa and the Eastern Midwest. The coverage of rain in Iowa this weekend will be closely watched next week. Too much rain has fallen across pockets of the Eastern Midwest, as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio will not be wanting for moisture throughout pollination. The graphic shows that corn has found a new plateau amid tightening U.S. exporter stocks. The market stays focused on supply exclusively for a few more weeks. AgResource's bullish thesis is centered on demand and tightening U.S. stocks, not U.S. yield. Brazil's year-over-year production decline, along with rising Chinese and non-Chinese import needs, will funnel incredible demand to the United States in the next crop year. Ethanol production is above pre-COVID-19 levels. Whatever final yield is, the U.S. new crop will be absorbed rapidly by the end users, resulting in another year of U.S. corn stocks contraction. AgResource views current prices as highly attractive for end users, advising coverage for another 12 months on any fresh weakness. U.S. wheat futures ended weaker as supply pressure continues in U.S. and European winter wheat markets and amid long liquidation in U.S. spring wheat futures. Supply pressure will ease beginning in mid-July as the U.S. winter harvest surpasses 60 percent complete. Focus thereafter will shift to the pace of U.S. feed demand, while importers this week have returned to the marketplace in bulk. Nearly every major importer has bought or will be seeking supply by late month. Global wheat trade will be a new record in 2021-2022, and like recent years exporter production will fail to meet consumption. This will be compounded as combined U.S. and Canadian wheat production is lowered 6-9 million tons from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) current forecast. The wheat market lacks excitement, but the long-term bull market, which began in 2018, will be extended another year, AgResource said. Soybean futures fell sharply on the prospect for rainfall in U.S. Midwest and improved crop condition ratings for the week. Yet, USDA surprised the trade with a 1-percent decline in crop condition ratings to 59-percent on Tuesday, the fourth lowest on record for the week. The decline in U.S. ratings and building loss of the Canadian canola crop due to drought sent soyoil values to sharp gains on Friday. This offered key support to U.S. soybean prices on the future prospect of expanding U.S. soybean crush rates. New contract highs in November soybeans are forecast with any hint of adverse Central U.S. weather and a yield drop below 49 bushels per acre. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 00:55:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DUBROVNIK, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the necessity of multilateralism and the importance of solidarity among all countries in such difficult times, participants of the 14th Dubrovnik Forum agreed on Saturday. The two-day forum that started on Friday here in southern Croatia was themed "together in a world apart," and focused on the impact of the pandemic on the geopolitical relations and global economy. It was attended by Croatian and European officials, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and foreign ministers of European countries. Major topics were "Unmasking the Geopolitics of a Post-Pandemic World," "The International Community and the Western Balkans: How to End the Quarantine?" and "European Union, Three Seas Initiative and 17+China: How to support Central and Eastern Europe's economic growth and societal development?" In his keynote speech on Saturday, Plenkovic noted that Croatia had maintained a solid financial reputation despite the pandemic and devastating earthquakes that caused causalities and severe infrastructure damages in March and December last year. "Croatia is now learning how to endure the pressure and tap considerable financial funds so as to provide the citizens with the real development that is evolving into two directions: admission to the Schengen Area during 2022, and the full readiness in 2023 for the admission into the Eurozone," said the prime minister. Plenkovic emphasized the good cooperation between Croatia and China, as demonstrated during the pandemic. The prime minister also called for further enlargement of the EU to the Balkans while stressing the need for North Macedonia and Bulgaria to resolve bilateral issues as soon as possible and for Albania and North Macedonia to start negotiations with the Union. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 02:46:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GAZA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations (UN) official warned on Saturday that the situation in the Gaza Strip is serious, and increasing Israeli blockade will lead to a new round of violence. Adnan Abu Hasna, the media advisor of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), told reporters that tightening the blockade will renew tension between Israel and Gaza militant groups. "Since the end of the wave of violence in the Gaza Strip on May 21, the situation in Gaza is extremely dangerous and deteriorating at all levels," Abu Hasna said. He said that the situation in the Gaza Strip "cannot continue in this way," adding that UNRWA and its staff have noticed a rise in the "destructive negative energy" among the population. Abu Hasna called on the international community and the donor countries "to find a quick mechanism to implement the aid in Gaza and move forward in order to create opportunity and hope for the residents of the enclave." The Palestinian factions complained that although Egypt had brokered a cease-fire, Israel has tightened the blockade instead of easing it. The factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) which rules the Gaza Strip, demand that Israel abide by the cease-fire understandings. The understandings include expanding the fishing area, implementing infrastructure projects, and lifting restrictions on importing and exporting goods. The factions also call for allowing the entry of the financial grant of Qatar for humanitarian support and the entry of building materials to start the reconstruction process. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 03:03:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Saturday they are interrogating a suspect who was arrested in Nairobi with 25-kg explosive consignment that had been concealed as spare parts. Starehe divisional police commander Julius Kiragu said the consignment which is usually used to blast stones had been sent from Migori County in Western Kenya to Moyale in the eastern region through Eastleigh in Nairobi. Kiragu said the consignment was discovered on reaching Eastleigh for transfer to a Moyale bound bus Saturday after the driver raised the alarm. "The man has been detained for questioning. We want to establish why he concealed the explosives as spare parts," Kiragu said, adding that the man did not obtain permission to ferry the explosives. The police commander said an investigation is underway to establish the motive behind the incident. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 04:54:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia received on Saturday an Egyptian donation of medical equipment to support Tunisia's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, announced the Tunisian presidency in a statement. "Two Egyptian military planes arrived at the military base in El Aouina, carrying various medical equipment, quantities of medicines, breathing monitoring machines and oxygen concentrators," the statement said. "It reflects the deep and solid relations between Tunisia and Egypt, as well as the values of solidarity that exist between the two brotherly countries and peoples," it added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 05:32:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ALGIERS -- Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane has tested positive for COVID-19, official APS news agency reported on Saturday. Benabderrahmane is placed in the self isolation for a period of seven days in accordance with medical guidelines, carring out his work at home, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office. (Algeria-PM-COVID-19) ---- TEHRAN -- Iran's transportation ministry confirmed on Saturday a cyberattack against its computer systems, which has caused the portal page of the ministry and its affiliated pages to go offline. "The issue is under investigation by technical experts of the ministry," the Ministry of Road and Urban Development was quoted by Iranian news network Press TV as saying. (Iran-Cyberattack) ---- TUNIS -- Tunisia received on Saturday an Egyptian donation of medical equipment to support Tunisia's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, announced the Tunisian presidency in a statement. "Two Egyptian military planes arrived at the military base in El Aouina, carrying various medical equipment, quantities of medicines, breathing monitoring machines and oxygen concentrators," the statement said. (Tunisia-Egyptian Aid-COVID19) ---- ISTANBUL -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Saturday with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Istanbul to discuss regional and bilateral issues, Turkey's presidential office said in a statement. During the meeting, Erdogan emphasized that as long as Israel's "occupation and annexation policies" continue, it will not be possible to establish lasting peace and stability in the region. (Turkey-Palestinian-Israel) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 17:03:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A vehicle-borne explosive device targeting Mogadishu police chief detonated in the Somalia's capital Mogadishu early Saturday, police and witnesses said. Somali police spokesman Sadik Aden said the attack targeted the vehicle of Mogadishu police chief Farhan Qarole, causing multiple casualties but the police commander survived the attack. The attack took place at Banadir junction. A local police officer who was near the scene said the huge blast left several people injured. "The blast caused casualties but we will provide more details later," a police officer who did not want to be named told Xinhua. Witnesses reported that they heard a huge blast followed by gunfire at Banadir intersection. "We were shocked after the powerful explosion," Nur Afrah, a witness, said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 20:41:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ALGIERS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 18 people were killed and 11 others injured in a road accident in the northeastern region of Algeria on Friday night, TSA news website reported Saturday. A bus and a truck collided in the province of Constantine, killing 11 women, six children and one man, TAS quoted a report from the Algerian National Gendarmerie as saying. The Algerian National Gendarmerie has opened a probe to determine the circumstances and causes of the deadly accident. An earlier report issued by the National Agency for Road Safety attributed the causes of traffic accidents in Algeria during the last decade to the human factor, in particular the lack of respect for traffic law, which stand behind more than 90 percent of accidents, followed by other factors such as the bad state of roads and cars. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 20:47:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, July 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 35 people have been killed by gunmen who attacked five villages in northwest Nigeria's Zamfara state, police said on Saturday. Mohammed Shehu, the police spokesperson in Zamfara, told Xinhua on the phone the gunmen in large numbers invaded five villages in Maradun local government area on Thursday, shooting sporadically at the unsuspecting residents while destroying houses and properties. "Thirty five people were killed by the bandits," Shehu said. According to the police spokesperson, security forces were unable to reach the affected villages on time after receiving the report of gunmen attacks due to the poor road condition. He said police are currently in pursuit of the gunmen. There have been a series of gunmen attacks in Nigeria in recent months, leading to deaths and kidnappings. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 00:13:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday called for calm after some people looted shops and burnt trucks calling for the release of former President Jacob Zuma. "President Ramaphosa says the impact of public violence against the road freight industry and damage to freeways that serve as economic arteries will be felt also by the people organizing and committing these crimes. The President says the reasons allegedly advanced for the violence in KwaZulu-Natal cannot be used to legitimize vandalism and public violence," said acting spokesperson in the Presidency Tyrone Seale. People burnt trucks and tyres on the N3, N2 and M7 and other key roads around the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma who was given 15-month sentence after defying the Constitutional Court's order which compelled him to appear and give evidence at the state capture commission in February. The South African police have arrested more than 20 suspects for violent protest which resulted in at least 25 trucks being torched in KwaZulu-Natal. On Friday the "Free Zuma" group blocked roads, burning cars and attacking motorists calling for Zuma's release. The police on Saturday said they have beefed up deployment to contain the protests. "A large number of people have already been arrested for incidents of criminality witnessed in the province yesterday and cases have been registered to trace and arrest those that still have to be arrested. A number of incidents were witnessed today of people who are opportunistic and used today's protest to enrich themselves by looting shops and other businesses," said KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Jay Naicker. He stated that they will arrest those doing illegal gathering, not observing curfew regulations and looting shops. Naicker said they have deployed police officers across the province to deal with protests, adding that the long arm of the law will catch up with those committing crimes. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 16:25:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia recorded 1,783 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the national caseload to 136,053, the health ministry said Saturday. Meanwhile, 13 more COVID-19 related deaths and 3,397 new recoveries were reported over the same period, taking the national counts to 700 and 99,910, respectively, said the ministry. The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million. A total of 2,100,918 Mongolians have so far received their first dose of vaccines with 1,787,254 people having been fully vaccinated, according to the ministry. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 17:07:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Lao Ministry of Health Saturday reported 93 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total in the country to 2,630. Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under the Lao Ministry of Health Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference in Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday that the country reported 91 new imported COVID-19 cases and two new locally transmitted cases over the last 24 hours. Among the imported cases, 45 cases were reported in Savannakhet province, 43 cases in Champasak, two in Bokeo, and one in Khammuan province. The Lao government has instructed local authorities to carefully monitor borders to prevent the illegal entry of Lao laborers returning from neighboring countries. The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said it was monitoring 4,979 people at 49 accommodation centers across the country. The Lao government has advised people and relevant authorities not to neglect containment and preventive measures. As of Saturday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Laos stood at 2,630 with three deaths. A total of 2,174 COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Laos reported its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 24 last year. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-10 21:30:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Airport workers unload packages of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine from a plane at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 10, 2021. Cambodia received new batches of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, namely Sinovac and Sinopharm, on Saturday as the COVID-19 case total in the Southeast Asian nation neared the 60,000 mark. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia received new batches of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, namely Sinovac and Sinopharm, on Saturday as the COVID-19 case total in the Southeast Asian nation neared the 60,000 mark. Health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said the new arrivals included Sinovac vaccines purchased from biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm jabs ordered from pharmaceutical company Sinopharm. "Today is a special day because we received a large number of COVID-19 vaccines," she told reporters while receiving the jabs at the Phnom Penh International Airport. She said the kingdom has so far acquired more than 16 million doses of vaccines from China and the World Health Organization's COVAX Facility. Cambodia launched a COVID-19 inoculation drive on Feb 10. To date 4.79 million people, or 47.9 percent of the 10 million targeted adult population, have been vaccinated. COVID-19 infection rates continued to rise in Cambodia. The kingdom logged 933 new cases on Saturday, pushing the national caseload to 59,978 with 881 deaths and 51,660 recoveries, the health ministry said. World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Cambodia Li Ailan expressed concerns over a spike in new cases and deaths, urging greater community participation to suppress transmission. "The COVID-19 situation in Cambodia is not getting better. I am very worried about the increasing infections and deaths" she said on social media. "I know 'worry' itself is not a solution. Without more effective non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), it is unlikely to get better." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-11 06:55:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Two Confederate generals' statues were removed on Saturday from public parks in Charlottesville, eastern U.S. state Virginia, almost four years after a deadly far-right rally was held there to protest the historic city taking down Confederate statues. Online videos showed a crowd, in cheers, gathered to watch machinery lifting the statue of Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park and then the statue of Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson from Court Square Park. Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker spoke at Saturday's gathering, calling the removal "one small step forward" in an effort to dismantle white supremacy, according to VPM reporter Ben Paviour. Both statues will be placed in storage, said a CNN report. Confederate statues have become a contentious issue across the United States in recent years, as left-leaning groups say they are the remnants of a horrid past of slavery while white nationalists rally to protect the statues. In August 2017, the far-right rally held in Charlottesville attracted national attention when white supremacists, fascists and neo-Nazis violently clashed with counter-protesters, leaving one woman dead and multiple people injured. Enditem " " Barney Smith, proprietor of the Toilet Seat Art Museum, shows off some of his masterpieces. iuliegomoll/Flickr Thousands of visitors tour the Alamo in San Antonio, each year, unaware that within easy reach of the historic site marking a pivotal siege in the 1836 Texas Revolution lies another attraction: a one-man museum in a one-car garage featuring folk art created entirely on toilet seats. Barney Smith, a retired plumber who once picked up a used toilet seat and saw a blank canvas, is the Toilet Seat Art Museum's proprietor and sole artist. Since his initial flash of inspiration, Smith has crafted more than 1,000 works of art by affixing found objects to toilet seats in homage to everything from cosmetic dentistry to Michael Jackson. There's even a toilet seat layered with volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens. Advertisement Smith, born in 1921, is as much a draw as his folk art. He opens the museum by appointment, sweeps the front walk before visitors arrive and is quick to explain his intent behind each piece in the carefully archived collection (which, by the way, is not for sale). He's made arrangements for his toilet seat art to live on, long after he dies. One of Smith's daughters has been charged with taking over museum operations until the Bemis Co., a toilet seat manufacturer, transfers the exhibit to its Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., headquarters [source: Roadside America]. YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. The Constitutional Court of Armenia rejected the motion of judge Hrayr Tovmasyan to invite President Armen Sarkissian as a witness over the case of disputing the results of the June 20 snap parliamentary elections. President of the Court Arman Dilanyan stated that the President of the Republic does not have a procedural status of a party in this particular case. Since yesterday the Constitutional Court is holding a hearing over the appeals submitted recently by 4 political forces Armenia, I Have the Honor alliances, Zartonk and Hayots Hayrenik parties, to annul the election results. During the July 9 session judge Hrayr Tovmasyan has submitted three motions. The first one related to the President of the Republic, in particular in what conditions he made a decision to set June 20 as the election date. Those attending the session cant answer to this question, but this issue is raised in at least 3 appeals, Tovmasyan said. On June 27, 2021, the CEC has formed and signed the protocol on the results of the elections, according to which the Civil Contract party led by caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received 53.91% of the votes, the Armenia bloc led by 2nd President Robert Kocharyan received 21.09% and I Have The Honor alliance received 5.22% of the votes. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenias defense ministry denies the statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry according to which in the evening of July 9 the Armenian Armed Forces units opened a fire towards the Azerbaijani positions in the border area of Gegharkunik province. This information has nothing to do with the reality. The Armenian side didnt open a fire, and as we have already stated, it carries out only counter actions in case of necessity, the Armenian defense ministry said in a statement. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Hiding behind a shower curtain and pretending to be delivering a package were not enough to save two men from being slapped with $1000 fines for attending an illegal gathering in Sydney's east on Friday afternoon. The fines were among 167 infringements issued by NSW Police on Friday for breaches of COVID-19 public health orders. The men were sprung at a home in Randwick at around 1pm on Friday, after police got a tip about a potential gathering. Police spoke to two men outside the property. One told them he was delivering a package - but police say he had no package. When they entered the home, they found a man hiding behind a shower curtain in the bathroom. In total, there were eight men at the property, aged between 31 and 50. Three were residents and five lived in southwest Sydney. All were fined for breaching orders, which prevent visitors to homes in Greater Sydney. An 18th birthday party at The Entrance on the Central Coast was also busted by cops on Friday evening. A 17-year-old girl at the house party was issued a warning, and five others aged between 18 and 22 were issued $1000 fines. Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday said it was frustrating to see people continue to have parties. "It is frustrating because it affects all of us," she said. "We are not asking for much... Can I please urge people to look inside themselves, to really dig deep into their own consciences and do the right thing, if not for yourself, think about your closest loved ones. "Think about the rest of us." An illegal party in inner city Waterloo late last month sparked a cluster that now tallies 35 cases, with ten more recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday. There were 50 locally acquired cases diagnosed in that 24-hour period in total, the highest daily number in the state since the first COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020. Sixty-seven of the infringement notices were issued in southwest Sydney, NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Worboys said. Story continues The area has since Friday been the epicentre of a high-visibility police operation designed to enforce compliance with public health orders. Mr Worboys said the overwhelming feedback from police was that residents in the area were being compliant. The operation will now expand to areas where case numbers are growing, like Sutherland, Hurstville and Miranda in the city's south. "We really want people to take responsibility for their own actions. We want people to realise that the decisions they make will affect what happens over the next days," he said. Seventy-six of Friday's infringements were $200 fines for failing to wear a mask. Ten further people were charged with failing to comply with public health orders. All of those charges were associated with other criminal offences, police say. What I have realized over the years is how enjoyable it is to see our waterways at 4 miles per hour under your own power, and meeting people along the way., Freihofer continued. I have never been as unprepared for a row as I am right now, in terms of conditioning ... but this is not a super, high-risk adventure like being off shore or in the middle of a large body of water like the Great Lakes. Rather than looking at it as getting up every morning and doing 40 miles, I just look at is a nice day on the water. When I was younger I would really pile on the miles. This will really be an intimate passage through a lot of great communities. An estimated 400 people from across the county, region and even country are expected to gather for the Hashknife Colt Sale on Saturday. The sale, hosted by Babbitt Ranches, will take place at Spider Web Camp, located about 30 miles north of Flagstaff off Highway 89, at 11 a.m. Babbitt Ranches spokesperson Bonnie Stevens said the sale, a tradition each summer for several decades, usually attracts about 200 to 300 people. But this year they are expecting larger crowds. Thats for a couple reasons, Stevens said. For one, Babbitt Ranches is celebrating its 135th anniversary this year. That's a big deal for the family business, Stevens said. On top of that, Stevens said the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from having the prestigious colt sale last year. Because it was postponed last year, there's pent-up interest and demand, and we expect people to be super-excited. We've gotten all kinds of calls about anticipating the event, Stevens said. The buyers weren't able to come to a live auction last year. The letter, written as if it came from Vallow, asked Chad Daybell to come to Arizona to assist him with writing a book. Vallow accused his estranged wife of writing the letter as an excuse for Chad to visit her and demanded she come clean about her relationship with Chad Daybell or he would tell Daybells wife about it, police said. The intervention was to occur the day before Vallow was killed, but Lori found out about the plan and warned three other people about it, including Cox. The day before Vallow was killed, police say Lori asked someone to cancel her plans to attend a wedding in Utah, saying that We both need to stay her to defend ourselves and Its coming to a head ! Four months before his death, Vallow filed for divorce from his wife, alleging that she had become infatuated with near-death experiences and claimed to have lived numerous lives on other planets before her current life. He also alleged she had threatened to financially ruin and kill him, according to court records, which noted that Vallow sought an order of protection and a voluntary evaluation of his wife at a mental health facility. Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes (Xinhua) -- It has been a year since the national security law in Hong Kong came into force, and the results have spoken for themselves. With the return of law and order, residents have regained their peaceful lives after prolonged unrest in 2019. In the face of a rising smear campaign, constant vigilance will ensure the hard-won stability will not be ruined. Hong Kong should not slip into chaos again. What Hong Kong and its residents saw and suffered two years ago should not be forgotten. Relentless violence and vandalism trampled the rule of law, and ordinary people lived in fear. It posed the most serious threat to "one country, two systems" since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It was the enactment of the national security law that saved the city. Six months after the law took effect, arson and vandalism cases went down by 80 percent and 40 percent, respectively. In the first quarter of this year, crime dropped by 10 percent. A survey showed that over 80 percent of respondents recognized the improving social conditions. However, those basic facts were deliberately ignored by anti-China rumormongers, who spared no effort to stigmatize and demonize the national security law in the name of freedom and human rights. Is Hong Kong losing its freedom? Certainly not. Under the law, the legitimate rights and property of Hong Kong people are well protected. Overseas news outlets and their staff in Hong Kong continue to increase, and the press and Hong Kong residents can still supervise the administration of the government. As stability and certainty have resumed, Hong Kong's business environment becomes even better, and investors are more reassured and confident. Over the past year, the initial public offering funds raised in Hong Kong exceeded 500 billion Hong Kong dollars (64.35 billion U.S. dollars), representing an increase of more than 50 percent year on year. Total deposits in Hong Kong banks rose by over 5 percent from a year ago. The International Monetary Fund also reconfirmed Hong Kong's status as an international financial center in a recent report. The peaceful situation and robust business activities prove that the so-called "white terror" -- a term used by anti-China forces to smear the circumstances in Hong Kong -- is unfounded, and there is no such thing as a "chilling effect" caused by the national security law. Law enforcement operations only target a handful of criminals endangering national security but protect the vast majority of law-abiding residents. Hong Kong has returned to stability thanks to the law, but it is yet to let its guard down. Instigators of Hong Kong riots are still waiting for a chance, and external forces have never stopped interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs. In addition, the risk from local extremists and homegrown terrorism must not be underestimated. The stability in Hong Kong did not come easy and thus should be sincerely cherished. Concerted efforts from everyone are needed to safeguard this peaceful and prosperous region. With the national security law and improvements to the electoral system, there is every reason to believe that Hong Kong will open a new chapter, and "one country, two systems" will embrace continued success. A fire Thursday evening gutted a mobile home in the Billings Heights and destroyed two cars. Heat from the fire also damaged a pickup truck and a neighboring home. The Billings Fire Department responded to the blaze on the 2200 block of Bench Boulevard at around 6 p.m. Crews brought equipment that eventually included three engines and a ladder truck, BFD Battalion Chief Jason Lyon told The Gazette on Friday. Although the fire ate through most of the mobile home, a sedan and a hatchback parked nearby, it did not result in any injuries to residents or firefighters. One of the challenges is with only one station in the Heights, all of the other units need to drive from the inner city to give support, Lyon said. The crew responding from the Heights fire station started fighting the blaze by extinguishing the vehicles fires, he said. And, the entire fire was extinguished shortly after additional engines arrived. Along with completely torching the two cars, the heat caused the windows of an adjacent pickup truck to explode. A home just to the west also had visible damage to its side paneling and a busted window. Gray worked for Downtown Billings Alliance's Business Improvement District for many years and is now the production manager for the Little Shell Tribe, which gained federal recognition in January 2020. After the purchase of the quarry, he wanted to get to know the stone and equipment a bit better as they begin operations. Utilizing the on-site equipment as well as smaller tile and rock saws, a sandblaster, and drilling tools, he began carving the stone into sculpture. Its slow going," Gray described. "Everything is handmade with the help of power tools. Learning stone densities, his process has evolved, and each piece has become a bit more refined. Gray doesnt have an artistic background, and said he doesnt consider himself to be an artist. But when Holly Netz, owner of Simply Local Marketplace on Shiloh Road, saw some of Grays works on Instagram, she contacted Gray to sell his works in the store, which features exclusively Montana-made products. "When I was looking for artists for the shop, immediately I was like, 'Oh my gosh, his work is beautiful! What is that stone?' I have nothing else like it." HELENA Gov. Greg Gianforte has discontinued Montana's membership in a coalition of two dozen states dedicated to fighting climate change. The U.S. Climate Alliance is a nonpartisan group committed to achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Democratic former Gov. Steve Bullock joined the alliance in 2019. The alliance is made up of nearby Western states, including Colorado, Washington and Oregon. Evan Westrup, of the U.S. Climate Alliance, said Gianforte did not respond to the organization's invitation to continue Montana's membership, Montana public radio reported. Gianforte spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said in a statement that the governor believes the solution to climate change is unleashing American innovation, not overbearing government mandates. She added that the Paris Agreement punishes the U.S., while letting countries like China off the hook. Stroyke didn't respond to requests to clarify Gianforte's climate goals, or what sort of innovation is necessary in Montana. Amy Cilimburg, executive director of Climate Smart Missoula, said the state needs more than innovation. The West remembers. In nearly five hours of public testimony and a full day of Friday discussion by the commission tasked with creating a second Montana congressional district, the debate kept pivoting to drawing a Western district that wasnt a lead pipe cinch for GOP candidates. Every time you talk to people about what do you think these districts are going to be like, you know, what would be good for Montana? Most people say, Well, yeah, if we could have at least one district where Montanans are truly given a chance to pick the candidate of their choice, that we ought to be encouraging folks to do that, said Commissioner Joe Lamson, one of two commissioners appointed to the state Districting and Apportionment Commission by Democratic legislators. Its been 30 years since Western Montana had its own member of Congress, one who represented the interests of the blue-collar union laborers and liberal ideals of the states university communities. The state lost its second U.S. House seat to the 1990 Census. A western Montana Democrat held the at-large seat the following two terms, but Republicans have won the district 13 elections in a row. The vast majority of bears try to steer clear of people, Lemon said. The fact this bear wasnt steering clear in fact approached the camp two different times in the course of 30 minutes was clearly unnatural behavior for a bear. Thats not something we can tolerate. Ovando sits midway between Missoula and Helena, just west of the Continental Divide and south of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Long the center of the regional ranching community, it has become a popular tourist site for anglers fishing the Blackfoot River and cyclists making long-distance rides. The campsite where Lokan died was right next to a museum and the post office of the 100-person town, surrounded by a general store, fly fishing shop, restaurant and several homes. Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said Lokan was camping in her own tent next to two others in another tent when the bear approached the campsite late Monday night. The campers had food in their tents, according to Roselles report. They removed and secured the food, but the grizzly returned around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and attacked Lokan. The other campers awakened and chased the bear away with bear spray. Members of the Ovando and Helmville quick response units tried unsuccessfully to revive Lokan at the scene. PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) The hospitalized wife of Haiti's assassinated President Jovenel Moise has given her first public statement since being wounded in the attack that killed him, accusing enemies of wanting to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology. Martine Moise issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Miami hospital where she was being treated for wounds suffered in the attack early Wednesday, and also posted a version on her Twitter account Saturday. I'm alive, thanks to God, she said in the recording, which also played on local radio stations. But I love my husband Jovenel. We fought together for more than 25 years. During all these years, love radiated within the home. But suddenly, the mercenaries came and pelted my husband with bullets. You have to be a notorious criminal without guts to assassinate a president like Jovenel Moise with impunity without giving him the chance to speak, she added. You knew who the president was fighting against. "These people hired mercenaries to kill the president and his family because of the projects of roads, electricity, drinking water supply, organization of the referendum and elections ... Matt said the dummy drag was the hardest part of the race since he was already tired by the time he got to it. Sam said he struggled with driving the steel beam the most. The event uses a Keiser Force Machine, a chopping simulator often used by fire departments. If a competitor hits the right spot with enough force, the beam could be moved with three hits. Others, like Sam, needed a few extra hits. "Im just not very good at the Keiser," Sam said. "They make it look so easy." Matt said while it is a competition for bragging rights, it is all in good fun. He said it is more about practicing different techniques and getting through it. "Everybody loves the competition aspect of it, it's just kind of the way were wired," Matt said. "We learn from each other and it helps us go faster here and on the job as well." The competition will continue Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with relays and a possible sponsor competition. The competition is free to spectators. The Kids Firefighter Challenge, a smaller version of the course geared toward children ages 5-12, will also be held. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. The driver of a van involved in a crash that claimed the life of a Mandan woman and injured four others has been charged with four felonies. Chad Gourneau, 23, allegedly failed to yield the right of way before crossing Memorial Highway at the intersection of Third Street Southeast on Thursday afternoon, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. Heather Robbins, 42, a passenger in the 200 Ford Windstar van that Gourneau was driving, was pronounced dead at a Bismarck hospital, the patrol said. The van and a 2020 GMC pickup pulling a gooseneck trailer collided in the middle of the intersection. The pickup was westbound and struck the passenger side of the van, according to the patrol. Gourneau fled but was later apprehended. He's been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident that involved injury, and misdemeanors for aggravated reckless driving and driving while his license was suspended, court records show. Two other passengers in the van -- MacKenzie Kimball, 24, of Mandan, and Linda Longie, 21, of Bismarck -- were taken to a Bismarck hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Gourneau and the 16-year-old Mandan boy who was driving the pickup suffered injuries that were not life threatening, the patrol said. President Joe Biden on Friday fired the commissioner of Social Security after the official refused to resign, and accepted the deputy commissioner's resignation, the White House said. Biden asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated after he refused the Democratic president's request, a White House official said. Deputy Commissioner David Black agreed to resign, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Both officials had been put in place under President Donald Trump, a Republican. Biden named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner while the administration conducts a search for a permanent commissioner and deputy commissioner. Kijakazi currently is the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration. Saul's removal followed a Justice Department legal opinion that found he could be removed, despite a statute that says he could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance. Whooping cranes rank No. 1 among Karen Lonefight's bird sightings. The White Shield woman learned birding in Grand Forks and goes all over, collecting photographs and enjoying the wildlife. Also among her favorites are a hawk owl and a great gray owl, as well as piping plovers -- a threatened species. She was out near White Shield in the spring of 2019 and initially assumed the six tall birds she spotted in a field were sandhill cranes. "As I got closer and I saw that they were white, I just kinda freaked out," Lonefight said. She sat and watched, photographing the rare whoopers, an endangered species for decades. Monitoring and managing endangered species are complex duties for state and federal wildlife officials. The work involves lengthy review processes and wide-ranging habitat efforts to protect and ideally recover species, often with partners that include federal agencies, private landowners and the oil industry. "We're trying to preclude the need to list new species. We're trying to recover ones that are already listed. We mostly do that through trying to protect their habitats," said Drew Becker, North Dakota ecological services supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency administers the federal Endangered Species Act for protection and recovery of species at or near risk of extinction. More than 2,300 species are listed as endangered or threatened. In North Dakota, endangered species include the black-footed ferret, pallid sturgeon fish, poweshiek skipperling butterfly, rusty patched bumblebee and whooping crane; threatened species include the Dakota skipper butterfly, northern long-eared bat, piping plover bird, red knot bird and western prairie fringed orchid. The monarch butterfly is a candidate species but is precluded due to higher-priority listing actions of Fish and Wildlife. Anyone can petition the agency to list a species, a process that can last years. Recent petitions sought to list the yellow banded bumblebee and the moose, but their listings were found unwarranted. Petitioned species under review as of March include the regal fritillary butterfly, western bumblebee, sturgeon chub and sicklefin chub. Some petitioners also have given notice of filings for several other bumblebees. Possible future listings include the golden-winged warbler, prairie gray fox and plains spotted skunk. Delisting also can take years, and happens much less frequently than new species being listed. Fish and Wildlife has main responsibility over protection and recovery of endangered species, work that focuses on habitat efforts. North Dakota's Game and Fish Department assists in gathering information and giving input about petitioned species, works with private landowners in habitat programs and maintains a comprehensive plan that strives to keep more than 100 species from one day becoming endangered. Feathers, ferrets and fish Species listed in North Dakota, while fewer than those of nearly all other states, are an interesting cast of characters. The whooping crane migrates through North Dakota. At 5 feet tall, the bird is North America's tallest, "the Airbus of the bird family," Becker said. The crane dwindled to as few as 16 by 1941 due to hunting and habitat loss. They're also not prolific reproducers, and nesting sites face predators, Becker said. The black-footed ferret is no longer found in North Dakota, though some are as close as the South Dakota portion of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. By the 1980s, just 18 ferrets in Wyoming were all that remained of the critters, once thought to be extinct before captive breeding helped bolster numbers to several hundred now in the wild and in captivity. The ferrets are found exclusively with prairie dogs, their main food. But ferrets face risks of plague and poisoning in the dog towns. Reestablishing the ferrets in North Dakota could be sustainable, but many ranchers don't enjoy prairie dogs, who dig and burrow, Becker said. Control of fleas to mitigate plague is a challenge, too. The Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery near Riverdale spawns and stocks the endangered pallid sturgeon, a large, prehistoric fish. Dams along the Missouri River have disrupted the sturgeon's habitat, changing river flows key to its survival. The Dakota skipper, which is listed as threatened, is a major recovery focus for Fish and Wildlife in North Dakota. The butterfly's Midwestern range has been reduced, and its prairie habitat faces disruptions from oil and gas development. Two species on North Dakota's endangered list were taken off in recent months: the least tern and the gray wolf. Most recovery efforts for the tern were farther south, Becker said. Better river management helped provide good habitat for the bird, which needs sand to nest. The gray wolf was delisted last fall. North Dakota has not had a breeding population in over a century, according to state Game Management Section Leader and Furbearer Biologist Stephanie Tucker. Some wolves do "pass through pretty frequently" from the Great Lakes region, Becker said. Some go as far as Nebraska. Wolves' endangered status has been a passionate topic and highly litigated. The delisting is being challenged in court. State Wildlife Action Plan The biggest emphasis around endangered species by Game and Fish is its State Action Wildlife Plan, a detailed outline of "rare and declining fish and wildlife species in North Dakota" that aims to ensure their survival and avoid the endangered list. The plan began in 2005 with federal funding and is updated every 10 years. The 2015 plan includes 115 "species of conservation priority" -- which encompass the endangered and threatened species in the state -- and outlines threats, conservation actions and monitoring plans. "What we think is a better strategy is to proactively identify those species that are in decline, that may be trending towards that (endangered) designation and try to implement proactive measures to help them out and get those population trends to reverse and start to at least plateau or maybe increase," Game and Fish Conservation Section Leader Steve Dyke said. Once a species has an endangered or threatened listing, Fish and Wildlife becomes the primary management entity. The state plan's 115 species range from mammals to mussels to meadowlarks. The species are categorized in funding priority levels for projects to benefit their population. Recent projects include a survey of small mammals, reptiles and amphibians in the Turtle Mountains and a statewide assessment of amphibians' distribution and breeding habitats. North Dakota receives about $400,000-$650,000 annually for the projects, Dyke said. Fish and Wildlife apportions the money to states according to their size and population. One-fourth to one-third of the projects' costs must be paid with nonfederal money, usually state or private funds or in-kind services, Dyke said. Efforts in the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan will go toward insects, especially pollinators -- species that have seen more petitions for listings, Game and Fish Conservation Biologist Patrick Isakson said. "We're just trying to cover everything that's there to stay ahead of the curve," he said. 'All-of-the-above strategy' North Dakota has "got a unique situation" compared to states farther east, Becker said. "Even in in the east of our state compared to places like Iowa or Illinois or Ohio, Indiana, we've got a lot of grassland habitats that are in pretty good shape, so things are a bit rosier, I think," he said. For instance, the Sheyenne National Grassland in southeastern North Dakota is a vital tract of tallgrass prairie habitat remaining in North America. But roads, dams, agriculture and urbanization have changed North Dakota's mostly prairie landscape. And species such as pollinators need wide-open spaces to thrive. "There's just not as much space for a species as there was, and we continue to lose native habitats, and that's where we try to work around that," Isakson said. One Fish and Wildlife grassland restoration project, begun in 2019, looks to improve conditions for the Dakota skipper on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge north of Minot. An 80-acre parcel will be reseeded in spring 2022 with grass species and a variety of flowering forbs, such as the purple coneflower and purple clover. The project could take two to three years before the vegetation reaches a point where the butterflies may find it suitable, or Fish and Wildlife could use it for a future release site, according to agency Biologist Jerry Reinisch. The cost is $60,000, covered by the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, a conservation group. The seed mixes are expensive, Reinisch said. "We're hoping that we can reestablish some quality native prairie that (the skippers) might come back to," he said. Habitat goes beyond endangered or threatened species, Becker said. "All those things that are good for pollinators are good for ducks. They're good for other birds that a lot of people care about, and so it's the all-of-the-above strategy there, I think," he said. Fish and Wildlife also works to avoid and minimize impacts from industries to listed species, Becker said. Examples include bird diverters on power transmission lines in the path of whooping cranes, certain construction techniques so to not disturb birds, and dust control around oil drilling operations to protect skippers. "We're looking for ways to kind of create win-wins that work for the industry and work for the critter," Becker said. Private landowners Much of Game and Fish's habitat work is done with private landowners through the Private Land Initiative, an umbrella of programs that goes beyond endangered species. The initiative is funded through hunting license fees and interest off Game and Fish's general fund. "We've got programs that help landowners establish new habitat or maintain existing habitat," Private Lands Section Leader Kevin Kading said. "The primary focus is obviously for ... game species, but we incorporate different practices and different things into conservation plans and things like that so we can try to benefit other species of conservation priority and maybe some of the endangered species as well, or threatened species." The State Wildlife Action Plan helps guide Game and Fish in projects in important areas or special habitats, he said. "Front and center" of the initiative is Private Land Open to Sportsmen, he said. PLOTS is a program for hunting access on private land. About 800,000 acres are PLOTS in North Dakota, Kading said. The voluntary program has a variety of options for landowners, some lasting as short as two years or as long as 20. Landowner payments vary depending on what the landowner is willing to do, Kading said. "If they're willing to establish habitat, they receive rental payments with cost-share to establish the grass and incentives for establishing the grass, those types of things and it kind of varies," Kading said. Game and Fish develops a management plan that could include haying or grazing to keep grass diverse while under contract. Grassland and wetland restorations have been successful, Dyke said. But restoring a grassland to some semblance of a native, unbroken prairie is a challenge. Some species need exact ingredients to survive, Game and Fish Conservation Biologist Elisha Mueller said. Game and Fish doesn't strive to idle habitat but aims to keep farmers and ranchers on the landscape, Dyke said. "I think in the past it's often been misconstrued that when we talk about protection that we're trying to idle, per se, some of these areas long term, and I don't think that's what we're talking about here," he said. Other efforts of the Private Lands Initiative include working with partners such as conservation organizations on habitat projects. One example is providing additional funding for Pheasants Forever's precision agriculture program, Kading said. The Recovering America's Wildlife Act, pending in Congress, could bring more money to the state for benefiting all kinds of species, he said. The legislation would put more than $1 billion a year toward preventing at-risk species from reaching endangered status. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. South Dakota government officials scrambled on Friday to reach a consensus on rules around medical pot, showing that the rollout of the voter-passed law has been anything but smooth. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg's office this week appeared to counter guidance from the Highway Patrol on medical marijuana ID cards issued by Native American tribes. But on Friday the attorney general issued a statement saying he agrees with the Highway Patrols stance. Meanwhile, the Department of Education tried to work past state lawmakers' objections to its proposed rules for allowing students to use medical pot at school. The attorney generals chief of staff Tim Bormann on Thursday had said tribes pot ID cards are valid under state law because they are medically certified a position that ran counter to guidance from the Highway Patrol that the ID cards would only be honored for tribal members. On Friday, the attorney general's office indicated that a tribe-issued ID card would not be enough for non-tribal members to prove they are staying within the bounds of state law. "So far as I took any position with regard to Negro suffrage, it was and is that universal suffrage is an inalienable right, and that since the amendments to the Constitution, to deprive the Negroes of it would be a violation of the Constitution as well as of a natural right. True, I deemed the hastening of the bestowal of the franchise as very essential to the welfare of the nation, because without it I believe that the Government will pass into the hands of rebels and their friends, and that such an event would be disastrous to the whole country. With universal suffrage, I believe the true men of the nation can maintain their position. Without it, whether that suffrage be impartial, or in any way qualified, I look upon this Republic as likely to relapse into an oligarchy, which will be ruled by coarse copperheadism and proud conservatism." Redistricting wont threaten Republican control of the Legislature. In fact, it wont make a dent in it. Republican dominance is so pervasive that trying to redraw a district to force out a Democrat would be rubbing it in. Gerrymandering shouldnt be considered. Rural voters should be concerned about their shrinking clout at the Capitol. More focus, and money, may be placed on the needs of more populated areas. An example of how rural areas sometimes wind up in a fight occurred two sessions ago. Gov. Doug Burgum offered a revamp of the states prison system. Part of the proposal would have moved the womens prison out of New England. The governors office argued that New England was too isolated, requiring travel for medical care and created a hardship for relatives of inmates who wanted to visit. New England fought the proposal and rural communities rallied for them. The revamp failed. These types of fights could become more common. One factor that favors rural districts is that many legislators from urban areas have rural ties. They or their parents may have grown up in small towns. They have an understanding of rural needs. Our states economic inner-workings are complex, but its important that people understand them. They have a real impact on day-to-day life, which means bad policies will lead to economic pain. Thats why we should set the record straight on misguided rhetoric about hedge funds, one of the most important yet misunderstood parts of our financial system. They work on Wall Street, but hedge funds are also an essential tool for smart and sophisticated investment strategies that make a positive impact across North Dakota. Hedge funds help ensure the financial security of critical institutions that support and improve the livelihoods of North Dakotans. Pensions, university endowments, and nonprofits rely on hedge funds to maximize their investments, so that they may pass on the benefits to their underlying beneficiaries, who are often working-class North Dakotans. The North Dakota State Investment Board invests $300 million on behalf of the states teachers, first responders, and public employees. The University of North Dakota Foundation invests $28 million, to fund scholarships and keep tuition down for college students. Hedge fund investments provide these organizations with peace of mind and financial stability. Hedge funds arent the bad guys that theyre often made out to be. Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading. What do Elmwood Crossing, the Michigan-Goodrich Garage and the Health Sciences Charter School have in common? All are significant redevelopment projects in Buffalo, with roots in the medical world. And all three and several others locally got millions of dollars in foreign investment in exchange for special immigrant visas, under a little-known 30-year-old federal program that has pumped more than $100 million in funding into projects across Western New York. That program, however, is in limbo. It expired at the end of June, leaving its fate in the hand of Congress, which has not agreed to an extension. And while it's not the biggest or most often-used source of funding for projects in Western New York, its loss could eliminate a key option that has proven critical in certain situations including as recently as a few weeks ago. "Everything is on hold. It came to a screeching halt on June 30, said William Gresser, the Buffalo-based executive and native whose firm has shepherded the program's investments across the region. There are negotiations going on now, but every day is a wasted day." "With the recent economic collapse caused by the pandemic, theres a tremendous need for more capital," said Gresser, founder and president of EB5 New York State LLC, a company founded in 2007 as an intermediary for the program in upstate New York. "We are trying to be a source for job creation in the city right now," said Gresser, who works from a small office on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Funding opportunities As companies and developers pursue growth opportunities and new projects, the quest for capital to fund such ventures is one of the most important but challenging elements, especially in a city like Buffalo that historically has not been an investment destination. That's why businesses find it critical to cultivate new sources of money and pursue creative alternatives. And it's often why deals get delayed. Developers and attorneys locally have become adept at using an array of government tax credits, tax breaks, tax-exempt bonds, grants and low-interest loans, as well as private-sector funding from banks, nonprofits and even utilities. And they've found a host of institutional investors like banks and insurance companies to buy into their projects. The EB-5 program is one of the lesser-known funding sources, despite its track record and potential. "Its a nice tool in the toolbox, particularly when youre dealing with a somewhat nonconventional project," said Amy Nagy, director of development for Sinatra & Co. Real Estate, one of the two partners in Elmwood Crossing that raised $2 million from foreign investors recently for the purchase of the Gallagher Ramp from the city. EB-5 has also been used in Buffalo for Oishei Children's Hospital and Gates Vascular Institute, as well as Iskalo Development Co.'s Lord Amherst campus, including the Hyatt Place Buffalo/Amherst and the Jazzboline Restaurant & Bar. Now it's at risk, after an objection by one U.S. senator prevented passage of legislation to renew the program prior to its June 30 expiration. Lawmakers and program supporters are working to get a new program authorized, with reforms that were already agreed upon. Qualified foreign investors Here's how it works. EB-5 is a visa program that allows qualified foreign investors together with their spouses and unmarried children under age 21 to apply for a green card for permanent residency, in exchange for a sizable investment in a commercial business or project in the United States that creates or preserves at least 10 permanent full-time jobs. First created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the economy, it's named for the fifth type of visa that participants receive, which is employment-based. It's administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the Department of Homeland Security, and was modified in 1992 to create organizations like EB5 New York to work with the federal agency and filter project proposals. Participants are scrutinized, not only on their own merits but also for their business and the source of their funds. "That can take a year or longer. Its probably the most stringent vetting of any of the immigration methods," Gresser said. The minimum investment to qualify is usually $1.8 million, but it's lowered to $900,000 in areas with higher unemployment including Buffalo. The project not only must be capable of creating real jobs, but must demonstrate at the end that the jobs actually were created. Housing or multifamily projects can qualify because the program will count a percentage of construction jobs toward the requirement. "If a project doesnt create the jobs, that investor is actually required to leave the U.S.," Gresser said. Across the country, many of the investors have been from China, but EB5 New York has had a large number participating from South Korea and India. Some are already in the United States on temporary visas such as students, doctors or H1B workers but want a more permanent status afforded by a green card. "We've raised capital from a very, very diverse group, probably 50 countries around the world," Gresser said. Western New York In Western New York, EB5 New York has brought in more than $100 million for various projects, while creating many construction and other jobs. The original focus of Gresser's efforts was the Medical Campus, so half of that tally went to the Oishei Children's Hospital, but GVI was the first project here, in 2010. The MiGo Garage and Health Sciences Charter School followed, as did the Iskalo projects in Amherst. There have also been projects in Rochester. "We've been very pleased with the work weve done in Buffalo," Gresser said. "We dont make a lot of noise, but we do try to do good work in Buffalo." With Elmwood Crossing the redevelopment of the former Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo campus Sinatra and Ellicott Development Co. used EB5 New York to bring in $2 million from two investors for the purchase of Gallagher. That's the parking garage across the street from the main hospital complex, and it's a key element of the overall reuse project. But with the hospital vacant, Gallagher is not being used much right now, and activity won't ramp up for several years, until the rest of Elmwood Crossing is completed. So Sinatra and Ellicott couldn't easily get traditional bank loans. "For a project like this, where it doesnt conform perfectly, this went much smoother than if we were trying to explain and walk through all of these details with a traditional bank lender," Nagy said. "It provided us with the capital to keep these steps moving forward during a complicated time." The developers and EB5 New York are talking about raising as much as $8 million more for the other components of Elmwood, including renovation of the core hospital buildings, assuming the program is extended. Gresser said he's in "almost daily conversations with additional projects that we can raise capital for in Buffalo," including as recently as late June. Slowdown and controversy Over the past 31 years, the EB-5 program has raised $40 billion nationwide for economic development projects, and created more than 800,000 new jobs. "The EB5 program is an immigration program, but at its heart, its an economic development program," Gresser said. But it's also been the subject of criticism, and the level of investment has slowed down in the past few years. Part of that is due to a federal regulation that changed the investment minimum from $500,000 to $900,000 in struggling areas like Buffalo, and from $900,000 to $1.8 million in other parts of the country. The other problem is a lack of enough visas to meet the ongoing demand. The EB-5 program nationally receives an allocation of 10,000 visas each year for investors and their families, but once it's used up, applicants have to wait until the next year's supply. That was more than sufficient for each of the first 18 years, but the program took off after the 2008 recession, when other sources of capital dried up. EB-5 became critical for developers, and applications soared. Now there's a backlog that will take years to clear. "Today's visas are actually going to support people who were earlier investors," Gresser explained. The program also was created with a "sunset" provision so it's been reauthorized every few years, usually as part of the overall budget. But Congress separated it this year, and lawmakers adjourned for the July 4 recess without approving an extension. Lawmakers from both parties introduced the EB5 Integrity and Reform Act to renew the program for five years while creating more oversight to ensure that EB-5 companies are U.S.-owned and operated, to check for criminal backgrounds and to track the money through the process. The bipartisan legislation was strongly backed including by Sen. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and by New York Reps. Chris Jacobs and Brian Higgins and was poised for passage by unanimous consent last month. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., blocked it at the last minute, citing a need for more changes. "We obviously need to address whatever it was that Sen. Graham had an issue with," said Aaron Grau, executive director of Invest in the USA, the trade group for the EB-5 companies. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CANNES, France (AP) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose drama Lingui has been a standout of the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, has a unique relationship as a filmmaker to his native country of Chad. Haroun is one of the African nation's only film directors and easily its most prominent. That role national cinematic spokesman has given him a heavy responsibility. If I dont bring images from Chad, my country will be forgotten, Haroun said in an interview. I have to make films to give other images of my country, rather than the cliche images of war, et cetera. It becomes more than a passion. It becomes a duty. Haroun, who has lived in France since leaving Chad in 1982, has set all but one of his eight features there. Lingui, which is in competition for the top Palme d'Or prize at Cannes, is his first film with a female protagonist. Amina (played by Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) is a single mother and practicing Muslim whose 15-year-old daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant. On the outskirts of Chads capital of NDjamena, the unwanted pregnancy is a grave concern. It means certain ostracism for Maria the same stigma that her mother knows herself. Buffalo Police Officer Jonathan Negron was released from the hospital Friday, more than a month after being seriously injured during a car chase in Cheektowaga. A video released Friday by the city showed the 29-year-old police officer, dressed in a navy T-shirt and jeans, being wheeled out the door of Erie County Medical Center, where he was saluted by two rows of fellow officers. Negron received an ovation after he was helped from his wheelchair and stood to shake hands with some of the officers applauding him, before being ushered into a white SUV. Negron's family, through the city, released a statement thanking Mayor Byron W. Brown, the command staff of the Buffalo Police Department, the staff at ECMC and the local community for their support. "The past 35 days have been very hard on all of us and we can not express more deeply how grateful we are for the support of all the men and women of the Buffalo police department, the Erie county sheriff's office, and all the local departments. The support of the community has been overwhelming and on behalf of the Negron family, the Taborn family and Jonathan himself we thank each and every one of you very much," the statement read. Byron W. Brown's write-in campaign for mayor will apparently have competition for the Nov. 2 general election. Jaz Miles, a cook and caterer who ran as the Republican candidate for the 141st Assembly District last year, has launched a write-in campaign that could detract from Brown's effort against India B. Walton, winner of the June 22 Democratic primary. He said he is entering the campaign because he is unhappy with the post-primary actions of both major candidates. "The people have spoken and Byron Brown is unable to accept what they have said," Miles said, also criticizing Walton's observation that the mayor's continued candidacy "ignored the will of the voters and opened the door to the dark side of politics." "To me, talking about that dark side is unfair," he said. Miles, 53, ran against Democrat Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes for the Assembly in 2020, garnering 4,981 votes to 42,678 for the incumbent. He made it clear he is not running with any party affiliation this year, though he calls the Republican failure to field a mayoral candidate "unacceptable." "I'm just trying to offer an option," he said. Feroleto said she has great respect for Carter and believes he will do an excellent job. Carter, 62, said Feroleto did a "spectacular" job in the post, and he hopes to follow in her footsteps. "I've already had some experience and some preparation as a supervisory judge. It's a great honor and a big challenge," Carter said. He said he plans to work with other supervisory judges to help make the state courts "more diverse, more inclusive and more just." Carter said he also hopes to increase the use of technology in the district's court system. He told The News he applied for the administrative position about two months ago, after Feroleto notified all the judges in the district of her plans to step down. "I believe there are other judges who also applied, but I don't know how many, or who they were," Carter said. "I didn't ask." Judge Carter is a skilled judge and forward-thinking leader who, over the past two years as the Districts Supervising Judge of Family Courts, adeptly navigated the many challenges posed by the COVID crisis, Marks said in announcing the changes. Marks said Carter has worked closely with Feroleto on the creation and implementation of operating protocols leading up to and throughout the pandemic. The Diocese of Buffalo announced Friday that a retired priest who continues to assist in the ministry of St. Matthew's parish in Buffalo has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of a child abuse complaint against him. A statement released by the diocese said it recently became aware of an action brought pursuant to the Child Victims Act by a woman who alleges she was abused as a child in the early 1980s by Monsignor Leo McCarthy, 88. The complaint was not served on the diocese but was discovered during a search of publicly filed complaints, diocesan officials said. The diocese notified the Erie County District Attorneys Office, reached out to the attorney for the plaintiff and approached McCarthy, who denied committing any acts of abuse. The diocese reported the matter to the Independent Review Board, which, it said, will be responsible for appointing an independent investigator. Since the woman did not file a complaint with the dioceses victim assistance coordinator, the diocese reached out to her attorney to determine if she is willing to cooperate with an investigation. The diocese said its legal counsel has been advised that the woman who made the complaint is unwilling to do so. About 85% of those 65 and older in Erie County have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 59.2% of the total population have received at least one dose, according to Erie County. Another reason for the decline in Covid-19 cases, and in turn, deaths, is more people are participating in more activities outside in the warmer weather, Russo said. "Fourth of July cookouts are safer than Thanksgiving dinner inside," he said. "That combination of warm weather and vaccinations has resulted in a relatively low number of new cases." Cases, and deaths, went down in the region last summer, too. There were 302 deaths in May 2020, 140 deaths in June 2020 and 43 in July 2020. This year, there were 88 deaths reported in May and 28 deaths reported in June. With the number of cases down, there are fewer people to spread infection. "You're less likely to get infected at this point," Russo said, but he added, "We're in good shape, but we're not done with this virus." Western New York's seven-day average positivity rate or the percentage of Covid-19 cases that come back positive was 0.59% Friday, a little lower than the statewide average positivity rate of 0.73% However, the vaccine remains under emergency use authorization by the federal government, the university noted in a statement Thursday. The university previously proposed a vaccine requirement, and a draft of the policy was posted to UNMs website. UNM officials continue to urge those who arent vaccinated to continue to wear a mask. NEW YORK U.S. health officials say vaccinated teachers and students dont need to wear masks inside school buildings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the new guidelines Friday. The changes come after a growing national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general decline in recent months in COVID hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. The nations top public health agency is not advising schools to require shots for teachers and vaccine-eligible kids. The guidance generally leaves it to local officials to figure out how to ensure the unvaccinated are using precautions while letting those who are fully protected go mask-free. The biggest questions will be at middle schools where some students are eligible for shots and others arent. HOUSTON (AP) A man who opened fire at a married couple, killing one of them and wounding the other before fatally shooting himself inside a popular Houston seafood restaurant, had a history of mental illness and did not know the people he shot, police said Friday. The couple was finishing dinner in the bar of the Downtown Aquarium Restaurant shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday when the man approached them, pulled out a gun and immediately started firing rounds at them, Houston police Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard said. According to witnesses and security video from the restaurant, the man had been sitting at the other end of the bar before the shooting, police said. The 28-year-old husband died at the scene while his 24-year-old wife was shot at least once in the leg. Police said Friday that the woman told investigators she and her husband did not know the man who shot them. Slinkard said it appeared the suspect had very little or even no interaction with the couple before the shooting occurred. This was a tragic, isolated incident, with no relationship between the victims and the suspect," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement Friday. A gift is defined as something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present. During the last two weeks many municipalities big and small received a gift of money from the American Rescue Plan. Now comes the question of how to spend the gift. Getting the gift was not easy, deciding how to spend it will be harder. Here is what a municipality can spend it on: COVID-19 mitigation, health disparities, water and sewer, behavioral health care, small businesses, housing and neighborhoods, broadband, Impacted industries, educational disparities, essential workers, public sector, and healthy environments such as childcare and enhanced child welfare services or as it has been stated human infrastructure. I believe human infrastructure will be the hardest one governments will be funding but it may be the most critical. Several municipalities I know have lost employees through resignation due to Covid, This is simple to understand. If your wages are all used up by putting your kids in childcare, it is simple math. Many parents will realize that when their kids go to school they will actually get a raise in family income due to reduced expenses on child care. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10) They may already be popular in the market, but some international brands still bank on the global influence of the biggest K-pop group BTS. So what happens after brands secure collaborations with BTS? Meta-search website iPrice said consumers' online interest increase by more than twofold. In a report, iPrice cited the group's six brand endorsements or collaborations in the past three years. Fast-food chain giant McDonald's gained a 47% increase in interest among Filipinos following its collaboration with BTS in May. McDonald's launched the BTS Meal, which consists of 10 pieces Chicken McNuggets with limited edition sauces in cajun and sweet chili, a medium Coca-Cola, and medium fries, all wrapped in BTS signature purple packaging. McDonald's Philippines late in June bared that it sold 3.5 million pieces of chicken nuggets on the launch of the BTS meala dramatic increase of 1,000% compared to its average daily nugget sales, McDonald's Philippines managing director Margot Torres told ANC in an interview. At that time, Torres said "close to a million" BTS Meals were sold since the launch. The South Korean boy band was also tapped by Coca-cola and Louis Vuitton, with both brands generating a 127% and 65% spike, respectively, in online interest. South Korea's Samsung also released a BTS edition of Galaxy S20+, earning it a whopping 73% surge in Google searches. Indonesia's shopping site Tokopedia also gained from partnering with the global pop sensation group, iPrice said. "Filipinos certainly did not know much about this site, being, you know, based in the Philippines and all. But after collaborating with such big influencers like BTS, Filipinos' searches on Tokopedia also surged by 98%," it added. Since the collaboration is ongoing, Tokopedia's online interest continued to increase by 225% in 2020. Fila was the only brand that "didn't see as much success" in 2018, iPrice noted. In a previous report, iPrice said its global fan baseknown as BTS Armycan shell out an average of $1,422 on the group's merch, concert tickets, and albums. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9) The country received over two million more AstraZeneca vaccines and 170,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. The 2,028,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility arrived past 4 p.m. Friday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and was welcomed by officials, including Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez and WHO country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe. Galvez said 1.5-million of these newly arrived vaccines will be allotted for the second doses of vaccinated individuals in May and June. He added that the remaining 500,000 AstraZeneca shots will be distributed to regions with large populations of unvaccinated persons belonging to the A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) priority groups. "Our vaccine supply from COVAX will be utilized for our vulnerable sector, A1 (healthcare workers and their families), A2, and A3, while prioritizing those vulnerable communities in different regions," Galvez said. The Philippines has so far received a total of 5,708,100 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the British-Swedish manufacturer. Of this number, 4,584,000 were from COVAX a global initiative that aims to give participating countries equitable access to coronavirus vaccines. The country also received 1,124,100 AstraZeneca doses donated by the Japanese government - with the shipment delivered Thursday evening. Meanwhile, 170,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses arrived in the country on two separate days. The first 132,200 doses arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 at 10:45 p.m. on Friday via Qatar Airways flight. The remaining 37,800 shots arrived past 9:30 p.m. on Saturday via Korean Air flight. Galvez said the Russian-made vaccines arrived in two batches because a commercial flight cannot handle a huge number of doses. The shipment was supposed to arrive last July 7 but was delayed due to logistical issues, Galvez noted. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier promised an increase in vaccine deliveries to the Philippines. He made the assurance during his virtual summit with President Rodrigo Duterte to mark the 45th year of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Russia on June 3. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10) The so-called black box that may shed light on the C-130 crash in Sulu province last week is on the way to the United States for analysis, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said Saturday. In the government's 'Laging Handa' briefing, PAF spokesperson Lt Col Maynard Mariano said analysis of the flight data recorder may take a month. Ito (black box) ay ia-analyze po doon, at maghihintay po tayo ng konting panahon bago po ito maibalik po sa atin, Mariano said. Mga about siguro isang buwan ang hihintayin po natin for the black box to be analyzed. [Translation: The black box will be analyzed there, and well have to wait for a little while before it can be returned to us. We have to wait for maybe about a month for the black box to be analyzed.] The U.S. earlier offered to assist in responding to the July 4 plane crash that killed 49 soldiers and three civilians on the ground. The military previously said the country does not have the capability to analyze the flight recorder. READ: 'Nakakabahala': AFP chief concerned over string of accidents, says assets' airworthiness, pilot competencies under review Mariano said investigators are looking into all possible angles. We are doing everything to fast-track the investigation, he added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10) The Supreme Court has issued a resolution outlining the guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras in the serving of search and arrest warrants. A.M. No. 21-06-08-SC issued June 29, 2021, lists down the approved rules for the use of body cams that shall cover "all applications, issuances, and executions of arrest and search warrants under the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure," as well as "warrantless arrests." Under the rules, law enforcers are required to wear at least one body camera and one alternative recording device during the serving of warrants. In case of unavailability of body cams, implementing officers shall file an ex parte motion before the court to be allowed to use an alternative device for justifiable reasons. When making arrests, officers wearing the device shall notify the person being arrested and other subjects. In the case of warrantless arrests, the media representative may be allowed to record the operation subject to custody requirements of the resolution. All recordings shall be stored in an external media storage device and be surrendered to the issuing court. An officer may seek permission to retain a back-up copy for justifiable reasons for not more than 15 days. The rules also state that failure to observe the requirement of using the recording device does not render arrest unlawful or the evidence obtained inadmissible. Testimonies of arresting officers, those arrested, and other witnesses may help prove the executed warrant. However, an officer who fails to use the device without reasonable grounds or intentionally interferes with the ability of the camera to record the arrest or search warrants may be held liable. Failure to use the required body camera or alternative device without reasonable grounds during service of search warrant shall also render the evidence obtained inadmissible. Unlike before when Quezon City and Manila judges can issue search warrants outside their jurisdiction, the Supreme Court now limits the judges' power to issue such only within their judicial regions. Multiple search warrant applications based on the same evidence filed in the same court shall also be ground for denial. When the execution of a search warrant leads to death, an incident report shall be submitted detailing what occurred, including the cause of death. To ensure no tampering is done when downloading, subjects of the recordings or their counsels are allowed to witness the process. Data recorded shall not be publicized, unless when the incident involves loss of life, or an assault was made. If a person declines to use the recording during the court proceeding, this may not be used by or against him or her. Recordings shall not be released to other persons, including the media, before and after its use in a trial. Violating this may constitute contempt of court. In a statement, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar thanked the High Court for helping them "craft a legal framework on the use of the body-worn cameras." He added that they will now study and incorporate the rules in their protocols. CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it has identified another victim of the deadly C-130 plane crash in Sulu, raising the identified bodies to 20. The AFP said the 20th fatality was identified as Airman First Class Fortunate Regidor of the Philippine Air Force (PAF). Regidor was among the 49 soldiers killed in what is described as one of the deadliest air force disasters in decades. Three civilians on the ground were also killed in the crash. The AFP said the remaining 29 bodies are still undergoing examination. It added that families of the crash victims will receive support from the government. Aside from financial aid, they will also get assistance on shelter, health, education, and employment. READ: Civilians, militiamen hailed as heroes in Sulu military plane crash Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 9) With the emergence of more contagious variants, an annual COVID-19 vaccine booster may be a wise thing to do to stay in control against the coronavirus, a former United States Food and Drug Administration official said. "I think that a COVID-19 booster shot on the annual basis is a prudent thing to do," Peter Pitts, ex-US FDA associate commissioner told CNN Philippines' The Final Word, when asked if it's time to use a vaccine booster amid the threats posed by COVID-19 variants. He said studies have shown existing mRNA vaccines - like those made by US drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna - are highly effective, but for how long remains uncertain. "We do not know how long [they will be highly effective], so I think that every year we are going to be looking at a booster shot for COVID-19 just as we look at new shots for the annual flu because the repercussions of allowing the virus to regain control are simply not acceptable, so we want to stay in control," Pitts explained. Pfizer recently said it is making efforts to speed up its development of a booster to protect people from COVID-19 variants. It plans to seek emergency use approval from the US FDA in August after releasing more data on the performance of a third dose. Other vaccine makers are also considering or are already developing their own boosters - which is good because it gives people more options, Pitts said. But how soon should a fully vaccinated individual get a booster? Pitts said there is no data about this yet, but he reiterated it is likely to be taken annually. However, for vaccines like China's Sinovac - which have 50% to 70% efficacy rate against the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants - it might be advisable to get a booster within 6 to 8 months. He also noted that booster shots may have fewer side effects than the initial vaccination "since the body already understands what the code means, and the body is already producing the antibodies." When it comes to non-mRNA vaccines like AstraZeneca and China-made shots, Pitts said boosters may still be equally effective. "A booster shot reminds the body of what to do. It reminds the body that the code it has can be, on a regular basis, used to produce antibodies," he added. On mixing and matching vaccines, Pitts said there are ongoing discussions on this, and there is solid data from the United Kingdom that showed it can be done. In the Philippines, the government has yet to give a go-signal to mix other brands with Sinovac since the mix-and-match approach has only been proven to be effective at least on Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 10) Two earthquakes -- with magnitudes 6.2 and 5.4 -- struck waters off Davao Occidental province on Saturday morning, according to seismology data. The magnitude-6.2 tremor hit southeast of Sarangani province at 8:43 a.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in its bulletin. Phivolcs initially reported the earthquake at magnitude 6 but upgraded it in a follow-up advisory. The other quake occurred in the same area at 8:51 a.m., Phivolcs said in a separate advisory. The institute said it is not expecting damage but added aftershocks may happen. It added the quakes were tectonic in origin or there was a movement in the Earth's crust. Meanwhile, Phivolcs said there is no threat of a tsunami to the country after the magnitude-6.1 quake in Talaud Islands, Indonesia. (CNN) -- US President Joe Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action to disrupt criminal ransomware groups in Russia on a call Friday morning -- their first publicized discussion since a summit in Geneva last month -- but the Kremlin says American agencies have not made any formal appeals in the last month regarding recent cyberattacks. Following an executive order signing at the White House on Friday afternoon, Biden indicated he and Putin have established a more direct means of communication. He also underscored that Putin will need to act on ransomware operations that take originate from Russian actors. "I made it very clear to him that the United States expects when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil -- even though it's not sponsored by the state -- we expect him to act. And we've given him enough information to act on who that is," Biden said. He continued, "We've set up a means of communications now, on a regular basis, to be able to communicate to one another when each of us thinks something's happening in the other country. It affects the home country. And so it went well. I'm optimistic." Asked if there will be consequences for Russia, Biden said, "Yes." The White House similarly relayed in an earlier statement that during the call, "Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasized that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware." "President Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge," the statement continued. Later Friday, the President also said it makes sense to target servers used by Russian cyber criminals in response to their attacks. A Kremlin statement released Friday afternoon indicated that the two leaders discussed "the need for substantive and constructive cooperation" between Russia and the United States on matters relating to cybersecurity. But the statement also suggested the US had not made any formal appeals to Russia regarding recent cyberattacks. "In the context of recent reports about a series of cyberattacks allegedly committed from the territory of Russia, Vladimir Putin noted that, despite the readiness of the Russian side to jointly suppress criminal manifestations in the information space, no appeals on these issues have been made by the competent US agencies over the past month," the statement said. But the Biden administration is maintaining that the US had issued direct request to Russia. "We have relayed multiple, specific requests for action on cyber criminals to Russia through official channels and been clear about what Russia's responsibility is with regard to taking action," a senior administration official told reporters. White House press secretary Jen Psaki elaborated during Friday's press briefing that Biden "reiterated his expectation that President Putin take action, even if it is not directed by the Russian government, if it is because of criminal actors in his own country." The call lasted about an hour, she said. "This is the first time -- even though ransomware attacks have been increasing over the past 18 months, if not longer -- that there has been this level of engagement at this level. And certainly the President knew, even when they met in Geneva, that there would be a need for ongoing discussions and engagements," Psaki said. She added that Biden has "always believed this was going to need to be an ongoing diplomatic engagement with the Russians," adding, "We've had expert level talks, we've had those talks focused on cyber, focused on ransomware, but he also understands that there's going to need to be talks at times at the leader level." The two leaders also discussed the recent renewal of cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria in the UN Security Council, according to the White House. The Kremlin said Putin also expressed his condolences over the residential building collapse in Surfside, Florida. Biden confronted Putin about cyber attacks by Russia-based actors during the Geneva summit. And earlier this week, Psaki said the White House has conveyed to Russian officials that there is a responsibility to respond after recent cyber attacks and that the US stands ready to "take action" if necessary. The White House indicated earlier this week that top national security officials have been in contact with a "high level" of Russian officials regarding the ransomware attack on software vendor Kaseya. Earlier, the White House said the Intelligence Community had not yet attributed the attack, but noted the group believed to be responsible, REvil, operates out of Russia. The Republican National Committee said on Wednesday that its networks were not breached and its data not accessed after an IT provider used by the RNC said it's "conducting a thorough review of a few instances in which outside actors have attempted to gain access." The contractor, Synnex, declined to say when the attempts happened and to what extent the RNC was targeted. The RNC says that upon hearing that Synnex was breached, it "immediately blocked all access from Synnex accounts." The New York Times reported that the hackers behind the Synnex attack were from Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR, citing investigators in the case. If true, it's the same group of hackers who carried out the massive SolarWinds hack and the attack on the Democratic National Committee in 2015. This story was first published on CNN.com "Biden warns Putin during call that 'we expect him to act' on Russian ransomware attacks". As children grow, they have access to more and more screen time on multiple devices a trend that makes it difficult for parents to monitor and guide media use. Kids are growing up digital, and today's parents must manage the risks and benefits of a digital world. The negative and the positive Digital media, including interactive and social media, offers both risks and benefits to children and teenagers. Too many hours of screen time can affect sleep, attention and learning. Risks also can include: A higher incidence of obesity and depression. Exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate or unsafe content and interactions. Compromised privacy and confidentiality. While benefits can depend on factors such as age, stage or media design, overall benefits include: Exposure to new ideas, knowledge and collaborative learning opportunities. More opportunities for social awareness, engagement and support. New opportunities to access health information and resources. Begin by being a digital role model As America emerges from the Fourth of July weekend, theres another important reminder this month of why we should cherish our freedom and liberty. July marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). CCP officials have already been holding celebrations to paint a positive image of their work on the world stage. While the CCP pushes propaganda on the anniversary of its founding, its important that Americans understand how the communist regime operates. To this end, I signed a proclamation designating July as Victims of Communism Remembrance Month. Over the years, communism has led to the deaths of nearly 100 million people worldwide. The proclamation ceremony included Nebraskans who came from families and countries ruled by communist regimes. At the event, former State Senator Lydia Brasch shared her familys story of fleeing the communist regime in Ukraine. Before they fled, her family would pray in the closet with a secret Bible and a candle. She shared how her uncle was shot and killed by the regime after they found a short wave radio in his home in Kiev. They had no freedom of speech or freedom of religion. Military editor's pick top story Carlisle Barracks Molina assumes command of Carlisle Barracks garrison Official U.S. Army photo Vincent Grewatz, director of Installation Management Command-Training, passes off the unit's colors to Lt. Col. Jeannette Molina as she assumes command of U.S. Army Garrison Carlisle Barracks on Wednesday. With the symbolic passing of the units colors, Lt. Col. Jeannette Molina assumed the mission and command of U.S. Army Garrison Carlisle Barracks Wednesday. Vincent Grewatz, director of Installation Management Command-Training, officiated at the change of command ceremony held at Carlisle Barracks Wheelock Bandstand. He transferred the colors from the outgoing commander, Col. Courtney Short, to Molina, which symbolized the passing of the units personnel, equipment, morale and esprit de corps. Molina holds a Masters of Art in union labor and human resources. She deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, and Al Udeid, Qatar, during Operation Enduring Freedom. Since arriving at Carlisle Barracks a few short weeks ago, we have received an incredibly warm welcome from the team here, Molina said. Im impressed by their brilliant professionalism and personalized care. I look forward to providing leadership and working together to enable force readiness, guided by Army values, through world-class service and support to the people of Carlisle Barracks and the greater military community. Molina graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and commanded the El Paso Military Entrance Processing Station in Fort Bliss, Texas. Garrison commanders on Carlisle Barracks provide city-manager support for an installation that provides security, safety and base operations for the mission activities of the Army War College and other organizations, as well as residents living on post, military retirees, the surrounding military community and a team of professionals. Carlisle Barracks bids sad farewell to a 'big hero' The Carlisle Barracks community gathered on Indian Field Thursday to say goodbye to K-9 officer, Brutus. Short assumed the role of Carlisle Barracks garrison commander on June 28, 2019. Under her leadership, the garrison embraced new technologies like the digital garrison app. She managed the Armys summer surge efforts at Carlisle Barracks. During Shorts career, she commanded Alpha Battery in 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and served as a small group instructor at the Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course. She was an assistant professor in the History Department at the U.S. Military Academy and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Task Force Bulldog. She served as a liaison officer in Korea with the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command and was an assistant professor and the deputy department head of the Department of History at the U.S. Air Force Academy. When I first arrived at Carlisle Barracks, I was told two things, Short said. One, youll have one crisis as a commander, and two, Carlisle Barracks functions like Groundhog Day with a set rhythm of events. In two years, both of those statements proved untrue, but not in the way that you would think. Short holds a bachelors degree in history from Columbia University and a masters degree and Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. If things werent canceled or modified for COVID, then weather, rain or snow, had an impact, she said. But heres the miracle of all of that, Carlisle Barracks never stopped. We never shut down. All the services that the garrison provides continued. The garrison adapted. The garrison flexed. The garrison brilliantly reimagined. Soldiers and residents still received quality housing, safe child care, MPD and ACS services, a safe and secure post, and even a place to relax with a beer. And, thats not to mention all the services that you dont see every day that work just as hard behind the scenes, DPTMS, safety, RM, PAO, PAIO, and on and on. Short will retire from the active-duty Army on July 31, and begin a career as a professor of history at Colorado State University. The garrison held a ceremony to mark the occasion of her retirement at the Letort View Community Center on July 6. If things werent canceled or modified for COVID, then weather, rain or snow, had an impact, she said. But heres the miracle of all of that, Carlisle Barracks never stopped. We never shut down. All the services that the garrison provides continued. The garrison adapted. The garrison flexed. The garrison brilliantly reimagined. Soldiers and residents still received quality housing, safe child care, MPD and ACS services, a safe and secure post, and even a place to relax with a beer. And, thats not to mention all the services that you dont see every day that work just as hard behind the scenes, DPTMS, safety, RM, PAO, PAIO, and on and on. TOWANDA, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania county prosecutor who pleaded guilty to pressuring clients for sex when he was a defense attorney was sentenced Friday to 18 months to 5 years in prison. A judge in Bradford County imposed the sentence on former District Attorney Chad M. Salsman, who had emphatically denied the allegations before pleading guilty in May to witness intimidation, promoting prostitution and obstruction of justice. A message seeking comment was left for his defense attorney. Salsman, 44, a resident of Wyalusing, was charged in February with sexually assaulting women who were his clients in criminal and child custody cases. Sexual assault charges and other counts were dropped as part of a guilty plea agreement. A Republican, he was elected district attorney in November 2019. His accusers told a grand jury he groped them, sought nude photos and pressured or forced them into sexual acts, sometimes on his office desk. "There are 12 men because they can split into two teams or even four teams," Leigh said. "You jump with your group or in teams. Sometimes one of my medics wouldn't go and I would take over. The missions were real, I cannot tell you some, but they are real missions. You just jump wherever it is, in the middle of the jungle, wherever you need to jump." Leigh said he has jumped about 190 times and had a few close calls. "I screwed up my neck on a jump when the Air Force threw me early and I landed on a tree and got hung up," Leigh said. "I hung for 30 minutes until I undid everything and climbed down." Leigh said he had a couple parachute malfunctions during a few of his jumps. "The first malfunction I had some problems with the main shoot and had to pull the reserve," Leigh said. "The other one was not good. It deployed but I was already almost at the ground. My coccyx has been broken about four times. What happens is you hit and the energy goes up. That is why my whole spine is compressed and I have nothing but fusions. You just learn to live." Leigh never made it into the 150 jump club because many of his jumps were not recorded and documentation was needed. He said if he had the choice to do it all over again, he definitely would. But words are the easy part. At least so far, the administration seems uncertain and unprepared in dealing with those Afghan allies. The jeopardy they face was totally predictable, once Biden decided to pull out. So why isn't there a better plan -- any plan, really -- in place already? All we have are vague hints from the White House. Maybe the endangered employees will be airlifted to Guam, an American territory in the Western Pacific, where they can be processed under a program called Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) that would permit them to move to the U.S. Or perhaps they will be trucked to neighboring Tajikistan, where refugees are already pouring across the border. Either option presents a logistical nightmare, since about 18,000 Afghans, with 53,000 family members, worked for the Americans. But even if they were all somehow brought to safety, the administration's problems would just be starting. Under the SIV program, which was created in 2008, only 11,000 visas remain available. Moreover, the qualifications for this program are very strict, requiring all sorts of work documents, recommendations and medical clearances. Navigating the process can take two years, and even then, success is not guaranteed. Many former employees are turned down. One such person, Abdul Rashid Shirzad, was recently profiled by The Washington Post. Also, did thousands of Michiganders vote from the graveyard? The committee found exactly two: one a fellow who mistakenly cast his identically named dead father's absentee ballot, and a woman who voted but expired before Election Day. Local officials disqualified about 3,500 ballots for the same reason, but missed that one. Then there's the My Pillow Guy, the mustachioed TV huckster who promotes videos alleging massive online sabotage perpetrated by the usual suspects via Dominion voting machines. Under oath, Dominion's CEO "denied multiple rumors ... and provided references to verify his testimony that the company was not involved in elections in Venezuela and had no connection to Hugo Chavez, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, or George Soros." Dominion has no servers in Spain, Germany or Italy. Besides, its voting machines have no modems and literally cannot be connected to the internet. All ballots are counted locally and remain "available for re-tabulation or recount at any time. Where this was done, no evidence of hacking or attack was ever shown." "A widely circulated picture in media and online reports allegedly showed ballots secretly being delivered late at night," the report notes dryly, "but in reality, it was a photo of a WXYZ-TV photographer hauling his equipment." Plans are for work on the statue to begin around 7 a.m. and have it on a flatbed by 9 a.m. Those times are not set in stone, however. To remove the base and finish the site, work crews will need to intermittently close single lanes of West Main Street between 13th Street Northwest and 14th Street Northwest beginning Sunday and continuing through Friday. The closures will be in one- to three-hour increments between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking on the south side of West Main in the area will be closed, as will the southside sidewalk. Pedestrians will need to use the northside sidewalk, crossing at 14th Street and Jefferson Park Avenue. Flaggers will direct drivers through the area during the closures, but traffic will continue to move in both directions. As for where the Clark monument will go, The statue will be placed into storage as the university continues to work with a committee to determine a suitable location, the spokesman said. The university sent out a request for proposal for monument removal on June 14. It closed the RFP on June 21 and approved a contract on July 6. The Jackson removal took a bit longer than the Lee removal. The crane arrived from Market Street Park at around 8:57 a.m. The road across from the statue was briefly closed to pedestrians to allow the trucks to return to the area after removing the Lee statue. At around 9:15 a.m., the crew began attaching straps to the body of the statue. Shortly before 9:30 a.m., the crew began unscrewing the statue from its base. Lee statue is removed, 8:30 a.m. A crowd of onlookers applauded as the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed from its base by a crane and a few workers on a clear, warm Saturday morning; some sang Hey, hey, goodbye. A crew then started to load the statue onto a flatbed truck at about 8:12 a.m. and drove away at 8:30 a.m. The crowd applauded and cheered when the truck drove away. Someone in the crowd shouted goodbye General Lee! And good riddance! The truck was escorted by Charlottesville police in unmarked cars and on bicycles. The statue will be in city storage until the City Council votes on what will happen to it. Removal begins on Lee statue, 7:30 a.m. City Manager Chip Boyles said the meeting was called because the removal of the Confederate statues went so smoothly and quickly that the crew would be able to remove the Lewis-Clark-Sacagawea statue Saturday as well with no additional funding required. On Wednesday, city councilors appropriated $1 million for the removal of all three statues. During Saturday's meeting, the City Council also discussed the potential for the statue to be relocated to the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center during its meeting. Alexandria Searls, director of the center, said the center had worked with Shoshone people who were interested in creating recontextualized art to accompany the statues. We need to ensure that the recontextualization is driven by and fully includes indigenous residents in the indigenous community, Councilor Michael Payne said. That's really the only question mark to me. Rose Ann Abrahamson, a descendant of Sacagawea and a Shoshone-Bannock woman, weighed in on the decision during the meeting. When Albemarle County removed its Confederate statue in September, it did so after the Board of Supervisors voted to give the statue, cannons and cannonballs to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. Additionally, the public had at least one weeks notice before the statues removal and could watch remotely via a live feed provided by the county. Boyles said in June that the removal process and timeline for the Lee and Jackson statues would depend on whether the City Council decides to demolish the statues entirely or to have them relocated. Different services and contractors would be needed for these options. There are caveats if theyre being removed to be demolished in some way, then it would be a lot cheaper than to remove them in a pristine manner and its a lot cheaper to remove than if youre trying to preserve every aspect of it, Boyles said. The council has not yet decided whether the statues will be demolished or relocated. Last month, councilors said they wanted the statues removed from public view quickly and didnt want to see the statues moved somewhere they could be celebrated. Dr. Danny Avula, the states vaccine coordinator, said in a Richmond media briefing last month that the majority of variant cases are not travel related. With coverage gaps continuing across the state, Avula said unvaccinated people are most likely to contract the strain. This is not over, Avula said. We fully expect there to be another surge in disease later in the summer or early fall. The Delta variant has been predicted to become the dominant strain for months, but VDH spokesperson Logan Anderson said its known to spread much more easily from person to person than other variants of the virus that we have seen. Because we have relatively high vaccination rates in most parts of the state, the surge we are expecting in the fall and winter is unlikely to be anywhere near as devastating as this past year, as all indicators point to very high effectiveness of our vaccines, Anderson said. Even against the variants. While Anderson added that fully vaccinated people are highly unlikely to become infected or transmit the virus variant or no variant the agency isnt planning to disclose the vaccination status of people who test positive for a COVID strain. People had better pay attention because if they dont, its going to happen again, Sabato said. Sabato, who founded the UVA Center for Politics in 1998 and predicts the outcomes of elections across the country, said there isnt a place in the discussion of Jan. 6 for defending the point of view of both sides. Too many cowards out there wont stand up and shout the truth, he tweeted. Brian Coy, a spokesman for UVA, said there is nothing in the universitys code of conduct that limits faculty from engaging in expression that is protected under the First Amendment. Free expression and exchange of ideas is a core value of our university from its very founding, Coy said. Last month, UVAs board of visitors endorsed a statement on free expression, saying: All views, beliefs and perspectives deserve to be articulated and heard free from interference. Ken Stroupe, chief of staff for the Center for Politics, said its a dangerous place for political parties to call out the opinions of academics that are protected by the First Amendment. This is not what political parties in America should stand for, Stroupe said. I was so surprised in my 40s to learn that what I thought I knew about the Bible was gravely misinformed, and I just want young people to be aware that in every faith tradition there is a progressive faith that has searched the sacred texts and has created an open space for queer identities, he said, adding that he felt safe to come out thanks in part to affirming theology. Young said his nonprofit aims to empower and provide resources for young LGBTQ people, who often face rejection and shaming at home, at schools and in their faith communities. He said the group has grown to more than 400 members and expanded its social media presence during the pandemic to tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. TikTok is a platform that has enabled us to reach digital natives, Gen Z, he said about the generation born after 1996. Unlike other youth ministries that exist, we started digital, we were born in the cloud, Young added. And we were born during the pandemic, where the only way people had to connect was through digital means, so that really gave us the foresight and sensitivity to pay attention to where kids are hanging out. The voice of Islam There is One Holy Book, the Sacred Manuscript of Nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader. All scriptures before nature's manuscript are as little pools of water before the ocean. Hazrat Inayat Khan, founder, Sufi Order International If you see an injustice, transform it by your hand. If you cannot by hand, transform it by your tongue. If you cannot by tongue, transform it in your heart. The Prophet Muhammad I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself with me that I can no longer call myself a man, a woman, an angel, or even pure Soul. Love has befriended Hafiz so completely. It has turned to ash and freed me of every concept and image my mind has ever known. from The Gift by Hafiz Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesnt make any sense. Jalal al-Din Rumi Voices from the Hindu tradition * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Landmarks_and_legacies featured Betty Kimble helped break down racial barriers in Denton Jeff Woo/DRC Lifelong Denton resident Betty Kimble stands by her likeness in the Foundation of Our History mural on Robertson Street earlier this week. Kimble helped bridge the eras of racial segregation and desegregation in Denton. Betty Clark Kimble has lived on Lakey Street in Southeast Denton for nearly 90 years. She graduated from Dentons Fred Douglass High School in 1949, long before Denton schools desegregated. We got a good education with raggedy books handed down from Denton High School. The school was leaking when I graduated, she recalled. So they sent us to St. Emmanuel Baptist Church to graduate. The Fred Douglass school produced teachers, nurses and doctors. Kimbles great-grandfather Tom Cook was born into slavery in 1840 in South Carolina. He moved to Texas, gaining his freedom on Juneteenth, June 19, 1865. He and his wife, Lettie, were listed in the 1880 census with eight children. Cook opened a blacksmith shop at a location now being excavated in Bolivar. He was respected for his blacksmithing, his willingness to help settlers in times of danger and his position as a minister. After Cooks 1898 death, Kimbles grandmother Kitty Clark sold the blacksmith shop and moved to Oakland Street, then to Congress Street on the edge of Quakertown, a Black city within a city, in Denton. When the city of Denton forced residents of Quakertown to move outside the city limits in 1921, Clark moved to Lakey Street in what is now Southeast Denton. After graduation, Kimble attended Texas College in Tyler, a Christian Methodist Episcopal college for African American students excluded from Texas segregated university system. I was born a Methodist, Kimble said. Ive been Methodist all my life. After marrying W.M. Kimble in Fort Worth in 1950, Betty Kimble transferred to North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas, studying education and voice. Kimble also worked as a maid in NTSCs Chilton Hall. She stopped her education just shy of completing her degree because work and school compromised her health. Kimble raised the couples two daughters. The couple bought a lot three houses down from where Kimble grew up on Lakey Street. Kimbles husband completed his degree in business at NTSC. He sold insurance and commuted to an office in Dallas. Denton was still segregated in 1960. Just after Kimbles brother got out of the service, they went to a drive-in restaurant. We ordered hamburgers, and it wasnt long before the server came back and said she couldnt serve us, she remembered. I was so mad. The drive-in soon went out of business. Stores on the Square sold clothing to Black people without allowing them to try on garments to see if they fit. We couldnt sit at the counter to eat at Brooks Drugstore, Kimble recalled. We could buy an ice cream cone, but we couldnt eat it there. The Lord makes a way, Kimble laughed. Blacks worked in all these places, and we knew who to talk to. Sometimes they even gave us a little extra. We couldnt even go to the picture shows, Kimble recalled. We could go in the back door of the Dreamland Theatre and go up the stairs to the balcony during the week. The midnight show on Saturday nights was the only time we could sit where the white people sat. The Denton Womens Interracial Fellowship began in 1963 just as national news chronicled daily protests and violence related to desegregation. Kimble was an early core member of the group. The women wanted to ease Denton schools into desegregation, but they ended up doing much more. By design, the interracial fellowship was composed of roughly equal numbers of Black and white women with coequal leaders. The first meeting was awkward, but by the second meeting, members of the Presbyterian church obtained a Black-white dialogue from the national church. Kimble read the part of the Black woman, and Ann Barnett read the part of the white woman. The group clicked when the dialogue prompted Kimble to tell what it was like to speak up when a white woman tried to push ahead of her with a store clerk. Women in the fellowship were kind; they were there for a purpose, Kimble recalled. She remembers Trudi Foster as the main one who got things done. Southeast Denton didnt have paved roads, which means residents didnt have curbs, drainage or street numbers. They also didnt have trash pickup, and the handful of streetlights had to be switched on manually. Foster addressed the City Council because Black people couldnt go to council meetings in 1965. Foster relentlessly challenged the council to pave Southeast Denton streets. After desegregation, the transition from Fred Moore school to Denton High was tough for Kimbles daughters. The fellowship and teachers helped, and both daughters finished. One daughter won a spelling bee when she was at Denton High. We went to hotels and restaurants in groups and broke things down, Kimble recalled. I went to the Holiday Inn with Ella Jones. I was nervous, afraid they would reject me. I dont remember what I ate, but our service was perfect. The Ku Klux Klan showed up outside the NAACP annual banquet at the Civic Center sometime around 1965. Kimble remembered: P.J. Brotherton went outside and saw the Klan members. He was a veteran and one of the guards who stood at President John F. Kennedys funeral. By the time the program was over, the Klan was gone. In the summertime, the fellowship had get-togethers and picnics. The last gathering Kimble remembers was at Trudis house. We sat around her pool, just us ladies, she said. By then, most of our kids were in college. We became lifelong friends. After working for Texas Instruments for 21 years, Kimble started volunteering to help the elderly, eventually working part time at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and American Legion Hall in Southeast Denton. Betty Kimball still lives on Lakey Street where she was born. After the city moved residents from Quakertown, people stayed together and helped each other. Southeast Denton is a neighborhood where everybody works together, she concluded. It is a great community. Were zooming up on the start of school. Im super excited Washington State University is going to completely be back to normal, with no restrictions. That is the appropriate response to the end of the pandemic, and it is a statement against irrational fear, and pro-science. COVID-19 has now Alabama should build a more equitable and inclusive future by using federal COVID-19 relief money for transformational investments in public health and economic opportunity, according to a letter that 42 churches and organizations across the state sent to Gov. Kay Ivey this week. Alabama Arise is among the groups that co-signed the letter. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will provide Alabama $2.3 billion of federal assistance for education and other vital services. Local governments across the state will receive another $1.7 billion. Affordable housing, education, nutrition and public transportation are a few key areas of need identified in the letter. The letter urges Alabama to use ARPA funds to expand Medicaid, increase broadband internet access in underserved areas and increase funding for child care, early childhood education and mental health care, among other investments. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) A Florida judge agreed Friday to delay a case in which a Republican congressional candidate claims a GOP rival stalked her and discussed a plot to have her killed. Pinellas County Circuit Judge Doneene Loar rescheduled the case of candidate Anna Paulina Luna for Sept. 14. Luna is seeking the District 13 congressional seat being vacated by Democrat Charlie Crist, who is running for governor. The district covers Pinellas County, including St. Petersburg. Luna and GOP activist Erin Olszewski are seeking a permanent restraining order barring William Braddock from having any contact with them. Braddock is another GOP congressional candidate who allegedly indicated in text messages and a recorded call that he wanted Luna dead. "I do not feel safe and I am currently in fear for my life from Mr. Braddock," Luna said in her petition. Braddock has previously denied the accusations and has not been charged with a crime. He did not speak during Friday's brief video conference hearing. Loar, however, reminded Braddock that a temporary restraining order prohibiting contact with Luna and Olszewski remains in effect. "This will be the final continuance on Mr. Braddock's behalf," Loar said. TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) A council member using a saw cut into a 115-year-old Confederate memorial at the center of historic Tuskegee on Wednesday but failed to topple it, marking the latest move in a push to remove the contentious monument from the nearly all-Black Alabama town. Johnny Ford, a former mayor whose City Council district includes the park where the monument is located, said he took action because constituents voted in a public meeting last week in favor of removing the rebel memorial, which has been the subject of complaints and a target for vandals on and off for years. Using a lift to reach the statue of a Confederate soldier atop a stone pedestal, Ford said he sawed into a leg of the memorial, which was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The group has refused to take down the statue even though Tuskegee, a town of 8,100, is 97% Black and known internationally as a home of Black empowerment. Ford said he stopped cutting when Sheriff Andre Brunson showed up and asked him to quit. But Ford said the fight isnt over. We cant have a Confederate statue which represents slavery standing up in the middle of our town, Ford said in an interview with The Associated Press. Assistant State Attorney Chris Killoran said that is the same situation faced by defendants who come into the courthouse daily. What makes you special? Killoran asked. The judge did not allow Lambert to answer the question, the newspaper reported. He instead noted he had already shown mercy to Lambert during his August 2019 sentencing hearing. Gonzalez, 51 at the time of the arrest, had been accused of stealing beer from a gas station convenience store, according to testimony during the trial. The lead deputy who responded to the scene was prepared to let Gonzalez go with a warning. But obscenities were exchanged and a grainy surveillance video showed Gonzalez approach the deputies. While the video was not clear as to whether Lambert pushed or punched Gonzalez, jurors later said it was excessive force either way, the SunSentinel reported. Gonzalez fell to the ground. He was left with a swollen black eye and multiple facial fractures. Lambert, a 15-year Broward Sheriffs Office veteran, faced three years in prison. The judge converted it into four years probation and the token jail sentence. Lamberts attorney, Eric Schwartzreich, appealed the conviction and the sentence, but the Fourth District Court of Appeal found no reversible errors. The judge said Lamberts probation sentence will begin Thursday. He will be expected to report to jail in mid-February for one weekend. A positive test in the ER confirmed RSV. The infant developed a rapid heart rate and had to be hospitalized overnight. His 16-month-old sister, Lulabelle, also contracted the virus but was not as sick and didn't need hospitalization. St. John said she wondered if it might be COVID-19 because it's the wrong season for RSV. "I can't say I was relieved, because I know RSV is just as bad,'' she said. Children infected with either virus usually develop only mild illness but for some, these infections can be serious. Among U.S. kids under age 5, RSV typically leads to 2 million doctor-office visits each year, 58,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 deaths higher than the estimated toll on kids from COVID-19. Among adults aged 65 and up, RSV can lead to pneumonia and causes almost 180,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths yearly. Cases in kids and adults usually occur in fall through early spring. Off-season cases in Australia were a tip-off that the same might happen in the United States, said Dr. Larry Kociolek, an infectious disease specialist with Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital. The Justice Department is continuing its investigation into the killing of Emmett Till, the Black teenager whose slaying 65 years ago in Mississippi sparked outrage and illustrated the brutality of racism in the segregated South. The department's latest report on civil rights cold cases, released late last month, lists three investigations dating back decades that were closed because witnesses or suspects have died, leads went nowhere or cases were too old to prosecute, but the Till case wasn't among them. Relatives of Till said they didn't know of anyone in the family who'd received official notification that the review had ended, a key step in the department's process. Thats all we know, that its still open, family member Marvel Parker said Friday. Her husband, Wheeler Parker, was with Till the night he was taken from a family home at gunpoint. The youth's brutalized body was later pulled from a river, where it had been weighted down with a cotton gin fan. Some news outlets reported last year that the investigation had ended. Three local students were among a group of 100 who earned a $1,000 scholarship awarded through the competitive Alfa Foundation Scholarship Program. Houston County recipients are: Gillian Bailey is a Dothan High School graduate and a freshman at Troy University studying biomedical sciences. Grayson Clark Crowley is a Rehobeth High School graduate and a senior at Auburn University studying agricultural science. Hannah Seales is a Rehobeth High School graduate and a freshman at Auburn University studying interior design. These students represent the future of our state and our nation, and we are proud to invest in their education, said Alfa Insurance President Jimmy Parnell. We feel certain well see a great return on this investment, because our scholarship recipients go on to do great things. The 2021 crop of scholarship recipients hail from 47 counties and are studying at 15 different institutions of higher learning. The program is administered through Scholarship America, which selects recipients based on academics, participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience and future goals. To be successful in the role, he believes its important to continue thinking like a representative only being a speaker means answering to other members as well. The main thing for any legislator is being responsive to constituents, Clouse said. I always respond to a request whether I can help deliver on it or not. The same thing applies to leading the House to be able to help other members help their constituents in their districts. And if theyre effective, the whole body is effective. As Alabamas economy remains in good standing, Clouse said it is important to remain focused on state budgets the Education Trust Fund and the general fund as the states financial situation could change on a dime due to spending or a downturn in the economy. One of the top states top funding issues is prisons. Today, state officials and lawmakers, including Clouse, who is on a subcommittee dealing with prisons, seek to find a solution to deal with overcrowding and other issues under the radar of the federal government. The prison projects will likely cost Alabama billions to fix. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} I think were going to have to pass a bond issue, Clouse said a day after attending an important committee meeting. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Attorneys for the man accused of killing 17 people at a Florida high school in 2018 want a judge to close all future hearings to the media and the public to ensure a fair trial. A motion filed Thursday by lawyers for Nikolas Cruz says news coverage of pretrial hearings could instill bias among prospective jurors in the death penalty case. For example, they say, the hearings could discuss evidence later found inadmissible at Cruz's trial. Hearings for Cruz, 22, have drawn extensive news coverage since his arrest in the Valentine's Day 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In addition to the 17 fatal shootings of students and staff, 17 other people were wounded. Closure is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice, wrote Broward County Public Defender Gordon Weekes and other defense lawyers in a motion. Public disclosure of inadmissible evidence is detrimental to the truth-seeking function of a criminal trial, they added. The Broward state attorney's office will oppose the defense effort to close the pretrial hearings. spokeswoman Paula McMahon said in an email Friday. She said prosecutors will respond in their own court filing. The courthouse, which was completed in 1928 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, is where most civil cases are heard and contains some administrative offices. Separate courthouses for criminal, children's and family cases are not affected. Workers only recently returned to the building after working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Court operations will go back to a remote format until the safety concerns are addressed. The court planned to notify people with upcoming court proceedings of the changes. They had only been back in that building about a week, Levine Cava said at a Saturday news conference. So they have everything they need to continue to operate remotely and also at other locations, so it should not disrupt substantially. Authorities didn't disclose details about the specific types of repairs that are needed, and they still plan to inspect its basement to determine if additional ones are required. Employees are tested for Covid-19 at Long Rich factory in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/An Phuong. The seven-day self-isolation mandate in neighboring provinces for people arriving from HCMC is giving city companies a headache since many of their workers live there. Some 90 percent of footwear maker Long Rich Vietnams 4,000 workers live in Binh Duong Province and this Thu Duc City-based factory is struggling to run at full capacity since they are required to be isolated for seven days on entering their home province as mandated by the Ministry of Health. Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, head of Long Richs labor union, said the factory is too small to accommodate the 3,600 workers coming from Binh Duong, and that means they could not return for seven days if they go home. "If all of them are isolated, the factory can hardly function." Underwear maker Triumph International in Binh Duong Province has a similar problem but in reverse as half its 3,000 workers live in Thu Duc City and travel between the two localities every day. Without them, the company could not operate, Mai Thi Hong, head of its labor union, said. The Saigon Hi-tech Park in Thu Duc City gets over 19,000 workers every day from Binh Duong another neighboring province, Dong Nai. Some companies there have rented hotel rooms for their workers so that they do not need to leave the city, Le Bich Loan, deputy head of the park, said. "There are many difficulties but factories are trying to resolve them." The park would use training centers for workers to stay while setting up temporary lodging places. Deputy head of the HCMC Labor Union, Ho Xuan Lam, said most factories would have to reduce their production to 30-50 percent and possibly shut down parts of their plants to create space for workers to stay. This is to prevent a total shutdown of the plant should Covid-cases be detected, he said. But localities should start considering creating "green routes" for workers to commute between HCMC and other localities, ensuring they only travel between home and factory, he added. HCMC has recorded nearly 11,000 infections in the latest Covid-19 wave. Credit Suisse has raised the target price of MSN stock of Masan Group to VND137,000, while Mirae Asset Vietnam Securities recommended a target price of VND131,000. In a report released on Wednesday 7 July, Credit Suisse raised MNSs forecast for earnings per share (EPS) in 2021 and 2022 to 38 and 5 percent, respectively. Credit Suisse also raised MSN's target price to VND137,000. The report noted that the prospect of MSN stock is boosted by the recent omni-channel retail-consumer solutions launched by Masan Group, especially the cooperation deal with Alibaba-Baring and Lazada e-commerce platform. Another company, Mirae Asset Vietnam Securities (MASVN), valued MSN shares at a target price of VND131,000. The valuation is based on Masans five business segments: Masan Consumer Holdings (MCH), Masan MEATLife (MML), Masan High-Tech Materials (MSR), Vin Commerce (VCM) and Techcombank (TCB). According to MASVN, MSN's company value is about VND153,000 billion, based on the total value of Masan Group's business segments, less the amount debt at the parent company. Masan owns popular consumer goods brands. Photo by Masan. Previously on July 2, HCMC Securities Company (HSC), a brokerage company with the third largest market share on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE), updated MSN's new target price of VND134,000 per share with purchase recommendation. Ban Viet (VCSC) recommended a target price of VND142,500 per share. Since the beginning of the year, Masan has carried out many M&A deals with investors pouring more than $800 million into its subsidiaries. Masan, on the other hand, spent $15 million buying 20 percent of Phuc Long, a Vietnam's tea and coffee chain, operating Phuc Long kiosk model at VinMart+ stores. As of June, 50 VinMart+ stores have set up Phuc Long kiosks. Each day, this model is expected to generate VND5 million additional sales per day in which VCM has a 20 percent revenue sharing arrangement. Management forecasts 1,100 kiosks will be operational across VinMart+ locations by year end. The additional VND1 million revenue/day (20 percent of VND5 million per day per kiosk) is expected to enhance EBITDA margins by 4 percent for each VinMart+ store that has a Phuc Long Kiosk. The VinMart system has achieved significant growth with the opening of 300-500 new stores this year. Masan plans to increase the number of VinMart+ stores and VinMart supermarkets to 3,000 points of sale. In investment capital deal from Alibaba Group, The CrownX, Masan Group's retail arm, also cooperated with Lazada, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia of Alibaba Group, to promote the digital transformation process and integrated retail market from offline to online in Vietnam. VinCommerce will be the leading necessities retailer on the Lazada e-commerce platform, while VCMs offline stores will be transformed into pick-up points for online orders. A VinMart store. Photo by Masan. Recently, VinMart has piloted a fast delivery service within four hours at 14 supermarkets in HCMC and Hanoi, applying to a list of nearly 2,000 products, including fresh products. The initial phase of the pilot phase has brought positive results. Masan Consumer Holdings Company continues to achieve outstanding business results. MCH's revenue and profit grew at a double-digit rate in the first half of 2021. According to the report of Viet Capital Securities, Masan MEATLife's integrated meat segment, along with the tungsten price (in Masan High-Tech Materials the high-tech industrial materials business) are performing well, raising the total after-tax profit forecast for the period 2021 - 2023 to 46 percent. MSN's stock valuation is also supported by an associate company, Techcombank. Masan Group currently holds more than 20 perecent shares of this bank. As of the end of the trading session on July 5, TCB stock was at VND58,000 per share. Accordingly, Techcombank's capitalization has surpassed VND200,000 billion. A batch of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine donated by the U.S. via Covax arrives at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, July 10, 2021. Photo by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. Two million doses of U.S. firm Modernas Covid-19 vaccine donated by the U.S. through the Covax program arrived in Hanoi early Saturday morning. They are part of the 80 million doses that U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to donate to various countries. Around 41 million will be shared through Covax, with Vietnam being among the Asian beneficiaries, and the rest are meant for "regional priorities and other recipients," also including Vietnam. Speaking at a ceremony marking the arrival, Charge dAffaires, a.i., Christopher Klein, said: "The shipment gives us hope that there is an end in sight to our fight against Covid-19. It gives us hope that we will be able to return to our normal lives," according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. The government last month approved the emergency use of the Moderna vaccine, the fifth after Russia's Sputnik V and those made by the U.S.'s Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech, China's Sinopharm and British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca. Moderna is developed from messenger RNA, or mRNA, which contains instructions for human cells to construct a harmless piece of the coronavirus called the spike protein that triggers an immune response in humans. Some 53 countries and territories have been using it including the U.S., Canada, the European Union, the U.K., Israel, and Singapore. According to the Ministry of Health, about 105 million doses from various sources have been committed for use in Vietnam, where vaccination using the AstraZeneca vaccine began in March. Around four million of the countrys 96 million people have got shots, with 258,274 of them getting both doses. Lee Kwan Young (2nd, R), deputy head of South Korean Association in central Vietnam, is arrested at his residence in Da Nang for bringing in fake foreign experts, July 9, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Bao Nam. Da Nang police have arrested three South Korean men who smuggled their fellow countrymen into Vietnam under the guise of foreign experts. Lee Kwan Young, 53, deputy head of South Korean Association in central Vietnam, Seo Young Jin, 48, director of Han In Hue Co. Ltd and Song Hong Sub, 49, owner of Khan Vina Co. Ltd, have been detained for organizing illegal entry to Vietnam. According to investigators, each has lived and worked in the central city of Da Nang for a while. Taking advantage of Vietnam's policy to let in foreign experts during the pandemic after the nation had closed its border, Lee and Seo organized the immigration of South Koreans from Incheon International Airport to Da Nang. Song took charge of advertising the service online and collecting information about South Koreans who want to enter Vietnam. Lee and Seo took care of the paperwork to have companies in Vietnam use their legal status to sponsor South Koreans to enter Vietnam as foreign experts or investors. The group had taken in South Koreans via this method four different times in December last year, and then in January, February and March this year. Initial investigations show the South Koreans entering Vietnam via this ring were neither experts nor investors, nor included in the list of priority for entry during the Covid-19 pandemic. The three men had admitted to have benefited from the service. Vietnam closed its borders and canceled all international commercial flights on March 25, 2020 and has since only allowed Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts, diplomats, investors and highly-skilled workers along with their parents, spouses and children to enter with stringent conditions related to Covid-19 testing and quarantine. On May 9, Da Nang launched a criminal investigation into a ring that brought foreigners into Vietnam illegally under the cover of experts. The probe began after local police detected two cases where 20 foreigners entered the country on "expert visas" but did not know their guarantors businesses. Da Nang police in June had launched investigations into four directors of four companies that had signed papers to sponsor illegal South Korean entries as experts. So far, eight Vietnamese and one Chinese involved in the ring have also been arrested. People line up for mass coronavirus test in HCMC's Go Vap District, July 6, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Vietnam confirmed 593 new community transmissions of Covid-19 in 11 localities Saturday morning, including 520 in HCMC, raising the nation's tally to 23,075 in two and a half months. Of the new cases in HCMC, 436 are already in quarantine and isolated areas and 84 are being contact traced. Dong Nai Province that borders HCMC recorded 18 cases, comprising 12 people that have come into contact with Covid-19 patients and six cases related to a cluster at Binh Dien wholesale market in HCMC's District 8. The central province of Khanh Hoa registered 15 cases associated with a previously confirmed patient. Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province that borders HCMC reported 11 cases, with six having contact with Covid-19 patients and five returning from HCMC. Mekong Delta's An Giang Province got 10 cases, including four having contact with existing cases. Five others returned from HCMC, and one from the city's neighbor Binh Duong. The central Phu Yen Province recorded eight cases and all are linked to other patients. The southern Binh Phuoc Province got four cases: two having contact with existing cases and two returning from HCMC. Two cases in Hanoi have both had close contact with previously confirmed Covid-19 patients. Two cases in Mekong Delta's Ben Tre Province, two cases in the central province of Thanh Hoa, and one case in the southern Tay Ninh Province are all people returning from HCMC. Vietnam's daily Covid tally hits new high as health ministry warns more to come Police stop residents for paper check at a Covid-19 checkpoint in HCMC's Phu Nhuan District, July 10, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Minh. Vietnam recorded 461 new local Covid-19 cases Saturday night, raising the day's tally to an all-time high of 1,844. Saturday also saw the highest number of localities recording cases, 31. Ho Chi Minh City, the new epicenter of the ongoing fourth coronavirus wave, recorded 200 new cases Saturday night, raising its tally of the day to 1,300, the highest number in a day since the disease broke out, followed by 1,229 on Friday. Of the citys new cases, 147 are already in quarantine and isolated areas while the remaining 53 are being contact traced. Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son told a meeting earlier Saturday the number of Covid-19 infections in the city will continue to increase in the coming days and it could record 10,000 infections in the next five days. To keep up with the fast-rising number of infections, the city would increase its capacity by 6,000 beds for Covid-19 treatment and prepare more ambulances and medical vehicles to transport patients. Currently, the city has 20,000 beds to treat Covid patients. Of 140 confirmed cases in southern industrial hub Binh Duong, 78 are already in isolated areas, 41 having come in close contact with confirmed patients, while 14 returned from coronavirus hotspot HCMC. The remaining seven cases are being contact traced. Of 33 new cases in Long An Province, which borders HCMC, 18 were in close contact with confirmed patients while 13 are related to the cluster at HCMC's Binh Dien wholesale market. The rest are being contact traced. Nineteen new cases in the southern province of Dong Nai and 18 in south central Phu Yen Province had already been isolated following contact tracing. The central province of Quang Ngai reported 14 cases and Khanh Hoa Province 13, with all being put in quarantine facilities. Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap registered eight new cases, with seven having contact with Covid-19 patients and one returning from Long An Province. Five new cases in Hanoi had already been quarantined. Four new cases in the southern province of Binh Phuoc had returned from HCMC while Tay Ninh Province recorded three patients, with two linked to the outbreak in Binh Duong and one related to the cluster in HCMC's Binh Dien wholesale market. The new case in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, a HCMC neighbor, is being contact traced. Binh Dinh, Vinh Phuc and Thai Binh provinces recorded one case each, with all being contained in quarantine zones. Since April 27 when the new wave hit Vietnam, 24,326 infections have been recorded in 58 of the nation's 63 cities and provinces, with HCMC accounting for the most at 11,615. 125 YEARS AGO July 4, 1896: Bicycles seems to be going out of date in Elko. Buggies are taking their place. Will E. Wines and Miss Emma McDermott were married in the I.O.G.T. hall, Lamoille Valley, Wednesday. The FREE PRESS extends warmest congratulations to the young couple. See that your hose is attached to the mains, and that your water buckets are full. Everything is dry as tinder and there will be some firecrackers set off to-day, even if Elko doesnt have a celebration. Put up your flags to-day. 100 YEARS AGOJuly 6, 1921: Thirsty people will in the near future be able to moisten their parched throats without going into some place of business and requesting a drink. The new city council has authorized the installation of two drinking fountains and the water company is busy getting them installed. One will be erected on the corner near the law office of Senator Henderson and Morley Griswold and the other will be located on the corner near the Free Press office. This is a step in the right direction and will be appreciated by those who have long felt the need for such an improvement. The United States fell just short of President Bidens goal of getting at least one dose of covid-19 vaccine to 70% of American adults by the Fourth of July. There is now concern that the US vaccination effort is stalling with little proof that the various incentives are affecting those hesitant about getting a shot. As of Tuesday 6 July 67.1% of American adults had received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine, with just 47.5% of the total population fully vaccinated. With this in mind the Biden administration is searching for new ways to encourage people to get the vaccine. Speaking from the White House on Tuesday, Biden said: Were going to put even more emphasis on getting vaccinated in your community, close to home, conveniently, at a location youre already familiar with. Biden promises door-to-door vaccination effort In response to the disappointing news that the country had fallen short of his target. Biden announced that he would be stepping up the US vaccination strategy and involve local volunteers like faith leaders, medical professionals and various community organisations. He told those in attendance: "We need to go to community-by-community, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood and, often times, door-to-door, literally knocking on doors to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus. In addition to the national effort Biden also promised to provide resources to assist in areas where vaccine hesitancy is at its highest. These so-called surge teams will be coordinated by the White House and assigned to states requesting additional help. This could include tracking outbreaks and speeding up the testing process, or could simply mean offering extra help with the public messaging. South Carolina governor accuses Biden of intimidating and pressuring residents Unsurprisingly the federal initiative has been met with little support from Republican-led states who claim that the government is overstepping by promising to enter states to boost the vaccination effort. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has written a letter to his states Board of Health and Environmental Control, accusing Biden of enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring the vaccine-hesitant into getting a shot. He added: The prospect of government vaccination teams showing up unannounced or unrequested at the door of targeted homeowners or on their property will further deteriorate the publics trust and could lead to potentially disastrous public safety consequences. However the White House has made clear that the people going door-to-door to assist with the roll-out would not be federal agents, and would instead be members of the local community looking to make a difference. The Presidents covid-19 coordinator, Jeff Zients, hit back at Republican lawmakers: "I would say, for those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of 'trusted messenger' work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, save lives, and help end this pandemic. The Biden administration took another bite out of the backlog of pending petitions for student loan forgiveness, giving another $55.6 million in relief to 1,800 students who were defrauded by three for-profit institutions. This brings the total to over $1.5 billion the Department of Education has canceled. The Biden administration inherited numerous claims under the borrower defense to repayment statute, some dating back to the Obama administration, that piled up under the Trump administration. Measures put into place by the Obama administration to place the burden onto schools and streamline the process for students were undone under former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Federal loans pardoned for 1,800 students of three defunct schools The Department of Education announced on Friday that 1,800 students who attended Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty and the Court Reporting Institute would have their federal student loans fully forgiven. This follows the approval of more than $1.5 billion in loan forgiveness for nearly 90,000 held by former ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges students in recent months. Westwood College The bulk of the forgiven debt, around $53 million, will go to 1,600 former students of Westwood College which shuttered in 2015. The school had campuses from coast to coast, is accused of widespread misrepresentations about the ability of students to transfer credits. This forced students who transferred to other institutions to restart their studies from scratch at a different school. The Department of Education also claims that the institution misled students in its criminal justice program about the prospect of employment as police officers in Illinois upon graduation. Credits from the school were not accepted by the Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies forcing students to accept minimum wage jobs or jobs that required no degree at all, leaving them worse off for having attended the school. Marinello Schools of Beauty More than $2.2 million in loan forgiveness was granted to over 200 former students of Marinello Schools of Beauty. The Department found that between 2009 and 2016, when the institution closed, students were misled about the type of instruction that would be offered. Borrowers claim that the schools failed to teach them key elements of a cosmetology program, like cutting hair. Additionally, the institution would leave students without in instructors for weeks or months at a time. This made it difficult for the students to pass necessary state licensing tests in order to earn a living from their education. Court Reporting Institute The agency approved 18 claimants request to cancel around $340,000 in student loan debt acquired at the Court Reporting Institute. The majority of students were never able to complete the program according to the Education Department. Only about two to six percent of students at the schools three locations in Washington, California, and Idaho graduated, and those that did finish the program took much longer to do so than the institution claimed. China's experiences have pepped up the world, especially developing countries Wang Mingmei, a farmer in Miaowan township in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, gathers shiitake mushrooms at a greenhouse. [Photo by Chen Jia/China Daily] China's achievements in reducing poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects have manifested the outstanding leadership of the Communist Party of China, foreign experts, scholars and overseas Chinese have said. On July 1, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, announced that China has realized its first centenary goal 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, and we are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects," Xi, also the Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said at a ceremony marking the CPC centenary. China's confidence-boosting stories have pepped up the world, especially developing countries, in their cause of poverty reduction, and its experience is worth learning from, according to the experts, who also expressed their full confidence that China will undoubtedly realize its second centenary goal. Hamed Vafaei, head of the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Tehran, said China has realized the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which has demonstrated the wisdom of the CPC. The expert said China's extraordinary progress led by the CPC deserves in-depth study by international scholars, and is especially worth learning for some developing countries. Carla Oliva, an international relations expert at the National University of Rosario in Argentina, said that during the 100 years since its founding, the CPC has attained unparalleled achievements, led the Chinese people to score a victory against poverty and accomplished the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which are the result of the whole Party's hard work and tenacity. Oliva said she believes that under the strong leadership of the CPC, China will for sure accomplish its second centenary goal. 'Unprecedented leap' Tursunali Kuziev, a professor at Uzbek University of Journalism and Mass Communications, said the CPC has fulfilled its solemn promises to the Chinese people by building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, casting off absolute poverty in a historic development. This is an unprecedented great leap in Chinese history, injecting confidence and momentum of development into a world shrouded in the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kuziev, who firmly believes that under the CPC's leadership, China's second centenary goal will definitely be fulfilled. Zhu Yuke, an official in the Federation of Overseas Chinese and Chinese Youth in Russia, said the world had witnessed the great growth of China from poverty to prosperity under the leadership of the CPC. Zhu noted that the CPC led the Chinese people to overcome challenges and difficulties last year, from the flooding disaster to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Facing the challenges, China led the world in curbing the spread of the epidemic, becoming the first major economy in the world to achieve positive economic growth, and achieved the successful conclusion of its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20)," Zhu said. "All the fruitful achievement would not have been achieved without the leadership of the CPC as well as the sacrifice of over 95 million CPC members." Deng Changwu, vice-president of the Kenya Overseas Chinese Association, said the CPC has led the Chinese people in turning an impoverished country into a strong and prosperous nation over a century's arduous efforts. This is a great, hard-won achievement, Deng said. "Although China faces various challenges in its development, including some anti-China forces from Western nations, we are firmly confident that the 100-year-old CPC will renew its past glory and lead the Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and challenges and realize the dream of national revival," Deng said. Xinhua, Ren Qiin Moscow and Liu Hongjiein Beijing contributed to this story. China is emerging as a global artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse, second only to the United States, according to a report released on July 8. The country moved up one spot in the rankings, according to the 2020 Global AI Innovation Index Report, which was published during the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in east Chinas Shanghai. The US was way ahead of the 45 other surveyed countries in AI innovation capacity, with a score of 66.31, said the report co-drafted by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China and Peking University. As the only developing country among the 10 top-ranking countries, China outperformed the other developed countries in this aspect, as it has been accelerating efforts in building data infrastructure, making technological breakthroughs and expanding its talent pool, the report said. South Korea ranked third in the category, followed by Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Israel, Japan, and France. In four key indicators, China was deemed excellent in AI infrastructure, AI research and development and AI industrial application, ranking No. 4, No. 3 and No. 3, respectively. But it was in eighth place for AI innovation resource and environment. Infrastructure is essential to AI R&D and application, and China secured first spot in the list of countries in terms of supercomputer centers. As of July 2020, 226 of the countrys supercomputer centers had entered the global top 500 list, twice the number of the US. In the field of AI R&D, Chinese scholars were the most prolific in the world in 2019, releasing 55,200 AI-related papers, including 3,555 in top academic journals and meetings. A total of 57,600 AI patents were filed and 16,500 were granted, putting them in first place worldwide in both fields. As a competitive industrial player, China had 823 AI companies with at least ten workers by September 2020, ranking second globally. Chinese AI companies had obtained a total investment of more than $37.7 billion, the worlds second highest. However, China lagged in AI education. The country was only capable of cultivating 17 top AI scholars for every 1 million university students, while Luxembourg, the worlds No. 1 in this category, was able to train 567. For every one million Chinese workers, only 290 worked in the AI industry, which was far below the 7,133 AI practitioners in Singapore, which topped this category. One soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was killed in Donbas over the past day, while one more was wounded and two received combat injuries, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has said. "Over the past day, July 9, some 13 ceasefire violations were recorded in the area of the Joint Forces Operation. As a result of enemy shelling, one soldier from the Joint Forces was injured incompatibly with life. In addition, one soldier was wounded, two more got combat injuries. The soldiers were taken to a hospital. Their health condition is satisfactory," the morning report of the JFO headquarters on Facebook says. Groysman: there can be no strategic cooperation between Ukraine and China - our interests do not coincide The leader of the Ukrainian Strategy of Groysman political party, former Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman notes that so far Ukraine cannot have strategic interests with China, and politicians who congratulated the Communist Party of China on its 100th anniversary should either admit themselves communists, or "withdraw" their congratulations. Groysman said on the air of Espreso TV Channel that Ukraine is one of the countries that suffered the most from the communist regime, and millions of people laid down their lives in the fight against communism. "You and me, our ancestors, have been fighting the communist regime for 100 years, and for 30 years we have been fighting for our future in Europe, but now I see politicians who congratulate the Chinese Communist Party on its 100th anniversary, especially the ruling Servant of the People! This is a political schizophrenia, unfortunately. I demand that every politician who sings odes to the Communist Party of China either honestly come out and recognize himself as a communist related to the totalitarian regime, or withdraw his congratulations," Groysman said. According to the politician, China is and remains a trade partner of Ukraine, but there can be no strategic cooperation with China yet. Groysman also added that one should not expect serious investments from China, and Ukraine's place is "in the league of strong, democratic European states." The Sea Breeze-2021 multinational military exercise, which began on June 28, has ended. "Sea Breeze-2021 training has ended! All assigned tasks have been completed in full," Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neizhpapa said on Facebook. "Ships from Exercise Sea Breeze-2021 have returned to Odesa for their final brief! Job well done! Tomorrow the exercise will be officially over and the ships will be headed to Bulgarian lead exercise Breeze!" the press service of the Sea Breeze exercises said on Twitter. The Sea Breeze exercise took place from June 28 to July 10 in the Black Sea region. Ukraine and the United States jointly conducted the exercise with the participation and support of 32 countries. The Aviation of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine this year has received the fifth out of 28 helicopters under a contract with the French company Airbus Helicopters, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said. "Today, the National Guard has already in its arsenal four modern French aircraft. Their pilots have passed theoretical and practical training abroad. The helicopters perform civil protection tasks on the territory of Ukraine. In particular, they are involved in the operational movement of the National Guard personnel over long distances, performing certain tasks, evacuation of the sick and wounded, search and rescue measures. We make the country service-oriented to people and even safer," he said. The minister stressed that this is the fourth H-225 helicopter, which will begin to perform combat missions by units of the National Guard of Ukraine. He also noted that the contract with Airbus Helicopters for the supply of 55 helicopters is being successfully implemented, and by the end of 2021 Ukraine will receive 28 helicopters as part of the formation and development of the aviation security system of the Interior Ministry. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov has denied information about weakening sanctions against the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, MP Viktor Medvedchuk, and urged MPs not to try to "resolve" the issue of lifting restrictive measures. "The sanctions imposed against Medvedchuk are in full force. The information that is purposefully disseminated in the media about the alleged weakening of the sanctions regime against Medvedchuk and his assets, or the fact that "the sanctions do not work" is a deliberate disinformation of the society, is not true," Danilov said on Facebook. The NSDC secretary also stressed that the information disseminated by some media about "the alleged purchase of a network of fuel filling stations, which belongs to Medvedchuk, by one of commercial structures" is also untrue. "All processes in terms of compliance with and implementation of the sanctions legislation are exclusively in the legal field, and not in the "undercover" regime, as the "creators" of the corruption-oligarchic system are accustomed to," Danilov said. He also advised "certain political entities, in particular, members of parliament, not to try to "resolve" the issue of lifting or easing sanctions in their usual way. "In addition, just as attempts to avoid paying taxes lead "Ukrainian" businessmen to the need to own even pencils and linen - through offshore companies, so an attempt to avoid sanctions is a phenomenon of the same order. Therefore, our law enforcement officers will always be grateful to journalists and caring citizens for help in search and return of assets of persons being under Ukrainian sanctions," the NSDC secretary summed up. As reported, MPs Viktor Medvedchuk and Taras Kozak (the Opposition Platform - For Life faction) on May 11 were notified of suspicion of treason and attempted plunder of national resources in Russian-occupied Crimea. According to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, the suspicion concerns three episodes of illegal activity and cooperation with the aggressor country. The former presidential candidate in Belarus, opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has said that she had an informal meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Lithuania two days ago. Tikhanovskaya said in an interview with Segodnya, she remains in touch with the representatives of Ukraine. "Yes, we remain in touch, of course, with representatives of the Ukrainian government. I met once online with Mr. Kuleba, the day before yesterday we met with Mr. Zelensky at an event in Lithuania," Tikhanovskaya said. "We had no official meetings, but you know how much we feel Ukraine's support," she stressed. "You accepted so many Belarusians - tens of thousands of Belarusians. Ukraine helps both with employment and legalization of Belarusians. That is, in every possible way it makes a step towards us, but they understand Belarusians, because they themselves have gone through this. And even if there have not been official meetings at the highest level yet, we feel this daily support. And the fact that Ukraine joins the EU sanctions indicates that Ukraine is with the Belarusian people," she added. As reported, Zelensky was in Lithuania on a working visit on July 6-7. A rescue worker is seen as search-and-rescue efforts resume the day after the managed demolition of the remaining part of Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Florida (Photo : REUTERS/Marco Bello) The death toll in the collapse of an Miami-area condominium tower rose to 79 on Friday after workers extracted 14 more bodies from the ruins and said they had reduced the pile of debris down nearly to ground level. The recovery left 61 people still missing and feared dead in the concrete and steel rubble of the 12-story oceanfront building in Surfside, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told an afternoon news conference. Advertisement The number of missing could change as it remains possible that not all were in the building when it abruptly crumbled to the ground in the early morning hours of June 24. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the disaster. Crews working around the clock for 16 days have cut the size of the debris pile from four or five stories to nearly ground level, with some at below-ground level. The pace at which crews were finding the dead has accelerated since teams demolished a still-standing section of the building over the weekend, allowing greater access inside the ruins and more use of heavy equipment. Levine Cava said a cat named Binx that had been living on the ninth floor of the building before it caved in had been found alive in the area, calling the discovery after more than two weeks "a small bit of good news." A debate has already sprung up among members of the stricken community over what to do with the site where the Champlain Towers South once stood, with attorneys for some of the victims' family members suggesting it should be a memorial to the dead. Investigators have not determined what caused the Champlain Towers South to fall apart without warning. Attention has been focused on a 2018 engineering report that warned of structural deficiencies. Following the collapse residents of a nearby condominium, Crestview Towers, were told to leave after engineers found serious concrete and electrical problems. They have not been allowed to return as city officials try to determine if the building can be stabilized. Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk walks next to a screen showing an image of Tesla Model 3 car during an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, China (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song) Does Elon Musk control Tesla Inc or does Tesla control Elon Musk? More than $2 billion hinges on that question as a trial kicks off on Monday. Shareholders allege that Musk used his control of Tesla to force the company in 2016 to rescue SolarCity, saving the solar panel maker - and Musk's investment in the company - from bankruptcy. Advertisement The union pension funds and asset managers leading the case want Musk to repay to Tesla the cost of the $2.6 billion deal and to disgorge the profits on his SolarCity stock. If they win, it would be one of the largest judgments against an individual. The two-week trial in the Court of Chancery in Wilmington, Delaware, will boil down to whether Musk, who owned about 22% of Tesla at the time of the deal, is that rare controlling stockholder who does not hold a majority stake. "I think it's going to be very hard for the court to ignore the reality that Elon Musk is Elon Musk and his relationship with Tesla," said Ann Lipton, a professor at Tulane University Law School. She said the case might present an unusual situation given Musk's celebrity status, his personal ties to Tesla board members and those board members' financial ties to SolarCity. "Put it all together, and it might be enough to count as a controlling shareholder," she said. Few executives dominate their company's image as much Musk, known for taunting regulators, battling naysayers and personally engaging with his 57 million Twitter followers. "We are highly dependent on the services of Elon Musk, Technoking of Tesla and our Chief Executive Officer," said Tesla's 2020 annual report. Plaintiffs allege that Musk drove the negotiations and even pushed Tesla's board to raise, not lower, the price for SolarCity. A higher price benefited Musk, who was the largest shareholder of SolarCity, with a stake of about 22%, as well as four members of Tesla's board, who directly or indirectly owned SolarCity stock, according to court records. Board members settled allegations against them last year for $60 million and did not admit to any fault. Plaintiffs also allege the deal benefited two of Musk's cousins who founded SolarCity, saving a company that was rapidly running low on cash. Musk has said he was "fully recused" from board negotiations and that shareholders voted to approve the deal because it was central to his "Master Plan, Part Deux" that aims to integrate sustainable solar energy with electric self-driving cars. He has said that what plaintiffs see as evidence of control is little more than strong management. "Taken to its natural conclusion, virtually all 'hands-on' and 'inspirational' CEOs with minority stock ownership would be deemed controllers," Musk's lawyers wrote in a court filing. If Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights determines Musk was a controlling shareholder, it will fall to Musk to prove the SolarCity deal met the high bar of the "entire fairness" standard, which examines process and price, said legal experts. Musk has noted in court papers that the SolarCity deal has been a huge success for Tesla shareholders, demonstrating the deal was not only fair, but a boon. After Tesla split its stock 5-1 in 2020, it has risen to $652 on Thursday from near $37 a share when the deal closed in November 2016. "If the vice chancellor thinks this deal was awful and was not effectively negotiated on behalf of the company, he'll strike it down," said Larry Hamermesh, a professor at Delaware Law School. Samuel Warburg, a regional spokesman for the US State Department, said on Friday the US is ready to provide political and technical support to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue. His remarks came a day after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a session on the GERD dispute, during which Egypt and Sudan highlighted their grave concerns over the impact of the dam on their peoples in case an agreement on filling and operating the dam is not reached. Despite the concerns and objections of the two downstream countries, Ethiopia notified them last week that it started the second phase of filling the mega dam without a legally-binding agreement, a step that was highly condemned by Egypt and Sudan. All the countries at the UNSC session agreed on the great importance of the GERD issue to the region in general and almost all states saw that the African Union would be the most suitable organization to manage the GERD discussions, Warburg told Al-Jazeera channel. He said all the countries at the session, including the US, expressed readiness to provide political and technical support to the three countries in the issue. The US will urge all parties to come to the table and resume dialogue with the help of the observers, the United States, the European Union and the African side, Warburg said. The spokesman said the incumbent US administration attaches great importance to the GERD issue, including through appointing the experienced Jeffrey Feltman as a special envoy to the Horn of Africa. He said the US reviews the GERD dispute as a geopolitical dispute around water and development. Warburg, however, said the GERD can be a source of cooperation and coordination among the three countries instead of being a source of tensions in the region, given the vitality of Nile water to all the parties. In the UNSC meeting, members called on Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to complete their GERD talks, under the umbrella of the AU, in good faith and away from any unilateral action to reach the desired agreement. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the meeting that Cairo will have to uphold and protect its inherent right to life if its water rights are harmed and Egypts existence is threatened. During her speech, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi spoke on how the GERD is considered a threat to her countrys Roseires Dam if Ethiopia continues the second filling unilaterally without a legally-binding agreement. On Friday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the GERD can be a source of cooperation between the three states, reassuring the Egyptian and Sudanese people that they will never be harmed due to the GERD filling. The filling will only take a small amount of the water flow, Ahmed said in a statement published in Arabic on his social media account, adding that the Sudanese Roseires Dam will not face huge fluctuations in the flow. Short link: Senegals President Macky Sall said finding a radical solution to the GERD crisis between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will be on top of the African Unions (AU) priorities in 2022 during his countrys presidency of the grouping. At a meeting with Egypts Trade Minister Nevine Gamea in Dakar on Saturday, Sall voiced Senegals full support to the Egyptian peoples eternal rights to the Nile River and the Senegalese endeavour to highlight this support in the events related to the AU and the UN, a statement by the Egyptian trade ministry read. Sall noted that prioritizing a radical solution to the GERD crisis aims to preserve the historic rights of the Egyptian people, affirming that this is the right approach that all parties have to stick to. Rounds of African Union-sponsored talks have reached a deadlock under the presidency of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020 and incumbent chair Antoine Tshisekedi of DR Congo. The two downstream countries have blamed the failure of talks on Ethiopias intransigence and desire to impose fait accompli. As per the request of Egypt and Sudan, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a session on Thursday to discuss GERD. The two countries affirmed that their movements in the UNSC aim to enhance the African track to resume the negotiations and reach a binding solution. Despite the concerns and objections of the two downstream countries, Ethiopia notified them last week that it started the second phase of filling the mega dam without a legally-binding agreement, a step that was highly condemned by Egypt and Sudan. Gamea, Egypts trade minister, delivered a message from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Sall, hailing the level of coordination and continuous communication between the two countries around regional and international issues of mutual concern. Sisi, in the message, expressed Egypts aspiration to work with Senegal to enhance the bilateral relations in various fields with the aim of achieving prosperity of the two countries peoples, Gamea said. Sisis message affirmed Egypts aspiration that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in January, would boost trade exchange between Egypt and the continental states in general and Senegal in particular. Sall expressed appreciation of the special relations gathering Egypt and Senegal and the friendship between the leadership of the two countries. Sall said he looks for fostering the joint work with Egypt to push forward their bilateral relations into broader prospects during the coming period, especially in the economic field. The Senegalese president underscored his countrys aspiration to enhance economic partnership with Egypt and benefit from the great Egyptian experience in numerous development and economic fields as well as the health care field especially the treatment of Hepatitis C Virus patients. He also called for enhancing trade exchange and joint investments between the two countries private sectors. Sall affirmed his preparedness to coordinate with the Egyptian side to launch direct sea and air navigation routes and cancel the need for entry visas to facilitate the entry of their investors to each of the two countries. Short link: Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Aati said the state is ready to deal with any emergency in the water sector, adding that his ministry secures the delivery of water to citizens. Abdel-Aati added that his ministry identifies the rainfall areas via satellites and how water would move towards the dams so as to make the best use of each drop of water. The minister made the remarks during an open dialogue organized by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) on means of managing Egypts water resources amid the water challenges. Abdel-Aati said his ministry exerts great efforts to manage water resources coming from outside the country to guarantee optimizing the use of each drop of water to close the water gap. The modern irrigation methods have positive effect on farmers in terms of productivity and living standards, he said. The minister pointed out to the positive effect of the canal lining project, highlighting its great importance in delivering water to the end of canals. Attending the open dialogue, head of the SCMR Karam Gabr said Egypt would never get thirsty, noting that Cairo would never give up its historical rights to the River Nile water. Egypts rights are preserved, he said, adding that the state has the right of legitimate defense in case its water rights are endangered. Gabr said Egyptians should be confident that their president, who managed to eliminate the Muslim Brotherhood group, would be able to introduce all possible solutions to protect Egypts historical rights in the Nile River water. He pointed out to the important role of media in this stage to mobilize Egyptian society to support the political leadership. The Ethiopian people have the right to development but without harming the historical rights of Egypt and Sudan in the River Nile, he said, adding that there is great Arab support for Egypt and Sudan in this file. Short link: Egypts Health Minister Hala Zayed announced on Saturday the dispatch of over 31 tons of medical aid to Tunisia to support its health sectors efforts to face the coronavirus pandemic. The medical aid comes in accordance with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives highlighting the depth and interdependence of relations between the two countries, a statement by the health ministry said. After its successful campaign against the pandemic last year, Tunisias health system is currently collapsing due to a hike in the number of daily coronavirus infections and deaths, as well as severe shortage of oxygen supplies. On Friday, the north African country recorded 189 deaths, the highest daily toll since the pandemic began last year, and 8,500 new coronavirus cases, raising its tally of infections to 480,000 with more than 16,000 deaths. Egypts shipment of the medical aid will arrive in Tunisia on board two military planes in coordination with the Egyptian Armed Forces, Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed said in the statement. According to Megahed, the items included in the shipment are 1,500 doses of the Remdesivir drug to treat coronavirus patients, 300 medical oxygen cylinders and the same number of regulators, 100 pulse oximeter devices, 40 monitors, 10 high-flow nasal oxygen generators, 200,000 surgical masks, 20,000 high-efficiency masks in addition to 20,000 latex glove boxes. Megahed stressed the importance of maintaining the air bridge between the two countries to transfer medical aid from Egypt to meet the needs of Tunisias health system. So far, according to Reuters, only 715,000 Tunisians have received two doses of vaccine out of a total of 11.6 million residents. Short link: The bodies of the four Egyptians, who were found dead in Cyprus early Sunday morning as the result of a huge forest fire, are expected to be repatriated on Saturday evening, Egypts Minister of Emigration Nabila Makram said. Makram extended her sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for facilitating the reception of the bodies and their accompanying persons and for finalising the relevant procedures, a statement said. Makram also thanked the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, as well as to the Egyptian Embassy in Cyprus, for all the efforts made to follow up the situation and overcome any obstacles encountered in completing the necessary procedures. The minister offered condolences to the victims' families, the statement noted. The victims corpses were found close to Odou, a mountainous village in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, according to Reuters. The blaze, which Cypriot officials described as the "worst and most destructive" in decades, broke out last Saturday morning. The blaze has caused "loss of life" and destroyed property and forest lands, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted earlier last week. Short link: Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Nabila Makram said Saturday that 1,995 stranded Egyptians in the UAE had so far registered themselves on the ministrys online form to return home. In a statement, the Emigration Ministry said that Makram was closely following up the status of the stranded Egyptians in the UAE, especially after announcing on July 8 the launch of an airlift to bring back them home. Coordination is under way with Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anani and Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar to return the Egyptians stranded there, added Makram. This followed Saudi Arabias decision to stop admitting non-citizens amid the lack of information about reopening and travel there, she added. Makram stated as soon as the numbers of Egyptians stranded in the UAE, wishing to return, are registered, coordination will be made with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, to negotiate with tourism companies to discuss the possibility of returning citizens via the same travel agents through which they traveled and to discuss their application. She said stranded Egyptians who traveled via UAE airlines should register their trip details, especially the number of their tickets and the name of the airliner on the ministry's link. Short link: Former South African President Jacob Zuma lost a court bid on Friday to overturn his arrest for contempt of court, days after turning himself in for a 15-month jail term in a case that has tested the post-Apartheid nation's rule of law. "Mr Zuma's concerns about his health are not supported by any evidence," the presiding judge in the Pietermaritzburg High Court said. "The application is dismissed." The Constitutional Court last week ordered Zuma jailed for refusing to give evidence at an inquiry into corruption during his nine years in office from 2009. Zuma has separately challenged his sentence, partly on the grounds of his alleged frail health and risk of catching COVID-19. Mzwanele Manyi, spokesman for Zuma's charitable foundation, said Friday's ruling against the former president was "purely academic", since the application to block his arrest had been made last week but Zuma had since turned himself in on Wednesday night. But the High Court judgment means he must stay in jail until the Constitutional Court hears his application to rescind his sentence on Monday. The ruling came less than an hour after the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed an application by the secretary general of the African National Congress (ANC), Ace Magashule, to have his suspension over corruption charges in a separate case set aside. Both politicians' proceedings are regarded as a test of South Africa's ability to enforce the law fairly - even against powerful politicians - 27 years after the ANC ousted South Africa's white minority rulers to usher in democracy. Magashule told local television station Newzroom Afrika that he would appeal the judgment against him. For Zuma, the jail order has been viewed as the most dramatic chapter yet in his journey from a respected anti-apartheid activist to a politician tainted by charges of sleaze and corruption, all of which he denies. As a member of the ANC when it was a liberation movement, Zuma was jailed by South Africa's white minority government. ANC POWER SHIFTS Zuma's reluctant submission to criminal proceedings, and Magashule's suspension, signal a victory for President Cyril Ramaphosa's efforts to consolidate power over his fractious party. Magashule is aligned with Zuma's ANC faction, which has been the most potent internal force opposing the president. "The oxygen of the loose alliance that makes up (Zuma's) faction within the ANC is slowly being extinguished," political analyst Daniel Silke said. Police Minister Bheki Cele told public broadcaster SABC that law enforcement officers had been ready to step in if Zuma had not turned himself in by a court-ordered deadline. "We were not going to defy the Constitutional Court decision, otherwise that would create anarchy and chaos in the country," he said. Zuma's supporters, however, say he is the victim of a political witch-hunt. An hour before Friday's ruling, a Reuters photographer saw a group of protesters shouting "Zuma!", burning tyres and blocking a road leading to Durban, the main city of Zuma's KwaZulu-Natal province. The corruption inquiry that Zuma has refused to cooperate with is examining allegations he allowed three Indian-born businessmen, Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta, to plunder state resources and peddle influence over government policy. He and the Gupta brothers, who fled South Africa after Zuma was ousted, deny wrongdoing. Zuma also faces a corruption case relating to a $2 billion arms deal in 1999 when he was deputy president. He denies the charges. Short link: Ethiopia's prime minister has promised immediate access for humanitarian groups to Tigray, the United Nations said on Friday, after the United States and the European Union compared the Ethiopian government's current treatment of the embattled region to a siege. The humanitarian situation in Tigray, which faces the world's worst famine crisis in a decade, is extremely concerning, the U.N. said after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke Thursday by phone. Abiy also said basic services to Tigray including electricity and communications will resume swiftly, the U.N. said. But Ethiopia's government on Friday said all flights carrying aid to Tigray region must go through its capital for inspection to ensure they carry only humanitarian items. The U.N. says such flights have not resumed since commercial flights were halted on June 23, though the government this week said they would be allowed. Aid to Tigray has been blocked, though access within the region is improving, the U.N. humanitarian agency said, as some 5.2 million people need help and hundreds of thousands face famine conditions. Aid hasn't reached many since fighting began in November, despite the government's earlier assurances that help was being delivered. Ethiopia's government last month declared a unilateral cease-fire in Tigray as its soldiers retreated ahead of resurgent Tigray fighters loyal to the region's elected government, which Ethiopia now calls a terrorist group. The war, now in its ninth month, followed months of political tensions and Abiy's accusation that Tigray forces had attacked a military base. The war has threatened to destabilize Africa's second most populous country, an anchor in the strategic Horn of Africa region. Thousands of civilians have been killed, and the conflict threatens to draw in neighboring Sudan as Tigray forces fight their way in that direction in the hope of finding an opening to the outside world. The fighting is moving into western Tigray, where forces from Ethiopia's neighboring Amhara region had earlier taken control of many communities and expelled ethnic Tigrayans. This new phase in the conflict could be really, really much more dangerous than what we've seen so far, Tsedale Lemma, the founder of the independent Addis Standard magazine, told an online event Thursday night. Amhara authorities have said western Tigray is historically theirs. Caught in the middle are millions of Tigrayans. People have begun to starve to death, The Associated Press has reported. And witnesses have described Ethiopian forces, backed by those from neighboring Eritrea to the north, burning and looting crops and other food supplies in what the U.S. has called an entirely man-made famine crisis. In late June, Amhara special forces blocked a 29-truck convoy with World Food Program aid from entering Tigray, the U.N. update said. Two bridges that are crucial to delivering aid to the region were destroyed on July 1. Electricity and telecommunications in the region remain cut. Humanitarian supplies within the region are quickly depleting, including a severe shortage of fuel, the U.N. said, adding that over 1.8 million people could slide into starvation. Ethiopia's foreign ministry on Friday accused the U.N. humanitarian agency of making biased statements that seem to be framed to encourage the Tigray forces and mislead the international community. The U.N. agency didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Tigray forces have dismissed the unilateral cease-fire as a sick joke and insist that a key condition for a halt to the fighting would be the operation of international flights directly from airports in Tigray without any preconditions. The tensions, along with unsubstantiated allegations circulating on social media that humanitarian flights could carry arms to the Tigray forces, have increased the risks for aid workers in the region. This week, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending its services in the key towns of Abi Adi, Adigrat and Axum after three staffers were murdered. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings, the aid group said, adding that aid organizations have been repeatedly undermined by public statements casting unwarranted suspicion on their activities, thereby jeopardizing the safety of their staff on the ground. Short link: Ethiopia's government on Friday said all flights carrying aid to its embattled Tigray region must go through its capital for inspection to ensure they carry only humanitarian items while aid workers say food isn't reaching millions of people who need it. The United States and European Union have compared Ethiopia's current treatment of Tigray to a ``siege.'' Aid to Tigray remains blocked, though access within the region is improving, the United Nations humanitarian agency said Friday. Some 5.2 million people need help and hundreds of thousands face famine conditions in the world's worst hunger crisis in a decade. Ethiopia's government last month declared a unilateral cease-fire in Tigray as its soldiers retreated ahead of resurgent Tigray fighters loyal to the region's elected government, which Ethiopia now calls a terrorist group. Fighting began in November following months of political tensions and after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused Tigray forces of attacking a military base. The war has threatened to destabilize Africa's second most populous country, an anchor in the strategic Horn of Africa region. Thousands of civilians have been killed, and the conflict threatens to draw in neighboring Sudan as Tigray forces fight their way in that direction in the hope of finding an opening to the outside world. The fighting is moving into western Tigray, where forces from Ethiopia's neighboring Amhara region had earlier taken control of many communities and expelled ethnic Tigrayans. This new phase in the conflict could be ``really, really much more dangerous than what we've seen so far,'' Tsedale Lemma, the founder of the independent Addis Standard magazine, told an online event Thursday night. Amhara authorities have said western Tigray is historically theirs. Caught in the middle are millions of Tigrayans, many of whom have been cut off from the world for months in areas the U.N. and other aid groups struggle to deliver help. People have begun to starve to death, The Associated Press has reported. And witnesses have described Ethiopian forces, backed by those from neighboring Eritrea to the north, burning and looting crops and other food supplies in what the U.S. has called an ``entirely man-made'' famine crisis. In late June, Amhara special forces blocked a 29-truck convoy with World Food Program aid from entering Tigray, the U.N. update said. Two bridges that are crucial to delivering aid to the region were destroyed on July 1. Electricity and telecommunications in the region remain cut. ``Humanitarian supplies within the region are quickly depleting, including a severe shortage of fuel,'' the U.N. said, adding that over 1.8 million people ``could slide into starvation.'' Ethiopia's foreign ministry on Friday said it hasn't denied any request for a humanitarian aid flight into Tigray since the government announced earlier this week that such flights would be allowed. But the U.N. said no such flights have begun. Commercial flights stopped on June 23. Ethiopia's foreign ministry also accused the U.N. humanitarian agency of making biased statements that ``seem to be framed to encourage'' the Tigray forces and mislead the international community. The U.N. agency didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Tigray forces have dismissed the unilateral cease-fire as a ``sick joke'' and insist that a key condition for a halt to the fighting would be ``the operation of international flights directly from airports in Tigray without any preconditions.'' The tensions, along with unsubstantiated allegations circulating on social media that humanitarian flights could carry arms to the Tigray forces, have increased the risks for aid workers in the region. This week, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending its services in the key towns of Abi Adi, Adigrat and Axum after three staffers were murdered. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings, the aid group said, adding that aid organizations ``have been repeatedly undermined by public statements casting unwarranted suspicion on their activities, thereby jeopardizing the safety of their staff on the ground.'' Short link: Ethiopia's ruling party has won an overwhelming majority in a landmark parliamentary poll, the electoral board said Saturday, ensuring a new five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. His Prosperity Party won more than 400 seats out of a total of 436 in the election held on June 21, according to results issued by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) at a gathering in Addis Ababa. Documents from the NEBE showed the PP winning 421 seats but it then said there would have to be a re-run election in 10 constituencies and a recount in three more. The poll was held in the midst of a gruelling conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region that has battered Abiy's global reputation and raised fears of widespread famine. Voting did not take place in about one fifth of the country's 547 constituencies. A second batch of voting is due to take place on September 6 in many of those left out, but no date has been set for Tigray. Short link: Iran's expeditionary Quds Force commander brought one main directive for Iraqi militia faction leaders long beholden to Tehran, when he gathered with them in Baghdad last month: Maintain calm, until after nuclear talks between Iran and the United States. But he was met with defiance. One of the six faction leaders spoke up in their meeting: They could not stay quiet while the death of his predecessor Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a U.S. drone strike went unavenged. Militia attacks have only been increasing against the U.S. in military bases in both Iraq and Syria. Three missile attacks in the last week alone resulted in minor injuries, stoking fears of escalation. The details from Esmail Ghaani's visit, confirmed to The Associated Press by three Shiite political officials and two senior militia officials, demonstrate how Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia groups are asserting a degree of independence, sometimes even flouting orders from Tehran. Iran now relies on Lebanon's Hezbollah for support in reining them in, and there is potential that Iran's new president could play a role in doing the same. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meetings. Iran's influence, sustained by ideological ties and military support, has frayed because of the U.S. killing of Soleimani and al-Muhandis last year, because of differing interests and because of financial strains in Tehran. With nuclear talks restarting following U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration this year, these differences have come to the fore. ``Iran isn't the way it used to be, with 100% control over the militia commanders,'' said one Shiite political leader. Increasing rocket and drone attacks targeting American troops in Iraq and Syria have alarmed Western and coalition officials. There have been at least eight drone attacks targeting the U.S. presence since Biden took office in January, as well as 17 rocket attacks, according to coalition officials. The attacks are blamed on the Iranian-backed militias that make up the bulk of Iraq's state-supported Popular Mobilization Forces. The Biden administration has responded by twice targeting Iraqi militia groups operating inside Syria, including close to the Iraqi border. ``What is taking place now is when Ghaani asks for calm, the brigade leaders agree with him. But as soon as he leaves the meeting, they disregard his recommendations,'' said another Shiite political leader. The loudest of the defiant militia voices has been Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction, which also maintains a political party. On June 17, only days after Ghaani's meetings with the militias, he said in a televised address that they would continue to target the U.S. ``occupier'' and that they will not take into consideration nuclear talks. ``And that decision is an Iraqi one,'' he said. The coalition has formally ended combat operations and reduced troop levels significantly in the last year. Only 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq and discussions are ongoing with NATO to transfer to an advisory mission. Iraq still needs coalition support in surveillance and intelligence gathering and airstrikes against Islamic State group targets. Some argue the ongoing attacks benefit Iran by maintaining pressure on the U.S. During talks with Shiite political officials during his visit, Ghani said Iran doesn't interfere in their political work, but that military matters were different. ``These must be approved by the Revolutionary Guard,'' one political leader recounted him saying. Still, Ghaani did not reprimand the militia groups during the meeting. Instead, he told them he understood their concerns. Iran has struggled to fill in the gap left in the absence of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, who were commanding figures able to push factions into line and resolve disputes among them. ``Ghaani has a different style and capabilities,'' said Michael Knights, a fellow at The Washington Institute. He has a looser framework, establishing broad red lines on some matters, while ``other things are `don't ask, don't tell,'' he said. Along with asking for less, cash-strapped Iran has been giving less as well. Assistance to the groups has been significantly downgraded since U.S. sanctions began crippling Iran's economy last year. Divisions among factions have deepened, with growing competition among militias and Shiite politicians. Ghaani came to meet the militia leaders to mend tensions that were sparked weeks earlier when Iraqi authorities arrested a paramilitary commander, Qassim Musleh, prompting a standoff between PMF fighters and security forces. Ghaani brought a letter from Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, criticizing the PMF for its reaction, saying it weakened their position. To apply pressure on the factions, Iran has come to rely on Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah in Lebanon, a figure the militias highly respect. Almost weekly, various factional leaders hold face-to-face meetings with him in Lebanon, said Shiite political leaders. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, elected in June, also may be a unifying figure for the militias, which hold him in high esteem, political and militia officials said. When Raisi visited Baghdad in February, he met with PMF commanders and told them, in fluent Arabic, ``Our flesh is your flesh, and our blood is your blood.'' Ghaani communicates with brigade leaders through an interpreter. ``The resistance will grow in power and will see its best of times due to the election victory of Raisi,'' said Abu Alaa al-Walae, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, in a recent interview. Short link: The United States on Friday rebuffed Haiti's request for troops to help secure key infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by suspected foreign mercenaries, even as it pledged to help with the investigation. The killing of Moise by a squad of gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday morning at his home in Port-au-Prince pitched Haiti deeper into a political crisis which may worsen growing hunger, gang violence and a COVID-19 outbreak. Haitian Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said a request for U.S. security assistance was raised in a conversation between interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. Haiti also made a request for forces to the United Nations Security Council, Pierre said. But a senior U.S. administration official said there were "no plans to provide U.S. military assistance at this time." A letter from Joseph's office to the U.S. embassy in Haiti, dated Wednesday and reviewed by Reuters, requested the dispatch of troops to support the national police in reestablishing security and protecting key infrastructure across the country following Moise's assassination. A similar letter, also dated Wednesday and seen by Reuters, was sent to the U.N. office in Haiti. "We were in a situation where we believed that infrastructure of the country the port, airport and energy infrastructure might be a target," Pierre told Reuters. Another aim of the request for security reinforcements would be to make it possible to go ahead with scheduled presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 26, Pierre said. The U.N. political mission in Haiti received the letter and it was being examined, said Jose Luis Diaz, spokesman for the U.N. Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The dispatch of troops under any circumstances would be a matter for the (15-member) Security Council to decide, he said. RIDDLED WITH BULLETS The United States and Colombia said they would send law enforcement and intelligence officials to assist Haiti after a number of their nationals were arrested for Moise's murder. Police in Haiti said the assassination was carried out by a commando unit of 26 Colombian and two Haitian-American mercenaries. The two Haitian-Americans were identified as James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, both from Florida. Seventeen of the men were captured - including Solages and Vincent - after a gun battle with Haitian authorities in Petionville, the hillside suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince where Moise resided. Three others were killed and eight remain at large, according to Haitian police. Authorities are hunting for the masterminds of the operation, they said. A judge investigating the case told Reuters that Moise was found lying on his back on the floor of his bedroom. The front door of the residence had been forced open, while other rooms were ransacked. "His body was riddled with bullets," Petionville tribunal judge Carl Henry Destin said. "There was a lot of blood around the corpse and on the staircase." Haitian officials have not given a motive for Moise's killing or explained how the assassins got past his security detail. He had faced mass protests against his rule since taking office in 2017 - first over corruption allegations and his management of the economy, then over his increasing grip on power. Moise himself had talked of dark forces at play behind the unrest: fellow politicians and corrupt oligarchs who felt his attempts to clean up government contracts and to reform Haitian politics were against their interests. COMMANDO UNIT The United States on Thursday pledged to send senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security to Haiti as soon as possible to assess the situation and see how best they can assist, the White House said. A State Department spokesperson said: "We are aware of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and are monitoring the situation closely." The head of Colombia's national intelligence directorate and the intelligence director for the national police will travel to Haiti with Interpol to help with investigations, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday. Investigators in Colombia discovered that 17 of the suspects had retired from Colombia's army between 2018 and 2020, armed forces commander General Luis Fernando Navarro told journalists on Friday. Jorge Luis Vargas, director of Colombia's national police, said initial investigations had shown that 11 Colombian suspects had traveled to Haiti via the resort city of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Two others traveled by air to Panama, before flying to Dominican capital Santo Domingo and then Port-au-Prince, Vargas said. CONFUSION OVER POLITICAL CONTROL The Haitian government declared a 15-day state of emergency on Wednesday to help authorities apprehend the killers but has since urged businesses to reopen. Stores, gasoline stations and commercial banks reopened on Friday. The streets were quiet, although some supermarkets bustled with people stocking up amid the uncertainty. Moise's killing has sparked confusion about who is the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, the poorest in the Americas, miring it deeper into a political crisis. Even before Moise's death, the country only had 11 elected officials - himself and 10 senators - given it had postponed legislative elections in 2019 amid violent unrest. Swaths of the opposition and civil society no longer recognized him as president due to a disagreement over the length of his mandate. Joseph has taken over the reins of power so far. Pierre, the elections minister, said he would keep that role until presidential and legislative elections are held on Sept. 26. But Joseph's authority is in dispute by multiple political factions. In the latest move, the remaining third of the Senate on Friday nominated its head, Joseph Lambert, to be interim president. The senators also urged Joseph to hand over his office as prime minister to Ariel Henry, a physician seen as more of a consensus candidate. Moise had tapped him earlier this week to form a unity government but he had yet been sworn in. "The Senate secretariat will write to national and international entities as well as to the general director of the Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that the embassies accredited in Haiti are informed," Lambert told Reuters. Henry this week told Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister. "The assassination... has provoked a political and institutional vacuum at the highest level of state," said Haitian opposition politician Andre Michel. "There is no constitutional provision for this exceptional situation." Short link: Haiti's interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moise's assassination. The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haiti's last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation _ which lasted nearly two decades _ as a way to avert anarchy. Mathias Pierre, Haiti's elections minister, defended the government's request military assistance, saying in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press that the local police force is weak and lacks resources. ``What do we do? Do we let the country fall into chaos? Private properties destroyed? People killed after the assassination of the president? Or, as a government, do we prevent?`` he said. ''We're not asking for the occupation of the country. We're asking for small troops to assist and help us. ... As long as we are weak, I think we will need our neighbors.`` The request was received but there has been no decision, according to a US official familiar, speaking on condition of anonymity because not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. But the Biden administration has so far given no indication it will send troops. For now, it only plans to send FBI officials to help investigate a crime that has plunged Haiti, a country already wracked by poverty and gang violence, into a destabilizing battle for power and constitutional standoff. Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Saturday. The letter asked for troops and security at key installations, according to a U.N. source speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the letter are private. ``We definitely need assistance and we've asked our international partners for help,'' Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told the AP in a phone interview late Friday. ``We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation.'' On Friday, a group of lawmakers announced they had recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haiti's dismantled Senate, as provisional president in a direct challenge to the interim government's authority. They also recognized as prime minister Ariel Henry, whom Moise had selected to replace Joseph a day before he was killed but who had not yet taken office or formed a government. One of those lawmakers, Rosemond Pradel, told the AP that Joseph ``is neither qualified nor has the legal right'' to lead the country. Joseph expressed dismay that others would try to take advantage of Moise's murder for political gain. ``I'm not interested in a power struggle,'' said Joseph, who assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military. ``There's only one way people can become president in Haiti. And that's through elections.'' Meanwhile, more details emerged about what increasingly resembled a murky, international conspiracy: a shootout with gunmen holed up in a foreign embassy, a private security firm operating out of a warehouse in Miami and a cameo sighting of a Hollywood star. Among the arrested are two Haitian Americans, including one who worked alongside Sean Penn following the nation's devastating 2010 earthquake. Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombia's military. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwan's Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. National Police Chief Leon Charles said another eight suspects were still at large and being sought. The attack at Moise's home before dawn Wednesday also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to Miami for surgery. She issued a statement Saturday implying the president was killed for trying to develop the country. ``The mercenaries who assassinated the president are currently behind bars,'' she said in Creole, ``but other mercenaries currently want to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology.'' Colombian officials said the men were recruited by four companies and traveled to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are often recruited by security firms and mercenary armies in conflict zones because of their experience in a decades-long war against leftist rebels and drug cartels. The sister of one of the dead suspects, Duberney Capador, told the AP that she last spoke to her brother late Wednesday _ hours after Moise's murder _ when the men, holed up in a home and surrounded, were desperately trying to negotiate their way out of a shootout. ``He told me not to tell our mother, so she wouldn't worry,'' said Yenny Capador, fighting back tears. It's not known who masterminded the attack. And questions remain about how the perpetrators were able to penetrate the president's residence posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, meeting little resistance from those charged with protecting the president. Capador said her brother, who retired from the Colombian army in 2019 with the rank of sergeant, was hired by a private security firm with the understanding he would be providing protection for powerful individuals in Haiti. Capador said she knew almost nothing about the employer but shared a picture of her brother in a uniform emblazoned with the logo of CTU Security _ a company based in Doral, a Miami suburb popular with Colombian migrants. The wife of Francisco Uribe, who was among those arrested, told Colombia's W Radio that CTU offered to pay the men about $2,700 a month _ a paltry sum for a dangerous international mission but far more than what most of the men, noncommissioned officers and professional soldiers, earned from their pensions. Uribe is under investigation in the alleged murder of an unarmed civilian in 2008 who was presented as someone killed in combat, one of thousands of extrajudicial killings that rocked Colombia's U.S.-trained army more than a decade ago. CTU Security was registered in 2008 and lists as its president Antonio Intriago, who is also affiliated with several other Florida-registered entities, some since dissolved, including the Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, the Venezuelan American National Council and Doral Food Corp. CTU's website lists two addresses, one of which is a gray-colored warehouse that was shuttered Friday with no sign indicating who it belonged to. The other is a small suite under a different company's name in a modern office building a few blocks away. A receptionist said Intriago stops by every few days to collect mail and hold meetings. Intriago, who is Venezuelan, did not return phone calls and an email seeking comment. ``We are the ones who are most interested in clarifying what happened, so that my brother's reputation does not remain like it is,'' said Capador. ``He was a humble, hard-working man. He had honors and decorations.`` Besides the Colombians, those detained by police included two Haitian Americans. Investigative Judge Clement Noel told Le Nouvelliste that the arrested Americans, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers planned only to arrest Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers, the newspaper reported Friday. Solages, 35, described himself as a ``certified diplomatic agent,'' an advocate for children and budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in south Florida to assist resident of his Haitian hometown of Jacmel. He worked briefly as a driver and bodyguard for a relief organization set up by Penn following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that killed 300,000 Haitians and left tens of thousands homeless. He also lists as past employers the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. His now-deactivated Facebook page features photos of armored military vehicles and an image of himself in front of an American flag. Calls to the charity and Solages' associates went unanswered. However, a relative in south Florida said Solages doesn't have any military training and doesn't believe he was involved in the killing. Joseph refused to specify who was behind the attack, but said that Moise had earned numerous enemies while attacking oligarchs who for years profited from overly generous state contracts. Some of those elite insiders are now the focus of investigators, with authorities asking that presidential candidate and businessman Reginald Boulos and former Senate President Youri Latortue meet prosecutors next week for questioning. No further details were provided and none of the men have been charged. Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished amid corruption and drug trafficking. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory. Hundreds of Haitians gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince Friday pleading for a way out of the country. Women carried babies and young men waved passports and ID cards as they cried out, ``Refuge!'' and ``Help!'' ``This country has nothing to offer,'' said 36-year-old Thermidor Joam. ``If the president can be killed with his own security, I have no protection whatsoever if someone wants to kill me.'' Prosecutors also want to interrogate members of Moise's security detail, including security coordinator Jean Laguel Civil and Dimitri Herard, the head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace. ``If you are responsible for the president's security, where have you been?,'' Port-au-Prince prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude was quoted as telling French-language newspaper Le Nouvelliste. ``What did you do to avoid this fate for the president?'' Short link: Egypts ministries of international cooperation and electricity have inked the Egyptian-Danish Energy Partnership Program (2019-2022) agreement with the Energy Agency of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities to push forward Egypts green transformation and invest in renewable energy. The agreement was signed by Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat and Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker. Minister Shaker said that his ministry will seek to form a joint committee with the Danish side, which will serve as a forum for comprehensive strategic dialogue between Egypt and Denmark to discuss cooperation in the energy field, and make decisions on the strategic cooperation program between the two countries. He stressed that the agreement supports the state's capabilities to accelerate the pace of Egypts green transformation by developing plans to ensure access to affordable clean energy and implementing wind energy projects, referring to Egypts energy strategy until 2035, which seeks to increase the share of renewable energy to more than 42 percent. Danish Ambassador to Egypt Svend Olling said that the agreement aims to confront the increasing challenges in the field of energy and the environment. He noted that Denmark is a leading global partner in the field of renewable energy and green transformation and he looks forward to working with Egypt under the agreement to support the countrys green transition. Cooperation between the governments of Egypt and Denmark dates back to 1969, amounting to about $560 million in several different fields, including new and renewable energy, water and sanitation, environment, culture and housing, according the Ministry of International Cooperation. Short link: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it has provided an initial $4.2 million loan to TAQA PV for Solar Energy, TAQA Arabias renewable energy subsidiary. On a statement released Thursday, the EBRD said the loan will promote the expansion of renewable energy in Egypt by supporting one of the first green private-to-private projects in the country. The loan is part of a financing package of up to $10 million to expand TAQA Arabias private-to-private renewable energy business, according to the statement. The funds will finance the construction and operation of a 6 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located at Dina Farms in Beheira governorate, 80 kilometres from the Egyptian capital Cairo, which will enable Dina Farms, the largest dairy farm in Africa, to cover part of its energy consumption with clean energy. TAQA PV for Solar Energy will sell all of its generated energy to Dina Farms under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), according to the ERBD statement. The plant is the first private-to-private renewable energy project financed by the EBRD in Egypt involving direct electricity supply from a privately owned generator to a private off-taker through a corporate PPA. The fund also came in light of the Egyptian governments target of achieving 20 percent of the countrys electricity generation capacity from renewable sources by 2022, and 42 percent by 2035. The government has pursued energy diversification and liberalisation by facilitating a market for private renewable energy development in recent years. The price of electricity produced by renewable projects in the country has been steadily decreasing to become more competitive to energy produced using conventional fossil fuel sources. This has created strong demand in Egypt from heavy consumers of electricity in the commercial and industrial sectors, seeking access to electricity from private renewable energy producers, read the statement. Private energy solution providers such as TAQA Arabia have a key role to play in supporting Egypt's ongoing energy sector transition and liberalisation, according to Heike Harmgart, EBRD managing director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region. TAQA PV for Solar Energy is a project company incorporated in Egypt for the purposes of developing the private-to-private renewable energy business of TAQA Arabia SAE, an Egyptian joint stock company. TAQA Arabia and Dina Farms are part of the core subsidiaries of Qalaa Holdings, which builds responsible and sustainable businesses that create social and economic value, and operates in sectors such as energy, cement production, agrifoods, transport and logistics, mining, printing and packaging. This is also the EBRDs first project in Egypt under the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Private Renewable Energy Framework (SPREF), which supports the development and financing of innovative business models and to mobilise private finance for renewable energy projects in the SEMED region. The framework is supported by the Global Environment Facility and the Clean Technology Fund, according to the bank. To date, the EBRD has invested more than 7 billion in 125 projects in Egypt, where the banks areas of investment include the financial sector, agribusiness, manufacturing and services, as well as infrastructure projects such as the power sector, municipal water and wastewater services and transport, according to the EBRD. Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged on Saturday the preparation of an integrated national strategy for the production of green hydrogen in light of the growing international interest in this promising source of energy for the near future. Green hydrogen is the hydrogen fuel created by using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels to almost eliminate harmful emissions. Meeting with Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker, El-Sisi urged the preparation of an integrated strategy for hydrogen production in cooperation with different state sectors, a statement by the presidency read. The strategy targets empowering Egypt to generate and use hydrogen, coping with the international progress in this field along with international experiences and adding green hydrogen energy to the integrated national system of energy. The meeting, also attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, reviewed the developments of Egypts cooperation with experienced international bodies in the field of generating green hydrogen using renewable energy. In January, Egypts Ministry of Electricity signed an agreement with Germanys Siemens to start studies for establishing a pilot project for producing green hydrogen in Egypt. The ministry said it would update Egypts Energy Strategy 2035 to include green hydrogen. Two months later, the ministry signed with the Belgian DEME Group a cooperation deal to conduct studies on the production of green hydrogen in the country. The presidents remarks come two days after the government announced signing an MoU with the Italian Eni in producing green and blue hydrogen and evaluating the technical feasibility of its planned production projects in Egypt. Shaker in June revealed Egypts plans to invest up to $4 billion in a project to generate green hydrogen through electrolysis, noting that the project is still subject to a feasibility study, Arab News reported. El-Sisis meeting with Shaker and Madbouly reviewed the ministrys projects in the field of renewable energy and power linkage with neighbouring countries, the statement added. It also addressed electricity projects in the New Administrative Capital, including the main control centre in the national electricity grid. Shaker reviewed the development of a power linkage project with Saudi Arabia through extending electricity lines and establishing a number of electricity switching stations between the two sides. This aims to exchange electric energy between the national electric grids of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to achieve mutual economic benefits. The president also reviewed national electricity projects, especially those relying on wind and solar energy that are implemented in cooperation with private sector companies and in partnership with foreign experiences. This comes within the framework of Egypts integrated and sustainable energy strategy, which aims to raise the countrys electricity generation capacity from renewable sources to 42 percent by 2035. Egypt has taken big steps to increase the total energy produced from renewables, including the establishment of the worlds largest solar park of Benban in Upper Egypts Aswan. Egypt has advanced from 26th place in 2020 to the 20th among the worlds top 40 markets in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) for 2021, which was released last month. Short link: Egypt has huge potential to multiply the energy produced from renewable sources, with steps towards reaching this goal already well underway, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker told members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt in a virtual conference this week. Over recent years, Egypt has been expanding the production of electricity from renewable sources and has allocated large areas for both wind and solar energy projects, Shaker said, adding that it was well on the way to eliminating coal-fired power stations. To maximise the use of renewables the ministry has drafted an Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy 2035, which targets supplying 20 per cent of the countrys energy from renewable sources at peak load by 2022. This is scheduled to rise to 42 per cent by 2035. Egypts peak load is around 30,000 Megawatts (MW). The minister highlighted the Benban Solar Park in Aswan, which won the World Banks prize for the best project financed in 2019, saying that of the 1,465 MW planned capacity, 1,375 MW has already been installed. With regard to the future, Shaker said that hydrogen could be a new source of green and sustainable energy generation, and Egypt was studying its possibilities. However, the country was also making the most of its current energy production, he said, and it was aiming to export Egyptian electrical energy through connections with neighbouring countries. This would make Egypt a regional energy hub, he said, due to its excellent location between continents and its ability to exploit existing connections with neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Sudan and Libya. Work was underway on connections with Saudi Arabia and Cyprus, he said. Egypts ability to export its surplus electricity had been made possible thanks to efforts made over the past five years, the minister pointed out. During that time, more than 28,000 MW in capacity has been added, while in 2015 capacity did not exceed 23,000 MW. Since June 2015, Shaker said, the country had not suffered any load shedding, which takes place when electricity companies reduce energy consumption by shutting down electricity in some areas when the system is at risk. This had been a problem before the recent upgrades, and one of the milestones in these had been boosting Egypts power-generation capacity by over 40 per cent by connecting 14.4 Gigawatts (GW) to the countrys national grid through three state-of-the-art power generation plans constructed by the German company Siemens. Egypt now had all the energy it needed, the minister said, adding that this meant it could become an exporter of energy. Another key improvement to the energy supply had been the upgrading of the transmission system, necessary if the power generated was to get to where it was needed. The system, which had measured around 2,300km of power lines, would reach 6,000km of lines by the end of this year, the minister said. Shaker said that LE24 billion had been spent over three years on the first phase of upgrading the energy distribution network, a large increase in funding from the LE13.4 billion spent on it in the 13 years prior to the project. *A version of this article appears in print in the 12 November, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly 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: 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 of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Bodies of four Egyptians killed in Cyprus's 'huge' forest fire to be repatriated Saturday evening: Egypts emigration minister Ahram Online, , Saturday 10 Jul 2021 Nabila Makram extended her sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for facilitating the reception of the bodies and their accompanying persons The bodies of the four Egyptians, who were found dead in Cyprus early Sunday morning as the result of a huge forest fire, are expected to be repatriated on Saturday evening, Egypts Minister of Emigration Nabila Makram said. Makram extended her sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for facilitating the reception of the bodies and their accompanying persons and for finalising the relevant procedures, a statement said. Makram also thanked the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, as well as to the Egyptian Embassy in Cyprus, for all the efforts made to follow up the situation and overcome any obstacles encountered in completing the necessary procedures. The minister offered condolences to the victims' families, the statement noted. The victims corpses were found close to Odou, a mountainous village in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, according to Reuters. The blaze, which Cypriot officials described as the "worst and most destructive" in decades, broke out last Saturday morning. The blaze has caused "loss of life" and destroyed property and forest lands, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted earlier last week. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416919.aspx Security Council situation on GERD complicated, Ethiopias argument weak: Egypt FM Ahmed Morsy, Saturday 10 Jul 2021 That the council has held two consecutive sessions on the GERD issue is an achievement in itself, Shoukry said Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated on Saturday that the situation within the United Nation Security Council is "complicated due to political considerations, alignments and interlocking interests. Shoukry was referring to the Security Councils unwillingness to handle the Nile dam issue because these issues are not of importance worthy of the council's handling. On Thursday, the UN body held a session on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which was held at the request of Egypt and Sudan, in an attempt to settle the dispute over the near-complete dam that Ethiopia has been building since 2011 on the Blue Nile. In a phone-in interview with ONtv satellite channel late on Saturday, Shoukry pointed out that bringing the GERD issue to the Security Council was important in order to "hold it responsible as it is the major entity in the United Nations system concerned with maintaining peace and security." Given that Thursdays session on the GERD was the second following an earlier one held last year, Shoukry said such thing is unprecedented and should be considered an achievement for Egyptian diplomacy. That the Council for two consecutive years holds a public session to deal with this [GERD] matter in itself is an achievement, Shoukry said on Saturday. In earlier statements, Shoukry explained that the session came about because of efforts made by Egypt to convince member states of the seriousness of the situation and the importance of the council taking responsibility for the issue. Regarding that failure of the Security Council member states except for the French permanent representative to mention Ethiopias unilateral filling of the GERD in their statements during the session, Shoukry stressed that Egypt would raise the issue with member states and register its "unease" with the omissions. We will express to the members of the Security Council our dissatisfaction with the refusal to condemn Ethiopias second filling of the GERD, Shoukry stated. Only three days before convening the councils session, Ethiopia had already commenced its second-year filling of the GERD, which both downstream countries condemned, with Cairo describing it as a "blatant and dangerous" violation of international laws as well as the Declaration of Principles signed in 2015. On the Ethiopian statement delivered by its Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy Seleshi Bekele, Shoukry said the Ethiopian argument during the session was weakcompared to the Egyptian and Sudanese, calling on them to alter their course. "We encourage our brothers in Ethiopia to change their course, and we encourage the international community, including the Security Council, to send messages that reinforce that," the top Egyptian diplomat said. Following Thursdays session, Shoukry said Egypt would defend the rights of its citizens by all available means, stressing that the negotiations must take place within a specific time frame. A week ago, Tunisia, the only Arab member of the 10 elected and non-permanent members of the UNSC, submitted an Egyptian-Sudanese GERD-focused draft resolution to the UN body which is due to be voted on during the coming days. The draft resolution, which Ahram Online obtained acopyof, calls on "Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan to resume negotiations at the joint invitation of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to finalise, within a period of six months, the text of a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD." The resolution stresses that the agreement should "ensure Ethiopia's ability to generate hydropower from the GERD while preventing the inflicting of significant harm on the water security of downstream states." It also urges the "three countries to refrain from making any statements, or taking any action that may jeopardise the negotiation process, and urges Ethiopia to refrain from continuing to unilaterally fill the GERD reservoir." Throughout the decade-long GERD negotiations, Ethiopia has been evading the legally binding deal that Egypt and Sudan are seeking on the filling and operation of the dam, and only seeks guidelines that can be modified any time at its discretion, and has opposed any international mediation proposed by the two downstream countries to facilitate negotiations and bring the views closer. Egypt, whose 100 million-plus population is expected to increase by 75 million by 2050, is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world as it receives around 60 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually mainly from the River Nile though its needs is 114 bcm. The country, which relies on the world-longest River Nile for more than 95 per cent of its renewable water resources, fears the unilateral filling and operation of the massive dam will significantly diminish its water supply, which at 560 m3 per person annually is already well below the international threshold for water scarcity. Sudan has said that the unilateral filling of GERD would threaten the lives of millions of its people living downstream the dam, jeopardize the operational safety of its dams, and consequently risk Sudan's national security. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/416936.aspx By Supriya Singh, KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2021 - 16:08 | Feature, All Since arriving as a student in Japan 30 years ago, Haroon Qureshi has been reaching out to those living on the margins in his adopted home. Sometimes it is the country's homeless he helps, and sometimes foreigners who have been detained by immigration authorities after failing in bids to win refugee status. But whomever he is extending a helping hand to, Qureshi, a businessman hailing from Pakistan who is also deeply involved in the running of a Tokyo mosque, says he is motivated by his conviction that all people, regardless of nationality or religion, belong to "one family." Qureshi's efforts began as soon as he arrived in Tokyo to study computer programming in 1991, when he began giving away food to the homeless in his neighborhood in the capital's Kita Ward. Now, three decades on, he has enlisted Japanese university students in his goodwill endeavors, seeing their involvement as a vital part of raising society's awareness of the plight of the less fortunate. Qureshi notes that unlike in some other countries, the homeless and the public in Japan tend to have very little contact. With hardly any begging, the limited help the homeless receive comes from nongovernmental organizations or public offices. Calling the public's attitude to the homeless "cold," Qureshi, 55, said he believes there is a lack of understanding in Japan of why people end up on the streets. "Some get scared by the homeless in Japan, and many have an image that they are either addicted to alcohol or lazy. But most of the time this is not so," Qureshi, general secretary of the Otsuka Masjid in northern Tokyo, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. "The reality is that many times the homeless suffer from mental health issues and cannot fit into society," he said. Kenji Seino, director of Tenohasi, a nonprofit organization that Qureshi works alongside, said the great emphasis society places on "hard work" and "self-responsibility" discourages empathy for the homeless. "In Japan, we have a culture that does not support those who do not work hard enough or even considers it fine to let them fall. Basically, we have no acceptance of failure, no matter what the reason is," Seino said. Qureshi says he began to involve students in the hope that as they come to understand "the real situation" of why people end up on the streets -- which may also include being laid off and failing to find new work -- they will take their newfound awareness back into society. So far, he has involved students from Tokyo-based Keio and Toyo universities in his activities, which include serving meals to the needy. At one event conducted in collaboration with Tenohasi in Tokyo's Ikebukuro area on June 26, students and volunteers from the mosque helped hand out food to over 360 people. "Today I witnessed a stark difference between normal people who were walking on the streets all dressed up, and those who had come to get food here," said Satoru Soejima, 18, who is studying Arabic at Keio University. "I always felt that they (homeless) were in a vulnerable position but I never had a chance to interact with them before. Today, I felt that I can do something to help them." A total of 3,824 homeless were confirmed in Japan in January 2021, according to data released by the welfare ministry in April. But Tenohasi points out that the figures only include those counted during the daytime, estimating the real number is much higher. Qureshi, meanwhile, also leads another project called Food Bank to help the students themselves, some of whom have gone hungry after losing part-time work because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the initiative, volunteers collect leftover food ingredients such as pasta from neighbors and others willing to donate, and provide it to students and organizations including Kodomo Shokudo Network. Qureshi, a soft-spoken man, has also been helping those detained after failed asylum bids since around 2000. With Japan only accepting around 1 percent of refugee applications it receives, according to government data, many of those who fight subsequent deportation orders end up in detention. Other than providing monetary aid for detainees' expenses from the mosque's funds, he also acts as a guarantor for those who win temporary release or finds others to take on the role. In one month, Qureshi gets around 30 letters on average seeking help from detainees, mostly from countries in Africa or elsewhere in Asia. The count has gone down since last year as many detainees have been given temporary release due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. "Those inside the facilities just get food. They have no money to get clothes, telephone cards to call their families or lawyers, or even daily necessities like a toothbrush. So we give them 5,000 yen as the need arises from the mosque's funds," he said. When asked to find money to make a guarantee deposit required by immigration authorities for the temporary release of detainees, Qureshi pays himself when he is the guarantor or asks someone else to step in using funds from the mosque. "I've become a guarantor of some foreigners and at times ask others to help as I cannot become everyone's guarantor. I lose nothing by submitting some documents and having them released," he said. Qureshi, who has in the past worked as a translator for jails, said he has found the attitude to inmates as "coldhearted" as he believes society is towards the homeless. He referenced the death at an immigration detention facility in Nagoya in March of a Sri Lankan woman who had been denied temporary release for medical treatment despite complaining of stomach pain and other symptoms. "Authorities should have taken good care when she was suffering from health issues. It is really inhumane," he said, adding that he hears complaints from many inmates about their treatment. Asked what motivates him, Qureshi cites his Islamic faith. "We may have different religions, color or race. But I request everyone to try and feel the pain of other members of this huge (human) family, and do what they can," he says. "Some people say that what I do is 'sugoi' (great), but I say it is 'atarimae' (natural)," he said. KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2021 - 18:21 | Sports, News, All, Coronavirus A Lithuanian Olympic swimmer suspected of being infected with coronavirus has been confirmed negative following the last of a series of tests on Saturday, according to the city hosting the Lithuanian delegation to the Tokyo Games. After arriving in Japan on Wednesday, the male swimmer in his 30s tested positive for COVID-19 following a polymerase chain reaction test on Friday. A second test, however, came up negative. His COVID-19 status was determined after undergoing the third test on Saturday, said officials of the city of Hiratsuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, the host of the delegation's pre-games camp. Related coverage: Lithuanian Olympic athlete in Japan suspected of having COVID-19 Japan eyes tougher Olympics rules for Delta variant-hit countries New rules eyed for Tokyo Games arrivals after Uganda team COVID infections KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2021 - 10:41 | All, Japan, Coronavirus A total of 80.5 percent of university seniors in Japan who are scheduled to graduate next March have secured job offers as of July 1, an improvement from last year when job-hunting was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey. The online survey by Recruit Co., the operator of the Rikunabi job information website, showed the figure was 7.3 percentage points higher than the 73.2 percent in the same period in 2020, when the selection process was delayed due to the spread of virus infections. However, the rate was slightly lower than the 85.1 percent in the same period in 2019 before the virus outbreak, as more students especially those living in rural areas aim to become civil servants, perceived as a stable job amid the pandemic, Recruit said. The selection process for civil servants often begins after the summer and the poll was conducted earlier this month, with 1,045 university students responding, according to the Tokyo-based company. Recruit said the rate of students in the Kanto region centering on Tokyo who want to work as public servants was 8.6 percent, almost unchanged from the figure for 2020 graduates. On the other hand, in rural areas away from major cities of Tokyo, Osaka in the Kinki region and Nagoya in the Chubu region, 18.8 percent of university seniors said they aim to become civil servants, up 8.6 percentage points from the figure for students who graduated in the spring of 2020. Reflecting that trend, 77.7 percent of university seniors in areas outside of the Kanto, Chubu, and Kinki regions have secured job offers as of July 1, lower than the 87.2 percent in the same period in 2019. Zen Masumoto, head of the Recruit research institute, said, "Students without job offers may be worried, but there have been many university seniors who got job offers after July. I hope they can find a company that is a good match for them." KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2021 - 22:46 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Some 75 percent of people aged 65 and over in Japan have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with most of them set to be fully vaccinated by the end of July, a government tally showed Saturday. The drive, launched in April to vaccinate the elderly population of around 35.48 million, has gained momentum under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's target to finish inoculating the demographic by the end of July. Challenges remain, however, in expanding vaccinations to those under 65 as the government is unable to distribute doses quickly enough. Due to a supply shortfall, some municipalities are being forced to restrict accepting reservations, while new applications by companies and universities for workplace vaccinations have also been suspended. As of Friday, 26.65 million, or 75.1 percent of the elderly, had received one shot, according to the government tally. As the figure does not include all vaccinated people aged 65 or older, such as health care workers, a government official said the actual number of elderly who have received their first shot is higher. Since the second shot of U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.'s two-dose vaccine, which is widely used in inoculating the elderly, is administered three weeks after the first, most of the 26.65 million are expected to be fully vaccinated by the end of the month. Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said completing the vaccination of 70 to 80 percent of the elderly shows that the inoculation drive is going steadily. "Elderly are at the highest risk (for the coronavirus). I hope further efforts will be made to raise the vaccination rate among the elderly to around 90 percent through means such as visiting the homes of those who have difficulties going to vaccination sites," Wakita said. Suga has said he aims to promote the vaccination of those under 65 and finish inoculating all eligible people in Japan who wish to receive shots by November as the country grapples with a resurgence of infections. Suga's top COVID-19 adviser, Shigeru Omi, cautioned against the recent rise in patients with severe symptoms in the 40s and 50s due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, first detected in India. Omi said vaccinating those in their 40s and 50s early is the key to containing the pandemic in the future. The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 950 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, exceeding the number logged a week earlier for the 21st straight day. The capital will be placed under a fresh COVID-19 state of emergency from Monday until Aug. 22, covering the duration of the Tokyo Olympics. By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Jul 11, 2021 - 08:50 | All, World The finance chiefs of the Group of 20 major economies on Saturday backed a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent and other new rules to prevent multinational firms from avoiding duties, hoping to finalize in October plans that would bring what they call "historic" changes to the international tax system. The momentum toward concluding years of negotiations reflects a growing desire among many governments to raise revenues to invest in their recovery from the coronavirus pandemic as well as frustration over the way U.S. tech giants in particular are thought to have avoided paying their fair share of taxation by taking advantage of low-rate jurisdictions. "We endorse the key components" of a broad agreement recently reached by around 130 countries and regions on the tax issue, the G-20 members said in a communique released after their two-day talks in Venice, Italy. While details of the agreement still need to be worked out, such as the specific level of the minimum tax rate, participants in the negotiations are aiming to implement the new rules in 2023. "It is going to be the first historic change (in the international tax system) in a century," Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso told a press conference. In their first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic, the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors acknowledged that the outlook for the global economy has brightened amid vaccine rollouts and continued policy support, but warned that the spread of new variants of the virus and uneven access to vaccinations are "downside risks." Concerns have been growing that allowing developing countries to lag behind in terms of availability of vaccines leaves their populations vulnerable to outbreaks and could allow contagious variants to emerge and ricochet around the world, possibly stifling the global economic recovery. The G-20, which brings together key industrialized and developing economies, vowed to "prioritize acceleration of the delivery of vaccines" in its communique, but did not come up with new numerical commitments. The participants also reaffirmed their resolve to use "all available policy tools" to address the adverse consequences of the pandemic, and decided to take heed of "price stability" amid a recent pickup in inflation in the United States, which is serving as a key driver in the global economic recovery. The progress on international taxation issues came after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development announced on July 1 an agreement on a two-pillar reform package -- introducing a new levy on the world's largest and profitable companies, including IT giants, and the 15 percent common minimum tax rate. The Pillar One intends to change existing taxation rules that have been heavily tied to a company's physical presence. It seeks to "re-allocate" taxing rights over multinationals from their home countries to the markets where they have actual business activities and are earning profits, regardless of their physical presence there. About 100 multinational companies, and possibly several Japanese firms, may become subject to the new tax. Pillar Two will seek to put a floor on the competition among countries to offer the lowest corporate tax rate to lure companies. In the communique, the participants sought to add further impetus to the process by urging more countries to sign on the deal. "We invite all members...that have not yet joined the international agreement to do so," the G-20 said, apparently referring to seven of the 139 countries and regions that have been involved in the OECD-led negotiations, such as Hungary and Ireland, which are known for their low corporate tax rates. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who hailed the new taxation architecture as a "revolution" to ensure fairness, told reporters that three European countries, including Estonia, that are yet to come on board have "some doubts," but that they are not opposed. He said he believes that some difficulties can be "alleviated" and that the impetus given by the G-20 economies on the issue should bring together "all nations" involved. The next step will be in October when G-20 finance chiefs are scheduled to meet in Washington to "define the very last parameters" of the rules, Le Maire said. The G-20 will then likely seek to secure final approval on the issue at their leaders' meeting scheduled later in the month in Rome. Moves toward reaching an agreement have gained steam in recent months after the U.S. administration of President Joe Biden, which is seeking to revive multilateralism, proposed that the minimum corporate tax rate be at least 15 percent globally and that there is a need to end "a race to the bottom on corporate taxes." The U.S. idea has resonated well among the Group of Seven industrialized countries, including Japan, and others that have seen their fiscal health deteriorate due to increased spending to support their pandemic-hit economies. The OECD has estimated that under Pillar One, taxing rights on more than $100 billion of profits will be re-allocated to countries each year, while Pillar Two will generate around $150 billion in additional global tax revenues annually. In the communique, the G-20 also vowed to fight trade protectionism and highlighted the need of "concerted efforts" to reform the World Trade Organization. The G-20, which includes all G-7 members, consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Gist of communique by G-20 finance leaders G-20 finance chiefs: -- endorse plans to set a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent and other rules to address tax avoidance by multinational firms. -- call for the taxation reform plans to be finalized by their next meeting in October. -- invite all countries and regions that have yet to join the international tax agreement to do so. -- warn that the spread of new coronavirus variants and different paces of vaccination are downside risks to the global economy. -- reaffirm their resolve to use all available policy tools to address the adverse consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. -- vow to prioritize acceleration of vaccine deliveries. -- reaffirm commitment to fight protectionism and encourage concerted efforts to reform the World Trade Organization. Related coverage: G-20 finance chiefs meet for talks on uneven recovery, int'l tax G-20 should take "urgent" action to address diverging recovery: IMF G-20 vows firmer coordination in combating COVID-19, food shortages Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday blocked Singapore-based company Broadcoms USD 117 billion bid for chip maker Qualcomm, citing national security concern. Trump, in his executive order, said there is credible evidence that leads him to believe that if Broadcom Limited took control of the US-based Qualcomm it might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the US. As such, Broadcom and Qualcomm shall immediately and permanently abandon the proposed takeover, ordered the US President. The proposed takeover of Qualcomm by the Purchaser is prohibited, and any substantially equivalent merger, acquisition, or takeover, whether effected directly or indirectly, is also prohibited, Trump said in the executive order issued today. Trumps decision in this regard comes after Broadcom said last Friday that it will ask its shareholders to approve its plan to redomicile to the US. In such a scenario, Broadcomwhich currently works under the laws of Singaporewould have been considered as an American company and thus its proposed USD 117 billion would have been considered outside the preview of a federal agencyCommittee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) ? that reviews foreign deal. In a letter, the CFIUS had confirmed the national security concerns. Last week, the CFIUS issued an interim order to Qualcomm directing it to postpone its annual stockholders meeting and election of directors by 30 days. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in his capacity as the chair of the CFIUS, said Trumps decision was consistent with the administrations commitment to take all actions necessary to protect the national security of the US. This decision is based on the facts and national security sensitivities related to this particular transaction only and is not intended to make any other statement about Broadcom or its employees, including its thousands of hardworking and highly skilled US employees, Mnuchin said. The CFIUS process focuses exclusively on identifying and addressing national security concerns. This focused mandate reinforces our commitment to welcoming foreign investment, while at the same time reinforcing our commitment to protecting national security, he added. China is said to be the main reason behind Trumps decision, US daily The New York Times said. Last week, several US lawmakers had called for stopping Broadcoms takeover of Qualcomm. Congressman Duncan Hunter said that the merger would damage American security and had pointed at Broadcoms increasing ties with China to highlight his reservation about the deal. This should concern us as a nation. These ties were most recently reflected in the agreements Broadcom signed with HBC, Inspur and StarTimes.?China has a finely honed capability to access the technology of companies such as Broadcom, along with that of their subsidiaries and acquisitions, he said. Hunter said the merger would make Broadcom the third largest chipmaker in the world, giving them control over a major portion of the supply chain, which is critical to the vital communications components. Such a company, if subjected to national or terrorist interests adverse to America, could install lockout features to block our security agencies from monitoring mobile data.? The possibilities for damaging US security are limitless, the lawmaker said. Senator Tom Cotton said that Qualcomms work is too important to the US national security to let it fall into the hands of a foreign company-and in a hostile takeover no less. Its hard to see a good reason why we should hand over one of our leading computer-chip makers, and thereby give Chinese companies a leg-up in the race to develop 5G and the next generation of technology. Better to keep it in American hands and protect American national security, Cotton said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Nepals first woman president, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, was re-elected as the countrys president for a second term in the office on Tuesday. Obligatory President Bhandari defeated the Nepali Congress leader Kumar Laxmi Rai with an extreme majority in the presidential elections conducted on Tuesday. The 56-year-old President won since her nomination was backed by the ruling Left of the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) alliance, the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, and other fringe parties alliance. Bhandaris first term as the President of Nepal started in 2015. The CPN-UML carries a total vote bank of 23,356 in the country, with 148 lawmakers in the Federal Parliament and 243 in the Provincial Assemblies, while the CPN (Maoist Centre) has 65 lawmakers in the Parliament and 108 in the Provincial Assemblies, which total the vote bank for 10,319. Also Read| Sukma attack Live: Naxals blow up anti-mine vehicle; nine CRPF troopers killed The vote bank of the Nepali Congress accounts for 11,428, with 76 seats in the Parliament and 113 in the Provincial Assemblies. With the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal and other fringe parties support, Bhandaris overall vote bank accounted for up to 26,921 in her re-election. An electoral college also voted in the Presidential elections, which included the members of Parliament and Provincial Assemblies. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mangaluru: A local court on Tuesday acquitted right-wing fringe outfit Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik and several others in the 2009 Mangaluru pub attack case for lack of evidence. Third Judicial Magistrate of First Class Court R Manjunath stated in his order, The accused are acquitted. Over 30 Sri Ram Sene activists had allegedly barged into the pub on January 24, 2009, and assaulted some women and men, claiming they were violating traditional Indian values. The incident had generated national outrage after the video clip of the attack went viral. It depicted several men allegedly dragging women at the pub by their hair, slapping and roughing them up and accusing them of loose morals. Counsel for the accused, Vinod, had earlier submitted before the magistrate that his clients were not present when the attack took place at the pub. He had also submitted that the police had falsely filed complaints against them. The petition was filed by one Rajshekhar, seeking punishment against the accused under several IPC sections, including rioting, house tress pass, dacoity, causing hurt, intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. Also Read| Sukma attack Live: Naxals blow up anti-mine vehicle; nine CRPF troopers killed Vinod had also submitted that the victim, one of the allegedly assaulted women, did not visit the police station as a witness to establish the crime. Speaking to PTI over phone, Muthalik said Through this verdict, we have got justice. It is a victory of truth. It is also a fitting reply for those who had termed my activists as Talibanis. We did not have any intention to beat up women, but we are against the bar and pub culture. It is because of our efforts that many illegal pubs and bars have been closed, he said. The BJP, in 2014, months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, had inducted Muthalik, but within hours disowned him after the partys central leadership expressed surprise at the decision of its Karnataka unit. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A special CBI court is set to deliver its judgment in the fourth case of the multi-million rupee fodder scam involving former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Yadav on Thursday. The case pertains to fraudulent withdrawals Rs 13.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury. Besides Lalu Prasad, another former Chief Minister, Jagganth Mishra, and 30 others are also accused in this case. Lalu Prasad was convicted in the first case in 2013 and was awarded five years imprisonment. The RJD supremo was convicted by a special CBI court in the second case on December 23, 2017 and awarded three-and-a-half-years imprisonment on January 6. He was convicted in a third case on January 24 related to fraudulent withdrawals from Chaibasa treasury and was awarded a five-year term. He now faces another two cases -- one in Ranchi and one in Patna. The multi-million rupee fodder scam had surfaced in the 1990s when Lalu Yadav was the Chief Minister of undivided Bihar. The probe was handed over to CBI on the directive of the Patna High Court. The bulk of the cases were transferred to Ranchi after Jharkhand was carved out from Bihar in 2000. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the BJP-led government cannot insist for mandatory Aadhaar linking for availing government services and schemes including mobile phones and bank accounts. The bench of constitution hearing a batch of petitions against the Aadhaar law headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said, aadhar linking with bank accounts and mobile phones will stand extended indefinitely till the judgment is pronounced. Earlier this month, Attorney General of India (AGI) KK venugopal in his submission before a constitution of bench hearing a batch of petitions against the Aadhaar law had said, The deadline has been extended earlier too. If required we can do it again. Also read : Aadhaar linking with govt services deadline March 31 can be extended, Centre tells SC Lawyers of one of the petitioners had requested the bench to consider the plea as deadline of linking Aadhaar number with government schemes and services was nearing. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, taken aback by the shocking defeat in his home constituency on Wednesday by Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates, who were backed by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers, said "overconfidence cost the BJP both the seats". Overconfidence cost BJP both the seats. We underestimated the SP-BSP alliance," Adityanath said. The UP CM further told the media that they will introspect the reasons behind the peoples verdict in the two Lok Sabha seats. The saffron party lost both the high-profile seats to SP candidates which had been won by a margin of over 3 lakhs in 2014 by Adityanath and his deputy, Keshav Prasad Maurya. Nagendra Singh Patel of SP emerged victorious in Phulpur with a margin of 59,613 votes. While, Pravin Nishad won Gorakhpur, a seat held by the saffron party since 1989, by 21,881 votes. Adityanaths home constituency, Gorakhpur, was BJP bastion for the last 28 years. The seat was first won in 1989 by his guru Mahant Avedyanath in 1970 and the UP CM had held the Lok Sabha seat since 1989. Adityanath was the face of BJP across states during the recent elections, next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. The Gorakhpur mutt priest was seen in all major election campaigns or rallies of the saffron party in the country recently. He had addressed at least 35 rallies during the Gujarat Assembly elections last year, was face of the party in Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland. Adityanath also frequented to Kerala during the Janaraksha Yatra last year and recently visited Karnataka to campaign for BJP, where elections are due in May. A government which gives pain to the people or has no respect for their feeling got a fitting response, said former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Taking further dig at Adityanath, Yadav added, The state never had a chief minister who mocked the Constitution like he did. In Assembly he said he does not celebrate Eid because he was a Hindu. He instructs police to kill criminals and even cut them to pieces. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: PNB Housing Finance, a subsidiary of Punjab National Bank, is mulling a proposal to raise up to Rs 8,000 crore in one or more tranches by issuing debt securities. The decision will be taken at the company's board meeting scheduled on Thursday. "Board meeting to consider the proposal of fund raising by way of debt issue," the company said in a regulatory filing. The board will consider issuance of "secured and unsecured non-convertible debentures aggregating up to an amount of Rs 8,000 crore in one or multiple tranches," it said. The company had conducted a non-deal road show for debt investors on March 5-6 in Hong Kong and on March 7 in Singapore. PNB Housing Finance is the fifth largest firm in the housing finance business in the country. The promoter PNB owns 33 per cent in the company, 37.3 per cent is the quality investment holdings, 17.1 per cent by foreign institutional investors, 6.5 per cent by mutual funds, 4.3 per cent by public and others while the rest is owned by financial institutions and corporate bodies. PNB Housing Finance shares closed at Rs 1,119.35 on BSE, up 1.88 per cent from previous close. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: The United States on Monday applauded India for its efforts in initiating and inaugurating the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The ISA is a treaty-based inter-governmental alliance of 121 sunshine-rich countries that lie fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Their adoption of solar energy is expected to help reduce the use of fossil fuels and combat climate change. Sixty countries have signed the agreement to join the alliance which was formally launched jointly by India and France last Sunday in New Delhi. The heads of state from 23 nations took part in the first ISA Summit. "We extend our congratulations to the ISA on the occasion of its founding ceremony. We applaud the Government of India for its efforts to initiate and inaugurate this organisation, and to bring together its founding members this weekend," a State Department Spokesperson told PTI. During the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced an additional USD 862 million to help developing countries with their solar energy projects. The spokesperson said the US appreciated the ISA's goal and looks to work with the ISA in future. "We appreciate the ISA's goal of expanding access to cost-effective solar power and look forward to the economic and social benefits this approach will bring to the developing world," the spokesperson said in response to a question. "We have been pleased to provide technical support to the ISA and will continue to look for opportunities where the US can collaborate with the ISA in future," the spokesperson said. At the launch event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his ambitious goal of building 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2022, including 100 gigawatts of solar. However, the MIT Technology review said that the well-intentioned target looks nearly impossible to achieve. "India would have to build on average 35 gigawatts of renewable energy per year for the next five years. That's more than twice the capacity that the US added across all energy sources in 2016, after subtracting retiring plants, and less than eight gigawatts of the total were solar," the magazine said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lucknow: After profusely thanking Mayawati for her party's support in the Uttar Pradesh bypolls, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday drove to the BSP leader's residence in Lucknow and expressed his gratitude to her. Yadav, who had attributed SP's victory in Gorakhpur and Phulpur to support from BSP and some local parties, spent some at the BSP supremo's residence. What transpired at the meeting was not immediately known, but party insiders believed the two leaders discussed a grand alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In his first comments after a spectacular showing in the bye-elections in which his party won both the Phulpur and Gorakhpur seats, Yadav said "(these elections are) mandate for both the governments at the centre and state. People have come together to bring BJP's burey din (bad days)". The SP president, who thanked his allies, made a special mention of BSP chief Mayawati. "Foremost I want to thank BSP leader Mayawati for her and her party's support in this important fight," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: World-renowned physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawkings died on Wednesday at the age of 76. In his life he has was busy hypothesising about how the world will end and has forewarned that humans must leave Earth within 100 years in order to sustain their survival. According to the physicist the life on Earth is at an alarming risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as asteroid strikes, epidemics, over-population or climate change. 1. Death by fireball Were all going to die in less than 600 years when the Earth is so overpopulated our energy consumption will make the planet burn red.Prof Hawking was speaking at a Tencent WE Summit Beijing in November, where scientists meet from all over the world to share ideas. He was reported as saying By the year 2600, the worlds population would be standing shoulder to shoulder, and the electricity consumption would make the Earth glow red-hot.2. Robots will take over the world. Also Read: Doomsday asteroid to CRUSH earth and wipe us all? NASA plans HAMMER to deflect giant space rock (Watch Video) 2. Robots will take over the world Professor Hawking expressed his fear that artificial intelligence will replace humans. Speaking in an interview to Wired.co.uk he said: We need to move forward on artificial intelligence development but we also need to be mindful of its very real dangers. I fear that AI may replace humans altogether. If people design computer viruses, someone will design AI that replicates itself. This will be a new form of life that will outperform humans. 3. Human aggression and nuclear technology will kill us in the end Speaking to the BBC as part of his 75th birthday celebrations he said: I fear evolution has inbuilt greed and aggression to the human genome. There is no sign of conflict lessening, and the development of militarised technology and weapons of mass destruction could make that disastrous. The best hope for the survival of the human race might be independent colonies in space. 4. We need to find another planet to live on within 100 years Professor Hawking says we need to explore our technological capabilities to the fullest in order to avoid extinction. If we do not find another planet to live on climate change, over population, pandemics and our warring ways will get us in the end. This was explored in this years BBC Two documentary Expedition New Earth, in which the professor enlisted engineering expert Christophe Galfard to explore the feasibility to interplanetary travel. 5. Donald Trump The professor has not shied away from criticising US president Donald Trump. When the president announced in May he would not be signing the Paris climate change agreement, which aims to tackle the threat of global warming Hawking was among his most vocal opponents. Speaking to the BBC during his birthday celebrations in July Hawking warned Trumps decision to withdraw would push the Earth over the brink. He said: We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. Trumps action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees, and raining sulphuric acid. Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and its one we can prevent if we act now. By denying the evidence for climate change, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children. 6. Threats to human survival likely from new science: Physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that new technologies will likely bring about new ways things can go wrong for human survival. When asked how the world will end, Hawking said that increasingly, most of the threats humanity faces come from progress made in science and technology. He says they include nuclear war, catastrophic global warming and genetically engineered viruses. Robots will take over the world For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: IT major Infosys has announced that it will establish a USD 20.6 million-technology and innovation hub in the US state of Connecticut which is expected to create some 1,000 good paying, high tech jobs. In May 2017, Infosys had announced that it planned to establish multiple technology and innovation hubs across the US with a focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, user experience, emerging digital technologies, cloud, and big data. The Hartford hub in Connecticut is the latest such centre announced by the company, following the selection of Indianapolis, Indiana; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Providence, Rhode Island as other locations. "We are excited to announce the expansion of our presence in Connecticut and create 1,000 technology jobs in the state," Infosys president Ravi Kumar said. "This investment will further strengthen our ability to serve clients needs throughout the New England region and expand the local workforce to help our clients compete in the rapidly digitising insurance, healthcare and manufacturing sectors," he said. Kumar said the hub would place Infosys in proximity to its "valued clients" and accelerate the recruitment of "highly-skilled" local talent. As part of the company's establishment of the hub in Hartford, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) will provide up to USD 12 million in grants after certain job creation milestones are met through Malloy's First Five Plus Program. In addition, the company is eligible to receive up to USD 2 million in training grants to support partnerships the company creates with local education organisations. Infosys is also eligible for additional assistance if they significantly exceed 1,000 jobs, and the incentives in place can support up to 2,000 jobs, an official media release said. Connecticut Governor Dannel P Malloy described it as a landmark day in the states economic development efforts. "I am thrilled to welcome Infosys to Connecticut and congratulate them on their decision to establish a technology and innovation hub in Hartford. Connecticut's tremendous assets and talent pipeline continue to attract high caliber companies to the state, and I look forward to the value that Infosys will bring to our business community," Malloy said. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin also seemed enthused by the announcement. "I am thrilled that Infosys, a global information technology company, is making Hartford one of four innovation hubs in the United States," Bronin said. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed when suspected Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) to blow up their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Tuesday, an official said. Some jawans were also reported to be injured in the explosion, but there was no official confirmation yet, he said. The blast occurred when a team of CRPF's 212th battalion was patrolling in a forest in Kistaram area of Sukma, located around 500 km from here, a paramilitary official told PTI. "Nine paramilitary personnel, belonging to the 212th battalion, were killed in the blast," he said. The security men were conducting an area-domination operation in the forest of Kistaram when the Maoists blew up the CRPF's mine-protected vehicle, he said. The rebels used a lot of explosives to blow up the vehicle, the official said. A patrolling party was going from Kistaram to Palodi in an anti-landmine vehicle which was targeted by Naxals with an IED. Extra force has reached the spot, there is no firing at present: DM Awasthi, Special DG, Anti Naxal Operations on IED blast in #Chhattisgarh's Sukma pic.twitter.com/sI3BbqJzAR ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2018 Soon after the incident, reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding that further details were awaited. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed Chhattisgarh director general of police to camp in Sukma and nab the Naxals behind the incident. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans. I spoke to DG @crpfindia regarding the Sukma incident and asked him to leave for Chhattisgarh, Singh wrote on Twitter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too condemned the Naxal attack and said, India salutes the brave CRPF personnel who were martyred in the attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the brave martyrs. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this hour of grief. But soon after PM Modis tweet Congress leader targeting the BJP-led NDa government to ANI said, We salute the sacrifice of our jawans and extend condolences to their families, but under Modi ji's watch all we get are acronyms and empty speeches. He also questioned, Till when will our jawans continue to lay down their lives? For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused China of flooding global markets with cheap steel, adding that Canada has already taken steps to prevent 'dumping' in this country. "We are very concerned about the actions taken by China and the dumping of steel and aluminum on the global market," Trudeau said following a tour of a steel and aluminum plant. His comments came amid rising trade tensions in the wake of a US decision to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Canada, the top supplier of steel and aluminum to the US markets, has been temporarily exempted from the tariffs. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Militants on Thursday attacked BJP leader Anwar Khan in Khanmoh area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. While Khan escaped the attack unhurt, his personal security officer (PSO) was injured in the incident. According to a police official, the militants started firing indiscriminately upon Anwar Khan but he somehow managed to escape the attack but his PSO constable Bilal Ahmad received bullet injuries on the leg. The injured constable was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he is said to be in stable condition. Also Read | 'It's routine': India on Pakistans move to call back envoy over alleged harassment Following the attack on the BJP leader, security forces have launched cordon and search operations (CASO) in the Khanmoh area in Pulwama district. According to the sources, two to four terrorists are holed up in the area and security forces were trying to nab them. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Traders protested in various markets across the national capital today as part of a day-long bandh called by an industry body against the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi. From Amar Colony Market to Karol Bagh, shopkeepers raised slogans and waved black flags to lodge their protest, under the banner of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). In a market in Old Double Storey area in south Delhi's Lajpat Nagar, where recently 350 shops were sealed, traders have been sitting on protest after that action. At the instance of a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee sealing actions have been taken by civic bodies across Delhi for violation of civic norms or Master Plan of Delhi 2021. The drive had begun late December with sealing of major shops and eateries in posh Defence Colony. The CAIT, which has been calling out to halt the sealing drive, ever since it began, has said, the recent sealing operations conducted at Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar, is one such example, where the sealing has been undertaken, by "violating the DMC Act". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. China: China on Tuesday unveiled plans for the biggest ministry shake-up in years, including the merger of its banking and insurance regulators to reduce risks to its financial system from a rapid build-up in debt. The massive reshuffle plan of various ministries is aimed at making the government better-structured, more efficient, and service-oriented. China is also due to announce appointment of new ministers and officials, including the foreign minister, as part of changes in every five years. The reform plan will be submitted to the ongoing first session of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) for deliberations, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. There will be 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council after the reshuffle, the report said. The sweeping changes include the merger of Chinas banking and insurance regulators and the setting up of a special bureau to oversee immigration issues, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported. China is in the midst of a battle against financial risk, as credit in the worlds second largest economy has exploded since the financial crisis a decade ago. Financial regulators have cracked down on major companieseven taking over Anbang Insurance this yearto get a handle on building risk and unwieldy debt that some analysts worry pose a serious threat to Chinas financial stability. Among the new entities are a ministry of natural resources, a ministry of veterans affairs and a ministry of emergency management. The plan also includes the merger of the ministry of culture and the national tourism administration into one. The power of the influential National Development and Reform Commission ? often dubbed the little State Council ? will be reduced under the new plan. The move is part of President Xi Jinpings plan to retool the entire administration to give the ruling Communist Party greater control and a more effective platform to govern the worlds most populous nation. Xi, 64, is set to continue for a life term as the NPC approved the removal of the two-term limit for the president and the vice president. The new plan also intends to cut bureaucracy and turf wars by removing overlapping duties and responsibilities, the Post report said. There will be new administrations under the state council or the central cabinet, such as an international development cooperation agency and a state immigration administration. Compared with the current setup, the number of ministerial-level entities are reduced by eight and that of vice-ministerial-level entities by seven, the report said. The reform, which aims to push forward the institutional restructuring in key areas, will strengthen the governments functions on economic management, market supervision, social management, public service, and ecological and environmental protection, it said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India has emerged as the worlds largest importer of major arms in 201317, according to a study conducted by an international peace relations organization. The latest annual study by a global watchdog on arms sales suggests that Indias arms imports accounted for 12 per cent of the arms transfers in the world. India's imports increased by 24 per cent between 200812 and 201317, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The study reveals that the arms imports of China and Pakistan, however, reduced in the same period. Chinas arms imports fell by 19 per cent between 200812 and 201317. Despite this decrease, it was the worlds fifth-largest arms importer in 201317. Pakistan accounted for 2.8 per cent of global arms imports in 201317. However, the rise in arms import from the US has been significant during the 2013-17 period. Imports from the country increased by as much as 557 per cent, making America the second largest arms supplier to India. About Pakistan, the report said that the countrys arms imports went down by 36 per cent between 200812 and 201317. The study said, Pakistan accounted for 2.8 per cent of global arms imports in 201317. Its arms imports from the USA dropped by 76 per cent in 201317 compared with 200812. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a new development to the serious diplomatic spat between India and Pakistan over allegations of harassment and intimidation, the Pakistan High Commission has released a video on Tuesday, showing how the diplomat's car was blocked in New Delhi. According to the reports from Pakistani Officials, the incident took place while the diplomat was returning to his home in Vasant Vihar. The Pakistan High Commission has also alleged that this was done by the Indian security and intelligence agencies. The video shows a Maruti car driving at a very slow speed ahead of the diplomat's car, blocking the way. This has come days after several complaints of harassment of Indian diplomats in Islamabad. This video was shot by the Pakistani diplomat in the car. Also Read: India, Pakistan accuse each other of diplomats' harassment, intimidation The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has however written a note to the Ministry of External Affairs, alleging specific incidents of harassment of diplomats. Indian High Commissioner Ajit Bisaria on February 16 complained to Pakistan Foreign Secretary against multiple incidents of hooliganism against Indian personnel and their properties. He was quoted as saying in multiple media reports that Pakistan agencies cut off power and water supply for over two weeks. "The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year. "Pakistan, meanwhile, had similar grouse to air. It lodged four harassment charges, known as note verbale, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), alleging incidents of harassment and intimidation of its diplomats in New Delhi. Highlighting a recent episode, Pakistan High Commission said two cars carrying the children of Pakistans Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi were followed and obstructed on Tuesday. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Low cost airline IndiGo canceled as many as 47 flights on Tuesday after the countrys aviation regulator DGCA grounded its eight A320Neo planes with faulty Pratt & Whitney engines, along with three such aircraft of GoAir. IndiGo has cancelled 47 flights across its domestic network on March 13, the airline announced on its website. The flights that have been canceled are from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Patna, Srinagar, Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Srinagar and Guwahati, among others. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) cracked the whip after an IndiGo flight bound for Lucknow returned to Ahmedabad within 40 minutes of its getting airborne due to a mid-air engine failure on Monday. Citing safety of aircraft operations, the Director of the DGCA, in the March 12 order, said that A320 Neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect. Three other IndiGo A320Neo planes have been on the ground since February following similar engine problems. On Monday, hundreds of passengers were stranded across the country as dozens of flights were cancelled by IndiGo and GoAir following the grounding of 11 planes. IndiGo operates about 1,000 flights daily. IndiGo carries about 40 per cent of domestic flyers, while GoAir has a market share of around 10 per cent. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: There is good news for fans about the Copa America final. Ten per cent spectators will be allowed to enter the Maracana Stadium for the Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina, but will be tested corona. The Copa America final will be played on July 11 (Sunday). The final match is expected to be even more exciting with the presence of spectators. Rio City Health Secretary Daniel Soranj has allowed 10 per cent visitors to every section of the stadium with 78,000 spectators in guidelines issued on Friday. Konmebol said on Friday that each team will be able to bring 2200 guests to the final, spectators will have to wear masks in the stadium and keep two metres away from each other, during which food or drink will not be served. Earlier in 2019, 60,000 spectators had reached the Copa America final when Brazil defeated Peru 3-1. Copa has Argentina's best record in the US. He has set the record for most times winning the title. But his misfortune is that he has not won the title since 1993. Brazil, on the other hand, have not lost the Copa America final till date. It remains to be seen on Sunday how Messi's fighters take on Neymar's team. Delta Covid-19 variant domain in Italy, infection 11 cases per 100,000 residents Extnl Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Indian Diaspora in Georgia Pakistan authorities cancel air travel for unvaccinated people Pope Francis recovery from intestinal surgery to be satisfactory, the Vatican said. Pope Francis celebrated Mass, worked, and dined with aides. Pope Francis is up walking in the papal apartment on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, from where he is expected to deliver his weekly noontime prayer on Sunday. He was admitted to Gemelli Polyclinic on July 4 after suffering a severe narrowing of his large intestine. The surgeons removed half of his colon. The pope, who lost part of one lung to an infection, is expected to remain hospitalized at least through the end of the week. It added that Popes latest blood tests were "satisfactory." "He is gradually resuming work and continues to stroll in the corridor of the apartment. In the afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the private chapel, and in the evening he dined with those who are assisting him during these days," the statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Afghan army achieves major breakthrough amid Taliban havoc, kills 109 militants Extnl Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Indian Diaspora in Georgia Pakistan authorities cancel air travel for unvaccinated people The great scientist Nicola Tesla made many important inventions. The light that reaches our homes today reaches through the alternating current system which was invented by Nicola Tesla. So Tesla is said to be 'the person who decorated the earth with light.' Tesla's inventions were no less than Einstein's and Edison's inventions, but the silent man did not have the charm that Einstein and Edison had. Tesla understood science, but not social behavior. So he never achieved the fame that Einstein and Edison gained. Today is Nicola Tesla's birthday, Nicola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in Croatia. His father's name was Milutin Tesla and his mother's name was Duka Tesla. When the same Tesla was in school, he was able to solve the toughest maths questions in his mind. Their teachers did not trust him. He used to complete his syllabus in a short time. In 1875, he joined Polytechnic College and secured the first position in 9 examinations. In 1881, he got a job in a telegraph company where he made several improvements to communication equipment and revamped the telephone amplifier. But they did not apply for a patent on it. In 1882, he got a job in the France unit of Thomas Edison's company, where he made several improvements to Bizley's equipment. He was transferred to the US in 1884 where he worked with Edison. Tesla has contributed immensely to Thomas Edison's inventions, but for some reason, the two got into a fight and Tesla left Edison's company. After leaving Edison's company, he set up his own company in which a businessman helped him. When the AC placed the Bisley system before the world, his fortunes and the fortunes of the whole world changed. Electricity could be easily delivered and was very cheap from the AC system. Even today, electricity is provided to households through AC systems all over the world. Puri: Jagannath Rath Yatra Regulations, No participation of devotees, details inside Ensure vaccine supply in Rajasthan, CM Gehlot writes to new Health Minister Alia Bhatt suffers wardrobe malfunction, wore a transparent top NEW ORLEANS, July 10, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have only until July 13, 2021 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Array Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqGS: ARRY), if they purchased the Companys securities between October 14, 2020 and May 11, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or pursuant to the Companys October 2020 initial public offering, December 2020 secondary public offering, or March 2021 secondary public offering. These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Array and would like to discuss your legal rights and how these cases might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-arry/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in the class actions, you must petition the Courts by July 13, 2021. About the Lawsuits Array and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period and/or in the Offering Materials issued in conjunction with the public offerings, violating federal securities laws. Specifically, the action alleges that the Company failed to disclose that increases in commodity and freight costs had been negatively impacting the Companys business and operations. On May 11, 2021, the Company disclosed that its first quarter 2021 results had missed profit analysts expectations and withdrew its full-year 2021 outlook, due to increases in steel and freight costs, leading analysts to cut their ratings on the Company. On this news, shares of Array plummeted 46.1%, or $11.49 per share, to close at $13.46 per share on May 12, 2021. Story continues The first-filed case is Plymouth County Retirement Association v. Array Technologies, Inc., et al., 21-cv-2396. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nations premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210709005487/en/ Contacts Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 For more stories like this, subscribe to The Phoblographer. The driving force behind our dedication to the craft of designing and creating cameras, is to carve a legacy, says Dora Goodman about her eponymous, small scale camera manufacturing company. What started as a hobby to beautify the exterior look of vintage cameras has blossomed into a camera design and production career for Dora. Based out of Hungary, her company produces 3D printed analogue camera bodies and their accessories. They also work on open-source designs allowing other photographers to modify and improve these designs to their liking. Want to have your photos featured? Heres how you can do that. Its no secret that at The Phoblographer, we love analogue photography. Thats not because were old. The average age of the team here is 35. But its more so because the physical and emotional experience of using film cameras is still unmatched by digital ones. I have an ever-growing collection of 35mm and 120mm film cameras; each of them distinct in its look and feel. When it comes to handling, I would rate almost all of them above the digital cameras I use for my work. There are times when I like to take them out and hold them in my hands just to enjoy the feel of old school metal and leather, without even shooting a frame. This is the reason why a lot of manufacturers still make digital cameras with film body looks; the appeal of those bodies transcends decades. Dora and her team have clearly understood the need for this visual and tactile experience. Theyve embraced this in the design of their line of cameras. With the introduction of 3D printing technology into their workflow, the turnaround time has become quicker and creative possibilities, endless The Phoblographer: Tell us about yourself and your journey to discovering photography Dora Goodman: My name is Dora Goodman and I am the founder of Dora Goodman Cameras. Analog photography has been around for over a century, evolving as technology changes. Throughout time, the film photography community has served as a collection of minds, minds that collaborate, design, and fine-tune continuously. At Dora Goodman Cameras, we build on this mindset to take traditional analog photography to a new level, mixing the old with the new. Story continues We are a small team of photography enthusiasts who conceptualize 3D printed medium format and pinhole cameras, as well as build one-of-a-kind custom film cameras based on our own designs. Our dream, and the driving force behind our dedication to the craft of designing and creating cameras, is to carve a legacy of Dora Goodman in the analog communitys ever-evolving story. I started the brand in 2016, driven by my interests in fashion, handmade designer products, and photography, but it was never my plan to build a whole business around this; I just liked to do it but that time, I was still working full time in an office job. Ive always had an obsession for handmade objects, jewelry, woodwork, interior design, and, of course, photography. I worked with wood and glass (not professionally) in the past, and I had a small collection of beautiful cameras, and then the two things came together Also, it was never my plan to be a professional photographer. And then, one day I tried analog photography, and I fell in love immediately. I bought my very first analog camera, shot my first roll of film, and since then, I never stopped doing it. My first analog camera was a very old Praktica from an antique shop in Budapest. It was around 10 years ago. I still remember the feeling I had when I got back from the lab my first roll of 35mm film. It was so rich in details, much richer than the digital ones; I totally fell in love with the colors, with the details, and with the tones. Shooting analog also gives you excitement you dont immediately see your result, you need to wait, and probably by the time you receive your photos, you already forgot what you actually shot or what kind of situations you were in. So then sometimes you are just so surprised by the results. And its a great feeling. The Phoblographer: Juggling photography and a full-time career in another field is never an easy job; I did the same for over 11 years myself. How did you keep the passion burning inside you to eventually transition to photography full-time? Dora Goodman: I never planned to build a whole business around this, but when I realized what I do is actually getting more and more popular, I got coverage on quite big websites, I worked together with inspiring photographers my passion started to burn more and more. And basically, right after I decided to give it a go, I made a deal with my office job that I will only work 3 days a week for then, so I can dedicate 2 full days for my business. I am very thankful for them for letting me do this and supporting me in my dream. I believe if you try to do 2 jobs at the same time, the most important thing is to have dedicated days where you work on your love project; otherwise, you will always prioritize your full-time job. In the beginning, it was a one-man show, but for now, we slowly grew into a team. I am very grateful that we could make this happen; together we are capable of much more. Right now, I am mostly focusing on the creative part, and I have amazing team members who are responsible for other aspects of our business. The Phoblographer: You started out with personalising your own cameras with leather and wood. With vintage film cameras holding their value the more they remain in a new and original condition, what is it that drives some of your customers to want to customise their cameras for a unique look? Dora Goodman: Wood and photography have a common past, as in the old times most of the cameras were made out of wood. Wood was and will always be a wonderful material, and it just simply looks amazing when used with cameras. It feels good to touch and good to smell. Imagine that you have a vintage camera from the 20s, 30s which still works very well, but the original leather doesnt really survive all those years, so you are afraid of even touching it. Why not give it a fresh, new skin and make it live longer? I think working with wood will always be present in the camera business; if we just think of todays modern big brands, they also like to use, for example, grips made out of wood, especially on those parts where you actually touch the camera. The Phoblographer: The global analog community is a wonderful one; theres a familial sense when you see someone else around town with a film camera. What are some of the more unique customisation requests youve received from around the world? Dora Goodman: Most of the time our customers didnt have exact requests or needs; what they wanted was to own a special, customized Dora Goodman Camera, so usually they trusted me 100%, sent their camera, and they let me create something beautiful with it. We more or less discussed materials or colors that I might use, but in many cases, we did not discuss any details, and it was a total surprise for them when it got ready. And they all loved it These days we dont really do this anymore; we focus on our 3D printed cameras, where we build all the custom cameras based on our own ideas. We build every new camera as it would be ours; we dream it, create it, try it, love it and then sell it for someone who will love it just like we did. The Phoblographer: Youre well known for being one of the few individuals who handcrafts new camera bodies these days. How does it feel to marry new generation 3D printing technology with old school film camera traditions? Dora Goodman: The thing I am most happy about is that thanks to the endless possibilities and flexibility of the new generation [of] 3D printing technology, we could create our own camera, the products that we always wished existed. This was a big dream of mine, and I always wanted to stick to analog. Modern technology lets us do this. The Phoblographer: Whats the durability like when it comes to 3D printed cameras and parts? Do they stand up to daily wear and tear of usage? Tell us some of the advantages of this technology over other materials like wood and metal. Dora Goodman: Oh yes, they totally stand up to that. We designed our cameras with an outdoor mindset; we wanted to create something that you are not afraid to use because it is so fragile, or it was so expensive that it ends up just being a decoration in your room that is totally okay just to put in your backpack without a proper case when you go hiking, or you dont make a huge deal out of it when it gets a bit dirty. Obviously, if you have a Hasselblad that you bought for a few thousand of dollars, you will protect it more than anything else. We managed to find a good quality material that we trust 100%, and know that its very durable, and there are always new materials we are experimenting with. Image taken using a Dora Goodman 3D printed camera I think one of the biggest advantages is the size and the weight. Usually, when it comes to medium format photography, that means a heavy camera with complex engineering inside, which also means higher costs. Our Goodman Zone, thanks to the filament we use, is super lightweight, it will only cost you 100-200 bucks and you can easily get the same results. I think the photos we did with this camera and also photos from our community proves it very well (you can find many of these in the Gallery section of our website) Image taken using a Dora Goodman 3D printed camera The Phoblographer: Is there a steadily growing demand for new units? Please take us through the process of production from conceptualisation to dispatch. Dora Goodman: Our most popular model is the Goodman Zone medium format camera. We launched this camera as a product for sale in October 2019, but we have been working on it since 2017. So the full process from the idea until it became an actual product took around 2 years. Designing something from scratch takes a very long time with many trials and errors. 3D printing has endless possibilities and flexibility, which makes our life easier but also harder at the same time. The most difficult part is that the printing can take hours, so you set it up in the night, go to sleep hoping everything is gonna be alright, and in the morning, you wake up to see it has become a total mess because something went wrong during the process. But on the other side, after a print is ready and we do some small thing we want to finetune, we just sit down in front of our computers, modify the files and then print it again to see if it works or not. This already assumes that to develop a new camera means thousands of prints that are actually not good and end up in the trash, and still we are only talking about the printing itself. Then comes the assembly, the test shooting, the waiting filled with excitement until we get the photos back from the lab, and then we realize there is a light leak. Okay, so we go back to the designer table and start again. So this is why it is a very long process. We got so many inquiries asking to develop this or that, and honestly, so good ideas are coming from the community, but we just simply have no time and team to make all those happen, unfortunately. Usually, with the team, we define a business direction every 6 months, what we would like to achieve, what we would like to develop, and stick to that. Wish we would have a lot more designers to experiment with newer and newer formats. Since the Goodman Zone camera was launched, we are continuously developing it, creating new accessories, new mods, and new formats; for example, we just released a 612 version which was always a big dream to make. Also, I need to mention that all our products and packages are fully handcrafted, our heart and soul is in everything we create in our small workshop. Each piece is painstakingly examined before being packaged and shipped to the customers, every step of the way done by hand, even down to each sticker placed on every box. We have no automation, no huge manufacture, no industrial machines, we do everything ourselves, so usually after placing an order it takes 20-30 days to prepare the package for the customer. The Phoblographer: Designing an all new camera must be a special feeling in itself. What are some of the inspirations (photography or otherwise) that you incorporate in your camera designs? Dora Goodman: Mostly todays modern cinematic cameras, and different kinds of outdoor gear. We believe in functional industrial design, where function comes first and that will actually result in a nice shape with a minimalist look. The Phoblographer: Are the designs modular and upgradeable in the future? What about the parts; are they easy to replace out if they get damaged? Dora Goodman: Yes, definitely, we always keep this in mind for all our developments. Once someone bought a camera from us, we would like it to be compatible with our future mods, accessories and developments as well, so he/she can just upgrade his/her already existing camera. If anything gets damaged, our customers usually message us, and we try to respond as quickly as we can, to provide good customer service, help them with advice on how to fix it, and if it is not fixable, we are happy to replace those certain parts for them. So far it works pretty good, and also I think the DIYness of the product also means that many of our customers are really good at these kinds of things, so they are happy to discover different solutions and try to fix it on their own. We also offer a lot of small accessories and hardware kits via our workshop so those also help. The Phoblographer: Is the concept of open sourced design a double edged sword? On the one hand youre graciously opening up your 3D designs to a fascinating community of like minded individuals; on the other there is the potential of the designs being ripped off. What are your thoughts on this matter? Dora Goodman: This is how we started and this is how our brand name started to be known, so we are planning to keep it like that until we can. Yes, it can be a double-edged sword, just like you said, but on the other hand, it attracts so many people and conveys a good message about the brand. Fortunately, we did not have too much problem from being ripped off, and I hope it stays like that. A few times, we got the info from our community that someone is selling a camera that was printed from our files, and in these cases we reached out to that person and asked them kindly not to do that. So far, it was always okay. It is actually stated very detailed in our Terms & Conditions, so in case we would face a more serious issue I think we could protect ourselves with it. But lets talk a bit more about the positive side! What I really like about being open source is that many of our followers have great ideas on how to modify or improve our models, and when they do so, they always share with us their new files. So thanks to them, we are constantly growing and having newer and newer variations on the original Goodman cameras. And this is what we try to communicate through our GoodLab, which is a collaborative space for like-minded camera builders to join together and share their knowledge and experiences. For those with access to a 3D printer or who possess the skill set needed to build a camera from the ground up, all of our files are free to download through our open-source platform. We highly encourage our GoodLab members to customize and modify them as they wish, contributing their own ideas and creations for everyone to enjoy. The Phoblographer: Its almost like Lego for adult photographers. How complex or simple is the process of assembling one of these medium format beauties? Dora Goodman: Adult Lego, yes, actually this is exactly what some of our customers say about it We designed it to be straightforward and easy to do, we have detailed tutorial videos, and also we are working on right now to have even more deep user manual instructions. In a DIY kit everything is included, all the screws, nuts you will need, so I believe that makes it easier. You just need to find the time to sit down and give it a few hours. On average, you can assemble the Goodman Zone camera in 1-1.5 hours, but for some, it takes 30 minutes for others 3 hours. We also try to provide help via emails as much as we can, so one can always message us for help. Also I need to mention here that if someone is afraid of the DIYness, or doesnt really feel like doing it on their own, they can order the camera from us pre-assembled as well, so we save the time and the hassle for them, and when they receive their camera they just need to attach the lens, the back and then theyre ready to shoot. The Phoblographer: What is the future for 3D printing and photography? What is the next challenge for Dora Goodmans team? Is there a potential for including digital back compatibility in an upcoming model? Dora Goodman: In my opinion, 3D printing will change a lot camera production in general. Customer/unique/individual needs will be possible to actually realise. Just like in the case of our open source projects if anyone has an additional idea which might actually make our cameras even better functionally, then the consumer can work on it, we can work together on it, and maybe thanks to his/her idea we get a much better result. Huge production companies might listen to individual consumer needs, but they will rarely consider them, and they never let the average people have a look and a word into the production. 3D printing might change their perspective as the need for this will rise. We believe customised cameras are the future, to create a camera that fits exactly into your hand, fits exactly your habits (how do you hold it, where do you like to push a button, etc..). We also believe that 3D printing will be so user friendly, professional and also common at the same time that everyone will be able to finalise his/her camera to meet his/her needs. And we hope that our company will be a pioneer in creating the most easily printable and user-friendly ready to shoot 3D printed analog cameras, that everyone even without any 3D printing knowledge will be able to print it back home in just a few hours At the moment, our goal for the next 1-2 months is to release the 612 camera in a DIY kit version to make it available for many people. Currently, it is only open source or we offer custom 612 full setup cameras once in a while, but seeing how popular the Goodman Zone DIY kit is, we would love to release this new format as well. We know it is a popular format, but pretty difficult to find one that is not bulky and also not super expensive. Ours is a very lightweight and affordable one, so we hope it will be a success story. Apart from that in the next 6 months, we are focusing on building more and more custom cameras, meaning they come together with a lens and a back and also custom accessories, so we make it easier for those who do not want to hassle to hunt a lens and a back separately. All images by Dora Goodman. Used with permission. Head over to their website, Instagram page and Youtube channel to see more of these 3D printed cameras A FoxConn logo is seen before the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump as he participates in the Foxconn Technology Group groundbreaking ceremony for its LCD manufacturing campus TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn said on Friday it was in talks with the U.S. state of Wisconsin about building electric vehicles there, part of the major Apple Inc supplier's push to diversify income streams. Foxconn and electric car manufacturer Fisker Inc said in May that they had finalised a vehicle-assembly deal. They did not identify a location, but Fisker's CEO said Foxconn's Wisconsin site was a possibility. In a statement, Foxconn said it had begun discussions with Wisconsin. "Foxconn has engaged the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to discuss the company's plans for electric vehicle manufacturing. Foxconn is optimistic about our partnership with WEDC and looks forward to ongoing discussions," it added. The company, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry, gave no further details. A Wisconsin Economic Development Corp spokesman said the agency does not comment on any potential talks until a contract is executed. In April, Foxconn drastically scaled back a planned $10 billion factory in Wisconsin, confirming its retreat from a project that former U.S. President Donald Trump once called "the eighth wonder of the world" and was supposed to build cutting-edge flat-panel display screens. A month earlier, Foxconn's chairman said it may make electric vehicles (EVs) at the Wisconsin site, though could decide on Mexico, and would make a decision this year. Over the past year or so Foxconn has announced several deals on the production of EVs with automakers including Fisker, China's Byton and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, and Stellantis NV's Fiat Chrysler unit. On Friday, Fisker said talks with Wisconsin economic development officials were normal in the process of evaluating potential plant sites. The carmaker said in May it had finalized plans for Foxconn to build vehicles for the electric car startup at a U.S. plant starting in 2023, and Wisconsin was one of four options. Foxconn aims to provide components or services to 10% of the world's EVs by 2025 to 2027, posing a threat to established automakers by allowing technology companies a shortcut to competing in the vehicle market. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by David Evans and Mark Potter) One might think that a short week due to a U.S. holiday calls for a short weekly recap, but we have plenty to share about growth marketing from our coverage over the week. With the help of your recommendations, this week we were able to interview Peep Laja and Lucy Heskins, and publish multiple guest columns on growth-related topics including homepage testing, marketing lies to watch out for, VR ad opportunities, company naming and ad compliance. TechCrunch is collecting responses in this survey to find the best growth marketer for founders to work with. Weve included some of our favorites, below the links. This early-stage marketing expert says B2B SaaS is actually very, very cool now: Extra Crunch reporter Anna Heim interviews Wales-based growth marketer Lucy Heskins about her experience working with startups, how content marketing is best used and more! Navigating ad fraud and consumer privacy abuse in programmatic advertising: Did you know that ad fraud exceeded $35 billion last year, a figure expected to rise to $50 billion by 2025? Jalal Nasir, CEO of marketing compliance startup Pixalate, lends his thoughts about how business leaders and brands can ensure they dont fall victim to the problem. To stay ahead of your competitors, start building your narrative on day one: Anna also sat down with Peep Laja to discuss the importance of a startup being the one to write their own narrative and how it can mature with the company. Demand Curve: How to double conversions on your startups homepage: Head of content Nick Costelloe looks at when its good to be unique, and when its best to stick to the status quo when working to double conversions on your homepage. (Extra Crunch) Demand Curve: 10 lies youve been told about marketing: For subscribers, Costelloe goes through 10 lies youve heard about marketing, and what to try instead to create better results. (Extra Crunch) Can advertising scale in VR?: Have you been on the fence about VR advertising for your company? AR/VR analyst Michael Boland lists out the pros and cons in this article. Story continues (Extra Crunch) What I learned the hard way from naming 30+ startups: Naming a startup might require more thought than you imagined. Marketing executive Drew Beechler takes us through what should be considered when picking out a name, like strategic alignment. As always, please let us know if you can recommend a top-tier growth marketer who works with startups by filling out this quick survey. Marketer: Nikita Vorobyev Recommender: Ruby Club Testimonial: Nikita and his company, Buildrbrand, have worked tirelessly to bring my idea to life and did everything in his power to get it to the level it is today. He and his team created a world-class conditional quiz visual experience that I think would be really cool for him to share with the industry. He doesn't know I nominated him, but I definitely wanted to give back to him in any way I can since I believe his agency creates some of the best brands going viral online right now. Marketer: Max van den Ingh, Unmuted Recommender: Harry Willis, ShopPop Testimonial: They [have] shown considerable and demonstrable growth marketing success at various companies. One of them being MisterGreen, a Dutch Tesla-leasing company that had grown 10x under Maxs leadership. Marketer: Patricia (Patty) Spiller, Chief Recommender: Livongo Testimonial: Hired her to lead Product Marketing and she identified the opportunity to do growth in a much different way, which could significantly accelerate our company's growth. So, she founded the Growth Marketing team and scaled the team from one person to 30 people in less than two years, based on all the success they had in growing our member base. NEW YORK, July 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of. DiDi Global Inc. f/k/a Xiaoju Kuaizhi Inc. ("DiDi" or the "Company") (NYSE: DIDI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. Fighting for victims of securities fraud for more than 85 years (PRNewsfoto/Pomerantz LLP) The investigation concerns whether DiDi and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On or around June 30, 2021, Didi conducted its initial public offering ("IPO"), selling approximately 316.8 million American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), priced at $14.00 per ADS. Then, on July 2, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China ("CAC") stated that it had launched an investigation into DiDi to protect national security and the public interest. The CAC also reported that it had asked DiDi to stop new user registrations during the course of the investigation. On this news, DiDi's ADS price fell $0.87 per ADS, or approximately 5.3%, to close at $15.33 per ADS on July 2, 2021. Then, on July 4, 2021, DiDi reported that the CAC ordered smartphone app stores to stop offering the "DiDi Chuxing" app because it "collect[ed] personal information in violation of relevant PRC laws and regulations." Though users who previously downloaded the app could continue to use it, DiDi stated that "the app takedown may have an adverse impact on its revenue in China." Then, on July 5, 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that the CAC had asked the Company as early as three months prior to the IPO to postpone the offering because of national security concerns and to "conduct a thorough self-examination of its network security." On this news, DiDi's ADS price fell another $3.04 per share, or 19.6%, to close at $12.49 per share on July 6, 2021. Story continues The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-of-didi-global-inc-fka-xiaoju-kuaizhi-inc---didi-301329021.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP By Aislinn Laing SANTIAGO, July 9 (Reuters) - The son of a leader of Chile's Mapuche people was shot dead by police on Friday in the restive Araucania province, local media reported, in a potential blow to attempts to improve relations between the state and indigenous people. The shooting, reported to be during a confrontation between police and alleged intruders at a forestry company, is likely to inflame tensions in the region. Indigenous people have claimed for decades that their territory has been illegally requisitioned by agriculture and forestry companies acting with state complicity. The victim was Ernesto Llaitul, 26, according to the media reports citing the Chilean prosecutor's office. He was the son of Hector Llaitul, a Mapuche leader described as a spokesperson for the activist group Coordinadora Arauco - Malleco. Ernesto Llaitul was also identified as the victim in a statement on Twitter by Mijael Carbone Queipul, the leader of another local group, the Mapuche Territorial Alliance. The Chilean police declined to comment, while the public prosecutor did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Chile's Human Rights Institute said the shooting would "further exacerbate the complex situation in the region," calling for a "prompt, deep and transparent investigation. The incident took place around 5:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) at the Santa Ana-Tres Palos farm in Carahue, 55 km (35 miles) west of the regional capital Temuco, the reports said. Police said a group of hooded individuals arrived at the farm and fired on an employee, prompting an armed police operation, according to local news station Mega. In 2018, Camilo Catrillanca, 24, the grandson of a local indigenous leader, was shot in the head during a police operation in a rural community near the town of Ercilla, triggering nationwide protests. Seven police officers were convicted in connection with that shooting. Last week, 155 Chilean citizens drafting a new constitution for the country elected a Mapuche academic, Elisa Loncon, to lead them, a significant turnaround since indigenous people are not recognized in the constitution adopted during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. Claudio Nash, a law professor at the University of Chile, said that if Llaitul's death is confirmed, it would be a "serious blow to the dialogue between the Mapuche nation and the Chilean state that has been initiated through the constitutional process." (Reporting by Aislinn Laing; Editing by William Mallard) There may be only four cannabis dispensaries open in Virginia right now, but those dispensaries deliver to a wide geographical area. Almost every patient lives within a delivery zone for at least one Virginia dispensary, and every dispensary offers a variety of cannabis products to fit every lifestyle, health need, and personal preference. Any time day or night, you can put in your order for vape cartridges, tinctures, edibles, or topicals, and a cannabis home delivery service will have your products to you within a few days. Flower is Coming to Virginia Dispensaries Soon If you are holding off on getting your Virginia medical marijuana card because youre concerned that you wont be able to find your preferred format, or because the products currently available are too expensive for your taste, then the wait is over! Gov. Ralph Northam was among dignitaries who celebrated the project that will bring high-speed internet to almost 7,200 unserved households and businesses in King George, Westmoreland, Richmond and Northumberland counties. We need to think big to make universal broadband a reality in our commonwealth, the governor said, and this regional initiative is exactly the type of unique partnership that will deliver on this promise. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The initiative has brought a lot of partners and funding sources to the table. About $20 million has been generated from state and federal grants, with each of the four counties chipping in $650,000. King George offered up a larger chunk$500,000last year so it would be first in line to get the high-speed service. King George has 1,800 of the homes and businesses in the Northern Neck identified as lacking reliable and fast internet, according to county officials. With construction of the main line starting this month, installations are expected around October for pre-registered customers. Officials expect to complete the project by December 2023. The first phase will use a $10 million grant from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative. Last spring, a consultant interviewed Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg, Fremont City Administrator Brian Newton, the heads of various city departments, representatives from Methodist Fremont Health, 911 Director Shelly Holzerland, Bernt and firefighters. The community input meetings are part of this study. Bernt said the consulting firm will evaluate the community and the fire department and develop a plan. The consultant may determine that more staffing and even another station is needed. Bernt said fire station at 415 E. 16th St., was built in 1968 and is 53 years old. Theyll have a facility expert come in and do an analysis of the fire station, he said. Bernt cites the importance of planning. With all the residential development thats coming into town, over the next few years were going to see some substantial growth in population, residential and commercial buildings, so with that we need to start planning where we need to be 10 years down the road such as staffing, equipment, station locations, Bernt said. Bernt hopes people attend the community input meetings. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Media mogul and billionaire bison rancher Ted Turner is donating an 80,000-acre ranch he owns in western Nebraska to his own nonprofit agriculture ecosystem research institute and says he might do the same with four other ranches in Nebraskas Sand Hills. But hell continue to pay taxes on the land, much to the relief of local officials and Nebraska leaders, the Omaha World-Herald reported Thursday. I believe that local property taxes provide essential support for services on which our ranches and communities depend," Turner, 82, said in a news release last week announcing the new institute. The Institute will continue to pay its share of taxes to support the local communities. State officials had feared Turner Nebraska's largest landowner with nearly 500,000 acres of western Nebraska ranchland might turn over the land to a nonprofit and remove vast tracts of land from property tax rolls. The prospect of such a large amount of land removed from tax rolls "would be painful, said state Sen. Tom Brewer, of Gordon. Deadly clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban in and around the southern city of Kandahar have continued into a second day. The Afghan military said on July 10 that dozens of insurgents have been killed in fighting in Kandahar's Seventh Police District and the provincial capital's surrounding Dand district. "Joint security forces in support of the Afghan Air Force have conducted operations in the last 24 hours," an Afghan National Army spokesman told Radio Azadi on July 10. "As a result of these operations, 70 Taliban were killed and eight others were wounded." Security officials have not provided any information on casualties among Afghan forces in the city, a former Taliban stronghold. Civilians casualties have also been reported, with Kandahar's Mirwais Hospital saying it had been swamped with arriving wounded. Out of 57 injured received by the hospital, director Mohammad Daud Farhad told Radio Azadi, 41 were civilians. Farhad said 11 dead had also been sent to the hospital, seven of whom where insurgents and the rest civilians and Afghan military personnel. "I was preparing for the evening prayer when the mortar came," a civilian named Musa Jan told Radio Azadi at the hospital. "The women and children cried over me, and then people brought me to the hospital." The Kandahar Department of Refugees said that about 2,000 families from Mir Bazaar and Mirwais Mina in the Seventh District of Kandahar have been displaced and forced to take refuge in other parts of the city. "There was heavy fighting in the morning and last night," Abdul Manan, who fled the fighting with his family, told Radio Azadi on July 10. "Mortar shells were fired and people who were able to get out left, but others are still there." Speaking to Radio Azadi on July 10, Kandahar police spokesman Jamal Nasi Barakzai said that Taliban militants have been forcibly evicting civilians and using their homes for cover. "Our security forces are resisting [the Taliban], but the operation is complicated and slow because they are hiding in people's homes," Barakzai said. An Afghan soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Afghan military had positioned tanks on high ground above occupied homes. "We want to push the Taliban out of the city of Kandahar, but we don't want to destroy the homes of the people of the city," the soldier told Radio Azadi on July 10. In addition to Kandahar city, heavy fighting has been reported in several districts of Kandahar Province, including Arghandab, Spin Boldak, and Dand. The Taliban has not confirmed its involvement in the fighting in Kandahar but has claimed to have taken over several security checkpoints in the districts of Spin Boldak, Dand, and Zharai. Dozens of Afghan districts have reportedly fallen under Taliban militant control since U.S.-led international forces officially began their withdrawal from Afghanistan on May 1, leaving forces loyal to Kabul's fragile government vulnerable to attack. Afghan security officials have vowed that their troops are mounting counterattacks, and U.S. President Joe Biden has assured President Ashraf Ghani's administration that American forces will stand by Kabul despite the exit of combat forces. This story is based on reporting by Radio Azadi correspondents on the ground in Afghanistan. Their names are being withheld for their protection. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today A few isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Some sunshine with a thunderstorm or two possible this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Coral Gables leans into smart city services The Coral Gables, Fla., IT Department (CGIT) recently launched two smart city services that improve access to data and expand broadband access. Work on the new Urban Analytics Artificial Intelligence Platform began about two years ago to replace internet-of-things (IoT) dashboards that aggregate data from the city into its publicly available hub at coralgables.com/smartcity. The data comes from a variety of sources including traffic sensors, public-safety sensors, city cameras, multimodal sensors that detect both vehicles, bicycles and micromobility devices as well as environmental sensors that monitor air and water quality. The new technology, which is made by Quantela, an outcomes-as-a-service company that specializes in smart cities, correlates the data from city sensors, aggregates it and runs business intelligence analytics on it. The city then shares the results publicly, said Raimundo Rodulfo, director of IT and chief innovation officer for the city. All that data has to be aggregated and analyzed in one central cloud repository because thats how you get the most value from it -- the actionable value for first responders, traffic engineers, for urban planners or for the public in general, Rodulfo said. For example, when the city activated its emergency operations center (EOC) ahead of the effects of Tropical Storm Elsa recently, it used the urban analytics from sensors to understand the water levels in canals and the amount of traffic in hurricane evacuation zones. Additionally, when traffic engineers and the citys Public Works Department conduct a traffic study, they use data from the platform to understand patterns, behavior and the amount of traffic in a given intersection. With that data, they know the best way to make improvements, Rodulfo said. The city studied traffic, pedestrian, environmental and other data during the pandemic to understand the effect that emergency conditions have on roads and city life. The information can be correlated with other COVID-19 data to observe and predict patterns related to the impact of the crisis and the policies implemented to address it, according to a May 2020 case study. While working on the analytics platform, Coral Gables continued to expand its Smart Districts Urban Cyberinfrastructure. The city divided areas into smart districts, some of which have innovation corridors for broadband and high-speed communication. Theyre basically economic and innovation zones where CGIT deploys hyperconnectivity and dense smart city infrastructure such as traffic, environmental and noise sensors plus analytics, Rodulfo said. Today when we talk about smart cities, we are talking about hyperconnectivity, he said. We are talking today about the ability of vehicles to connect to surrounding environment or connect vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-cloud. All those capabilities of smart mobility are also enabled by smart districts. A third accomplishment Rodulfo touted is the installation in June of the countrys first smart, integrated pole -- the Ekin Spotter V2 -- which sits in the citys financial corridor. Some of the services consolidated in the nearly 10-foot high pole are free public Wi-Fi, traffic and safety sensors, environmental sensors, computer vision and artificial intelligence-based IoT edge analytics and alerts. It provides live video and real-time analytics to the Coral Gables Smart City Hub public platform, the Urban Analytics AI platform, the Community Intelligence Center and EOC. Additionally, the city is currently beta testing AIDA, a new AI Digital Assistant for the Coral Gables Smart City Hub Public Platform that helps people navigate the site and find the information they want. Rodulfo credits infrastructure changes that the city started 10 years ago with enabling todays innovation. In the last six years, Coral Gables has accelerated investments in smart city technologies hybrid cloud, hyperconnectivity, IoT devices and artificial intelligence that analyzes sensor data, Rodulfo said. A smart city leverages technology and innovation and best practices to improve quality of life -- in mobility, public safety, transportation, environmental sustainability -- everything that matters to the quality of life for the citizens, he told Coral Gables Magazine. The smart city leverages the technology of the moment. Mulvihill, a 2021 Norwalk High School graduate, is scheduled for a non-jury trial Aug. 16 on the serious misdemeanor charge, punishable by up to one year in jail. The State Patrol also did not have body camera video of the April 9 fatal shooting of State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith during a standoff in Grundy Center. Other agencies that responded to the incident do have body cameras, but have declined to make video public during the pending criminal case of Michael Thomas Lang, charged with first-degree murder. Body cameras, recording devices officers wear on their uniforms to document what they see and hear on the job, were used by about half of U.S. law enforcement agencies in 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice reported in 2018. About 90% of more than 200 Iowa law enforcement agencies that responded to a survey last fall about body camera use said their agencies had the cameras. The survey was part of the In Focus series by the Iowa Newspaper Association and more than 30 Iowa newspapers, that examines the use of police body cameras and access to police video in Iowa. This is the third article in that series. According to Habermann, research says there is not a lot of benefit from an extra year of preschool but it was ultimately a decision for the parent to make. Central Springs is not the only one in its conference with this type of programming, Lehmann said. North Union does not have Kindergarten-prep at all, and some schools do half-day programs that are labeled as Kindergarten-transitional but are using Kindergarten curriculum, like Eagle Grove and Lake Mills, he said. "You see more and more districts going towards the Kindergarten route and there is no difference in the quality," Habermann said. Ultimately, the school board closed discussion on the issue and moved onto its next agenda item, leaving the guidelines as they are. One of the reasons behind the board's inaction was if they change things, how do they make it up in other areas, according to Lehmann. Another factor was how the district could remain unified with others in the conference if they changed the guidelines. We hope that (parents) understand that we have to look at the big picture of all the kids that come in, Lehmann said. Complications with a new wastewater treatment plant in Eagle Grove has led the city to fall out of compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. Between July 2020 and April 2021, the Eagle Grove wastewater treatment facility released an excess amount of nitrate out of their plant in 13 of the 16 months, violating their national pollution discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit and the Clean Water Act, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Signed into law in 1972, the Clean Water Act aims to control wastewater pollution by regulating how much effluent facilities can release into bodies of water before it begins to have negative impacts. Organizations with an NPDES permit are allowed to dump only a specific amount of effluent from wastewater into bodies of water following numbers set by the Clean Water Act. For violating the Clean Water Act, the Iowa DNR entered into an administrative consent order on June 11 with Eagle Grove to fix the problem. David Miller, a field officer for the DNR located in Mason City, explained that Eagle Groves new facility was one of the causes of the issue. The Eagle Grove plant couldnt hit their nitrate level, Miller explained. Bottom line was the Eagle Grove facility was not working as expected. Ratisbon1993 wrote: First some background about my situation: I have taken the GMAT exam twice (online, test center). I have been seriously studying since mid February of this year. First attempt was a 710 Q47 V41 on the online exam with some major tech issues and delays which probably partially contributed to my score. The math and the verbal felt challenging (more challenging than GMAT Prep). Second time was 2 weeks later in the test center (wanted to try in person due to bad Online GMAT experience) and I got a 730 Q48 V44 IR 5 AWA 5. The math felt pretty straightforward and I was able to answer every question and finish with a little time left. The verbal felt harder than the GMAT Prep tests I have taken. For Quant, I generally feel like I can answer all the questions and have a good grasp of all the concepts but often still find myself making silly math mistakes or not exactly answering what the question asked for (especially for PS questions) - this is what I think happened on the second test (must have gotten tricked on a few easy ones which is also why it felt so much easier). My GMAT Prep breakdown is as follows: 1 - 690 Q44 V39 (diagnostic / no prep) 2 - 770 Q49 V46 3 - 750 Q46 V48 4 - 740 Q50 V40 5 - 740 Q47 V44 6 - 740 Q49 V41 The inconsistency in the subscores makes me hope that I could be doing better overall. So far I have used the following: - MP Strategy Guides (complete) - MP (in an effort to improve my Q) (complete) - question bank (I bought and then transitioned to MP books so only did the practice questions) (complete) - Guide (complete) - GMAT club questions (for additional SC / CR practice primarily) I would like to score in the 750 - 760 range to be more competitive for the following programs (given somewhat undifferentiated profile - white male in management consulting): - Haas - Wharton - MIT - LBS (730 is within target range for LBS) I want to improve my Quant (Q49 - Q50), since with a bit of practice and consistency, I believe that I can keep my Verbal score at the 44 - 46 level. Also, based on my and review of questions, most of my mistakes in math are related to not reading the question carefully, making an arithmetic mistake, not answering the specific question asked, and, to some extent, the lack of organization / proper utilization of my scratchpad (using 4 quadrant methodology and I usually write what I am solving for in the top left corner, circle it, and then put the AD/BCE and other info on the right). I feel like I am maybe leaving some easy points on the table... I re-started studying and signed up for since it seems like a lot of people on here have had good experiences and quant score improvements using this program. Doing the accelerated plan where the focus is on the chapter tests. So I am seeking advice / tips / thoughts on: 1. General test-taking strategies 2. Ways to improve math by making some fundamental changes to how I approach questions (in order to avoid making careless mistakes):? 3. The potential value of a GMAT prep course after already having learned all the content 5. Any other advice... Thank you for reading and your help. Hi Ratisbon1993,I won't comment about the other points, but for improvement in Quant - I found course, and the question explanations really helpful.Maybe, instead of just doing questions you can try the course material for certain topics where you don't feel confident.Hope it helps. All the best!! Next it was Drake Extrusion but she was laid off after about five years. Then she went to work in the accounting department of Commonwealth Laminating, nine years ago. When Eastman bought it out, all accounting moved to headquarters in Tennessee, and she had to go through the entire formal application process for a new job with Eastman, she said. She got a job in the maintenance department for a year and a half before she got a new job in Eastmans procurement department, where she has been for the past four years. Meanwhile, that goal of getting her bachelors degree remained in the back of her head. When she went through a separation and then a divorce some eight years ago, I knew I had to become independent, and I decided that one day I would like to go ahead and finish college. Then came the final push: Our company has gone through layoffs in the last couple of years in the procurement department. That was the real push for me to go back to school because I wanted to be ready if it happened to her again. Encouragement In December 2019, she talked about ideas of returning to college with her boss, Shannon Bumgarner, who encouraged her to do it, she said. As of Friday, the delta variant of the novel coronavirus hadnt officially surfaced in Danville or Pittsylvania County. But that doesnt mean its not here. Thats because not all COVID-19 positive tests are available to undergo a process to determine a specific variant. It is very likely that these variants are more common in our communities than the number of reported cases suggest, Dr. Brandy Darby, a veterinary epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health, told the Register & Bee. The process for variant detection is known as whole genome sequencing and is only performed in a subset of samples, she said. Sequencing lets health experts identify variants to see if new linages are emerging, and it also serves as a gauge to mark trends in the state. Since only a small sampling is used, its likely many more cases, hospitalizations and deaths have happened at the hands of a variety of variants circulating around the commonwealth than a database updated once a week indicates. Theres also a time gap between when an infection takes hold and when health officials discover the variant variety. The latest developments in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise: MIAMI An American arrested in connection to the assassination of Haitis president worked alongside Sean Penn to rebuild the country from a devastating earthquake in 2010, according to three people familiar with the Hollywood actors decade-old relief drive. The two people said James Solages worked as a driver and in a security capacity for J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which was started by Penn following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 300,000 people in the impoverished Caribbean nation. One of the people said Solages had left the organization, now known as CORE, sometime in 2011. All three people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Penn laid down what he considers lifelong roots in Haiti following the earthquake, at one point even living in a tent city among some 40,000 Haitians left homeless by the natural disaster. For his multi-year efforts on behalf of the Haitian people, former President Michel Martelly the mentor of slain President Jovenel Moise named Penn ambassador at large, the first non-Haitian to receive that designation. The University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center which VDOE uses to gauge school-age population, defined as between 5 and 19 years old estimates there are nearly 1.6 million people statewide who fall in this category. This means almost 3 in 4 kids in this age group are not vaccinated, and only about 1 in 5 are fully protected against the virus. In the 2020-21 school year, there were 1.2 million K-12 students enrolled full time. Even if assuming all 305,355 of the fully vaccinated kids under the age of 20 were part of that number, it would account for only a quarter of the enrollment count. Infections among younger children are rare, but it's not a 100% guarantee that they can't transmit the virus or be hospitalized especially as the Delta variant leaves unvaccinated people susceptible to getting sick. As of Friday, Virginians under the age of 20 accounted for about 1 in 5 infections caused by a variant of concern. On Thursday night, a second child under the age of 10 died from COVID. Russia denounced the Defenders maneuver as a provocation and warned that next time it might fire to hit intruding warships. Britain, which like most other nations didnt recognize Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, insisted the Defender wasnt fired upon on June 23 and said it was sailing in Ukrainian waters when Russia sent its planes into the air and shots were heard during the showdown. The incident added to the tensions between Russia and the NATO allies. Relations between Russia and the West have sunk to post-Cold War lows over Moscow's annexation of Crimea, its support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, accusations of Russian hacking attacks, election interference and other irritants. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the incident with the Defender wouldnt have triggered a global conflict even if Russia had sunk the British vessel because the West knows it cant win such a war. The statement appeared to indicate Putin's resolve to raise the stakes should a similar incident happen again. Aboard the Ross, John said the Sea Breeze participants were exercising their right to operate in international waters. He described the drills as a tangible demonstration of our commitment to each other for a safe and stable Black Sea region. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. We have large swaths of rural Virginia that have seen their traditional employment base wither or sometimes die. Does Youngkin have any special insight into how to build a new economy in rural Virginia? We know what McAuliffes record on that is and have no reason to expect a second term to be any different from his first. Can Youngkin do better? Again, we just dont know and we dont hear Youngkin talking about it, either. Politically, he probably doesnt need to. Given our current political alignments, Youngkin will win those areas big whether he lays out a 100-point plan or whether he says nothing at all. But as governor, hell have to deal with the drag that those regions put on the state, so wed like to hear some details, if he has any. Does he back a constitutional amendment to end school disparity? We have at least one county (Scott) that says its too poor to put up $238,000 to get a state match of $1 million for teacher pay raises. What would he do about that? How would he raise the educational level of the adult workforce in rural Virginia to make it more competitive? Would he put up money for energy research programs at the University of Virginias College at Wise? These are practical questions questions that McAuliffe isnt addressing either, which gives Youngkin even more opportunity to make his case. Google Fiber is cutting the cable cord for its customers, whether they want it or not, and ending traditional TV service in Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham area on Sept. 30, the company recently announced. Google Fiber said it is making the change so it can focus on internet service, while giving customers the option to switch to streaming TV services to pick up their favorite channels. Google Fiber customers will receive an upgraded whole-home Google WiFi mesh system for its internet service. And in place of their TV boxes, people will get a Chromecast device with Google TV that streams content from services like YouTube TV (which is also owned by Google) or other services like fuboTV, Sling or Philo, and available apps such as Netflix and Spotify. Customers need separate subscriptions for those services. The device also has a section for live TV channels. It is up to the customer to install the new devices, although they can contact Google Fiber if they need assistance. Some people on social media sites like Nextdoor have already voiced concerns about installing the product themselves. According to the attorney, in July 2016 Smith admitted to a Washington, D.C., court that he was the childs father and he approved of a custody arrangement with an aunt. No judge has ruled on the motion yet, but the city and the Smith family have in the past two weeks filed motions in response to the Washington, D.C., childs claim. The city along with the police officers and paramedics said through an attorney that they support the childs motion to join the lawsuit, but that in no way means they admit to any of the allegations in the Smith familys lawsuit. The city also argues that the case cant move forward until the federal court determines whether the child should be a part of the case. The city believes the future of the case hinges on whether Smiths parents or his alleged child are both heirs to any settlement of the case. If Smith is ruled to have been the childs father, the city argues, then any court testimony or settlement in the case must involve only the child and not Smiths parents. The reason, they argue, is that only the legal heir to Smiths assets is entitled to be the primary plaintiff in the case. Likewise, if Smith is not determined to be the childs father, then the child has no claim to any proceeds from the case, the city argues. I recall Ohio, Texas, Florida off the top of my head, Abuzuaiter said. Some immigrants are on the lawful path to citizenship but still dont qualify for a government-issued ID. There are also American citizens people just coming out of jail, the homeless, low-income and elderly who also might not have all the necessary documents, for example, for even a Department of Motor Vehicles identification card. Since 2013, the agency, working with the Greensboro Police Department, has offered identification cards to anyone for $10. It was always the hope that what we were doing at the local level might resonate in other parts of the state and nation, Fraccaro said. **** Fraccaro says hes not worried about the future of the organization. Like Adams, he points to the many remarkable staff, board members and volunteers who have fueled the agencys goal of building greater understanding and trust with newcomers, which they say in turn builds stronger communities. The blaze, which was only 11% contained, officially had blackened more than 38 square miles (98 square kilometers) but that figure was expected to increase dramatically when fire officials were able to make better observations. Nearly 1,000 firefighters were aided by aircraft but the blaze was expected to continue leaping through trees and chaparral that already are bone-dry because of low humidity and a heat wave forecasted to continue through the weekend. Were expecting more of the same the day after and the day after and the day after, Cox said. The air was so dry that some of the water dropped by aircraft evaporated before it reached the ground, she said. The fire was one of several burning in the West, including several that destroyed dozens of California homes in recent days. In the region between the Oregon border and the northern end of the Central Valley, the big Lava and Tennant fires were significantly contained, and progress was reported at the Salt Fire as containment improved to 45%. The Salt Fire has burned 27 homes and 14 outbuildings north of Redding, which hit 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) before 11 a.m. The Lava Fire destroyed 20 structures, including 13 homes, and damaged two structures. The Tennant Fire destroyed five buildings, including two homes. Growing up, Flory said she had Black friends who never saw themselves represented in books until they had children of their own. That shouldnt be an experience for any child, she said. They need to see themselves. No matter how young they are, no matter where in the world they live, they need to see themselves in books. Windows, mirrors and prisms Bajaj said theres a longstanding metaphor in the field of childrens literature that looks at stories as both windows and mirrors. As windows, stories offer young kids a look at cultures or experiences that are different from their own. Exposing at the youngest of ages to a story that may be about a different kind of a food, or a different kind of reality, Bajaj explained. Or it could even just be an Asian American or Pacific Islander character doing something that you also do, and creating a sort of shared humanity through that. And as mirrors, Bajaj added, the stories allow kids to see themselves represented in what they consume. Why do these court challenges appear to have a higher political purpose? There must be flower shops in Washington state and bakeries in Colorado that cater to same-sex weddings. Why pick on the ones that dont? Is this part of a larger goal to destroy what remains of what used to be known as traditional values? Basic pillars that have supported America have included religious faith and the military and have been reflected in the stories and characters created by the iconic Walt Disney. These and many others are now under attack. The Walt Disney Co. has announced a change in its welcoming messages at all properties from Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, to Good evening dreamers of all ages. A company spokesperson (notice my avoidance of gender specificity) said the decision is in alignment with Disneys inclusion and diversity policy. Why is it that inclusion and diversity always seem to exclude people who believe differently? Such people are now viewed as criminals in some states if they seek to apply their faith to their businesses and in the public square. President Joe Biden speaks before signing an executive order aimed at promoting competition in the economy, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, July 9, 2021, in Washington. 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. Q: My 6-year-old son came home after his time with his mother and confided that a bad word came up on his mothers caller ID each time I called. This really upset him, and now he doesnt want to see her next weekend. Things are so volatile; Im afraid to say something. Whats good ex-etiquette? llinois public radio is set to lose hundreds of thousands in annual funding from the University of Illinois-Springfield in the coming years. According to UIS' planned annual budget, it will cut $400,000 from NPR Illinois' budget, phasing it out each fiscal year until funding is completely eliminated. The cut deals a major blow to local journalism and WUIS (91.9 FM), which has been a public news source for Illinois since 1975. In a press release Friday, State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, called for UIS to revert funding back to NPR Illinois, recognizing its importance as "one of the few remaining media venues that extensively covers state government," per the release. "I recognize the COVID-19 pandemic has had an economic impact on many universities," Turner said, "but cutting this program from UIS's budget would do a huge disservice to both area residents and journalism students." According to the release, Turner wrote a letter to UIS interim chancellor Karen Whitney urging her to revert funding back to NPR Illinois, which is currently housed on the university's grounds. Current plans will allow the station to continue operations at UIS but it will primarily have to rely on private donations to continue to function. "Over many years, this station has delivered true, fair and unbiased coverage to a multitude of listeners," Turner said. "It has also given many journalists and interns an opportunity to thrive in the field while reporting on state government. This outlet produces quality journalism, and it needs to continue to operate." Whitney, reached Friday, said she had only recent read Turner's letter and agreed that NPR Illinois is "a community asset. As an educator, it's important to our democracy to have free and unfettered journalism. We're proud to house NPR Illinois on our campus, absolutely." The situation with the state's support of public higher education has been brewing for awhile, Whitney said. "We're shifting a part of our support from direct university funding to NPR Illinois to philanthropic funding," Whitney added. "We're continuing our support of NPR Illinois in terms of the facilities that we're providing and we're adding more support in the area of fundraising (personnel) because I believe it is such an asset that the whole community should support it directly." Whitney said she would welcome a conversation with Turner "who's been a friend and supporter of UIS." WUIS began broadcasting as WSSR when UIS was still Sangamon State University in 1975. According to the station's latest budget report, NPR Illinois received $734,142 in donations from listeners and businesses in 2020. It reported an operating expense of $1.9 million that same year. Reporter Steven Spearie contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD All public schools in Illinois will soon be required to teach a unit on Asian American history and culture as part of their social studies curriculum. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed a bill known as the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History, or TEAACH Act, into law, making Illinois the first state in the nation to enact such a requirement. It's a historic moment for our state and for our nation, as we elevate Asian American voices teaching history to include those who have been historically silenced, Pritzker said during a bill signing ceremony at Niles West High School in Skokie. Gong-Gershowitz, a third-generation Chinese American, said the bill was prompted in part by the rise of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States that arose during the pandemic. Like a lot of legislation, this has been a topic of conversation for a while, she said. But it occurred to us and the TEAACH coalition and (Asian Americans) Advancing Justice Chicago that this was the best way for us to respond to the rise in anti-Asian hate and xenophobia that we have seen in the pandemic. And so the strategy to pass this legislation now was very much motivated in part by what we saw happening in the world. Gong-Gershowitz related her own family history from the time her grandfather came to the U.S. in the 1920s, about 40 years after Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first major federal legislation restricting immigration. But she said she never learned about that, or about the constitutional issues surrounding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, until she was in law school. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Throughout elementary, high school and college, none of this history was covered in my social studies classes, she said. I had no idea that these laws existed, much less how deeply they had impacted my own family. My family's history had been deliberately hidden by my grandparents, who like many other first-generation Americans, were desperate to survive and saw the discrimination that they endured as an impediment to the success of the next generation. They never talked about their struggles. Under the new law, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, all public elementary schools and high schools in Illinois will be required to teach one unit that focuses on the events of Asian American history from the 19th century to the present, including the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions Asian Americans have made toward advancing civil rights. The law also provides that the course work will include the contributions made by individual Asian Americans in government, art, humanities and science as well as the contributions of Asian American communities to the economic, cultural, social and political development of the U.S. It also tasks the State Board of Education with preparing and distributing instructional materials that local districts can use as guidelines as they develop their own curriculum. That new law comes on the heels of legislation Pritzker signed earlier this year expanding the teaching of Black history in public schools, including the history of African civilization before enslavement, as well as a law Pritzker signed in 2019 requiring schools to include the contributions of LGBTQ individuals in history lessons. Carmen Ayala, the state superintendent of education, praised passage of the new law and noted that the majority of Illinois students about 53 percent, according to data from ISBE are now people of color. I strongly believe in the intrinsic value of sharing the stories and the contributions of our cultures that weave the beautiful tapestry of our state and of our nation, she said. Our country and our state are the result of the sacrifices and the contributions from all sorts of individuals, individuals of different races, cultures and religions, people who speak many different languages, eat different foods and celebrate different holidays. But for too long history education, the official ledger of those contributions, has been incomplete, and therefore has been inaccurate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 That was then. The subsequent decision to punt on the Stutzman case, said Walker, was another example of this Supreme Court delaying a clear decision on First Amendment issues caused by clashes between ancient faiths and the Sexual Revolution. These issues will continue to haunt the court, in part because of church-state precedents such as this famous language from the 1943 West Virginia v. Barnette decision, which said the government could not force Jehovahs Witnesses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, wrote Justice Robert Jackson, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. These clashes are a reminder, Walker noted in his new book, Liberty For All, that questions about authority and adoration are at the center of what it means to be human. No matter what happens in American law, he argued that Christians should affirm that every individual, regardless of their religious confession, is equally free to believe, or not to believe, and to live out their understanding of the consciences duty, individually and communally, that is owed to God in all areas of life without threat of government penalty or social harassment. ... Nothing less than personhood is at stake. Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi. Beyond the trestle, this event also marks opening an additional section of trail that spans nearly a mile, Lapis said. The trestle has been completed, but the trail beyond that still needs some further work, Mueller said. The new section will go through the Summit Cut, which Mueller describes as a tunnel with the roof cut out. In this section, sheer rock walls stand on both sides of the trail; this was constructed for railroad cars to pass. Such cuts are not unusual on Virginias rail trails. More can be seen on the Salt Trail between Glade Spring and Saltville. The Virginia Creeper Trail, also, has similar sections along its 34 miles between Abingdon and Whitetop Station. Still, Lapis touts the beauty of this section of the Mendota Trail. Its very shady with an archway of trees, he said. It stays cave-like temperatures. Its cooler. Getting this section dug out required much work, Lapis added. It was so full of junk that it took many days of digging and dozing, Lapis said. It took a solid month to get it mossy instead of junky. The work seemed to proceed smoothly and fairly easily as couples, families with small children and activists looked on from surrounding blocks. The crowd intermittently chanted and cheered as the workers made progress. Music wafted down the street as a pair of musicians played hymns from a church near the Lee statue. There were at least a handful of opponents of the removal, including a man who heckled the mayor after her speech, but no visible, organized protester presence. Ralph Dixon, a 59-year-old Black man born and raised in Charlottesville, was documenting the removal work Saturday morning, a camera around his neck. Dixon said he was brought to the park where the Lee statue stood as a school-aged child. "All the teachers, my teachers anyway, were always talking about what a great person this was," he said. He said his understanding of Lee's legacy and the statue's message evolved as he became an adult. He said it was important to consider the context of the Jim Crow era during which the statue was erected and said especially after Heyer's death there was no reason the statue should stay. "It needed to be done," he said. Representative image Buenos Aires [Argentina], July 10 (ANI/Xinhua): Argentine President Alberto Fernandez on Friday led celebrations marking the 205th anniversary of the declaration of independence with a call for unity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. "If we have courage and bravery, and we unite to understand once and for all that no one is saved alone, and that in addition to being free and equal, we must be fraternal and in solidarity with one another, everything will be easier," said Fernandez. Speaking from the Historic House of Independence Museum in San Miguel de Tucuman, capital of northern Tucuman province, Fernandez urged Argentines to maintain self-care and comply with social distancing measures. "We are going through a unique time for humanity, a clearly frustrating time that prevents us from doing many things," the president said, according to a statement from his office. He also pledged to accelerate the vaccination campaign against COVID-19. Argentina registered its first case of COVID-19 in March 2020 and has to date accumulated 4,613,019 confirmed cases of infection and 97,904 deaths from the disease. More than 24.04 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines have been applied against the disease since December when the inoculation campaign began. (ANI/Xinhua) Callaghan (Australia), Jul 10 (The Conversation) Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared to have made a captains call yesterday by encouraging people in New South Wales outbreak areas to have their AstraZeneca booster closer to eight weeks after their initial shot rather than wait for the generally recommended 12 weeks. The official health advice from ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, remains most people have their booster shot at 12 weeks for optimal COVID protection, but under certain circumstances that can go down to four weeks. Those circumstances include imminent travel or if theres a risk of COVID-19 exposure. ATAGIs concern, and that of some other vaccine experts, is if you have your booster shot earlier than 12 weeks, your body wont develop enough immunity to reliably protect you from serious disease. Confused? Here is what we know so far. Whats the official advice? The evidence underpinning the recommended 12 week gap between the first and second AstraZeneca shots comes from a study published in the Lancet. The study found leaving less than six weeks between the initial shot and the booster gave 55.1% efficacy (protection from symptomatic disease). Leaving 6-8 weeks between shots increased efficacy to 59.9%, and waiting 9-11 weeks, efficacy was 63.7%. However, if the gap was 12 weeks or longer efficacy jumped to 81.3%. So to get the best protection from the AstraZeneca vaccine, you need at least 12 weeks between your first and second shot. Now we find ourselves with an active outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Sydney. So we need to ask ourselves whether aiming for the highest level of protection is best, or whether we need to aim for a reasonable level of immunity as quickly as possible. The Lancet paper didnt include data on the Delta variant as it wasnt widely circulating at the time, but this is fast becoming the dominant variant globally. Yet we do know two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine protects against serious COVID-19 after infection with the Delta variant, whereas one dose doesnt. Story continues Whats the evidence for 8 weeks to protect against Delta? Morrisons call for some people to have their AstraZeneca booster shot from around eight weeks hasnt come completely out of the blue. Its an approach the UK has been using to get ahead of the infectious Delta variant, the same variant circulating in NSW. We know leaving less time between AstraZeneca shots generally reduces vaccine efficacy. But what about that in the context of the Delta variant? This is where things get a bit tricky if we actually want to put a figure on precisely how much vaccine efficacy reduces. A study published in Nature reported a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine induced essentially no Delta virus-neutralising antibodies. However, two doses induced a neutralising antibody response in 95% of people, albeit at a significantly lower level than with the Alpha variant (which originated in the UK). Still, neutralising antibodies against Delta were there in the vast majority of people after two shots, antibodies that could mean the difference between a mild illness and hospitalisation with severe disease. There are some limitations with this study. First, it did not directly assess vaccine efficacy (you need to conduct a clinical trial for that). Second, it used a range of intervals between first and second shots, so we cannot definitively say the precise protection from the Delta strain at eight weeks versus 12 weeks. However, assessing the capacity of vaccinated peoples antibodies to neutralise viruses in the lab is a good indicator of the quality of vaccine-induced protection and this study really highlighted the need for a booster shot for protection against the Delta variant. So with infection numbers in Sydney looking more ominous by the day, coupled with the knowledge one vaccine dose is all but useless against the Delta virus, it is clear getting two doses into the arms of as many people as possible as quickly as possible, is the strategy. Two doses, even at eight weeks apart, while not providing the highest possible level of protection, will still protect many from severe disease. What else do I need to think about? A drop in immunity is not the only thing to consider when weighing up the pros and cons of having your AstraZeneca booster shot early. Weve just heard more Pfizer shots are on their way sooner than expected. If a Pfizer booster shot is made available to people who have already had two shots of AstraZeneca (and this is a big if), this could be a game changer. In this case and remember this mix-and-match approach has not been officially sanctioned it might not matter too much if an early second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine gives you sub-optimal immunity. The Pfizer booster would lift your immunity instead. However, it remains to be seen whether such a major policy shift would happen in time to protect people currently in lockdown in NSW. Take-home message The Delta variant is highly transmissible. So weeks do matter, and with Australia still heavily reliant on the AstraZeneca vaccine, for now it does makes sense to reduce the time between the first and second jab. This is clearly preferable to remaining unprotected for an extra month, particularly if you are at higher risk of infection and/or severe disease. (The Conversation) AMS AMS Representative image New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): India and Gambia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for strengthening and promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries personnel administration and governance reforms on Thursday. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said that the MoU was signed today virtually, said an official release. "The cooperation in areas such as improving performance management system in government, implementation of contributory pension scheme and, e-Recruitment in government form part of the areas to be covered under the activities of MoU," the statement said It was mutually decided that towards the formation of the work plan, a meeting of a joint working group would be held soon, it added. The Union Cabinet on June 30 approved the signing of MoU between the nations. (ANI) Representative image Islamabad [Pakistan], July 10 (ANI): The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Friday halted legislation on Domestic Violence Bill in 2020 saying the Islamic constitutional body needs to review and gave its findings to the Pakistan government. They expressed reservations on several provisions of the bill. The opinion of the CII was conveyed to the Human Rights Ministry in the third week of June only after the bill generated controversy following its passage in the Senate, reported The News International. The CII considered the bill in November 2020 after it was laid before the National Assembly (NA). The bill is presently with the NA Secretariat and is to be tabled again before the National Assembly to endorse the amendments made by the Senate and to make it an act. After its passage in the Senate, the bill attracted serious controversy among many, including parliamentarians, political leaders, including Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad and Jamiat Ulema-e Islam of Fazal-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, religious scholars and opinion-makers, who raised objections and dubbed it highly objectionable. It was demanded by the Imran government, through the media and social media, to refer the bill to the CII because several of its provisions were considered against the teachings of Islam, reported The News International. Following public pressure, Prime Minister Imran Khan's advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan formally approached Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and asked the latter to refer the bill to the CII. Babar Awan wrote a letter on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was also told about some 'un-Islamic provisions' included in the bill. Sources said that even on Tuesday, the PM in the cabinet meeting told his ministers that it is the right decision to refer the matter to the CII. Although the CII has yet to receive any reference on the issue from the Speaker of the National Assembly, senior figures in the Council told The News International that the Human Rights Ministry has already been informed by the Council not to go ahead with legislation on the bill because of the constitutional body's reservations about several provisions. Story continues The annual report of the State of Human Rights in Pakistan released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) for the year 2020 has set alarm bells ringing over the plight of women in the country. The HRCP report has once again painted a concerning picture of the women's rights situation in the country. The HRCP has highlighted forms of violence against women, which include sexual assault and domestic violence prevalent across the country. The report also reiterated that the HRCP has registered an increase in domestic violence and even digital versions of such cases, which according to the report underlines "the increased vulnerability of women during the [COVID-19] pandemic." "Many families realize too late that a divorced daughter is better than a dead daughter," exclaimed Khadija Siddiqi, a women's rights activist and gender-based violence survivor. (ANI) If theres been a silver lining in this last year its that because of COVID, cybercrime has been so nonstop that weve had to be more aggressive and more creative, said Chan. Since the pandemic, it has gotten bananas. It really supercharged the bad guys, which has led us to have to supercharge as well. In September, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced a new cyber strategy to pivot away from what he described as a constant game of whack-a-mole. The FBIs new objective, he said was to make it harder and more painful for hackers and criminals to do what theyre doing. But the bolder tactics could lead to abuses, several civil liberties experts said. Executing a warrant to remotely access computer networks raises questions about how network administrators are notified and the ways such tools can be abused, said Kurt Opsahl, deputy executive director and general counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. In the Microsoft Exchange case, FBI agents told the court that they planned to send an email to the address each victim provided when they last registered their domain with a web registrar but would do so 30 days after gaining entry. CHICAGO A monument to journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett has been unveiled in Chicago. Officially called The Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument, the commemoration created by sculptor Richard Hunt was dedicated in the South Side neighborhood where Wells lived out her life. The monument has three bronze columns that support intertwined bronze sheets twisted into coils and spirals. One observer had trouble describing the abstraction at the top of the monument, asking if it was a hat or a crown of thorns. She was more certain about the columns. It is interesting, spectator Roberta Trotter told the Chicago Tribune. I just want to know what the artist thinks before I say more. But I do see a strong base. That, I understand Ida was a strong woman. Granddaughter Michelle Duster said traditional busts and statues of Wells were considered, but she and others pushing for the monument preferred something interpretive, which she said projects Wells better than the literal. HIGH POINT You never know what you'll find at a yard sale, but we're guessing you've probably never found what Trevor Hines bought at a yard sale three months ago. A mummified skull and it appears to be legitimate. "The family said they were kinda spooked out by the mummy head, so I bought it from them," says Hines, a 36-year-old High Point man. And just how did this family in Lumberton get its hands on a mummified skull? "I didn't ask no questions," Hines says with a chuckle. "I just bought it and left." Now, Hines hopes to learn as much as he can about his recent purchase and then return it to "the motherland," which he believes to be Egypt. "I want to get him back home, because I think that's the right thing to do send him back to the motherland," he says. Hines, who says he has always loved old things and grew up watching "Antiques Roadshow," frequents yard sales and found the skull at a yard sale in Lumberton. He declines to tell how much he paid for the skull, but he says he paid over $100 for it and two other items. "It wasn't too much," Hines says, "but it's worth it." MATTOON Since Bimbo Bakeries USA purchased Lender's Bagels in early 2020, the Mattoon factory has been upgrading and is now preparing for the upcoming Bagelfest after last year's celebration was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bimbo Bakeries USA, based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, is a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo, based in Mexico City and known as the largest bakery company in the world. This company acquired Lender's Bagels and its sole production facility, at 3801 Dewitt Ave., from Conagra Brands. The bakery company reported via email that it subsequently started the process of upgrading the existing production lines at the Mattoon plant and is now focusing on improving quality and expanding bakery capacity. Bimbo Bakeries reported that the factory continues to make refrigerated and frozen Lenders products in a variety of flavors, including plain, blueberry, cinnamon raisin, and onion. The company declined to say if any other Bimbo Bakeries products have been added to the production lines. A total of 210 associates work at the Lender's factory, Bimbo Bakeries reported. The company reported that this plant has several open positions and it encourages area residents of all skill levels to explore job opportunities there. Lender's is among many factories, as well as employers in other industries, that have stepped up hiring efforts in recent months as a staffing shortage has been reported in the area. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "We work hard every day to continue our business despite staffing challenges," Bimbo Bakeries reported. "We have implemented a program to expedite the staffing process, are offering a variety of bonuses (sign-on, permanence, referral), have increased the starting wage ($19.28) and offer our associates the opportunity to grow and develop at the bakery. We are proud of our associate-owned continuous improvement process, as well as the variety of ongoing engagement activities." Bimbo Bakeries reported that the factory is hiring production and shipping associates, mechanics, electricians and production supervisors. The company reported that it offers competitive wages with financial, healthcare and educational benefits. Interested candidates can visit https://careers.bimbobakeriesusa.com to apply. Lender's, which was founded in 1927 in New Haven, Connecticut, opened its Mattoon factory in 1986 in the repurposed Kraft Foods factory at 3801 Dewitt. The community organized its first Bagelfest that year to help welcome the plant. The celebration subsequently became an annual tradition, other than the cancellation last year due to the pandemic. Bimbo Bakeries reported that the factory will continue to supply Bagelfest's free bagel breakfast, set for 8-10 a.m. Saturday, July 17, at the Demars Center in Peterson Park, and help decorate floats for the parade, set for 10:30 a.m. that day from downtown to Peterson Park. "Our associates and their families also participate in the parade with a float, a racing car and a Lenders Bagels 1920s bagel truck, greeting the parade watchers with different souvenirs and candy," Bimbo Bakeries reported. In addition, the company reported that it is encouraging Mattoon restaurants to serve bagel specials during Bagelfest. Bimbo Bakeries reported that it operated with the mission of "Feeding America while staying safe" throughout the pandemic. The company reported that it is grateful to its associates for never losing sight of this mission while ensuring that their products were still available to consumers. "We also want to sincerely thank our community in Mattoon for their support and affection for Lenders," Bimbo Bakeries reported. "Its a special brand with a rich history rooted in family and a passion for delivering quality products that everyone can enjoy. Were excited to celebrate Lenders with the community at this years Bagelfest." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CANNES, France (AP) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose drama Lingui has been a standout of the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, has a unique relationship as a filmmaker to his native country of Chad. Haroun is one of the African nation's only film directors and easily its most prominent. That role national cinematic spokesman has given him a heavy responsibility. If I dont bring images from Chad, my country will be forgotten, Haroun said in an interview. I have to make films to give other images of my country, rather than the cliche images of war, et cetera. It becomes more than a passion. It becomes a duty. Haroun, who has lived in France since leaving Chad in 1982, has set all but one of his eight features there. Lingui, which is in competition for the top Palme d'Or prize at Cannes, is his first film with a female protagonist. Amina (played by Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) is a single mother and practicing Muslim whose 15-year-old daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant. On the outskirts of Chads capital of NDjamena, the unwanted pregnancy is a grave concern. It means certain ostracism for Maria the same stigma that her mother knows herself. Abortions are only legal in Chad if the woman has suffered sexual violence or her life is in immediate danger. The high hurdles to abortion mean access is all but impossible and often done dangerously at home. When Im in Chad," says Haroun," I have a lot of people telling me: You have to make a film about this subject. You are the filmmaker. You have to become our spokesman and make this film, this subject. We cant, because we are afraid of the government. You can. I belong to the community, he added. I am the one who can tell stories that they deny. The title of Lingui is Chadian word that translates as common thread" or "sacred bond." Vividly filmed with vibrant local color and nonprofessional actors, it movingly captures a clandestine sisterhood in a male-controlled society. Haroun considers it a tribute to the nation's women. For a year, Haroun was Chads minister of culture before resigning in 2018 after disagreements with the government. In September, he will hold screenings of Lingui around the country, he says. The film has been enthusiastically received by critics in Cannes, something Haroun says is heartening but not totally surprising to him. I'm a cooker, you know, so I know when something is well done, he says, grinning. Only one film from Africa has ever won Cannes' top honor, the Palme d'Or: Algerian director Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina's Chronicle of the Years of Fire in 1975. Haroun has previously taken a prize in Cannes with his civil war-set A Screaming Man," which won the jury prize in 2010. At the last Cannes, in 2019, Mati Diops Senegalese drama Atlantics" won the grand prize. This year, there are two films from Africa in competition; the other is Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch's Casablanca Beats. We are coming and coming and coming, says Haroun, smiling. We knock on the door. We try. Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP 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 FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials have planned a job fair Saturday ahead of the Monday reopening. The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level for now. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation, paving the way for the casino to reopen. Casino patrons will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. The tribe on Saturday reported 13 additional cases. MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: New virus surge is sending younger patients to Spain's hospitals Indonesia short on oxygen, seeks help as virus cases soar Malta poised to become first EU member to require visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29% Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida health officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate over the past week. The number of virus cases in Florida rose by about 8,000 compared with the week before, for a total of 23,747 new cases, the state Department of Health reported Friday. New cases of the coronavirus have been on the rise in Florida over the past month. The rate of positive tests was 7.8% last week after trending at about 4% positivity in recent weeks. There were 172 deaths in Florida from COVID-19 last week, the health department reported. The state has recorded at least 2.4 million coronavirus cases and 38,901 deaths since the pandemic began. Officials also said about 11 million Floridians have been fully or partially vaccinated, or 58% of those 12 and older. ALBANY, N.Y. New York is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as vaccination rates slowly rise, according to the states latest data released Saturday. About 525 people each day tested positive for COVID-19 in New York for the seven days through Friday. Thats up from 369 people for the prior week a 42% increase. Its unclear why more people in New York are testing positive at a time when fewer people are getting tested. The state Department of Health says a higher percentage of cases are linked to more contagious variants. It is urging more people to get vaccinated. New York City is driving much of the increase, though cases are also rising in parts of Long Island. Hospitals reported 342 COVID-19 patients as of Friday, similar to 340 patients from last Friday. About 55% of 20 million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated. Thats up from nearly 48% as of June 6. Vaccination rates are lowest in parts of western and central New York: about one-third of residents in Allegany County are fully vaccinated. Rates are also lower in parts of New York City: 43% of Bronx residents and 45.5% of Brooklyn residents are fully vaccinated. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Health officials in Tennessee have linked a small coronavirus cluster to a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last month. It was Nashvilles first large-scale conference after lifting restrictions on gatherings. The Tennessean reports that Metro Public Health Department epidemiologist Leslie Waller said eight to 10 infections have been detected among attendees, but the cluster is almost certainly larger. Waller said its difficult to know how many other cases there might be because most of the more than 18,000 attendees live out of state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert asking health officials in other states to contact Nashville health officials if they discover more infections that trace back to the annual meeting of the nations largest Protestant denomination. Jonathan Howe, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said the organization has not alerted attendees about the cluster and is working with city and state health officials to identify its next steps. MOSCOW Coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit another daily record, with authorities reporting 752 more fatalities amid a continuing surge in infections. Russias coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 25,082 new coronavirus cases. The daily tally of confirmed infections has soared from around 9,000 in early June to over 23,000 in early July. Officials have attributed a steady rise in infections and an increase in mortality to the spread of the delta variant. Despite the surge, the Kremlin has said there are no plans to impose another lockdown. Russia had one nationwide lockdown in the spring of 2020 that lasted six weeks, and the government has resisted another one to avoid damaging the economy. The coronavirus task force has reported over 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 142,253 deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher numbers. BRUSSELS The European Union says it now has enough doses to meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the regions adult population by the end of this month. With infections resurging in many European countries, the next challenge will be ensuring that the doses find takers, as demand wanes in some areas. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 44% of the adult EU population is fully vaccinated, and 64% have received at least one dose. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that by Sunday 500 million doses will have been delivered to all regions of the 27-nation EU. She urged member countries to do everything to increase vaccinations. So far EU countries have administered 386 million doses for the overall population of 447 million, according to the ECDC. PARIS Music is pulsing from Paris nightclubs for the first time in 16 months as other European countries shut night life down again because of rising coronavirus cases. The reopening of Paris dance clubs Friday night was the final step in Frances process of lifting pandemic restrictions. The move was meant to mark victory over the virus, since night clubs were among the few venues that had remained closed since March 2020. But the delta variant is spreading faster than vaccinations in France, and infections are rising again after weeks of decline. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak to the nation Monday about the situation, and the government could opt for new restrictions. At the popular La Bellevilloise club, many people were eager to return to the dance floor. Parisian Laurent Queige called it a liberation, an immense happiness to rediscover the clubbing, the party, friends. La Bellevilloise owner Renaud Barillet said this weekend could serve as a useful test to see how the public, the organizers, all that reacts and manages to adopt new habits. TOKYO Tokyo has reported 950 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number in two months, as infections steadily spread less than two weeks before the city hosts the Summer Olympics. Saturdays tally compared with 822 confirmed cases reported Friday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo starting Monday to keep the infections from becoming explosive during the Olympics, which open on July 23. His government initially planned to take less-stringent measures, but came under pressure to issue the emergency order as the more contagious delta strain spread in the Tokyo region. Experts warned that caseloads could surge to thousands within weeks as people travel on summer vacations and the Olympics draws foreign and domestic visitors to Tokyo. Despite the recent acceleration of Japans vaccination program, only 16.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. Japan has reported about 812,000 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths in the pandemic. HELSINKI A passenger arriving in Finland may soon be fined hundreds of euros for refusing to take a coronavirus test. A new amendment to the Finnish infectious diseases act with regard to border security imposes a fine to a tourist who enters Finland and opposes a required COVID-19 test. The law takes effect July 12 and is valid until Oct. 15. It already was possible for the police to fine those refusing of COVID-19 tests, but authorities say the amendment will remarkably clarify the situation in judicial terms. Konsta Arvelin, an inspector at the National Police Board, told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that the change creates a completely new criminal offense in Finland, titled violation of the COVID-19 test." Finland has a population of 5.5 million and one of the lowest coronavirus figures in Europe. The Nordic country has maintained tight border control during the pandemic. BEIJING A Chinese vice foreign minister claims the possibility that the COVID-19 virus leaked from a lab in China has been ruled out, and called on Washington to release more information about how the virus originated as well as how it spread in the U.S. Le Yucheng on Saturday cited a World Health Organization report saying the pandemic most likely began through the passing of the virus from animals to humans, not from Chinese laboratory. The vice foreign minister reiterated that the origin of the virus remains unknown. Le said that, "If the U.S. actually respects the truth and transparency, it should accept an international investigation to find the source of the U.S. epidemic, the cause of the U.S.s ineffective fight against the epidemic, and problems at U.S. biological laboratories. While similar to earlier official statements, Les comments come from a more senior official than in the past, indicating Beijing may be firming up its political stance in the dispute over the virus origins. Chinas outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has thrown suspicion on the U.S. military biological laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, calling for an investigation into the possibility the virus originated there. No evidence has been produced to support that claim or that the virus emerged from any U.S. military-run biological lab. BUCHAREST Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are set to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said in a statement. Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. The announcement came days ahead of an early parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have so far been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 infections and 6,207 deaths. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has launched a massive vaccination program aimed at inoculating tens of thousands of people in the countrys tourism industry. It's the latest attempt to contain the spread of the virus and to revive the lucrative tourism industry. The vaccine drive took place in the countrys southern coast which is famous among tourists for its white sandy beaches. On Saturday, more than 1000 hotel workers, tourist guides and safari drivers were inoculated, said the tourism ministry. The Ministry said it plans to inoculate 500,000 people who are directly employed in the tourism sector. COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the tourism, which is a vital economic sector for Sri Lanka. Workers and businesses linked to tourism are currently facing crippling employment losses. Sri Lanka has so far recorded 269,946 confirmed cases and 3,391 deaths. MADRID Managers at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase in Spain comes amid the advance of the delta variant that spreads far more easily. And its being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from eight to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous virus surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless drastic measures are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. VALLETTA, Malta Malta is now requiring proof of vaccination for visitors to the Mediterranean island nation in hopes of stemming the latest rise in coronavirus infections. Starting Wednesday, visitors must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate that is recognized by Maltese health authorities, meaning certificates issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom. The EUs green passport certifies people who are vaccinated, receive a negative PCR test result or have recovered from COVID-19. But Malta has decided to recognize only those who are fully vaccinated. Malta will be the first EU country taking this step, said Health Minister Chris Fearne. Children aged 5-12 can present a negative PCR test, while those under age 5 are exempt. Malta, which has a population of just over half a million, had 46 active cases on July 1 but the number rose to 252 on Friday. The government says 90% of new cases are among unvaccinated people. Currently 79% of Maltese adults are fully vaccinated. SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has set a new high in daily coronavirus cases for the third straight day as officials prepare to enforce the strongest social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Saturday that more than 1,000 of the 1,378 new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, a region where officials from Monday will clamp down on private social gatherings of three or more people from 6 p.m. Nightclubs and churches will close, visitors will be banned at nursing homes and hospitals and weddings and funerals will be limited to family-only gatherings. Dozens of new cases were each reported in major cities and regions across the country, including Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, South Chungcheong Provine and South Gyeongsang Province. After adding 9,700 cases in July alone, the countrys caseload is now at 166,722, including 2,038 deaths. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850-February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent who became renowned for killing Billy the Kid. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico as well as Dona Ana County, New Mexico. He authored the book, "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid" and for decades his book was deemed authoritative. Patrick was born in Alabama and was the second of five children. His ancestors migrated to America from England. When he was three years old his father purchased a plantation in Louisiana. However, the Civil War destroyed the Garrett familys finances. Their mother died at the age of 37 and the father died at age 45. The children were left with a plantation that was more than $ 30,000 in debt. Thus, the Garrett children were taken in by relatives. The 18-year-old Pat Garrett headed west from Louisiana in January, 1869. Garrett wondered the west before taking a job in Texas as a buffalo hunter. During this period Garrett killed his first man, another buffalo hunter. Garrett surrendered to the authorities at Fort Griffin, Texas, but they declined to prosecute. When the buffalo hunting declined, Garrett left Texas and rode to the New Mexico Territory. In New Mexico he found work as a cowboy. Garretts first wife died in childbirth and so on January 14, 1880, Garrett married his first wifes 17-year-old sister. Together, they had eight children. On November 2, 1880, Garrett was elected sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, having defeated the incumbent. Garrett also obtained a deputy U.S. Marshals commission, which allowed him to pursue Billy the Kid as the Kid escaped across county lines in New Mexico. On December 19, 1880, Billy the Kid, rode into Fort Sumner with a few other outlaws. Lying in wait were Garretts posse. The posse captured Billy the Kids entire gang. However, Billy the Kid escaped the jail by somehow killing two deputies. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} On July 14, 1881, Garrett found that the Kid was staying with a mutual friend by the name of Marshall Upson. The truth of how Garrett was able to shoot Billy the Kid was not revealed until much later. The truth was that Garrett shot Billy the Kid in the back. Following the shooting of Billy the Kid, writers quickly went to work in publishing books and articles that made a folk hero out of Billy the Kid. Most articles made Garrett seem like an assassin. Garrett responded by publishing a book of his own in 1882, "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid." Of course, Garretts book told a completely different story of how he was able to shoot the Kid. Garrett did not admit he shot Billy the Kid in the back. After his time as a sheriff, Garrett resigned and with partners discovered a large reservoir of artesian water in Roswell, New Mexico. Garrett and his partners formed the Pecos Valley Irrigation and Investment Company on July 18, 1885. It happened that all of Garretts forays into the irrigation field resulted in failure. Garrett was shot and killed, but the gunman was never identified. Garretts grave and the graves of his descendants are located near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles said 17 suspects have been detained in the brazen killing of Moise that stunned a nation already reeling from poverty, widespread violence and political instability. As the investigation moved forward, the killing took on the air of a complicated international conspiracy. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian Americans, who have been described as translators for the attackers. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwans Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. At a news conference in Colombias capital of Bogota, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said four companies had been involved in the recruitment, the gathering of these people implicated in the assassination, although he did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified. Two of the suspects traveled to Haiti via Panama and the Dominican Republic, Vargas said, while a second group of 11 arrived in Haiti on July 4 from the Dominican Republic. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials will be sent to Haiti as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist. A Rural Hall woman was critically injured Friday when her vehicle collided with another vehicle in the intersection of Reynolda Road and Coliseum Drive, authorities said. Kaila Capri, 39, of Bitting Hall Circle, was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, Winston-Salem police said. Patricia Stevenson Miller, 70, of Butterfield Drive in Winston-Salem, the driver of the other vehicle, suffered a minor arm injury, police said. Miller also was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The crash happened at 3:24 p.m. when Capri was driving her 2004 Honda Civic west on Coliseum Drive and Miller was driving her 1997 Ford Club Wagon van north on Reynolda Road, police said. At the time, the traffic lights for the northbound lanes of travel were flashing yellow, and the traffic lights for the westbound traffic were flashing red, police said. Police didnt indicate in their news release about the crash why the traffic lights were flashing yellow and red. Capris vehicle failed to stop for the flashing red light in its direction of travel, entered the intersection and collided with Millers vehicle, police said. Whorleys criminal proceedings will be paused until officials at Central Regional Hospital issue a report on whether Whorley is mentally competent to stand trial. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Whorley was sent to Central Regional Hospital in November 2020 for an evaluation on his mental capacity. According to a motion filed by his attorneys, Artigues said that based on her initial examination, she had questions about Whorleys competency. The discovery of Agnews remains in 2017 happened after his daughter, Melanie Agnew Simpson, found a strange note on her fathers front door at his house on Timberline Drive. Winston-Salem police were called, and when officers arrived, they found Agnews head, lower legs and arms inside a large black duffel bag that had a Walmart tag on the handle. The bag was in a downstairs bathroom. A safe in the home had been pried open from the back. Sampson and other family members told police that the safe was usually kept in an upstairs bedroom and held Agnews 45-caliber handgun. Winston-Salem police also found a hacksaw that was covered in blood, hair and body tissue in the kitchen sink. Investigators also found visible boot or shoe prints on the floor and fingerprint evidence that matched Whorley, according to a search warrant. The upstairs bathroom shower curtain was missing. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Bosques said investigators later learned that the teenagers had contacted one of Spruills co-defendants about getting a stolen car. Spruill and his co-defendants, Laiere Daenize Liggins, 21, of Vista Court, and Kentrell Dequan Mason Crowell, 17, of Salem Crest Circle, picked the two teenagers up, she said. Then the three men robbed the teenagers, Bosques said. The teenagers were robbed of cash and cellphones. Liggins pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and some unrelated charges and got a suspended sentence of 18 months to 34 months. He had to serve a 30-day active sentence and was placed on supervised probation for 36 months, court documents said. Crowell pleaded guilty to two counts of felonious restraint and two counts of armed robbery and was sentenced to three years and two months to four years and 10 months in prison, court documents said. Bosques said in court that she offered the chance for conditional discharge because the evidence showed he played a minor role in the incident and that he had not gotten in any further legal trouble while he was on pre-trial release. Erin Woodrum, Spruills attorney, said in court that Spruill has strong family support, which helped him turn himself around after he got arrested. His friendship with Liggins is what led him down the wrong road, she said. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Joines said he was initially a little nervous when he saw protesters demonstrating in his neighborhood. Joines said that protesters appeared to be agitated. My teenage son asked me, What are you going to do, Allen?, the mayor said. Joines responded that he was going to go outside and talk to the protesters. During his appearance with the protesters, Joines then talked to several demonstrators outside of his house. The protesters talked to Joines about their demands, including shifting money from the Winston-Salem Police Department to programs that would help poverty-stricken areas in eastern Winston-Salem. Joines said that some residents will never be totally satisfied with police. However, he pointed to a recent citizen survey that showed more than 75% of city residents are very satisfied with police. The mayor has met with members of Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem and Hate Out of Winston. That heightened sensitivity helps us do our jobs a little better, Joines said. Aly Jones, speaking for the group, Hate Out of Winston, said she hasnt seen much change after the protests. Under the emergency rules, when the temperature is at or above 100 F (38 C), employers must provide shade or another way for employees to cool down and ensure a paid cool-down rest period of at least 10 minutes every two hours. The state already required employers to provide every outdoor worker with at least a quart of drinking water per hour, offer safety training on outdoor heat exposure and respond to any employee with symptoms of heat-related illness. A new requirement is that the water must be cool. The onus is on businesses under heat rules in Washington, Oregon and California, where Del Bosque Farms owner Joe Del Bosque was monitoring his workers Friday and into the weekend, when he was expecting temperatures above 110 F (43 C) in the Central Valley. If we see it gets too hot and its a danger to them, we will shut down the operation and send them home, he said. Del Bosque also said he educates workers who pick and pack melons on his farm about preventing heat illness and provides plenty of cool water and shade to rest. The scramble to protect workers follows a heat wave that hit the Northwest and British Columbia at the end of June and broke all-time heat records in places like Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Only the statues of Lee and Confederate Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson will be removed for now, the city said. The stone bases of the monuments will be left in place temporarily and removed later. The statues are perched in places of relative prominence in Charlottesville, a small, picturesque city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to the University of Virginia. Commissioned by a UVA graduate and erected in the 1920s, when Jim Crow laws were eroding the rights of Black citizens, the statues are just blocks apart from each other. The Charlottesville City Council voted in February 2017 to take down the Lee statue amid mounting public pressure, including a petition started by a Black high school student, Zyahna Bryant. A lawsuit was quickly filed, putting the citys plans on hold, and white supremacists seized on the issue. First, they rallied by torchlight at the statue in May 2017, then a small group of Klansmen gathered in July, far outnumbered by peaceful protesters. "Over the past few decades, there has been so much misunderstanding and hate towards the Arab world and I want to take the attention off of that and bring people's eyes to the art and beauty of my people," Aljumayaat stated in her submission essay to the Duck Brand contest. After submitting photos of her dress to the website on the day of the deadline, Aljumayaat found out a few weeks later that her dress had become one of five finalists in the prom dress category. "I didn't think I was going to make it," she said. "I'm really happy I made it because it was very rushed. I'm happy they liked the design. I worked the most on the mosque and that's the centerpiece." If she were to win the $10,000, Aljumayaat said it will go toward her college education at the Rhode Island School of Design. She said that entering this competition and working under the tight deadline was helpful in preparing her for art school. "I learned that I can adapt to time, and that really reassured me," she said. "As long as I put my heart into it, I can get it done, so in that sense I feel ready to go to college and tackle whatever happens there." The Stuck at Prom scholarship contest goes through Wednesday and people can cast their votes online once a day until the end. Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or hmuslic@journalstar.com Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Severe storms swept through Nebraska late Friday night and early Saturday morning with high winds that downed trees and caused widespread power outages. The Omaha Public Power District reported reported Saturday afternoon that more than 100,000 customers were still without power, and said that due to the extensive damage, some outages could last for multiple days. At the peak of the outages overnight, 188,000 customers were without power. The utility said overnight wind gusts of more than 90 mph were detected in the Omaha area, classifying them as hurricane force. In Lincoln, there were a few reports of downed trees, but only about 75 Lincoln Electric System customers lost power, which was restored by Saturday afternoon. Nebraska Public Power District also had a large number of power outages across the state due to the thunderstorms. A 345 kilovolt transmission line between Grand Island and McCool was seriously damaged, and a transmission line also fell near the Aurora exit on Interstate 80, causing traffic delays for several hours Saturday morning. A transmission line also fell across Union Pacific tracks, which halted train traffic for several hours until it was removed. "I think it illustrates what Nebraska is all about," Clare said. "We have integrity, we have resilience, and we're going to lift each other up." Above all, Ronnau said, it's a blessing that no one was hurt by the storm when it blew through and no animals were in the area when it happened. Schorr said the damage was deeply shocking when she saw it Saturday morning. "When you see the metal and how it's been twisted, to me there's just no words for the power of storm that came through," she said. But, like the others, Schorr remains confident that the rodeo will start on time, even though the preparation tasks have become more daunting. "It was going to be a 24/7 operation to get ready for this, but now it's going to be more than that," she said. More than anything, Dickerson said, the event center needs volunteers to come out and help clean up in time for the rodeo to begin. Anyone can arrive after 8 a.m. each morning this week dressed to work, and they'll be given a job to do. Food and drinks are being provided to volunteers. "If you enjoyed building Legos as a child, this is your dream volunteer job," she said. Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or nmcconnell@journalstar.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 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. We have got to expand the amount of processing capacity in this country, said Vilsack, who also served as agriculture secretary under President Barack Obama. We can no longer rely on a handful of processors to do the job. Among those on hand to hear the announcement were farmers and ranchers behind two new startup plants already announced in the region, including one just south of the Bluffs and another in North Platte, Nebraska. Chad Tentinger, one of the producers and investors behind the Cattlemens Heritage plant in Iowa, which is expected to employ 750 people, said theres both a need and a demand for plants like his, producing beef that consumers will know was both raised and processed locally. Tentinger plans to get cattle for the new plant from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. And while he announced plans for his plant two weeks ago, he thinks that the new federal dollars can help the venture get off the ground. Our focus is simply to add capacity and work with farmers and producers to make sure that there's always a market, and profitable market, for them to participate in, Tentinger said. Before the press event, Vilsack met with a number of regional agriculture leaders to brief them on the initiatives. RACINE The American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay For Life of Racine invites the community to rally together on Friday, Aug. 13, at Campus Park, 8500 Campus Drive, Mount Pleasant, to help save lives from cancer. Due to the pandemic, Relay For Life events might look different but the passion and commitment to fight cancer is unchanged. We envision a future where we no longer live with the threat of cancer, said Maddie Petre, ACS community development manager. Unfortunately, that future is at risk and there is a mission urgency since COVID-19 forced the postponement of fundraising activities this past year. We want you to help us give hope the advantage for the future to be cancer free. 2021 event After a difficult year, the Relay For Life of Racine is excited to be back for the 28th annual local Relay For Life event. The 2021 Relay For Life of Racine will have the theme of Survivor, to recognize cancer survivors in the community and to empower community members to fight back after a trying year. Participants will unite again for touching ceremonies, such as the opening ceremony and survivors lap taking place at 6 p.m., and the luminaria ceremony taking place at 10 p.m. The first was in 2003, when co-worker Dr. Veronica G. Carver asked Omdahl to join her on a short-term medical mission. Carver, an obstetrician, grew up in Liberia and decided to return to provide educational resources for patients and staff as the country recovered from its second civil war. The women worked in small clinics to provide health care for women. But many men and children accompanied their wives or family members on these visits because of their own needs for medical attention. In our first trip together, she was the organizer, said Carver. Shes not involved in the superficial aspects of her work. Shes dedicated to paying attention to all the details. Because of this experience, Omdahl knew she had to come back to Liberia long-term and was determined to make that happen. I thought that if I were ever to be here, I would need to be a family nurse practitioner, said Omdahl. I already had a masters degree, but I went back to school anyway. Omdahl went to Concordia University to do her postgraduate work. She fulfilled a dream of becoming a family nurse practitioner in 2012. A series of national setbacks 1. Yes. They are not doing their duty as lawmakers; they should face consequences. 2. Yes. The Democrats may have a point, but they should be required to return to work. 3. No. With no filibuster option available, Democrats would be unable to stop a bad bill. 4. No. Most Texas voters oppose the GOPs voting measures, so they had to be stalled. 5. Unsure. Abbott wants to take a stand, but jailing lawmakers may be too harsh. Vote View Results KEARNEY Regen Luxs passion for helping others began when she was a member of the Kearney Volunteer Fire Departments Explorer program and helped pull out equipment during calls. I signed up to gain leadership experience, but I stayed involved because I felt like I was making a positive impact. I knew I was a part of helping people, even if it was one of the hardest moments of their lives, she said. Today, Lux, 26, is living that mission as the founder and executive director of the two-year-old Feya Foundation, which provides boxed meals of beans and rice to people worldwide. So far, it has distributed prepackaged MealPaks of beans and rice to people in the U.S., Belize and Haiti. Here in Nebraska, she has led eight meal-packing sessions at Omaha and Lincoln and donated 189,816 meals. The first meal-packing session west of Lincoln will be held at Kearney 2-4 p.m. July 18 at The Village at 1920 Ave. A. At least 20-30 volunteers are needed to pack 10,000 meals of rice and beans, which will be given to nonprofits. Lux also had shipped meals to Belize, where its tourist economy was hit hard by COVID, and to the Childrens Home of Haiti. From fabric to food FREMONT - A former Dodge County sheriff's deputy responsible for one of the largest individual embezzlements in Nebraska history was found dead Thursday, a day before he was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court. Craig Harbaugh, 50, a 1989 graduate of Kearney Catholic High School and the University of Nebraska at Kearney, was found by officers Thursday afternoon in his Fremont apartment, Fremont Chief Deputy County Attorney Sara Sopinski said. "No foul play is suspected at this time," she said. An autopsy was being performed Friday to determine the cause of death. Sopinski declined to detail the nature of Harbaugh's death. Sopinski said Fremont police officers went to Harbaugh's apartment near West 23rd Street and Somers Avenue after 3:30 p.m. for a welfare check. Officers found Harbaugh dead, she said, and no one else was in the apartment. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Harbaugh was charged in 2019 with fraud in a scheme that cost his victims nearly $11 million. The Hometown Interns program is taking advantage of this unique moment to benefit both students and their communities. Were asking these interns to use their new perspective to help us all see and appreciate the abundance and goodness that exists in Greater Nebraska. We know people feel a sense of belonging when their gifts are received and appreciated. And we know we want young people to feel connected to their homeplaces, as that increases the likelihood they will choose their hometown as the place they live, work and raise their family. To enhance this effort, NCF Hometown Interns use a process called asset mapping to identify and document all the assets in their hometown: people, families, programs, institutions, businesses, traditions, arts and culture. They use asset mapping to make the invisible visible and invite their fellow community members to share their gifts, talents, skills and passions. Good news its working. Many of our 2020 Hometown Interns reported seeing a different side of their hometown and having a greater realization of and appreciation for the adults who positively affected their lives. Here are three quotes that illustrate this newfound sense of appreciation and opportunity: I know I will always be welcomed back to the area with enthusiasm and open arms. Signer requirements also are lax. Signers neednt be registered voters when they sign the petition, but they can register later; If they make a mistake while signing, they can scratch out their name and try again on the next line; and, Signers dont need to sign their official name. They just have to get close. According to the secretary of states guide: There will be situations where the signer is unaware of how they are registered and may use a nickname or other variation. Local officials will make every attempt to verify the signature despite the difference. Yes, petition rules are lax, but its important that they allow leeway. In our unique one-house Legislature, the people of Nebraska are regarded as the second house of lawmakers and petitions are their instrument to rein in officials or change the law. In the same spirit that allows petitioners leeway, we believe that voters should be liberally afforded the opportunity to exercise their right. ID laws can suppress voters, just like precinct or district boundaries that favor one party over the other, or laws that strategically limit when, where or how voters cast ballots. I wonder why the bishops will waste their time discussing this document on receiving Communion. Regarding Biden, it is already decided. His pastor, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has stated that Biden is welcome to receive Communion at any church in his archdiocese of Washington, D.C. End of discussion. The bishops could better serve the world and our country by discussing the seven-year plan of Pope Francis to achieve sustainability on Earth, our common home. The full rollout of the plan will be Oct. 4, 2021, just in time for the bishops to plan and discuss exactly what they are going to do about climate change in our country and within their own dioceses. Pope Francis is asking all 1.2 billion Catholics to be involved. From the largest university to the smallest rural parish. And in every Catholic family all over the world, Francis states this ecological crisis is without precedent. And like the COVID pandemic, it disproportionally hurts the poor. Francis says that we are often predators of resources. Our selfishness, our indifference and our irresponsible ways are threatening the future of our children. Two billionaires are putting everything on the line this month to ride their own rockets into space. Its intended to be a flashy confidence boost for customers seeking their own short joyrides. The lucrative, high-stakes chase for space tourists will unfold on the fringes of space 55 miles to 66 miles (88 kilometers to 106 kilometers) up, pitting Virgin Galactics Richard Branson against the worlds richest man, Blue Origins Jeff Bezos. Branson is due to take off Sunday from New Mexico, launching with two pilots and three other employees aboard a rocket plane carried aloft by a double-fuselage aircraft. Bezos departs nine days later from West Texas, blasting off in a fully automated capsule. Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch its boss when Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend. The self-described tie-loathing adventurer and troublemaker will join five company employees for Sundays test flight from New Mexico's southern desert the companys fourth trip to the edge of space. BEIJING (AP) China's regulator ordered the removal from app stores of 25 apps owned by Didi Global Inc., the country's largest ride-hailing service, citing severe violations of rules against collecting personal data. The Cyberspace Administration of China had already taken down the main Didi app last Sunday, pending a cybersecurity review, after it debuted on the U.S. stock market last week. The 25 additional apps include Didi Enterprises, as well as ones designed for Didi drivers. A spokesperson for Didi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes after Chinese authorities said earlier this week they would step up supervision of companies listed overseas. Under the new measures, regulation of data security and cross-border data flows, as well as the management of confidential data, will be improved. Didi is the latest company facing the scrutiny from the Chinese government. An investigation found serious violations in how Didi collected and used personal information, the internet regulator said earlier in the week. A statement said the company was told to rectify problems but gave no details. The toll in lives lost is even harder to face. It includes 2,442 U.S. troops, 1,144 coalition troops and an estimated 3,800 U.S. contractors, in addition to nearly 50,000 Afghan civilians, 72 journalists and 444 aid workers. Continuing our military campaign in Afghanistan would undoubtedly increase all these numbers, but we have no reason to believe it would change the end game. The Afghan people are facing an uncertain future, but whether it will be more violent isnt even clear. Two decades of war have brought mass civilian casualties including from airstrikes by U.S. and coalition forces. Fighting could drop if one actor takes dominant control. Instead of asking whether our military should remain in Afghanistan, we should ask what we need to do to advance our limited interests there now. This includes using intelligence resources and working with partners to ensure that what emerges doesnt develop into a direct threat to the United States. We can continue to use diplomacy and development assistance as leverage to try to sway better outcomes, but we should recognize and accept the limitations of this approach in the near term, and of our national security interest at stake. Nearly 40% of all fully vaccinated Lancaster County residents received their shot at the countys mass vaccination site that closed last month. As of July 1, more than 250,700 Lancastrians were fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data. Roughly 92,100 were vaccinated at the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center in the former Bon-Ton store at Park City Center, data provided by site director Dr. Michael Ripchinski shows. Since opening on March 10, the mass vaccination site fully vaccinated 117,326 people age 12 and older across the region. Lancaster County residents accounted for the vast majority of those vaccinated, at 78%. At the end of the day, I concentrate on the over 100,000 fully vaccinated, said Ripchinski, who is also the chief clinical officer with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. The Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center was a public private partnership headed by LG Health. While arguably the largest vaccination effort in the region, Ripchinski acknowledged that the bulk of the heavy lifting in the countys immunization campaign is being done by hospitals, pharmacies and pop-up clinics. Ripchinski added, We never anticipated that the Community Vaccination Center would be the sole opportunity to get vaccinated. The countys Federally Qualified Health Center is among the dozens of agencies involved in the vaccination push. Union Community Care has (fully) vaccinated over 6,000 patients and community members through intentional and equitable vaccination pop-up collaboration and events on-site and in the Lancaster and Lebanon communities, Jackie Concepcion, the centers vice president of community impact, said in an email. She is leading the centers vaccination effort. The closure of the mass vaccination site on June 30 signaled a shift in the effort from a centralized site toward more targeted campaigns. Patients who received their first of a two-dose regime for the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after June 9 are being referred to a community partner for their second shot. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose, booster shot three weeks later. If you havent been vaccinated, theres still time to do so, said John Lines, an LG Health spokesman. Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman agreed. Lehman and Ripchinski both said there was more work to be done. As of Friday, 55% of the population 12 and older in Lancaster County were fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate for this cohort in Pennsylvania is 49.5%, according to state data. My fear is that most folks who have not yet been vaccinated are vaccine hesitant and are probably not persuadable, regardless of the approach, Lehman, the only of three commissioners to respond to an LNP | LancasterOnline inquiry, said in an email. The Delta variant, which is twice as contagious as the original coronavirus and wreaking havoc in unvaccinated pockets in the U.S., threatens to undo all the work done to vaccinate Americans. Ripchinskis biggest worry is the fall, when children return to school. We could be in a very different situation, he said. State Sen. Gene Yaw, who wrote the state law that enabled the sale and purchase of consumer-grade fireworks now in effect, told PennLive last week that the measure will remain in place. Were not going to repeal it, Yaw said. Get over it. Get over what, senator? The death of an innocent? An 8-year-old child from York died Sunday morning from burns sustained in a fire that police say was started by discarded fireworks. Yaw represents all or part of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union counties. How can a man representing such a small percentage of the states population have such an influence on the quality of life in Pennsylvania? When you hear those kids setting off fireworks in Coatesville and Lancaster, whom should you blame? Their parents? How about blaming their innate affinity for loud noises like fireworks? Or should we look farther north to that idiotic senator who sponsored the law legalizing consumer-grade fireworks? He is the same person who, after four years of problems created by the 2017 law, refuses to remedy it. Contact Sen. Yaw at his Harrisburg office at 717-787-3280. Richard T. Beck Marietta We often read and hear news stories about how important teachers are and how underpaid they are. While that is true, what we dont hear about are the paraprofessionals assistants to teachers and students who make only a small amount over minimum wage (often less than $11 an hour). They fill important jobs, from teaching students to supporting them in every aspect of their school day. At times, this includes helping younger ones and those with disabilities in the bathroom. Some of these paraprofessionals have to rely on additional help from public assistance to make ends meet. Substitutes for these assistants dont make out any better, with some being paid the same amount they received in 2008. Imagine holding the same job and not getting a raise in 13 years! These days, almost every fast food restaurant pays more than these substitutes make. They are the true unsung heroes in schools, and I believe they are never appreciated with a reasonable paycheck. Connie Bisker Lancaster EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2021 Overcome the Underdevelopment of Afghanistan: A Vision of Peace and Prosperity for the Entire Region July 9, 2021 (EIRNS)Intense diplomacy is underway concerning Afghanistan, with the U.S. pullout now announced to be completed as of Aug. 31, according to President Bidens press briefing yesterday. Taliban representatives were in Moscow the same day, and also in Tehran. They conveyed a message to China in an interview in South China Morning Post. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials have been in close contact with Tajikistan leaders. Today, India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was in Moscow, after making a stop yesterday in Tehran, on late notice, but meeting with President-elect Ebrahim Raisi. On July 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi starts a four-day trip to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, at the request of the foreign ministers of those three countries bordering Afghanistan. There will be a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers, and foreign ministers of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, which is expected to release a joint statement on regional security. On the ground, the Taliban, according to a cross-grid of various reports, control some 85% of the territory of Afghanistan, including two-thirds of the lands bordering Tajikistan, and key locations bordering Iran. Earlier this week, some 1,040 servicemen of the Afghan national security forces retreated into Tajikistan for refuge. The danger of prolonged civil war is great, but with the many complicated dynamics, the only way forward is through strategic cooperation among the major powers, to create the context for development-based change. Schiller Institute President Helga Zepp-LaRouche addressed this on July 7 in her weekly webcast, giving a short history of the geopolitical strife forced upon this region, up through and including the drug scourge. Fourth Dialogue on Climate in ItalyScientists Must Act Politically To Stop Green Transition July 9, 2021 (EIRNS)The fourth Dialogue on Climate sponsored by the Padua Association of Engineers, featured Prof. Gianluca Alimonti, staff physicist at the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Milan and Renato Angelo Ricci, honorary chairman of the Italian Physics Society and former chair of the European Physics Society. Alimonti documented and elaborated on the gap between records of extreme weather events and media reports on the latter, showing that extreme events such as floods, tornados and hurricanes have not increased, even accepting a 1C increase of global temperature since the mid-19th century. NASA observations and even some IPCC reports admit this. Among other aspects, Alimonti showed that increased damage from extreme events are not related to intensity or frequency of such events, but to the increased value of lost assets, such as houses, or infrastructure, built over the decades. As for CO2 emissions, models show that by cutting emissions back to pre-industrial levels, we would lose 16% of agricultural production. Professor Ricci blasted the IPCC assumption of measuring climate with mathematical models. As a nuclear physicist, he has been working with modelling his entire life, Ricci, now 93, said. Even the best models and experimental data are not able to represent the entirety of an atomic reality, Ricci said. Climate variations are of such a complex nature as to preclude a mathematical representation of such a scientific theory, Ricci argued. Schiller Institute representative Claudio Celani intervened in the Q&A period, setting the tone for a lively and constructive debate. Celani joined Prestininzis regret that attendance in the Dialogue webinars has dropped, and briefed the audience on the highly successful Schiller Institute June 26-27 international conference, at which Prof. Nicola Scafetta, a member of the group, was a panelist. The science panel, Why the World Needs Many More Terawatts of Energy, on June 26, for instance, had over 1,300 visits on YouTube, because the panel was part of a larger event that addressed strategic, scientific, economic and cultural issues. Celani invited all participants to join the next Schiller Institute event on the economic and social effects of green transition July 24. In this context, Celani asked both speakers for a comment on recent statements by the Italian minister for ecological transition that there will be a bloodbath as the consumers bill for electricity will increase, and by the Deutsche Bank representative, who recently said that we need dictatorial measures. Ricci answered that scientists are called upon to go beyond mere representation of scientific truth, and they have to act politically. For instance, one should look into the current recovery plan and raise questions. We must find a system for how to intervene, he said. I believe their effort will fail, but maybe things wont change until people will take it to the streets to protest against price increases. Alimonti answered that electricity price increases are already there and the monthly bill for families would be already 20% higher, had the government not intervened with heavy subsidies. The cement industry is complaining that they must pay incredibly higher CO2 prices this year. All these costs will be passed on to the consumer. Maybe people will initially accept it, but for how long? There will be an uprising. Moderator Prof. Alberto Prestininzi intervened, pointing to the Swiss CO2 vote as a sign that the population is already revolting. Other participants intervened with several proposals, such as finding a politician who can organize a referendum, or creating a publication; and others reported that farmers in a northern Italian town are protesting against a 50 ha solar park which Shell wants to build there. Prestininzi drew the conclusions by saying everybody agrees that something must be done, that it is no longer sufficient to merely state facts as they are. Texas Governor Orders More Fossil Fuels and Nuclear for Electric Reliability vs Green Blackouts July 9, 2021 (EIRNS)This week Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued orders to the Texas Public Utility Commission to foster more use of coal, natural gas and nuclear power to supply his state with reliable power. He sent a letter on July 6, in which he spelled out the principle that generating modes that cannot provide reliable supplies, like wind and solar, should properly bear the costs of failures in the system. If these modes do not bear these costs, then it creates an uneven playing field between non-renewable and renewable energy generators, he stated in his letter. Abbott wants the Utility Commission to structure more incentives for the use of fossil fuels and nuclear, to avert a disaster like the February Texas freeze. Many places in the U.S. are now facing summer blackouts during the high heat episodes, when electricity systems cannot meet the demand for air conditioning. New waves of protest against the green agenda are underway in the Central and Western states, with various demands, ranging from a stop to the shift to wind and solar, to stopping the 3030 plan, which calls for a 30% set-aside of use of federal lands and water by 2030. Last week, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts had his eighth town hall meeting against the 3030 land grab, in which 150 people attended in a very sparsely populated county. In Iowa, customers of the Corn Belt Power Cooperative are angry that their electric supplier is under pressure to shut its coal plants, after the Duane Arnold nuclear plant had been shut down already in 2020. In Kansas there are meetings underway to mobilize against the shift to wind and implementation of the 3030 land grab. Warnings and signs of the consequences of transitioning to costly and intermittent wind and solar are everywhere in Europe and the U.S. Take Sweden, for example: Swedens electric grid operator Svenska kraftnat warned in its annual review, released in May, that come winter, Sweden may not be able to import enough electricity to meet peak demand during the coldest seasons. In recent times, Sweden needed to import up to 1,600 megawatts of electricity to cover peak consumption, roughly 6% of last winters peak demand of 25,500 MW. Sweden is currently adding up to 2,900 MW of new wind power capacity this year, but electricity generation is low in frigid weather. The annual report stated about the winter electricity deficit, Svenska kraftnat analyses show that the import possibilities for dealing with such a deficit may be limited if the same wind and temperature conditions also prevail in our neighboring countries, or if the import possibilities are reduced by network restrictions or other reasons. Swedens electricity profile, as of 2020 was: hydropower 45%; nuclear 30%; and wind power 17%, according to Reuters. Cal Woman Quits Powerful Biz Org; Alleges Anti-Black Comments, Actions A California-based member of the Washington, DC-based National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) resigned last month, accusing the groups leadership of racist actions and statements. ADVERTISEMENT She was an elected official of the organization that advocates on behalf of more than 10 million women-owned businesses around the United States. Charlotta Carter, President-CEO of GRI Technology Solutions and president-elect of the NAWBO-San Francisco Chapter, resigned her position in a letter to the NAWBO membership last month. Carters resignation was soon followed by by another Black woman, Vikita Poindexter, stepping down from a NAWBO leadership role. Poindexter is CEO of Poindexter Consulting Group and president of NAWBO-California. In her resignation letter, Carter recounted incidents during her onboarding and work as president-elect when NAWBO showed reluctance to support Black women business owners. ADVERTISEMENT Carter wrote, Im humbled to be asked to join but find that there is a true disconnect with the overall NAWBO set of mission and goals and what I believe and need as a Black business owner to be part of the organization. NAWBOs strategy and vision IMHO (in my honest opinion) does not value diversity and cannot see the uniqueness of Black-owned businesses challenges that are far beyond other demographics. The womens resignations and Carters condemning allegations come nearly a year after the George Floyd protests last summer, a time when corporations and non-profits took symbolic and substantive steps to promote diversity, promote racial equity and support Black individuals and institutions. Carter shared details of a racist incident she said happened April 30. In bringing that draft legislation to NAWBO National and the incoming president, she was very offended that we included language in that draft bill to help address African American women-owned small businesses earning $50,000 or less. She was very offended, and said, If were going to just focus on African American women, we cant support this. Besides members of NAWBO, were tired of focusing on African American womens issues. So, needless to say, the meeting went downhill from there, Carter told California Black Media (CBM). Carter also alleged that, at an onboarding meeting, she spoke with another Black woman who was president of a different NAWBO chapter, who said she was afraid to reach out to the NAWBO national board for a statement about George Floyds death. Carter said, My take to that is why in an organization thats supposed to be supportive of you and your community and your issues would you be afraid to call the headquarters and ask them to make a statement on something so critical in our history. Why would you be afraid? Youre gonna get blackballed or something? And if thats the case, why would you want to be a part of an organization like that? In an email to NAWBO members obtained by CBM, NAWBO National leadership said that they were taking Carters allegations seriously, and that they had convened a special task force to investigate her claims. The letter reads, As a national organization with local footprints, we must in principle and in practice, be inclusive, diverse, respectful and equitable to all members. Carter also told CBM that she is still confident in her decision to leave the organization, and that she was skeptical of the organizations future regarding their diversity and inclusion initiatives. The incoming president Susan Dawsons first statement that members of NAWBO are tired of supporting African American womens issues, was her truth. And anything that came after that was total BS. So, any apology would ring hollow to me because she really wouldnt have meant it So, Im happy if they do something about it and they do some soul searching and realize that theyre more of a racist organization than they think they are, that would be great. And if they dont do anything then I know I made the right decision by distancing myself from them, Carter said. NAWBO s leadership said in a statement to CBM that they have appointed a special task force to investigate the accusations, and that they cannot publicly comment on the matter until the investigation, which is currently underway, is complete. They also said that four BIPOC women currently serve on NAWBOs national board. In principle and in practice, NAWBO values and seeks a diverse and inclusive membership. We seek full participation in the organization by all business owners who support our mission to empower women entrepreneurs, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. Our goal is to effectively represent the full diversity of the women business owner community and to expand access to leadership opportunities across the full spectrum of our membership, the statement reads. Expanded Child Tax Credit Persistent poverty is a scourge on our nation. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the struggle those living in poverty face every day, and their plight was exacerbated by the economic impacts of the virus. It has been my mission since coming to Congress to do everything I can to address persistent poverty. Those efforts often feel a little like the Greek myth of Sisyphus, who kept rolling the rock up the mountain only to have it roll back down when he approached the top. This month, we are again making progress on one significant front in the fight against poverty. American families will begin receiving monthly Child Tax Credit checks on July 15; thanks to an expansion of the popular program in the American Rescue Plan (ARP), that was signed into law by President Biden in March with only Democratic support. The Center for Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University projects that this provision will cut the child poverty rate in half this year. ADVERTISEMENT Previously the Child Tax Credit was capped at $2,000 and not fully available to the lowest-income families. Thanks to the ARP, the full amount of the expanded creditnow available for all households filing jointly with incomes up to $150,000 and single parents with incomes up to $112,500is $3,600 for every child under 6 years old and $3,000 for every child ages 6-17. Starting July 15 and continuing through the end of the year, these households will receive $300 for every child or $250 every month for each child in those respective age ranges. The remainder of the credit can be claimed when filing 2021 tax returns early next year. Families who filed tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or who filled out the IRS Non-filers tool last year to receive an Economic Impact Payment, will get this tax relief automatically. Families who neither filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020 nor used the IRS Non-Filers tool should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up today. Eligible families who get their refunds from the IRS through direct deposit will see these payments in their bank account; those who dont use direct deposit will receive their payments by mail. The challenge we face with this life-changing benefit is that it is set to expire after one year. It was a temporary fix to immediately address the economic impacts of the pandemic. We know, however, that persistent poverty existed well before Covid-19, and it will continue well beyond the recovery if we dont take permanent action. To keep this huge rock from falling back down the mountain and plunge millions of American children back into poverty, Congress must make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent. Doing so would be a dramatic, positive change in the life of American families and a real solution to addressing persistent poverty. ADVERTISEMENT Unfortunately, just as Republicans opposed the American Rescue Plan, they also oppose extending this key provision. They dont seem to understand that stronger families produce a stronger, more productive nation. Whether or not they are persuaded to join the effort to address persistent poverty and strengthen American families, Democrats are working hard to make the expansion of the Child Tax Credit permanent. Now is the time to break out of this Sisyphean struggle and sustain and build on the progress we have made lifting a significant number of families out of poverty. The public supports these efforts. In addition to the expanded Child Tax Credit, we must permanently extend other economic lifelines in the American Rescue Plan like the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and nutrition assistance for children. We must also provide the benefits of the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion to those in the 12 states, including my home state of South Carolina, that have refused to participate. Democrats wont stop moving this boulder until we reach the topand stay there. GOLDENVOICE NAMES MARCUS DON DADA JOHNSON TALENT BUYER JOHNSON BRINGS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN HIP-HOP AND R&B PROMOTION AND MARKETING TO LEGENDARY CONCERT PROMOTER Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based concert promoter, announced today that Marcus Don Dada Johnson will be joining the company as Talent Buyer. Johnson comes to Goldenvoice after almost two decades spent working as an independent promoter and marketer for events throughout Southern California. Johnsons responsibilities in his new role will include handling talent buying for the companys various festivals and clubs, including The Novo in downtown Los Angeles. He will report to Goldenvoice President and CEO Paul Tollett. ADVERTISEMENT The Oakland natives background lies in booking, producing, and marketing large-scale events in and around Los Angeles, as well as artist-driven experiences at top-tier Hollywood nightclubs. In addition, he has collaborated closely with Goldenvoice since 2009, ticketing many of its shows and festivals. Some of the artists he has worked with include Post Malone, YG, Saweetie, Ari Lennox, Bryson Tiller, and the late Nipsey Hussle, among many others. Marcus brings a level of musical taste and knowledge that fits perfectly with what we do here at Goldenvoice, commented Tollett. Hes basically been part of the family, so Im very excited that we are making it official. Said Johnson: Im really excited to bring my skillset and expertise to such a forward-thinking company as Goldenvoice. Hip-hop and r&b play such an important part in moving the needle on popular culture, and the same can be said for Goldenvoicethe team always has a finger on the pulse. And after spending the last twelve years working closely with everyone here, this feels like a natural progression. I cant wait to see what we all do together. In addition to his music industry work, Johnson co-hosts the podcast I Survived Twenty Twenty with Goldenvoice VP of Ticketing Rhea Roberts. The lifestyle series highlights stories of perseverance and resolve in the post-pandemic world. Rhea is a co-founder of the companys internal advocacy group GV Black, a collective of Black employees who are working to create initiatives that highlight the Black experience at the company and expand representation of the Black community across all of Goldenvoices concerts and festivals. LADWP Hires First-ever Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer As part of the ongoing initiatives to advance diversity and equity, Monique Earl has been named to lead the newly-created Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Earl will become part of the senior management team reporting to General Manager Martin Adams, and will be responsible for the oversight of policies, practices and programs designed to improve diversity and opportunities throughout LADWP and position the agency to better serve communities with the highest needs. As a Senior Assistant General Manager, Earl will also work to provide leadership, guidance and support in the internal and external development and implementation of the departments Racial Equity Action Initiatives. Earls career with the City of Los Angeles spans 20 years across the legislative, executive and administrative branches of government. During her roles with the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Earl led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in recruitment, hiring and supplier diversity. Earl has a strong leadership background having served as Chief Deputy Controller for City Controller Ron Galperin and Deputy Mayor of Budget and Financial Policy in the administration of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. She also has a long record of managing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts with a focus on workforce development, contracting, economic development and community engagement. ADVERTISEMENT LADWP Board President, Cynthia McClain-Hill, a key architect behind the departments Racial Equity Action Initiatives, said she was looking forward to working with Earl on the meaningful new Initiatives at LADWP. Equity is about making sure everyone, especially people from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, have the opportunity to be successful at LADWP. Monique Earl will be a welcome addition as LADWPs first Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer during this critical time, said President McClain-Hill. General Manager and Chief Engineer, Martin Adams said he wants to ensure Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are not only valued, but reflected in every aspect of the departments operations moving forward. I am thrilled to have Monique join our leadership team. The energy, enthusiasm, and experience she brings will help LADWP move forward in all areas of DEI, both with our internal staff as well as how we serve communities across Los Angeles. Monique will play a key role in helping us make LADWP the best public agency it can be. It is an honor and huge responsibility to join LADWP in this pivotal role. I look forward to building upon the DEI foundation the Department is laying and establishing a culture where everyone feels seen, heard and valued, Ms. Earl said. The creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion took on a sense of urgency after Mayor Eric Garcetti issued Executive Directive No. 27. The Directive was issued after the death of George Floyd and unprecedented nationwide demonstrations for social justice and elimination of institutional racism. The Executive Directive instructs all city departments to create a Racial Equity Action Plan to promote equity throughout Los Angeles. The broader set of Initiatives, along with efforts to address gender equity and other workforce diversity issues, will be led by Earl and the new DEI office. Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates Fill Journalism Posts at Howard University Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates have announced they will take on faculty roles at Howard University. President Wayne A.I. Fredericks also said the historically Black institution has also founded a new Center for Journalism and Democracy. We are at a critical juncture in our democracy, and yet our press does not reflect the nation it serves and too often struggles to grasp the danger for our country as we see growing attacks on free speech and the fundamental right to vote, Hannah-Jones said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT In the storied tradition of the Black Press, the Center for Journalism and Democracy will help produce journalists capable of accurately and urgently covering the challenges of our democracy with a clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from todays journalism. Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize winner, had turned down a tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to take the position at Howard Universitys School of Communications. Her decision came after alumni, faculty, and students protested the universitys initial decision to deny Hannah-Jones tenure. That decision later was reversed, but Hannah-Jones opted to accept the position at Howard. Meanwhile, Coates will teach in the universitys College of Arts and Sciences as Knight Chair in Race and Journalism. 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, Frederick said in a statement. Not only must our newsrooms reflect the communities where they are reporting, but we need to infuse the profession with diverse talent. We are thrilled that they will bring their insights and research to what is already a world-class, highly accomplished team of professors. Several countries around Asia and the Pacific Ocean have moved quickly to stop a new increase in coronavirus cases. The number of infections has risen quickly in recent months in several countries. Officials in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam announced new measures Friday to slow the spread of the virus. At the beginning of the pandemic, many Asian countries appeared to have fought the virus successfully after announcing travel restrictions and national shutdowns. Now, however, the highly contagious delta variant has hit these countries hard. They are setting records for new cases and deaths. The variant, combined with low vaccination rates and a rush to reopen economies, has led to new problems. While the numbers are high, they are not close to the numbers seen in Europe and the United States last year. But low vaccination rates in many Asian nations may signal problems to come. Thailand reported a record 75 deaths on Thursday and 72 on Friday. South Korea set a record for the number of new cases on Thursday, only to break it on Friday with 1,316 infections. Those numbers were reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Indonesia also has had an increase in infections that has hospitals turning patients away and oxygen supplies running low. Of Thailands confirmed cases and deaths since the pandemic started, more than 90 percent have come since April. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ochas handling of the crisis has been criticized, including the decision to permit travel for a major holiday in April. In addition to requiring face coverings and other measures, the government on Friday reduced working hours for public transportation and markets. There is something wrong with the government policies, our vaccinations are too slow, and we should get better vaccines, said Cherkarn Rachasevet, a 60-year-old technology worker. She was in a store to buy additional face coverings before the new restrictions took effect. She said she would not get her first vaccination until the end of July. Across the Asia-Pacific area, the feeling of having successfully fought the pandemic last year led to low vaccination rates. There was little sense of urgency, so production and vaccination efforts fell behind. Many experts praised South Korea for its actions at the start of the pandemic. It tested citizens quickly and kept information on the sick. Now, as the delta variant spreads, critics say the government pushed to ease social restrictions too quickly. A shortage of vaccines has left 70 percent of the country waiting for their first shot. Officials in the Seoul area announced Friday that the strongest restrictions yet would start next week. Religious and social centers are closed. Visitors to hospitals and homes for retired people are banned. Private gatherings of more than three people are banned after 6 p.m. Coronavirus cases and deaths in Indonesia have increased by more than 100 percent over the last two weeks. New restrictions were announced July 3. The islands of Java, Bali, and Sumatra have been hit hard. The health system is under severe pressure. In Malaysia, the public has been told to stay home since June 1. But new cases continue to increase. The number of deaths has risen 100 percent since June 1. Vietnam also imposed stronger restrictions on Friday. In Ho Chi Minh City, the countrys largest city, people are only permitted to leave home for food or medicine for two weeks. Vietnam reported almost no new cases for three months. Then, at the end of April as the delta variant spread, the numbers began to climb. In the last two months, the country has recorded 22,000 new cases. Admitting it was a difficult situation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that it was necessary to curb the pandemic. Only four percent of the population has received at least one injection of the vaccine. Japan and Australia also announced new restrictions this week. Japan is being watched since its state of emergency means visitors will be banned from events in the upcoming Olympics. The only country in Asia that appears to be doing well is India, where the delta variant was first found. It had a large increase in cases and deaths in April and May. New cases and deaths are now decreasing, but only five percent of the country is fully vaccinated. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story contagious adj. able to pass from person to person quickly and easily variant n. different in some way from others of the same kind curb v. to control or limit something We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. The childrens television series Sesame Street is welcoming a new lovable character for its 52nd season. The new character is a white-and-brown puppy. The young dog is named Tango. She gets adopted by the young red Muppet, Elmo. Kay Wilson Stallings is an executive vice president at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. She said the shows creators wanted to explore that special bond between children and pets by introducing this new character. Tango will join Sesame Streets 52nd season as both an animated character and a live-action Muppet. The new season will air this autumn on HBO Max and on PBS KIDS next year. Tango will be introduced in a 30-minute animated special called Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy. The televised special will air on the HBO Max channel in the United States on August 5. Tango is Elmos second pet. He has been caring for a fish named Dorothy for several years. Hes done quite well taking care of his goldfish, Wilson Stallings said of Elmo. We thought hes been successful with taking care of Dorothy and that this could be the next step in his development... The shows writers had plans to introduce a pet on Sesame Street even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. During the pandemic, animal adoptions have risen sharply in the United States. Now, Sesame Workshop hopes Tango can help show children of different ages how to help with the care and feeding of new family pets. The timing of it is perfect, said Wilson Stallings. Details about Tango have been carefully considered. The shows producers talked at length about what the dog should look like. They decided to make Tango a female mixed breed dog. She could be a little of anything. Anybody that has a pet might see a little of their pet within Tango, Wilson Stallings said. Tango will remain a puppy just like Elmo stays 3-and-a-half years old. Wilson Stallings said, Right now were just really focusing on that relationship between she and Elmo as she gets to become more familiar with all the rest of the characters on Sesame Street. Sesame Street co-productions have aired in over 70 languages in more than 150 countries worldwide. I'm Ashley Thompson. The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. ________________________________________________ Words in This Story character - n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show adopt - v. to take a child of other parents legally as your own child (can also be used for animals whose previous owners abandoned or released them to a rescue organization) bond - n. something (such as an idea, interest, experience, or feeling) that is shared between people or groups and forms a connection between them pet - n. an animal (such as a dog, cat, bird, or fish) that people keep mainly for pleasure animated - adj. produced by the creation of a series of drawings, pictures, etc., that are shown quickly one after another : produced through the process of animation breed - n. to keep and take care of animals or plants in order to produce more animals or plants of a particular kind focus - v. to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something specific We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Jane in Taiwan about two similar prepositions. Here is the question: Question: Dear VOA, Im writing to ask a question about the differences between at the corner and on the corner. Thanks for your help. -Jane, Taiwan Answer: Hello Jane, We are happy to help. Corners can be found in many spaces and places, inside and out. There are corners on boxes, for example, as well as on tables, in rooms, in parks and on streets. There are even corners on a piece of paper. To answer your question today, I will focus on streets. When we are talking about the corner of a street, both on and at are used in American English. Listen to these two examples of how they might be used: She is waiting at the corner . The man stands on the corner every morning. When the names of the streets are not included, the more common choice for many Americans seems to be on. Now, lets suppose you wanted to be more specific. If you specify the streets where someone or something is located, or where something happens, the preposition at is common. Listen to these examples: Lets meet at the corner of Pike Street and East Broadway. A bridge collapsed at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Polk Street Northeast. The word on would also be acceptable both examples. But in the second example, it could mean that a bridge above the street corner collapsed onto it. However, in general, American English speakers use either preposition when discussing street corners. For many people, this is often just a matter of personal choice. And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. I'm Alice Bryant. Alice Bryant wrote this lesson for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story corner n. a point where two lines, edges or sides meet; a place where two streets meet focus v. to direct ones attention to something specific adj. relating to a particular person or situation locate v. to find the place or position of someone or something There are 13 graduates this year from Isleboro Central, a small high school on an island near the U.S. state of Maine. Most of them live on Isleboro, which has a year-round population of about 700. The schools graduating class usually takes a trip to a far away country to celebrate. The 2021 class was considering a visit to Greece or South Korea. The students did jobs around the small island to raise money for their travel costs. They earned about $8,000 from their work. But, when it looked like international travel would be difficult because of COVID-19, they considered a trip within the U.S. In the end, they went nowhere. Instead the students decided to donate their money to help their neighbors on Isleboro. They gave $5,000 to the Island Community Fund, an aid group on Isleboro. The students said they had seen many people on the island dealing with job losses and financial problems after the coronavirus health crisis struck. It would have seemed, in student Liefe Temples words, weird and definitely wrong for them to take the traditional trip when people were suffering. The money helped islanders feed their families and meet other needs. It felt really good to do that with our money, to give it back to the people who gave it to us, Temple said. It was a good feeling for the Island Community Fund, as well. Fred Thomas is the president. Their decision demonstrated an awareness of the hardship in their community and a willingness to do something about it, he said of the young people. The students also gave some money to help pay unexpected costs for the islands vaccination operations. The students got a kick out of giving money so their teachers could get the jab. The students still have some money left. They are thinking about what to do with it. Olivia Britton is one of the students. She said it seemed obvious to give the money back to the people living on the island. Brittons mother, Megan, is a doctor. She said people sometimes criticize young people. But, this really flies in the face of that. Im Dan Friedell. David Sharp wrote this story for the Associated Press. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. What do you think about how the students spent their money? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story graduate - n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university weird adj. unusual or strange awareness n. knowledge of a situation hardship n. pain and suffering obvious adj. easy for the mind to understand or recognize fly in the face idiom to oppose or contradict a popular thought or idea jab n. an injection of medicine into your body with a needle If youre itching to travel again, Delta Airlines is ready to help with improved welcome bonuses on its credit cards. For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 70,000 or more miles with one of six Delta SkyMiles American Express cards. Having so many different versions of the card to choose from is a blessing. For starters, with so many variations on earning rates, annual fees and included benefits, theres bound to be a combination that works for you. Additionally, you may qualify for a welcome bonus on a Delta card even if you held a different version in the past. American Express bonuses are usually limited to once per lifetime, but each card is considered a separate product. Choosing the best Delta credit card depends on how often you travel with Delta, your spending habits and whether youre chasing Medallion status. Occasional travelers will likely prefer the Delta Gold American Express card (available in both personal and business versions) and its 70,000 mile bonus. More frequent travelers should consider the Platinum or Reserve versions of the card, which come with higher bonuses, companion certificates and other perks. Weve got the details on each below. Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Mayber said a partnership of the North Platte Sunrise Club, rotary clubs and districts they were able to secure a $136,000 grant to expand maternity and neonatal services to a local hospital in Kakamega, Kenya. Prior to the expansion, the hospital had been in poor structural shape and there was only one incubator that served two million people. As a result the mortality rate for infants and mothers was high. The Rotarians also partnered with John Hopkins Hospital to provide training and equipment to the workers in the hospital. As a result, of the mortality rate dropped. Dr. Baxter said the difference in this community was made by the Rotary Club. Dr. Baxter said Rotary has been purposeful about returning to areas they have helped to check on the state of their projects, they dont want to come to an area, help and then leave and not return. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} While Rotary has helped with the hospital, the needs are ever present. Mayber was on one of the trips to Kenya and his experience affected him greatly, he said every night when he called his wife, he would cry after seeing the conditions the people were living in. The process for realigning Idahos political map with a decades worth of population expansion finds itself in roughly the same spot as it was 10 years ago under pressure to get the job done without any time to spare. Not at all. A little but not enough to alter my schedule. Enough that I try to stay inside as much as possible. It's really done a number on me. Vote View Results The trial for five defendants in a Santa Maria MS-13 case will begin on Monday more than five years since their arrest on murder and gang charges and after multiple delays including some attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Defendants Tranquilino Robles Morales, Juan Carlos Lozano Membreno, Juan Carlos Urbina Serrano, Marcos Manuel Sanchez Torres and Luis German Mejia Orellana are expected to appear for trial proceedings beginning at 9 a.m. in Department 8 of Superior Court in Santa Maria, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen. Mondays hearing will begin with Judge John McGregor overseeing a hearing about media coverage, followed by motions in limine, which are made to exclude testimony or include evidence. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Aug. 2, according to Bramsen. +11 Judge denies motion to consolidate defendant groups in MS-13 trial A judge on Friday denied a motion by Santa Maria prosecutors to consolidate two groups of five defendants in the MS-13 gang murder trial. The five defendants are the first trial group of 10 who are all accused members of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization. The second trial group includes Jose Balmore Saravia Lainez, Jose Ricardo Saravia Lainez, Jose Juan Sanchez Torres, Jose Narciso Escobar Hernandez and Olvin Serrano. McGregor split the defendants into two groups in December 2019 after ruling their constitutional rights would be violated if all were tried at once in the same room due to insufficient space for the 10, each of their attorneys and interpreters. Each trial is expected to take a year. The 10 MS-13 defendants are part of a larger group of 15 who were arrested in March 2016 as part of Operation Matador, a yearslong investigation into the killings of 10 people in the Santa Maria Valley. In July 2016, a total of 18 alleged members were indicted. Two defendants were sentenced to state or federal prison, leaving the remaining 10, who are charged with more than a dozen counts each, ranging from murder to conspiracy and street gang enhancements. Additionally, the arrests included five who were indicted on felony charges that did not include murder but included conspiracy and gang-related charges. One of those defendants, Jose Francisco Mejia Orellana, has not been apprehended. Two additional defendants pleaded out or were sentenced to prison. Only two of the five are in custody. Defendant Fermin Rodas, who was indicted separately, pleaded no contest to contempt of court on Feb. 28, 2019, and received a one-year suspended probation sentence, according to court records. Water is barely visible at the Twitchell Reservoir dam in this photo taken from Highway 166. The reservoir, which was built to control flooding but also helps recharge the Santa Maria Valley Groundwater Basin, is currently holding 1,884 acre-feet of water, or just 1% of its 194,971 acre-foot capacity. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Trent Ashby is the state representative for District 57 that includes Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine and Trinity counties. His email address is trent.ashby@house.state.tx.us. What is the greatest challenge facing District 19 and what would you do to address it? I believe the greatest challenge facing Dane County is our homeless population. Tent cities have popped up all over Dane County and having any of our residents sleep in a tent in our hot summers and brutal winters is unacceptable. The county needs to support the city of Madison in its purchase of a new temporary living facility and needs to work with developers and rental management companies to help curb the rising cost of rent. Among Dane County's many competing needs, what would you prioritize in the 2022 budget? First and foremost should be addressing services needed for our residents. We need more mental health services, affordable housing services, educational opportunities and job training. The Dane County Jail is also an important item in the 2022 budget. The current jail is not up to structural codes, it is outdated and not safe for the people in our custody as well as our sheriff deputies. We need to revisit the cost of the new jail and discuss the approved budget. Workers are now quitting their jobs and leaving for higher pay (a positive sign as it points to an optimistic job market). Gordon points to one cause of this problem. Business has reduced what is spent on training and education. He cites the fact that U.S. business is investing only 20 cents for every dollar that our competitors spend. Much of that goes to management and professionals, not to the grunts who do the work. I know of a manufacturer who tackled its problem. They had a backlog but could not ship their product. They paid well and treated their workers decently, but they lacked skilled workers. They hired 139 new workers from a job fair. Within a few month most left. Then they tried a new tactic. They hired 40 new workers, trained them intensely and integrated them with existing workers. This has been a success, despite problems with parts availability. In fact, their backlog has increased. That is a concrete example of attracting workers by improving their skill levels. Other firms should follow this example. In exchange, the government entity gets central administration of email records, email accounts that are easily transferred to successors, and a significant boost in the publics confidence in their record searches. Its not often that a thorny problem has such an easy, clear and inexpensive solution. To remove barriers to public accountability and improve the efficiency of government operations, the Legislature should prohibit the use of personal email accounts for government business at the state and local level. Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Tom Kamenick is the president and founder of the Wisconsin Transparency Project. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Multiple vehicles reported having flat tires on Interstate 90 near Wisconsin Dells on Wednesday due to drywall screws that somehow got on the highway, the Wisconsin State Patrol reported. Sgt. Randy Gordon said eight vehicles reported having flat tires at around 5 p.m. Wednesday at mile post 84 in Juneau County, by exit 85 near Rocky Arbor State Park in Wisconsin Dells. Deputies were dispatched to the area and found drywall screws in the tires of the vehicles. He said deputies from Juneau and Sauk County checked the roadway to see if additional screws could be located but none were found. Deputies also checked with the highway department to see if any additional reports came in and didnt hear any after the initial reports. It was an initial barrage for about 10 minutes or so of people calling saying they got flat tires. We went and checked it out and found screws in their tires, Gordon said. It was done as fast as it started and then we just started calling tow trucks and getting people arrangements for getting their tires fixed. No crashes or injuries happened, he said. Gordon said the state patrol isnt sure how the screws spilled onto the roadway. To that end, Levine Cava said officials have added peer support personnel at the fire stations. No one has been found alive since the first hours after a large section of the 12-story Champlain Towers South came crashing down on June 24. Hope of finding survivors was briefly rekindled after workers demolished the remainder of the building Sunday night, allowing access to new areas of debris. Some voids where survivors could have been trapped did exist, mostly in the basement and the parking garage, but no one was found alive. Instead, teams recovered more than a dozen additional victims. On Wednesday, workers shifted their mission from search and rescue to recovery after concluding that there was no chance of life in the rubble. Levine Cava said the high death toll is "an aching hole in the center of this close-knit family here in Surfside." She said that with 61 people still listed as missing, detectives are continuing to audit the list to verify that all of those people were actually inside the building when it collapsed. We want to get this right, she said. Miami-Dade Fire Chef Alan Cominsky said it is unclear how the long the recovery effort will take, but said crews are making progress. The applause stopped months ago, but the impact of Covid-19 is at its worst right now. Sixteen months into the pandemic here and doctors describe a system beyond its breaking point -- with insufficient beds and barely enough oxygen. Sometimes the only time a bed opens is when a patient dies. "There are patients that are dying while they are waiting to be seen, while they are waiting to go to the ward. Because the resources are just being overwhelmed by the onslaught of patients," the doctor said, an assessment corroborated by paramedics and other physicians. Sometimes patients will die when entering a hospital no matter what the level of care, they say. But this wave means tough choices have to be made and the best care can't always be given. The explosion of cases and deaths, as well as renewed lockdowns across the region have come as a surprise to many public health experts. With low rates of vaccination in South Africa, they did expect another wave, but some scientists thought that the very worst was over. After all, the southern African region was hit by a first wave and battered by a second wave driven by the more infectious Beta variant discovered by South African scientists. The thinking was that a level of immunity in much of the population might dampen future spikes. At midday on the Fourth, I climbed to the roof and sat in the sun for a birds-eye view of our surroundings. The town is a dense conglomeration of stucco cubes arranged up and down mountain slopes and along a valley. The dogs were at it, as ever. From the house next door arose the sound of someone singing ABBAs Dancing Queen in a voice so off-key I found it a marvel equivalent to anything Id ever heard in tune. To convey joy with an instrument so twisted is a marvel to be studied and respected. The sky was blue and popcorned with clouds. Come late afternoon they would bank behind the mountain in a skulk, then breach to slide downslope and across the valley, draping gray veils of rain across the landscape. Most days the rains are brief. Come evening you can stroll the town square and leave your umbrella in the house. Earlier I scanned the news from home. The country of my birth has been a blessing I do not take for granted. I honor those who preserve it in person, in truth, and in principle. But perched here on this foreign roof I was reminded again how time spent in a place with paving bricks older than our Declaration of Independence and monuments and buildings testament to events far preceding all but our native history renders certain stripes of bluster just that. The victim in that case, meanwhile, told police Washington called him whitey or some other derogatory term for white people, although the detective later said it was hard to hear what was said amid all the yelling and swearing during the incident. In video from the May 28 incident, Washington and his brother are heard calling the bus driver, who is Black, the N-word and accusing him of being black on the outside, white on the inside, according to the complaint. Masks have been required on Metro buses under local, state or federal orders since last summer to curb the spread of COVID-19. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order requiring masks on public transit is expected to end Sept. 13, Metro spokesperson Mick Rusch said. According to the complaint in the May 28 case: Washington and his brother got on the bus at the corner of East Washington Avenue and Mendota Street, and the driver noticed the teen did not have a mask on. The driver told him he either had to have a mask on or get off the bus, and that cinching his hoodie around his face was not a substitute for a mask. ABOUT THE DATA The Dane County Sheriff's Office provides daily population reports, but only going back to July 21, 2020. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Nicholas McNamara collected jail population snapshots on March 16, 2020, and April 1, 2020, providing a window into the first few weeks of the pandemic. The population numbers include some inmates who were being supervised in the community because these individuals could not always be separated. On a few randomly selected days in 2020 and 2021, the number of people being monitored in the community ranged from 50 to 80. Of the 970 jobs reported between 2018 and the end of last year, 364 have since been terminated. A WEDC spokesman said all reported jobs will go through the verification process to determine if they meet eligibility requirements in the contract. Under the new agreement, Foxconn will be eligible for up to $29 million in job and capital investment credits if WEDC verifies that the company had 601 cumulative full-time employees in 2020. The state has until the end of the year to certify if the company had met its job creation target. Foxconn and the state agreed to an amended contract in April that drastically reduced both the companys jobs and capital investment requirement, as well as the states subsidy commitment to the project. The contract was ultimately renegotiated after the state told Foxconn it would not receive any state dollars under the previous agreement, as the project being constructed didnt match what was agreed on. Foxconns original contract, signed by former Gov. Scott Walker in 2017, called for a $10 billion investment by the company and the creation of 13,000 jobs over 15 years in exchange for $3 billion in state subsidies. Other state and local incentives, including $150 million in sales tax breaks that the company still could receive, brought the total to about $4 billion. What Republicans dont mention is that Evers proposed tax increases were focused mostly on manufacturers, marijuana and millionaires, and he did propose hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax credits for family caregivers, the working poor and others. Republicans dont care about truth, they just care about attacking the governor at any cost, said state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison. He did what they forced him to do. Theyre still attacking him for it. Troubled base Now that hes signed the second Republican-authored budget of his tenure into law, some fear Evers hasnt done enough for his own base, and risks keeping those voters on the sidelines in 2022. The vulnerability in the budget for him politically is just to make sure he has his base on board, Burden said. Democrats are going to be very unhappy with this budget. It doesnt do much to increase funding for education. The Medicaid expansion theyve been asking for for 10 years is on hold yet again. CHICAGO If youve ever been on a date with someone who got up to go to the restroom and never came back, you know how Afghan officers at Bagram Airfield felt when they woke up the other day to find the American military gone. According to the Afghans, our units vacated in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye, cutting off the electricity on their way out. The sudden departure gave looters a chance to ransack some barracks before the Afghan military established control. The American experience in Afghanistan has produced a lot of tragedy, but even tragedies can include moments of farce. Its conceivable that the U.S. commander decided to escape without an awkward breakup conversation. The U.S. says it coordinated its withdrawal with the Afghan government. Its entirely believable that the Afghan military received a notification but, due to bureaucratic lethargy or simple bungling, never got around to acting on it. In any event, the U.S. has completed 90% of its pullout from the country where our forces have been fighting for nearly 20 years. We are not leaving in the glow of victory but with the fragrance of failure. Our best efforts were never enough to stamp out the Taliban and establish a secure and democratic government in Kabul. BOISE (AP) Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday mobilized the Idaho National Guard to help fight wildfires amid an ongoing drought and extreme heat. The Republican governor issued an emergency declaration allowing soldiers to help fight fires on the 9,700 square miles in mostly northern Idaho where the state provides fire protection. Wildfire is presenting an imminent threat to life, property, and the environment, and we need all hands on deck, Little said in a statement. I appreciate our firefighters and fire managers for working so hard under such challenging conditions, and I am grateful that our guardsmen are able to step in once again to support Idaho communities. Its the first time the Idaho Department of Lands has requested the governor issue such an emergency declaration. The agency said the soldiers will help with fire suppression and logistics support. State officials didnt say how many soldiers might be deployed to help with wildfires. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Officials also said National Guard Blackhawk helicopters could be used to drop water or other suppressants on fires as well as transport firefighters and supplies. BOISE, Idaho (AP) Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday mobilized the Idaho National Guard to help fight wildfires amid an ongoing drought and extreme heat. The Republican governor issued an emergency declaration allowing soldiers to help fight fires on the 9,700 square miles (25,000 square kilometers) in mostly northern Idaho where the state provides fire protection. Wildfire is presenting an imminent threat to life, property, and the environment, and we need all hands on deck," Little said in a statement. "I appreciate our firefighters and fire managers for working so hard under such challenging conditions, and I am grateful that our guardsmen are able to step in once again to support Idaho communities. Its the first time the Idaho Department of Lands has requested the governor issue such an emergency declaration. The agency said the soldiers will help with fire suppression and logistics support. State officials didnt say how many soldiers might be deployed to help with wildfires. Officials also said National Guard Blackhawk helicopters could be used to drop water or other suppressants on fires as well as transport firefighters and supplies. Le said that, "If the U.S. actually respects the truth and transparency, it should accept an international investigation to find the source of the U.S. epidemic, the cause of the U.S.s ineffective fight against the epidemic, and problems at U.S. biological laboratories. While similar to earlier official statements, Les comments come from a more senior official than in the past, indicating Beijing may be firming up its political stance in the dispute over the virus origins. Chinas outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has thrown suspicion on the U.S. military biological laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, calling for an investigation into the possibility the virus originated there. No evidence has been produced to support that claim or that the virus emerged from any U.S. military-run biological lab. BUCHAREST Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are set to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said in a statement. In Thursdays deal, those with senior water rights agreed to allow those with junior rights to keep pumping water from their wells through Aug. 15 just enough time to get a cutting of alfalfa and save the other grain crops. In exchange, the surface water users, in a deal facilitated by Bedke, were able to piece together enough water from other sources to make everyone whole. Bedke was able to secure 1,000 acre-feet of water from Ririe Reservoir and 500 acre-feet from Henrys Lake Reservoir, which junior water rights users paid for, and the Twin Falls Canal Company donated another 1,000 acre-feet of water to the effort. There will be enough to just limp by, said Idahos House speaker. The Idaho Department of Water Resources, which ordered the water shutoff on July 1, approved the deal. If you can imagine what your lawn would look like if you had turned your sprinklers off for the past week, you can imagine the anxiety among those farmers who had to turn off their water. As most people know, Idaho is heavily reliant on agriculture, which is the single largest contributor to our economy and accounts for 20% of our gross state product. By lending five Idaho State Police officers to Arizona to stop drug traffickers, Gov. Brad Little is wasting three weeks of their time. And since hes doing so at state expense, the governor is also wasting about $53,391 of your money. Little says hes doing this in the name of officer training. But advanced drug intervention training is something Idahos been doing for more than 30 years. Troopers learn about interdiction both at the Peace Officer Standards and Training academy and through ISP advanced training. Assuming the governor wants to distribute another $53,000, its not unreasonable to believe the state could train 100 officers at home, if not more, in the latest techniques. Besides, what goes on in Arizona isnt necessarily applicable to Idaho. Think of the illegal drug trade as a supply chain. Colombia is the factory. Nicaragua and Mexico are the distribution hubs. Idaho is the store. And the retailer is the local dealer. In other words, Idaho officers rarely get beyond the first and second levels. And when they do get involved, its spotting a vehicle thats been modified in some tell-tale way for surreptitiously transporting drugs. Or discovering the registration doesnt match the operator. The Pickleball Association of Twin Falls would like to thank all of the businesses and individuals who sponsored, donated and helped at its 3rd Annual Twin Falls Fathers Day Pickleball Tournament to make it such a success! This year we had 137 participants from five different states come and play on the beautiful outdoor pickleball courts at Frontier Field. It raised $4,460.03 that will go towards amenities for the pickleball courts at the park. We could not have done it without the community support we received. So, please show your appreciation for their help to raise money for the community by supporting their businesses. They are: A Touch of Heaven Massage; Bridge Street Coffee Truck; Buffalo Wild Wings; Center for Physical Rehabilitation; Chardonnay Assisted Living; Creative Cravings Food Truck; Elevation 486; Gem State Paper & Supply: Glanbia; Great Harvest Bread Sandwich Company; Grocery Outlet; Idaho Power; Jersey Mikes; Jolt Therapy; KBs Burrito; Kona Ice Truck; Koto; Magic Valley Insurance; Masons Trophies; Pacific Source; Perkins Restaurant and Bakery; Pickleball Association of Twin Falls; Pickleball T & J; ODunkens; Safari Hospitality; Scholes Dermatology; Selkirk; Sharis Cafe and Pie; St. Lukes Medical Center; The McMillen Group Powered by eXp Realty (Bob McMillen); Twin Falls Visitor Center; and Western Waste Services. Mac Stipanovich, a former Republican campaign strategist, said DeSantis is less frightening than Trump" to some voters even as he steadily courts the former president's base. DeSantis has a finely tuned sense of what is the best red meat, on any given day, to throw to the MAGA base and he does it with some skill and no shame, Stipanovich said. Soon as were beyond the window of this tragedy, everybody will be at each others throats once again. Indeed, the debate could swiftly move to how the state and local governments manage aging infrastructure. Officials in Miami-Dade County are moving forward with a 30-day audit of buildings that are more than 40 years old. DeSantis has questioned the necessity of a statewide review of older buildings. While effective responses to catastrophes can help burnish a governor's political reputation, the boost can sometimes prove fleeting. Former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Chris Christie of New Jersey were widely praised for their response to devastating storms. But Trump, who never held political office before running for president, defeated both men for the 2016 Republican nomination. DeSantis' handling of the tragedy appears to have caught some Democrats off guard, leaving them with no unified response. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Nations across the globe hit new pandemic highs and reimposed COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday as G20 finance ministers meeting in Venice warned the economic recovery was threatened by variants and uneven vaccination campaigns. The highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in India, is sweeping the world as countries race to inoculate their populations to ward off fresh outbreaks and allow for economies and daily life to resume. "The recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus and different paces of vaccination," the G20 finance ministers said in a final statement. The European Unionlambasted early on in the pandemic response for a botched vaccine acquisition programmesaid on Saturday it has delivered enough shots to cover 70 percent of the bloc's population. "By tomorrow, some 500 million doses will have been distributed to all regions of Europe," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. But according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the proportion of adults aged 18 years or over fully vaccinated in the EU and European Economic Area is still only 44.1 percent. London police meanwhile warned England football fans on Saturday not to gather in large numbers in the British capital for Sunday's Euro 2020 final at Wembley, adding that they would enforce "proportionately and as appropriate" nationwide virus restrictions not set to be lifted until July 19. Slow going Supply shortages in South Korea have meant only about 11 percent of the country's 52 million population is fully vaccinated, according to health authorities. The nation, held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, reported 1,378 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, a third straight record high. From Monday, gatherings of more than two people will be banned after 6:00 pm, schools, bars and clubs will be closed. In Pakistan, where less than eight percent of the population has been vaccinated, the government said only those who had received jabs would be allowed to fly. The country of around 215 million people has largely escaped the worst of the pandemic, with under a million recorded infections and around 23,000 deathsalthough cases are on the rise again. Party's over before starting After an "exponential" rise in cases in recent days, officials in the autonomous northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia said they had no choice but to reimpose restrictions. Nightclubs will close and a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination will be needed to take part in outdoor activities involving more than 500 people. "The pandemic has not ended, the new variants are very contagious and we still have significant segments of the population that are not vaccinated," said Patricia Plaja, a spokeswoman for the regional government. Russia also announced on Saturday that cases continued to surge and it had a new record number of daily deaths, the fifth since the beginning of the month. The 752 new deaths bring Russia's total toll to 142,253. It also recorded 25,082 new infections, meaning there have been more than 5.7 million cases. State statistics agency Rosstat, which defines coronavirus-related deaths more broadly, put the figure at 270,000 by the end of April. Less than 20 percent of Russians have received a single dose, despite shots of locally developed vaccines being readily available. Despite the rising infections and deaths, 54 percent of a deeply sceptical Russian public don't plan to get vaccinated, according to a survey by the independent Levada-Centre published this week. Third shot While vaccines have been successful in mitigating the worst effects of infections, concerns have been raised about how well some of them will cope with more virulent strains. In Indonesia, which is fighting a ferocious wave of infections, more than a dozen fully inoculated frontline health workers have died, according to the country's medical association. Authorities said Friday that medics would be given a third booster jab to provide extra protection, using the vaccine made by US company Moderna. The Southeast Asian nation has been depending heavily on China's Sinovax shots amid the global shortage of alternatives that have been mostly supplied to rich nations. The rapid spread of the Delta variant across Asia, Africa and Latin America is exposing crucial vaccine supply shortages for some of the world's most poorest and most vulnerable populations. Senegal, the EU, the United States, several European governments and other partners, signed an accord in Dakar on Friday to finance vaccine production in the West African state. And Cuba approved its home-grown Abdala vaccine for emergency use, the first Latin American coronavirus jab to get the green light and a possible lifeline for a region trying to battle a killer pandemic with modest means. Explore further Russia again posts record coronavirus deaths 2021 AFP Conceptual model depicting the relationship between policing and population health. Credit: University of Washington A specific police action, an arrest or a shooting, has an immediate and direct effect on the individuals involved, but how far and wide do the reverberations of that action spread through the community? What are the health consequences for a specific, though not necessarily geographically defined, population? The authors of a new UW-led study looking into these questions write that because law enforcement directly interacts with a large number of people, "policing may be a conspicuous yet not-well understood driver of population health." Understanding how law enforcement impacts the mental, physical, social and structural health and wellbeing of a community is a complex challenge, involving many academic and research disciplines such as criminology, sociology, psychology, public health and research into social justice, the environment, economics and history. "We needed a map for how to think about the complex issues at the intersection of policing and health," said lead author Maayan Simckes, a recent doctoral graduate from UW's Department of Epidemiology who worked on this study as part of her dissertation. So, Simckes said, she set out to create a conceptual model depicting the complex relationship between policing and population health and assembled an interdisciplinary team of researchers to collaborate. "This model shows how different types of encounters with policing can affect population health at multiple levels, through different pathways, and that factors like community characteristics and state and local policy can play a role," said Simckes, who currently works for the Washington State Department of Health. The study, published in early June in the journal Social Science & Medicine, walks through the various factors that may help explain the health impacts of policing by synthesizing the published research across several disciplines. "This study provides a useful tool to researchers studying policing and population health across many different disciplines. It has the potential to help guide research on the critical topic of policing and health for many years to come," said senior author Anjum Hajat, an associate professor in the UW Department of Epidemiology For example, the study points out when considering individual-level effects that "after physical injury and death, mental health may be the issue most frequently discussed in the context of police-community interaction ... One U.S. study found that among men, anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with frequency of police stops and perception of the intrusiveness of the encounter." Among the many other research examples explored in the new model, the researchers also examine the cyclic nature of policing and population health. They point out that police stops tend to cluster in disadvantaged communities and "saturating these communities with invasive tactics may lead to more concentrated crime." Consequently, it may be "impossible" to determine whether police practices caused a neighborhood to experience more crime or if those practices were in response to crime. However, the model's aim is to capture these complex "bidirectional" relationships. "Our model underscores the importance of reforming policing practices and policies to ensure they effectively promote population wellbeing at all levels," said Simckes. "I hope this study ignites more dialogue and action around the roles and responsibilities of those in higher education and in clinical and public-health professions for advancing and promoting social justice and equity in our communities." Explore further COVID lockdowns exacerbated racist policing in the UK, say experts More information: Maayan Simckes et al, The adverse effects of policing on population health: A conceptual model, Social Science & Medicine (2021). Journal information: Social Science & Medicine Maayan Simckes et al, The adverse effects of policing on population health: A conceptual model,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114103 This image provided by Biogen on Monday, June 7, 2021 shows a vial and packaging for the drug Aduhelm. On Friday, July 9, 2021, the acting head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called for a government investigation into highly unusual contacts between some of her agency's drug reviewers and the maker of the controversial new Alzheimer's drug. Credit: Biogen via AP, File The acting head of the Food and Drug Administration on Friday called for a government investigation into highly unusual contacts between her agency's drug reviewers and the maker of a controversial new Alzheimer's drug. Dr. Janet Woodcock announced the extraordinary step via Twitter. It's the latest fallout over last month's approval of Aduhelm, an expensive and unproven therapy that the agency OK'd against the advice of its own outside experts. Woodcock made the request to the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general, the watchdog agency that oversees the FDA and other federal health agencies. The move comes after numerous calls for a probe into the approval from medical experts, consumer advocates and members of Congress. Two congressional committees have already launched their own review. "We believe an independent assessment is the best manner in which to determine whether any interactions that occurred between the manufacturer and the agency's review staff were inconsistent with FDA's policies and procedures," Woodcock wrote on Twitter. Biogen pledged to cooperate with the inquiry. Last month, the health news site Stat reported on the unusually close collaboration between Aduhelm drugmaker Biogen and FDA staff. In particular, the site reported an "off-the-books" meeting in May 2019 between a top Biogen executive and the FDA's lead reviewer for Alzheimer's drugs. The meeting came after Biogen stopped two studies because the drug didn't seem to slow the disease as intended. Biogen and the FDA began reanalyzing the data together, concluding the drug may actually work. The collaboration ultimately led to the drug's conditional approval two years later, on the basis that it reduced a buildup of sticky plaque in the brain that is thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. FDA interactions with drug industry staff are tightly controlled and almost always carefully documented. It's unclear if the May 2019 meeting violated agency rules. When Biogen and FDA brought the drug before the FDA's panel of outside advisers in November, the group was nearly unanimous in urging its rejection. The FDA isn't required to follow the group's advice. And the FDA lead staff reviewerwho had been working with Biogen for months on the drug's datacalled it "exceptionally persuasive," "strongly positive" and "robust." The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen called for an investigation into the collaboration after the November advisory meeting. The group's health director Dr. Michael Carome welcomed Woodcock's request for an inquiry. "We're pleased to see that belatedly she has made this request that should have been made months ago," Carome said. "The signs of an inappropriate collaboration have been clear to us since November." The FDA has faced intense backlash since approving the drug, which costs $56,000 a year and requires monthly IVs. Three of the FDA advisers who opposed the drug resigned over the decision. Among other issues, they protested that the agency did not disclose that it was considering approving the drug on a conditional basis, based on its effect on brain plaque, rather than any actual benefit to patients. Aduhelm is the first Alzheimer's drug approved in that manner. "I think all the different parts of the decision are worthwhile for an independent investigation," said Harvard University researcher Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, one of the three advisers who resigned. "The trust that we have in FDA's ability to make independent decisions is very important." On Thursday, the FDA took the unusual step of vastly scaling back prescribing information on the drug. The agency and Biogen announced the new label would recommend that it only be given to patients with mild or early-stage Alzheimer's. That came after many doctors criticized the original label as too broad, because it said the drug could be given to anyone with Alzheimer's. Aduhelm hasn't been shown to reverse or significantly slow the disease. But the FDA said that its ability to reduce clumps of plaque in the brain is likely to slow dementia. More than two dozen other drugs have previously tried that approach without yielding positive results. Biogen is required to conduct a follow-up study to definitively answer whether it really works. Other Alzheimer's drugs only temporarily ease symptoms. Woodcock has been serving as the agency's acting commissioner since January. Previously she spent more than 25 years directing the agency's drug center. While widely respected among government and drug industry circles, she has also been criticized for often pushing aggressively to approve new therapies, even when their benefits aren't certain. Explore further FDA trims use of contentious Alzheimer's drug amid backlash 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. People wait for their turn to refill their oxygen tanks at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands tanks of oxygen. Now, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. A shipment of more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other health devices arrived from Singapore on Friday, followed by another 1,000 ventilators from Australia, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister in charge of Indonesia's pandemic response. Beside those donations, Indonesia plans to buy 36,000 tons of oxygen and 10,000 concentratorsdevices that generate oxygenfrom neighboring Singapore, Pandjaitan said. He said he is in touch with China and other potential oxygen sources. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates also have offered help. "We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. In addition to sending vaccines, the U.S. is working to increase assistance for Indonesia's broader COVID-19 response efforts, she said, without elaborating. People wait for their turn to refill their oxygen tanks at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands tanks of oxygen. Now, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana Overall, Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous country, has reported more than 2.4 million infections and 64,631 fatalities from COVID-19. Those figures are widely believed to be a vast undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures. Indonesia reported the highest toll of 1,040 deaths on Wednesday and nearly 39,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and Friday. Hospitals are swamped, with growing numbers of the ill dying in isolation at home or while waiting to receive emergency care. On Java, Indonesia's most populous island, hospitals began setting up makeshift intensive care units in mid-June. Many patients are waiting for days to be admitted. Oxygen tanks were rolled out onto sidewalks for those lucky enough to get them, while others have been told they have to find their own. Emergency rooms at a public hospital in Bandung city closed earlier this week after running out of oxygen amid panic buying fueled by soaring infections in the West Java provincial capital, said Yaya Mulyana, the city's deputy mayor. A man leaves with his full oxygen canister as others wait to refill their tanks at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands tanks of oxygen. Now, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana "Panicked people bought oxygen tanks even though they didn't need them yet," Mulyana said. "That has led to oxygen supplies running out." At one hospital in Yogyakarta, in central Java, 63 COVID-19 patients died in one day33 of them during an outage of its central liquid oxygen supply, though the hospital had switched to using oxygen cylinders, spokesman Banu Hermawan said. Indonesia donated 3,400 oxygen cylinders and concentrators to India when a brutal outbreak ravaged the country. As its own cases surged, Jakarta then canceled a plan to send another 2,000 oxygen concentrators to India in late June. The daily need for oxygen has reached 1,928 tons a day. The country's total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day, according to government data. "I asked for 100% of oxygen go to medical purposes first, meaning that all industrial allocations must be transferred to medical," said Pandjaitan, the government minister. "We are racing against time, we have to work fast." People wait for their turn to refill their oxygen tanks at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana In this photo released by Indonesian Armed Forces, a military personnel uses a forklift to unload relief goods from a Singaporean Air Force cargo plane at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: Indonesian Armed Forces via AP A woman carries her oxygen tank after having it refilled at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana A paramedic pushes an oxygen tank at the emergency ward of an overcrowded hospital amid COVID-19 cases, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Trisnadi Oxygen tanks are prepared for patients in the hallway of an overcrowded hospital amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: AP Photo/Trisnadi In this photo released by Indonesian Armed Forces, a military personnel stand guard near oxygen canisters and other relief goods unloaded from a Singaporean Air Force cargo plane at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: Indonesian Armed Forces via AP In this photo released by Indonesian Armed Forces, a military personnel uses a forklift to unload relief goods from a Singaporean Air Force cargo plane at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. Credit: Indonesian Armed Forces via AP Given the rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant, he warned that Indonesia could face a worst-case scenario with 50,000 cases a day. The next two weeks will be critical, he said. The Ministry of Industry responded by issuing a decree that all oxygen supplies be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients, and asked industry players to cooperate. Oxygen is used in making many products, including textiles, plastics and vehicles. Oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and steel makers also use it. But industry leaders have fallen in line in supporting government efforts to maximize supplies for hospitals. The government has redirected oxygen supplies from industrial plants in Morowali in Central Sulawesi, Balikpapan on Borneo island, and Belawan and Batam on Sumatra islands, Pandjaitan said. Smaller oxygen industries have also been directed to produce pharmaceutical oxygen. Explore further Indonesia seeks more oxygen for COVID-19 sick amid shortage 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID New research from Switzerland presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), held online this year, shows that people living in poorer neighbourhoods were less likely to be tested for COVID-19 but more likely to test positive, be hospitalised, or die, compared with those in more wealthy areas. The study is by Professor Matthias Egger and Dr. Julien Riou, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Bern, Switzerland. For the study, the authors analysed surveillance data reported to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health from March 1, 2020, to April 16, 2021. They assigned a rating to each residence included in the study, using the Swiss neighbourhood index of socioeconomic position (Swiss-SEP). The index describes 1.27 million small neighbourhoods of approximately 50 households each on the basis of rent per m, education and occupation of household heads, and crowding, rating each residence from 1 (poorest) to 10 (wealthiest). Models were adjusted for sex, age, canton (administrative area), and wave of the epidemic (before or after June 8, 2020). Analyses were based on 4,129,636 tests, 609 782 positive tests, 26143 hospitalisations, 2432 ICU admissions, 9383 deaths, and 8,221,406 residents. Comparing the highest with the lowest Swiss-SEP group and using the general population as the denominator, those in the wealthiest SEP neighbourhoods were 18% more likely to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 than those in the poorest. And, compared with the poorest neighbourhoods, those in the wealthiest neighbourhoods were 25% less likely to test positive, 32% less likely to be hospitalised, 46% less likely to be admitted to the ICU, and 14% less likely to die. The authors also found these associations between neighbourhood SEP and outcomes were stronger in younger age groups, probably because frail people, who are over-represented in the socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, die at younger ages; therefore, the survivors at older ages are a select group of healthier people. The authors say: "In this whole-population study of the COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland in 2020-21, we found that people living in wealthier areas were more likely to get tested for SARS-CoV-2 but less likely to test positive and be admitted to hospital or the ICU, and less likely to die, compared with those in poorer areas." They explain: "The higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, combined with a higher prevalence of comorbidities in poorer compared with wealthier neighbourhoods is likely to have contributed to worse outcomes, including the higher risk of hospitalisation and death. By June 2021, vaccination coverage had increased considerably, with over 40% of the Swiss population having received at least one dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and the Government is gradually easing preventive measures. It is essential to continue to monitor testing for SARS-CoV-2, access and uptake of COVID-19 vaccination, and outcomes of COVID-19. Governments and health-care systems should address this pandemic of inequality by taking measures to reduce health inequalities in their response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic." The authors also highlight that this study illustrates the "inverse care law" in the unique setting of a pandemic in Switzerland, one of the world's wealthiest countries. The inverse care law was formulated 50 years ago and states that disadvantaged populations need more health care than advantaged populations but in reality receive less. Explore further Single dose of Pfizer or Astra Zeneca vaccine offers substantial protection to older adults in long-term care facilities More information: Julien Riou et al, Socioeconomic position and the COVID-19 care cascade from testing to mortality in Switzerland: a population-based analysis, The Lancet Public Health (2021). Journal information: The Lancet Public Health Julien Riou et al, Socioeconomic position and the COVID-19 care cascade from testing to mortality in Switzerland: a population-based analysis,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00160-2 Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Babies younger than four weeks old, called neonates, were once thought to not perceive pain due to not-yet-fully-developed sensory systems, but modern research says otherwise, according to researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan. Not only do babies experience pain, but the various levels can be standardized to help nurses recognize and respond to the babies' cuesif the nurses have the opportunity to learn the scoring tools and skills needed to react appropriately. With tight schedules and limited in-person courses available, the researchers theorized, virtual e-learning may be able to provide a path forward for nurses to independently pursue training in this area. To test this hypothesis, researchers conducted a pilot study of 115 nurses with varying levels of formal training and years of experience in seven hospitals across Japan. They published their results on May 27 in Advances in Neonatal Care. "Despite a growing body of knowledge and guidelines being published in many countries about the preventions and management of pain in neonates hospitalized in the NICU, neonatal pain remains unrecognized, undertreated, and generally challenging," said paper author Mio Ozawa, associate professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Hiroshima University. The researchers developed a comprehensive multimedia virtual program on neonatal pain management, based on selected standardized pain scales, for nursing staff to independently learn how to employ measurement tools. The program, called e-Pain Management of Neonates, is the first of its kind in Japan. "The aim of the study was to verify the feasibility of the program and whether e-learning actually improves nurses' knowledge and scoring skills," said paper author Mio Ozawa, associate professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Hiroshima University. "The results of this study suggest that nurses could obtain knowledge and skills about the measurement of neonatal pain through e-learning." The full cohort took a pre-test at the start of the study, before embarking on a self-paced, four-week e-learning program dedicated to learning standardized pain scales to measure discomfort in babies. However, only 52 nurses completed the post-test after four weeks. For those 52, scores increased across a range of years of experience and formal education. Ozawa noted that the sample size is small but also said that the improved test scores indicated the potential for e-learning. "Future research will need to go beyond the individual level to determine which benefits are produced in the management of neonatal pain in hospitals where nurses learn neonatal pain management through e-learning," Ozawa said. "This study demonstrates that virtually delivered neonatal pain management program can be useful for nurses' attainment of knowledge and skills for managing neonatal pain, including an appropriate use of selected scoring tools." Explore further Continuous pain is often not assessed during neonatal intensive care More information: Mio Ozawa et al, Effectiveness of e-Learning on Neonatal Nurses' Pain Knowledge and Pain Measurement Skills, Advances in Neonatal Care (2021). Mio Ozawa et al, Effectiveness of e-Learning on Neonatal Nurses' Pain Knowledge and Pain Measurement Skills,(2021). DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000000894 A health worker takes a swab sample collection for a COVID-19 Antigen test as a baby watches, ahead of the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu Julio Miranda had never felt the threat of the coronavirus too close. With an appointment for his first COVID-19 jab scheduled for mid-July, the 48-year-old house painter was, like many in the vaccine-abundant developed world, eagerly awaiting the end of his personal pandemic worries. Then a colleague fell ill last month, followed by his boss' wife. Gradually, all but one of his five coworkers found themselves in bed. Miranda, who is from Chile, also started feeling stomach cramps. Soon, he was lying on the sofa, struggling to draw every breath. "It's only when the virus hits you that you take it much more seriously," Miranda said this week from a hospital room overlooking Barcelona's beachfront where he recovered after a week in intensive care, conscious but connected to a machine aiding his oxygen intake. After a brief respite that brought medical activity back to pre-pandemic routines, managers at the Hospital del Mar in this northeastern city are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase comes amid the advance of the delta variant of the coronavirus that spreads more easily. And it's being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. A COVID-19 patient receives treatment in the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. After a brief respite that brought its activity back to pre-pandemic routines, the hospital is once again rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in its sprawling, seafront facilities to face a new surge of infections. Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from 8 to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless "drastic measures" are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. Although the vast majority of those infected don't show symptoms, the speed of the surge can only be compared to that of the first surge in March 2020, Horcajada said. Most hospitalized patients don't need much breathing support and get well enough with corticosteroids. But doctors are seeing people in their 20s and early 30s developing serious pneumonia. In Spain, the young are largely socializing while unvaccinated because authorities have strictly prioritized the elderly and most vulnerable groups. As a result, 21 millionor half of the country's adult populationare fully vaccinated, but fewer than 600,000 of those are younger than 30, according to the latest Health Ministry data. Health workers prepare to perform an x-ray on a COVID-19 patient in the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. After a brief respite that brought its activity back to pre-pandemic routines, the hospital is once again rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in its sprawling, seafront facilities to face a new surge of infections. Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana "It is still too early to think that vaccination will be brought under control in a short space of time," Horcajada said, adding that most of his patients became infected before they received their second vaccine dose. As a tourism powerhouse, Spain dropped curfews and outdoors mask requirements, among other restrictions, just in time for the summer season. The first major outbreaks were reported soon after, even before many tourists could make it into the country. Many have been tied to the first holiday trips, unofficial celebrations of traditional summer festivals that are getting labeled colloquially as "the no-parties," and nightlife that reopened just as schools closed. For Horcajada, the timings were a recipe for disaster: "We are dealing with a variant that is capable of infecting within seconds following minimum contact with a positive person," he said. A health worker asks for additional supplies as she treats a COVID-19 patient in the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. After a brief respite that brought its activity back to pre-pandemic routines, the hospital is once again rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in its sprawling, seafront facilities to face a new surge of infections. Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana On Friday, the closely watched 14-day rate of contagion per 100,000 residents rose in Spain to 316 cases, from a 2021 low of 92 on June 22. But, in a departure from previous surges, before vaccines were available, new deaths are receding and hospital occupation rates growing at a fraction of the pace of new infections. Spain's Health Ministry, for example, reported Friday 6 confirmed fatalities nationwide, the lowest figure since last summer, compared to 352 on Jan. 5 this year and 217 on Oct. 19 last year, two dates when the contagion rate was at similar levels and increasing. More than one-tenth of regular hospital beds and one-fifth of intensive care wards were treating COVID-19 patients on then, but the current occupation rate stands at 2.4% in regular beds and 6.6% in ICUs. There's a similar pattern in other countries with the fastest-spreading outbreaks in Europe. In Portugal and Cyprus, hospitals are far from previous near-collapse scenarios, although they steadily accumulate patients. Health workers prepare to perform an x-ray on a COVID-19 patient in the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana The UK averaged almost 30,000 new reported infections a day in the past week, compared to a peak of roughly 70,000 at the height of the winter surge in January driven by the alpha variantmore contagious than the original virus but significantly less so than delta. But daily deaths at the time surpassed 1,000 for days, while 29 were recorded on Friday. Spain's central and regional governments are trying to accelerate vaccination of younger groups, but are wary of sweeping measures such as nighttime curfews or travel bans that would affect tourism. France and Germany are already discouraging travel to Spain and neighboring Portugal, a move that has thwarted the tourism industry's attempt to get back on its feet. Experts and medical personnel complain that authorities are sending mixed signals. The northeastern Catalonia region, for examplewhere Barcelona isonly allows bars and nightclubs to operate their outdoor spaces starting this weekend, and yet authorities have allowed a music festival to go ahead with thousands of people. Concert-goers are required to test negative for antigens before joining the fun. A COVID-19 patient receives treatment in the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana People dance during the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu People attend the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu A health worker takes a swab sample collection for a COVID-19 Antigen test ahead of the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu People attend the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu Health workers take swab samples collection for a COVID-19 antigen test ahead of the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu People attend the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu A health worker takes a swab sample collection for a COVID-19 Antigen test ahead of the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu People attend the Cruilla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 9, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Joan Mateu Ana Aguilar, a 20-year-old nurse at the Hospital del Mar, sympathized with those who want to party but said her generation needs to be more patient. As a medical worker, she also expressed the frustration of a never-ending cycle of virus surges. "When everything seems to be restarting again, the virus comes back . And it's the same thing once again," Aguilar said. "It's very tiring, the uncertainty makes it very difficult to deal with." Explore further Spain restricts nightlife as virus surges among the young 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The American Civil Liberties Union issued a report in 2016 detailing the cases of dozens of veterans who were deported or facing deportation, many over convictions for minor crimes. Had these veterans become citizens on account of their military service, they wouldn't have been deported. Ocegueda was brought to the United States from Mexico by his parents and grew up in the Southern California city of Artesia. He served in the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991 and spent four more years in the reserves before he was honorably discharged. He got married, had two daughters and obtained a green card through his wife. But Ocegueda also had a drug problem. He was convicted of driving under the influence, prompting U.S. immigration officials to deport him in 2000, his lawyers said. Despite that order, Ocegueda returned to California to be with his family and participated in a drug treatment program through a local veterans hospital. But he was deported two more times. Since 2012, Ocegueda says he has remained in Mexico, where he worked as a driver and a security guard and connected with the leader of a group for deported veterans who encouraged him to stay put so he could pursue citizenship. The Mooresville Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to split the upcoming municipal elections with the at-large elections set to be held Nov. 2 and the elections for the commissioners of Wards 3 and 4 to be held in March 2022. Obviously we have to redistrict for the Ward 3 and Ward 4 race, but the at-large race and mayoral race can really be held this year, Gary West, at-large commissioner, said. Its a matter of principle. West, along with Mayor Miles Atkins, are up re-election this year. West said he objects to delaying the election for his seat because it would mean an additional six months in office. Why would I take advantage of another free six months in office because of a delayed census that does not apply to me seat. It would not be right to take advantage of that. This was the basis behind my principles. Let the voters decide. My term is up this November unless the citizens of Mooresville decide otherwise, he said in an email. The North Carolina General Assembly was allowing municipalities with elections based on districts to postpone their elections due to the delay in the 2020 Census that isnt expected to arrive until at least late-July. If youve ever been on a date with someone who got up to go to the restroom and never came back, you know how Afghan officers at Bagram Airfield felt when they woke up the other day to find the American military gone. According to the Afghans, our units vacated in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye, cutting off the electricity on their way out. The sudden departure gave looters a chance to ransack some barracks before the Afghan military established control. The American experience in Afghanistan has produced a lot of tragedy, but even tragedies can include moments of farce. Its conceivable that the U.S. commander decided to escape without an awkward breakup conversation. The U.S. says it coordinated its withdrawal with the Afghan government. Its entirely believable that the Afghan military received a notification but, due to bureaucratic lethargy or simple bungling, never got around to acting on it. In any event, the U.S. has completed 90% of its pullout from the country where our forces have been fighting for nearly 20 years. We are not leaving in the glow of victory but with the fragrance of failure. Our best efforts were never enough to stamp out the Taliban and establish a secure and democratic government in Kabul. Those who are at higher risk of contracting hepatitis A people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men and close contacts of those individuals can get vaccinated against the virus for free, Jarrett said. The state is supplying one free shot for anyone that meets the outbreak criteria essentially with that one free hep A shot, the efficacy of it should prevent them from ever getting hep A for the remainder of their lifetime, Jarrett said. One of the ways the health department tries to overcome that barrier is by offering the vaccine at homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Besides the vaccine, the easiest way people can protect themselves from contracting hepatitis A is simple and cheap, she said. The most basic, cheapest, best way to prevent getting hep A is to wash your hands, Jarrett said. That is the best way to prevent it. If you use the bathroom, wash your hands and do it well. If you are making food, wash your hands before you make food. If you are getting drugs together, wash your hands really well before you use those drugs, or wash your arms before you inject. Just simple hygiene. Hygiene is the easiest way to prevent hepatitis A. It spreads easily, but it can be stopped easily, too. After reporting 18 active cases at Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton last week, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety was showing zero active cases at the prison Friday. NCDHHS said this week the states early warning systems are showing more people going to the emergency department with COVID-like illness and elevated viral levels in wastewater in certain regions of the state. To read more about the wastewater monitoring, visit https://bit.ly/3yLJbxJ. NCDHHS said Thursday that while the states trends are far below where they were at the height of the pandemic, cases increased by 12% the week ending on July 3 compared to the previous seven days, and hospitalizations have increased by 8% over the past seven days. The department said the more infectious Delta variant is rapidly spreading in North Carolina and across the country. It said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified the Delta variant as a variant of concern because it spreads faster than current COVID-19 variants, and early studies have also shown a possible increased risk of hospitalization in people infected with the Delta variant. NCDHHS said more than 50% of new cases in the U.S. are now caused by the Delta variant. North Carolinians disagree about a great deal. But heres a proposition virtually all of us endorse: the future of our state is closely tied to the amount and quality of education our people receive. I could say the future of North Carolinas economy depends on better education and Id be right! You only have to listen to what employers say about the importance of skilled employees who exhibit creativity, collaboration, and a strong work ethic. You only have to listen to what employees say about the value of what they learned, or should have learned, in school. And you only have to scan the dozens of studies that link average test scores or educational attainment to GDP and income growth. To focus on economic considerations alone wouldnt full capture what I mean, though. Education encompasses more than vocational training. It introduces learners to great swaths of human experience and accomplishment. It broadens perspective. It provides historical context. It builds character. It forms citizens. It fires the imagination. It isnt just the future of North Carolinas economy that is at stake here, then. Better education will strengthen our relationships, our communities, our culture, and our democracy. The good news is that Social Security's trust funds could make it possible to keep up with scheduled benefits for many years. The bad news is that once those trust funds run dry, Social Security may have to slash benefits. And to be clear, that time frame isn't so far off. Recent estimates projected that those trust funds would run out of money by 2035, though the pandemic may have accelerated things given the number of people who were out of work last year and therefore weren't contributing to Social Security via payroll taxes. So where does all of this leave today's workers? Well, on a positive note, Social Security isn't in danger of running out of money completely, and it should manage to pay benefits to some degree even once its trust funds run out. On the other hand, there's a very real possibility that benefits will have to be slashed in the not-so-distant future, and that's something today's workers should be mindful of. That said, nobody should be relying on Social Security as a sole income source to cover retirement expenses. Those benefits, even if they're not reduced, will only replace about 40% of the average earner's pre-retirement income. LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor William Smith, who played bikers, brawlers, cowboys and no-nonsense tough guys in films and television shows including Laredo, Rich Man, Poor Man and Any Which Way You Can, has died at 88. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. She declined to give the cause of death. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, amassing nearly 300 credits. He played bareknuckle boxer Jack Wilson, who grappled with Clint Eastwood in an epic brawl in Any Which Way You Can, one of the top-grossing movies of 1980. It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles, Smith said in an interview for the 2014 book Tales From the Cult Film Trenches. Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC western series Laredo from 1965 to 1967. Hey played Anthony Falconetti, the menacing nemesis of the central family in the 1976 ABC miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, and returned for its sequel. Outside of the classroom, Sunderbruch was involved in book clubs including LGBT-literature and All Kinds of People. For her, being a good ally was incredibly important. I think equal rights are important for everyone, and we need to open ourselves to that awareness, Sunderbruch said. I have many friends across the spectrum of life in different areas, and I just really think its important that everyone is treated with the same respect. Stephen Holland, a former instructor that worked with Sunderbruch, and former MCC President Vic McAvoy, nominated Sunderbruch for the Emeritus award. Kathy quickly became a faculty leader who attracted students with her calm and confident manner," McAvoy said in his recommendation letter. "She was known for her high standards, but also for her intense desire for all her students to succeed. I held her skills as a measure for other potential faculty appointments. Kathy was truly at the top level of all the instructors I have known over my past fifty years in education. Holland's letter said that Sunderbruch deserved this award for how she encouraged personal growth in her students and gave them opportunities to learn from her colleagues and leaders throughout the community. A Justice Department spokesperson said Wednesday that Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the shooting and aboard Air Force One on the presidents flight to Chicago. When Air Force One landed, Biden spoke with Lightfoot, expressing his personal support for the officers who were shot. He reiterated his commitment to working with the mayor and leaders in Chicago in the fight against gun violence, and conveyed that the Department of Justice would soon be in touch about the strike force announced just a few weeks ago that will work with Chicago and other cities. I will note, in terms of efforts the president has underway to address the rise in violence weve seen over the last 18 months, including in Chicago, there are a number of steps that impact Chicago directly, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters before Air Force One landed. At a news conference Wednesday, Brown declined to talk about the undercover work the officers who were shot had been doing. The indictment also didnt provide those details. Brown has said one of the ATF agents was shot in the hand and the other was struck in the torso. The Chicago officer was struck on the back of his head but it appeared to be a graze wound, he said. People look on as flames rise after a fire broke out at a Hashem Foods Ltd factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 9, 2021. Concerns around South Africas Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) for Covid-19 have simmered since its launch on 16 April. Designed to manage multiple aspects of the Department of Healths national vaccination campaign, questions have been asked about SMS delays, scheduling of appointments far from peoples homes, low registration rates in some areas, and alleged queue jumping, to name just a few. With the 1 July opening of registration for those aged 50-59, over 4.8 million more people can now register on the EVDS. They will join a few million before them in providing personal information including their names, ID numbers, cell phone numbers, and medical aid numbers if applicable. Prompted through a user-friendly, web-based platform, they will upload this data with a vision of getting a vaccine and thereby both protecting their own health and contributing to the fight against Covid-19. Without looking closely at the EVDS terms and conditions, however, few of these users know where their data is being housed, what safeguards protect it, and who is responsible for the programming, design and management of the EVDS. We live in a time where cybercrime is prominent globally. The kind of info that is collected on the EVDS, if it falls into the wrong hands, could potentially cause a lot of damage, says Darelle van Greunen, director of the Centre for Community Technologies (CCT) at Nelson Mandela University. Among these risks are identity theft and ransomware attacks, the latter of which may require the Department of Health to pay cybercriminals in order to recover stolen EVDS user data. Alongside cyber risks are issues around EVDS user consent and its security policies. As the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) comes into force and digital policies evolve, some feel transparency around the system could shift focus from criticism to pride in what the EVDS can accomplish. There are thousands of people working very hard under difficult circumstances to make this system work, says Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general in the National Department of Health, who oversees the EVDS. It is a complex system, he says, that involves a public-facing registration portal and SMS communications. It also keeps track of the vaccination process, including vaccines stocks, the individual lot and batch number of vaccines given, and any adverse events reported. It also tracks whether vaccinations are paid for by the state or by private medical aid. Throughout these processes, a team of Department of Health staff, private service providers and healthcare workers on the ground interact with user data, identify bugs and answer queries. Among them is Mezzanine, a digital technology company and subsidiary of the Vodacom Group. Mezzanine manages EVDS programme updates and adaptations arising from real-time usage and from new cohort additions. The team doing the programming work is working to fix bugs and answer queries, says Crisp. When were going live with registration, theyre prepared and doing test runs behind the scenes to ensure there are no data problems. Crisp says Mezzanine was contracted for the work under the National Treasury Vodacom RT15-2016 Transversal contract. Mezzanines work is supplemented by a team at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which manages EVDS data at its in-house facility. Crisp says that the partnership was established through an MOU between CSIR and the Department of Health. Both CSIR and Mezzanine declined to comment for this article, referring queries to the Department of Health. The Department of Health is responsible for SMS delivery and acts as the owner of all data and components of the EVDS. We use the NHIs data centre at CSIR, and all programming hardware and software belongs to the NHI, says Crisp. According to him, the EVDS was only possible thanks to the development of the NHI digital backbone over the past five years. Indeed, the service links with the NHI to support governments larger aims of advancing universal health coverage. Speaking at the EVDS launch, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize (currently on special leave), said it would support systems for identity verification of users of the health system (both those in public and in private), expanding the capabilities of the Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) platform. The HPRS, initiated in 2014 by the Department of Health, is an electronic system to register all patients using health facilities. Collecting personal data similar to that captured by the EVDS, it makes it possible to track patients for improving quality and continuity of care, a report states. What were learning in the EVDS process is more information about patient records and how to improve our master list of healthcare facilities across the country, says Crisp. With the implementation of POPIA on 1 July, Van Greunen says this linkage raises questions around consent. With POPIA, you need to be informed immediately about what your data is being collected for and what processes are in place to protect your data, she says. Because there is so little up-front detail with EVDS, for example, on its homepage, she says, you dont know what you are consenting to and who has access to your data. Thus, even though Mkhize has publicly stated that the EVDS may be used to expand the capabilities of the HPRS, it is possible that some people who register on the EVDS are nevertheless unaware that the data they provide might be linked to the HPRS and be helping to build the data infrastructure for NHI. EVDS complies with all requirements and safeguards of POPIA, says Crisp. He also confirms several safety measures are in place such as firewalls, blockchain security and physical security of the data centre. The EVDS is also regularly audited by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). Im comfortable that its secure, and I know the Auditor-General is comfortable that its secure, Crisp says. According to the AGSA, the findings of their audit will be released when it tables its 2020-21 consolidated general report on national and provincial (PFMA) audit outcomes next year. But even the best security has vulnerabilities. Global rankings place South Africa 59th among 182 countries for cyber-security, and in eighth place on the continent. Among the risks faced are ransomware attacks, which can cost many millions. Since the start of the pandemic, weve seen more ransomware attacks, which is a worrying aspect for the EVDS, says Brett van Niekerk from the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Ransomware often involves a cyber-criminal holding data hostage until a ransom is paid. If the ransom is not paid, the data remains unavailable. Because EVDS manages all vaccine information, the government might be likely to pay out in a ransomware attack, he says. However, the risk of cyber-criminals stealing user data from the EVDS may be low. I struggle to see any direct usability of the data that would warrant criticism from the security community, he says. That wasnt the case with the governments originally proposed Covid-19 track and trace system. The system would have used location data supplied from mobile networks. Concerns were raised almost immediately, however, because location data can be used to create very detailed and invasive records of a persons movements, public and private activities, and personal contacts, a report from the Media Policy and Democracy Project showed. The government ultimately abandoned the initial track and trace approach, but the report said policy developed around it represented a step forward in how the South African state thinks about policy safeguards. Since then, government has implemented an alternative track and trace system that does not make use of location data and that includes stronger privacy safeguards. Van Greunen, who consults with the Department of Health on various ICT projects in the Eastern Cape, is confident they are taking the matter of security seriously. Still, she says there is a lot at stake to getting the EVDS right. As much as security is of the highest priority, we are needing to create a balance in terms of serving a massive humanitarian need and getting as many people registered as possible, she says. If they dont get it right, we lose the willingness to register, the willingness to go for vaccines and the whole fight against the pandemic is probably at stake. This article was written by Laura Owings for Spotlight. It is republished under CC BY-ND 4.0. As part of the enrollment process, Gomez provided her income, expenses, and debts to establish a monthly budget. But she said she was left with the impression she could afford to pay a monthly $250 deposit into her settlement fund when she really couldnt. The ClearOne Advantage representative also told her that they could not help her if she was not enrolling at least $10,000 in debt, she said prompting her to enroll a credit card on which she had been making regular payments so she could participate in the program. The agreement Gomez signed, which CalMatters reviewed, has no mention of minimum requirements to enroll in the program, but does charge a fee assessed at 25% of the total debt. That means the company ultimately plans to charge her just over $2,500. As of June 2021, Gomez deposited $2,259 into her settlement fund, of which $1,053 has been debited as service and transaction fees. It wasnt until Gomez was sued by Bank of America, she said, that she learned she had defaulted on all her credit cards and she was now facing a court judgement. If I had known since day one that I could have been sued, I think right there, I would have stopped and I would have tried to get more research to try to understand what was the point of paying (ClearOne Advantage), Gomez said. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California denied 21 oil drilling permits this week in the latest move toward ending fracking in a state that makes millions from the petroleum industry but is seeing widespread drought and more dangerous fire seasons linked to climate change. State Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk sent letters Thursday to Aera Energy denying permits to drill using hydraulic fracturing in two Kern County oil fields to protect public health and safety and environmental quality, including (the) reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions." Aera Energy, a joint venture Shell and ExxonMobil, called the permit denials disappointing though not surprising." This is the latest decision attacking the oil and gas industry that is based solely on politics rather than sound data or science, Aera spokeswoman Cindy Pollard said Friday, adding that the company was evaluating its legal options. Banning hydraulic fracturing will only put hard-working people of California out of work and threaten our energy supplies by making the state more dependent on foreign oil," she said. Fracking involves injecting high-pressure water deep underground to extract oil or gas from rock. Critics say it can pollute groundwater and contributes to climate change. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law legislation to send a record $123.9 billion to California schools, which will fund a new transitional kindergarten grade and more opportunities for summer and after-school teaching. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 3 months! Newsom and lawmakers still have not announced a final budget deal, but the bill Newsom signed Friday represents agreement on a huge part of the state budget. California law requires much of the state's tax revenue to go toward education, so Newsom and lawmakers have limited control over the overall dollar amount, but they can dictate how the money is spent. The bill Newsom signed creates a new grade in California public schools called transitional kindergarten, which Newsom and lawmakers say will create a better education foundation for the state's children. The law aims to implement transitional kindergarten for all California 4-year-olds by 2025. The new law also adds money for after school and summer programs, funds free school meals for all students and adds money for schools to hire more staff. It also includes money to help students who fell behind when the state switched to remote learning to avoid spreading COVID-19. At a bill signing ceremony at a Napa elementary school, Newsom noted that California's unexpectedly high tax revenue this year is allowing the state to fund the programs. In a sign of hard times for traditional free speech values, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has added his voice to that of Justice Clarence Thomas in calling for a re-examination of the landmark 1964 precedent of New York Times v. Sullivan the case that makes it extremely difficult for public figures to win libel suits. Thomas view, first expressed in 2019, was that the press protections established by Sullivan violated the original intent of the First Amendment. It was inconsistent with his own free speech jurisprudence and was therefore unlikely to garner support from other justices. Gorsuchs opinion last week, in contrast, focused on the up-to-the-minute problem of misinformation in the age of social media. Gorsuchs concerns arent trivial or ideological. He quoted a 28-year-old old essay in support of them written by his Supreme Court colleague Elena Kagan when she was a law professor. Gorsuchs opinion raises at least the possibility that other justices might be open to rethinking the question of public figure libel. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 3 months! Pikeville, KY (41501) Today Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. 37-year-old citizen of Armenia parks car and jumps off bridge Armenian analyst on Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem's pressure on Armenia and Russia's and Turkey's presence 168.am reports on the judges of Armenia Constitutional Court who supported or were against decision on elections 5.1 magnitude earthquake hits California's north coast Armenian human rights activist on the opposition and the Constitutional Court's decision on snap elections Araghchi: Vienna talks have to wait until next Iranian government takes charge Florida man hits live alligator and tries to throw it onto buildings roof 132 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Three-headed baby born in India Opposition party to appeal Armenia Constitutional Court's decision on snap elections in ECHR One nation, 3 states: Azerbaijan delegation in Northern Cyprus for first time Assad inauguration held in Syria POWs who returned to Armenia from Azerbaijan are questioned Two more members of opposition Armenia bloc apprehended Pashinyan: Strengthening the Armenia southern regions resistance is one of EU 2.6bn assistance programs Armenia acting PM: We are ready to start negotiations according to OSCE Minsk Groups co-chairs statement Germany floods death toll rises to more than 130 Charles Michel: Useful to be able to withdraw Armenian, Azerbaijani armed forces from disputed territories Adjacent areas closed off before European Council President leaves Armenia government building Armenia Police: 16 people apprehended today from outside government building Acting premier: Azerbaijan refuses to provide corridor to Armenia Pashinyan: Armenia-EU contacts have never been so intense Netherlands Armenian organizations demand explanation from their MFA over Dutch ambassador's visit to Shushi Tight surveillance outside Armenia government building, several people apprehended Five new cases of coronavirus reported in Karabakh European Council President visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan 911 motorcycles to serve on Yerevan streets Police apprehend opposition Armenia bloc member Armenia President condoles with Germany colleague Taliban stepping up attacks in Afghanistan, says US intelligence 187 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Captain Artur Aghasyan posthumously awarded highest title of Hero of Artsakh California physician charged with selling fake Covid immunization pellets Biden to meet with Iraq PM Armenia citizens can enter Georgia through 2 checkpoints Armenia soldier, 20, dies Newspaper: Armenia opposition blocs holding their breath awaiting Constitutional Court decision of today Newspaper: Armenia ex-President Kocharyan is Yerevan mayor Marutyan's 'lifebuoy' Eiffel Tower reopens to visitors after nearly 9 months 'Bloodthirsty vampire' arrested in Kenya There are 21615 people or 5,448 families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh Lavrov says US mission in Afghanistan failed Azeri parliamentary group in occupied Northern Cyprus to commemorate 47th anniversary of Turkish troops' landing Vietnam calls on Washington to lift Cuba embargo Germany declares regime of military catastrophe due to flooding Armenia Ambassador, Russia Deputy FM discuss provision of international humanitarian aid to Karabakh Sputnik Armenia: 2 missing Armenian servicemen find themselves in territory under control of Azerbaijan Armed Forces Karabakh Ombudsman: People of Artsakh have never lived and can never live in peace with Azerbaijan Remains of former Armenian footballer found Armenia acting PM introduced to businessman's newly opened brandy factory Armenia ex-deputy MOD: If Pashinyan is still in power after November 9, 2020, it means he has unfinished business Armenia Chamber of Advocates holds 3rd meeting to provide legal aid to Armenian captives in Azerbaijan European Council President Charles Michel arrives in Armenia Yerevan court to announce decision on pre-trial measure against Sisian mayor tomorrow Alexander Lapshin on Yerkir.am's article about his talks with journalist, Armenia acting PM and ex-spokesperson Young members of ARF-D protesting against EU representative's visit to Armenia Lukashevich at OSCE: Assistance in future solution to Nagorno-Karabakh issue in South Caucasus is required Digest: Azerbaijan opens fire near Armenia border, EU to lift restrictions for Armenian citizens? Opposition 'Armenia' bloc member: Law-enforcement authorities need to explore disclosure of Lapshin-Karapetyan talk Armenia acting PM receives Deputy Chief of General Staff of Russia Armed Forces Armenias Karahunj village head testified against Goris city mayor, says lawyer Armenian National Committee addresses letter to Belgian FM condemning Ambassadors visit to Shushi Dollar goes down again Armenia Azerbaijan starts construction of tunnels in Karabakh occupied territories Armenia Prosecutor General's Office charges head of Lori Province's Jrashen village with abuse of official powers Armenia ambassador to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore is recalled At least 70 people die in Germany and Belgium due to floods Armenia ambassador to US to now serve as envoy to UK France and US urge Lebanese politicians to form cabinet Armenia funeral commission set up in connection with Djivan Gasparyan's passing Mayor of Armenias Goris to be arrested European Council chief's Armenia visit agenda is announced Beijing urges WHO to investigate theory that COVID-19 was imported to Wuhan 2022 US federal budget envisages $950K for Glendale Armenian museum, says Congressman Schiff Condition of newborn left at Yerevan building entrance continues to stabilize Azerbaijan setting up new military unit in occupied Aghdam of Artsakh 1,200 apartments to be built in capital Stepanakert, 20 new districts to be constructed in Karabakh villages Reuters photojournalist killed in Afghanistan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Fear, uncertainty not respected in international relations About 20,000 translators from Afghanistan in US apply for evacuation MOD: Azerbaijan army opened fire on Armenia positions Turks open fire at Cyprus Coast Guard ship 162 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia US State Department responds to questions related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Situation in Cuba calm after riots Biden says US not planning on sending troops to Haiti after assassination of its president US considering possibility of restoring internet access in Cuba, Biden says Biden: Russia must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon Newspaper: New developments occur in case on dishonoring of Armenian soldiers' remains Newspaper: Armenias European agenda Erdogan wants to do the same with Afghanistan as with Artsakh US senators call on Biden to put pressure on Turkeys Erdogan over Cyprus Karabakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijani side briefly fired gunshots from rifles 4-5 times in direction of Shushi Ukraine citizens organize disco party near Internal Affairs Ministry building for Avakov's resignation European Council calls on EU member states to lift travel restrictions for Armenia citizens Opposition 'Armenia' bloc member: Syunik Province is being attacked by Baku and Yerevan Armenia President grants high state award to merited architect Sashur Kalashyan Armenia acting PM hosts participants of Summer Olympics Armenia MOD clarifies which servicemen can receive free food in post-war period Armenia MOD hosts Armenian-Italian military-political consultations The US President, during a telephone conversation with the Russian leader, warned that Washington is ready to take all necessary actions to stop cyberattacks from Russia. The Kremlin, according to his statement, offered not to politicize the dialogue about cyber threats, BBC reported . The main topic of the telephone conversation between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, which lasted for an hour, was new hacker attacks, which in the United States are associated with cybercriminals located in Russia. On the eve of the telephone conversation with Putin, an emergency meeting was held in the US presidential administration, in which, in addition to the head of the White House, representatives of the State Department, the US Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice took part. The President has the right to respond not only to cybercriminals, but also to the country that harbors them, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki commented on the meeting. US President Joe Biden will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel next Thursday to reaffirm deep and lasting ties between NATO allies, as well as address some areas of disagreement, Reuters reported. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the leaders of the two countries will discuss ransomware attacks on companies in the US and around the world, as well as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which Washington opposes. Psaki said it would be an official working visit aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two countries and identifying ways to further strengthen cooperation. It will be Merkel's first visit to Washington since Biden took office in January. Merkel, now in her fourth term, said she would step down following the national elections in Germany in September. Psaki said Biden still views the $ 11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a bad deal, but declined to say if an agreement could be reached to prevent the resumption of temporarily suspended US tariffs at Nord Stream 2 AG, Germany's the company behind the pipeline and its CEO. Biden said he wants to improve relations with Germany, the ally he needs to tackle broader challenges, including climate change, economic recovery, and relations with Iran and China. German officials say they hope to resolve the issue by August, and the Biden-Merkel meeting could provide an important impetus for reaching an agreement. CANNES, France (AP) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose drama Lingui has been a standout of the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, has a unique relationship as a filmmaker to his native country of Chad. Haroun is one of the African nation's only film directors and easily its most prominent. That role national cinematic spokesman has given him a heavy responsibility. If I dont bring images from Chad, my country will be forgotten, Haroun said in an interview. I have to make films to give other images of my country, rather than the cliche images of war, et cetera. It becomes more than a passion. It becomes a duty. Haroun, who has lived in France since leaving Chad in 1982, has set all but one of his eight features there. Lingui, which is in competition for the top Palme d'Or prize at Cannes, is his first film with a female protagonist. Amina (played by Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) is a single mother and practicing Muslim whose 15-year-old daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant. On the outskirts of Chads capital of NDjamena, the unwanted pregnancy is a grave concern. It means certain ostracism for Maria the same stigma that her mother knows herself. Abortions are only legal in Chad if the woman has suffered sexual violence or her life is in immediate danger. The high hurdles to abortion mean access is all but impossible and often done dangerously at home. When Im in Chad," says Haroun," I have a lot of people telling me: You have to make a film about this subject. You are the filmmaker. You have to become our spokesman and make this film, this subject. We cant, because we are afraid of the government. You can. I belong to the community, he added. I am the one who can tell stories that they deny. The title of Lingui is Chadian word that translates as common thread" or "sacred bond." Vividly filmed with vibrant local color and nonprofessional actors, it movingly captures a clandestine sisterhood in a male-controlled society. Haroun considers it a tribute to the nation's women. Story continues For a year, Haroun was Chads minister of culture before resigning in 2018 after disagreements with the government. In September, he will hold screenings of Lingui around the country, he says. The film has been enthusiastically received by critics in Cannes, something Haroun says is heartening but not totally surprising to him. I'm a cooker, you know, so I know when something is well done, he says, grinning. Only one film from Africa has ever won Cannes' top honor, the Palme d'Or: Algerian director Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina's Chronicle of the Years of Fire in 1975. Haroun has previously taken a prize in Cannes with his civil war-set A Screaming Man," which won the jury prize in 2010. At the last Cannes, in 2019, Mati Diops Senegalese drama Atlantics" won the grand prize. This year, there are two films from Africa in competition; the other is Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch's Casablanca Beats. We are coming and coming and coming, says Haroun, smiling. We knock on the door. We try. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP American Cruise Lines' American Constellation ship has canceled its next Alaska cruise after three people tested positive for COVID-19. The ship took off for a 10-night cruise from Juneau, Alaska on July 4, but the trip was cut short Saturday after two fully vaccinated passengers and one unvaccinated crew member tested positive. The small, 175-passenger ship had 162 passengers and 52 crew members on board. The company canceled the ships next sailing, set to depart July 14th, out of an abundance of caution, according to a Saturday statement. The three passengers who tested positive are isolating off the ship in Petersburg, Alaska. While most of the ship's crew members are vaccinated, those who are not are set to remain on board in Juneau until they are cleared by health authorities. American Cruise Lines' American Constellation ship. American Cruise Lines, a small ship cruise line, said this was its first COVID-related incident since it resumed sailing in U.S. waters in March. The cruise line has carried more than 10,000 passengers on 130 cruises since restarting operations. The cruise line follows local COVID protocols and guidelines in each of the 31 states in which it operates. The companys website says it strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible guests," and all guests are tested for COVID as part of the boarding process. State and local officials in Alaska have been engaged, and have been working together with American Cruise Lines to ensure a swift and effective implementation of the Response Plan, the companys statement reads. The cruise line is set to resume the remainder of its summer Alaska cruise schedule, which runs through September. River cruising: Is the smaller-ship experience even more appealing now? American Cruise Lines: Among first cruise lines to resume sailing in US waters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Cruise Lines cruise canceled after 3 positive COVID-19 tests By Lidia Kelly MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia's New South Wales state reported its biggest daily rise in locally acquired coronavirus infections this year on Saturday, with authorities warning that worse may yet to come for Sydney, which is in a three-week hard lockdown. There were 50 new cases of community transmission in the country's most populous state, up from 44 a day earlier, the previous 2021 record high. This brings the outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant to 489 cases. Of Saturday's cases, 26 were people who had spent time in the community while they were infectious, deepening concerns that the lockdown of more than 5 million people in Sydney and surroundings will be extended. "When you know that there are 26 cases infectious in the community, the only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a televised briefing. "I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should." There are 47 cases in hospital, or about one in 10 people infected in the current outbreak. Of those, 19 people are under the age of 55 and 16 people are in intensive care, including a teenager. No fully vaccinated people have required hospital care and 79% of those admitted have not had any doses, health authorities said. Vaccinations are available in Australia for now only to people over 40 and those in risk groups either due to their health or work. The country has fared much better than many other developed countries in keeping its COVID-19 numbers relatively low, but its vaccination rollout has been among the slowest due to supply constraints and changing medical advice for its mainstay AstraZeneca . (Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard) On July 11th, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, could fly to space aboard the SpaceShipTwo to assess the company's private astronaut experience. If you ask rival company Blue Origin, though, Branson won't really be reaching space when he does. In a couple of tweets, the Jeff Bezos-owned space corporation compared what its own New Shepard suborbital vehicle can do with SpaceShipTwo's capabilities. First in the list? The company says New Shepard was designed to fly above the Karman line, whereas its competitor's vehicle was not. The Karman line is the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space as set by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. It's defined as 100 kilometers or 62 miles above sea level, and according to Blue Origin, it's what "96 percent of the world's population" recognizes as the beginning of outer space. Blue Origin plans to offer customers 10 minutes of flight with an altitude that reaches the Karman line. Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic's website says its flights will soar at "nearly" 300,000 feet (57 miles) in altitude. That doesn't quite reach the Karman line, though that's still higher than what NASA and the US government defines as the beginning of space (50 miles above sea level). This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Aside from comparing their vehicles' maximum altitudes, Blue Origin also made it a point to mention that the New Shepard has the largest windows in space. Also, the New Shepard is a rocket, but SpaceShipTwo, according to Blue Origin, is just a high-altitude plane. The company published the comparison after Virgin Galactic scheduled Branson's trip to space before Jeff Bezos' the multi-billionaire and his brother will join Blue Origin's first suborbital tourist flight that's scheduled for a July 20th launch. NextShark Nearly a quarter of Asian Americans accepted to elite colleges would no longer qualify if their acceptances were based on tests alone, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). Key findings: The study, which ran statistical simulations of admissions decisions, found no strong evidence of discrimination against Asian Americans in 91 of the countrys most selective colleges and universities. While Asian American enrollment in these institutions has remained stagnant over the past decade, the proportion of Asian American students who received high test scores has also remained remarkably consistent. A drive-by shooting near Knotts Berry Farm in Southern California left at least one minor wounded Friday evening, according to reports. Video on social media showed crowds running inside the theme park but Buena Park Police dismissed false reports that there may have been an active shooter inside. "Officers are currently responding to a shooting outside of Knotts Berry Farm. There is no active shooter," the department tweeted around 9:30 p.m. PT soon after the shooting was reported. The wounded youth's condition was not disclosed, FOX 11 of Los Angeles reported. LOUISIANA POLICE OFFICER DEAD AFTER SHOT IN HEAD NEAR HIGH SCHOOL; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY: REPORTS A park patron shared an Instagram photo showing people hiding inside a park restaurant during the initial reaction to the incident. "Luckily ended up at a restaurant. When a shooting went down. All safe," @SkateCholo wrote. Knotts Berry Farm put out a statement saying: "We have been made aware of an incident which took place away from Knotts Berry Farm. A victim was assisted by park personnel outside of the parks gates and transported to a local hospital. The incident is currently being investigated. All inquiries should be directed to the Buena Park Police or local authorities." Police have not confirmed any arrests but the streets surrounding the park were closed as officers searched, according to FOX 11. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Knott's Berry Farm started as a roadside berry stand in the 1920s and has since grown into a theme park that includes rides, stage shows and other entertainment. Its Buena Park location is about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Canadians are preparing to return to South Florida as their government eases months of COVID-19 travel restrictions. South Florida businesses that traditionally serve Canadian snowbirds and short-term tourists can hardly wait. Heartened by the move, some are starting marketing campaigns to woo back their old customers. When the pandemic locked down the economy in March 2020, Canadians flocked home on flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Now, many businesses, from local restaurants to airlines, are looking toward the early fall for a substantial increase in business. We know for sure they are coming, said Francois Grenier, general manager of Dairy Belle, a Dania Beach eating spot favored by visitors from Quebec who like poutine which consists of thick beef gravy on French fried potatoes. A lot of them when they left had left their cars here. A Canadian discount airline called Flair announced this week that it will start service Oct. 31 to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport from several major Canadian cities. Clearly, Canadians have historically spent a lot of winters traveling down south for warmer destinations its the natural thing to want to do, CEO Stephen Jones said in a telephone interview Friday. In the last 15 months through the pandemic, it hasnt been possible. The airline has acquired a fleet of 11 new and late model Boeing 737s and plans to charge one-way fares of $79 to $109 from places like Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Before the pandemic. South Florida travelers to and from Canada had the choice of Air Canada and WestJet, among others. The COVID-imposed hiatus in air travel drastically cut service to Canada out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, with Air Canada becoming the sole airline offering nonstop flights, a spokeswoman said. Besides Flair, WestJet and Air Transat are expected to resume service to Canada at some time between September and October. Story continues Our bet is that this winter, the transport restrictions will be eased sufficiently to start to see a flow of Canadians to Florida and a little bit the other way as well, Jones said. Businesses do have time to prepare as not too many Canadians are here yet. The majority of the Canadians who want to be in Florida right now are not, Jones said. He expects leisure travelers to be the ones who come first. Pent-up demand When you think of the rebounding demand post-COVID, this segment of the market will be traveling the soonest, he said. Many Canadian households are flush with cash, Jones added, as many people have been avid savers. I think that household saving levels and consumer balance sheets are at the best levels ever, he said. They want to go and just enjoy themselves with friends and family. They want to get down there [to Florida] and enjoy it. Marty Firestone, owner of Travel Secure Inc., a travel insurance agency in Toronto, said Friday that hes been besieged with Florida-bound customers seeking to buy trip interruption policies. Theyre not going to go back and forth like they did typically, Firestone said of the snowbirds who typically winter in South Florida. He said they tell him: I want to go down in October and not come home until April. Many want to get away as early as possible and want to stay as long as possible, Firestone said. Susan Harper, Canadas consul general in Miami, acknowledged there is an urge to travel among Canadians who havent eaten at a restaurant, exercised at a gym or seen a movie in 15 months. They couldnt, because of the governments close monitoring of COVID outbreak data and testing and quarantine requirements. Im not surprised theres pent-up demand for travel, she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a phone interview Friday. I feel the bug myself. She said she has spoken to Air Canada officials who said they are also seeing the trend you are seeing in terms of people coming down. But the U.S-Canadian border, closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, remained closed as of Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week warned that the government would not allow unvaccinated people to enter Canada because the move might jeopardize the progress the country has made in deflecting the coronavirus. Restrictions for the unvaccinated An estimated 78% of people aged 12 years or older in Canada have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, the countrys health officials say. The figure is roughly 47% for people who are fully vaccinated. The country had a population of 38.1 million in April 2020, according to the United Nations, just behind Californias 39.5 million. Current restrictions which center on quarantines for unvaccinated arriving travelers remain in place until at least July 21. The worlds longest land border has been closed to unvaccinated travelers since March 2020. Last Monday, the government activated a program that allows vaccinated travelers to enter Canada without having to self-isolate for 14 days, to take a test on the eighth day after arrival, or to stay in a quarantine hotel upon arrival at the travelers expense. Proof of vaccination is still required to be exempted from the quarantine. Travelers are being asked to produce a paper or digital copy of the vaccine documentation and must submit COVID-19-related information into the national governments Arrive CAN app before arriving in Canada Travelers with only one vaccine will have to still abide by previous rules and quarantine in hotel and the remaining 14 days at home. Unvaccinated children traveling with fully vaccinated parents do not have to stay in a hotel, but they do have to isolate at home. Associated Press Tony Stewart was like everyone else in U.S. motorsports this week, frequently checking social media to see Paul Tracy's latest theatrics in a one-sided war against NASCAR golden girl Hailie Deegan. Tracy has been furious or could he just be playing the heel in a made-for-TV racing league? because 19-year-old Deegan had the audacity to spin him at Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin last week in the fifth round of the Superstar Racing Experience. Federal officials seized over a pound of methamphetamine that was hidden inside the shells of peanuts in a shipment of various food materials, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday. CBP officers at an express consignment hub in Memphis, Tennessee, examined the shipment, labeled as "regional bread roasted peanuts regional dust sweet made of corn" June 29, and became suspicious, according to a press release from the agency. Officers observed "anomalies" within the shipment and cracked open the peanuts to find a white, crystalline substance inside, which was positively tested as methamphetamine. MAN ACCUSED OF OWNING METH-FUELED ATTACK SQUIRREL GETS ARRESTED My experienced officers long ago lost all surprise at the smuggling methods they encounter every shift, said Area Port Director Michael Neipert in a statement. Narcotics in fruit, nuts, baked goods, shoes, toys, and all kinds of other items disguised as gifts or other legitimate shipments fly through the express consignment world. These days, you can get a gram of methamphetamine at half the price of what cocaine costs and at twice the potency." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The total amount seized from the shipment, which was headed from Mexico to Texas, was 489 grams. If an average dose of meth is 0.2 grams and last 6-8 hours in the body, my officers prevented 2,445 doses and about 15,000 hours of dangerous drug highs that lead to reckless behavior, overdose, and a danger to those around the user," Neipert said. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Customs and Border Protection, Drugs, Memphis, Tennessee, Shipping, Food and Beverage, Crime, Law Original Author: Jeremy Beaman Original Location: CBP officers seize shipment of meth hidden inside peanut shells China wants American firms to invest more in its old industrial base of Jilin province, which borders both Russia and North Korea, to help rejuvenate the state-dominated region amid growing tensions between Beijing and Washington. Dozens of corporate executives from the United States attended a round-table discussion in Jilin's capital, Changchun, on Thursday. A total of 55 American companies were represented, including the likes of GE, Honeywell and Cargill. Ning Jizhe, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), used the forum as an opportunity to implore American executives to contribute to the development of bilateral relations. A few non-US firms were also there, but the meeting was primarily aimed at connecting with US corporations. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "It is hoped that US multinational companies in China will seize the opportunity ... to fully tap into the development potential of China, northeast China and Jilin province; actively participate in the new dual-circulation development; integrate into regional high-quality development; and jointly write a new chapter in the revitalisation of northeast China and Jilin," Ning said. Honeywell fined US$13 million for sharing military specs with China President Xi Jinping's dual-circulation strategy aims to cut China's dependence on overseas markets and technology in its long-term development - a shift brought on by a deepening rift with the US. But Xi's economic strategy has raised questions about whether Beijing will truly improve market access and level the playing fields for foreign companies. The current state of US-China relations also presents a significant challenge for American companies, according to the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, Alan Beebe, who was also a speaker at the meeting. Story continues While many US companies continue to prioritise their investment in China, there are "some trends" holding them back, Beebe said. Emphasising the importance of creating a "level playing field", Beebe added that transparency in the interpretation of China's regulations and laws is essential for American firms operating there. Beebe said China's new anti-sanctions law, for example, has sparked "some uncertainty on how it will be interpreted". He asked the NDRC to provide more clarification on the scope of the law. China's National People's Congress Standing Committee passed the anti-sanctions law on June 10. The legislation is expected to provide a legal basis for Beijing to counter foreign sanctions. The US has slapped a number of sanctions on 32 mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including the city's chief executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Other executives at Thursday's meeting also echoed Beebe's comments on the need for transparency in the interpretation of laws and regulations. "We recommend that the Chinese government encourage and attract foreign investment in semiconductors as much as possible, and not lightly adopt anti-monopoly measures [in the industry], in order to protect and attract foreign investment in China," said Wang Tong, executive vice-president for Greater China at Samsung Electronics. China eases restrictions on foreign investors, but is it too little too late? The round-table chat with American businesses in Jilin served as the latest effort spearheaded by the NDRC to demonstrate Beijing's commitment to "opening up" its markets to foreign investors, and to boost confidence among overseas companies operating in China. The nation's economic planner outlined key industries in Jilin that it said would benefit from more investment and know-how. These areas include new energy vehicles, farm products, telecommunication and advanced equipment manufacturing. Zheng Chiping, a deputy with the NDRC's foreign investment branch, also vowed that US companies would not be singled out when it comes to applying for licences to operate in the financial sector, despite growing US-China tensions. But he acknowledged that there was still a "gap" in offering better market access to foreign companies in general. China maintains a so-called negative list of sectors and industries that are off-limits to foreign investors. "At the meeting [on Thursday] we felt that US-funded companies were worried about whether they would receive unfair treatment, in terms of access - just because they are US-funded - as a result of the current Sino-US relationship," Zheng said. "I think that such concern is not necessary." Fair competition between Chinese and foreign companies operating in China "is definitely the direction, and it also requires a process", he added. One area in Jilin where foreign investment could provide a big boost, especially in terms of advancing automation, is the automobile industry. Changchun has been nicknamed "China's Detroit", as it manufactures substantial portions of China's automobiles. "From the perspective of the overall competitiveness of the auto industry, we emphasise the need to increase the scale of local supporting infrastructure," said Ma Yi, a deputy with Jilin's Department of Industry and Information Technology. "In smart manufacturing, we ourselves are at the beginning stage ... In this field, everyone can make a difference." China has stepped up its effort in recent years to reverse the sagging fortunes of its northeast debt-laden rust belt. The three regional provincial governments of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning have seen sharp declines in revenue amid weak economic performance, while pressure to repay public debts has been mounting. Among China's biggest agricultural provinces, Jilin has been one of the northeast region's better performers in terms of its gross domestic product (GDP) growth post-pandemic. Jilin's GDP growth in 2020 was 2.4 per cent, compared with 2019's 3 per cent. Heilongjiang generated just 1 per cent growth in 2020, down from 2019's 4.2 per cent. And Liaoning's growth was 0.6 per cent in 2020, compared with 5.5 per cent in 2019. A US firm director from the financial industry who attended the round-table discussion in Jilin called Zheng's assurances "positive". "Market access is a long-standing issue," said the director, who asked not to be identified. "So, we'll have to wait and see if they'll do something about it." This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) The Coast Guard on Saturday ended the search for nine Cubans missing from a boat that capsized off Floridas coast. The search encompassed more than 7,400 square miles (19,000 square kilometers) over 192 hours since the capsized boat was reported Tuesday about 26 miles (42 kilometers) southeast of Key West. The Coast Guard said in a news release that 13 people were rescued. The survivors said they left Cuba on Monday night with 22 people aboard. Cubans intercepted at sea by the U.S. are generally returned to their home country. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy, said Sean Connett, command duty officer of the Coast Guard's 7th District. The decision to suspend a search is always difficult and is made after exhausting all search information. The arrests of 15 Colombians in the death of Haitian President Jovenel Moise has shocked many Haitians, already reeling from the middle-of-the-night assassination of the countrys leader. Less surprising, even as police publicized photos of the detained foreigners and the array of weaponry allegedly used in the attack on the presidents home, is the presence in Haiti of heavily armed, foreign former soldiers and private security contractors. Over the past four years Haiti has faced waves of anti-government protests against Moises leadership and disarray in its weak national police force. It has seen a growing number of private security contractors and soldiers for hire in the midst of its own forces. The growing presence of these soldiers of fortune coincided with the 2016 election of Moise after a tumultuous presidential vote that had to be re-run because of fraud allegations. They also coincided with the end of a long-running United Nations peacekeeping mission, as business owners and Moise could no longer depend on the so-called U.N. Blue Helmets for protection, and lacked trust in Haitis own police force. The trend has worried Haiti watchers and the U.N., which had made strengthening the police a key focus of its 15-year presence in the country in the wake of increasing gang violence and political instability. With the disintegration of the [Haiti National Police], which had its own internal splits, to the explosion in gangs, which I now call armed militias,... the next logical step is escalation in an arms race to secure even more firepower and expertise than can be found on the local market: foreign mercenaries, said William ONeill, a Haiti security expert and international human rights lawyer who was involved in the rebuilding of the countrys police force. The first recent sighting of foreign security contractors came in May 2018, during a Haitian Flag Day celebration in the city of Arcahaie. Three unidentified, heavily armed foreign security agents were seen in the presidents security detail. They were not members of the Haiti National Police, a former high-ranking Haitian police official told the Miami Herald, recalling the incident. Story continues Three months later, as businesses were looted during what became known as peyi lok or country on lockdown business owners in Port-au-Prince began contemplating private contractors from abroad to protect their property and investments. Six months later, anti-government demonstrators clashed with police during protests and people took to social networks to share photos of re-branded police vehicles belonging to presidential palace guards with M-60 machine guns and photos of individuals who appeared to be foreigners standing in the middle of Haitian agents. Among them was a former member of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, hired as part of a Haitian government contract. The police chief at the time, Michel-Ange Gedeon, later went on radio to denounce the presence of the military hardware, saying that no new specialized unit inside the Haiti National Police had been created and that it was the first time he was seeing the new equipment. Three months later, Gedeons forces arrested five Americans and two other foreign nationals claiming to be on a government mission after they were found with a cache of automatic rifles and pistols on the streets of Port-au-Prince. The men didnt specify which government had hired them. But at one point, they told officers that their boss would call our boss. One of the men arrested, Christopher Osman, was a former Navy SEAL. It was later revealed that one of the men arrested had previously worked in Haiti as a private security contractor. Facing charges of illegal arms possession and other crimes in Haiti, the group was swiftly taken out of the country with the help of the U.S. Embassy and the State Department, with the approval of Haitis justice minister. At a press conference a few months later, Moise was publicly asked to address reports that he had hired private military contractors to beef up his security in the midst of escalating violent protests and demands for his resignation. Moise responded that they were there to conduct an evaluation of his security. Moise had been ruling by decree since January 2020 when he issued an executive order in March declaring a state of emergency, allowing the Haitian government to contract with foreign entities if need be to help with the countrys rising insecurity. The move followed the death of five police officers in a botched anti-gang raid in a seaside slum of the capital, and fellow officers angrily taking to the streets to protest the killings. Now, retired Colombian soldiers are suspected of participating in the assassination of Moise. Of 28 people suspected of carrying out the killing, 26 of them are Colombian nationals and two are naturalized Americans of Haitian descent, Haitis interim police director Leon Charles told journalists late Thursday. Colombian authorities on Thursday said at least two of the Colombians implicated in the Haitian presidents assassination are former members of the countrys army. Colombia Defense Minister Diego Molano said the South American nation had received an official request from Interpol, the international police agency, for information about the Colombian suspects. Molano said he had instructed Colombian police and the military to collaborate with Haitian authorities in the face of the alleged participation of Colombians in that abominable act. He added Colombia had created a team of experts to help in the investigation. The head of the Colombian Army also said that he had received a clear order of the president of the republic Ivan Duque Marquez that we are willing to provide to the national police of Colombia all of the information regarding the events and where these two former members of the public force were involved, in this case the national army. On Friday, Duque announced that he was sending a team from Colombia to Haiti to assist authorities. The White House also announced that a team from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security was on its way to Port-au-Prince to assist. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced that the Haitian government, currently being led by acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, had asked for investigative help and security. We will be sending senior FBI and DHS officials to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist, she said. Haiti Foreign Minister Bocchit Edmond said the government has asked the U.S. to freeze the U.S. assets of anyone who participated or planned the killing. A concern for the U.N. The use of private security forces in Haiti dates back to the mid to late 1990s when there was an explosive growth in domestic, Haitian-owned and operated private security companies, ONeill said. ONeill said such forces have always been a concern for the U.N. A few were legitimate and fulfilled useful services, but many were not, he said. They in effect became private police forces, something we at the U.N. at the time worried a lot about because the government, with help from the U.N., was trying to create for the first time in Haitian history a professional police service that was not politicized or under anyones control. China's Communist Party has abandoned its tradition of working from the shadows in Hong Kong as authorities pursue a sweeping crackdown on critics and remould the financial hub in the mainland's authoritarian image. While Hong Kong was returned by colonial Britain in 1997, Beijing has historically been wary about making the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) too visible in a city where many hail from families who fled the worst excesses of its rule. "There were a few reasons for the CCP to be kept out of sight," political analyst Willy Lam told AFP. "The CCP was associated with a series of horrendous mistakes including the Cultural Revolution, the three years of famine and so forth." Beijing's quiet support for leftist riots which killed about 50 Hong Kongers in 1967 -- and Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown -- also left a deeply ingrained suspicion of the party for many residents. Ahead of the handover, former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping -- creator of the "one country, two systems" model where Hong Kong could keep key freedoms and autonomy -- moved to calm nerves by assuring residents that they did not need to love the party to be deemed patriots. "We don't demand that they be in favour of China's socialist system; we only ask them to love the motherland and Hong Kong," he said. With 90 million members, the party is ubiquitous on the mainland but in Hong Kong it has been all but invisible. The party itself has never registered as an official entity and the city's proxy leaders have always denied being members -- at least while in office. - Centenary celebrations - But the CCP has moved increasingly centre stage in recent years, culminating most prominently in this month's festivities marking the centenary of the party's founding. Hammer and sickle flags have sprung up across the city in recent weeks along with huge billboards proclaiming the anniversary. Story continues The local government hosted an exhibition titled "A Hundred Years of Prosperity and Greatness" while Beijing's four government agencies also held a prominent symposium with a series of bellwether speeches. It was the first time high-profile events had been put on for a party anniversary in Hong Kong and it offered a vivid illustration of how far Deng's definition of patriotism has changed under President Xi Jinping. "Safeguarding the leadership of the CCP is safeguarding 'one country, two systems'," Luo Huining, director of Beijing's Liaison Office, said in his symposium speech. "Those who raise a hue and cry for ending the one-party rule... are the real enemies of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," he added. The party's increased visibility comes as authorities enforce a political orthodoxy on the once outspoken city in response to huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago. Beijing has imposed a sweeping national security law that criminalised much dissent and rolled out a campaign dubbed "Patriots rule Hong Kong" to vet people's political views. Protests have been all but banned using anti-coronavirus measures and most of the city's pro-democracy opposition leaders are now in jail, facing prosecution or have fled overseas. - 'Love the party' - "Beijing has turned to direct governance over Hong Kong," veteran journalist and political analyst Johnny Lau told AFP. "The representatives of the central government do not mind coming forward to the front stage and showing their presence and leadership. "With 'Patriots rule Hong Kong' and the new security law... authorities have implied that people now have to love the country and love the party," he added. Hong Kongers with connections to Beijing's officialdom have suggested the same. In an interview published Wednesday by ultra-nationalist mainland media outlet Guancha.cn, Lau Siu-kai, a former chief adviser at Hong Kong's central policy unit, said the Chinese Communist Party had once been considered a "sensitive phrase" in the city. As a result the party had chosen not to carry out its activities publicly. But that approach, Lau said, was now "outmoded" because democracy protests had tried to turn Hong Kong into "an infiltration base that could be used by opposition forces to challenge the CCP's rule", he said. Now that Hong Kong's democracy opposition had been "utterly defeated and scattered", he added, it was time for the party to "seize the power of discourse". Hong Kong officials have embraced that idea. After new laws were passed ordering all public office holders to make oaths of loyalty, Erick Tsang -- the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs -- said there was now no room for political ambiguity. "You cannot say that you are patriotic but you do not love the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party or you do not respect it," he said. "This does not make sense." bur/jta/axn/gle Jul. 10Nearly 100 years ago Kilia Purdy-Avelino's great-grandparents moved into the Hoolehua homestead on Molokai, one of the first homestead communities established under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. She recently found a 1925 newspaper article penned by her great-grandmother Kalei Lindsey Purdy, who wrote of her homestead, "Today, I am so happy. Here I am on this land, and I am seeing the trust of all that was said about this blessed land, a place of milk and honey." Purdy-Avelino, who still lives on the Hoolehua homestead and farms the land with her family, said she finds it refreshing that her great-grandmother "saw the beauty, blessings and gifts of the land despite the challenges. Had it not been for (the first homesteaders' success ), we wouldn't have homesteads today." One hundred years ago the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which set aside about 203, 000 acres of former crown and government lands in the Hawaiian kingdom for homesteads, was signed into law by President Warren Harding. On Friday, its centennial anniversary, community members, officials and legislators marked the occasion with mixed reactions. Many honor the legacy of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana 'ole, the act's champion, and his advocacy for Native Hawaiians. But at the same time, others feel disappointed and saddened over the thousands of Hawaiians who still wait for homestead lots and the many who have died in the process. "It's bittersweet. It's like sweet-and-sour pork or a delicious stew with bone shards in it, " said Robin Danner, chairwoman of the Soverign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, the largest statewide organization representing all Hawaiians eligible for homesteads. "It's about honoring a man with a vision and also reflecting on why that vision has not come to pass. The centennial is a time for sobering reflection." Regarded as a pivotal moment for Native Hawaiians, the law was a culmination of years of work by Prince Kuhio, known as the Citizen Prince, and many community advocates. In writing to the U.S. Senate to encourage passage of the homestead bill, Prince Kuhio, who served as a nonvoting delegate to Congress, said, "After extensive investigation and survey on the part of various organizations organized to rehabilitate the Hawaiian race, it was found that the only method in which to rehabilitate the race was to place them back upon the soil." Story continues On July 9, 1921, the bill became law, creating a system that set aside land for Hawaiians with a blood quantum of at least 50 %. Parcels would be leased for 99 years at $1 annually. A year later the first homestead family moved into the Kalanianaole Colony in Kalamaula, Molokai, just six months after Prince Kuhio died. After six years the program was deemed a success, and the act was fully instituted in March 1928. Many years later as a condition of statehood, the act was adopted as a provision of the Hawaii Constitution on March 18, 1959. It also established the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, tasked with overseeing the act and seeing Prince Kuhio's vision through. At the time, about 1, 700 Hawaiians had received homestead lots with 2, 500 on the wait list. "To this day (the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act ) remains the most significant piece of legislation for the advancement of Native Hawaiians, " said U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele at a ceremony Friday in Washington, D.C. Officials also gathered at an event in Kapolei, where Gov. David Ige presented a proclamation commemorating the centennial anniversary. "We would not be here without the intentional foresight of one man. As a nonvoting delegate to the then-territory of Hawaii, his ability to pass this landmark legislation proved his talent as a skilled diplomat and remarkable leader." In the years since passage of the act, DHHL, state and federal officials have come under fire for what advocates say is mismanagement of the trust and a lack of leadership, accountability and reform in building enough lots to shorten the 28, 792-person wait list. In 1999 about 2, 700 kupuna filed a class-action lawsuit against the state, saying officials mismanaged the land trust. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled in the plaintiffs' favor last year and allowed the lawsuit to proceed to the next stage in calculating damages for those who have spent decades awaiting homestead lots. Additionally, a Honolulu Star-Advertiser investigation in collaboration with nonprofit ProPublica found that after waiting sometimes for decades, many of the beneficiaries who are offered homestead lots find they cannot afford to finance a home. Although leases under the program are virtually free, applicants have to build their own homes or purchase one from a developer. The Star-Advertiser and ProPublica also found that thousands of acres of land no longer needed for government or military use that should have been recovered for Native Hawaiians were instead offered to private buyers. "I'm not happy. It really gives people time to think, " said Mike Kahikina, chairman of the Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands, a statewide nonprofit representing those on the wait list. "One hundred years now, we still get people dying on the wait list. I'm mourning the 100 years for the invisible people." Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman and DHHL Director William Aila Jr. pointed to the more than 4, 000 lots built over the past 25 years, along with the 9, 950 total homestead leases with nearly 200 applicants nearing completion as a sign of progress. "Without the program there would be a lot less Native Hawaiians. There would be a lot less Native Hawaiian culture, " Aila said. "We haven't been as successful as many folks would envision, but it's not for a lack of trying. It is mainly a resource problem." Others point to initiatives intended to increase DHHL's capacity, including new laws that allow for subsistence agricultural lots and rentals on homestead lands. In the past four fiscal years, the state Legislature has allocated $50, 000 in capital improvements funding for both two-year periods. Over the next two fiscal years, legislators allotted a total of $78, 000 in capitol improvements funding, the largest of its kind in the program's history. "There have been a lot of movements and developments that I think are very promising and exciting for DHHL, " said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs. "The Legislature has given DHHL historically high amounts of funding in the last couple of sessions, which has been long overdue." State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole and state Rep. Daniel Holt, co-chairmen of the Native Hawaiian Caucus, expressed similar sentiments. "We have a duty and responsibility to see (Prince Kuhio's vision ) through and make his dream a reality, " Holt said. "We're trying to take practical steps to make a plan and make it come to life. It's important for us to ensure that the money is spent efficiently so we can keep the funding at this level." Keohokalole, who also serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, added that at the time of the act's signing, "there were assumptions in many circles that the Hawaiian race was going to die out. The fact that we still have so much of our culture and the community exists the way that it does can be attributed to those early efforts. It's a reminder that there's a lot more that needs to be done to fulfill the vision of Prince Kuhio and to provide for the beneficiaries of the trust." But several advocates say it's not enough. Danner, whose organization represents all beneficiaries, said money is not the issue. She said the problem is the mismanagement of the land trust by the state and a lack of oversight and accountability by legislators. Her group wants to be part of the solution, she said, and it has sent officials a list of suggested policy changes, such as requiring that five of the nine Hawaiian Homes commissioners be beneficiaries still on the wait list and establishing a statewide interagency council for department heads to discuss ways to advance the act. "I know there is a human toll for those missteps. We're not angry. We're heartbroken, " Danner said. "We're definitely not 'woe is me.' We are part of this democracy, too. We are excited to share solutions." While views differ on how the trust has been managed, many agree that the centennial honors Prince Kuhio's legacy and the landmark legislation he championed. "It's a Bible for the beneficiaries, " said Hawaiian Homes Commissioner Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya, who lives on the Nanakuli homestead. "Prince Kuhio was a powerful man with many legacies. 'Give my people land.' Those are his words and I feel the same way. This is an ongoing thing that we tackle, and it's not an easy thing to do. We paina (gather ) with our beneficiaries and bring awareness of the act."History of the Hawaiian Homes Commission ActMarch 1903 : Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana 'ole begins serving as a nonvoting delegate to Congress.April 1919 : Homestead bill passed by the Hawaii Territorial Legislature.December 1920 : Bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.June 1921 : Bill passed by the U.S. Senate.July 9, 1921 : President Warren Harding signs the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act into law.Sept. 16, 1921 : Hawaiian Homes Commission holds its first meeting.Jan. 7, 1922 : Prince Kuhio dies.July 1922 : The first homestead family moves into the Kalanianaole Colony in Kalamaula, Molokai.March 1928 : After its success the homestead act is fully instituted.March 18, 1959 : As a condition of statehood, the act is adopted as a provision of the Hawaii Constitution. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is established and tasked with overseeing the act.------Jayna Omaye covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member with Report for America, a national serv ice organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under covered issues and communities. Connecticut residents should avoid swimming in the Quinnipiac River this weekend, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Friday evening. The state departments said that they tested water quality earlier in the week, but with the rain from Tropical Storm Elsa, there may be discharges of untreated sewage. By the time the rain stopped today, it was too late to sample and get results that would definitely determine water quality at the Shoreline beaches, a joint news release said. However, these state beaches are not in close proximity to the known discharges. DEEP sample water quality at the state swim areas weekly and will do so again early next week. Residents should avoid recreational water activity near Bridgeport, Hartford, Wallingford, Norwalk, Norwich and the greater New Haven area, DEEP and the DPH said. Jessika Harkay can be reached at jharkay@courant.com. Life has turned into an emotionally fraught waiting game for thousands of Connecticut restaurateurs who applied for relief through the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund and have not received money. Some were denied. Others applied and got no response at all. Others were told they would get money, then that promise was rescinded. Others arent even sure if they qualify. All are treading water financially, hoping for help. Wednesday the federal Small Business Administration announced that it had closed the fund, which ran dry after doling out almost $28.6 billion nationwide. Still, about two-thirds of applications remain unfulfilled. In Connecticut, 3,369 restaurants applied for more than $790 million. A total of 1,303 received grants, totaling about $301 million. That leaves 2,066 business owners wondering where they stand. The problem is nationwide, where 278,304 restaurants applied for a total exceeding $72 billion and 101,004 were granted until the money ran out, according to the SBA. That leaves 177,300 unfunded. Congressional bills to replenish the fund with $60 billion would more than make up for the $44 billion shortfall. Restaurateurs who missed out on the funding can only wait and hope the bill passes. At the same time, they have to keep their businesses running as labor and food costs are skyrocketing, office buildings are still empty, nightlife is still crippled and consumer confidence is still down from before the coronavirus pandemic. And they have to compete with restaurants that all of a sudden can outspend them. Whats left of the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] is still allowing us to limp along right now for the moment, said Donna Curran, co-owner of ZINC in New Haven. But were not even breaking even. Were losing money every day. Weve been doing business for 22 years. How long can we limp along like that? Promise rescinded Curran did all the right things. She gathered her paperwork early and put her request in on the first day the portal opened, May 3. On May 29, she was notified that ZINC would get the money it applied for. Story continues It was supposed to be funded within three to seven days. But on June 12, at 11:30 at night, after a very busy Saturday night in the middle of the commencement season, they notified us that they werent able to fund the award, she said. It was devastating. It still is. Im not exactly sure how were going to recover from these past two years, running a half restaurant, no lunches, not very many people in offices, nobody at Yale, she said. Maybe in September it comes back, but after two years of losing money I dont know how much longer I want to continue to do this. As originally conceived, the fund prioritized people who applied in the first 21 days, as well as businesses owned by women, veterans and members of underserved communities. Then three lawsuits were filed to challenge the prioritized groups led to many grants being frozen. At a Meriden restaurant in June, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said if the $60 billion replenishment is passed, those lawsuits would become moot, because there would be more than enough money for all applicants. Nonetheless, he said the lawsuits are an obstacle because they slow everything down. Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said he will continue to fight for the replenishment of the fund. But he worries that the 101,004 restaurants that got funding will diminish the messaging. We lost a third of our voice, Dolch said in a CRA meeting on Friday. Im not saying they wont advocate for the whole industry, but its not a sense of urgency for them. ... It makes our voice not as strong. Waiting game The restaurants denied funding have as many financial burdens as their fellow restaurateurs who got money: back rent, deferred maintenance, utility bills, debt. Romain Turpault, general manager of Union League Cafe in New Haven, applied for the RRF in the first few hours it opened. All he knows is the application is under review. Union League is still operating, buoyed by the second PPP, but that will only last so long. It would be difficult to survive without it. Were breaking even every month, Turpault said. We have such a huge payroll. We have had to increase hourly salaries to keep them. Lately its just a war to get employees. Union League suffered because a large portion of its revenue was dependent upon banquets, which flatlined in 2020. Turpault said he might have to rethink the cafe's business model. We might need to review completely the way we work, cut things down. Banqueting will take some time to come back to life, he said. Competitive imbalance Jonathan Jennings is executive vice president and COO of Connecticut Wedding Group in Middletown, a full-service catering and special event company. Catering companies, even more so than restaurants, saw staggering losses in 2020, because their entire business model is large-group gatherings, usually indoors. Were still in business. Revenue is coming in. But the huge losses from 2020 wont go away simply because weve reopened. Financially, things are still very difficult, Jennings said. As an industry, we have substantially more debt than ever before. Without RRF money, we can only go on so long. Jennings submitted his application in the first 21 seconds. He has heard nothing since. He said he fears for restaurants passed over by the fund. I am afraid they are going to be forgotten about and left to wither on the vine, he said. He said Congress failure to adequately fund the RRF is creating a competitive imbalance in ways that go beyond one firm being able to pay its debts and the other not. Say youve got two catering companies. Both were decimated by the pandemic. Now were both opening with higher food and labor cost, overhead, electric bills. Then one company gets funded and one does not, he said. The company that got funded, they hire more people, increase wages, catch up on deferred maintenance, increase their advertising budget. The company on the other side doesnt have the money to compete against a company that does. Congress has created an unfair trade situation. Cost of labor Ami Beach, who owns G Zen vegetarian restaurant in Branford, applied for the RRF funds and has not heard back. She isnt even sure she qualifies, because she kept the restaurant open and got PPP money. We didnt have a total loss. Meanwhile, PPP money is running out and labor costs are double, she said. Beach is hopeful but worried. Im concerned with the scenario of rising costs of labor vs. sales, which are flat or less than they were before COVID. At some point, that becomes not a good formula for a sustainable business, she said. People are still not wanting to dine out. Even on dine-in nights, were not packed. The RRF money would buy the restaurant time, she said, until customers were more comfortable dining out. Not getting it, she said, is definitely unsettling. Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com. A federal court on Friday blocked a Tennessee law that requires businesses and public facilities to post a sign notifying patrons and visitors that they allow transgender individuals to use the bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. State of play: Judge Aleta Trauger of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee granted a preliminary injunction halting the implementation of the law. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The ACLU filed a lawsuit last month on behalf of businesses, which have "trans-inclusive restroom practices." What they're saying: Trauger said that since the plaintiffs argued that "the First Amendment typically does not permit such a mandate unless it is narrowly tailored to satisfy a compelling government purpose," they "are likely to succeed on their challenge," so allowing the law to be enforced while the litigation is ongoing would "harm them irreparably." "The plaintiffs have presented evidence that they have strived to be welcoming spaces for communities that include transgender individuals and that the signage required by the Act would disrupt the welcoming environments that they wish to provide," Trauger wrote. Catch up quick: In May, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed the bill into law, which demands businesses that are trans-inclusive display a sign that reads: "This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom." More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Jul. 10As Cobb prepares its plans for a Family Justice Center, District Attorney Flynn Broady and community partners traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina for inspiration. Broady, Deputy County Manager Jimmy Gisi, and representatives of Cobb Police, the Cobb Sheriff's office, LiveSafe Resources, SafePath and others visited the Guilford County Family Justice Center for two days. The trip was intended to help Cobb design its own Family Justice Center, which is in planning phases. The Family Justice Center is intended to bring a variety of resources under one roof for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking. It originated in 2020, after Cobb was awarded a $400,000 from the state of Georgia, and is scheduled to open in December 2022. "The tour provided Cobb County partners with valuable insight into the critical components necessary to fully operate and sustain this collaborative model long-term, including building and infrastructure; design and accessibility; partner agreements; policies and procedures; governance and funding; and community buy-in and engagement," a news release from Broady's office said. SAN DIEGO (AP) Reliever Miguel Diaz rejoined the Padres for the fourth time this season and was part of a dominant performance by the San Diego bullpen Friday night in a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Trent Grisham drove in two runs, a day after his game-ending single beat Washington 9-8 when the Padres rallied from an eight-run deficit, matching the biggest comeback in team history. Four San Diego relievers combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. The Padres have won nine straight against Colorado at Petco Park, their longest active home winning streak against any opponent. With Blake Snell put on the injured list a day after All-Star Yu Darvish exited early with a tight back, the Padres called up Reiss Knehr, who owned a 3.90 ERA in 11 starts with Double-A San Antonio. It was unbelievable. A dream come true, Knehr said of his first game in the majors. Its one of those things that nobody can take away from you. It was a great feeling. Knehr escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning with minimal damage, only giving up one run on a walk to Elias Diaz. (The win) doesnt happen without Reiss giving us the start and Diaz giving us the length, San Diego manager Jayce Tingler said. Knehr allowed another run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by pitcher Kyle Freeland that made it 2-0. Knehr lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and three hits. Things could have gone south on him (Knehr) in the second, Tingler said. He was able to take a deep breath and get back in the zone, which was huge. Recalled from Triple-A El Paso for the fourth time this year, Diaz took over and permitted one hit in 2 2/3 innings. The highlight of the night for me was Diaz. Its the best I have seen him pound the zone, Tingler said. He threw strikes with all of his pitches. His changeup up really bottomed out and fell off the table. Relievers Tim Hill and Austin Adams combined to get the next five outs and closer Mark Melancon earned his 27th save by retiring the side in the ninth inning. Story continues With San Diego trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Jake Cronenworth led off with a single, Manny Machado doubled and Tyler Kinley replaced Freeland (1-3). Hitting is contagious and guys feed off that throughout the lineup, Cronenworth said. It seems like its a different guy every night. Grishams RBI grounder tied it and Wil Myers hit a go-ahead double. Tommy Pham singled in the seventh and later scored on Machados single. Cronenworth made a lot of things happen to start some innings, Tingler said. Manny continues to come up big, nothing maybe bigger than that add-on (run), which is so critical. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: Darvish will most likely not participate in Tuesdays All-Star Game after he departed Thursdays start after just three innings. ... LHP Blake Snell (gastroenteritis) was placed on the on the 10-day injured IL, retroactive to July 6. ... LHP Drew Pomeranz (left forearm inflammation) was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 7. UP NEXT Rockies: RHP German Marquez (7-6, 3.59) starts the second game of the series. Padres: RHP Joe Musgrove (5-6, 2.97) pitches on Saturday night. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports (Getty Images) In remarks at the nations largest conservative conference, Donald Trump Jr railed against Hunter Biden and appeared to call him a total piece of garbage and accused him of selling access to the highest levels of government and selling out your country. What do you think the media reaction would be to Don Jr smoking parmesan cheese? I promise you it wouldnt be what we saw from the media Mr Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference from Dallas, Texas on 9 July, taking a dig at the presidents son. Then I say that and they say Oh, youre making fun of people with addiction, he added. President Joe Bidens son has admitted his struggle with addiction, detailed in a recently published memoir and in interviews. The president has also repeatedly addressed his sons drug and alcohol abuse, including during a heated debate between Mr Biden and the former president, who falsely smeared him as a dishonourably discharged Naval officer. My son, like a lot of people at home, had a drug problem, Mr Biden responded. Im proud of him. Im proud of my son. At his CPAC appearance, Donald Trump Jr said: I totally understand addiction. Its terrible. We all know people that have suffered from it. It doesnt absolve you from being a total piece of garbage in every other aspect of your life. It doesnt absolve you from selling access to the highest levels of government. It doesnt absolve you from selling out your country. Mr Trump, right-wing media and GOP officials have alleged that Hunter Biden relied on his fathers vice presidency to support his previous business dealings. The White House has denied that the president discussed any such matters with his son. Hunter Biden who has pursued a career in art has also drawn scrutiny over potentially high-priced art deals, which the White House will reportedly keep confidential, even from the artist himself, to prevent wealthy buyers from gaining favourable access to Hunter or his family by paying large sums for his art. Story continues On his first day as president, the president issued an executive order requiring strict ethics commitments from administration staff and officials, including expansions of Obama-era ethics rules that include banning outgoing senior officials from communication with their former agency, among other policies including prohibiting family members from working in his administration. The former president whose company the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer are facing several criminal charges, including fraud and conspiracy, following a years-long investigation and several of his administration officials had family working in the White House. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner worked as chief advisers to Mr Trump. The former president maintained hundreds of conflicts of interest while in office including retaining his sprawling real estate empire while also profiting from the administrations use of his properties. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found more than 3,700 conflicts of interest within the Trump White House, which made at least 547 visits to Trump properties during his four years in office. Mr Trump also reported making more than $1.6bn in outside revenue and income while in office, according to federal financial disclosures with the US Office of Government Ethics. Read More Hunter Biden paintings pose ethical challenge for president Donald Trump Jr trolls Hunter Biden over his struggles with drugs by posting picture of crack pipe and parmesan Donald Trump Jr mocked for bizarre video rant at Biden: Dont hack the McDonalds on DC Hunter Biden: The US presidents prodigal son Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office vowing sweeping reforms that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, before becoming mired in a gruesome internal conflict that has drawn global outrage. Now, as he prepares for a new term following a landslide win in a national election, he finds the surge of hope that accompanied his initial appointment three years ago significantly diminished. Election officials announced on Saturday that Abiy's Prosperity Party had secured an overwhelming majority in last month's poll, giving him the popular mandate he has long coveted. Even as he confronts persistent insecurity that has delayed voting in some areas, Abiy appears unbowed. In an April speech he told supporters, in his trademark folksy language, that while Ethiopia might seem riven by crises, the real problem was one of perception. He compared the country's experience to that of a village child disoriented by riding in a car for the first time. "When the car moves forward, the buildings and trees go backward and we become confused," he said. - Meteoric rise - Abiy was once a village boy himself. Born in the western town of Beshasha to a Muslim father and Christian mother, he has described sleeping on the floor in a house with no electricity or running water. Fascinated with technology, he joined the military as a radio operator while still a teenager. In his 2019 Nobel speech he recalled his time during the brutal 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea, saying his entire unit was wiped out in an Eritrean artillery attack that he survived only because he'd left a foxhole to get better antenna reception. He rose to lieutenant-colonel before entering government as the first head of Ethiopia's cyber-spying outfit, the Information Network Security Agency. Then came stints as a lawmaker and minister of science and technology. - Seizing the moment - The circumstances that lifted Abiy to high office can be traced to late 2015. Story continues A government plan to expand the capital's administrative boundaries into the surrounding Oromia region was seen as a land grab, sparking protests led by the Oromos, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, and the Amharas, the second-largest. The ruling coalition at the time, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), resorted to its customary tactics: states of emergency and mass arrests. These proved insufficient. When then-prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn abruptly resigned, the coalition's member parties chose Abiy to become the first Oromo prime minister in 2018. He released dissidents from jail, apologised for state brutality and welcomed home exiled groups -- part of a democratic rebirth meant to culminate in the most competitive elections in Ethiopia's history. But Abiy encountered a host of obstacles, notably persistent ethnic violence including in his native Oromia. - Road to war - All the while, the northern Tigray region was seething. Its ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), had dominated national politics before Abiy's rise, and its leaders did not take kindly to his perceived attempts to sideline them. When Abiy dissolved the EPRDF and formed the Prosperity Party in 2019, the TPLF refused to go along. In September 2020 it brazenly defied the prime minister by holding "illegal" regional elections, ignoring a nationwide ban on polls imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two months later, Abiy accused the TPLF of attacking federal army camps and ordered troops into Tigray. Though he promised the conflict would be swift, fighting dragged on for nearly eight months, as did reports of brutal massacres and mass rape. In late June Ethiopia's army largely withdrew from Tigray and pro-TPLF fighters returned to the regional capital Mekele. Tigrayan leaders now want forces from neighbouring Eritrea and Ethiopia's Amhara region -- who teamed up with the army -- to leave the region too, and the country is bracing for a new offensive. Meanwhile world leaders warn a humanitarian catastrophe is already unfolding. - A new 'crossroads' - Abiy is married to Zinash Tayachew, whom he met in the military. The couple have three daughters and adopted a baby boy in August 2018. Deeply ambitious, Abiy has been accused of focusing his attention on beautifying the capital and mediating conflicts abroad rather than the situation at home. Critics also say he has embraced the same authoritarianism many hoped he would end, overseeing mass arrests and abuses by security forces. Gone are the heady days of "Abiymania" that followed his appointment in 2018. Now his opponents openly disrespect him. "I think he's stuck somewhere," Merera Gudina, an opposition leader from Oromia whose party boycotted the elections, told AFP. "He started to behave as a lost child at a crossroads. Such a child cannot go back because he doesn't know from where he came, and he cannot proceed because he does not know where he's going." His supporters, though, remain true believers. Early on in the Tigray war, some officials even suggested that, given Abiy's efforts to resolve the conflict, their boss might be deserving of "a second Nobel Prize". rcb/txw/har The US Capitol is shown through security fencing on March 21, 2021. AP Photo/Alan Fram An ex-GOP staffer pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge and faces 12 to 15 years in prison. An investigation found Ruben Verastigui took part in a chat featuring sexual depictions of children. "Verastigui's release would put the public and children everywhere at-risk," prosecutors said. See more stories on Insider's business page. A former GOP staffer and Republican National Committee aide pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge after he admitted to possessing 50 photos and 152 videos of child pornography. Ruben Verastigui, 27, entered a guilty plea during a video conference hearing and could face 12 to 15 years in prison under a plea deal with prosecutors. Verastigui was involved in a ring of at least 18 other people who were trading child pornography via a chat group on an unnamed website, in which he was accused of trading sexual depictions of children and discussing killing children. The DC Metropolitan Police arrested Verastigui in February, after an investigation. He was accused of having "distributed, received, and possessed images of child pornography" between March 2020 and February 2021, according to a press release from the MPD. The Daily Beast reported Verastigui had worked for the Senate Republican Conference as a digital strategist until July 2020, according to his now-deleted LinkedIn profile, and he also designed social media ads for Donald Trump's reelection campaign. Congressional payroll records also showed Verastigui worked as a digital director for the Joint Economic Committee in 2018, Politico reported. Following his arrest, federal prosecutors wrote in a detention memo in February that Verastigui sought out images of rape of children and discussed "in great detail" how he enjoyed seeing children abused and killed, citing a report from The Daily Beast. Chat logs included messages between Verastigui and another group chat member talking about traveling somewhere with police officers so they could kill a child, according to the memo. Story continues "Verastigui's release would put the public and children everywhere at-risk," prosecutors wrote in the February memo. A judge is set to rule on Verastigui's sentence on October 12. Read the original article on Business Insider In a move based on current scientific evidence and lessons learned, federal health officials said Friday that students, teachers and staff who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not have to wear masks indoors during the upcoming school year. Those who are not fully vaccinated, including children younger than 12 years old who are not yet eligible to get a shot, should continue to wear masks inside, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended. Masks are generally not recommended while outdoors, regardless of vaccination status, however unvaccinated people should consider wearing one in crowded settings or during close contact activities. The guidance is meant to supplement not replace any federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules and regulations with which schools must comply, the CDC noted. This means face coverings are still required on public transportation, such as buses, and final decisions on masks will fall to local leaders. However, health experts and educators alike are split on whether the move is the safest option at this stage of the pandemic. Highly contagious coronavirus variants continue to spread across the nation, mostly infecting younger, unvaccinated people. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, told the Associated Press the updated guidance is an important roadmap for reducing the risk of COVID-19 in schools. Schools should be consistently and rigorously employing all the recommended mitigation strategies, including requiring masks in all settings where there are unvaccinated individuals present, and ensuring adequate ventilation, handwashing, and cleaning. The CDC also emphasized layered prevention strategies, especially in cases where the recommended 3-foot distance between students and teachers is difficult to maintain, or in schools with a mixture of kids who may or may not be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Story continues Science completely supports that, Mark Williams, dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told NBC News. The vaccines are very effective in preventing infections, and if there is a breakthrough infection, it would not result in serious illness or hospitalization. More than 4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 as of July 1 since the pandemic began, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The CDC guidance doesnt mention how school teachers should determine which students are vaccinated; it also doesnt recommend that schools require the shots for those who are eligible, like it does for vaccines of other diseases. This isnt going to help the cause for the school districts that are trying to use the CDC as a marker for defending mask policies, Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician in Missouri and a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told NBC News. Elizabeth Stuart, a public health professor at John Hopkins University told the AP it would be a very weird dynamic, socially, to have some kids wearing masks and some not. And tracking that? Teachers shouldnt need to be keeping track of which kids should have masks on. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. New York public elementary school teacher Sarah Allen expressed her concerns on Twitter. New [CDC] school covid guidance, for whatever its worth, doesnt provide safety to many students and staff in many schools across the country. Its important to remember that in many places, politics, not science, guide actual school safety decisions, Allen tweeted Friday. Whatever the CDC recommends, including schools in Texas and Iowa wont have any mask mandates, including among unvaccinated staff and students, she added. Many places havent made improvements to school ventilation in decades and have no intention of starting now. No matter what the CDC says, the priority on being open far supersedes being open safely. Many schools will continue to be unsafe next year. Other experts are on the fence. For the first time, I really think they hit it on the nose. I think its science-based and right on the mark, Dr. Benjamin Linas, an infectious disease specialist at Boston University, told The New York Times. But Linas said he doesnt want to send his own 11-year-old to school without a mask yet because of the delta coronavirus variant, which is more contagious and appears to cause more severe disease than other versions. Even if shes not going to get severe Covid from delta, Im not ready to take that risk. The phones the FBI sold to crooks for a sting operation weren't just running a custom app it appears the operating system was also tweaked for those goals. Motherboard has obtained one of the "Anom" phones (really, a modified Pixel 4a), and its mysterious "ArcaneOS" has a number of customizations that you wouldn't necessarily expect, even for a privacy-oriented phone. For one, there are no app stores. You also can't toggle location tracking. And don't think you can simply flash the device with third-party firmware to make it behave more like normal phones the bootloader is locked even though the startup screen tells you the device has been modified. Some user said Anom was based on the existing GrapheneOS, but Anom may have lied to buyers about the software to instill a false sense of trust. The interface does include some security features that would appeal to the criminal target audience, including a hidden chat app (accessed through the "calculator" when it worked) and PIN scrambling. A wipe code feature that lets you erase a phone from the lock screen is also present, although the Justice Department clearly didn't like that feature when it charged some Anom developers with alleged obstruction of law enforcement. At least one second-hand Anom phone owner say they got a Pixel 3a, suggesting the FBI transitioned to different devices as the sting unfolded. You wouldn't want to buy one of these devices, then, even for curiosity's sake. However, it's now clear just how far the FBI went to bust criminals. The agency wanted to give unsuspecting drug dealers the impression they were using a true encrypted phone, right down to the OS, even as the device quietly exposed messages to law enforcement agents. Two members of Congress say a Tampa lead factory must face serious repercussions in the wake of a damning report from regulators that confirmed dangerous conditions at the plant. Its time now to move to the penalty phase, said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, describing the report as devastating. The Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission released the report on July 1, identifying more than two dozen possible environmental violations at Gopher Resource. The commissions inquiry was prompted by a Tampa Bay Times investigation that revealed Gopher subjected hundreds of employees to high levels of lead and toxic gases. Many of the Times major findings were confirmed in the report, including that Gopher failed to fix broken equipment and altered machinery in ways that increased worker exposure inside the plant. This level of neglect is unconscionable, Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, said in a statement. Castor said the findings give the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice ample evidence to act. She promised to push the agencies to take further action. Crist pledged to seek justice for the workers. No employee should have to work in these types of conditions, he said. Justice Department officials declined to comment this week. The Environmental Protection Agency also would not comment, saying it doesnt discuss ongoing or potential investigations. In a statement, Gopher said it is continuing to review the commissions report and is in compliance with federal air-quality standards. Gopher has consistently stated that it will cooperate with all local, state, and federal agencies that regulate its operations in its ongoing effort to improve the overall safety and environmental performance of its plant, the statement said. The commissions 65-page report is the latest in a series of blows to Gopher. A former employee filed a lawsuit alleging the work environment harmed his young son; the companys credit rating took a hit; and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been investigating since April. Story continues Castor said she planned to keep pressing OSHA to complete their investigation and let us know what theyve found. OSHA has not provided a timeline for when its inspection will be finished. We continue to assess this complex issue, the U.S. Department of Labor said in a statement. We are also considering appropriate actions to address worker health and safety in collaboration with employees at this facility and their union, the community and this employer to ensure workers are protected. Gopher said the company welcomes any recommendations from OSHA. After the Times published its two-part investigation in March, Castor and Crist asked several federal agencies to launch inquiries. The Environmental Protection Agency delegated the investigation to the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, which regulates Gophers emissions in the neighborhood air and enforces federal air-quality standards. The commission found toxic gasses reached life-threatening levels and contaminated dust covered the plants floor. It also found that Gopher had failed to fix mechanical problems and report equipment breakdowns to regulators. Sterlin Woodard, the director of the commissions air division who oversaw the investigation, said Gopher likely will face fines. We will work with any federal, state or local agency to ensure the public is protected and that any actions taken by Gopher are properly addressed, Woodard said. Gopher said it made improvements before the investigation began. Some of those changes were documented after the Times began asking questions of the company dating back to October 2020. More than 300 people work at the plant, which is the only factory that produces lead in Florida. They reclaim the metal from used car batteries to make new blocks that are sold to battery and ammunition manufacturers. A Times analysis of company data found that eight out of 10 workers from 2014 to 2018 had enough lead in their blood to put them at risk of increased blood pressure, kidney dysfunction or cardiovascular disease. In the past five years, at least 14 current and former workers have had heart attacks or strokes, some after working in the most contaminated areas of the plant, the Times found. And at least 16 children of factory workers were exposed to lead dust unknowingly carried home. This story is part of a collaboration with FRONTLINE, the PBS series, through its Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A former Catholic ministry leader at Western Carolina University in the North Carolina mountains sexually abused a student for years in the 1980s, according to a lawsuit the former student filed on Tuesday against his alleged abuser and the Charlotte Catholic Diocese. On Friday, the diocese issued a statement that it has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse, and we continue to encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to seek help and report to authorities. Al Behm is named in the lawsuit as the man who allegedly sexually abused the student at WCU in Cullowhee. The student said he had known Behm since he was a boy in Connecticut. Behm was an ordained Catholic brother of the Ohio-based Glenmary Home Missioners religious order, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Mecklenburg County Civil Superior Court. From about 1980 to 1984, the diocese and Behms religious order assigned him to Western Carolina University as the first full-time Catholic campus minister, the lawsuit says. The former student said Behm repeatedly sexually assaulted him on a visit to WCU when he was 16 or 17 and later as a student there. The assaults caused such severe emotional distress, according to the lawsuit, that the student was unable to graduate from college and experienced a significant delay in entering the workforce full-time. Credibly accused In 2019, according to the lawsuit, the diocese and Glenmary finally publicly admitted that Behm had been credibly accused of child sexual abuse, in the states of Kentucky, where he served before he was assigned to work at WCU, and Tennessee, where his order assigned him after WCU. The former student sued the diocese and Glenmary for negligence and Behm on claims of assault, battery and inflicting emotional distress. The lawsuit, filed by Raleigh lawyers Leto Copeley and David Stradley, wants a jury to award at least $200,000 in damages to the former student. The statute of limitations usually runs out on legal claims so old. The 2020 extension of a 2019 law signed by Gov. Roy Cooper opened a two-year revival window to file such claims, according to the lawsuit. Story continues Behm appears on Glenmary list of alleged abusers In a statement Friday, the Charlotte diocese said Behm was publicly named in October 2019 on Glenmarys list of members accused of abuse. Glenmarys list prompted the Diocese of Charlotte to include Behms name on our accountability website, on a list of those who served here and were later accused of abuse elsewhere, according to the statement. Behm left the Glenmary order in 1993, according to the diocese. He now lives in California or the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, formerly Burma, the lawsuit said. According to a public records search by the Observer on Saturday, Behm is 83 and lives in Los Angeles, Calif. He has no home or cell phone number listed in public records and couldnt be reached for comment. The diocese just received the lawsuit and needs time to review it before commenting about its claims that diocesan officials were negligent in the case, a spokeswoman said Friday. Failed to protect minors Father Dan Dorsey, president of Glenmary Home Missioners, expressed remorse in an email to the Observer. I cannot comment on active lawsuits, but I can say that at times in the past, Glenmary has failed to protect minors and vulnerable adults, Dorsey said. Moreover, our response to victims has often been inadequate. On behalf of Glenmary I deeply regret these failures. Glenmary is committed to healing and justice for all involved. A Frenchman in Japan who says his children were abducted by their Japanese mother began a hunger strike in Tokyo Saturday, in a protest he hopes will bring international attention to his fight to be reunited with his family. "I've given everything, I've lost my job, my house and my savings in the last three years. I weigh 80 kilograms now, and I'll give it all until the very last gram," Vincent Fichot told AFP, sitting at the entrance to a train station in Tokyo, not far from the new Olympic stadium. Fichot, 39, who has lived in Japan for 15 years, said he will not give up his hunger strike until his children, a boy and a girl aged six and four, are returned to him. Failing that, he said, "I want the French authorities to show me they are serious and that they really want to defend my kids, and that they will impose sanctions against Japan until Japan agrees to protect my children's rights." His wife has accused him in court of domestic violence, Fichot said, but later "retracted" the claim, and the Japanese justice system now has "nothing to reproach me for", he said. "I've tried everything, I've tried to convince my wife by saying to her that it was not good for the kids," he added. "Right now I don't even know if they are alive." Joint custody of children in cases of divorce or separation does not exist legally in Japan, where parental abductions are common and often tolerated by local authorities. No official numbers exist, but rights groups have estimated that about 150,000 minors are forcibly separated from a parent every year in the East Asian archipelago. Among those are some bi-national children, like those of Fichot, who, having hit a brick wall with Japanese authorities, has now turned to the French state and international bodies. He plans to continue his hunger strike day and night -- and says if police chase him away he will go elsewhere. Story continues Members of a Tokyo-based support committee, which includes other foreign parents in the same situation, will bring him water, clothes, and help him charge his electronic devices. Fichot also plans to post a short daily video on his Facebook page to publicise his situation and keep followers up to date on his physical condition. French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Tokyo at the end of the month to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. During his last visit to the country, Macron spoke out in support of French parents separated from their children in Japan, condemning "situations of distress that are completely unacceptable". etb/mac/oho/axn Reuters MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine senator and boxing star Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao was voted out as leader of the country's ruling party on Saturday, weeks after challenging President Rodrigo Duterte over his position on China and record on fighting corruption. Pacquiao, 42, who is seen as a possible contender to succeed Duterte in next year's presidential election, had long been among the president's strongest supporters, backing his bloody war on drugs and bid to reintroduce the death penalty. But ties between them soured last month after Pacquiao railed at what he called Duterte's soft stance on Beijing's aggressiveness in the South China Sea, and said he was probing graft in the government. Haiti has requested the help of U.S. and U.N. forces to protect the country after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated by foreign mercenaries this week. But the U.S. rebuffed the request for military assistance on Friday, even as it pledged to help with the investigation, while the U.N. said it was reviewing their request. A Haitian government minister said Friday interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph had raised the topic of assistance with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.N. Security Council earlier this week. Two letters sent to the U.S. embassy and the U.N. and seen by Reuters requested the support of troops to reestablish security and protect key infrastructure like the port and airport. The minister said the request would also help scheduled presidential and legislative elections go forth in September. Colombia has also pledged to help with the investigation after Haiti police said 26 of their nationals had been arrested for Moise's murder. Some of the suspects had retired from Colombia's army. Two Haitian American suspects were also identified as James Solages and Joseph Vincent, both from Florida. Seventeen of the men, including Solages and Vincent, have been captured. Three others were killed and eight remain at large, according to Haitian police, who are still hunting for the masterminds of the operation. Haitian officials have not given a motive for Moise's killing. He had faced calls for his resignation over corruption allegations, economic mismanagement, and his increasing grip on power. Moise's killing has sparked further confusion and chaos in the already politically turbulent country over who will take control. Crowds gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Haiti on Friday amidst state of emergency, desperate for a way out of the country. The Haitian government under acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph sent a letter to the Biden administration this week requesting the urgent deployment of troops to secure the countrys sea, air and oil ports, hours after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Haitis ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, delivered the letter after Joseph spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday. A similar letter was sent to the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, requesting troops to help secure the country in crisis and investigate Moises killing. Deputy Spokesman of the U.N. Secretary General Farhan Aziz Haq confirmed that the United Nations had received a letter requesting troops. The sending of any force would be a matter for the Security Council to decide, Haq told the Miami Herald. The letters dated July 7, written in French and obtained by the Miami Herald, say the priority areas for troops would be port and airport security, security of oil terminals, transport of oil products, and electoral security. Troops would support the urgent needs of the Haitian government on issues of security, the letters said, reinforcing the work of the Haitian National Police, which is currently leading the Moise investigation and working to keep calm in a country that faced a rash of gang violence even before the president was killed. U.S. officials said Friday they were responding to requests for security and investigative assistance by sending a delegation of FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Haiti, where they will assist in the Moise probe and assess the security situation on the ground. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In response to the Haitian governments request for security and investigative assistance, we will be sending senior FBI and DHS officials to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing Friday. McClatchy correspondent Michael Wilner reported from Washington. Haitian authorities are working hard to determine how and why a group of armed mercenaries gunned down 53-year-old President Jovenel Moise at his home on Wednesday. Multiple suspects have been arrested in connection to the assassination, but the identities and motives of the gunman have not yet been fully determined. Heres what we know: What happened? Moise and his wife, Martine, were both inside their private residence outside of Port-au-Prince when armed intruders fatally shot him around 1 a.m. Wednesday. The first lady, who has since been transported to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for treatment, was critically injured, suffering multiple gunshot wounds to her abdomen and extremities. One of the mercenaries, as a Haitian official labeled the suspects, reportedly had an American accent and yelled in English, DEA operation. Everybody, stand down. DEA operation. Everybody, back up. Stand down, over a megaphone during the attack. State Department spokesman Ned Price said it was absolutely false that DEA agents were involved in the Wednesday attack. AMERICAN SUSPECTS IN MOISE ASSASSINATION CLAIM THEY WERE TRANSLATORS, OFFICIAL SAYS Security forces conduct an investigation as a soldier stands guard at the entrance to the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, July 7, 2021. Gunmen assassinated Moise and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn) Joseph Odelyn/AP Who are the suspects? Haitian police arrested multiple suspects in connection to the assassination, officials announced Thursday. Two of the suspects are Haitian Americans, while the other 15 assailants in custody are Colombian nationals who appear to be retired members of that country's military, officials said. The American suspects have been identified as 35-year-old James Solages and 55-year-old Joseph Vincent. The two said they were working as translators for the assailants and were not in the room when Moise was killed, according to a Haitian judge who interviewed them as part of the investigation into the attack. Story continues Solages and Vincent, who were arrested after a shootout between police and the group of the attackers that killed at least three suspects, were found to be in possession of weapons, clothes, food, and other items used in the assault at the time they were detained, Judge Clement Noel said. The attackers had been planning their encounter with Moise for over a month but had not planned to kill him, Solages and Vincent said, according to Noel. Instead, they planned to bring him to the national palace, the presidents official residence, they said. It was Solages who yelled that the group was with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Noel also said, apparently confirming the earlier account. Haitian Ambassador to the United States Bocchit Edmond insisted that the assailants, while foreigners, had internal help to carry out the attack but offered little in terms of specifics. There is no doubt about it. There is some internal help, Edmond said Thursday, adding, But the most important thing is we need to continue with the investigations and look and identify those who financed them, those who paid them to commit this horrible act. What was the motive? Authorities have not yet identified a motive, and Edmond declined to speculate about what drove the assailants to kill Moise. I just dont want to speculate on the motive because since there is an investigation going on. I have to wait for the results, but its certain that the head of state cannot be killed just for play, Edmond said. There has to be a reason. Although officials have made no connection to the incident, Moise oversaw the arrest of more than 20 people in February, including two high-ranking officials, whom he accused of plotting to take his life and overtake the government. The president's critics have maintained that Moise was corrupt for, among other things, seeking a referendum on a draft constitution that would enable him to seek reelection to the presidency. Who is now in charge, and what is the current political situation? Haiti is now being led by acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who insisted that "democracy and the republic will win" after taking over just months before a scheduled presidential election in September. The countrys security situation is under the control of the National Police of Haiti and the Armed Forces of Haiti, Joseph said. The country needs military assistance to maintain control, Edmond has said since Moise's killing, but he declined to say whether the Haitian government would request military assistance from the U.S. It is not a decision for me to make, he said on Wednesday. Its between authorities, the U.S. authorities, and the Haitian authorities to discuss and to assess the situation and see where they want to help, how they can help. How has the U.S. responded? President Joe Biden dubbed the situation in Haiti very worrisome following the assassination and extended his condolences to the country, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call with Joseph affirmed Americas continued commitment to work with the Government of Haiti in support of the Haitian people and democratic governance, peace, and security, his office said in a statement Wednesday. Haiti is a partner, and that is how we will treat this relationship," Price also said this week. We would echo what we have heard from the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph in his calls for calm, his calls for the Haitian people to work together to ensure peace, to ensure democratic government. The United States has and will continue to stand by to provide assistance to the Haitian people." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Beyond that, White House press secretary Jen Psaki revealed on Friday the dispatch of senior officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security to aid the Haitian government ahead of the September elections. The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Foreign Policy, Haiti, State Department, Biden Administration, DEA, Crime, Law Original Author: Jeremy Beaman Original Location: Haitian President Jovenel Moise's assassination: What we know so far HAVANA (Reuters) - Haiti's senate, which currently comprises just a third of its usual 30 senators, nominated on Friday its head Joseph Lambert to be interim president after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, a document reviewed by Reuters showed. The move plunges Haiti deeper into political crisis with its constitution unclear as to who should take over the reins of power in this kind of situation and rival political factions in disagreement. The acting interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph has taken over the reins of power so far. Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said he would keep that role until presidential and legislative elections are held on Sept. 26. (Reporting by Andre Paultre in Port-au-Prince; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Daniel Flynn) Firefighters arrive at Frenchman Lake on Thursday to battle the Sugar fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex fires burning in Plumas National Forest. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) The California Independent System Operator, which runs the electric grid for most of the state, has extended its Flex Alert another day as a heat wave and a wildfire in Oregon strain the states power supply. Officials are asking Californians to reduce their energy consumption between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday. An alert was in effect for that same period Friday. During the alert, residents are urged to set thermostats at 78 degrees or higher, turn off all unnecessary lights and avoid using major appliances. The ISO said in a statement that the Bootleg wildfire in southern Oregon, which has grown to more than 38,000 acres, has threatened electric transmission lines, limiting the amount of energy that can be imported. Excessive heat warnings are in place throughout Southern California until early next week. Temperatures of up to 110 degrees are expected in the Cuyama Valley and San Luis Obispo County mountains, according to the National Weather Service. A heat advisory is also in effect until 9 p.m. Monday in the Ventura County mountains and Los Angeles County mountains, excluding the Santa Monica range. Temperatures of up to 106 degrees are expected at lower elevations. The hot weather has created dangerous conditions for fires. More than 900 personnel are fighting the Sugar fire, which on Friday totaled more than 23,800 acres and triggered new evacuations in Plumas and Lassen counties, as well as Nevada's Washoe County. It is 11% contained. The fire, which was sparked by lightning July 2, is part of the Beckwourth Complex, which also includes the Dotta fire. On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Reno reported lightning strikes along the east side of the complex, produced by a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. The fire is moving east, said Phyllis Ashmead, a spokesperson with an incident management team assisting Plumas National Forest. Ashmead said shes received no reports of damaged structures. Its driven by southwest winds, tinder-dry conditions, she said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Portraits of dozens of anime characters, each with a small altar for fans to leave flowers, adorn the wall of a Bangkok gallery -- a tribute to fictional heroes who met an untimely death. The 2D Afterlife exhibit is made up of 50 of these creations from artist Jinnipha Nivasabut, who wanted to mourn the deaths of her favourite characters in popular shows and manga series. The core concept "is to explore the idea of why the deaths of these fictional characters could have such an impact on real people," the 22-year-old anime lover said. Eschewing anime's cartoon style, she instead painted the fallen heroes with the realism of stately oil portraits. "In my memories, I see these characters as real persons. Theyre like members of my family so I decided to draw these characters to resemble real persons as much as possible," she said. Japanese anime and manga enjoy mainstream popularity in the kingdom, with frequent conventions held in pre-pandemic Bangkok that would draw massive crowds of cosplayers. Jinnipha said she wanted her work to not just serve as fan art, but as a participation experience for both her and the massive fan base supporting each series. Below each portrait, a small shelf acting as an altar allows the public to place flowers and Fanta soda drinks -- typical Thai offerings to the dead. Sasha Braus, a beloved character from the ultra-popular Attack on Titan series, had a potato left on her shelf -- a reference to her love for food on the show that earned her the nickname "Potato Girl". "They know that she loved potatoes so one of them came here and put it on the shelf for her," said gallery visitor Kullanit Assawawongkasem, 19, who added that she was "devastated" when the character was killed. But "seeing these portraits, especially of Sasha, Im not exactly sad," she said. "It's the opposite -- Im kind of glad that people still think of her." The exhibit, hosted at Palette Artspace in Bangkok, ends on August 3. pit-dhc/reb JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping Indias aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. A shipment of more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other health devices arrived from Singapore on Friday, followed by another 1,000 ventilators from Australia, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister in charge of Indonesias pandemic response. Beside those donations, Indonesia plans to buy 36,000 tons of oxygen and 10,000 concentrators devices that generate oxygen from neighboring Singapore, Pandjaitan said. He said he is in touch with China and other potential oxygen sources. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates also have offered help. We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. In addition to sending vaccines, the U.S. is working to increase assistance for Indonesias broader COVID-19 response efforts, she said, without elaborating. Overall, Indonesia, the worlds fourth-most populous country, has reported more than 2.4 million infections and 64,631 fatalities from COVID-19. Those figures are widely believed to be a vast undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures. Indonesia reported the highest toll of 1,040 deaths on Wednesday and nearly 39,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and Friday. Hospitals are swamped, with growing numbers of the ill dying in isolation at home or while waiting to receive emergency care. On Java, Indonesias most populous island, hospitals began setting up makeshift intensive care units in mid-June. Many patients are waiting for days to be admitted. Oxygen tanks were rolled out onto sidewalks for those lucky enough to get them, while others have been told they have to find their own. Story continues Emergency rooms at a public hospital in Bandung city closed earlier this week after running out of oxygen amid panic buying fueled by soaring infections in the West Java provincial capital, said Yaya Mulyana, the citys deputy mayor. Panicked people bought oxygen tanks even though they didnt need them yet, Mulyana said. That has led to oxygen supplies running out. At one hospital in Yogyakarta, in central Java, 63 COVID-19 patients died in one day -- 33 of them during an outage of its central liquid oxygen supply, though the hospital had switched to using oxygen cylinders, spokesman Banu Hermawan said. Indonesia donated 3,400 oxygen cylinders and concentrators to India when a brutal outbreak ravaged the country. As its own cases surged, Jakarta then canceled a plan to send another 2,000 oxygen concentrators to India in late June. The daily need for oxygen has reached 1,928 tons a day. The countrys total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day, according to government data. I asked for 100% of oxygen go to medical purposes first, meaning that all industrial allocations must be transferred to medical, said Pandjaitan, the government minister. We are racing against time, we have to work fast. Given the rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant, he warned that Indonesia could face a worst-case scenario with 50,000 cases a day. The next two weeks will be critical, he said. The Ministry of Industry responded by issuing a decree that all oxygen supplies be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients, and asked industry players to cooperate. Oxygen is used in making many products, including textiles, plastics and vehicles. Oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and steel makers also use it. But industry leaders have fallen in line in supporting government efforts to maximize supplies for hospitals. The government has redirected oxygen supplies from industrial plants in Morowali in Central Sulawesi, Balikpapan on Borneo island, and Belawan and Batam on Sumatra islands, Pandjaitan said. Smaller oxygen industries have also been directed to produce pharmaceutical oxygen. Jul. 10The city of Jacksonville is slated to hold a public hearing during the regular session of the city council set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, at city hall, 315 S. Ragsdale. The hearing is to receive public input on a proposed amendment to the city's zoning ordinances, removing and replacing the present sign regulations with new statutes. The proposed sign regulations can be viewed by visiting jacksonvilletx.org/AgendaCenter and downloading the June 8 agenda. The sign ordinance, postponed from that meeting, was listed as item 11 and can be located on pages 73-109. City council will also consider a special use permit to allow a residence in a commercial building at 569 N. Ragsdale, according to the proposed agenda posted earlier this week to the city's website. Other action items to be considered for approval include: The appraisal district budget; The granting of a utility easement under Lake Jacksonville; Approval of revised hotel occupancy tax grant guidelines and application; A tender agreement with FCCI Insurance Company; Authorizing the city manager and city attorney to negotiate and for city manager to execute a completion contract with GM Roberts, Inc. for work on the water treatment plant Clearwell rehabilitation and The consent agenda, consisting of the minutes of previous meetings, a $2,500 property tax refund and the sale of surplus equipment, furniture and fixtures. Discussion items include a street and infrastructure project and a roadbotics street assessment project. The council is set to meet in executive session under government code 551.072 real property pending possible litigation. The council will reconvene in open meeting if any action is to be taken as a result of executive consultation. The agenda for the July 13 Jacksonville city council meeting can be viewed on the city's website, jacksonvilletxorg/AgendaCenter. How serious could the suborbital space race between Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos get? (GeekWire Photos) Jeff Bezos has a longstanding rivalry with SpaceXs Elon Musk, but now his Blue Origin space venture is upping the ante in its spat with fellow soon-to-be space traveler Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic and the Twitterverse is not amused. Todays escalation from Blue Origin came in the form of a tweet drawing distinctions between a suborbital ride on its New Shepard spaceship and Virgin Galactics SpaceShipOne rocket plane. The tweets infographic noted that New Shepard would fly above the 100-kilometer (62-mile) altitude that is currently considered the international boundary of outer space, while New Shepards target altitude is 50 miles, which is accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration as astronaut territory. New Shepards other advantages including the size of its windows were noted as well: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The Twitter backlash didnt take long in coming. If you dont want to lose a LOT of space fans, I suggest you take this piece of trash down NOW! wrote John Gardi, an engineer who frequently comments on space ventures. You just lost my support! #BlueOriginSucks! Jeff is seriously pissed off, Ars Technicas Eric Berger tweeted. Shots fired on space twitter again, wrote Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments, who is getting ready for an orbital ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon set for launch in September. This latest space spat comes as Branson is preparing to board Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity for a test flight on Sunday, in the company of two pilots and three other mission specialists. Branson says he wants to try out the customer experience in advance of next months expected start of commercial operations. The British-born billionaire had been due to take his flight later in the summer, but the schedule was moved up after Bezos announced in June that hed be on board New Shepard for its first crewed flight on July 20. Bransons move stoked talk of a suborbital space race: Although Seattle tech executive Charles Simonyi already holds the title of first billionaire in space (and in orbit) by virtue of his trips to the International Space Station in 2007 and 2009, Branson is in line to become the first tycoon to take a ride on his own companys spaceship upstaging Bezos trip. Story continues That title may not rate a red-letter entry in the record books, but the space-race talk plays into the clash of billionaire egos. (Although Branson insists hes not in a race with Bezos, he couldnt resist referring to Jeff Who? during an CNBC interview.) It also plays into the competition for suborbital space customers. A recent report estimates that the space tourism market will grow by $5.2 billion in the next four years, with Virgin Galactic as well as Blue Origin, SpaceX and other ventures vying for bigger pieces of the pie. Theres actually little difference between the suborbital passenger experience at 50 miles vs. 62 miles. Both involve several Gs of acceleration, a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of the curving Earth below the black sky of space. But seasoned entrepreneurs like Bezos and Branson know how valuable marketing can be and how much operational differences, ranging from safety records to window size, can contribute to consumer choice. Branson is adding to the glitz, as is his custom, by signing up CBS talk-show host Stephen Colbert as the emcee for Sundays SpaceShipTwo live-stream and scheduling the premiere performance of a new song by Khalid after the landing. If a would-be spaceflier has tens of millions of dollars to spend, an orbital ride in SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule is likely to be more appealing. But for less deep-pocketed tourists and researchers, the suborbital rides planned over the next couple of weeks could mark the start of a hard-nosed competition for customers. I dont agree with Blues campaign talking points, but also, Im not their market audience, and Im not their market, space policy analyst Jared Zambrano-Stout, who served as chief of staff for the National Space Council during the Trump administration, said in a series of tweets. This is exactly what people have been talking about would be the Eden of Commercial Space for decades, Zambrano-Stout wrote. Strong and fierce competition between rivals going after every customer anywhere possible, with the government just one of many customers. Makes me wonder if people actually wanted capitalistic competition, or if they wanted something else. Update for 2 p.m. PT July 10: After Blue Origins contentious tweet, Bezos himself wished Branson well in an Instagram post: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Branson also got a boost from Elon Musk, who told him via Twitter that hed be at Spaceport America to witness Sundays flight: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. And Branson returned Musks warm wishes: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Virgin Galactic says it will begin streaming video of Bransons SpaceShipTwo mission at 6 a.m. PT Sunday via its website and its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels. More from GeekWire: MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. A man accused of harassing Black neighbors used a slingshot and ball bearings to cause more than $2,350 in damage to two vehicles at a condo complex, authorities say. The allegations came Thursday as officials announced new charges against Edward Cagney Mathews, a 45-year-old white man whose racist behavior sparked a loud and long protest outside his home days earlier. Mathews, previously accused of harassing Black neighbors, now is charged with offenses that include weapons and drug violations, criminal mischief and damaging the property of residents, said the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office. Edward Cagney Mathews: White man who pushed Black neighbor in racist rant arrested after protesters show up at his home Police found the slingshot and almost 50 ball bearings during a search of Mathews' home at Essex Place Condominiums, the prosecutor's office said. It alleged the ball bearings "matched the projectiles used to damage the vehicles" of two female residents at Essex Place. Mathews "is also accused of stalking one of the vehicle owners," the prosecutor's office said. A protester holds a sign at an anti-racism demonstration at the house of a bias-crimes suspect in Mount Laurel. Police also seized psilocybin mushrooms known for their hallucinogenic effect, along with packaging materials, the prosecutor's office alleged in a statement. That led to charges of possessing a controlled dangerous substance and possession with the intent to distribute. The search came after police obtained an "extreme risk protection order" against Mathews. The order, which prohibits its subject from possessing guns, was issued "based on the implied threat of the use of weapons Mathews made to neighbors," the statement said. The new charges against Mathews include possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of certain persons not to have a weapon, the prosecutor's office said. A previous conviction for burglary prohibits Mathews from legally possessing a weapon such as the slingshot, says a probable cause statement for his arrest. Story continues Court records show at least a dozen convictions for Mathews dating to 1996, including sentences for impersonating a police officer, possessing a sawed-off shotgun and aggravated assault. The new charges "underscore the importance of our community members coming forward with any information they have about criminal activity," said Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener, whose department has faced criticism for its handling of repeated complaints against Mathews. Protesters gather for an hours-long demonstration outside the Mount Laurel home of bias-crimes suspect Edward Cagney Mathews. Mathews has been in Burlington County Jail since his arrest at his home Monday evening. A detention hearing is to be held next week, the prosecutor's office said. Mathews initially was arrested after two incidents July 2 in which he directed racial slurs and threatening language and gestures at neighbors, the prosecutor's office said. A cellphone recording of the second confrontation July 2 was widely viewed. "Because someone recorded Mathews conduct on Friday night (July 2), we had the evidence to bring the previous charges, and the opportunity to gather the evidence that led to these additional charges," Prosecutor Scott Coffina said Thursday. Coffina noted Mount Laurel police had sought to keep Mathews in custody after his arrest July 2. But a municipal court judge released Mathews on his own recognizance, leading to Monday's demonstration outside the suspect's home. Mathews had given his address while being recorded July 2. Mathews was arrested for a second time Monday after the prosecutor's officer reviewed an additional video of the July 2 confrontation. That recording "showed Mathews bumped one of the victims with his chest and appeared to spit in his face," the prosecutor's office said. Protesters hurled bottles and expletives as police removed Mathews from his home shortly after 7 p.m., then vandalized the suspect's home. Windows are smashed and lawn is trash-strewn at the house of Edward Cagney Mathews, following his arrest Monday evening. A state judge on Monday ordered Mathews to be held in jail on three counts of harassment with the purpose to intimidate a person based on race. Mathews was charged with two counts of harassment and one count of trespass, a disorderly persons offense, stemming from the July 2 confrontations, the prosecutor's office said. According to the prosecutor's office, an investigation into Mathews' actions began July 2 when a resident filed a harassment complaint against him. A Mount Laurel police officer then responded a short time later to a nearby home, where Mathews was using racial slurs in a confrontation with four neighbors. While demonstrators on Monday asserted Mathews should have been arrested immediately, the township police officer directed the suspect to go home "in an attempt to de-escalate the situation," said the prosecutor's office. It noted Mathews was arrested later July 2 for both incidents. Coffina welcomed the publics help as his office looks into allegations against Mathews that date back to at least 2017. "Our office will continue to investigate the previously reported complaints," Coffina said. This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: New Jersey man accused of harassing Black neighbors faces new charges The long-delayed celebrity divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt entered a new stage of complications Friday when their big-name legal teams went before a California appellate court to argue about Jolie's bid to dump their private judge and start over on their nearly five-year-old custody battle. There was no immediate decision from the three-justice panel following more than an hour of back-and-forth between power lawyers Robert Olson for Jolie and Ted Boutrous for Pitt. Jolie's lawyer said Judge John Ouderkirk, the judge who married Jolie and Pitt in 2014, who was picked by both stars to preside as a paid private judge over their 2016 divorce, should now be dismissed because he failed to fully disclose in a timely manner professional links to one of Pitt's lawyers. "If you're going to play the role of a paid private judge you have to play by the rules and the rules are very clear, they require full transparency," Olson said. "Matters that should have been disclosed were not disclosed....If rules have no consequences they are empty." Pitt's lawyer argued that Jolie is engaging in a stalling tactic because she doesn't like Ouderkirk's earlier decisions in the case, including awarding temporary joint custody of their children to Pitt. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been in family court since 2016. If Ouderkirk is dismissed, his previous rulings in the case could be voided, a new judge would be appointed and the case would be slowed down even further, thus allowing more of the couple's six children to reach adulthood (son Maddox is 19), at which point they can make their own choices about a relationship with their father. Their other children are Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12. "This is the kind of game-playing that the courts condemn," said Boutrous, a First Amendment lawyer who recently persuaded a New York judge to allow a tea-spilling book about former President Donald Trump by his niece to be published over his objections. Story continues Boutrous insisted that Jolie, "a sophisticated person with sophisticated lawyers," has known all along about matters requiring disclosure by Ouderkirk but did not raise objections until she began losing in his court. "These kids are aging, some are already adults, others are reaching adulthood, and to allow this delaying tactic is extremely unjust and extremely unfair" to them and to Pitt, Boutrous said. The lawyers and the justices engaged in dense legal arguments about precedents and earlier decisions on similar cases, and occasionally wandered into questions about whether California should even allow private judges to be compensated. Angelina Jolie poses with her kids Shiloh, left, and Zahara during the Rome premiere of "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" in October 2019. Jolie sought Ouderkirk's dismissal in August 2020, alleging he was not impartial due to professional links between him and Pitt's lawyers. She lost that bid in Superior Court in November. The hearing Friday was to hear her appeal of that decision. Ordinarily, an appellate court decision could be expected in about a month. As the hearing closed, Olson pleaded for the court's decision to be made public. Divorce cases in California, especially celebrity cases and those conducted under the aegis of a private judge, often take place behind closed doors and are not accessible online, even before the COVID-19 pandemic closed courthouses. Much of the Jolie/Pitt divorce has been closed to the public. The appellate proceeding before the Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles was regarding the judge, not the divorce, so it was live-streamed. Christopher Melcher, a Los Angeles family law attorney not involved in the Jolie/Pitt case, who watched the entire proceeding, told USA TODAY that disqualifying a judge is rarely successful. "It's viewed as a last-ditch measure," he said. "Questioning a judges integrity is a serious accusation, which carries the risk of alienating the person who will decide custody and other issues. Angelina must have decided that was a risk worth taking." He says it's significant that Jolie repeatedly agreed to the reappointment of Ouderkirk each time his assignment was coming to end, and it was only after he criticized her in court that she cried foul. Olson said Friday that Jolie approved the last reappointment of the judge without full knowledge of Ouderkirk's disclosure of his latest business links to Pitt's legal team. Olson also asked for a stay so that Ouderkirk does not issue a final custody ruling before the appellate panel issues its own ruling. Jolie's lawyer's brief in the case declared that even if she loses at the appellate level, she will keep fighting Pitt and the custody order. The brief filed by Jolie's lawyers ahead of Friday's hearing claimed "prejudicial legal error" on Ouderkirk's part, including the judge's refusal to hear testimony from the younger children about their views on custody. Jolie's team also argued the actress was denied "a fair trial" because the judge improperly excluded hearing "evidence relevant to the childrens health, safety, and welfare." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt lawyers face off over bid dump private judge FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials have planned a job fair Saturday ahead of the Monday reopening. The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level for now. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation, paving the way for the casino to reopen. Casino patrons will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. The tribe on Saturday reported 13 additional cases. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: New virus surge is sending younger patients to Spain's hospitals Indonesia short on oxygen, seeks help as virus cases soar Malta poised to become first EU member to require visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29% ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida health officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate over the past week. The number of virus cases in Florida rose by about 8,000 compared with the week before, for a total of 23,747 new cases, the state Department of Health reported Friday. New cases of the coronavirus have been on the rise in Florida over the past month. The rate of positive tests was 7.8% last week after trending at about 4% positivity in recent weeks. There were 172 deaths in Florida from COVID-19 last week, the health department reported. The state has recorded at least 2.4 million coronavirus cases and 38,901 deaths since the pandemic began. Officials also said about 11 million Floridians have been fully or partially vaccinated, or 58% of those 12 and older. ___ ALBANY, N.Y. New York is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as vaccination rates slowly rise, according to the states latest data released Saturday. Story continues About 525 people each day tested positive for COVID-19 in New York for the seven days through Friday. Thats up from 369 people for the prior week a 42% increase. Its unclear why more people in New York are testing positive at a time when fewer people are getting tested. The state Department of Health says a higher percentage of cases are linked to more contagious variants. It is urging more people to get vaccinated. New York City is driving much of the increase, though cases are also rising in parts of Long Island. Hospitals reported 342 COVID-19 patients as of Friday, similar to 340 patients from last Friday. About 55% of 20 million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated. Thats up from nearly 48% as of June 6. Vaccination rates are lowest in parts of western and central New York: about one-third of residents in Allegany County are fully vaccinated. Rates are also lower in parts of New York City: 43% of Bronx residents and 45.5% of Brooklyn residents are fully vaccinated. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. Health officials in Tennessee have linked a small coronavirus cluster to a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last month. It was Nashvilles first large-scale conference after lifting restrictions on gatherings. The Tennessean reports that Metro Public Health Department epidemiologist Leslie Waller said eight to 10 infections have been detected among attendees, but the cluster is almost certainly larger. Waller said its difficult to know how many other cases there might be because most of the more than 18,000 attendees live out of state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert asking health officials in other states to contact Nashville health officials if they discover more infections that trace back to the annual meeting of the nations largest Protestant denomination. Jonathan Howe, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said the organization has not alerted attendees about the cluster and is working with city and state health officials to identify its next steps. ___ MOSCOW Coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit another daily record, with authorities reporting 752 more fatalities amid a continuing surge in infections. Russias coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 25,082 new coronavirus cases. The daily tally of confirmed infections has soared from around 9,000 in early June to over 23,000 in early July. Officials have attributed a steady rise in infections and an increase in mortality to the spread of the delta variant. Despite the surge, the Kremlin has said there are no plans to impose another lockdown. Russia had one nationwide lockdown in the spring of 2020 that lasted six weeks, and the government has resisted another one to avoid damaging the economy. The coronavirus task force has reported over 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 142,253 deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher numbers. ___ BRUSSELS The European Union says it now has enough doses to meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the regions adult population by the end of this month. With infections resurging in many European countries, the next challenge will be ensuring that the doses find takers, as demand wanes in some areas. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 44% of the adult EU population is fully vaccinated, and 64% have received at least one dose. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that by Sunday 500 million doses will have been delivered to all regions of the 27-nation EU. She urged member countries to do everything to increase vaccinations. So far EU countries have administered 386 million doses for the overall population of 447 million, according to the ECDC. ___ PARIS Music is pulsing from Paris nightclubs for the first time in 16 months as other European countries shut night life down again because of rising coronavirus cases. The reopening of Paris dance clubs Friday night was the final step in Frances process of lifting pandemic restrictions. The move was meant to mark victory over the virus, since night clubs were among the few venues that had remained closed since March 2020. But the delta variant is spreading faster than vaccinations in France, and infections are rising again after weeks of decline. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak to the nation Monday about the situation, and the government could opt for new restrictions. At the popular La Bellevilloise club, many people were eager to return to the dance floor. Parisian Laurent Queige called it a liberation, an immense happiness to rediscover the clubbing, the party, friends. La Bellevilloise owner Renaud Barillet said this weekend could serve as a useful test to see how the public, the organizers, all that reacts and manages to adopt new habits. ___ TOKYO Tokyo has reported 950 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number in two months, as infections steadily spread less than two weeks before the city hosts the Summer Olympics. Saturdays tally compared with 822 confirmed cases reported Friday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo starting Monday to keep the infections from becoming explosive during the Olympics, which open on July 23. His government initially planned to take less-stringent measures, but came under pressure to issue the emergency order as the more contagious delta strain spread in the Tokyo region. Experts warned that caseloads could surge to thousands within weeks as people travel on summer vacations and the Olympics draws foreign and domestic visitors to Tokyo. Despite the recent acceleration of Japans vaccination program, only 16.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. Japan has reported about 812,000 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths in the pandemic. ___ HELSINKI A passenger arriving in Finland may soon be fined hundreds of euros for refusing to take a coronavirus test. A new amendment to the Finnish infectious diseases act with regard to border security imposes a fine to a tourist who enters Finland and opposes a required COVID-19 test. The law takes effect July 12 and is valid until Oct. 15. It already was possible for the police to fine those refusing of COVID-19 tests, but authorities say the amendment will remarkably clarify the situation in judicial terms. Konsta Arvelin, an inspector at the National Police Board, told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that the change creates a completely new criminal offense in Finland, titled violation of the COVID-19 test." Finland has a population of 5.5 million and one of the lowest coronavirus figures in Europe. The Nordic country has maintained tight border control during the pandemic. ___ BEIJING A Chinese vice foreign minister claims the possibility that the COVID-19 virus leaked from a lab in China has been ruled out, and called on Washington to release more information about how the virus originated as well as how it spread in the U.S. Le Yucheng on Saturday cited a World Health Organization report saying the pandemic most likely began through the passing of the virus from animals to humans, not from Chinese laboratory. The vice foreign minister reiterated that the origin of the virus remains unknown. Le said that, "If the U.S. actually respects the truth and transparency, it should accept an international investigation to find the source of the U.S. epidemic, the cause of the U.S.s ineffective fight against the epidemic, and problems at U.S. biological laboratories. While similar to earlier official statements, Les comments come from a more senior official than in the past, indicating Beijing may be firming up its political stance in the dispute over the virus origins. Chinas outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has thrown suspicion on the U.S. military biological laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, calling for an investigation into the possibility the virus originated there. No evidence has been produced to support that claim or that the virus emerged from any U.S. military-run biological lab. ___ BUCHAREST Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are set to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said in a statement. Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. The announcement came days ahead of an early parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have so far been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 infections and 6,207 deaths. ___ COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has launched a massive vaccination program aimed at inoculating tens of thousands of people in the countrys tourism industry. It's the latest attempt to contain the spread of the virus and to revive the lucrative tourism industry. The vaccine drive took place in the countrys southern coast which is famous among tourists for its white sandy beaches. On Saturday, more than 1000 hotel workers, tourist guides and safari drivers were inoculated, said the tourism ministry. The Ministry said it plans to inoculate 500,000 people who are directly employed in the tourism sector. COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the tourism, which is a vital economic sector for Sri Lanka. Workers and businesses linked to tourism are currently facing crippling employment losses. Sri Lanka has so far recorded 269,946 confirmed cases and 3,391 deaths. ___ MADRID Managers at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase in Spain comes amid the advance of the delta variant that spreads far more easily. And its being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from eight to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous virus surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless drastic measures are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. ___ VALLETTA, Malta Malta is now requiring proof of vaccination for visitors to the Mediterranean island nation in hopes of stemming the latest rise in coronavirus infections. Starting Wednesday, visitors must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate that is recognized by Maltese health authorities, meaning certificates issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom. The EUs green passport certifies people who are vaccinated, receive a negative PCR test result or have recovered from COVID-19. But Malta has decided to recognize only those who are fully vaccinated. Malta will be the first EU country taking this step, said Health Minister Chris Fearne. Children aged 5-12 can present a negative PCR test, while those under age 5 are exempt. Malta, which has a population of just over half a million, had 46 active cases on July 1 but the number rose to 252 on Friday. The government says 90% of new cases are among unvaccinated people. Currently 79% of Maltese adults are fully vaccinated. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has set a new high in daily coronavirus cases for the third straight day as officials prepare to enforce the strongest social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Saturday that more than 1,000 of the 1,378 new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, a region where officials from Monday will clamp down on private social gatherings of three or more people from 6 p.m. Nightclubs and churches will close, visitors will be banned at nursing homes and hospitals and weddings and funerals will be limited to family-only gatherings. Dozens of new cases were each reported in major cities and regions across the country, including Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, South Chungcheong Provine and South Gyeongsang Province. After adding 9,700 cases in July alone, the countrys caseload is now at 166,722, including 2,038 deaths. Three days after the assassination of Haitian leader Jovenel Moise, questions are mounting about how the power vacuum left by his sudden death will be filled, in a violence-wracked country with no working parliament and no workable succession process. The following is a look at what could happen next in the impoverished Caribbean nation, which was already mired in a deep political and security crisis when the slaying -- its motive still unclear -- took place early Wednesday: - Three weakened branches of power - With Haiti's executive branch brutally shaken by the murder of the president, the two other branches -- the legislative and the judiciary -- face enormous pressures in a country crippled by a grave institutional crisis for more than a year. Moise had organized no elections since arriving in power in 2017, leaving Haiti with only 10 elected lawmakers, just one-third of the Senate, since January 2020. His administration had also not nominated any replacements for members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary when their three-year terms ended -- or after the council's president died last month of Covid-19. "As concerns the constitution, there is no possibility of finding a solution, for Jovenel Moise and his team had made sure to dismantle all the institutions," said Marie Rosy Auguste Ducena, a lawyer with the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights. "Whether you turn to the parliament or to the judiciary, there is nothing." - A duel to fill governing void - Only hours after Moise's assassination, Claude Joseph, who was named prime minister in April, announced that he was in charge, while declaring a two-week "state of siege" that gave him even broader powers. "The constitution is clear: I have to organize elections and actually pass the power to someone else who is elected," he said in English in an interview broadcast Saturday on CNN. Haiti's constitution states that in the event a president is unable to carry out his duties, the prime minister shall assume power. Only days before his death, Moise had named Ariel Henry to be the country's next prime minister. Story continues That nomination, registered Monday in the official journal of the Haitian republic, led some observers to question Joseph's claim to power. Facing the real danger of a national power vacuum, eight of the 10 senators still in office signed their names late Friday to a resolution nominating Senate leader Joseph Lambert to be the country's provisional president. They have some support from opposition parties, but the validity of the document -- and how it can be enforced -- is unclear. "While there is no denying that the 10 senators are the only remaining 10 elected officials in the country, it is clear that they are not representative of the country," said analyst Emmanuela Douyon. Though Lambert is an experienced politician, he has also been a deeply divisive one. "Senator Lambert has long been criticized," said Ducena. "There are abundant rumors linking him to drug trafficking, and others regarding issues of his morality." - Foreign troops to provide security? - Facing the sudden power vacuum, Claude Joseph asked the United States and the UN to send troops to secure strategic sites including seaports and airports, but a senior US administration official said Saturday: "There are no plans to provide US military assistance at this time." Even without going back as far as the US occupation of 1915 to 1934, which followed the assassination of then-president Vilbrun Guillaume, more recent foreign interventions have met with mixed success at best, in the eyes of most Haitians. The United Nations maintained a sizable peacekeeping contingent in the country from 2004 to 2017. "And since their departure, look at what is happening: the nearly complete gangster-ization of the nation," said Douyon. Armed gangs have tightened their grip over Haiti since early this year. Violent clashes between armed groups in western Port-au-Prince have forced thousands of fearful residents to flee. The national police have launched only one major operation against the gangs, in March, and it ended in fiasco: four police officers were killed, their bodies never recovered. "If there's a need for reinforcements, it will be to clean out the ranks of the police -- to salvage what is salvageable," Douyon said. - Letting Haitians decide - As the country's de facto leader since Wednesday, Joseph has the official backing of Helen La Lime, the UN special representative in Haiti. But her stance is deeply decried by many civil society leaders in the country. "It's not up to a UN representative to say, 'This is who is in charge,'" said Douyon. "That reminds us of the colonial periods, and no one wants to live through that again." "After Black Lives Matter, after all these movements demanding reparations for slavery, this is no time for foreign forces to show they are trying to impose solutions on Haitians," she said. amb/bbk/sst In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, we've started in-case-you-missed-it compilations of some of the week's top USA TODAY Opinion pieces. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback. USA TODAY Opinion editors By Joe Trippi "As citizens, we must join each other in a pro-democracy coalition that confronts the authoritarian movement in our midst at every turn. President Biden and those trying to govern must find compromise and common ground wherever they can to get things done, and we all must give them the room to do so. But there is no compromising with those who continue to fuel the authoritarian movement with lies." By Dr. Scott E. Hadland "Many of us list of prohibited substances including me, an addiction doctor found ourselves scratching our heads at the World Anti-Doping Agencys seemingly antiquated rules on cannabis. The Agency classifies substances as prohibited if they meet two of three criteria that the substance is performance-enhancing, is a health risk to the athlete, or violates the spirit of sport.' I assert that cannabis does not meet this definition." By Christopher F. Rufo "Next, this framework teaches students to think that they bear responsibility for and are the beneficiaries of historical crimes committed by individuals who shared the same skin color; consequently, they must atone for their white privilege." Critical race theorists in practice sometimes refer to this as "internalized racial superiority" within white people." Get more insights from USA TODAY Opinion. Subscribe to our newsletter. Story continues Critical Race Theory By Michael J. Stern "Because an indictment triggers discovery obligations on the DAs part, Weisselberg will now have access to virtually all the evidence against him. I cannot count the number of times a defendant initially told me to shove my cooperation offer, yet ended up cooperating after seeing everything I was going to show to the jury that would decide his fate." By Gretchen Carlson "More than 60 million Americans are under the thumb of forced arbitration in their employment agreements, and over a third of American workers are bound by NDAs. They cannot tell their own truths; they cannot tell their own stories. Its time to remove the muzzles, not just to make people safer but to also create more productive, positive businesses. No one can be expected to do their best work in the presence of predators and their protectors." By Paul Brandus "Trump was astonishingly easy to grade. I gave him a 10 as in horrible in Moral Authority, Administrative Skills and International Relations. Others obviously had similar views. He finished rock bottom, the worst of the worst in the first two categories and 43rd (second-to-last) in International Relations. By Suzette Hackney "Leneal Lamont Frazier, 40, died Tuesday after his vehicle was struck by a squad car as police chased a robbery suspect, according to Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder. Police spotted a driver in a vehicle believed to have been stolen during a carjacking and linked to multiple robberies. The driver fled as officers attempted to make a traffic stop. As an officer pursued the suspect, he collided with Frazier's vehicle." MAGA and first responders By The Editorial Board "The Supreme Court could toss out qualified immunity but has repeatedly passed up that chance. In the past year, the court has taken a few baby steps to modify the doctrine, but it could take years for that to make a substantial difference. Fixing this travesty is a job for Congress, after lawmakers promised police reform in response to nationwide calls for change. The House passed a measure that among other changes would eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, but most Senate Republicans have sharply objected." By Abigail Anthony "A fundamental flaw in supporting speech limitations is the assumption that the arbiters who would impose restrictions share your precise evaluation of what should be limited. I challenge those willing to relinquish free speech to ask themselves whether they are comfortable with their political opponents legislating the regulations." Climate Change By Ben Crump "Too often, Black life is treated as disposable, and those who threaten or end it face little or no consequence. How do we correct that? Changing hearts and minds is a lengthy, stubborn and often fruitless process. But the American justice system offers remedies criminal justice, which applies a punishment for taking a life, and civil justice, which attaches a monetary value for lost life. Of course, putting Chauvin behind bars for two decades doesnt equate to full justice. It doesnt give Floyd his life back. And no amount of money can make up for the loss of a human being. But both remedies are critical forms of accountability, and both can drive change." By Connie Schultz "Now that Joe Biden is president, a majority of U.S. Catholic bishops want to force a debate on whether he and other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be allowed to receive communion. The Vatican has warned against punishing support for a right, and Pope Francis recently preached that communion is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lincoln Project, campus free speech, critical race theory: Top columns A Louisiana police officer died in a hospital Friday night after suffering a gunshot wound to his head during a confrontation with a suspect near a local high school, according to reports. Officer William "Billy" Collins worked part-time for the force in Doyline, a village in Webster Parish that is located about 22 miles east of Shreveport in the northwest corner of the state. Collins also worked as a full-time corrections officer, authorities said at a news conference. DOJ TO PROVIDE GRANTS FROM $7M FUND FOR BODYCAMS FOR SMALL AND RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT A suspect was taken into custody after initially barricading inside a mobile home, authorities told KTAL-TV of Shreveport. The suspect was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, KSLA-TV reported. Explosions and gunfire were heard from the scene just before 11 p.m. Friday, the KTAL report said. Louisiana State Police posted an alert on Facebook, asking residents to stay away from the crime scene, to which personnel from numerous law enforcement agencies had responded. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The officer was shot around 8 p.m., not far from Doyline High School, the station reported. After being wounded, he was airlifted to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport, where he later died, authorities said. Doyline police were receiving assistance from sheriffs offices in Webster and Bossier parishes, the report said. Jul. 9CHIPPEWA FALLS Mason Companies announced plans Friday to construct a new 425,000-square-foot headquarters in the northeast corner of Chippewa Falls. The facility will be built in stages, and will eventually reach 975,000 square feet in size. Construction is to begin in September and should be open in late spring or early summer 2022. Mason Companies' officials finalized an agreement Friday morning with the Chippewa County Economic Development Committee, with the company purchasing 44.1 acres in the Lake Wissota Business Park, adjacent to the Mills Fleet Farm distribution center. "We are proud of our 118-year commitment to the Chippewa Valley and this new facility will allow us to continue this commitment for years to come," said Jay Berlin, Mason Companies' President and CEO, in a press release Friday afternoon. "In keeping with our mission, Mason Companies is committed to cultivating thriving relationships with our customers, team members, shareholders and community. This phased project strengthens our position to support future growth, to better serve our customers and to create new jobs within the community." Mason Companies has plans to work with CBS Squared, River Valley Architects and Hoeft Builders to design and build the phased project, which is anticipated to be completed by summer 2023, a press release states. The county, the city of Chippewa Falls, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, and the company have been working on the plans for two years, dubbing it "Project Clementine" in minutes and agendas. Chippewa County Administrator Randy Scholz said that after all the work over two years, it is exciting to finally announce it is moving forward. "We're very excited. It's a great project. It was very complex," Scholz said. "Mason is a big part of the community, and we've secured them for many more years." Charlie Walker, CCEDC executive director, said finalizing the deal "was an exciting win for us." Story continues "CCEDC has been helping them for two years, and finally all the pieces have come together," Walker said. The building, constructed in phases, will begin with a warehouse, he explained. "That warehouse will help them with efficiencies in their supply chain," Walker said. Mason Companies sells shoes, clothing, electronics and a variety of other items, largely through their website and direct mail catalogs. "They really are an Internet-based company, based in Chippewa Falls," Walker said. "They have changed and adapted with the times. Mason is just a great company and growing." The company already has about 500 employees, and the expansion will only allow them to grow, Walker added. "The important thing is the retention of those jobs," Walker said. Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman praised everyone involved for striking the deal and finding a new location for Mason Companies in the city. "The process has gone very well. It's been very good working with them," Hoffman said. "Early in the process, it was very evident this is where they wanted to be. They've been here for 118 years, and we wanted to keep them. It's a great day for Chippewa Falls." With the sale of the land in the Lake Wissota Business Park, it means finding land for a new business park becomes even more urgent, the officials agreed. "We're down to about 55 acres in the park," Walkeer said. "We are continuing to move in that direction (of finding land for a new park)." Scholz agreed that work on a new business park will move back to the forefront. "COVID put that on hold a little bit but we're ready to move," Scholz said. To learn more, visit masoncompaniesinc.com. SILVIS, Ill. (AP) Sebastian Munoz tried to imagine what Saturday at the John Deere Classic would have felt like without electronic scoreboards around the golf course. It have created a lot less stress. In rain-softened conditions at the TPC Deere Run, everyone knew that making birdies was the only way to stay in the game. Once the rain cleared and Munoz no longer had to deal with keeping clubs dry and umbrella open, the Colombian ran off three birdies that gave him a 4-under 67 and a one-shot lead going into the final round. It's huge, said Munoz, who was at 16-under 197. Every shot counts, and having every extra one for tomorrow might help me out a lot. Even so, there's reason to feel as though the 50th edition of this tournament is just getting started with 10 players separated by three shots. Brandon Hagy, still looking for his first PGA Tour victory in his 93rd career start, also had a 67 and was one shot behind. Definitely within my grasp, Hagy said. I feel like I can hit all the shots thats necessary to get me over the top. But the key is all these guys here can hit those shots, you just have to stay within yourself, and a few bounces here and there go your way, and well see what happens. Five players were two shots behind, a group that included Scott Brown, who had a 63 to match the low score of the round. Adam Long (64), Cameron Champ (64), Kevin Na (66) and Ryan Moore (68) joined him at 14-under 199. The beauty of this place is it ain't over until it's legitimately over, said Zach Johnson, a past Deere winner who had a 67. He was six shots behind. Five of the last six winners of the John Deere Classic finished at 20 under or better, the exception being Bryson DeChambeau four years ago when he captured his first PGA Tour title at a paltry 18 under. Luke List is among those within three shots of the lead despite his struggles. List began the weekend with a one-shot lead. He didn't make a birdie until the 10th hole, and when he missed a 6-foot birdie attempt on the final hole, he had to settle for a 71. Story continues Even so, he still has a chance at his first PGA Tour title. Of the 20 players within five shots of the lead, seven have never won on tour. Five of the seven players within two shots of Munoz are not yet eligible for the British Open next week a Royal St. George's in England. The leading player from among the top five gets in the final major of the year. Munoz already is eligible, while Na has withdrawn because of international travel requirements. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, a three-time winner at the Deere who chose to help celebrate the tournament's 50th anniversary instead of defending his title in the U.S. Senior Open, had a 68 and was seven shots behind. Stricker birdied his last three holes. Munoz had two early birdies to take the lead, only to give those shots back with a pair of bogeys from the fairway. Those boards let him know he was falling behind. We could see on the leaderboard that people were going low, and you didnt want to kind of fade, Munoz said. So it was really important to birdie 11, 13 and 16 coming in, so it was nice to be in the position I am right now. The timing is critical for some players beyond going after their first win. Players like Brown, Moore and Champ are well outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup with only a month remaining before the PGA Tour postseason begins. At this point with my position in the FedEx Cup, I kind of need to win, Brown said. So it kind of frees me up in a way. I have one goal, and it's to come in here and win. The Delta variant is creating new COVID hotspots in parts of the U.S. The strain, first detected in India, is much more contagious. It now accounts for more than half of new cases nationwide. In Midwestern and upper Mountain States, that number is closer to 80 percent. CBS News' Michael George reports on the efforts to get more Americans vaccinated. Then, Mayor Brian Steele of Nixa, Missouri, joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the pandemic in his community, and an effort to remove him from his post over a mask mandate enacted last year. He didnt really think that one through. A Ohio man with a suspended license has been arrested for falsely reporting a shooting in order to deter officers from the traffic stop upon getting pulled over, according to South Euclid Police incident report obtained by The Smoking Gun. Muhammad Kabir, 34, of Cleveland Heights, was arrested for making false alarms, a first-degree misdemeanor, during a traffic stop last weekend, according to the report. Officers say in the report that he called 911 from a Walmart parking lot with a fake report of a guy being shot on a nearby street to deter officers from the traffic stop. The call was traced back to Kabir, according to the report. Kabir had a suspended license and was driving with expired plates, and a toddler was with his mom in the vehicle, but not in a child safety seat, the outlet reports. Kansas City police will be able to live outside the city, and a voucher-like school choice program will launch in Missouri, under new laws Gov. Mike Parson will sign next week. Parson on Friday announced several measures he will sign next Wednesday, his deadline to either sign or veto bills on his desk before they become law on their own. They include a controversial bill of rights for police, the school choice bill, a long-sought hike to the gas tax and oversight to curb abuse in unlicensed, religious boarding schools. Along with lifting the police residency requirement, one soon-to-be new law will ban police chokeholds in Missouri and allow Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to ask a court to toss the conviction of Kevin Strickland a Kansas City man whos served more than 40 years in prison for a triple murder Baker said he did not commit. The announcements came after Parson vetoed four bills, including one that would have allowed registered lobbyists to maintain campaign committees and another giving businesses shut down during the pandemic a property tax break. Lawmakers can override the vetoes with a two-thirds majority in each chamber when they return to Jefferson City in September. Here are the bills that will soon become law. Criminal justice, police One measure will lift the residency requirement for Kansas City police officers, ban chokeholds and provide local prosecutors some power to overturn wrongful convictions. The bill was one of the larger bipartisan criminal justice reform packages passed by Missouri lawmakers this year. It makes it a crime for police to have sex with detainees and requires departments to look into officers history with other agencies before hiring them. But it has received mixed reviews from some local elected officials, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, who fought the lifting of the residency requirement. Starting Aug. 28, police will be allowed to move anywhere within 30 miles of the city limits, but not across the state line. Story continues The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police supported the measure. While opponents said it would weaken police relationships with local neighborhoods, bill sponsor Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican, said he expects it to help the department recruit new officers. Along with changes to policing is a pathway for local prosecutors to ask a judge to toss out sentences in wrongful conviction cases. Peters Baker, who has advocated for that piece of the proposed law, says there should be an easier way for prosecutors to seek corrections when people are wrongfully convicted. Such a change, Peters Baker said, could help in the case of Strickland, a Kansas City man who has spent 43 years in prison for a triple murder she says he did not commit. Parson, meanwhile, has said he is unsure of Stricklands innocence amid calls for him to issue a pardon. The governor has said the new law could allow another avenue for Strickland to seek freedom. He also will sign a bill establishing a police bill of rights. It gives officers legal protections during internal investigations of misconduct and seals the misconduct records from public view, except by court order or subpoena. And it prohibits cities from cutting their police budgets by more than 12%. Like the KCPD measure, the bill also includes bipartisan criminal justice reforms.. It will allow minors convicted of non-homicide crimes to become eligible for parole after serving at least 15 years. It will enable Bobby Bostic, a Missouri prisoner who has gained attention for getting a 241-year sentence for a robbery when he was 17, to apply for parole. It is expected to give the same opportunity to about 100 other prisoners, the Department of Corrections has said. Education Creation of a voucher-like program for private school scholarships was a top priority for Republican leaders in the Missouri House and Senate this year. Under HB 349, public school students in larger counties and urban areas would be eligible for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts funded by private organizations for private school tuition or related expenses. Unlike vouchers, the ESAs program would operate through tax credits for donors who provide the scholarships. Opponents have said the measure will siphon funds from the public school systems budget and have pushed to improve traditional public schools instead. Parson plans to sign the bill Wednesday along with several others following a virtual meeting with Missouri Mayors United and a graduation ceremony for state government employees. He will also sign a bill prohibiting school district employees from using public funds to support or oppose ballot measures. That bill includes limitations on the scholarships that were needed to secure more votes for the controversial program. With both laws signed, the scholarships program will cost the state $25 million in the first year (half the size of an earlier proposal) with a limit of 10 scholarship-giving organizations in Missouri. No more than six can operate in the states five largest counties, including Jackson County. Protections for children Former students of Missouris unlicensed, religious boarding schools will celebrate a hard-fought victory when Parson signs a bill providing state oversight of the facilities for the first time in at least four decades. Lawmakers proposed it after revelations of abuse and neglect allegations at several Missouri schools, uncovered in a Kansas City Star investigation. Among the facilities are Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, whose owners now face 102 criminal charges of abuse and neglect, and Agape Boarding School. Both are under investigation by the Missouri Attorney Generals office and Cedar County authorities. Such schools were allowed to operate under a 1982 Missouri law that exempts them from a state licensing requirement. The new law, effective immediately after Parson signs it Wednesday, will require all faith-based boarding schools to register with the state and mandate federal criminal background checks for all employees and volunteers. Failure to comply could result in the school being shut down or the children removed. Another bill Parson intends to sign limits the use of seclusion and restraint as a form of punishment in schools. Under the law, schools will be required to restrict confinement of a student to situations where there is imminent danger of physical harm to the student or others present. Schools must also notify a parent or guardian within one hour after a student has been punished by seclusion or restraint. Each institution in the state receiving public funds must track the instances when those punishments are used, annually evaluate its policies and train employees in proper seclusion and restraint techniques. Gas tax The states relatively low tax on gasoline will rise by 12.5 cents per gallon over the next five years under a measure Parson intends to sign next week. It begins with a 2.5-cent-per-gallon hike in October. Missouri drivers can opt out if they keep their receipts and apply for reimbursement. Missouri boasts the nations second-lowest gas tax rate. Transportation advocates have long sought an increase for repairs to aging highways and bridges. It is expected to raise more than $500 million each year for the Missouri Department of Transportation and local governments. Lukitsch reported from Kansas City. Jul. 9Pittsburgh police arrested a man they deemed a "violent offender" who is accused in the daylight assault of a woman along a North Shore trail after she rebuffed his advances. Ozell Austin, 58, is charged with strangulation, attempted rape, indecent assault and other misdemeanors in connection with the June 28 attack on the Allegheny Riverwalk near Isabella Street. The woman told police she was sitting on a retaining wall between the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the Allegheny River and the office building behind it. She said a man, later identified as Austin, approached and asked, "gimme some love," according to the criminal complaint. The woman said she moved farther down the retaining wall and away from Austin, who left the area, police said. He returned and attacked the woman, police said. Authorities said the assault was caught on security camera. The footage, police said, shows events unfolding as told by the woman. The woman said the only thing that stopped Austin, who was punching her and trying to remove her shorts, was a witness who called down from a nearby building, according to the complaint. The witness said he heard the woman screaming and shouted down for Austin to stop. Police said they showed a small clip of the security footage to employees at a North Side shelter, and one witness identified Austin as the man in the video. The witness said Austin had been to the shelter that morning for breakfast and was wearing the same clothes he was wearing during the assault. Investigators said security footage from inside the shelter confirmed Austin had been there, according to the complaint. The woman who was attacked identified Austin as her attacker from a photo array, police said. It was not immediately clear when a preliminary hearing for Austin would be held. Support Local Journalism and help us continue covering the stories that matter to you and your community. Support Journalism Now > DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) Police in Bangladesh arrested eight people Saturday on murder charges in connection with a factory fire that killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door, a senior police official said. The blaze began Thursday night at the five-story Hashem Foods Ltd. factory in Rupganj, just outside the capital Dhaka, sending huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky. Police discovered piles of bodies Friday afternoon after the fire was extinguished. "We have arrested them for murder charges, Jayedul Alam, police superintendent for Narayanganj district, told The Associated Press by phone. They are in our custody now. Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan said that among those detained is the managing director of Sajeeb Group, which owns the factory. The minister did not provide further details, but said those responsible would be punished. Its a murder, Khan told reporters as he visited the factory site Saturday. By Saturday evening, a court in Dhaka allowed all eight suspects to remain in police custody for four days for interrogation. Bangladesh has a tragic history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers locked inside. Big international brands, which employ tens of thousands of low-paid workers in Bangladesh, have come under heavy pressure to improve factory conditions. In similar cases, factory owners have faced culpable homicide charges for negligence, and it's illegal for a factory to lock its exits when workers are inside during production hours. The main exit of the factory that caught fire Thursday was locked from the inside, a Fire Service and Civil Defense official said, and many of those who died were trapped. One of them was 23-year-old Rima Akter, who made desperate calls to her family as the fire engulfed the factory. On Saturday, her mother and other family members struggled to identify the young woman's remains in the morgue at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Story continues We have checked 36 body bags, but it is very difficult to identify her, her brother-in-law Arafat Rahman said. Her mother, Josna Begum, cried as officials tried to reassure several families waiting outside the hospital that their loved ones' bodies would be returned once DNA tests were completed. Forensic experts worked to identify the dead, taking DNA samples from victims' family members, and by late Saturday afternoon samples from 33 of the deceased had been collected, officials at the hospital said. My daughter worked to provide for her educational expenses. She was attending online classes and exams. I have no one else in the world ... what is there left for me to do now?" Josna Begum said. Prova Barman, father of Kompa Rani Barman, who died in the fire, spoke to reporters in front of the factory Saturday. My daughters body was found over here. She was on the third floor. The supervisor locked in many girls there, including my daughter, during the fire. Many girls could not escape after the gate was locked," he said. Other workers jumped from the upper floors, and at least 26 suffered injuries, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported Friday. The factory is a subsidiary of Sajeeb Group, a Bangladeshi company that produces juice under Pakistans Lahore-based Shezan International Ltd. According to the groups website, the company exports its products to a number of countries including Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bhutan, Nepal and nations in the Middle East and Africa. Despite the South Asian nations rapid economic growth, corruption and lax enforcement have resulted in many deaths over the years. In 2012, about 117 workers died when they were trapped behind locked exits in a garment factory in Dhaka. The following year, more than 1,100 people were killed when a building that housed five garment factories collapsed, becoming the country's worst industrial disaster. Investigators initially said those accused of wrongdoing would be charged with culpable homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of seven years in jail. They later changed the charges to murder due to the gravity of the disaster. However, powerful factory owners often take advantage of the slow pace of the legal system, dragging out the process for years. The murder cases in the 2013 factory collapse are still ongoing. The tragedy did spark tougher safety rules for the garment industry, but many other sectors fail to maintain safety standards and disasters have continued. In February 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area cramped with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka, killing at least 67 people. ___ AP video journalist Al-Emrun Garjon contributed to the story. A woman was on Saturday morning shot to death by a 21-year-old relative in a domestic homicide at a south Fort Worth house, police said. The victim was slain about 10 a.m. in the 1300 block of Royster Road, Fort Worth police said. Calvin Brown, 21, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the killing, according to a police record. Police did not respond to a request to describe the precise relationship between Calvin Brown and the victim. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office identified her as Alice Brown, 61. Calvin Brown admitted that he shot the victim, a police spokesman said. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty If you had told climate activists a year ago that the country was on the cusp of $25 billion for electric transmission lines and a smart grid, $7.5 billion for charging stations and $3.5 billion to help weatherize the homes of low-income homeowners, they would have been ecstatic. These are the kind of big-bucks investments theyd been pleading for years without much success and now, defying the odds, a bipartisan group of senators working with the White House is positioned to deliver. The federal government should have been making climate investments on this scale for the last decade to reach the agreed-upon goal: a clean, carbon-free economy by 2050. Progressives will demand more than a political system rigged in favor of the status quo can deliver, but were closer to getting real action on climate than ever before. Too much time has been lost already but this year, 2021, marks the beginning of the end of climate denial as a winning political issue, and a new urgency about the health of the planet With extreme back-to-back weather events capturing headlines and the fossil fuel industry in retreat, fewer Republicans have the chutzpah to claim that climate change is a hoax invented by China, as Donald Trump did. Fifty-two Republicans, almost a quarter of the House caucus, joined a GOP-only Climate Caucus formed last month to get up to speed on the rapidly escalating challenge and help educate others on how addressing climate change can mesh with conservative principles. A Trump-Voting Coal Country Republican Accepts Climate Change Underneath all the partisan fervor, there is bipartisan agreement that clean energy and renewable energy are the future of energy. The question is whether its Americas future, says Sean McElwee, 28, a self-described climate activist and founder of Data for Progress. Were being out-competed by China and Europe, and we need investments to make America competitive. McElwee told the Daily Beast he approves of the policies in the bipartisan bill thats being advanced on infrastructure but I dont approve the numbers. Story continues Hes counting on the procedure known as reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass a second infrastructure bill without GOP support that will take the numbers up to where President Biden laid them out in his initial American Jobs Plan. The additional spending would include more climate initiatives plus human infrastructure for the caring economy Biden envisions. Im more of a pollster than a policy wonk, McElwee said, explaining his optimism that Congress will act on climate. The millennials who were Obamas generation of voters are in their mid-to-late thirties now and settling in with homes and mortgages. Republicans need to take climate change seriously if they want to reach this cohort, he says. Reality has changed. Very few Republicans question the science of climate change. Solar and wind are competitive with fossil fuel. All that changes the political landscape. Utah Rep. John Curtis, the founder and chair of the newly created GOP Climate Caucus, is emblematic of this changed thinking. Curtis asked his audience in an April speech at a conservative think tank, Why does the climate question scare you? Are you really content with the label of not caring about the Earth? If he even utters the word climate, he said that his wife gets panicked calls that hes gone off the deep end and Im now in league with AOC. Elected to Congress in 2017 in a special election to fill a Republican vacancy, Curtis had been serving as the Democratic mayor of Provo, Utah, where he was known for championing clean air and recreation initiatives, including a beach and a popular hiking trail. Congress hasnt tried to pass meaningful legislation on climate since a measure to put a price on carbon pollution failed. The world is an entirely different place now than it was in 2010, said Elizabeth Gore, senior vice president for political affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund. That was the year West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, running for the U.S. Senate, shot a bullet into cap and trade legislation in a campaign ad. The market-based solution that would have capped global pollution and allowed corporations to trade permits within that ceiling was derided by its critics as cap and tax. The legislation was the target of a massive lobbying campaign by the fossil fuel industry and its allies, and in the end, to try to win passage, was so full of loopholes and giveaways for corporations that White House Budget Director Peter Orzag called it the largest corporate welfare program in U.S. history. Even Campbells Soup was at the trough, angling for a deal for carbon-intensive making of soup. Democrats didnt have the 60 votes needed for passage, and by the time Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the bill in July, nobody much cared. And thats where climate languished until 2018 when a blue wave of activism galvanized by a visceral opposition to President Trump put the House in Democratic hands and progressive priorities back in the spotlight. Extreme weather patterns were more visible and became more of a motivating factor for everybody, says Gore. Its not just an issue that voters support, its a top tier issue with much more engagement at the grassroots level. The debate is not whether it exists, its about ambitionhow far to go in combating it. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal: Plant Lots of Trees Give credit where credit is due. It was AOC s first big issue, says Ryan Fitzpatrick, director of the Climate and Energy Program at Third Way. He cites the outsized impact of the freshman lawmaker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on garnering public attention along with the rise of the Sunrise Movement, a climate-oriented activist group, launched in 2017, for bringing the issue front and center especially for young people. There are fights ahead. What are the pay-fors? How much more deficit spending is reasonable? Can Democrats find a sweet spot between Bernie Sanders $6 trillion wish list and Joe Manchins minimalism? My partys divided but my partys also rational, President Biden said. So far, the bipartisan deal on infrastructure is holding, driven by Manchin, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Republican ranking member Lisa Murkowski. Beginning when the GOP controlled the senate and Murkowski was chair, they passed out of committee more than a dozen bills to clean up abandoned mines and oil wells and boost battery manufacturers. Now those bills are in the infrastructure deal. Manchin is Exhibit A in his changed attitude toward climate change and his recognition that a weakened coal industry cannot be resurrected and must be eased into a clean-up role. Progressives top demand on climate in a reconciliation bill passed by Democrats is a Clean Electricity Standard or CES. Twenty-nine states have such a standard, but theyre not binding. The rules governing the reconciliation process require legislation to have a direct budgetary impact. Policymakers are working on a performance program to set a target where utilities get a rebate if they meet it and would pay the government if they dont. Collin OMara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife federation, calls the emerging legislation a great down payment. He would like more focus on resilience and mitigation because its going to take time for a clean energy economy to take hold. But he reflects the cautious optimism in the climate community. No one is actually questioning the need to do this and to mitigate the climate horrors that were seeing, he told the Daily Beast. Theres something about the politics of actually bringing people together. Im incredibly optimistic, and the reason is that I think the needs are so great and there are benefits to everybody. He didnt hesitate to venture a prediction that more than 10 Republicans in the Senate will vote for the bipartisan infrastructure deal and there will be some crossovers from the GOP for the Reconciliation package. Given our fractured politics, weve come a long way on climate when Republicans give up on denial and Democrats find a path moderates and progressives can support. 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. Jul. 9Going from Georgia to West Texas might sound like a major transition for some people. For starters, there's the change in climate, topography and etc, going from a forestry setting to the desert. However, Luis and Laura Melendez are no strangers to the Lone Star State, having served with the Salvation Army as Corps Officers and pastors in Houston, Lufkin, Dallas and McAllen in the past. Now, their journey has taken them to their new position as the couple takes command of the Salvation Army in Odessa as the new officers. They replace Captains Juan and Clara Gomez who received a new appointment in Texarkana. Luis and Laura began their command in Odessa last month on June 22 and the two have been spending time getting acclimated with the area. The Melendezes are coming in from having served at the Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta, Ga. as training officers. "Right off the bat, I'm not going to say it's a cultural shock but the temperature is a little bit different," Luis said. "We were also in a forestry area with a lot of green. But thankfully, we've had a lot of rain out here in the west and we got to see Odessa with a little bit of green. Apart from that, it's different but we have served with the Salvation Army in Houston and Lufkin and Dallas and McAllen so I'm used to Texas." For Laura, it also feels good to be back in Texas as she highlighted some of the major differences between Odessa (population of 129,928) and Atlanta (population of 488,800). "The people are friendly," Laura said. "We don't have (much) traffic. It's much smaller (in Odessa). We're happy out here." The weather may be another glaring difference between West Texas and Georgia with the humidity much stronger in Atlanta. However, with all the recent rain that the Permian Basin has received in the last couple of weeks, the Melendezes haven't felt too much of a culture shock just yet. Story continues "It has been interesting," Laura said. "The weather has been great. That's a plus. There has been a lot of rain. I've noticed there was a lot of flooding in the area. We've been busy getting to know our church members and the congregation." Regardless of where they serve, both Luis and Laura know the object of their mission is always going to be the same. "Helping the community and helping those in need," Laura said. "We're trying to do our best to help the community." Luis and Laura were in Atlanta for four years. "I don't know the term that we'll serve here but as long as the Salvation Army and the community needs us, hopefully we'll be serving those in need," Luis said. The couple have worked with The Salvation Army since 1999. After a pro-tem appointment in Dallas, they served in Kingston, Jamaica at The Salvation Army Caribbean Territorial Training College as Training Officers. Luis and Laura were in Jamaica from 2011-13. "It was unique in the fact that the Caribbean is composed of 16 different countries," Luis said. "They come to the training college in Jamaica from Haiti and The Bahamas and Barbados and etc. There are different currencies but the main language we teach is in English. To have that group of young men and women being trained and us being foreigners was a unique experience. The food is very vegetarian. The resources are limited. But if you like island life and heat, then that's the place." Luis says that one of the challenges with The Salvation Army will always be donations. "We have a thrift store so please give," Luis said. "Make sure your donations are re-sellable and useful like something you would give to a loved one and not something that we would have to throw out. That would become an expenditure. Donations are really appreciative. Monetary donations are great. We appreciate the help of the community. We do have a shelter that's under repairs right now but we're hopeful that it will reopen soon." Another major challenge is the number of volunteers. "Right now, we need volunteers," Laura said. "Right now that is a challenge because we have a warehouse to cleanup before Christmas and we'll need volunteers for Christmas. Establishing volunteers is a challenging part right now." Currently, the Melendezes said the main volunteers at the Odessa Salvation Army comprises of people from their church. "We don't have too many," Laura said. "Not more than five. We need young people. We need them to help us with the warehouse during Christmas and at the thrift store." The Odessa Salvation Army is located on 810 E. 11th street. The best way to volunteer is to call the office at 432-332-0738. Before joining The Salvation Army, Luis and Laura worked for corporate America at Bealls Distribution Center and at Tropicana Corporate Offices in Bradenton, Fla. Having served in Texas for a number of times, both Luis and Laura know that the state is filled with generous people. "Texans like to volunteer," Luis said. "Texas is a great state. The other places that we've been were Jamaica and Atlanta. Aside from those two, all our appointments have been with the folks in Texas. We love it. We don't mind the hot weather. You guys are wonderful. As far as challenges, like any other organization, there's going to be dry months but don't wait for Christmas to give. You can give at any opportunity." Details and a timeline began emerging late Friday, filling in blanks about how two South Florida men became entangled in the killing of Haitis president. Photos released in Haiti on Friday showed James Solages, 35, and Vincent Joseph, 55, with their hands behind their backs after capture. Sitting on the floor, the men are wearing matching military-style tan boots, covered in sweat with their hands tied behind their backs. The State Department confirmed that U.S. Embassy officials were trying to gain consular access to the two South Floridians accused in the assassination. Multiple news reports quoted the men as having told Haitian police that they acted as translators for Spanish-speaking Colombians who were part of the operation. Haitian officials said Friday that 15 Colombians, some of them former soldiers, had been detained since the Wednesday morning assassination of President Jovenel Moise in his home. The two Americans said they were not in the room when the president was killed, according to Clement Noel, an investigative judge who said hed questioned the Floridians after their arrest. In an interview with The New York Times, Noel said the two Americans acknowledged that at least a month of planning went into the plot. There are still questions about whether Solages and Joseph had any help from people in South Florida, but that will likely be an avenue of investigation for the FBI, which is helping Haitian authorities. The detail of the month-long planning is important because the Miami Herald has learned that Solages on April 12 abruptly quit his secure job of two years as director of maintenance at an upscale senior living center in Lantana, about 40 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. He was clean as a whistle, said Richard Tournesy, executive director of The Carlisle Palm Beach, adding Solages underwent a detailed background check. He was a good worker. The tall, quiet man was a model employee, he said, who was conscientious and polite, spoke English with almost no accent and drove an old white pickup truck. Public records show Solages without any criminal record or any liens against his businesses. Story continues The Haitian judge told the Times that the two Haitian Americans were captured after a shootout with police that left two Colombians dead. The Americans, he said, planned the attack with the Colombians at a swank hotel in Petion-Ville, a suburb of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The men reportedly told the judge their intent was to bring Moise to the national palace, not to kill him. The men do not appear to have lawyers yet and could not provide their own account of events. Judge Noel also answered another key detail, saying that Solages had been in the country about a month and that Joseph, about whom there is little information, had been there for half a year living with a cousin. Its unclear if the two men knew each other in South Florida. It was Solages, said the judge, who in good English yelled through a loudspeaker during the assault that it was a raid by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In South Florida, few of the people who knew the men are talking. Three Haitian Americans were listed on two companies Solages registered with the Florida Division of Corporations Edlyne Jeudy, Jean Milot Berquin and Nixon Santerre, whose LinkedIn page said he works for Save the Children in Haiti. None of the three returned calls and emails requesting comment. Jeudy was on the board of directors of Solages small charity. She also overlapped with Solages at his Lantana job at the Carlisle. The executive director there confirmed Jeudy had worked as a health and wellness director there for more than two years. Solages aunt, Victorie Dorisme, told the Herald Thursday night that she was shocked to learn of the accusations against her nephew, whose last address was her Tamarac residence, which she said he stayed at between trips to Haiti and during a divorce. His uncle, Schubert Dorisme, declined to comment. But later in an interview with the Haitian Times, Dorisme, a bus driver, said his nephew thought the Haitian president was crazy but never showed signs of wanting to kill him. Solages traveled frequently to his hometown of Jacmel, the uncle said, and hoped to run for mayor one day. Miami Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles in Haiti and McClatchy Washington Bureau national security correspondent Michael Wilner contributed to this story. The Spanish region of Catalonia was on Saturday set to reimpose virus restrictions in the face of rising coronavirus infections, as the highly contagious Delta strain forced nations worldwide to put the brakes on a long-awaited return to normalcy. The highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in India, is sweeping the globe as countries race to inoculate their populations to ward off fresh outbreaks that are increasingly affecting the unvaccinated young. After an "exponential" rise in cases in recent days, officials in the autonomous region in the northeast of Spain said they had no choice but to reimpose restrictions. 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. "The pandemic has not ended, the new variants are very contagious and we still have significant segments of the population that are not vaccinated," Patricia Plaja, a spokeswoman for the regional government told a news conference. Also set to reimpose controls Saturday is the Netherlands, where infections rose sevenfold in one week, a surge officials have blamed on the Delta variant. Prime Minister Mark Rutte ordered the closure of all nightclubs and the curbing of restaurant hours, with visitors to eateries now required to adhere to a 1.5-metre social distancing rule. But the new measures did not mean the Netherlands would return to a lockdown or curfew as in previous months, and Rutte promised the Dutch people could still enjoy a "beautiful summer". - Struggling to cope - Officials were equally optimistic despite a surge of cases in Thailand, which will impose a 9 pm to 4 am curfew on Bangkok and nine other provinces Monday to stem a severe third wave of infections that kicked off in April. "We apologise for difficulties of people living in areas with maximum restrictions, but this will support disease control efficiently. Thailand will be victorious," said Apisamai Srirangson, assistant spokeswoman for the task force. Story continues Residents will also be barred from gathering in groups of more than five people, while public transport networks will shut down from 9 pm each night. Supermarkets, restaurants, banks, pharmacies and electronics stores within malls can stay open but other shops must close. Farther south, the Delta virus is wreaking havoc in badly-hit Indonesia, where emergency supplies arrived from Singapore Friday as the country reports hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of cases daily. Hospitals are struggling to cope, with many now refusing new patients, leaving scores to die at home, while desperate relatives hunt for oxygen tanks to treat the sick. 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. Authorities said Friday that medics would be given a third booster jab using the vaccine made by US company Moderna, to provide them extra protection. - Vaccine politics - Despite the slow resumption of activities in the United States and parts of Europe, the virus continues to wage devastation everywhere from Africa to South America, exposing crucial vaccine supply shortages for some of the world's most vulnerable and accelerating efforts to expand access. Senegal, the EU, the United States, several European governments and other partners, signed an accord in Dakar on Friday to finance vaccine production in the West African state. And Cuba approved its home-grown Abdala vaccine for emergency use, the first Latin American coronavirus jab to do so and a possible lifeline for a region trying to battle a killer pandemic with modest means. High vaccination rates may be the only way to stem the spread of the Delta variant, according to a panel of scientists advising the French government, who have warned that as many as 95 percent of people might need to receive jabs before the strain is under control. burs-oho/lb MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appointed a new foreign minister but retained his economy minister in a cabinet reshuffle on Saturday. Jose Manuel Albares was named foreign minister, while Isabel Rodriguez will become the new government spokesperson and territories minister. Nadia Calvino kept the economy portfolio and was also promoted to First Deputy Prime Minister. Albares, the current ambassador in Paris, takes over from Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who was widely criticised for her handling of a crisis with Morocco after agreeing for Western Sahara independence leader Brahim Ghali to be treated in an Spanish hospital. "The main task of this cabinet will be to consolidate the economic recovery and job creation," Sanchez said. Another important departure is Sanchez's chief of staff, Ivan Redondo, considered the prime minister's right-hand man and responsible for his electoral successes. He will be replaced by Oscar Lopez, a member of the Socialist Party. The five members of Unidas Podemos, a minority partner in the coalition government, retain their positions. The average age of the new team is 50-years-old, and the proportion of women increased to 63%. Sanchez took office in January 2020 after months of political instability that led to Spain's fourth election in four years. After just two months in power, the coalition government had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic which forced it to impose one of Europe's strictest lockdowns and damaged its tourism-dependent economy. Sanchez has also had to cope with the issue of Catalan independence, a conflict which has split Spain since an illegal referendum attempt in 2017. Three weeks ago, the prime minister pardoned nine jailed Catalan pro-independence politicians. Some figures in the negotiations over the pardons have been moved or lost their jobs. The justice minister has left the government while Miquel Iceta, who was in talks with the Catalan regional government, becomes culture minister. (Reporting by Belen Carreno, additional reporting Graham Keeley, Editing by Angus MacSwan) MADRID (AP) Spains prime minister overhauled his Cabinet on Saturday, forming what he called the government of the recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has led a minority coalition government formed by his Socialist Party and the anti-austerity United We Can party since January 2020. He has managed to keep it afloat during the pandemic and pass a budget by securing key votes from opposition parties. As we put the pandemic behind us, the new government will focus on the economic recover of the country and the creation of jobs, and taking full advantage of the enormous opportunity the European Union recover funds represent, Sanchez said. Sanchez left untouched the five ministers of United We Can and made all seven changes on the Socialist side of his Cabinet. The biggest change was the exit of Carmen Calvo, the deputy prime minister. Economy Minister Nadia Calvino was elevated to take her place. Calvo leaves in the aftermath of a tug-of-war with Equality Minister Irene Montero, of United We Can, over the draft of a law that will allow gender self-determination. Jose Albares will become the new foreign minister after leaving his post as ambassador to France. Albares will replace Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who was heavily criticized for the recent diplomatic spat with Morocco. Juan Campo is out as minister of justice just weeks after Spains government pardoned nine instigators of the 2017 secession attempt by the northeastern region of Catalonia. Judge Pilar Llop will leave the presidency of the Senate to take over for Campo. Farmer Steve Jones and his two sons trapped the fly-tippers. (SWNS) Fly-tippers were forced to abandon their truck after being caught dumping rubbish on a farmers land. Farmer Steve Jones trapped the men with a car and was joined by his sons Trevor and Josiah in their tractor and rough-terrain forklift at Harvel House Farm near Meopham, Kent. Jones, 65, said rubbish being dumped on his land had become a daily occurrence, so his family decided to take action. They used walkie talkies to coordinate their operation at around 9.45am on 2 July. The incident happened at Harvel House Farm near Meopham, Kent. (Google Maps) After blocking the fly-tippers' van, one man fled the scene while another pleaded with the farmers and threatened to smash through the barricade, Jones said. He tried to escape by mounting the verge but was unable to get through, so he also left before police arrived to seize the vehicle, he added. Jones said: We wouldnt go a month without fly-tipping generally. It ranges from people clearing out their shed to people who are doing it serially. Its quite regular, but this lot were coming every day, which was a bit silly of them because it made them easy to catch. We knew roughly what sort of time they were coming, so I got there about 9.45am. They turned up and we saw them go past. They were incredibly quick. By the time I got the car down there, they were on their way out. I got on the walkie talkie, and the boys and some of the staff turned up. I didnt close the gates, I just parked the car across the gateway so they couldnt get out. They werent best pleased. One of them just walked straight off, he wasnt hanging around. The other one remonstrated with me. He told me to get out of the way, and then he got on his phone to get some other people. Then he said Im just going to smash out past you. I said thats why I bought a 200 car. He went up the bank but lost traction on his wheels and couldnt move. "My two boys were coming with tractors, so we boxed him in so he couldnt get out. The vehicle driver then left the scene, leaving behind the tipper van, which was later seized by police. Story continues Gravesham council confirmed environmental enforcement officers attended with police on Friday and the investigation was in its early stages. A Kent Police spokesman added: Officers attended and seized a vehicle, which had been driven to the scene by the man who made the threats. "Inquiries into the threatening behaviour are ongoing. Watch: Watch England fans clash with police outside Wembley Courtesy Violetta Grudina MOSCOWThe new wave of threats began almost as soon as Violetta Grudina, an opposition politician and a gay rights activist in Russia, declared her candidacy in local elections. It was a dark beginning to an election campaign but hardly a surprising one. Such attacks were not new to Grudina. Once a few years ago, she was pushed down and kicked in her face by a nationalist thug for her unwomanly appearance. Last spring, rifle bullets flew through her office window. But this time was different, and it was clear to Grudina that somebody was putting a lot of effort into ending her political career. Fliers went up around her hometown of Murmansk, in the north of Russia, with her phone number, home address, and pictures of her and her girlfriend. The fliers were calling for an elimination of the politician. Tbilisi Pride Supporters Defy Violent Anti-LGBTQ Thugs in Georgia The political movement Grudina led in Murmansk, a military port city in Arctic, was a regional branch of imprisoned Aleksei Navalnys opposition group until a court formally banned it last month, labeling it as extremist. Many opposition leaders in the region fled the country. But Grudina stayed and decided to run an election campaign as an independent in Murmansk, the city she loved. Some corners of our city are so poor, so run-down, they look like slums, so I would like to change that and many people in the community support me, Grudina, who is 31 years old, told The Daily Beast. In late April, somebody painted a swastika on the door of Grudinas office, she said. Then, she discovered a piece of paper with crosshairs drawn on it in her post box. Even when some radicals fired an assault rifle at our office windows, authorities did not do anything to investigate the crime or provide us with protection, she said. Police rejected our complaints, nobody investigated the attacks, I am clearly unprotected, Grudina said. I expect even worse things can happen to me. Story continues Every Russian election season brings grim news of political persecutions and violence against opposition candidates. Independent politicians who protect minorities, speak out against political repressions and violence become targets of death threats, arson, arrests, beatings or shootings. This year has been especially tough for independent politicians running for local and Parliamentary elections. They all take grave risks, but often, it seems the women in Russias opposition circles bear the brunt of the attacks. Until recently, Yulia Galyamina was a lawmaker, a university professor and a well-respected politician calling for non-violent change in Russia. She led multiple rallies in Moscow, which would often end in her arrest. Members of a special anti-riot police unit, the OMON, violently beat Galyamina at a rally in 2017. She ended up in a neurological hospital with broken teeth, a damaged jaw and a concussion. But that did not stop her. She won the 2017 local elections a few months after the attack. The lawmaker has not seen her attackers on trial. Instead, she ended up in the dock herself: Last year, a Moscow court sentenced Galyamina to two years of probation, a conviction that deprived her of the right to participate in public politics. Galyamina was accused of organizing unauthorized rallies, aimed at changing the constitutional order. In other former Soviet states, women have played pivotal roles in bringing political change. Georgia and Moldova have elected women presidents in recent years. Despite the fact that our country is poor, Moldovans have been fighting for democracy and freedom for 30 years, no matter how hard the fight was, people did not give up. I am so proud of people protesting in the streets, Moldovan President Maia Sandu told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview earlier this year. People continue to demonstrate a deep devotion to democratic elections. I have been strongly supported in my intentions to fight corruption and defeat the oligarchic system. Russia Plunges Into Era of Dictatorship as Putin Looms Over Eastern Europe A majority of Russians want to see more women on the political stage, too. About 70 percent of the population would like to see more women in politics, according to Levada Centers social polls. But the government has been relentless in pressuring women opposition figures. Navalnys top ally and lawyer, Lyubov Sobol, had to quit her parliamentary election campaign last week. She could not protect her team members against the anti-extremism law targeting Navalnys supporters. I really dont understand why authorities would not want to allow independent candidates to take part in political competition, and demonstrate whether they are effective, a political observer with Kommersant newspaper, Vladimir Solovyev, told The Daily Beast. The competition would shake up and energize the system. Russias only registered liberal party, Yabloko, has nominated a prominent rights activist and journalist, Marina Litvinovitch, to run for parliamentary elections this year. Litvinovitch has been a victim of violent, politically motivated attacks in 1999 and 2006 but has not seen any results from police investigations against her attackers. As a member of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission, Litvinovitch observed prisons and documented human rights violations in Russian jails for two years. She is now seeking to improve conditions in womens prisons. Convicted women stay in cells of 30 people, just like men. If I get elected, I would work on improving the prison system, Litvinovitch, a 46-year-old politician and a single mother of three children, told The Daily Beast. In March, the state-controlled Moscow Public Monitoring Commission voted to remove Litvinovitch from a panel after she visited Sobol in jail, accusing her of disclosing information on Sobols investigation to the press. I am sure authorities would like to invent something to stop me from running in the elections, she said. But in spite of all the risks, I am still determined to run. Our society is tired of injustice, aggression on television, aggression in politics. People want to speak with women politicians. Russian women journalists, human rights defenders, and politicians are often braver and more effective in communicating ideas. Politics are not dead in Russia. There is still me. 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. The Texas state House Appropriations Committee on Friday voted unanimously to bring a bill to the floor that would reinstate the funding for the Texas Legislature, the Texas Tribune reports. Driving the news: The bipartisan vote, 21-0, represents the first step Texas legislators have made in order to restore the funding that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed last month to punish Democratic lawmakers who staged a walkout to stop a GOP-backed voting reform bill from passing. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Abbott's veto affected the paychecks of state lawmakers, but also affected that of staff members and the budget of legislative agencies. State Democrats are still awaiting a ruling from the state Supreme Court on a lawsuit they filed to revert the veto, which they argue is unconstitutional. State of play: Lawmakers said that the funding measure was identical to the one they had worked out originally, per the Tribune. The big picture: The vote is part of the state legislature's special session that started this week in which lawmakers plan to consider a number of conservative priorities, including new, restrictive voting bills. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free Michael M. Santiago/Getty When ex-president Donald Trump held a press conference this week to announce his class-action lawsuit against social media companies, most people shrugged. One group, however, saw it as an opportunity. Officials with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a so-called dark money nonprofit backing the lawsuit, joined the former president at the lectern, where they directed supporters to a website to sign on as co-plaintiffs. That site wont actually sign anyone on to the lawsuit though. The fine print on the landing page explicitly says entering a name does not make someone a plaintiff. Instead, its a fundraising effort for the nonprofit, which as a 501(c)(3) organization is not required to disclose its donors. Brooke Rollins, a former Trump administration official who now heads up the organization, stood next to the former president on Thursday and said people could join the lawsuit by going to take on big tech dot com. We really are looking for the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Americans, she said. But visitors to that website were redirected to a fundraising page for the Constitutional Leadership Partnership, an arm of AFPI headed up by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. On that page, visitors will find a form where they can enter their information and donate to the group, as well as this fine print: Signing up as a supporter or donor does not make you a party to, or class member in, any lawsuit in which AFPI may or may not be engaged. Created in April, AFPI is the largest pro-Trump group yet. Its membership resembles something of a shadow post-White House administration, boasting a number of high-ranking former Trump officials. Alongside Rollins, the group includes former White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, and Keith Kellogg, who was national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence. Former top White House aides Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner reportedly serve as informal advisers. Story continues As for the nascent lawsuit against social media companies, legal experts immediately blasted it as a ploy. Ari Cohn, a lawyer at tech policy think tank TechFreedom, told The Daily Beast the move was little more than a fundraising, publicity stunt. Trump Joins Forces With a Cardi B-Hating Travel Agent to Take Down Big Tech The lawsuit itself, he said, would likely only serve as an appellate vehiclea means to force higher courts to engage with Trumps pet issues surrounding social media and First Amendment rights. They know that theyre going to lose, Cohn said. The cloaked fundraising push wasnt limited to AFPI. Trumps leadership PAC, Save America, also raised money off the announcement, promising 5x matching donations. The Justice Department is reportedly looking into such promises as empty and fraudulent. And on the Save America page, the repeating donations box is pre-checked, a common Trump campaign practice that has recently received criticism for deceiving donors into giving more money than intended. 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. Until Friday, Haitis top two politicians were each claiming to be the rightful leader in charge of running the country in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. On Friday evening, a third man entered the picture. Joseph Lambert, the head of what remains of the Haitian Senate, said that he has been voted provisional president of the Republic of Haiti by his fellow senators. The vote among the 10 senators who remain in the 30-member chamber was 8-0 with two abstentions only because they are not in the country, Lambert told the Miami Herald. The chamber is the only constitutionally ordained part of government left in Haiti. Moise was killed in the middle of the night Wednesday in his home in the hills above Petion-Ville. Since then, Claude Joseph, the outgoing prime minister who had resigned, has taken charge. Ariel Henry, the neurosurgeon Moise had named as the new prime minister but who has not been sworn in has claimed he should be running the country. The assassination has left Haiti, already reeling from a constitutional and political crisis, in uncertainty. There are only 10 elected officials left all senators because the majority of the countrys parliamentarians and all other elected officials had their terms end in January 2020. The Senate vote had the backing of some of the countrys political parties, which support Lambert as interim president and Henry as prime minister. They include opposition parties and Moises ruling Haitian Tet Kale Party. Party head Line Balthazar was among those who signed a separate accord supporting Lambert and Henry. While all of Haitis political players agree that Moises death is an exceptional situation, they cannot agree on the way forward. Behind the scenes a number of powerful players have been positioning themselves to take charge. The struggle has left the international community worried and fearful of more chaos. We are facing a very difficult situation in Haiti right now, Helen La Lime, the United Nations special representative to Haiti, said this week after giving a closed-door briefing of the situation to the U.N. Security Council. We continue to encourage all national stakeholders to remain united. Our message is that stakeholders need to set aside their differences and to chart a common way forward and overcome this difficult moment in a peaceful manner. Story continues So far the country has remained peaceful, but the political bickering continues. Andre Michel, a leader in the Democratic and Popular Sector opposition coalition, said whats needed is a broad concerted national solution and not any tailor-made, non-inclusive solution, that above all does not take into account popular demands. We are not signatories to this agreement, he said of the proposal to put Lambert in as provisional president with Henry as prime minister. The consensus that produced this agreement is too weak to be fruitful. Fanmi Lavalas, once the most powerful political party in the country, also opposes making Lambert president. But the partys refusal to support a Lambert-Henry leadership doesnt mean that its supporting Joseph, the acting prime minister who in the wake of the presidents death declared Haiti to be under martial law. Why do we need a president? We have to innovate and transform that tropical tragedy into an opportunity to dignify the Haitian people, said Leslie Voltaire, a longtime politician and member of Fanmi Lavalas, which was founded by former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. I would rather see a council of state represented by illustrious Haitians from the diaspora, the regions and sectors of activity (health, education, the private sector, environment, human rights) with a coordinator. Other prominent Haitians are divided between supporting Joseph or backing a solution in which none of the people claiming the mantle of power should be in charge. Senator Lambert has no provisional or constitutional power to run Haiti, said Gary Bodeau, a former president of the Lower Chamber of Parliament who supports Joseph. One-third of the Senate cannot replace Moise. There is no provision in Haitis constitution for a scenario in which the president dies and there are only 10 elected officials left in the entire country. Recognizing that a president could die in office, or even be thrown out of office, the constitution was amended after the countrys catastrophic 2010 earthquake to say that the National Assembly would step in if there was a vacancy during the last two years of the presidents five-year term. There is, however, no National Assembly right now. Lambert insists that his selection will not complicate matters. I was chosen unanimously, he said. That doesnt add to the conflict. There is a vacancy and the political force and class, the [Organization of American States], the U.N ... believe there needs to a dialogue initiated with the political actors to bring the country to stability. But those international organizations arent necessarily fans of the seasoned politician. In the days since Moises death, both the U.N. and the U.S. have been quick to show support for Joseph. This has rankled other politicians in Haiti, who say neither the U.N. nor the U.S. is respecting Haitis laws. They fear that a politician like Lambert will want to hold onto power, rather than prepare the country for elections. Lambert said that is not his intention. The resolution the Senate vote is clear, he said. I am provisional president until the next parliament takes its seat in January 2022. The U.S. sent 500,000 COVID vaccine doses to Moldova, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Friday. State of play: The U.S. Embassy in Moldova said the country would receive Johnson & Johnson shots, and the first 150,000 are set to arrive on Monday, AP reports. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. What they're saying: Moldovan President Maia Sandu said the vaccines will "help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic," per AP. "Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated," Sandu added. She said the shipment was the first to head to Europe. By the numbers: A total of 305,547 people in Moldova have been fully vaccinated, which represents 11.5% of the country's population, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The country between Romania and Ukraine has reported a total of 257,343 confirmed virus cases and 6,207 deaths, per JHU. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Veteran film provocateur Paul Verhoeven hit back Saturday at Catholics who have condemned his lesbian nun movie "Benedetta" as blasphemous over scenes in which a statue of the Virgin Mary is used as a sex toy. The "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls" director, who has also long drawn the ire of feminists, told reporters at the Cannes film festival that he had nothing to be ashamed of. "How you can you be blasphemous about something that happened, that's true?" the 82-year-old told reporters in response to social media outrage over the illicit relationship at the heart of the film between a 17th-century Italian abbess and one of her novices. "You cannot talk about blasphemy about something that happened four hundred years ago. I think that's wrong," he added. The big-budget romp, which delights in its rather obvious eroticism, is in the running for Cannes top prize, the Palme d'Or. Belgian star Virginie Efira -- who also featured in Verhoeven's Oscar-nominated "Elle" about a woman's rape fantasies -- plays the errant abbess Benedetta Carlini, who is stripped of her authority (and just about everything else) when her passion for a fellow nun is revealed. While many critics panned the film, with The Guardian saying that "Verhoeven may have to do some contrite murmuring in the confessional for this one", the BBC proclaimed it a "searing exploration of faith and organised religion" as it anointed it with five stars. The movie industry bible Variety took a middle path, deeming it a "guilty-pleasure nunsploitation" flick. Verhoeven adapted the film from an acclaimed non-fiction book by Judith C. Brown, "Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy". The director, who has previously denied there was such a thing as a "male gaze", even claimed that his film could be seen as feminist, an assertion backed by one of his actresses, Louise Chevillotte. "From the moment you let women have complex characters that are so violent and so subversive, yes, there is feminism," she said. fg/er/har PeopleImages / iStock.com In the spring of 2020, employees in the United States shifted their workplaces to their homes in unprecedented numbers because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, more than a year later, workers are moving back to a more traditional workplace, but how we work will never be the same. Read: How To Go Back To Work And Still Keep Unemployment Benefits See: 26 Highest-Paying Jobs That Let You Work From Home Instead, more companies are turning to a hybrid workplace, with a mix of in-office and remote work. In fact, a May 2021 study of 100 corporate executives from McKinsey & Company showed that nine out of 10 organizations envision a future combination of remote and on-site work accommodations. Despite the strides made with the new-style workplace in the past year, 68% of businesses don't have a detailed vision in place for what a future hybrid workplace will look like. Without such a plan, the hybrid workplace could turn toxic and wind up affecting both staff morale and the company's bottom line. "What can start as a confused hybrid workplace may ultimately become more troubled and/or toxic over time," said Dana Case, director of operations for MyCorporation.com. "My advice for bosses is to curb this from occurring early on by discussing concepts for a hybrid work plan. Communicate it among members of leadership. Then, put a detailed vision in place for hybrid or fully remote workers." Read on to learn 10 signs that your hybrid workplace is, or is on the verge of becoming, a toxic one. Last updated: July 8, 2021 Confident mature businessman giving a presentation to his team in office. Senior Managers Dont Work Remotely Like Case said, there should be a plan for your hybrid workplace. And that plan should be fair. Working from home should be a policy adopted and encouraged across the workplace, no matter what the employees job title, several business representatives said. People at all levels of the company, including senior leaders, will work remotely in a company that truly values remote work, said Dr. Edward Smith, a neurologist who is the CEO and founder of Nootropicsofficial.com. If only lower or mid-level career employees are permitted to work remotely while all senior leadership remains in the office, it is reasonable to assume that remote workers will be unable to advance within the company while remaining remote. Story continues Evaluate: 10 Small Changes To Stay on Track With Your Career Goals coworking space, latin people, business person, interview, office, working,. Bosses Criticize the Hybrid Model For the hybrid model to succeed, bosses must show their support, said Ann Martin, the director of operations of CreditDonkey, a credit card processing company. If a hybrid model doesn't work for your business that's fine, she said. Plenty of companies are choosing to go fully back to the office. What you want to avoid is a situation where company leaders are speaking negatively about remote work even while they claim to support a hybrid model. Badmouthing employees who work remotely creates tension in the workplace and undermines efforts to have a healthy hybrid model. If you're a leader who notices other leaders in your business doing this, try speaking to them one-on-one. Ask them to reserve their complaints to private meetings and do your best to ensure that any concerns on their part are addressed. Check Out: Highest-Paying Work-From-Home Jobs HR manager at her office talking to employee cheerfully while holding some paperwork. Communication Is Lacking The number one irrefutable sign of a toxic hybrid workplace is poor communication, said Katherine Brown, the founder of Spyic, a parental control and remote monitoring app. Effective communication is the spine of the hybrid workplace as it bridges the gap between remote and in-office workers. Suppose you notice that your organization is not empowering you as the worker with tools that make communication easy, convenient and timely. In that case, its a sign of toxicity that is sure to escalate soon. As a team member, it is essential to ask the management hard questions on how they plan to facilitate communication. If possible, come up with suggestions that you feel will make communication easy between remote and in-office teams if implemented. On the other hand, the management needs first to develop a policy that allows employees to be trained on communication in a hybrid workplace. This move should be followed by the acquisition and implementation of infrastructure that makes communication and collaboration possible. Learn: How Much You Really Take Home From a $100K Salary in Every State Two millennial businesswomen meeting for a job interview, full length, seen through glass wall. Technology Isnt a Priority Todays productivity technology has made it easy to communicate from all corners of the world, but some workplaces arent making the needed investment to make hybrid work a success, said entrepreneur Bing Howenstein, the CEO of office-chair manufacturer All33. Inadequate technology is the biggest sign of a toxic hybrid workplace, he said. Without seamless communication between remote and onsite employees, hybrid workplaces would cease to exist. An awkward setup a mid-size group hovering over a laptop or small screen in a conference room is all it takes to lose momentum and attention. Instead, offices need to transition into acquiring smart screens, intercom and email-integrated voicemails, making it easy for everyone to show up and stay focused." Discover: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job woman researching the best mutual funds Employees Dont Feel Engaged Almost all toxic workplaces have one thing in common: the employees are not engaged in the work they perform, said Carlos Castelan, managing director of The Navio Group, a management-consulting firm that helps companies improve workplace issues. Poor managerial communication impacts employee engagement by making team members feel removed from decisions and devoid of any sense of ownership, he said. In many ways, a bosss poor communication or a lack of communication is worse than conflict itself because it signals to someone that theyre not valued enough to be included. Castelan said good communication is more important now than ever. In our tight job market, where employees now have many options if they want to leave a company, it's crucial that bosses keep their staff engaged in order to retain talent, he said. More: Companies That Let You Work From Anywhere team working The Company Vision Isnt Shared Perhaps the most important yet often overlooked strategy that strong bosses fail to do is setting a clear vision for employees which provides an understanding of why a teams work is valuable, Castelan said. Clear goals help staff focus on working toward that vision. Reinforcing the vision and goals through regular communication, both as a team and one-to-one, helps employees remember how their work furthers the organizations mission and increases engagement by making the work feel meaningful. Communicating a clear vision and goals to employees allows them to understand how their work fits into a bigger picture and that theyre making tangible progress along the way. Time for a Change: 24 Tips To Change Your Career and Land Your Dream Job Group of business people in video conference meeting. Meetings Arent Convenient for All Alex Magnin, a specialist in consumer technology and digital media, calls them owl hour meetings those scheduled at a time that could fall in the middle of the night for some employees and they are detrimental to employees and companies, he said. Hybrid offices often mean colleagues working from different time zones, but some businesses can be selfish when it comes to arranging meetings, he said. Instead of arranging two meetings at suitable times for different employees, they often arrange one that favors their local time zone, leaving others feeling undervalued." Meeting Tips: How To Improve Your Presentation, Meeting and Interview Skills on Zoom Group of coworkers going down the stairs and talking. Team-Building Activities Are Limited to the Office Employees who work off-site often are forgotten when it comes to marking milestones or achievements, and that can spread to other crucial events, said Tia Graham, the chief happiness officer and founder of Arrive At Happy, who has worked with major companies to increase employee engagement and also the bottom line. Remote work can feel isolating so the key for company leaders is to create meaningful engagement among team members and ensure there is consistent communication. Just because they arent physically present in the office doesnt mean they should be left out of important activities, Graham said. Leadership needs to bridge the gap between remote and in-office workers and ensure no one feels excluded. Every time there is a meeting or organized event (e.g., guest speaker or happy hour), it should be done in a way that virtual staff can take part. Companies were forced to figure this out during the pandemic, so its crucial they dont fall back into old ways and only hold in-person events. Read: Smart Ways You Can Prepare For Job Loss While Youre Still Employed Angry Hispanic businessman working with laptop computer in office, losing patience. Remote Staff Is Micromanaged Employers need to learn how to manage remote staff in a way that doesnt indicate a lack of trust, Graham said. I would challenge managers and say, Don't monitor productivity based on how many virtual meetings people are on or how often your employees are talking in Slack, Graham said. Look at the results. Look at the output. That is what is most crucial. Otherwise, you will quickly lose top talent. Believe that you hired people with drive and passion. If there is an issue with productivity, provide feedback and work with your employees don't sit back and watch them fail. Give them an opportunity to learn and adjust. Advice: 5 Things To Negotiate at Your Job Other Than Salary Close-up part of young bearded man using his laptop while sitting at bar counter at cafe with barista at the background. Not All Employees Can Access Work Materials A hybrid workplace can be toxic if there is no system in use that allows all employees access to necessary tools, said Solomon Thimothy, co-founder of Clickx, which assists marketing agencies in growing their businesses. If remote employees have to wait for on-site employees to provide them what they need to start working, their productivity is dependent on the on-site employees, which makes the workplace toxic, Thimothy said. To address this, I will use a document management system to store all of the company's information. I'll do it so that each employee will only be able to view files for which they have clearance. That way, they can work independently and maximize their potential. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Warning Signs of a Toxic Hybrid Workplace The revelations that there are hundreds of indigenous children buried in unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools have shaken Canadians. They have also increased calls for changes to the country's foster care system, where indigenous children are vastly overrepresented. Christine Miskonoodinkwe-Smith, from Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, was taken by child services when she was about a year old, along with her sister, and adopted by a non-indigenous family in the province of Ontario. The loss of family and cultural connections can be devastating to children in care. "Not knowing your culture just drives an anger inside you," says Miskonoodinkwe-Smith, who is of Saulteaux descent. "It separates you from your very own identity in a way, because you have to live in two worlds. You're living in a non-indigenous world, but then you know there's another worldview, which is your culture." Her adoptive parents eventually became emotionally and physically abusive and gave her up when she was 10, but kept her biological sister. She spent the rest of her youth with other non-indigenous foster families and in group homes. She didn't get a chance to learn about her culture until her 20s. "Once I started going to pow-wows and cultural events, it really made me change inside," said Miskonoodinkwe-Smith, now a writer living in Toronto. "It made me more aware of the issues around what indigenous people have been through." The grim discovery of approximately 215 children found buried in unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school near Kamloops, British Columbia in May, and similar discoveries at other sites like at the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, has brought renewed attention to the treatment of indigenous children in Canada. Unmarked graves were found at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School on the Cowessess First Nation Residential schools operated for over a century, part of an historical programme to forcibly assimilate indigenous youth into white society. Story continues Many campaigners are now highlighting the links between that system and the estimated 40,000 indigenous children and youth in foster care, according to figures from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), a national advocacy organisation. Census data shows that more than half of the children in Canadian foster homes are indigenous, despite them making up less than 8% of the country's child population. The child welfare system is run primarily by individual provinces, and the figures vary. In Manitoba, approximately 90% of children in care are indigenous. Concerns about Canada's foster care system, and the unjust treatment of indigenous children, are not new. For over two decades, Cindy Blackstock, an activist and member of the Gitxsan First Nation, has fought for the rights of indigenous children in care. "The reasons why indigenous kids go into care are driven by poverty, poor housing, substance misuse and mental health and domestic violence, due to the multi-generational trauma of residential schools," says Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Blackstock has led successful legal battles for reforms to the system - and is still fighting Ottawa over the compensation for those affected by on-reserve child welfare practices. What are residential schools? The removal of children from indigenous homes has been a part of Canadian life since its early days as a European colony. By the late 19th Century, it had become government policy. Beginning in the 1880s, some 150,000 First Nations, Metis, or Inuit children were taken away from their families to be placed in residential schools. The last of these institutions closed in 1996. A landmark Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which delivered its final report in 2015, found that sexual and physical abuse at residential schools was widespread. It estimated that at least 4,000 indigenous children died in those schools, mainly from disease or malnourishment. The disproportionate removal of indigenous children by welfare agencies was part of the legacy of residential schools, which deprived their pupils of positive parenting, self-worth and a sense of identity, said the TRC. "Children who were abused in the schools sometimes went on to abuse others," the commission wrote. "Many students who spoke to the Commission said they developed addictions as a means of coping. Students who were treated and punished like prisoners in the schools often graduated to real prisons." As the residential school system was wound down in the middle of the 20th Century, new child welfare policies were enacted that allowed government officials to take thousands of indigenous children into care, with little or no warning to their families. This period, which lasted into the 1980s, has become known as the "Sixties Scoop". Although it was curtailed with new regulations, and a greater emphasis on indigneous-led child welfare agencies, the disproportionate flow of indigenous children into the foster care system has continued. Canada's minister of indigenous services, Marc Miller, says there are now more indigenous children in care across the country than were ever in residential schools at any one given time. Racism in the modern child welfare system has been well-documented and systematic, he says. That could include officials applying rules inconsistently in a way that negatively affects indigenous people, or a refusal to let indigenous children engage with their culture. What's being done? The goal for child welfare officials should be to give indigenous families the help they need to keep their children in spite of any challenges they may face, says Jeffrey Schiffer, the executive director of Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, an indigenous-led agency providing culture-based programmes. "After decades and decades of families being torn apart by systems of residential schooling and later foster care, it is so important that we provide circumstances in which families can stay together, and learn about indigenous culture and language, '' he says. Only 3% of the calls the organisation receives result in a child being removed from their parent or guardian, says Schiffer. Prime Minister Trudeau, with Chief Cadmus Delorme, visits the site where Cowessess First Nation found hundreds of unmarked graves When a child is removed, the focus is on trying to place them with extended family or community members. The federal government must also fix widespread social problems that lead to situations in which children are removed from their parents, Blackstock says. Indigenous leaders point to high child poverty rates, higher than average suicide rates, and chronic infrastructure problems with water and housing on reserves as key issues. The Liberal government has worked to increase funding for indigenous youth since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took power in 2015, says Miller. "It isn't the end of the story, but it works towards moving that system away from the heavy hand of the law, to one that is really lifting up prevention alternatives." There are some other slow changes taking place. Cowessess First Nation made the recent discovery of approximately 750 unmarked graves at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School. On Tuesday, it signed a multimillion dollar agreement with the federal and provincial governments that would give the First Nation management over child and family services, which Chief Cadmus Delorme said will reflect "our culture, values, and priorities". That partnership was possible due to new legislation - passed in 2019 - affirming indigenous peoples' right to enact jurisdiction over child and family services in their own communities. Cowessess is the first to ink such a deal under the law. At the formal signing ceremony, Delorme said: "The end goal is one day, there will be no children in care." And theres never accountability. Free choices, free people making decisions are so much better, he said. So next time you see another crisis, recognize the pattern that [governments] have used for a long time, whether its been poverty, to COVID, bus drivers or building more school programs, recognize their failures, the lack of accountability, and it never comes back to them. So with that, once you see these patterns, hopefully thats going to help you to make Virginia red again, because youve seen this before. But when they do this, you look back and say, Youre not going to fool me again, because I understand your pattern. Youve done it a million times before; all you do is take more power. Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang will visit Japan for the July 23 opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, Taiwanese authorities announced on Saturday. Tang is the youngest minister in Taiwan's history and is also a renowned programmer and entrepreneur. She gained recognition in Japan after developing a series of useful smartphone apps to combat the spread of infections during the coronavirus outbreak. The Japanese government has offered support by supplying COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan after the island was hit by a surge in new cases last month. Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has said it will start programs to support both the private and work-life of foreign workers at its convenience stores as part of efforts to retain them amid a labor shortage due to Japan's graying population. The operator of convenience stores, employing about 37,000 foreigners, plans to establish a database that will compile information on them, including nationality, education and job history, to enhance the workers' credibility when applying for credit cards, rental housing and other services, the company said. The programs for foreign workers, primarily students, aim to encourage them to settle down in Japan and work over the long term, it added. Foreign workers account for about 9.5 percent of total Seven-Eleven store staff and have become vital to operating the outlets, the company said. Born in Bellevue, Neb., Rod James military service took him all over the U.S. before he returned to his wife Erickas hometown of Council Bluffs in the 90s. The couple wanted to live and work here because it is a great community to raise a family and build their business, Foresight Security Solutions. James has spent the bulk of his professional life working in law enforcement and finds it particularly rewarding when his ability to fluently speak, read and write Spanish helps bridge communication gaps to find justice for victims and their families. James joined Iowa West Foundations Healthy Families Advisory Committee earlier this year. He also currently serves on the Citizen/Police Advisory Board in Council Bluffs and is a member of Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County. When hes not working, he can most often be found trekking around the track at Kirn Park or logging miles on his bike on the Wabash Trace Nature Trace. He and Ericka look forward to resuming safe travel again soon. For now, they settle for quick road trips to visit their youngest son at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. McMaster asked his states health department to bar state and local health groups from the use of the Biden Administrations targeted door to door tactics. A South Carolinians decision to get vaccinated is a personal one for them to make and not the governments, McMaster wrote in a letter to the department. Enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the publics trust and confidence in the States vaccination efforts. In Missouri, meanwhile, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri! Earlier in the week, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to Biden condemning the new strategy. For the usually reserved Biden White House, which has long harbored private frustrations about some states laggard vaccination programs but refused to condemn them publicly for fear of playing up political divides in public health, it was a bridge too far. JOHNSTON, Iowa If Donald Trump runs for president again in 2024, it will not be with former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate, Bob Vander Plaats believes. And Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds would make a great running mate, Vander Plaats says. Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Christian conservative organization The Family Leader, discussed the 2024 Republican presidential primary and those Christian conservative voters Friday during taping of this weekends episode of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. Reynolds is expected to run for re-election in 2022, but Vander Plaats suggested she would make a strong running mate for Trump or whichever Republican presidential candidate secures the partys nomination in 2024. Without question. As a matter of fact, I think she would be a great presidential candidate right now, Vander Plaats said. She has a lot of stock across the country of how she has led during COVID, how she has led through the racial unrest and a lot of other things. Iowa in many ways has been a model. I watched her on Laura Ingrahams (Fox News) show with five different governors and she just stood out. So I think Gov. Reynolds obviously its up to her, shes not going to run for president but she would make a very compelling VP choice. 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. CANNES, France (AP) The most often-repeated thing said about the Velvet Underground is Brian Eno's quip that the band didn't sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a band. You won't hear that line in Todd Haynes' documentary The Velvet Underground, nor will you see a montage of famous faces talking about their vast influence. You won't even really hear a fairly full Velvet Underground track until nearly an hour into the two-hour film. Instead, Haynes, the reliably unconventional filmmaker of Carol," I'm Not There" and Far From Heaven, rejects a traditional treatment of the Velvets, a fitting approach considering the uncompromising, pioneering subject. His movie, which premiered this week at the Cannes Film Festival, is, like the Velvets, boldly artful, boundless and stimulating. You sense that even Lou Reed would be pleased by how The Velvet Underground refuses the obvious. I didn't need to make a movie to tell you how great the band is, Haynes said in an interview. There were a lot of things I was going to be like: OK, we know this. Let's get right to how this happened, this music, where these people came from and how this miracle of this group of people came together." A Davenport woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for fatally shooting another woman in a Chuck E. Cheese. Treshonda M. Pollion, 25, was originally charged with first-degree murder, but in April she accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The plea deal included a mandatory sentence of 10 years. Pollion was arrested on Oct. 25 for shooting Eloise Chairs, 29, after the two women allegedly got into a fistfight sparked by an argument about a game card. "I don't know if I've ever seen a more senseless crime than this one," Scott County Judge John Telleen said during the sentencing hearing. Chairs' mother, Angela Chairs, gave a witness statement during the hearing, emphasizing how the lives of Chairs' children has changed since their mother died. "In that moment when you shot her, you stopped everything ... I just can't believe this nightmare," Angela Chairs said. "I just don't understand how you can just walk up and shoot somebody." Vilsack said its hoped that the $500 million pledged by the administration can be leveraged with private funds and state economic development dollars to generate billions for expanded meat production capacity. In addition to the COVID-19 relief money Biden is pledging, Vilsack hopes that Congress can be convinced to provide additional funds for the program. We have got to expand the amount of processing capacity in this country, said Vilsack, who also served as agriculture secretary under President Barack Obama. We can no longer rely on a handful of processors to do the job. Among those on hand to hear the announcement were farmers and ranchers behind two new startup plants already announced in the region, including one just south of the Bluffs and another in North Platte, Nebraska. Chad Tentinger, one of the producers and investors behind the Cattlemens Heritage plant in Iowa, which is expected to employ 750 people, said theres both a need and a demand for plants like his, producing beef that consumers will know was both raised and processed locally. Thank you for Reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. After seven consecutive weeks of gains, oil prices have gone into reverse gear once again, thanks mainly to a collapse in OPEC+ talks. Oil prices have been reeling ever since OPEC+ talks collapsed on Monday due to major disagreements by its members. Major cracks appeared in the ministerial meeting with the United Arab Emirates continuing to block an agreement because it wants to increase its oil production before demand falls as per WSJ. The market fears that the UAE might "want out of OPEC so it can pump 4M bbl/day and make hay while the sun shines," Phil Flynn, market analyst at Price Futures Group, has told MarketWatch. The UAE's objection derailed a proposal to ease existing output curbs in a controlled manner and allow production to rise by 400K bbl/day each month through December leading to a planned OPEC+ meeting being called off with no new suggested date for the next gathering. This, in effect, leaves the organizations current production limits in place. However, theres a growing sense that the latest development is not necessarily bullish for oil markets because of the risk that the whole thing might fall apart and become a free for all, meaning a lot more oil potentially gets put on the market. The markets appear spooked, with oil futures charts in deep backwardation; in fact, oil prices for U.S. crude for delivery in December 2021 are currently trading at a $7/bbl premium to oil for delivery in December 2022, the highest spread on record. Meanwhile, data by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission shows that short positions among producers climbed to the highest since 2007 by mid-June, though they have been declining since then. Those are bearish signals, portending that the market believes that current oil prices are not sustainable. Nevertheless, the contrarian investor might beg to differ. Here are 3 key reasons why now might actually be a prime opportunity to load up on oil and gas stocks: #1. Record Revenues Rystad Energy says the U.S. shale industry is on course to set a significant milestone in 2021: Record pre-hedge revenues. According to the Norwegian energy navel-gazer, U.S. shale producers can expect a record-high hydrocarbon revenue of $195 billion before factoring in hedges in 2021 if WTI futures continue their strong run and average at $60 per barrel this year and natural gas and NGL prices remain steady. The previous record for pre-hedge revenues was $191 billion set in 2019. The estimate includes hydrocarbon sales from all tight oil horizontal wells in the Permian, Bakken, Anadarko, Eagle Ford, and Niobrara. That said, Rystad says corporate cash flows from operations may not reach a record before 2022 due to hedging losses amounting to $10 billion worth of revenue in the current year. Related: Qatar: Peak Natural Gas Demand To Occur Around 2040 The good thing is that hedging losses might not be that high in the coming year because producers are not so keen on using them. Shale companies typically increase production and add to hedges when oil prices railly, in a bid to lock in profits. However, the mad post-pandemic rally has left many wondering whether this can really last and led to many firms backing off from hedging. Indeed, 53 oil producers tracked by Wood Mackenzie have only hedged 32% of expected 2021 production volumes, considerably less than the same time a year ago. And who is to say that oil prices cannot remain elevated. Goldman firmly belongs to the bull camp and sees oil staying between $75-80 per barrel over the next 18 months. That level should help companies deleverage and improve their returns. Goldman has recommended Occidental (NYSE:OXY), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), Devon (NYSE:DVN), Hess (NYSE:HES), and Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), among others. Goldman is not the only oil bull on Wall Street. In early June, John Kilduff of Again Capital predicted that Brent would hit $80 a barrel in summer and WTI to trade in the $75 to $80 range, thanks to robust gasoline demand. #2 Mild Capex Growth Shale drillers have a history of matching their capital spending to the strength of oil and gas prices, but not this time around. Rystad says that whereas hydrocarbon sales, cash from operations, and EBITDA for tight oil producers are all likely to test new record highs if WTI averages at least $60 per barrel this year, capital expenditure will only see muted growth as many producers remain committed to maintaining operational discipline. From the upstream cash flow perspective, we see reinvestment rates falling to 57% in the Permian and to 46% in other oil regions this year. Corporate reinvestment rates are generally expected to be in the 60-70% range this year due to debt servicing and hedging losses, Artem Abramov, head of shale research at Rystad Energy, has said. Rystad says company-by-company research suggests an average industry-wide reinvestment rate of 50% with WTI @$65 WTI; 60% at $55, and 70% at $45 per barrel in 2021 through 2025. In other words, oil and gas companies are likely to keep capex muted even with higher oil prices, meaning a lot of that money is likely to be returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks. #3. Supply Crunch Though less frequently discussed seriously compared to Peak Oil Demand, Peak Oil Supply remains a distinct possibility over the next couple of years. In the past, supply-side "peak oil" theories mostly turned out to be wrong mainly because their proponents invariably underestimated the enormity of yet-to-be-discovered resources. In more recent years, demand-side "peak oil" theory has always managed to overestimate the ability of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles to displace fossil fuels. Then, of course, few could have foretold the explosive growth of U.S. shale that added 13 million barrels per day to global supply from just 1-2 million b/d in the space of just a decade. It's ironic that the shale crisis is likely to be responsible for triggering Peak Oil Supply. In an excellent op/ed, vice chairman of IHS Markit Dan Yergin observes that it's almost inevitable that shale output will go in reverse and decline thanks to drastic cutbacks in investment and only later recover at a slow pace. Shale oil wells decline at an exceptionally fast clip and therefore require constant drilling to replenish lost supply. Indeed, Norway-based energy consultancy Rystad Energy recently warned that Big Oil could see its proven reserves run out in less than 15 years, thanks to produced volumes not being fully replaced with new discoveries. According to Rystad, proven oil and gas reserves by the so-called Big Oil companies, namely ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), BP Plc. (NYSE:BP), Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Total (NYSE:TOT), and Eni S.p.A (NYSE:E) are all falling, as produced volumes are not being fully replaced with new discoveries. Source: Oil and Gas Journal Last year alone, massive impairment charges saw Big Oil's proven reserves drop by 13 billion boe, good for ~15% of its stock levels in the ground, last year. Rystad now says that the remaining reserves are set to run out in less than 15 years unless Big Oil makes more commercial discoveries quickly. Related: Will $70 Oil Tempt U.S. Producers To Open The Taps? The main culprit: Rapidly shrinking exploration investments. Global oil and gas companies cut their capex by a staggering 34% in 2020, in response to shrinking demand and investors growing weary of persistently poor returns by the sector. The trend shows no signs of moderating: First quarter discoveries totaled 1.2 billion boe, the lowest in 7 years with successful wildcats only yielding modest-sized finds as per Rystad. ExxonMobil, whose proven reserves shrank by 7 billion boe in 2020, or 30%, from 2019 levels, was the worst hit after major reductions in Canadian oil sands and US shale gas properties. Shell, meanwhile, saw its proven reserves fall by 20% to 9 billion boe last year; Chevron lost 2 billion boe of proven reserves due to impairment charges while BP lost 1 boe. Only Total and Eni have avoided reductions in proven reserves over the past decade. Yet, policy changes by Biden's administration, as well as fever-pitch climate activism, are likely to make it really hard for Big Oil to go back to its trigger-happy drilling days, meaning U.S. shale could really struggle to return to its halcyon days. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: One might hope that after the dramatic close call June 23rd events on the Black Sea which saw a Russian patrol ship fire warning shots to deter a UK warship which came near Crimea - all of which was reportedly monitored by an overhead US reconnaissance plane (as Putin has alleged) - "cooler heads" would prevail and that the West would seek de-escalation in the waters. But this is hoping way too much as, instead, the US Navy is calling expansive military drills on Russia's doorstep "essential" in deterring Russian "aggression". The words were issued by Commander Daniel Marzluff of the US Navys Sixth Fleet at a moment the large multi-nation Sea Breeze 2021 exercises are ongoing, which Moscow has deemed a serious "provocation". This year's Sea Breeze drills are led by the US and Ukraine with military hardware made up of over 30 participant nations crowding the region in and around the Black Sea. This has prompted Russia to hold its own drills in the southwest part of the country. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also this week issued a further warning to foreign vessels and military aircraft to not get too close to Russian territory: "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," Ryabkov said. Commander Marzluff's strong words, however, suggested anything but 'de-escalation' and avoidance of hostilities with Russia: Commander Daniel Marzluff, the U.S. Sixth Fleet's Black Sea Region Engagement Lead, told Newsweek Tuesday that the Sea Breeze drills as "essential" in deterring Russian aggression and asserting U.S. and NATO backing for Ukraine, which remains at war with Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the country. Related: Poor Hedging Could Cost U.S. Shale $20 Billion "This is clearly the most effective way to bring a unified front to this kind of rogue action," Marzluff told Newsweek from the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, referring to the ongoing exercises. The US commander further called regional allies like Ukraine the US military's "greatest strategic advantage" in confronting Russia. He described additionally: "Here in the Black Sea, we have three NATO allies that are poised and ready to respond to any type of Russian aggression." This reference includes Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey - while Ukraine has of late been increasingly vocal on wanting a path to full NATO membership, which Russia has declared a 'red line' that would certainly trigger major conflict. And yet Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has continued pushing for greater Washington intervention in the region, just this week in a press conference alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urging greater 'help' from the United States toward ending the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Amazon now has two warehouse projects in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area that, between them, could bring as many as 1,500 new jobs to the metro area. A company spokesperson confirmed last week that Amazon expects to create about 500 jobs when its 270,000-square-foot sortation center opens at South 24th Street and Veterans Memorial Highway in Council Bluffs. In October 2020, Amazon announced it would open a robotic fulfillment center in Papillion. Once fully operational, the facility could bring 1,000 full-time jobs to the area with wages starting at $15 to $16 per hour. Sortation facilities are a central part of Amazons distribution system, said Caitlin Polochak, public relations officer for Amazon. The Council Bluffs center will receive customer orders from around the country and route them to destinations in Iowa, she said. The Council Bluffs facility will be Amazons seventh in Iowa. The company added 1,500 jobs in Iowa in 2020 and plans to build a 2.9 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Davenport, Polochak said. In Papillion, construction of a 700,000-square-foot Amazon distribution center is underway on 94 acres. That facility is expected to employ 1,000 full-time employees, who will work alongside robots. He said hes excited to be joining Nebraska Shakespeare. He had already signed a contract to be the director for its fall tour of a hip-hop Romeo and Juliet when the national search firm emailed him. (They) asked if I would talk about the position in the climate of whats going on what would it take for someone to take the position and be in the position, Beasley said. Eventually, they asked if he would be interested in it. I said yeah, I would be. Its an important tradition, and Id like to see it grow and be more inclusive and welcoming, he said. I decided I would take that challenge if they were interested in me. As he saw what was happening behind the scenes, including inclusive hiring searches and recruiting people of color for the board, Beasley became confident that Nebraska Shakespeares leadership is dedicated and sincere about being an inclusive organization, he said. He sees plenty of opportunities for growth and community partnerships. Hes already talked with Gutschick about working with the Rose, and both are enthusiastic about the prospect. Hes also looking forward to working with the organizations new executive director. Zoo officials stressed that the bats that made their way into the aquarium were wild and not part of the zoos bat population. Soon after the bats were discovered, the zoo began the process of determining if other bats were present and how they got into the aquarium. No other bats have been found. The zoo has also moved campouts to other zoo venues until they are confident that the bats have been removed and that the access point has been closed. That process includes at least a full week of overnight observations with no bats present. Until this incident, no one has notified the zoo of any wild bats at previous overnight campouts in the aquarium, zoo officials said. Sarah Woodhouse, director of animal health at the zoo, said visitors to the aquarium during the day have no need to be concerned about the rabid bat. Bats are nocturnal and therefore not active or awake during the zoos normal operating hours, she said. The bats we identified were little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), a common bat species in Nebraska that anyone could find in their backyard or attic. It is not unusual for a wild bat to be infected with rabies, which is why you should never directly touch a wild bat, Woodhouse said. Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The 2021 Heartland Pride parade marched on Saturday morning, despite storms that ravaged the Omaha metro area just hours earlier. Thousands of people of all ages returned to celebrate Pride in the Old Market after taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Energy was high and there was a sense of excitement after the absence in 2020. Josh Schrader, a Lincoln resident and student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, attended the parade with his boyfriend. Schrader had never been to the event, but his boyfriend had. Schrader, who officially came out last year, said it was incredible to see everyone able to celebrate this summer after being unable to gather last year. Its amazing, he said. I think that seeing everyone together exemplifies what pride means being together with everyone again. Yeah, its amazing. Many local organizations and businesses showed their support at the parade, including the Omaha Fire Department, Union Pacific, First National Bank of Omaha, Conagra Brands, Athleta, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha Performing Arts and others. Should we stick around? Hell no. For what? Democratic state Rep. Jarvis Johnson said. There's nothing being done in earnest. There's nothing be done with the utmost respect for one another. For weeks, Democratic leaders in the Texas House have said they are not ruling out another revolt, but have also expressed hope of weakening the bill during the 30-day special session. Johnson, however, believes a large number of his colleagues are ready to deny Republicans a quorum for a second time, though most continue speaking cautiously. You may know my next move, but you can't stop it. You never knew when Mike Tyson was going to throw the uppercut, but you knew he was going to throw it," he said. Another walkout may merely buy more time: Abbott could keep calling more 30-day special sessions until voting measures are passed. Paychecks for nearly 2,000 Capitol staffers could also be on the line, because Abbott vetoed funding for the legislative branch following Democrats' late-night walkout. He has signaled he will restore that funding this summer if lawmakers are around to put a bill on his desk. State employee union leaders are suing to stop Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont's order to have workers return to the office now that much of the state has emerged from the pandemic, accusing him of violating prior telework agreements reached with the unions and ignoring the benefits of having people work from home. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, which filed the request for an injunction in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday, said in a statement that state workers proved throughout the COVID-19 crisis that a flexible teleworking agreement could be beneficial to the state of Connecticut. From increased productivity and quality performance to the positive environmental impacts like reduced emissions, improved air quality and public health, the benefits of telework are clear and something that the Administration should be taking a proud step in leading, SEBAC said in a statement posted on its website. In May, Lamont sent an email to state employees announcing they would be returning to their offices as of July 1 and that any telework would be limited to no more than 50% of their time, with manager approval. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced on Friday that 15 of the State Patrol troopers deployed to Texas a move opponents have criticized as politically motivated last month will stay two additional weeks. The governor announced last month that the state was sending troopers to Del Rio in response to a request for support in managing the ongoing crisis in communities along the border. About 25 troopers would start work in Texas on June 28, the State Patrol said at the time. Their voluntary deployment was slated to last up to 16 days. Ten of those 25 troopers are expected to return to Nebraska in the next few days, State Patrol said on Friday. We appreciate the continued service of the Nebraska State Troopers who have volunteered to aid in the response to the ongoing border crisis, Ricketts said in a press release Friday. The disastrous policies of the Biden-Harris Administration created an immigration crisis on the border. 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. Another directive asks the USDA to issue new rules on what meat products can bear the Product of the USA label, making sure that those meats are not only processed within the U.S., but raised here, too. Still another order through the Federal Trade Commission seeks to limit the power of farm equipment manufacturers to require producers to use their services for repairs. That would make it easier for farmers to make their own repairs or use local shops. All are part of a broader administration initiative intended to boost competition across a variety of industries. What its going to do is first and foremost create an opportunity to reverse whats happening today out in the countryside, where producers are having to sell their cattle at a loss only to learn the processors end up taking that cattle and generating profit, Vilsack said. The profit ought to go both ways. Consolidation has been particularly acute in the beef industry, in which four large meatpacking companies dominate over 80% of the market. That consolidation has limited farmers and ranchers options for selling their products, given them a shrinking share of the consumer dollar and raised prices for consumers, the administration says. I like to apply free market analysis to American politics. Within established laws, politicians compete for votes and are rewarded for maximizing voters preferences. As in economics, there are sometimes market failures, but mostly the system seems to be self-regulating. This sounds nice, but it doesnt seem to describe whats been happening over the past five or so years. Both parties seem to be ignoring voters clear signals. Neither seems to be rationally maximizing its votes and its chances of winning presidential elections or congressional majorities. National Democrats have indeed won the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections, but in only four did they have comfortable Electoral College majorities. Hillary Clinton lost 46 crucial electoral votes to Donald Trump by 77,736 votes in three states in 2016. In 2020, Joe Biden won 27 crucial electoral votes by an even smaller 42,918 votes. Democrats positions on issues have given them a large electorate largely clustered in central cities, sympathetic suburbs and university towns. That puts them at a disadvantage in the Electoral College and in congressional and legislative contests in equal-population districts, because Republican voters are spread more evenly around the rest of the country. Easements are a plus There is no need to wring hands and sweat worry over perpetual conservation easements. For more than a century, absolutely permanent changes to Nebraskas landscape have been made without any such worry. Yes, all of downtown Omaha or the Capitol complex in Lincoln could be leveled and restored to native prairie, but you and I know that wont ever happen. In fact, sometimes perpetual easements are required in urban development to offset wetlands issues. New highway projects also use permanent easements for the same purpose. If the Biden 30x30 plan had a goal of installing federal control over 30% of the land in this country, there is undeniable reason for concern. But to undermine private non-governmental conservation efforts and to deprive Nebraska residents of important tax benefits runs exactly counter to addressing that concern. None of us knows what will happen and what life will be like distant centuries into the future. But that is no reason to worry about doing what is good now. I have every confidence that whatever is needed in those distant centuries, people then will find the needed ways to achieve them. Steven Sanford, Sioux Falls, S.D. Editorial: Critics are wrong in trying to stop conservation easements in Nebraska Such easements are an exercise in private property rights and are a key cooperative tool to protect Nebraska wildlife habitat. Many options Water Main Break at Longflower Lane and Sweetstem Drive Mayor Pro Tem Martin would like to make Kingwood area residents aware of a water main break located at Longflower Lane and Sweetstem Drive. Houston Public Works informed our office that Inframark and Houston Water are actively working to repair the break. Currently, only the residents who live on Longflower Lane are without water due to the break. Please see the map below illustrating the impacted area and residents. Crews anticipate having to work through the night to repair the break since this is a major undertaking due to several challenges: Storm sewer lines in conflict with the water main Tree removal required Waterline relocation required Water main is deeper than 12 feet Fire hydrant relocation required Streetwise - Water, Water Everywhere by Frank Dunnigan October 2015 One of the most obvious symbols of local government in our daily lives is the presence of thousands upon thousands of city-owned/maintained fire hydrants in every single neighborhood of San Francisco. With a long history of wooden architecture, the city was nearly destroyed by fire on six different occasions between 1849 and 1851. There were also other serious blazes over the years, but the disaster of 1906estimated to stem 20% from the earthquake and 80% from the ensuing fireswas the final straw in the minds of civic leaders. Almost before the ashes cooled, local government embarked on a serious program of fire prevention and control with construction of a new high-pressure water systemthe only one of its kind in the United States. Based on the 1906 earthquake damage to water lines and the lack of sufficient water and water pressure to fight fires, city engineers determined that there needed to be an Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS in Fire Department lingo) that would be installed alongside the original system, supplying water at higher pressure by a system designed with greater resistance to earthquakes. In addition to thicker iron mains, all of the infrastructure (including connections, joints, and mounting of hydrants) were designed with additional reinforcements in order to minimize the risk of breaks or lateral movement (known as telescoping) of underground pipes during earth movements. Also, given the increase in density due to the increasing number of taller buildings, the AWSS was designed with additional water pressure for fighting difficult fires in larger structures. In 1908, San Franciscans enthusiastically taxed themselves $5,200,000 for a bond issue in order to build the high-pressure auxiliary water supply system. Construction began almost at once, and the system was completed by 1911. After testing, it was turned over to the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) and has been in service since 1913-14. This system is marked today by nearly 1,900 large hydrants, located in high-density areas throughout the city. These large white hydrants differ from one another, based on color-coded tops: Large size, white with black topThese hydrants, located at the highest points above 150 feet in elevation, are fed by the dual-tank Twin Peaks reservoir, with a total capacity of 10.5 million gallons, located on Marview Drive, with a base at 760 feet above sea level. Large size, white with red topThese hydrants, slightly lower in elevation, but still above 150 feet in elevation, are fed by a 500,000 gallon talk in the Ashbury Heights neighborhood, located on Clayton Street, opposite Carmel Street, with a base at 450 feet above sea level. Large size, white with blue topThese hydrants, at locations below 150 feet in elevation, are fed by a 750,000 gallon tank on the west side of Jones Street, between Sacramento and Clay Streets, near Nob Hill, with a base at 330 feet above sea level. All these tanks are kept filled to capacity, however, in the horribly unlikely event that either of the smaller tanks were to run dry because of massive need, the 10.5 million gallons of stored water atop Twin Peaks is designed to flow by gravity into both the Ashbury and the Jones tanks, thereby assuring water at all high-pressure system hydrants. Two emergency pumping stations were built as part of the 1908 bond measure that can supply the high-pressure system with seawater. Both stations are capable of pumping 10,000 gallons per minute, either to the Twin Peaks reservoir, or else through the high-pressure system itself, via a series of on-site generators. Pump Station #1 is located in the basement of SFFD Headquarters at 698 Second Street at Townsend, near AT&T Park. Pump Station #2 is located just inside Fort Mason, with access to the waters of San Francisco Bay, and both locations are staffed by SFFD personnel at all times. More than 35 individual Bay suction connection locations are in place on the north and east sides of the city, and can draw seawater in an emergency. While salt water can be a very effective fire-fighting tool, its corrosive nature can damage metal pipes and fittings, so its use is always a last-resort, such as in the efforts to fight the 1989 Marina fires following the Loma Prieta earthquake. In addition to the high-pressure system, there are also thousands of standard fire hydrants that dot the streets of San Francisco, and they are fed by gravity from a series of reservoirs and storage tanks in various locations. The four primary terminal reservoirs, all filled by gravity flow and not dependent on electrical pumping, are: Merced Manor (23rd Avenue and Sloat Boulevard) and Sunset (24th Avenue and Quintara Street) serving the western half of the city, and College Hill (Holly Park Circle, off Mission Street in Bernal Heights) and University Mound (near McLaren Park in the Portola) serving the eastern portion of the city. Additional reservoirs include: Sutro (Clarendon Avenue) and Stanford Heights (near Miraloma Park). These reservoirs provide water for domestic needs as well as for standard fire hydrants. Various interconnections allow many of the reservoirs at lower elevations to be refilled by gravity from higher elevation locations in the event of an emergency situation. Over and above these primary distributing reservoirs, there are also eight additional tanks throughout the city, at elevations ranging from 290 to 900 feet, each holding from 75,000 to 14 million gallons of water. These are intended to serve specific pockets of the city that have exceptionally hilly terrain, such as the Summit reservoir on Palo Alto Avenue at Glenbrook Drive, serving Twin Peaks-area neighborhoods. There are many subtle differences that distinguish one standard fire hydrant from another: Standard size, white with flat top: Newer standard model. Standard size, white with round ball on top: Older standard modelthe metal ball was used to tie up fire-engine horses. Standard size, white with green top: Green top signifies that a separate underground cistern nearby supplies water by suction. Standard size, white with light blue top: Blue top signifies that water is from a non-drinking supply source, such as a lake. Standard white with bright blue dot/water drop on upper side: Originally intended to mark emergency drinking-water hydrants in a 2006 program. These hydrants were connected to the regular drinking water system and intended to provide the public with fresh, pure water after a disaster. In recent years, the city determined that a risk of cross-contamination exists, and has discontinued the program, though some of the marked hydrants remain today. The printed black numeral on the side of standard hydrants refers to the size (diameter, in inches) of the underground pipe feeding that location. SF West History Minute on hydrant types. As a further back-up to any problems that might occur with reservoirs, holding tanks or pumping stations, two fireboats can be used to fight fires by running hoses along city streets, while simultaneously pumping sea water into the hydrant systemthe Phoenix, with a capacity of 9,600 gallons per minute and the Guardian, rated at 24,000 gallons per minutethe largest output of any fireboat, anywhere in the world. In yet another back-up for any sort of system failure, there are nearly 200 free-standing underground cisterns located throughout the city, with many of the newer ones located in the previously under-served Sunset District, several of them positioned along the length of 37th Avenue, just off Sunset Boulevard, which serves as a natural fire-break on the western side of town. These cisterns range from 75,000 to more than 200,000 gallons, with the water accessible for pumping by fire trucks. The locations are marked with an outline of red brick circles and an access cover with the words SFFD CISTERN. The cisterns remain filled at all times, with a city-wide total of more than 11 million gallons of water in storage below ground for immediate use. (See: this video from the Exploratorium on the cisterns.) In planning for every conceivable disaster scenario, the San Francisco Fire Department, working in conjunction with the San Francisco Water Department, has also installed a row of 27 standard hydrants along the south side of Fulton Street at the perimeter of Golden Gate Park. Painted green, with light-blue tops, this system is gravity-fed by Stow Lake with a supplemental supply coming from Spreckels Lake. In addition to these precautions, there are nearly 400 other emergency water storage locations, including every city-owned swimming pool, the Chain of Lakes at the western end of Golden Gate Park, plus storage tanks in commercial buildings and smaller reservoirs, such as the one located at 22nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue on Potrero Hill. Most of these locations have discharge valves at street level that can be accessed by SFFD personnel, who can then utilize the locations stored water supply to fight a fire directly, or else can download such a supply into a tanker engine or into a nearby underground cistern that might have run dry. Some areas within the City and County of San Francisco have specialized fire-fighting defenses: Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge receive water from the University Mound reservoir, via a 10-inch steel pipeline, 10,000 feet in length, supported beneath the upper deck of the Bay Bridge. This pipeline feeds into a 3-million gallon terminal reservoir on Yerba Buena Island that is used for domestic water and fire-fighting purposes. San Francisco International Airport has multiple storage tanks, holding more than 2.25 million gallons of water, plus ready access to San Francisco Bay as an emergency backup. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio derive their primary water supply from Lobos Creek and various nearby wells. A pumping station near Bakers Beach pumps the water to a six-million gallon reservoir near the center of the Presidio and to an additional 100,000+ gallon reservoir at Fort Scott. Auxiliary emergency supply lines to the area are provided by the San Francisco Water Department. The 290 hydrants located throughout the Presidio have unique color codes to indicate the water pressure available at each one. Fort Mason includes 36 standard fire hydrants, plus six SFFD high-pressure hydrants. Fort Miley Veterans Administration Hospital at 42nd Avenue and Clement Street has access to a rooftop storage tank of 40,000 gallons, a ground-level reservoir of 417,000 gallons, plus 17 standard hydrants. Laguna Honda Hospital has two interconnected water storage tanks with a capacity of 275,000 gallons on the hillside property. University of California Medical Center is served by both standard and high-pressure hydrants, plus two storage tanks of 20,000 gallons each on the property. Finally, there are also a few unique hydrants within San Francisco: Gold with round ball top: Located at 20th and Church Streets, it is known as the hydrant that saved the Mission. On April 18, 1906, water mains were damaged by the earthquake, leaving only 42 fire hydrants, out of a total of 4,500 (less than 1%) with a working supply of water. This hydrant has been honored since 1969 with a fresh coat of gold paint every April 18 in commemoration for having stopped the 1906 Fire before it spread deep into the densely populated Mission District. Silver with round ball top: Further research has also confirmed that two other hydrants, one at Hayes and Buchanan Streets, and the other at Ellis Street and Van Ness Avenue, were also working on April 18, 1906, and managed to stop the so-called Ham and Eggs Fire from spreading into Pacific Heights and the Western Addition. These two hydrants are now honored with a fresh coat of silver paint every year on the anniversary of the 1906 disaster. It is comforting to know that at any given time, standard tanks and reservoirs in San Francisco have a stored capacity of over 413 million gallons of water, with Laguna Honda and Lake Merced (part of the local drinking water supply chain until 1933) providing an additional emergency capacity of more than 2,500 million (2.5 billion) gallons of water. Given the average age of the many of these components, SFFD continues to plan system upgrades in order to be prepared for anythingsomething advisable for all of us, as well. Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! The Nkoranza South District Assembly and Department of Agriculture has commenced the distribution of 150,000 grafted cashew and mango seedlings to farmers in the area. The distribution of the improved variety with a shorter maturity period falls in line with government's Planting for Exports and Rural Development (PERD) initiative, which is aimed at decentralizing the National Tree Crops Programme to promote rural economic growth and enhance the foreign exchange earning capacity of the Ghanaian economy. Cashew is one of the six tree crops that will receive government's attention under the PERD initiative is largely being supervised by the local authorities and the District Assemblies. Speaking at a brief forum to present the seedlings to the District Department of Agriculture for inwards distribution to the over 2,000 registered farmers, the District Chief Executive of the area, Honourable Diana Attaa-Kusiwa,said the Assembly adopted the cashew and Mango crops because of it's potential in helping boost the local economy. She said the government of the President Akufo-Addo is committed to improving the Agriculture sector hence the birth of Planting for Export and Rural Development program which is also a subsidiary of the Planting for food and jobs policy. She stated that farmers would receive the seedlings free of charge and also enjoy free technical assistance from the Agric department to ensure greater crop yield. The DCE, who is hopeful that the cashew and the Mango crops will help transform the lives of the farmers for the better, urged them to take the project seriously for their own prosperity, that of the district and the Nation as a whole. She assured the farmers of the continues support of the Assembly and urged them to channel their efforts into ensuring that the initiative records a minimal death rate of the seedlings. She said " I am here today to hand over these seedlings to the Agric department to in turn distribute to the farmers. We have about 150,000 of the seedlings here for distribution to over 2,000 farmers in the district. The President's commitment to the Agric sector is unflinching and that is why he continues to demonstrate that by giving to farmers especially in the rural areas the needed support ". This is an initiative that will put money into the pockets of Farmers and improve their lives. I therefore want to plead with the farmers to please do whatever you can to make sure that these cashew and mango seedlings survive. Put in efforts to ensure that we record low deaths of the seedlings and in the next few years, we will be smiling to a great yield that will improve our lives". She assured. In his remarks, Mr. Attigah Hammond Selassie,the Nkoranza South District Director of Agriculture, thanked the Assembly for presentation, adding that his outfit will see to the supervision and monitoring of the seedlings so as to avert failure. He noted that the department, through the Agric Extension Agents, will distribute the seedlings to farmers within their operational areas base on the number of seedlings each farmer initially requested. He expressed optimism in the fortunes of the improved Cashew and Mango crop and urged the farmers to embrace it. "Cashew is a crop that is now in demand in the whole country with good market for it. The demand is high right now but there are no cashew nuts in the market. So we hope to harvest from these seedlings in about 3 years time. We will be smiling by then". He said. Some of the farmers commended the Assembly and the government for providing them with the seedlings and technical assistance. They appealed to government, through the Assembly to sustain the PERD initiative. Source: Kwabena Mano Peacefm Bono Regional Correspondent dant 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 Parliament on Friday constituted a nine-member Adhoc Committee to investigate the procurement contracts between the Government of Ghana and Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum and one other for the supply of Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccines. Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin is the chairman of the committee, and Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ranking Member on the Health Committee is vice. The rest of the members are Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, Chairman of the Health Committee; Mr Bernard Ahiafor, MP for Akatsi South; Mr Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, MP for Asante-Akim Central, Mr Ernest Norgbey, MP for Ashaiman; Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, MP for Techiman North; Ms Sheila Bartels, MP for Ablekuma North; and Mr Farouk Aliu Mahama, MP for Yendi Constituency. Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu announced the names of the members of the Ad hoc Committee to the House. He said the terms of reference of the Committee was to determine whether or not the transaction for the procurement and supply of the Sputnik V vaccine between the Government of Ghana (GOG) represented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Al Maktoum S.L Group qualifies as international Business or Economic transaction under Article 181(5) of the Constitution, and if so, whether it was subjected to prior approval of Parliament. Also, the Committee is to determine the procurement process that was followed and the propriety of same and the prices of the vaccines as well as determine whether the services of the middleman were procured in the transaction and if so, having propriety regard to the relevant laws. Additionally, the Committee is to ascertain the cost of the vaccines and the justification of the cost vaccines, and whether the transaction guaranteed value for money for Ghana. Moreover, the Committee is to determine whether or not any consideration was passed from the GOG to the middleman, suppliers, or any other person. Furthermore, for the Committee to determine or not the Ministry of Health misled Parliament during the consideration of the transaction for the procurement of the vaccine. The Committee also to inquire into any other matters connected to the purchase and supply of the Sputnik V vaccine in the agreement between the GOG and the private office of Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum and S.L Global. Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in a comment suggested that the Ad hoc Committee should have been a committee of eight members reflecting the size of each caucus. He said the Minority Side has no problem with Mr Afenyo Markin, Chairing the Ad hoc Committee with Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh as his Vice-Chairman. The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah who was in the chair commissioned the Ad hoc Committee and ask them to report to the House in three weeks. 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 Haiti's Senate has elected its leader Joseph Lambert as the interim successor to assassinated president Jovenel Moise. "I express my humble gratitude to the political institutions that support me," Lambert wrote on Twitter on Friday evening. He said he wanted to pave the way for a democratic transition of power. Presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for September in Haiti. However, the Senate - the upper house of the Haitian parliament - has not had a quorum since January 2020. It was therefore initially unclear whether Lambert would actually be able to take office. Because a general election scheduled for October 2019 was cancelled, partly due to violent protests against Moise, there are only 10 out of 30 senators whose terms have not expired. There is no one left in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies. Eight of the 10 senators voted for Lambert, and two abstained, according to media reports. There has also been considerable confusion over the role of interim prime minister following the shock assassination at Moise's home. It was to be the neurosurgeon Ariel Henry, whom Moise had appointed to the post on Monday. Henry's swearing-in ceremony, planned for Wednesday, was however cancelled after the killing. Claude Joseph, the foreign minister and former interim prime minister who was set to be replaced by Henry, declared himself acting interim head of government. As such, he has given speeches to the nation, signed decrees and held talks with representatives of foreign governments in recent days. Moise was attacked and shot dead at his residence on Wednesday night. His wife Martine was seriously injured. She is being treated in the US. According to the Haitian police, 28 foreign mercenaries carried out the murder: 26 Colombians and two US-Americans of Haitian origin. So far, 20 suspects have been arrested and three killed. The background to the crime is still murky. Moise, in office since 2017, was extremely unpopular. He was accused of corruption, links to brutal gangs and autocratic tendencies. Opposition parties had already appointed a Supreme Court judge as interim president in February because, in their view, Moise's term had expired. Protests have repeatedly paralyzed Haiti over the past three years. Most recently, bloody fighting between gangs for control of parts of the capital drove thousands of people to flee. Source: Mexico City (dpa/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 Mr Rockson Nelson Defeamakpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi has justified governments decision to provide US$100,000 as car loans for MPs. According to him, all the other arms of government with the exception of the legislature are provided with official vehicles for their use without going for a loan. I think the criticism of MPs over the car loan is unfair, offensive and creating enmity for MPs among the populace, Mr Dafeamekpor said. Mr Dafeamekpor made the observation when he spoke to the media in Parliament on recent public reaction to MPs being given US$100,000 car loan for the purchase of vehicles. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has tabled before Parliament a car loan purchase agreement of US$28 million for MPs. Each MP is expected to receive an amount of US$100,000 for the purchase of a vehicle. The papers for the agreement, submitted to the House, have been referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report. Mr Defeamekpor also explained that the vehicle to be bought with the US$100,000 would not be owned by the MP during the pendency of the loan and they only get the vehicles transferred into their names after they have finished paying for it. He debunked claims that the car loans come with soft interest and MPs are given tax exemptions on the vehicles they purchase. He cited for example that companies that came into the country and got registered under the Free Zones Board were granted extensive tax waivers. So, if MPs by virtue of being given a facility to purchase a vehicle and granted a tax waiver, I dont think it is an exceptional matter, he added. Mr Defeamekpor also explained that since January this year monies were being deducted from MPs salaries towards the car loan but have not started using the vehicles yet. According to him, to avoid all these criticisms of MPs, the State should make arrangements and acquire the necessary tools needed for the effective function of their office. Mr Patrick Boamah, MP for Okaikoi Central, expressed worry about MPs being subjected to public bashing anytime they go for the car loan facility. He said the other arms of government particularly the Executive and Judiciary were given vehicles without having to go through this process where the media is always at the back of MPs for contracting a loan. If I have the power, I will ask my colleagues to reject the facility for the simple reason that all the other arms of government vehicles are procured for them without having to go through this process where the media is always at the back of MPs for contracting a loan. Mr Boamah said he does not see the reason why MPs should be the subject of public criticism because it was a loan agreement that the Finance Ministry had contracted with the National Investment Bank for MPs and Members of the Council of State. He said though this was done after every four years, they had never heard anybody talking about why the State procure loans for Members of the Council of State, questioning it was because MPs were easy target. 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 Former Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Okoe Boye has admonished his party to be awakened to the tactics of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in pitching Ghanaians against the government's decision to pay salaries to First and Second Ladies. Parliament has officially approved the payment of salaries to wives of the President and Vice President. However, the government's decision has been condemned by some members of the general public. With some arguing for and against the decision, a member of the NDC, Sam George has threatened court action against the decision. Sam George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, argued; ''As far as I am aware there was no arrangement for that, the President's wife and the vice President's wife are not article 71 holders. "I am a Member of Parliament, I personally do not subscribe to that, whether it is an NDC President or an NPP President, your wife is not a Public Officer, you wife is your wife. Are we also going to say that the Spouse of the Chief Justice , the spouse of the Speaker must also be paid? Where do we draw the line. Already they get allowances, they get protection from the state at the expense of the taxpayer and I don't have a problem with that.'' Discussing the issue on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Dr. Okoe Boye stated that the NDC has developed a strategy that is defeating the purpose for the Parliamentary approval of the First and Second Ladies' salaries. According to him, the NDC is waging an ''emotional war'' and so called the NPP to counteract the opposition's cunning ways in order to help Ghanaians comprehend the significance of the government's decision. ''..what I have realized that the NDC is waging an emotional war, our response sometimes must be an emotional strategy. When I say 'emotional strategy', we can consider options like coming out to tell Parliament that get a bill and now cancel everything so that we listen to the kind of comments that will come from their wives'', he said. He expounded that the opposition party has decided to ''target the hearts of people'', therefore the NPP ''must be conscious and quickly adjust ourselves, because on the books, everything is right. It went to Parliament...but they're targeting people on their heart and, as a psychologist, I know when the hearts of people are targeted; it's difficult to get them to appreciate reasoning''. 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 Alejandra Morales Buscio, of Salem, Oregon, reaches up to pull the leaf canopy over pinot noir grapes on Thursday, July 8, 2021, to shade the fruit from the sun, at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore. After a recent record heat wave and more hot weather expected, workers in several Pacific Northwest wineries will trim less of the leaf canopy to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn. Winemakers are worried about what's still ahead this summer amid a historic drought tied to climate change and wildfire risk. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky The heat wave that recently hit the Pacific Northwest subjected the region's vineyards to record-breaking temperatures nine months after the fields that produce world-class wine were blanketed by wildfire smoke. But when temperatures began climbing close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) in late June, the grapes in Oregon and Washington state were still young, as small as BB's, many still shaded by leaf canopies that had not been trimmed back yet. The good news for grape growers, wineries and wine lovers is the historic heat wave came during a narrow window when the fruit suffered little, if any, damage. Earlier or later in the growing season, it could have been disastrous. The bad news is that extreme weather events and wildfires are apt to become more frequent because of climate change. A less intense heat wave again hit parts of the U.S. West just about a week after extreme temperatures gripped the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia on June 25 and lingered for several days, causing what could be hundreds of heat-related deaths. This cool, rainy part of the country normally experiences plenty of sunny summer days but winemakers are worried about what's still ahead amid a historic drought tied to climate change: Extremely high temperatures could hit yet again, and wildfires are expected to be ferocious. Miguel Ramos, of Salem, Oregon, reaches up to pull the leaf canopy over pinot noir grapes on Thursday, July 8, 2021, to shade the fruit from the sun, at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore. After a recent record heat wave and more hot weather expected, workers in several Pacific Northwest wineries will trim less of the leaf canopy to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn. Winemakers are worried about what's still ahead this summer amid a historic drought tied to climate change and wildfire risk. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky That includes Christine Clair, winery director of Willamette Valley Vineyards in the city of Turner, just outside Oregon's capital. She watched rare winds last September smother the Willamette Valley, famed for its delicate pinot noir, in smoke from nearby flames. "Last year was our first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact from them. Though it was considered a once-in-a-100-year east wind event, we believe we are at risk annually now," Clair said. In recent years, wineries worldwide began hedging their bets against global warming and its fallout by moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in heat and drought, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy. Similarly, in the wake of the Northwest heat wave, wineries plan to protect their crops from more blistering sunshine. At Dusted Valley Vintners, in Walla Walla, Washington, less of the leaf canopy will be trimmed to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn, co-owner Chad Johnson said. A view of Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore. and its rows of pinot noir on Friday, July 9, 2021. Last year was the winery's first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact and this year the vineyards were subjected to record heat. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky Workers, who are restricted to morning work on very hot days, also will leave more grapes on the vine so the fruit ripens slower, Johnson said. He has never seen conditions so early in the summer like those during the heat wave, with the thermometer climbing above 100 F (38 C) for several days in the eastern Washington town near the Oregon border. "It is definitely unusual and unprecedented in my career since I've been making wine for 20 years here," Johnson said. June 29 was the hottest day in Walla Walla's recorded history, reaching 116 F (47 C) and breaking the previous record by two degrees. Climate change, Johnson noted, has become a major concern for him and other wine producers worldwide. "If it's not this early horrible spring frost they're having over in Europe this year, it's wildfires in the West, with the drought. It's always something," Johnson said. "And it's getting just more severe every year." Christine Clair, winery director of Willamette Valley Vineyards, inspects pinot noir grapes on Friday, July 9, 2021 in Turner, Ore. After a recent record heat wave and more hot weather expected, vineyard workers will trim less of the leaf canopy to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn. Winemakers in the normally cool, rainy Pacific Northwest are worried about what's still ahead this summer amid a historic drought tied to climate change and wildfire risk. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky The industry, meanwhile, has been totaling the damage from last year's wildfires that covered California, Oregon and Washington state in thick smoke. So many California growers worried about unpleasant "smoke taint" in the wine produced from their grapes that they tried to get the fruit tested to see if the crops were worth harvesting. The few testing labs were so overwhelmed they couldn't meet demand. Some wineries opted not to risk turning some of their own grapes into bad wine and hurting their brand and stopped accepting untested grapes from growers. "Without question the financial toll on California winegrape growers has proven to be unprecedented," John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, said in an email. Industry estimates show California growers had losses of $601 million from wine grapes that went unharvested, Aguirre said. Jacqueline Soto Venegas, of Salem, Oregon, works on Thursday, July 8, 2021, pulling leaf cover over pinot noir grapes to protect them from the sun, at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore. After a recent record heat wave and more hot weather expected, workers in several Pacific Northwest wineries will trim less of the leaf canopy to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn. Winemakers are worried about what's still ahead this summer amid a historic drought tied to climate change and wildfire risk. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky "The risk of wildfires appears to be greater today than in the past and that is very, very troubling for many growers," Aguirre said, noting that they also must contend with heat, drought, frost, excessive rain, pests and disease. Wineries can do little to prevent wildfires outside their property, but if they become inundated with smoke, they can try to minimize damage. For example, they may turn some of the grapes with heavier smoke exposure into rose instead of red wine. That limits contact with the skin of the grape during wine production and can lower the concentration of smoke aroma compounds. A report on California's harvest by the San Francisco-based Wine Institute said that despite the challenges, many winemakers are excited about the 2020 vintage. Corey Beck, CEO and head of winemaking at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County, California, said he is optimistic based on small-batch fermentation trials. "It was like, 'Oh my god, these wines are terrific,'" Beck told the Wine Institute. Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting rooms are seen amid the vineyards in Turner, Ore. on Friday, July 9, 2021, with the mountains of the Coast Range beyond. Last year was the winery's first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact and this year the vineyards were subjected to record heat. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Selsky Willamette Valley Vineyards also had fermented small samples of grapes to gauge whether smoke would affect the resulting wine. Its Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2020 vintage received good ratings from Wine Enthusiast magazine. But winemaking has become so difficult and competitive that when people ask Johnson for advice about getting into the industry, he tries to dissuade them. "The first thing I do is tell them that's probably not a good idea," he said. "It's really, really hard, and it's getting harder and harder." Explore further Researchers develop strategy to protect wine grapes from smoke-taint 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Why do some Europeans discriminate against Muslim immigrants, and how can these instances of prejudice be reduced? Political scientist Nicholas Sambanis has spent the last few years looking into this question by conducting innovative studies at train stations across Germany involving willing participants, unknowing bystanders and, most recently, bags of lemons. His newest study, co-authored with Donghyun Danny Choi at the University of Pittsburgh and Mathias Poertner at Texas A&M University, was published July 8 in the American Journal of Political Science and finds evidence of significant discrimination against Muslim women during everyday interactions with native Germans. That evidence comes from experimental interventions set up on train platforms across dozens of German cities and reveals that discrimination by German women is due to their beliefs that Muslims are regressive with respect to women's rights. In effect, their experiment finds a feminist opposition to Muslims, and shows that discrimination is eliminated when Muslim women signaled that they shared progressive gender attitudes, says Sambanis, who directs the Penn Identity and Conflict Lab (PIC Lab), which he founded when he came to Penn in 2016. Many studies in psychology have shown bias and discrimination are rooted in a sense that ethnic, racial, or religious differences create distance between citizens, he says. "Faced with waves of immigration from culturally different populations, many Europeans are increasingly supporting policies of coercive assimilation that eliminate those sources of difference by suppressing ethnic or religious marker, for example, by banning the hijab in public places or forcing immigrants to attend language classes," Sambanis says. "Our research shows that bias and discrimination can be reduced via far less coercive measuresas long as immigration does not threaten core values that define the social identities of native populations." "The Hijab Effect: Feminist Backlash to Muslim Immigrants" is the fourth study in a multiyear project on the topic of how to reduce prejudice against immigrants conducted by Sambanis and the team. The study's co-authors, Choi and Poertner, started working on this project as postdoctoral fellows at the PIC Lab. The new paper builds on the first leg of the project which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2019 and which explored whether discrimination against immigrants is reduced when immigrants show that they share civic norms that are valued by native citizens. That study found evidence that shared norms reduce but do not eliminate discrimination. The new study explores the impact of norms and ideas that are important to particular subgroups of the native population, and finds stronger effects when such norms are shared by immigrants. The findings have implications for how to think about reducing conflict between native and immigrant communities in an era of increased cross-border migration, Sambanis says. He and his co-authors conducted the large-scale field experiment in 25 cities across Germany involving more than 3,700 unknowing bystanders. "Germany was a good case study because it has received the largest number of asylum applications in Europe since 2015, a result of the refugee crisis created by wars in Syria and other countries in the Middle East and Central Asia," Sambanis says. "Germany has had a long history of immigration from Muslim countries since the early post-war period, and anti-immigrant sentiments have been high as a result of cultural differences. These differences are manipulated politically and become more salient." The intervention went like this: A woman involved in the study approached a bench at a train station where bystanders waited and drew their attention by asking them if they knew if she could buy tickets on the train. She then received a phone call and audibly conversed with the caller in German regarding her sister, who was considering whether to take a job or stay at home and take care of her husband and her kids. The scripted conversation revealed the woman's position on whether her sister has the right to work or a duty to stay at home to care for the family. At the end of the phone call, a bag she was holding seemingly tears, making her drop a bunch of lemons, which scatter on the platform and she appeared to need help gathering them. In the final step, team members who were not a part of the intervention observed and recorded whether each bystander who was within earshot of the phone call helped the women collect the lemons. They experimentally varied the identity of the woman, who was sometimes a native German or an immigrant from the Middle East; and the immigrant sometimes wore a hijab to signal her Muslim identity and sometimes not. They found that men were not very receptive to different messages regarding the woman's attitude toward gender equality, but German women were. Among German women, anti-Muslim discrimination was eliminated when the immigrant woman signaled that she held progressive views vis-a-vis women's rights. Men continued to discriminate in both the regressive and progressive conditions of the experiment. It was a surprise that the experimental treatment did not seem to make a big difference in the behavior of men towards Muslim women. "Women were very receptive to this message that we had about Muslims sharing progressive beliefs about women's rights, but men were indifferent to it," says Sambanis. "We expected that there would be a difference, and that the effect of the treatment would be larger among women, but we did not expect that it would be basically zero for men." The experiment makes gender identity more salient and establishes a common identity between native German womenmost of whom share progressive views on genderand the immigrant women in the progressive condition. This is the basis of the reduction of discrimination, Sambanis says, and it does not require coercive measures like forcing Muslims to take off the hijab. "You can overcome discrimination in other ways, but it is important to signal that that the two groups share a common set of norms and ideas that define appropriate civic behaviors." The results are surprising from the perspective of the prior literature, which assumed that it is very hard for people to overcome barriers created by race, religion, and ethnicity. At the same time, this experiment speaks to the limits of multiculturalism, says Sambanis. "Our work shows that differences in ethnic, racial, or linguistic traits can be overcome, but citizens will resist abandoning longstanding norms and ideas that define their identities in favor of a liberal accommodation of the values of others," he says. Explore further Uncovering the roots of discrimination toward immigrants More information: Donghyun Danny Choi et al, The Hijab Penalty: Feminist Backlash to Muslim Immigrants, American Journal of Political Science (2021). Journal information: American Journal of Political Science Donghyun Danny Choi et al, The Hijab Penalty: Feminist Backlash to Muslim Immigrants,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12627 This Sept. 8, 2016 photo made available by Virgin Galactic shows the company's Spaceship Unity and Mothership Eve. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), Unity will be released and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space. Credit: Virgin Galactic via AP Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch the boss when Richard Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend. The self-described tie-loathing adventurer and troublemaker will join five company employees for Sunday's test flight from New Mexico's southern desertthe company's fourth trip to the edge of space. Branson assigned himself to Virgin Galactic's first full-scale crew, jumping ahead of Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos, an even richer rocketeer looking to launch himself into space. Bezos' liftoff is set for July 20 from West Texas. A brief look at Branson's ride and company: BOSS ON BOARD Just a week shy of turning 71, the London-born founder of the Virgin Group says he's "not apprehensive at all and it is the dream of a lifetime" to ride into space. The longtime fitness fanatic put in extra effort to prepare for the brief up-and-down flight. "I'm in my 70s now so you either let yourself go or you get fit and enjoy life." His wife, children and grandchildren will be there as he climbs aboard the rocket plane that's attached to a dual-fuselage aircraft for takeoff. During the three to four minutes of weightlessness, "I'll be looking back at our beautiful Earth and taking it all in and realize that only 500 other people have done this." Closer to 600, actually, but still a relatively small number. Upon landing, he'll celebrate with "a great, great grin on my face." This Saturday, May 22, 2021 image provided by Virgin Galactic shows the release of VSS Unity from VMS Eve and ignition of the rocket motor over Spaceport America, N.M. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), Unity will be released from the specially designed aircraft, and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space. Credit: Virgin Galactic via AP, File WHO ELSE IS FLYING Two pilots are needed to fly the rocket plane from the time it's released from the mothership to shoot into space until it glides down to a runway. It will be the third trip to space for chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Branson's Virgin Atlantic, and the second for chief flight instructor Michael Masucci. Chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, a former NASA engineer, is also launching for the second time. Joining Branson as space rookies are lead operations engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, a vice president. The six will grab a lift from mothership pilots C.J. Sturckow, a former NASA astronaut, and Kelly Latimer. ROCKET PLANE Virgin Galactic's space plane, Unity, will take off attached to a specially designed double aircraft nicknamed Eve after Branson's late mother. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), the plane will be released and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space, exceeding 3 G's, or three times the force of Earth's gravity. The motor will shut off once the craft reaches spacea maximum altitude of about 55 miles (88 kilometers) is anticipatedenveloping the ship in silence as everyone but the pilots unbuckle, float and gaze out the 17 windows at Earth and the black void of space. After a few minutes of weightlessness, the occupants will strap back in as the plane reorients itself for entryfolding up its wings, then folding them back down in unique technique known as feathering. The rocket plane will glide back, NASA space shuttle style, to conclude about 15 minutes of free flight. This image provided by Virgin Galactic shows, from left, Chief Pilot Dave Mackay, Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett, Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses, Founder of Virgin Galactic Richard Branson, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations Sirisha Bandla and pilot Michael Masucci. Just a week shy of turning 71, the London-born founder of the Virgin Group will become only the second septuagenarian in space. Credit: Virgin Galactic via AP, File This May 29, 2018 photo made available by Virgin Galactic shows the company's VSS Unity on its second supersonic flight. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), Unity will be released from the specially designed aircraft Mothership Eve, and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space. Credit: Virgin Galactic via AP TRACK RECORD Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic got its start when Branson teamed up with aircraft designer Burt Rutan to provide the necessary spaceship technology. A 2007 rocket motor test in California's Mojave Desert left three workers dead and three more injured. Then in 2014 the rocket plane Enterprisenamed after the "Star Trek" shipbroke apart during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. Unity, the replacement ship named by the late physicist Stephen Hawking, began flight tests in 2016. It made its first trip to the edge of space with two pilots in 2018 and the second in 2019, both times from Mojave. The operations moved to New Mexico's Spaceport America, with the plane soaring from there on May 22 to achieve the company's third spaceflight. WHAT'S NEXT After Branson's launch, Virgin Galactic plans two more test flights this summer and fall before inviting paying customers on board. The next one will include more company employees, and the last will have Italian Air Force members conducting research. If all goes well, the first of the more than 600 confirmed ticket holders will climb aboard next year. The company plans to reopen reservations once Branson soars. Initial tickets went for $250,000; no word on whether that will change. Branson promises a surprise after his ride to "give more people the chance to become an astronautbecause space belongs to us all." In the meantime, scientists are lining up for research rides, including Southwest Research Institute's Alan Stern, who was behind NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. Explore further Branson mum on when he'll launch to space on Virgin Galactic 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Our fear for our childrens safety is visceral, and it is universal. Nothing unites people across all cultural, economic, social and geographic lines like the love for their children and their desire to protect them against every danger real or imagined. So recent polls showing that one in four American parents dont plan to get their children vaccinated against the coronavirus, whether with the newly approved shots for those at least 12 years of age or with the ones expected in September for little ones as young as 5, is not surprising. When my son stopped moving for two hours in my wifes womb after she fell on the stairs; when he got behind the wheel for the first time; when he drove off to college with a final wave goodbye I felt something worse than fear. I felt helpless helpless to save him from harm. The mandatory vaccines that Julian got at various ages before entering kindergarten from hepatitis B (the only one given at birth), polio and pneumonia to diphtheria, tetanus, and influenza came with reassurances from pediatricians that theyd been administered safely for decades, to millions of youngsters. EDITORS NOTE: The following article is from the July issue of Flavor, the Press of Atlantic Citys magazine showcasing the food and drink scene in South Jersey. To get Flavor delivered to your home click here. It's about as American as you can get. Think apple pie, Fourth of July and the Star Spangled Banner. And barbecue. Barbecue has been a part of the American fabric since the settlers first cooked meat on an open flame, low and slow, the definition of true barbecue. It goes back to the first settlers and Native Americans, says Len Dagit, owner of Back Bay Barbecue in Egg Harbor Township. They all barbecued. We've just gotten a little more sophisticated. It also goes back to the roots of community in America. It brings people together, says Bill Millward, owner of Bill's Barbecue in Newfield. There's nothing like going to a barbecue, seeing people you haven't seen in months or years. It builds relationships. It builds families. You gain new friends. Who doesn't like barbecue? That backyard theme is part of the branding for Rick's Backyard Barbecue and Grill, in the Mizpah section of Mays Landing in Hamilton Township. Owner Richard Gray started in the business after hosting backyard barbecues with his family in the Bear's Head area of Mays Landing. The whole community gets together, and that's what it's all about, says Gray. With barbecue, the smell and the smoke. It's just heartfelt. It's the best American pastime. The genesis of barbecue in the United States does go a long way back, to Christopher Columbus. The first indigenous tribes he encountered when he came to the island he named Hispaniola had developed a style of cooking meat over an indirect flame, according to the Smithsonian. The Spanish referred to this new method of cooking as barbacoa. Enter, the first barbecue. One thing that has stayed the same over time is that smoky aroma that let's everyone know something is on the grill. With a roadside barbecue pit, if the wind is blowing the right way, you know exactly what they're cooking because you can smell it miles away, says Back Bay's Dagit. That's our biggest advertisement. Roadside barbecue owners argue that while they may not get the same attention as some of the nationally branded barbecue chains, what they produce is far superior than anything their larger competitors can make. To me this is genuine barbecue, says Millward next to his set of smokers off Route 40. The difference between roadside barbecue and brick and mortar is we are true to the art. I believe we do it the traditional way. As Gray turns over racks of ribs on one of the three smokers he uses, he echos that belief and adds, unlike corporate restaurants, roadside grilling is very personal. It's different because, out here, I'm cooking with love, he says. It's the freshness of the food. Barbecue restaurants have a structure that they follow when they cook. I'm seasoning the food the way I like it. It's a totally different taste, adds Millward. A roadside barbecue is more like home cooked. There is a difference. While roadside barbecue stands may vary in their rub, sauces and heat source, they all agree on that basic tenet of barbecue: low and slow. Low being about 225 degrees and slow being anywhere from a few hours for ribs, to up to 14 hours for brisket. After that, each grill master claims their style of cooking is the best. At Back Bay, Dagit and his brother and co-owner, John, believe a combination of cherry wood and restaurant-grade charcoal is the best way to cook. Gray uses oak and hardwood charcoal at Rick's. And Millward likes the challenge of using only oak and hickory in his smokers at Bill's. I call it Jersey style, says Millward. I keep it simple. I make all my own ribs. I make all my sauces. Millward starts with a St. Louis-style rib, which are fatter than baby back ribs, for added flavor. After they are trimmed, on goes his rub, made up of only four ingredients, including garlic and paprika. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} It works well with the smoke, he explains of the recipe he developed through trial and error. It's not overpowering. He let's the ribs marinate with that rub for four hours and then into the smoker for four hours. The secret to great ribs, he says: Time and temperature. And don't peek. You have to understand your cooker. At Rick's, Gray will trim his ribs, and give them a short brine bath of water and apple cider vinegar. He then uses a slightly more complicated rub with a dozen ingredients and a longer time to marinate. He likes to "rub on Wednesday, cook on Friday." Then it's on to the cooker for 2 to 3 hours, then removed, and spritzed with apple cider vinegar, which he feels breaks down the tissue and tenderizes the meat. Then the ribs are wrapped and ready to sell. At Back Bay, the ribs are rubbed on both sides with their seasonings, which Dagit calls a Tennessee-style, Memphis dry rub they developed, before being left overnight. The ribs are cooked for an hour and a half, wrapped in foil, and slow cooked for another three hours, depending on the thickness. I guess the secret ingredient is time and attention to detail, he says of his ribs, chicken, and his personal favorite, brisket. Our type of smokiness is more subtle and gives you the ability to taste the flavor of the meat. Dagit's tips for home barbecuers: The first thing I tell anybody, start with a good briquette, and put your wood on top. No accelerant and a natural hardwood briquette. And the key element to any good barbecue is low and slow. Gray says to pay attention to the preparation before they get to the grill: It starts out with your prepping. Meat needs to be cleaned, some of the fat removed. And use that vinegar brine to tenderize it. Then cook them slow. Millward advises grillers to read up on what they're going to grill and trust the process." He likes to think of his roadside business as an extension of the backyard barbecue. People are coming together, he says of his corner of the highway. To me, this is like another family. Where to go to get BBQ? Back Bay BBQ 135 Longport Somers Point Blvd., Somers Point Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday (Mondays when it's a holiday) BYOB and dog friendly Bill's BBQ 364 Harding Highway, Newfield Hours: 2 to 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Rick's Backyard Barbeque and Grill 6931 US-40, Mizpah 609-476-4040 Hours: 11 a.m. until sold out Friday to Sunday Bonus, Hills attorney, said the Attorney Generals Office is a model for similar cases in the country. The system, as flawed as it was in putting him in prison, it worked to get him out, he said. A review of the case showed that a single eyewitness who saw the shooter identified Hill using only one photo. The evidence was used at trial but is not considered a best practice today, Grewal said. There were also two jailhouse informants, according to Grewal, who backed up the witness identification, but they later recanted. At the time, there were fewer safeguards governing the use of such informants, and higher statewide standards have been put in place, the attorney general said. Authorities did not recover the weapon used in the slayings, and there was no forensic evidence tying him to the crime, officials said. They added that Hill and his family came forward with what they knew about the crime only after his trial and conviction. Its unclear what information they had. The murder weapon was not recovered in the case, and no forensic evidence like fingerprints or DNA tied Hill to the homicides. Family members of the slain women got notice before Fridays court decision, Grewal said. Were sick and tired of the trauma that we have to deal with, he said, because racists dont want us to have a good quality of life. Residents and activists say Mount Laurel police have been slow to act on their complaints. They say a police officer was present during one of the altercations and heard Mathews use racial slurs and call Black residents monkeys, but his only response was to tell Mathews to leave the area. (Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener did not respond to several phone messages. In a statement earlier this week, Riedener said Mathews was sent to his residence to deescalate the altercation. He also said police had previously tried to get a warrant to arrest Mathews but a judge refused to approve it.) No community should be held in fear like this, said state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington. We have to do more, so folks dont feel there is a safe place for them to spew that kind of hate. Complaints build up The condo that Mathews and his then-wife Shannon Schwartzhoff purchased for $177,000 two years ago is in a racially diverse development, opened in 2001 and filled with retirees and young families in the townships Larchmont section. The Biden administration has systematically abandoned the border security policies and immigration reforms that enabled the Trump administration to turn back the tide of illegal immigration. With the floodgates to illegal immigration wide open once again, drug cartels and human traffickers are cashing in and both American and immigrant lives are at greater risk. It doesnt have to be this way. In 2019, when faced with an acute but less severe border crisis than the one we face today, the Trump administration implored Congress to close loopholes in the immigration system. Then, as now, Congress refused to act. Rather than let the situation at the border continue to deteriorate, Trump took executive action. He continued to build the border wall, as the Border Patrol requested. He started a never-before-used (but authorized by Congress in 1996) Remain in Mexico program requiring asylum seekers from Central America to stay in Mexico during their immigration proceedings. And he reached cooperative agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras requiring those countries to take back any migrants who had sought asylum with the U.S. without first seeking protection in a safe third country they had passed through on their way to the U.S. NJPW STRONG REPORT; ALEXANDER VERSUS ROMERO AND MORE We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Hiroshi Tanahashi (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English). Match Number One: DKC versus Barrett Brown They lock up and DKC with a take down into a reverse chin lock but Brown with a hammer lock. Brown with a reverse chin lock and DKC gets to the ropes and escapes. They lock up and DKC with a clean break. Brown with a wrist lock into a hammer lock and he slaps DKC in the back of the head. Brown with a leg sweep and he stomps on the elbow. Brown stands on DKCs hand. Brown wraps the wrist in the ropes. DKC with punches. Brown with a chop and an arm wringer. Brown stomps on the hand. Brown slams the hand into the mat. Brown goes for a suplex and DKC blocks it for a moment but Brown is able to get DKC over and gets a near fall. DKC kicks Brown into the corner and connects with forearms. DKC with punches but Brown with a back elbow. Brown gets a near fall. Brown with punches and DKC gets a near fall with a rollup. Brown with chops and a clothesline for a near fall. Brown stands on the wrist and stomps on the arm. Brown works on the fingers. Brown with a forearm to the back. Brown stands on the head and DKC with a heel hook. Brown escapes and works on the arm. DKC with kicks and forearms followed by European uppercuts. Brown with a rollup for a near fall. DKC with a bulldog and a flying punch for a near fall. DKC with a triangle but Brown goes for the hand and DKC releases the hold. Brown with an arm bar submission but DKC gets to the ropes. DKC with an uppercut and boots to Brown but he misses a jumping side kick off the turnbuckles. Brown with a rollup and some assistance from the tights for the three count. Winner: Barrett Brown Match Number Two: Alex Coughlin versus PJ Black They lock up and Black with a side head lock and Alex with a side head lock. Black backs Alex into the ropes and gives a clean break. Black with a wrist lock and take down. Black with a snap mare and rollup for a near fall. They lock up and Black with a waist lock. Alex with a wrist lock and Black misses a punch but Alex with a waist lock. Black with an elbow, forearm and chop. Alex and Black exchange forearms and then chops. Alex with forearms but Black with a back heel kick and more kicks to send Alex to the mat. Black stands on Alexs head and then stomps on the wrist. Black with an abdominal stretch. Black escapes and gets a near fall. Black with a kick and he gets a near fall. Black with a lateral press and he gets a near fall. Black with an elbow from the turnbuckles and he gets a near fall. Black with a front face lock and he works on the arm and wrist. Black with a surfboard and Alex gets to his feet and he reverses it. Alex blocks and elbow and gets a near fall with a back slide. Alex with an inside cradle for a near fall. Black with a boot to the chest. Black kicks Alex and slaps him. Black with more kicks including a boot to the head. Alex blocks a round kick and Black with a punch. Alex with a flying shoulder tackle followed by a Karelin lift into a gutwrench suplex for a near fall. Alex with a waist lock and a German suplex for a near fall. Coughlin kicks Black and Black with an Irish whip and he runs into a boot. Black with a Spanish Fly for a near fall. Black goes up top and Alex crawls to the other side of the ring. Black with a cross body into the corner and he goes up top for a cross body but Alex catches Black and hits a bridging fallaway slam for a neawr fall. Alex with a forearm and Black fires back. They go back and forth. Black with kicks and punches followed by a back breaker driver for the three count. Winner: PJ Black Match Number Three: Rocky Romero versus Josh Alexander They lock up and Alexander with a waist lock take down into a front face lock. Romero with a single leg take down. They go to a Greco Roman knuckle lock and Alexander with the advantage but Romero with a drop toe hold into a wrist lock. Alexander with a back drop to escape. Romero goes for the ankle but Alexander blocks it but Romero gets a front face lock. Alexander with an arm wringer and wrist lock. Romero with a reversal and Alexander with a monkey flip. Romero with a side head lock and take down. Alexander with forearms and Romero with a shoulder tackle. Romero sends Alexander to the floor and Romero with a suicide dive that sends Alexander into the guardrails. They return to the ring and Romero runs into a back elbow. Alexander with a running boot to the chest and he gets a near fall. Alexander pulls down the knee pad and connects with a knee. Alexander with chops. Alexander with a rear chin lock. Romero gets to the ropes to force a break. Alexander misses a chop and Romero wit a forearm. Romero with chops. Romero tries to work on the arm but Alexander with an escape. Alexander tries for a power bomb but Romero counters into a DDT and both men are down. Romero with a forearm to Alexander in the ropes. Romero with a back heel kick and he goes to the ropes for a springboard drop kick to Alexander hanging in the ropes for a near fall. Alexander with a drop toe hold into an ankle lock. Alexander is sent into the turnbuckles when Romero rolls through. Romero with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Romero with a wrist lock and he goes to the turnbuckles and hits a knee drop to the arm. Romero kicks Alexander. Romero with a body scissors take down into a cross arm breaker. Alexander goes for a Tiger Driver but Romero blocks it. Alexander with an OConnor Roll into a German suplex. Alexander stomps on the ankle and he returns to the ankle lock. Romero with forearms and a rollup for a near fall. Romero with an Asai DDT for a near fall. Romero goes for a cross arm breaker but Alexander blocks it and applies an ankle lock. Alexander with a one arm back breaker and a butterfly pile driver for the three count. Winner: Josh Alexander After the match, Josh Alexander is in the back and he says it took 15 years to get to a company that calls professional wrestling a sport. I am a top tier athlete. I am a top tier professional wrestler. I have been around the globe to make a name for myself. I am not leaving here any time soon. I am sorry for what I had to do to Rocky Romero and I am sorry that you had to suffer. This is a warning for the New Japan roster. If you wrestle here and are in the locker room, you have a target on your back and the Walking Weapon is going nowhere. We go to credits. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Scott County prosecutors have added two more severe charges against the man who allegedly struck and killed 40-year-old Alex Marietta as he rode his bicycle June 3 at Kimberly Road and Davenport Avenue. Bobby Fitzgerald Hunt Jr., 33, is now also charged with homicide by vehicle-driving under the influence. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years. Hunt is also now charged with operating while intoxicated-third offense, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. He remains charged with homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years, and leaving the scene of an accident causing death, a Class D felony. According to the arrest affidavits filed in Scott County District Court filed June 28 by Davenport Police Officer Luke Figie, Hunts blood alcohol content at the time he was taken into custody was .131. The legal limit of blood alcohol in Iowa is .08. When officers arrested Hunt at his residence, an apartment at 4323 N. Division St., there was a strong odor of alcohol that grew stronger as he talked with officers. Hunt was unable to complete the standard field sobriety tests because of him running from officers and resisting arrest. Former President Donald Trumps administration approved the state's plan last year, and state officials have touted it as a way to boost insurance coverage. Democrat Joe Biden's administration has sought to bolster the ACA President Barack Obama's signature health care law. In a letter last month to Kemp, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns about the proposal to have the private sector, not the government, engage in outreach to get state residents to sign up for insurance under the ACA. Georgia had not indicated any specific financial commitment by the private sector to engage in marketing, federal health officials said. The letter, signed by Chiquita Brooks LaSure, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, noted that the Biden administration has increased funding to market the ACA and expanded subsidies and eligibility for tax credits to buy insurance through the program. It asked Georgia officials to factor those changes into updated actuarial and economic analyses to see whether their plan would meet federal requirements, including covering a comparable number of people and providing comprehensive benefits. In his letter, Thomas said 11 insurance carriers, including five new ones, and eight enrollment vendors have committed to participating in Georgia Access. The state has already made substantial investments in its plan on top of investments by private groups. The letter asks for clarification on the Biden administration's request, including how it meets the terms and conditions of the Trump administration's approval. Those terms, Thomas said, do not allow federal officials to reopen the approval of the plan. 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 Along with being a social setting for Black people in the town, the original church was also a stop on the Underground Railroad and an essential aspect of the town's anti-slavery attitude. "At one time it was called Freedom Village because the slaves were freer there in Brooklyn than they were in St. Louis," George J. McShan, the church's current secretary, said. "It was in certain places in St. Louis, in the county, where they went because Priscilla Baltimore and Elder Quinn patrolled the Mississippi River because at one time they were patrolling that riverfront out there to catch runaway slaves and so when they came over they hid underneath the church there in Brooklyn until they could go on. Some of them went on to Alton and some of them stayed in Brooklyn." McShan, 87, has been a member of the church since the 1940s. He's also a historian of the church who started writing down facts about it after learning from older members. One such member was Anthony Speed, the first Black deputy sheriff in St. Clair County. This is in response to the letter by John Crist in the July 11 issue of this paper who takes the view that the participants in the Jan. 6 uprising might be excused for their actions because of their disagreements with how the government handled the political turmoil in the preceding months. By that same reasoning Adolf Hitler, who had issues with how the Bavarian government was being conducted, should be forgiven for his participation in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 to take over Bavaria. Luckily both attempted coups failed. And both coups had sympathizers as evidenced by Hitler being convicted of treason but being sentenced to only five years in prison and for Republican lawmakers portraying the participants in the Jan. 6 insurrection as being simply tourists. July 10, 2020: Breasia was last seen late Thursday, July 9 or in the early hours of Friday, July 10, 2020 in the 2700 block of East 53rd Street. She had been visiting Henry Dinkins with her brother. She was reported missing and the Davenport Police Department searched Credit Island. Dinkins was taken into custody. July 11, 2020: Henry Earl Dinkins, 47, was in Scott County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond for a sex offender violation, a class D felony. The charge is not related to Breasia's disappearance. July 14, 2020: Police named Henry Dinkins a person of interest in Breasia's disappearance. Davenport Police asked the public about Dinkins' whereabouts in the Quad Cities from 10 p.m. Thursday, July 9 to noon Friday, July 10. July 16, 2020: The search for Breasia begins in to Clinton County. July 20, 2020: Investigators end the search in Clinton County. July 25, 2020: Dinkins is wanted in Bureau County, Illinois on two counts of manufacturing and delivering more than two pounds of meth. The reward for information leading to an arrest or tips that lead to finding Breasia is increased to $13,500. That includes Christine Clair, winery director of Willamette Valley Vineyards in the city of Turner, just outside Oregon's capital. She watched rare winds last September smother the Willamette Valley, famed for its delicate pinot noir, in smoke from nearby flames. "Last year was our first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact from them. Though it was considered a once-in-a-100-year east wind event, we believe we are at risk annually now, Clair said. In recent years, wineries worldwide began hedging their bets against global warming and its fallout by moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in heat and drought, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy. Similarly, in the wake of the Northwest heat wave, wineries plan to protect their crops from more blistering sunshine. At Dusted Valley Vintners, in Walla Walla, Washington, less of the leaf canopy will be trimmed to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn, co-owner Chad Johnson said. Workers, who are restricted to morning work on very hot days, also will leave more grapes on the vine so the fruit ripens slower, Johnson said. A correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate Friday at the Anamosa State Penitentiary that was the scene of a deadly attack earlier this year. The assault comes a little over a month after another officer was assaulted, and four months after, authorities say, two inmates attempting to escape March 23 from the same prison used hammers to bludgeon to death nurse Lorena Schulte and corrections officer Robert McFarland. According to a release from the Iowa Department of Corrections, the latest incident occurred at approximately 2:27 p.m. Friday. According to the release, while an officer was supervising inmates, one inmate began assaulting the officer with closed-fist strikes. The officer used pepper spray and defensive techniques. Upon the arrival of additional staff, the inmate complied with directives in being restrained. The officer was examined by facility medical staff and was sent to the Anamosa hospital, but has since been released and has returned to work. The inmate did not suffer any injuries, according to corrections officials. The incident remains under investigation. This legislation that I'm signing into law today is a product of our passionately dedicated, bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators who are part of the Medicaid legislative working group, Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in suburban Chicago. For all the naysayers that always seem to bad-talk the state of Illinois, few other states can say that they have an annual commitment shared across both sides of the aisle to hash out how to make health care access for millions of Illinoisans who rely on Medicaid even better. Among many provisions, the bill provides that people covered under Medicaid will continue to be eligible throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency and for up to 12 months after the emergency expires. It also calls on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a program for implementation of certified community behavioral health clinics by Jan. 1, 2022, and to develop a comprehensive behavioral health strategy that is to be submitted to the governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2022. Illinois is adopting new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says vaccinated teachers and students dont need to wear masks inside school buildings, officials announced Friday. The CDC is right: vaccination is the best preventive strategy. As school board members, parents, teachers and superintendents plan for a return to in-person learning in the fall, we strongly encourage those who are not vaccinated to continue to mask, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. IDPH is proud to fully adopt school guidance issued by CDC, which is based on the latest scientific information about COVID-19. Unvaccinated students and school staff should wear masks indoors, per CDC guidelines released Friday, and students should remain at least 3 feet apart in classrooms, but that recommendation shouldnt prevent schools from reopening. The Chemtool fire emitted a black smoke plume that could be seen for miles around the industrial fire. Explosions sent debris, ash and metallic materials raining down on properties around the plant. Although tests so far indicate air and water are safe, the Illinois EPA is supporting a lawsuit filed by Illinois General Kwame Raoul and Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley. "Illinois EPA remains committed to community residents and local leaders as we look to the remediation phase of this devastating fire," Illinois EPA Director John Kim said in the release. "Illinois EPA is also working closely with Attorney General Raoul's Office to ensure the full impact of this fire is documented and the company implements an approved plan to remove any hazardous material from the site." The release also says that efforts by Rockton Fire Protection District officials working with the State Fire Marshal to contain contamination from the use of a firefighting foam by a contractor hired by Chemtool appears to have been effective. JACKSONVILLE Illinois is now the first state in the nation to require Asian American history be taught in public schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, which will require the addition of Asian American and Pacific Islander history lessons. About 6% of the state's population is Asian, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. The highest concentrations are in DuPage County (12.6%) and Champaign County (11.1%). In west-central Illinois, the Asian population is under a half percent in Scott, Pike, Greene, Brown and Schuyler counties, but higher in Cass County (0.7%), Morgan County (0.8%) and Sangamon County (2.1%). The percentages have been growing steadily during the past few years in most parts of the state, according to Census Bureau estimates. Pritzker said the legislation builds on efforts to ensure the content taught in Illinois classrooms reflects the diversity of the state. Supporters hope it also will counter a recent rise in acts of violence and bigotry against the Asian American community by teaching students about the culture and its contributions. ROCKFORD Illinois students are expected to return to in-person school next school year, wearing masks if they are not fully vaccinated. State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala on Friday issued a declaration mandating in-person learning. Remote instruction can be made available for students who are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and must quarantine. All students 12 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. "All our students deserve to return safely in-person to schools this fall," Ayala said in a news release. "With vaccination rates continually rising and unprecedented federal funding to support safe in-person learning, and mitigations such as contact tracing and increased ventilation in place in schools, we are fully confident in the safety of in-person learning this fall. We look forward to a great school year and to the energy of Illinois' young minds once again filling our school buildings." The mandate came after the Illinois Department of Public Health adopted COVID-19 prevention guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the news release said. I met a person who was a member of the Peoria Transgender Society down at Diesel one night. I was standing at the bar, and this person came up to me and said, Hey, are you trans? And I said, Yeah, why? I turned around, and he was a trans man. ... We started talking, and he told me about the Peoria Transgender Society. I didnt even know it existed. So I started going to the meetings. It was very validating to meet some other people like me, said Garber. That was right after I was first dressing (as a woman). I went to a couple bars in Peoria when it was really late at night, and I was hoping nobody would see me, said Garber with a laugh. So I checked into this event, and I knew it would be good for me. I contacted the organizer and said Im scared to death, and she said, Honey, every single one of us started off just like you. The girls are gonna love you. Come on down here, and have a good time. So I went, and I left all of my boy clothes at home. I dressed up and put my makeup on, and I drove down through Missouri and Oklahoma, and I stopped and got things to eat and went to the bathroom, and I was terrified. But when I got down there, I had so much fun, I just felt so great. I decided on the ride home that once I had enough clothes, I was gonna (start dressing like a woman) full time. And I never have looked back. How is it possible that someone who went through all that to help this country is being sent away over a piece of bread? The government declines to discuss this case, according to CNN. Its decision simply cited "terrorist activity," though Niazy said he told the story about the bread in his asylum interview. Herting said in federal immigration courts in recent years what constitutes support of terrorism has expanded and become "more skewed." He pointed to a 2018 case, in which a woman was denied asylum because after being captured and seeing her husband murdered by guerrillas in El Salvador, she was forced to cook and clean for the guerrillas. Providing those services, even under threat of death, was considered by the immigration court to be support of terrorists. "I dont like putting odds on outcomes for my clients, but the case law is not positive for Zalmay," Herting wrote in an email to me. "Certainly we still have hope that we can get people interested enough in his story that there may be positive change, but without some reform in the law, hes facing a very steep uphill climb. I am sure the court will be sympathetic to his story, but sympathy doesnt change the law and the law in this area is fundamentally rotten." In previous elections, seats on the board were often filled in uncontested elections. But this year, the campaigns turned into political battles, complete with personal attacks. Critical race theory is not a part of the Rapid City school curriculum. But that didn't stop candidates from making it a central issue of the campaign. "I believe with all my heart this is how they are going to slip socialism and Marxism into our schools," newly elected member Deb Baker said at a campaign event. Curt Pochardt, who was unseated as the school board president in the election, said he worries the new partisan dynamic will hurt students' education. "It doesn't help kids when there's tension on a school board," he said. Education experts warn that school boards are squandering time that could be spent tackling issues such as recruiting teachers, ensuring students have internet access at home or improving opportunities for youngsters with disabilities. Americas meat supply is a matter of national security. If we dont control our own food supply, then we dont control our own destiny. South Dakota feeds the world, and we do it better than anybody else. We have more head of cattle per person than any other state. But anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry are threatening that way of life. We need more competition, more transparency, and more options for our cattle producers to market their livestock. Over time, the beef processing industry has consolidated into four mega-packers who control 85% of Americas beef supply. Thats bad for competition, and it leads to higher prices at the grocery store for the American people. Two of these companies are based out of Brazil. And these companies have such a tight control over the marketplace that beef producers are lucky if they make $100 per head of cattle. Recently, one of these Brazilian companies, JBS, was hacked, and 20% of Americas beef supply went offline overnight. That shouldnt happen in this country. We need more options to ensure that Americas food cant be held hostage by bad actors targeting foreign-based companies. The meeting times are as follows: Wednesday, July 14, 8 a.m., Bitterroot Public Library Wednesday, July 14, 12 p.m., Legion Park Wednesday, July 14, 5:30 p.m., River Park Gazebo Thursday, July 15, 8 a.m., Bitterroot Public Library Thursday, July 15, 12 p.m., Legion Park Thursday, July 15, 5:30 p.m., River Park Gazebo The website also hosts a questionnaire where visitors can leave feedback and has a map feature that allows residents to indicate areas of Hamilton in which they see opportunities for growth. Rohrbach was clear that the update isn't a complete restructuring of Hamiltons growth plan, but rather a targeted look at what areas need improving and how that can be done efficiently, without losing the community feel of the city. Were definitely not throwing the baby out with the bathwater here, Rohrbach said. Were definitely not throwing away our existing growth policy. Were gonna take that existing plan and try to update as needed. A Corvallis lawyer, who was also a realtor and manager of a construction company, admitted to defrauding investors and filing false income tax returns, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys office. Ronald Lords, 53, pleaded guilty in federal district court Thursday to wire fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. Lord allegedly defrauded several people between 2011 and 2018 by convincing them to invest in his construction company for housing costs and promising to return the money with interest after he built and sold the homes. Instead, Lords allegedly used the money to make interest payments on his own prior investments, and ended up losing most of the money in the market. After some of those he borrowed from asked for their money back, Lords admitted he lost more than $1 million and did not have their original investments, the news release said. Lords also allegedly failed to report over $400,000 he received from several investors in 2015, and now subsequently owes more than $150,000 in unpaid taxes for that year. Last month, a prominent Richmond-area continuing care residential facility allowed an unvaccinated health care provider to continue to work at the facility. When she tested positive for COVID-19, the facility announced in late June that all health care residents had to be quarantined for 14 days, even those who were vaccinated. Residents planning to leave the facility to see family over the July 4 weekend or to visit with loved ones at the facility were denied that opportunity because of the decision of this health care worker to not be vaccinated and the policy of the facility to not mandate vaccinations. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, unvaccinated employees can be excluded from the workplace, even those who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical condition, if their presence poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others and cannot be eliminated or reduced with reasonable accommodation. The ADA direct threat requirement is a high standard. The employer must show that an employee poses a significant risk of substantial harm to the individual or others. Govt-and-politics breaking Virginia halts admissions at 5 mental hospitals because they don't have enough staff ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH Eastern State Hospital is located on Ironbound Road in Williamsburg Friday, July 9, 2021. 2018, BOB BROWN/Times-Dispatch The Central State Hospital complex is in Dinwiddie County. ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH Eastern State Hospital near Williamsburg is one of the five state mental hospitals where Virginia has paused admissions, citing lack of staff. Virginia is halting admissions at five mental hospitals because they dont have enough staff to safely care for patients. Alison Land, commissioner of behavioral health and developmental services, said Friday that she is closing admissions immediately at Central State Hospital near Petersburg, Eastern State Hospital near Williamsburg, Piedmont Geriatric Hospital in the Nottoway County town of Burkeville, Western State Hospital in Staunton and Catawba Hospital near Roanoke. The temporary halt in admissions will allow the five hospitals to reduce the number of patients they are treating by attrition, rather than discharging them, until they have enough employees to care for them safely. Despite our aggressive recruiting and retention strategies, state hospitals continue to lose staff while admissions continue to rise, Land said in a message on Friday. It is no longer feasible to operate all state beds in a safe and therapeutic environment. The order represents a breaking point for Virginias behavioral health institutions, which have struggled to keep up with a surge in admissions of people in psychiatric crisis since the enactment of the so-called bed of last resort law in 2014 to prevent the release of people from emergency custody if they pose a threat to themselves or others. Admissions of people under temporary detention orders have increased by almost 400% at state mental hospitals since 2013, the year that the 24-year-old son of state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, attacked his father and then killed himself less than 13 hours after being released from emergency custody because no bed was found for him at a private or public psychiatric facility. The COVID-19 pandemic also has thrown the hospitals into a staffing crisis with 1,547 direct-care jobs vacant in a workforce of 5,500 a job vacancy rate of 28%. Its very frustrating, Deeds said Friday. Its very disappointing, but we did see it coming. The halt of admissions at more than half of the state mental hospitals for adults alarms law enforcement officials who say they have been forced to keep mentally ill people in prolonged custody because they have nowhere to take them for treatment. Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association for Chiefs of Police, warned Friday that if no psychiatric bed is available for people under emergency custody and temporary detention orders, the only options are a jail bed or street release. Neither is a viable or responsible option for the treatment and care of an individual in mental health crisis, she said. Outbreaks of the coronavirus disease have killed 25 patients and two employees at overcrowded state facilities. The outbreaks forced the state to temporarily halt admissions at several hospitals during the past year and prompted Gov. Ralph Northam to issue an executive order last August to allow state hospitals that are already full to decline to admit people who havent been found a danger to themselves or others by a court magistrate under emergency custody orders. This time, however, admissions were halted because of insufficient staff to care for the patients at five hospitals that were operating at or near capacity on Friday. Central State, in Dinwiddie County, had 167 patients in a facility with 166 beds. The hospitals are among eight state facilities for adults, but Virginias only psychiatric facility for youth, the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents, is operating only 18 of its 48 beds or less than 38% because it doesnt have enough employees to care for more. Its our own fault because the pay was never adequate, Deeds said, but the pandemic has exacerbated every problem we have. As a result of the staffing crisis, Land said that 63 patients and employees have been injured at the states mental hospitals since July 1. The challenges faced by the state hospitals are now an immediate crisis for two reasons, the commissioner said. First, the level of dangerousness is unprecedented and second, recent admissions are occurring in an environment that is no longer adequately staffed. Land said the state also is accelerating its efforts to discharge patients who are therapeutically ready to leave the hospitals but have been thwarted by the lack of adequate community programs and services to accept them. As a result, my sincere hope is this admissions closure will not last a day longer than it needs to, she said. The staffing crisis in state mental hospitals already is a high priority for the General Assembly, which will convene in special session on Aug. 2 to determine how to spend $4.3 billion in federal aid to Virginia under the American Rescue Plan Act. The action taken today brings it even closer in focus, said Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions. It makes it even more imperative that the state address the problem on a long-term basis. Alena Yarmosky, senior communications adviser for Northam, said that despite significant investments from the state, Virginias mental health hospitals have operated at extremely high census levels for several years and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this situation even more challenging. She added: Thats why Governor Northam will propose a significant amount of federal American Rescue Plan funding go towards boosting staff salaries, hiring critical workers, and ensuring the well-being of patients and staff. Deeds said the assembly can help during the session with one-time bonuses and other short-term measures, but also must address the staffing and workplace safety challenges when it meets in January to adopt a new two-year budget. Weve got our work cut out for us, he said. The temporary closures will put immediate pressure on private psychiatric facilities, which accept most of the patients held under temporary detention orders, but a smaller proportion of them since enactment of the last resort law required state hospitals to accept them. The commonwealth needs all available private beds for temporary detention treatment open to accept patients, even those patients that might be challenging, or might need behavior management, Land said. In addition, the commonwealth needs every possible step-down and long-term care facility to be ready to accept patients who are ready for discharge from state facilities. Julian Walker, spokesman for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, said Friday, If the state says it doesnt have the capacity, our members are going to accommodate as many patients as they can. However, Walker said private hospitals also are coping with staffing shortages for psychiatric patients, who are sometimes too difficult to handle in a general hospital setting. The reality is these challenges are going to become more difficult before they get better, he said. She said that in her AP U.S. History class, historic events, such as the Vietnam War or the Atlantic slave trade, were often taught in the white American perspective or crammed into a one-day lesson, in contrast to the Industrial Revolution, which she said was covered for nearly two weeks. Craven, who is Vietnamese, said the class would cover the Nanking Massacre of 1937, a mass murdering and raping of Chinese residents by Imperial Japanese troops during the Sino-Japanese War, but did not mention similar atrocities that occurred during the Vietnam War. There was hardly any mention or at all about the rape and destruction some American soldiers brought to Vietnam, she said. And as a daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant, I definitely know the importance of that history and its not something to be glossed over. Craven said she does not recall any mention of Hispanic Heritage Month or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, let alone official curriculum. She said that during those months, she and other students themselves would spread awareness on social media. The School Board did not recognize Hispanic Heritage Month last September or Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May. A Richmond Circuit Court judge disqualified himself from a case after earlier refusing to do so, when a defense attorney expressed concern that her client would not get a fair trial before the judge. Judge David Eugene Cheek Sr. will no longer hear the charges against Orlando Carter, who faces two felonies after he was shot by Richmond police on New Years Eve. Last month, Carters defense attorney, Katherine Poindexter, filed a motion saying that Cheek had already made up his mind as to Carters guilt. During a June 4 hearing, Cheek denied any bias or that hed come to any conclusion, and was adamant that hed try the case fairly. Nearly two weeks later, he submitted an order disqualifying himself: I, the honorable D. Eugene Cheek, am of the opinion that I am so situated in regards to the case as to render it improper for me to preside and therefore, I disqualify. It is unclear why Cheek changed course. The case has been re-assigned to Judge Bradley Cavedo. Everything was getting hit, Greene said. People are just shooting and dont even know what theyre shooting at. All you were seeing is spots from guns like the scariest thing you can ever imagine. While she was on the ground, she could see a man taking cover near another car. Im so scared, Im so scared, Im so scared, she screamed. The man yelled back: Me too, me too. Amid the chaos, McLaurin caught up with Greene and checked on her. Then he went back to see if his brother was OK. When Greene found McLaurin a short time later, he was lying on his face with blood coming from his head. She begged him to get up. He took a deep breath and sat up. He was trying to get up, but Greene told him to sit and be still. The police were pushing people back, she said. So I was just talking to them from a distance and getting into it with the police officer. The officers told them they wouldnt get an ambulance there until everyone left, Greene said. She begged them to help. They left him right there, she said. He was bleeding and laying on his back. Raj Parekh, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a prepared statement that online predators target some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and can cause a devastating impact on our communities and loved ones. The first step to fighting back is awareness educating our youth and parents with information on how to prevent these crimes from happening, he said. Internet predators use false online identities as a mask to lure in victims, and the victims are often also masked as a result of the fear and stigma that can accompany online exploitation, said Parekh. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, online exploitation exploded last year during the COVID-19 pandemic as social isolation and online activity increased. The centers CyberTipline received more than 21.4 million reports of child sexual exploitation from electronic service providers in 2020, as well as over 303,000 reports of online sexual exploitation from the public. The figures represent a 27% annual increase in reporting from electronic service providers and a more than doubling in reports from the public. Biden draws on more than just grief. This past week, at an event in Illinois to promote the family portion of his massive infrastructure bill, he extolled its benefits for child care and in particular for single parents. He evoked his own challenges as a single father in the aftermath of the car accident that killed his first wife and daughter and injured his two young sons. If I hadnt had the family I have, my younger sister, my best friend, and my brother, and my mom help out, I couldnt have done it, the president said. But not everybody has that kind of support. West Wing staffers and journalists alike know that nearly every event has a chance to be enhanced or sidetracked by a stroll down memory lane. In Brussels, during his first overseas trip, Biden took a detour about his father changing jobs and neglected to deliver news of an Airbus-Boeing trade deal as planned. At a recent education event in Washington, Biden evoked both his second wife, first lady Jill Biden, a teacher, and the educators who helped him manage a childhood stutter. They took a stuttering kid who couldnt speak very well in school, was scared to death to be called on to read out loud, Biden recalled. At Fridays sentencing hearing, Turners defense attorney, Brad Lindsay, called six witnesses who testified on behalf of Turner, including Tracy Bailey, his landlord and the Rev. Paul Jackson, who said he conducted Bible studies and counseling with Turner over the past two years since the incident. All witnesses said Turner expressed remorse for what he had done. Turner and other witnesses testified that since the shootings, he has been sober, quitting alcohol cold-turkey. Tracy Bailey called the incident an accident, adding that her husband punishes himself daily for what happened, reminded of his actions by two bullet holes in their porch. Everyone had been drinking too much and it all happened fast, she said. Lindsay said that over the past two years, during which Turner has been out on bond, Turner has been randomly tested for alcohol nine times and passed every test. Words cannot express how sorry I am for what Ive done, Turner told the court Friday. I cannot take back what happened that night. Not a day goes by that I dont wish I could. Turner was sentenced to a 10-year term, to be suspended after 12 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised probation upon release. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping Indias aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. A shipment of more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other health devices arrived from Singapore on Friday, followed by another 1,000 ventilators from Australia, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister in charge of Indonesias pandemic response. Beside those donations, Indonesia plans to buy 36,000 tons of oxygen and 10,000 concentrators devices that generate oxygen from neighboring Singapore, Pandjaitan said. He said he is in touch with China and other potential oxygen sources. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates also have offered help. We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. In addition to sending vaccines, the U.S. is working to increase assistance for Indonesias broader COVID-19 response efforts, she said, without elaborating. On June 27, the Stand Against Antisemitism rally brought together members of the faith community, elected officials and the public. What role can the museum play in countering rising antisemitism and hate crimes? Two years ago, a study by the Schoen Consulting Group found that the more Americans know about the Holocaust, the more likely they are to keep away from racism, intolerance and antisemitism. The reverse also is true. When people have not heard about the Holocaust, they are more likely to tolerate antisemitism. So our job never has been more important. In August, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Black History Museum and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture are collaborating to bring the Violins of Hope to Richmond. This is a collection of 60 violins played by Jewish musicians in the camps and ghettos during the Holocaust. Each violin tells a story of resilience such as surviving the horrors of Dachau and Auschwitz or playing concerts in the ghetto of Vilna, and more. A community steering committee is preparing unique experiences through exhibits, a concert series, educational programs and outreach to audiences across central Virginia. The way that you counter the rise of antisemitism is through programs like Violins of Hope, along with teaching many visitors, teachers and students about the Holocaust and other genocides. Further, there are issues pertaining to our students. Mental health issues were rampant before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, they will be even more acute. Additional school counselors will be needed in our schools now more than ever. Moving forward, the education of our children fortunately has gained a new collaborator resulting from the pandemic. Parents and caregivers have become acutely aware of the significance and more importantly, the difficulty of schooling for children. Parents and caregivers have witnessed the struggles and the daily lessons through the pandemic. Many have been privileged to see innovative teachers clear technological teaching hurdles to support their children. They understood the triumphs along with the disappointments of teaching during the pandemic while participating in the teaching process. Parents and caregivers are a large and hopefully engaged force that is able to support education moving forward. The education of our students will greatly benefit if schools capitalize on this support from parents and caregivers. It indeed is the best of times and the worst of times for education. But educating our children clearly has been elevated to a new level of importance for all. We cannot let this be the worst of times, but instead, we must strive to make these the best of times as we move forward in the postpandemic months ahead. Second, we must assess and address the social and emotional health of every child. While many of our children have struggled this past year, we are humbled by their incredible resilience. Still, we know that our schools and classrooms must provide a safe space for them to unpack their experiences of the past year, even as they seek a return to normal routines and structures. Mental health awareness training will be essential in preparing our school staff to support students during this transition time. We must give them, as Dr. Marc Brackett of Yale University says, permission to feel. Third, we also must address unfinished learning for students who need it. Opportunities for small group learning and individualized tutoring for our students, including mentoring programs during and after school, will be crucial. With plentiful assessments of academic progress, our teachers and staff can better tailor instruction. Differentiated and personalized instruction also will help us to meet students where they are postpandemic. A further shift to growth measures in testing is essential and, beginning this year, the Virginia Department of Education will administer a fall assessment along with the spring Standards of Learning assessment in grades three-to-eight reading and mathematics to measure growth. This is a needed step in the right direction for our students and schools. Verhoeven, the 82-year-old director of Basic Instinct" and Showgirls," found an art house comeback in the acclaimed 2016 French-language thriller Elle." He has long advocated for sexuality as part of nature, and thus of cinema too. People are interested in sexuality," said Efira. "There arent that many directors who know how to film it. But Paul Verhoeven, since the very beginning, is someone who has dealt with this major topic in an amazing way. Nudity is of no interest when its not depicted in a beautiful way. Thats not what Paul does. Everything was very joyful when we stripped off our clothes. Written by Verhoeven and Elle collaborator David Birke, Benedetta" is inspired by Judith C. Browns non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. Carlini was a real 17th-century abbess who was tried and imprisoned in the early 1600s for her claims of mystical visions. Verhoeven strongly disagreed that anything about his film could be labeled blasphemous." Its true, mostly. I mean, of course we changed a little bit, but its (a true story)," said Verhoeven. You can talk about what was wrong or not, but you cannot change history." A Covington man has been placed on home arrest while he awaits trial on charges of participating in the Jan. 6 invasion of the nations Capitol. Joshua Dillon Haynes was also ordered to receive a mental health evaluation after appearing in Washington, D.C.s federal court Thursday via a virtual hearing, according to court records. Haynes is one of more than 300 people including three others from Western Virginia who have been charged with storming the Capitol building while Congress met to certify the results of an election in which Donald Trump was defeated by now-President Joe Biden. The insurrection happened after Trump told thousands of his supporters to fight like hell against an election that he still insists was stolen from him. There has been no evidence to support his allegations of widespread voter fraud. Earlier this month, Haynes was charged with entering the Capitol building without permission, disorderly conduct, obstructing an official proceeding and damaging the equipment of news media crews that were covering the uprising. Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey ordered Haynes to stay in his home except for court appearances and other court-approved appointments, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 28. While this is 3% of the 3,052 total cases caused by COVID-19 strains, the state lab is identifying more COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant each week, said Dena Potter, communications director at the Department of General Services. Between June 20 and June 29, almost 70% of the 23 samples tested were classified as delta. On June 28 and 29 alone, it was more than 80%. Dr. Danny Avula, the states vaccine coordinator, said in a media briefing last month that snapshots of the delta variants spread show how the pandemic is not yet over. And with coverage gaps continuing across the state and unvaccinated people being the most likely to contract the strain, We fully expect there to be another surge in disease later in the summer or early fall. The delta variant has been predicted to become the dominant strain for months, and VDH spokesperson Logan Anderson said delta is known to spread much more easily from person to person than other variants of the virus that we have seen. Because we have relatively high vaccination rates in most parts of the state, the surge we are expecting in the fall and winter is unlikely to be anywhere near as devastating as this past year, as all indicators point to very high effectiveness of our vaccines, Anderson said. Even against the variants. The city moved quickly to remove the statues following a City Council vote Wednesday to appropriate $1 million for removal, storage, or covering of the Confederate statues, as well as the one of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Shoshone interpreter Sacagawea. That resolution also gave City Manager Chip Boyles the ability to spend the money at his discretion for any costs related to the removing, storing or covering of the statues. Boyles said in June that the city would have to procure services for a contractor to remove the statues. and I dont know how long that will take, he said. The statues will be removed but the stone bases will be left in place, to be removed at a later date, according to the release. Both statues will be stored in an unspecified secure location on city property, per the release. The city has moved quickly since then to remove the statues. Wheeler said he had nothing to add about the pace of removal or related security concerns. City Council has said they want them removed as quickly as possible, he said. LYNCHBURG A former Lynchburg-area estate planning attorney and prosecutor pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to fraudulently wiring money from her elderly clients. Cherie Anne Washburn, 45, of Lynchburg, was charged with 13 total crimes in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in an October indictment. In exchange for Washburns pleas to two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a mortgage lender, prosecutors agreed to drop 10 of the charges against her. The charges stem from a scheme against two of her clients where, using Washburns access as their power of attorney, she wired thousands or tens of thousands of dollars at a time in personal transactions for her own benefit, according to court documents. Prosecutors said at Washburns virtual plea hearing on Friday that shed owe around $233,000 total in restitution, a figure Washburn and her attorney, Paul Beers, disputed. Washburn received her law license in 2011, working first out of a Roanoke-based civil firm and then as a prosecutor in Appomattox County and then in Campbell County. She left Campbell County in June 2015 for private practice in Forest and was named power of attorney for one of the victims in the case about five months later, according to court documents. Details are hazy this many years later, but vague outlines remain. It was sometime in the mid-1950s when a friend of my parents was driving along West Virginias Route 2 north of Wheeling late one night. The two-lane road runs parallel to the Ohio River and, back then, featured several dark and deserted stretches. The man was cruising along one such stretch when bright disc-shaped object flew in front of the car, floated along above the highway before darting away toward the river. I recall many hushed conversations among my parents and their friends about the incident. Since everyone agreed this guy was not some crackpot, no one seemed to know what to think. Then there was this postscript. Several curious people who went to the spot of the encounter the next day insisted they found marks where the asphalt had been singed by something. Strange as it was, the story quickly faded. Besides, UFO sightings were a dime a dozen at the time. Every week the local newspaper carried accounts of people spotting vapor-like objects or being followed by a series of strange lights. For more than a year, two words starting with a c have dominated our lives. The first is easy: COVID-19. The second may not seem obvious, but if youre reading this on your smartphone, tablet or laptop, you likely have guessed it: connectivity. Our lives have revolved around both for at least 18 months. COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill. Connectivity allowed it to move again, giving us a path forward. Connectivity brought a new approach to events, school, work, health care and even visits with relatives. Though connectivity allowed some people to transition to virtual life easily, others found themselves falling behind because they lacked even basic connections to the internet. For communities in our region, that connectivity occurs most often through broadband. The resulting challenges facing us are twofold. Many in more rural areas lack broadband access. Meanwhile, others suffer due to a lack of affordable access options and capacity in existing networks, even in urban areas. As a health care system, Carilion Clinic has seen firsthand the benefits of broadband access. Weve long worked with broadband providers to expand access and increase capacity. The future of medicine is digital. That is why we have a vested interest in ensuring our patients everywhere can connect with their health care providers no matter where they are. We have large swaths of rural Virginia that have seen their traditional employment base wither or sometimes die. Does Youngkin have any special insight into how to build a new economy in rural Virginia? We know what McAuliffes record on that is and have no reason to expect a second term to be any different from his first. Can Youngkin do better? Again, we just dont know and we dont hear Youngkin talking about it, either. Politically, he probably doesnt need to. Given our current political alignments, Youngkin will win those areas big whether he lays out a 100-point plan or whether he says nothing at all. But as governor, hell have to deal with the drag that those regions put on the state, so wed like to hear some details, if he has any. Does he back a constitutional amendment to end school disparity? We have at least one county (Scott) that says its too poor to put up $238,000 to get a state match of $1 million for teacher pay raises. What would he do about that? How would he raise the educational level of the adult workforce in rural Virginia to make it more competitive? Would he put up money for energy research programs at the University of Virginias College at Wise? These are practical questions questions that McAuliffe isnt addressing either, which gives Youngkin even more opportunity to make his case. Anyone who has ever worked with her knows the impact she has on the people around her. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. Nurses can be nominated for their strong clinical skills and the compassionate care they provide. Nomination forms are available on each nursing unit at McLeod Regional Medical Center or can be found at McLeodNursing.org. Recipients of the DAISY Award are chosen by the DAISY committee, led by nurses at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Awards are given throughout the year at presentations in front of the nurses colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him for being an Extraordinary Nurse. The certificate reads: In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people. The honoree is also given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healers Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. FLORENCE, S.C. The Rotary Club of Florences annual Forget Me Not 5K to Beat Alzheimers presented by the Morning News returns on Aug. 21 after a hiatus last year due to COVID-19. This year the race will begin in downtown Florence at the James Allen Plaza, 109 S. Dargan St., starting at 8 a.m. The James Allen Plaza also will serve as the finish line. The downtown location was chosen due to scheduling and availability conflicts at the previous location, said Derek Hemmingsen, immediate past president of the Rotary Club and this years event chair. With the change in venue, Hemmingsen said, the event is no longer a color run but a family-oriented 5K run/walk. He said the city of Florence does not allow the color. Not all attendees liked the color either, he said. Through the race, the club honors fellow Rotarians, friends and families who have lived with or cared for a person with Alzheimers. By Umar Farooq ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's top body overseeing the pandemic response recommended on Friday that anyone who did not hold a COVID-19 vaccination certificate should not be allowed to travel by air after Aug. 1. The guidance by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) would need the federal government's approval, and came as the country's leadership warned a fourth wave of the pandemic was beginning and dangerous variants of the virus, including the Delta variant, had been detected. New guidelines to curb the virus spread ahead of the Eid-ul-Adha holiday later this month would be announced soon, the NCOC said. Students over 18 would be required to get the vaccine by Aug. 31 as well, and booking hotels and travel for tourists inside the country would also now require proof of vaccination. "Two weeks back I had tweeted that our artificial intelligence models are showing possible emergence of 4th wave," Asad Umar, the minister in-charge of supervising anti-COVID-19 operations, said on Twitter on Friday. "Now there are clear early signs of 4th wave starting." The NCOC has said the Delta, Beta, and Alpha variants of the virus have been detected in Pakistan since May. On Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said new measures would be taken in response to the appearance in the country of the Delta variant first identified in neighbouring India. "After a decline, cases are rising again and we are concerned that [the] Indian variant cases are being reported in Pakistan as well," Khan said in a televised address to the nation. Khan ruled out a strict nationwide lockdown, but asked the public to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks, and get vaccinated. Pakistan reported 1,737 new cases on Thursday, with 25 new deaths. A total of 969,476 cases and 22,520 deaths have been recorded in the country so far, according to the NCOC. 14.7 million people in the country have been partially vaccinated and 3.5 million fully vaccinated, according to the NCOC. (Reporting by Umar Farooq; Editing by Alex Richardson) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Haitis interim government said Friday that it asked the U.S. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare the way for elections in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Nevertheless, after a few days of contemplation, Jordan and his business partners apologized and opted to rebrand their rum. Cultures are complex The reality is that adjudicating between cultural appreciation and appropriation is never simple, and that is because cultures are vast, complex, historically determined and ever-changing. In the cases of both Kardashian and Jordan, I would argue that had either of them sought to establish true cultural appreciation for the cultures from which they were drawing, the accusations and inappropriate use of cultural symbols could have been avoided. This could have been achieved through long immersion and deep learning over the years about the history and current manifestations of the cultures. Americans are increasingly living within fantastically diverse multicultural worlds. Sharing in each others cultures is not only good; when done right, it is important and helps build community. The blaze, which was only 8% contained, increased dramatically to 86 square miles (222 square kilometers) as firefighters sweltered in 100-degree temperatures. It was one of several threatening homes across Western states that were expected to see triple-digit heat through the weekend as a high-pressure zone blankets the region. Pushed by strong winds, a wildfire in southern Oregon doubled in size to 120 square miles (311 square kilometers) Saturday as it raced through heavy timber in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near the Klamath County town of Sprague River. The National Weather Service warned the dangerous conditions could cause heat-related illnesses, while Californias power grid operator issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday to avoid disruptions and rolling blackouts. The California Independent System Operator warned of potential power shortage, not only because of mounting heat, but because a wildfire in southern Oregon was threatening transmission lines that carry imported power to California. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Friday fired the commissioner of Social Security after the official refused to resign, and Biden accepted the deputy commissioner's resignation, the White House said. Biden asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated after he refused the Democratic president's request, a White House official said. Deputy Commissioner David Black agreed to resign, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Both officials had been put in place under President Donald Trump, a Republican. Biden named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner while the administration conducts a search for a permanent commissioner and deputy commissioner. Kijakazi currently is the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration. Saul's removal followed a Justice Department legal opinion that found he could be removed, despite a statute that says he could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance. In his executive order, Biden also calls on the Federal Maritime Commission to take action against shippers that it says are charging American exporters exorbitant charges and the Surface Transportation Board to require railroad track owners to strengthen their obligations to treat other freight companies fairly. The White House argues that rapid consolidation and sharp hikes in pricing in the shipping industry have made it increasingly expensive for U.S. companies to get goods to market. In 2000, the largest 10 shipping companies controlled 12% of the market. They now control about 82%, according to the Journal of Commerce. The World Shipping Council, an industry trade group, pushed back in a statement that normalized demand, not regulation," is the way to answer rising costs. There is no market concentration problem to fix, and punitive measures levied against carriers based on incorrect economic assumptions will not fix the congestion problems," said John Butler, president and CEO of the council. The order also notes that over the past two decades the U.S. has lost 70% of the banks it once had, with around 10,000 bank closures. Communities of color and rural areas have been disproportionately affected. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Houston man who received widespread attention after standing six hours in line to cast a ballot in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary was in jail Friday on charges that it was illegal for him to vote at all because he was on parole. Hervis Rogers became an overnight face of Texas' battle over voting access when he emerged from a polling center at a historically Black college around 1:30 a.m. He was among Houston voters on Super Tuesday who waited more than an hour and some for several hours in mostly minority, Democratic neighborhoods. Lines in mostly white, Republican neighborhoods were shorter. The way it was set up, it was like it was set up for me to walk away, Rogers told reporters in comments carried by multiple news outlets, including The Associated Press. He was arrested this week on two counts of illegal voting, a second-degree felony that carries a possible sentence of two to 20 years in prison. His bail was set at $100,000. TACOMA, Wash. (AP) A federal jury has convicted a timber thief who authorities said started a large forest fire in Washington state, a case that prosecutors said marked the first time tree DNA had been introduced in a federal trial. The jury deliberated for about seven hours before convicting Justin Andrew Wilke, 39, on Thursday of conspiracy, theft of public property, depredation of public property, and trafficking and attempted trafficking in unlawfully harvested timber, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington said in a news release. The wood he sold to a mill in the city of Tumwater had been harvested from private property with a valid permit, Wilke said. But a research geneticist for the U.S. Forest Service, Richard Cronn, testified that the wood he sold genetically matched the remains of three poached trees. Wilke used gasoline to destroy a wasps nest in the base of a maple tree he was stealing, prosecutors said, though jurors did not convict him of charges related to the fire. Some witnesses testified that, although Wilke was standing next to the nest when the fire began, they did not actually see his actions in the dark. HONG KONG (AP) Chinese regulators have clamped down on the countrys largest ride-hailing app, Didi Global Inc., days after its shares began trading in New York. Authorities told Didi to stop new registrations and ordered its app removed from Chinas app stores pending a cybersecurity review. The government said it was acting to prevent security risks and protect the public interest. Didi is the latest company to face intensified scrutiny in a crackdown on some of Chinas biggest technology giants. That seemingly neutral approach, in fact, eliminated activists on issues from Black Lives Matter and policing to housing discrimination and voting rights from serious consideration, unavoidably tilting the balance of the commission toward maintaining the status quo. The final criticism isnt of the individuals who were selected. Three of the 14 appointees are immigrants -- coming from Kenya, Nigeria and Togo -- who adopted Nebraska as their home. However, despite their backgrounds in Africa, they cannot share the experience of growing up Black in America or have as deep-rooted of connections in the broader African American community. The appointments wont be rescinded and redone to better represent the community. Nor can the appointees change the fact that many are not strongly connected to Nebraska's African American community, which is largely concentrated in Omaha. So, the commissioners and yet-to-be-hired staff must reach out and develop connections with the community, especially groups that advocate for, to choose a few examples, empowerment of African American women and girls, economic and social justice and police reform. The commission must then actually represent those constituencies rather than sitting silent on the critical issues facing Nebraskas African Americans or, for the next year, tacitly or actively pushing the Ricketts agenda that, on most issues, is widely opposed within the African American community for which the commission is intended to advocate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JOHNSTON -- If Donald Trump runs for president again in 2024, it will not be with former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate, Bob Vander Plaats believes. And Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds would make a great running mate, Vander Plaats says. Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Christian conservative organization The Family Leader, discussed the 2024 Republican presidential primary and those Christian conservative voters Friday during taping of this weekends episode of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. Reynolds is expected to run for re-election in 2022, but Vander Plaats suggested she would make a strong running mate for Trump or whichever Republican presidential candidate secures the partys nomination in 2024. Without question. As a matter of fact, I think she would be a great presidential candidate right now, Vander Plaats said. She has a lot of stock across the country of how she has led during COVID, how she has led through the racial unrest and a lot of other things. Iowa in many ways has been a model. I watched her on Laura Ingrahams (Fox News) show with five different governors and she just stood out. So I think Gov. Reynolds obviously its up to her, shes not going to run for president but she would make a very compelling VP choice. President Joe Biden has fired Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul, who had been appointed by former President Donald Trump, after he refused to resign. But Saul isnt going out without a fight and insists he will still sign in to work on Monday morning remotely from his New York home. I consider myself the term-protected commissioner of Social Security, Saul told the Washington Post, characterizing his firing as a Friday Night Massacre. Biden had asked on Friday morning for the resignation of both Saul and David Black, the deputy commissioner. Black resigned, but Saul refused. Biden appointed Kilolo Kijakazi, currently the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, to lead the agency. Advertisement The Social Security Administration is an independent agency and the commissioner has a six-year term that doesnt usually change when a new president moves into the White House. Sauls term was scheduled to end on Jan. 19, 2025. But Democrats, as well as advocates for the elderly and the disabled, had been pushing Biden to get rid of Saul since day one in part due to his staunch, anti-union stance. He was also accused of delaying stimulus checks and attempting to limit disability benefits. In March, three Democratic lawmakers called for Saul to be fired, citing his aggressive anti-union activities and accusing him of pursuing a range of anti-beneficiary and anti-employee policies. Advertisement Advertisement Saul had undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agencys telework policy that was utilized by up to 25 percent of the agencys workforce, not repaired SSAs relationships with relevant Federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the Presidents policy agenda, the White House said in a statement. Sauls firing marks the latest instance of Biden seeking to remove a Trump-appointed head of an independent agency that have historically stayed on from the previous administration. Last month, Biden fired the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency after the Supreme Court ruled he had the authority to do so. Saul said he was very upset by his dismissal that he said came without warning. Some Republicans immediately blasted the move. This removal would be an unprecedented and dangerous politicization of the Social Security Administration, tweeted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, which helped spark a deadly white supremacist rally almost four years ago, was taken down Saturday morning. Onlookers cheered as the statue was lifted off its stone pedestal and placed on a truck. The city set up a viewing area and welcomed people to watch the statue be taken down in Market Street Park. Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker said before the crane started to remove the statue. Advertisement GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE pic.twitter.com/SGYzFVEsrk Michelle Colbert, M.A. (@86stonemountain) July 10, 2021 Advertisement Advertisement Lees statue isnt the only Confederate monument that came down on Saturday. The city also removed the statue of Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Advertisement The removal of the Confederate monuments comes after years of controversy and legal challenges. The statues finally came down nearly four years after a plan to remove them sparked a Unite the Right rally that joined together neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The protest turned deadly when a white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injured 19 others. Shortly thereafter, the Charlottesville city council ordered the Jackson statue be removed but legal challenges delayed the move. It was only this past April that Virginias highest court overturned a lower court decision and said the city could remove the two Confederate statues. Advertisement Activists who had been calling for the removal of the statues praised the city on Friday after it announced the monuments would be coming down. As long as they remain standing in our downtown public spaces, they signal that our community tolerated white supremacy and the Lost Cause these generals fought for, the coalition, Take Em Down Cville, said in a statement. Charlottesville is removing the statues on Saturday but not their stone pedestals. Its unclear what will happen to the statues that will be stored in a secure location until the City Council decides what should happen to the monuments. Charlottesville put out a call for expressions of interest from any museum, historical society, government or military battlefield interested in acquiring the statues, or either of them, for relocation and placement, the city said. It received 10 responses so far. Advertisement Advertisement the best its ever looked pic.twitter.com/5VGeruXHyJ molly conger (@socialistdogmom) July 10, 2021 One person celebrating the removal of the statues was Zyahna Bryant, who was a high school student in 2016 and started a petition to remove Lees statue. We must not continue to offer platforms and dedicate space to honor white supremacy and the legacies of those who fought to uphold it, Bryant, now a third-year University of Virginia student, said. This is a crucial first step in the right direction to tell a more historically accurate and complete story of this place and the people who call this place home. Advertisement Sign up to get the Future Tense newsletter every other Saturday. The space race just got personal. Jeff Bezos is scheduled to rocket into space on July 20 (what are you doing for fun this summer?), but Richard Branson hastened to schedule a flight for himself Sunday on his Virgin Galactic VSS Unity spacecraft, within weeks of the company receiving its FAA license to fly commercial passengers. Branson, the most bon vivant among all billionaire action figures, has long relished mixing personal adventure and business, but he claims the proximity of his flight to Bezos Blue Origin launch is merely coincidental. Advertisement Meanwhile, Team Bezos reaction to Bransons last-minute travel planning is classic Mean Girl stuff, the space travel equivalent of dissing the camp the uncool kids go to. Blue Origins chief executive Bob Smith told the New York Times: We wish [Branson] a great and safe flight, but theyre not flying above the Karman line and its a very different experience. Advertisement Advertisement Ouch. Bransons Virgin Galactic suborbital flight will take him and his crew some 55 miles above sea level, where they will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and gape at the Earths curvature. But, as Bezos Blue Origin was quick to note, they wont go beyond the Karman line, which is 100 kilometers above sea level and attempts to mark where Earths atmosphere becomes space. Bezos subsequent flight will cross the line, but not by much. Advertisement You can see where all this is heading, right? Plenty of annoying status-conscious space racing. I mean, you pay Virgin $250,000 so you can tell everyone youve been to space, and some smartass comes along and snidely tells you, Thats nice, but someday you should really check out what its like to go beyond the Karman because it is just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. And someone else will tell that traveler his joy ride sounds fun, but its such a shame they didnt spring for the overnight to Mars. I am sure there are equivalent pecking orders and hierarchies of bragging rights when it comes to status-conferring African safaris or Artic cruises, but I wouldnt know. But hey, I am often upgraded to United Economy Plus, and those extra few inches of legroom are pretty great. Advertisement Advertisement It is remarkable that we dont have a standard definition of where space begins, as I was reminded of the other day at our community pool in Phoenix. I suddenly noticed that everyone but me was staring up into the sky excitedly saying something about an umbrella. So up I looked, to be mesmerized by the sight of a red umbrella rising jauntily against our stunning late-afternoon backdrop of violet-hued mountains, blue sky, and puffy white clouds. The umbrella was floating so far above, I had no sense whether it was of a handheld one, or a far larger one that might have covered a backyard table. Among us umbrella gawkers, the inevitable Mary Poppins jokes broke out, along with speculation over whether the umbrella would make it into space. But one of the pool walkers, a retiree from Chicago (is there anyone left back there?), said the umbrella was already in space. Advertisement Earths atmosphere doesnt end at some line in the sky, demarcated like a county or state line. Rather, it sort of thins out and fades away, gradually. Many scientists agree the Karman line is as good as any place to proclaim the beginning of space, as that is roughly where the atmosphere alone can no longer support flying vessels flying at suborbital speeds. Advertisement The U.S. government itself uses different definitions of space in different contexts. NASA and the FAA will award you astronaut wings if you go higher than 50 miles (go Richard!), but NASA Mission Control formally considers the boundary with space to be at 76 miles, or about 14 miles past the Karman line. Advertisement Back on Earth, I asked my teenage son if hes eager to go to space, and he replied, Not really. There are plenty of places on earth Id rather go. Like where? I dont know like Australia, or New Mexico. Which was music to my ears, because flights to New Mexico are a lot cheaper than flights to Karman-adjacent heights. New Mexico is also home to Spaceport America, from where Virgin Galactic operates, and while I dont have a rooting interest in this clash of space-racing billionaire egos (though I am all for them deploying their competitive juices to advance space exploration), I do hope southern New Mexico and west Texas benefit handsomely from what is supposed to be the coming golden commercial space age. Its my part of the world, and it is in dire need of economic opportunity and investment. Advertisement Advertisement New Mexico invested heavily in developing the Spaceport more than a decade ago, and for much of the time the facility has seemed to be more like a monument to past future aspiration, than a vital hub of the next big thing. Hopefully that will soon change, and the space obsession of the Bransons of the world starts paying much-needed dividends to the state of New Mexico, and the Spaceports nearby city of Las Cruces and the most awesomely named town in America, Truth or Consequences, which is nearest to the facility. And now, if you all would indulge me, Id like to add here a personal appeal to Branson as he prepares to go into space: If you come across a red umbrella and can grab it, someone in Phoenix will really appreciate it. Advertisement Here are some stories from the recent past of Future Tense: Alexandra Zapata Hojel The Damage of Mexicos Pandemic School Closures Has Been Catastrophic Stephen Harrison Wikipedias War on the Daily Mail Kelsey D. Atherton Why the Pentagon Cant Identify Flying Objects Jake Dean and Nitish Pahwa Texas Republicans Who Want to Lure Bitcoin Mining Companies Should Be Very, Very Careful Wish Wed Published This After Backlash, Predictive Policing Adapts to a Changed World, by David Uberti, Wall Street Journal Future Tense Recommends Its a timely recommendation, I know, but Nicholas Schmidles Test Gods: Virgin Galactic and the Making of the Modern Astronaut would be a fantastic read anytime, about both the new space race and the timeless drive of those who want to push the envelope and take us where we havent been before. Its a thoughtful study of how societies, enterprises, and individuals manage risk. And I can think of few writers as versatile as Schmidle to pull off the trick of writing exuberantly about the technology and thrill of flight in one chapter, and poignantly about the human element in the next (including his own relationship with the subject). What Next: TBD On this weeks episode of Slates technology podcast, guest host Henry Grabar talks to Brigid Schulte of New Americas Better Life Lab about whether the pandemic will change office life forever. (New America is a partner with Slate and Arizona State University in Future Tense; Brigid and Henry were on opposing sides of a recent Future Tense debate about whether we should all rush back to the office.) Last week, host Lizzie OLeary talked to Washington Post national security reporter Shane Harrisa former New American!about the U.S. governments recent report on UFOs and why it doesnt really have anything to do with aliens. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. An emperor was to be held hostage at Koseca Castle Legend has it that the Templars built the castle. Font size: A - | A + The castle ruins above the settlement of Kosecke Podhradie in Trencin Region were, legend has it, built by the Knights Templar. The first record of the castle, which often changed hands, dates to 1272. It was the knight Smaragdus, an alleged leader of the Templars, who was to lay the foundations of the castle. Though the legend has never been confirmed, the castle remains situated on the hill were also involved in a true story about the orchestrated abduction of an emperor. Koseca Castle, which only locals know of, is a pleasant and easy place to hike to nowadays. Failed conspiracy One of the castle owners was Stephen Petroczy, who got involved in a conspiracy led by Count Ferenc Wesselenyi, the palatine of the Kingdom of Hungary, against the Holy Roman Emperor of the Kingdom of Hungary, Leopold I of the Habsburg dynasty. They planned to abduct the emperor while he was hunting near Vienna, historian Adrian Drobnak of the Trencin Museum told the TASR newswire. Because Koseca Castle was located in a remote area, conspirators agreed to hold Leopold I hostage there until he agreed to their demands, hoping to free Hungary from Habsburg rule. Nevertheless, the plot, which had been in the works for several years, failed in 1669 after Habsburg officials found out about it. The ruins of Koseca Castle. (Source: Radovan Stoklasa/TASR) Petroczy was summoned to court in Bratislava, the historian said. However, he had fled to Transylvania. In his absence, he was sentenced to death by beheading. Other anti-Habsburg rebels were also tried and several of them were even executed in the following months and years. Wesselenyi had died of natural causes long before the conspiracy was revealed though. Blown-up Koseca Castle Moreover, Leopold I used the 1670 unrests on the territory of todays Slovakia to his advantage and decided to send out troops to Koseca Castle to completely destroy it. There are several versions of how the castle was destroyed. One says it was blown up, Drobnak said. Another version claims, he added, it was destroyed upon the command of General Siegbert Heister. A coloured marker indicates the way to the ruins of Koseca Castle. (Source: Radovan Stoklasa/TASR) The most likely version is that the imperial army demolished the castle and then blew up the castle walls, bastions and foundations, the historian said. Hence, very little of it has been preserved only the remnants of walls measuring about one metre in height remain. Still, the undiscovered ruins are worth a hike. They are easily reachable from a bus stop in the village. Spectacular Slovakia travel guides 10. Jul 2021 at 7:25 | Compiled by Spectator staff The Meadowlands hosted Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Jules Siegels Fashion Farm, beginning at 9:00 a.m. under cloudy skies with no wind and the temperature at 75F. The Saturday qualifying session also served as a different kind of test bed as participants in the Race Announcers Workshop called the morning's action. While the baby races are winding down, the horses using the qualifiers to get a fast mile in today yielded some useful insight into the next months major Grand Circuit stakes. The great Ramona Hill got a good workout in with a 1:53.1 win for Andy McCarthy. She followed stablemate Hello I Love You through the 1:24.4 three quarters then sailed by under her own power, looking forward to next Saturdays Hambletonian Maturity for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brad Grant, Crawford Farms, Robert LeBlanc and John Fodera and Steve Wienick as In The Gym Partners. Pacing fillies Staycation Hanover (Todd McCarthy) and Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn) went to the wire together in a :27.2 end to the 1:52.4 mile with the former edging he opponent right on the blink. The Mistletoe Shalee is next week for the sophomore girls. Ake Svanstedt brought the flashy Hambletonian prospect Captain Corey to The Meadowlands this morning and gave him a 1:53 airing out. Alone on top virtually all the way and trotting home in :26.4, the Googoo Gaagaa colt is certainly a head turner and appears to be about where youd want him going into the first Saturday in August. Finally, two Jenn Bongiorno trainees, the vaunted Nicholas Beach (B. Sears) and his new stablemate Major Betts (A. McCarthy) went to the wire in tandem in a 27-second end to a 1:49.4 mile with Nicholas declared the winner by the slimmest of margins. That pair appears to be ready for anything. To view the results from the qualifiers, click the following link: Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Qualifiers) The first of the 10 two-year-old races was a filly pace where Dexter Dunn had Isntitalovelyday on a long lead throughout and was moving like a winner until right there at the end when Sweet Rock Deo and Jack Pelling rallied from well back to snap Isntitalovelyday right on the wire in 1:54.4. Superbly (T. McCarthy) was third. Brett Pelling trains the winner, a Sweet Lou filly from the great race mare Rocklamation, a $190,000 Lexington purchase by David Mc Duffee from breeders Deo Volente Farm and TLP Stable. Giza Dreams (Scott Zeron) was a start to finish winner in her very first endeavour, setting comfortable fractions then tacking on a :28.3 end to a mile in 2:01.1. Grandeur (Pat Lachance) rallied but fell just short late to be second. Giza Dreams, by the red-hot Walner, is trained by Hall Of Famer Linda Toscano for Wiseman Farms and Carter Duer is the breeder. Quick Snap (Dexter Dunn) was a winner at first asking, getting up between horses through a :27.4 end to a 1:55 mile. Layton Hanover (A. McCarthy) rallied just wide of the winner but couldnt get him while Top Genius (Zeron) held third after cutting the mile. Let It Ride Stable (also the breeder), Bottom Line Racing and MT Pockets Stables own the winner, a Betting Line colt, in partnership with trainer Tony Alagna. The sharp-looking Nuncio trotting colt Letsdoit S (Sears) took over mid-stretch from Abruzzo (Marcus Miller) then dug in impressively with a :28.1 closer to hold off the late rush of Fast As The Wind (Dunn) for a 1:56.4 win. A Stall TZ homebred, Letsdoit S is trained by Marcus Melander. Niki Hill (Dunn) impressed in her career debut, converting a nice pocket ride into a 1:54.1 win over pacesetter Captains Princess (A. McCarthy) with Treacherous Dragon (Tim Tetrick) third. The winner, an Always B Miki half-sister to world champion Cattlewash, was a $155,000 Lexington purchase by Tom Hill from breeder Stephen Dey III. Chris Ryder, who trained the great Party Girl Hill for the same connections last season, conditions the winner. The Ready Cash filly Jeannica S (Mattias Melander), another winner at first asking in 1:59.2. Melander tracked along behind eventual place finisher Intellect Hill (Dunn) through even fractions before tipping off that one at the three-quarter pole and going by courtesy a :29.1 close to the mile. Just Be Awesome (Dave Miller) flashed good late trot while in hand to get up for second. Courant Inc owns the winner, bred in France by Julinus Stable and Marcus Melander is the trainer. Arsonist (Dunn) led all the way for a 1:54.2 win over Captain Cook (Yannick Gingras) and the late-charging under-a-grip Bounty Hunter (Sears). Arsonist is a Captaintreacherous homebred colt from Candlelight Dinner owned by Let It Ride, Mac Nichol, Howard Taylor and Robert Cooper, trained in the Chris Ryder barn. Ducasse (Jimmy Takter) got up in the last step to nail Highgate, who had set all the fractions for trainer/driver Greg Peck, in 2:01.3 while Mr Michelon (M. Miller) followed along for third. Ducasse is a Father Patrick colt, bred by Fair Island Farm who retained a piece with partners Brixton Medical, Christina Takter and Hatfield Stables after he went through the Lexington sale for $100,000. The Captaintreacherous filly Dont Fence Me In had them on their feet at stately Bell Manor in Boynton Beach when Dexter Dunn fanned her off the cover of Yes Indeed (Tetrick) then stormed by on her own for the 1:54.4 win, her individual final fraction in the sub :27 zone. Captiva (T. McCarthy) stayed on for third after cutting the mile. Dont Fence Me In was bred by Myron and Stephanie Bells Riverview Breeding and now owned in partnership with Steve Head, Jerry Glantz and trainer Tony Alagna. Butterfly Face S was in the right place at the right time for trainer/driver/owner Lucas Wallin, taking advantage of Pink Coco Chanels late stretch break then fighting off Ladybugs N Bourbon (Dunn) to post a 1:56.1 win. The Swedish-bred Raja Mirchi filly was bred by Lufti Kolgjini and Anna Svensson. To view the results from the baby races, click the following link: Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Baby Races) (Meadowlands) Two-year-old pacing colts were featured at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, July 9, competing in five $22,500 Grassroots divisions, and Bob Loblaw kicked things off in the first race with a 1:54.2 score. Starting from Post 7 with Sylvain Filion in the race bike, Bob Loblaw hustled away from the starting gate and led the field of 10 to a :28.3 quarter. Silk Road Smash swept to the front heading for the :58 half and carried on to a 1:27.1 three-quarters with Bob Loblaw on his heels. Coming off the final turn Filion tipped Bob Loblaw out from behind the pacesetter and the gelding responded with a :27 last quarter that saw him hit the wire three and one-quarter lengths ahead of co-favourites Up The Creek and Silk Road Smash. Knock on wood, he trained down as good as any horse I've ever had, said Woodbine Mohawk Park announcer Ken Middleton who bred, co-owns and trains Bob Loblaw. He has a great personality. He likes to work, he always went forward when you asked him to training down and he has a pretty good attitude about everything. Middleton and the late Bill Galvin, a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in the Communicator category, bred the son of Sunshine Beach and Lady Marina. The long-time voice of Woodbine Mohawk Park shares ownership of Bob Loblaw with David Walls and James Grant of Sarnia and Starting Centre Stables of Cambridge, ON. He's still green like a lot of young horses, but he seems to be getting better every time he comes to Mohawk, said the Cambridge resident. It's a bonus to get a guy like Sylvain Filion in the bike, as well. Not only is he an incredible talent in the bike, but he provides great feedback when he gets off the bike and hands you the lines. He's been doing this a long time, and when he talks it's wise to listen. Prior to Fridays start, Filion had piloted Bob Loblaw in two qualifiers and a June 25 overnight event where he finished a fast-closing sixth. Milton, ON resident Filion also captured the third $22,500 Grassroots division with Stews Watching. Sent off as the fans top choice, Stews Watching left well from Post 10 and was able to take command just after the :28 quarter. The Hes Watching son reached the half in :58.3 and then fought off a challenge from Hashtag Watch Me on the way to the 1:27 three-quarters before drawing away to a three and one-quarter length win in 1:55. Nassau Hanover and ATS Hanover rounded out the top three. Filion piloted Stews Watching to the win for trainer Dr. Ian Moore of Cambridge, ON and owners Ratchford Stables NS of North Sydney, NS, who purchased the colt from last falls London Virtual Yearling Sale for $32,750. Driver Bob McClure also scored a pair of Grassroots wins, guiding Kolby Two Step and Dynomites Peak to victory in the second and fourth divisions. A 1:56.3 winner in his July 1 debut, Kolby Two Step was the heavy favourite and the son of Betterthancheddar did not disappoint his backers, sprinting from fifth to first in the last quarter to score a three and one-quarter length win in 1:54.2. My Blueberry Buck finished second and Almost There Boss was three more lengths back in third. Hes a very fast horse and as a bonus hes got a very good head on his shoulders, said McClure. Two fingers to drive and hes always ready when you ask him. Grafton resident Timothy Gillespie trains Kolby Two Step and shares ownership of the gelding with Jason Churchill of Colborne, ON. The partners offered up $12,000 for the gelding at last falls Ontario Select Yearling Sale. In the fourth division, lightly rated Dynomites Peak made an even bigger rush from the backfield than Kolby Two Step, kicking home in :26.3 to go from seventh to first. The second longest shot on the board, Dynomites Peak stopped the teletimer at 1:55.1 and forced fan favourite Contact Zone to settle for second, one-half length behind the leader. Lyons Pride was hot on their heels in third. Hes a fast horse, said McClure, who was making his first appearance in the geldings race bike. He had to do a lot of work to make it from back there. Hopefully he stays good all summer. Robbie Robinson had driven Dynomites Peak in his first two starts, both at Rideau Carleton Raceway, and trains the Artspeak son for Jacqueline Dinelle and Paul Smyth of Metcalfe and Earl Casselman of Winchester, ON. Dynomites Peak was a bargain-priced $7,000 yearling at the Ontario Select Sale. Driver Scott Young prevented neither McClure nor Filion from making it a Grassroots hat trick in the last division. The Guelph, ON resident piloted Stone Carver to a 1:55.1 victory, finishing one length ahead of fan favourites McClure and Stonebridge Helios and another three-quarter lengths ahead of Filion and Sport Addiction. Stone Carver is a handy little guy that aims to please you, said Young. I couldnt be happier with his performance tonight. Young drives Stone Carver for trainer Anthony Beaton and owner-breeder Robert Bridges of Campbellville. The Bettors Delight son finished second in his July 2 debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park after a pair of solid qualifiers. The two-year-old pacing colts will make their second Grassroots start at Grand River Raceway on July 19. On Saturday night (July 10) the three-year-old pacing colts will take centre stage at Woodbine Mohawk Park in five $22,850 Grassroots divisions. (OSS) To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results Woodbine Mohawk Park. Vernon Downs played host to three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for freshman trotting colts & geldings on Friday afternoon, and the combination of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Linda Toscano won two of the three divisions. Grand Spa ($8.90) was a gate-to-wire winner in the $33,600 first division for Zeron. Grand Spa went to the front and led to the first quarter in :28.1. He used a :30.1 second quarter to hit the half in :58.2. Jackson Steinem (Brian Sears) came first-over and challenged for the lead as they went around the final turn. Grand Spa hit three-quarters first in 1:28.3. As they made the turn for home Grand Spa shook off the challenge of Jackson Steinam. Second place finisher Chapheart made a late bid but Grand Spa was too strong and got his first career win in 1:57. Debs Prince Hall (Alek Chartrand) finished third. Grand Spa is a colt by E L Titan-Day At The Spa. Toscano trains for owner Bay Pond Racing Stable. Cool Papa Bell ($7.80) took the $34,200 second division for driver Jason Bartlett. Quincy Market (Corey Callahan) battled Branded By Lindy (Scott Zeron) as they headed for the first turn. Branded By Lindy went on a break and Quincy Market led to the first quarter in :28.3. Cool Papa Bell made his move down the backstretch and led to the half in :59. He led to three-quarters in 1:28.1. As they reached the stretch Cool Papa Bell continued to control things but had to brace for a late charge from second place finisher Branded By Lindy. Cool Papa Bell won in a lifetime best of 1:56.2. Quincy Market held on for third. Cool Papa Bell is a gelding by Chapter Seven-Blk Thai Optional. He is owned by Runthetablestables and trained by Jim Campbell. He is now a perfect two for two in his career. Molotov Cocktail ($6.40) captured the $34,200 third division for driver Scott Zeron. Velvet Style (Jason Bartlett) took the lead and led to the first quarter in :28.1. Molotov Cocktail had to go wide to avoid breaking horses as they headed around the first turn. He worked his way to the front and led to the half in :58.1 and three-quarters in 1:28. As they headed down the stretch Velvet Style popped out of the pocket and made his move. Molotov Cocktail dug in and won easily in 1:57. Velvet Style had to settle for second with Barn Bully (Corey Callahan) getting third money. Molotov Cocktail is a colt by Chapter Seven-Moonlight Cocktail. Toscano trains for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Gary Cocco. It was his first career win. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Saturday, July 10 with a 13-race card. Post time is 6:10 p.m. (Vernon Downs) Former horse racing industry participant Constable Jeffrey "Jeff" Northrup of Toronto, Ont. passed away suddenly in the line of duty on July 2, 2021 at the age of 55. Prior to joining the police force, Jeff worked in security for the Ontario Jockey Club at both Greenwood and Woodbine Racetracks. He is survived by his loving wife Margaret and his three children Brennen, Samantha and Mitchell. He will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by his mother Dianne. The family will receive friends and guests from the general public on Sunday, July 11, 2021 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Kane-Jerrett Homes, Thornhill Chapel (8088 Yonge. St., Thornhill). The Funeral will be by invitation-only, will be held at BMO Field at Exhibition Place at 1:00 p.m. The service will be broadcast live on the Toronto Police Service YouTube Chanel and by local TV outlets. The public is permitted to observe the procession from Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes, Thornhill Chapel, to BMO Field. Details on the route will be released in the coming days. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Brampton Special Olympics or to a charity of your choice. Please continue to keep Jeffs family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, and join Standardbed Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Jeff Northrup. Woodbine Mohawk Park would like to inform the horse racing community of its upcoming training schedule. Training will be offered on Wednesday (July 14) and Saturday (July 17). Sign-up for training at Woodbine Mohawk Park will open Saturday (July 10) at 3:00 p.m. Each training day will be split into two sessions, with 60 slots available in each. Sign-up will be required to train at Woodbine Mohawk Park and trainers are limited to a maximum of 10 horses per day. The training session times are listed below: Session One: 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Session Two: 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The sign-up links for each day next week are listed below: Training Wednesday, July 14 Training Saturday, July 17 All Paddock COVID-19 protocols will be in place for training hours, including the requirement to have all people wearing a mask. Only Trainers and essential licensed personnel will be permitted through the Security check point and all individuals are reminded to complete the COVID-19 Screening Form before arriving. (Mohawk) Greeley Police arrested a Greeley man with ties to the Panhandle on charges of child abuse resulting in the death of an 18-month-old girl. Andy Serrel Carter, 26, was booked into the Weld County jail on Thursday on a charge of child abuse resulting in death, a Class II felony, according to information released from the Greeley Police Department. Carter has previously lived in Scottsbluff and Sidney, having competed locally in mixed martial arts competitions. According to the Greeley Police Department police were requested on July 2, at about 1:35 p.m., by the Weld County Department of Human Services to respond to Childrens Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, reference a possible child abuse. An 18-month-old girl had been flown to the hospital, suffering with a diagnosed severe brain bleed that had presented at the emergency room in Greeley. Despite extensive life saving measures, the both the Northern Colorado Medical Center and Childrens Hospital, the girl died of traumatic injuries she had suffered. Treasurer Heather Hauschild said though she felt it was a good idea to note the holiday closures annually and she felt commissioners had always been fair regarding the holidays, she reiterated that state services, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, were not available despite the county remaining open. Meyer also cites closing for holidays as a decision that affects the constituents. The costs continue to increase as the county adds holidays, he said, also acknowledging that some other counties have additional holidays they recognize. Were charged with doing the best for the constituents that are paying the bill. And every time we close ,.. Were at about $3650,000 a year in holiday pay. He said that commissioners werent against recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday, but that he has heard more rumbling that other holidays may be recognized as state or federal holidays. He said he would rather give Christmas Eve off, citing Columbus Day and Arbor Day as holidays that he had asked employees what they do on those holidays. There are those holidays that are special holidays that you want time off, and you want family time Fourth of July and all of those, And there are other ones just taking it off because somebody said its a holiday and were not going to be here. We have really an incredible process, Marsh said. Weve held a license since 2017 and have had zero issues with it. Weve passed compliance checks, very pleased with that. The way that our system is run, we control every movement of liquor through the entire store from the back door coming in all the way through the front door, so lots of rules and regulations, tons of training for our team. Green said he was wary of recommending a non-local license holder. Thats one thing that always kind of irritates me a little bit about the way that corporate is set up, even though I understand Target is probably one of the premier security firms around, he said. Spencer agreed that Target had one of the most impressive processes, and he explained that the main reason for making Guenther the license holder is for practicality. Hundreds of families took to the streets of Gering on Friday morning to walk in the annual Oregon Trail Days Kiddie Parade. It marked the triumphant return of the parade after last years hiatus due to the pandemic. Families assembled at Legion Park at 9:15 a.m. to set up and, for many of the children, play at the playground. The parade kicked off at 10 a.m. and lasted for around 20 minutes. Thousands of spectators gathered together and watched from the sidewalks, collecting candy and posters tossed to the crowd. Jennifer Schwab pulled along her children Axel, 5, and Lainey, 3, on a Jurassic Park-themed float. This year, (Axel) had a little bit more of an opinion of what he wanted to do. Hes really into dinosaurs right now, Schwab said. My dad always went all out for us. When I had kids, I just wanted to keep the tradition going. Axel and Lainey are lifers when it comes to the Kiddie Parade. Previous floats of theirs have been Viking and Flintstones-themed. I definitely wouldnt be able to do it without my dad and my husband, Schwab said. The parade brought families from all across the state to participate. Brad and Lacey Peters traveled from Omaha with their kids Cooper, 3, and Lainey, 8 months. GERING A local improv theater camp will be offering sessions for local youth. Wilde Thing Theater Company will be producing an improv theater camp, Tales From the Toybox, this summer for ages 5-16. Ages 12-16 will attend two weeks of camp July 26-Aug. 6 for $50. Ages 5-11 will attend the second week Aug. 1 - Aug. 6 for $35. Both weeks will run 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. There is a 10% discount for registering multiple campers. This camp will be hosted by Playscape Play Place, 2425 Ave. I in Scottsbluff. Wilde Thing Theater Camp is sponsored by Main Street Players Community Theater. In this camp each child will be given a chance to take center stage as they create their own characters, monologues and skits based on toys one would find in their toybox. Campers will spend each day honing acting skills through improv games and one on one workshopping with camp directors. There will be a show for friends and family on the last day of camp at 7 p.m. In addition to the increased space, Goeman said she has seen an increase in foot traffic. I had the problem of people not going beyond Broadway to the side streets when shopping, she said, of her old location. There are more people walking down Broadway, and they stop and say, Oh, Ive never seen this shop, how long have you been here? She said she still recommended for shoppers to check out other streets to see what they might find. Lanny Hanks, co-owner of DefComp Firearms Academy, said his new location at 1716 Broadway was also crucial in helping him expand. We outgrew it, Hanks said of the stores previous location on First Avenue. We leased that building over there just for our training room ... we just kept growing and growing so we started looking for another building. A deal with Black Rifle Coffee Company led to the necessary funds to move into a larger venue in April. Hanks said a successful opening weekend of selling the coffee in November made the grounds a staple of the business. We were hoping to double our coffee sales, and weve more than quadrupled them, Hanks said. Our biggest battle right now is keeping it in stock. Three area pioneer farm families; the Roos Family Farm, the Amateis Family Farm and the Anderson Barrett Farm, were honored with the Aksarben Farm Family Award. Since the 1950s, the Aksarben Foundation has been celebrating Nebraskan farm families with its tradition of awarding Pioneer and Heritage Farm Family Awards. To date, nearly 10,000 families have been recognized at their county fair with this distinction. Aksarben partners with Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers on these awards each year, honoring families for 100 or 150 years of consecutive family farm ownership in Nebraska. These families exemplify the dedication and strong Nebraska values that set our state apart. Aksarben has celebrated agriculture for over one-hundred years, and these families are what the Spirit of Aksarben is all about, said Sandra Reding, Aksarben Foundation President. Mark McHargue, Nebraska Farm Bureau president adds, Nebraska Farm Bureau is proud to be part of this long standing program. Farm and ranch families deserve to be recognized with this coveted and prestigious award, which includes nearly 10,000 families in its alliance. These awards recognize the commitment to preserve and build Nebraska agriculture for future generations. Coates has written critically on U.S. race relations for years and is closely associated with the argument for reparations for slavery. Howard's president, Wayne Frederick, doesn't characterize either hiring as overtly political, but merely a natural extension of the university's motivating ethos. Howard University has been on that caravan for social justice for about 154 years, Frederick said in an interview. Howard has a rich legacy. ... My responsibility is to contemporize that and to bring faculty to the university who are in the contemporary space, speaking to present-day issues. Columbia University journalism professor Jelani Cobb, a Howard alumnus, described the moves as a pivotal jump in the university's national stature. Howard, he said, had gone from traditionally punching above its weight class to moving up a whole division. All this is just a few years removed from a period of internal tension and financial scandal. In 2018, six employees were fired amid revelations of more than $350,000 in misappropriated grant funding, and students staged a nine-day occupation of the administration building over demands that included better housing and an end to tuition increases. Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln has informed members of the Legislature that he expects to convene a redistricting special session on or about Sept. 13 with adjournment by Sept. 30 at the latest. Hilgers told senators to be prepared for the possibility of two Saturday sessions during that time frame. Senators will return to Lincoln to tackle the once-every-decade chore of redistricting legislative, congressional and other governing districts after receiving final population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, whose work was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The redistricting process typically shatters the nonpartisan nature of Nebraska's unique one-house legislature as political party leaders influence, and sometimes drive, the process of creating new districts that will be in place for the 2022 elections. In addition to reconstructing Nebraska's legislative and U.S. House of Representatives districts to reflect population changes, senators will redistrict less contentious districts for the Nebraska Supreme Court, University of Nebraska Board of Regents, Nebraska Public Service Commission and State Board of Education. The National Education Association, which is commonly referred to as the teachers union, recently adopted a measure to combat attacks on Critical Race Theory. The National Education Association is an extremist left-wing organization with a long history of endorsing programs which undermine the foundations of our traditional Western educational system. Critical Race Theory is important to all Nebraskans because it is part of the new education standards being proposed to the Nebraska Department of Education. Should these new standards be adopted, Critical Race Theory would become part of the standardized curriculum taught in all of our public schools. There is much that is wrong with Critical Race Theory, so today I would like to share why I believe it is a dangerous program for the education of our children. By definition, Critical Race Theory (CRT) denies that race is a natural, biological or physical attribute of human beings and teaches instead that race is a socially constructed or invented category used to exploit people of color. Consequently, CRT holds that every American social institution is inherently racist and that all white people are automatically born into a position of privilege. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mesquite city council will host a town hall meeting on July 13 open to the public for input on the citys input. The Statesville Police Department announced four arrests in connection with the shooting that killed Ahmiyahh Howell and injured Tariq Lowery. Nasir Corlee Turner, 18, of Mooresville, Sayqwon Kalil Miller, 19, and Donnell Tiaijan Ellison, also 19, and both of Statesville are facing charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, felony conspiracy, and discharging a weapon into occupied property causing serious bodily injury. A juvenile petition was obtained for a 17-year-old suspect with the same charges as the others, according to Statesville Police Chief David Addison. Turner, Miller, and the juvenile were arrested and police are still looking for Ellison, who is considered armed and dangerous. The police department said if anyone knows the location of Ellison they are asked to call 911 immediately. Turner had been detained on the night of the shooting but wasnt charged at that time. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Forensic evidence obtained from the vehicles, combined with investigative leads and evidence from the crime scene, allowed for the identification of suspects involved in the murder of AhMiyahh Howell and the injury of Tariq Lowery, Addison said. The police chief didnt take any questions at the press conference but did again ask for anyone with information about the crimes to come forward. Stella Historical museum opens July 11 The Stella Historical Museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 after being closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Society members note the closure gave them the opportunity to address some issues in the blacksmith shop, and redecorate and reorganize the displays. The museum, located at 8530 Ocean Beach Highway, Longview, also will be open July 23. Virtual hiring fair for job seekers With the recent reinstatement of job search requirements for people colleting unemployment to continue receiving benefits, they are encouraged to attend a virtual hiring fair from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 14. More than 40 companies will be interviewing to fill open jobs. The first half hour of the free event is reserved for veterans to meet with companies. Job seekers can register at bit.ly/3w1PoUh. Entry-level positions, registered nurses, machinists, welders, engineers, warehouse clerks, territory sales, packers, machine operator assistants and car haulers are among some of the jobs available. It was an interesting day in the world of technology today. On one hand, Huawei launched the Huawei Band 6 in India. On the other hand, reports detailed that WhatsApp is working on a new image quality feature that would enable users to choose the quality of the image that they want to share. So, heres what happened in technology today: Huawei Band 6 launched in India Huawei today launched the Huawei Band 6 in India. It has a 1.47-inch AMOLED FullView Display with a 14-day battery life. It supports 96 workout modes including 11 professional ones. It will be available exclusively via Amazon India for 4,490 starting July 12. Google Calendar lets you pick how you will attend a meeting Google has introduced a new RSVP feature on Google Calendar. This feature enables users to pick how they want to attend a meeting. Users can either choose to attend a meeting virtually as has been the case with pandemic. Or they can opt to attend the meeting physically. Qualcomm has made a phone for Snapdragon Insiders Qualcomm has launched an exclusive smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders in collaboration with Asus. It comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, 512GB of onboard storage, and a 144Hz AMOLED display. It comes with a 4,000mAh battery that supports Qualcomms Quick Charge 5.0. It is priced at $1,499 ( 112,200 approx.) for the 6GB+512GB variant. WhatsApp is working on an image quality feature WhatsApp has started working on a feature called Image Quality. This feature will enable users to pick the quality of the image that users share with their friends and family on WhatsApp. Users will get three options -- Auto, Best Quality and Data Saver -- to pick from wherein the Best Quality option will let users share highest quality images. Realme announces Flipkart Electronic Sale offers Flipkart is hosting the Electronic Sale on its platform between July 10 and July 13. During the course of this sale, Realme will be offering its smartphones at a discounted price. The Realme X3 SZ will get a discount of 6,000 and the Realme 7 Pro will get a discount of 4,000. This is as wonderfully old school as it gets. Watch company Tag Heuer is going to release a limited edition Super Mario-themed watch and it is coming next week. Tag Heuer, known for its timepieces, smartwatches, and some other select accessories, has shared a teaser on Twitter regarding this new timepiece and is now accepting registrations from all Super Mario fans interested in securing a one for themselves. Now, the teaser that Tag Heuer shared on Twitter doesnt exactly show the watch. Its a very bright colourful video, which you can check out below, but you dont get to see the timepiece. You can enjoy the Super Mario audio track on loop though. So we dont have any idea what this limited edition watch might look like. However, the companion website for the Super Mario watch gives us a look at the bright red watch case with the iconic Mario M logo on it. Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check Mobile Finder here. While the tweet states that you can power up on July 13, whichs next week, the product registration website states that the watch is going to launch on July 15. There is also a countdown timer on the website as well that indicates that the launch is on July 15. It is possible that Tag Heuer might showcase the proper look at the watch on July 13. The registration on the website mentions that customers who register for the watch will get an early drop related to the product. There are no further details about this, however. But if you do register for this watch, you will be the first to know. This possibly just means that you will be alerted once the watch becomes available in your region. The website also has a map that shows the regions where the watch is going to be available so you can check it before you sign up. Unfortunately for us, India is not one of the places, yet, so you might want to ask someone else to pick it up for you if you are keen. The watch is going to be available on the Tag Heuer website and in boutique stores. It is a limited edition watch though the company has not revealed exactly how many pieces are going to be available. Going by what Tag Heuer is known for, you can expect the Super Mario watch to be a premium watch with an expensive price tag making this a piece collectors and watch lovers who love the classic Nintendo would love to pick up. In this April 27, 2017 file photo, visitors walk past a sign for Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing at the Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) in Beijing. Chinese regulators have clamped down on the country's largest ride-hailing app, Didi Global Inc., days after its shares began trading in New York. Authorities told Didi to stop new registrations and ordered its app removed from China's app stores pending a cybersecurity review. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File China's regulator ordered the removal from app stores of 25 apps owned by Didi Global Inc., the country's largest ride-hailing service, citing severe violations of rules against collecting personal data. The Cyberspace Administration of China had already taken down the main Didi app last Sunday, pending a cybersecurity review, after it debuted on the U.S. stock market last week. The 25 additional apps include Didi Enterprises, as well as ones designed for Didi drivers. A spokesperson for Didi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes after Chinese authorities said earlier this week they would step up supervision of companies listed overseas. Under the new measures, regulation of data security and cross-border data flows, as well as the management of confidential data, will be improved. Didi is the latest company facing the scrutiny from the Chinese government. An investigation found "serious violations" in how Didi collected and used personal information, the internet regulator said earlier in the week. A statement said the company was told to "rectify problems" but gave no details. The internet regulator also said Didi was barred from accepting new customers until the investigations were completed. Didi was founded in 2012 as a taxi-hailing app and has expanded into other ride-hailing options including private cars and buses. It says it also is investing in electric cars, artificial intelligence and other technology development. Didi raised $4 billion from investors in its New York stock offering. The ruling Communist Party began tightening control over China's fast-changing internet industries last year, launching anti-monopoly and other investigations. Earlier this year, authorities fined Alibaba a record $2.8 billion over antitrust violations and launched an investigation into food delivery platform Meituan over suspected monopolistic behavior. On Saturday, China's market regulator blocked Tencent-backed videogame live-streaming platforms Huya and Douyu from merging following an anti-monopoly investigation. Explore further China watchdog launches review of Didi Global days after IPO 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. President Joe Biden hands out a pen after signing an executive order aimed at promoting competition in the economy, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, July 9, 2021, in Washington. Standing from left, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Lina Khan, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Attorney General Merrick Garland, National Economic Council director Brian Deese, obscured, and Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday targeting what he labeled anticompetitive practices in tech, health care and other parts of the economy, declaring it would fortify an American ideal "that true capitalism depends on fair and open competition." The sweeping order includes 72 actions and recommendations that Biden said would lower prices for families, increase wages for workers and promote innovation and faster economic growth. However, new regulations that agencies may write to translate his policy into rules could trigger major legal battles. The order includes calls for banning or limiting noncompete agreements to help boost wages, allowing rule changes that would pave the way for hearing aids to be sold over the counter at drugstores and banning excessive early termination fees by internet companies. It also calls on the Transportation Department to consider issuing rules requiring airlines to refund fees when baggage is delayed or in-flight services are not provided as advertised. At a White House signing ceremony, Biden said of some in big business: "Rather than competing for consumers they are consuming their competitors; rather than competing for workers they are finding ways to gain the upper hand on labor." "Let me be clear: Capitalism without competition isn't capitalism. It's exploitation," he said. President Joe Biden smiles as he arrives to speak in the economy, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, July 9, 2021, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci The White House said Biden's order follows in the tradition of past presidents who took action to slow corporate power. Theodore Roosevelt's administration broke up powerful trusts that had a grip on huge swaths of the economy, including Standard Oil and J.P. Morgan's railroads. Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration stepped up antitrust enforcement in the 1930s. But experts noted that Biden's sprawling presidential initiative is hardly a mandate on competition. "This is really more of a blueprint or agenda than a traditional executive order," said Daniel Crane, a law professor at the University of Michigan who focuses on antitrust. "This is a very broad and ambitious policy agenda for the Biden administration that offers lots of insights on the administration's direction and priorities, but there could be many a slip between the cup and the lip." Biden's order includes a flurry of consumer-pointed initiatives that could potentially lead to new federal regulations, but it also includes plenty of aspirational language that simply encourages agencies to take action meant to bolster worker and consumer protections. Business and trade groups quickly expressed opposition, arguing that the order would stifle economic growth just as the U.S. economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. President Joe Biden walks from the Oval Office to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 9, 2021. Biden is heading to Delaware for the weekend. Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh "Some of the actions announced today are solutions in search of a problem," said Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. "They threaten to undo our progress by undermining free markets and are premised on the false notion that our workers are not positioned for success." The order seeks to address noncompete clausesan issue affecting some 36 million to 60 million Americans, according to the White Houseby encouraging the Federal Trade Commission to ban or limit such agreements, ban unnecessary occupational licensing restrictions and strengthen antitrust guidance to prevent employers from collaborating to suppress wages or reduce benefits by sharing wage and benefit information with one another. Noncompete agreements often stop workers in a variety of industries from going to other employers for higher pay. Biden noted that in some states even fast food franchises include such clauses for low-wage workers. "Come on, are there trade secrets about what's inside the patty?" Biden said. The order also takes aim at tech giants Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon by calling for greater scrutiny of mergers, "especially by dominant internet platforms, with particular attention to the acquisition of nascent competitors, serial mergers, the accumulation of data, competition by 'free' products, and the effect on user privacy." President Joe Biden speaks before signing an executive order aimed at promoting competition in the economy, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, July 9, 2021, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci In his executive order, Biden also calls on the Federal Maritime Commission to take action against shippers that it says are "charging American exporters exorbitant charges" and the Surface Transportation Board to require railroad track owners to "strengthen their obligations to treat other freight companies fairly." The White House argues that rapid consolidation and sharp hikes in pricing in the shipping industry have made it increasingly expensive for U.S. companies to get goods to market. In 2000, the largest 10 shipping companies controlled 12% of the market. They now control about 82%, according to the Journal of Commerce. The World Shipping Council, an industry trade group, pushed back in a statement that "normalized demand, not regulation," is the way to answer rising costs. "There is no market concentration 'problem' to 'fix,' and punitive measures levied against carriers based on incorrect economic assumptions will not fix the congestion problems," said John Butler, president and CEO of the council. The order also notes that over the past two decades the U.S. has lost 70% of the banks it once had, with around 10,000 bank closures. Communities of color and rural areas have been disproportionately affected. President Joe Biden speaks with members of the press before boarding Air Force One, Friday, July 9, 2021, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is spending the weekend at his home in Delaware. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky To begin addressing the trend, the order encourages the Justice Department as well as the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to update guidelines to provide greater scrutiny of mergers. It also encourages the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to issue rules allowing customers to download their banking data and take it with them when they switch. The order includes several provisions that could affect the agricultural industry. It calls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider issuing new rules defining when meat can use "Product of USA" labels. It also encourages the FTC to limit farm equipment manufacturers' ability to restrict the use of independent repair shops or do-it-yourself repairssuch as when tractor companies block farmers from repairing their own tractors. Democratic lawmakers and union leaders cheered the order. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, said that Biden's executive order needs to be buttressed by congressional action. "Competition policy needs new energy and approaches so that we can address America's monopoly problem," Klobuchar said. "That means legislation to update our antitrust laws, but it also means reimagining what the federal government can do to promote competition under our current laws." Explore further White House unveils sweeping antitrust push 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Security is tight for G20 finance minsiters meeting in Venice. G20 finance ministers on Saturday gave their backing to a historic deal to overhaul the way multinational companies are taxed, and urged hold-out countries to get on board. Some 132 countries have already signed up to a framework for international tax reform, including a minimum corporate rate of 15 percent, struck earlier this month. But the endorsement by the 19 biggest economies plus the European Union will help ensure it becomes a reality following years of negotiations. "We have achieved a historic agreement on a more stable and fairer international tax architecture," the ministers said in a final statement following two days of talks in Venice, hosted by G20 president Italy. "We endorse the key components of the two pillars on the reallocation of profits of multinational enterprises and an effective global minimum tax." US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, among those attending the grouping's first face-to-face meeting since February 2020, said the momentum must not now be lost. "The world is ready to end the global race to the bottom on corporate taxation," she said in a statement, adding that it "should now move quickly to finalise the deal". French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said it was a once-in-a-century opportunity for a "tax revolution", adding: "There is no turning back." His German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, tweeted: "Finally, large corporations can no longer escape their tax liability." The reforms aim to prevent countries competing to offer the lowest tax rates to attract investment, which has often resulted in multinationals paying derisory levels of tax. Final agreement is expected in the run-up to the G20 leaders' summit in Rome in October, with hopes the reforms can be in place by 2023. Pressure on hold-outs Countries including the United States, France and Germany have been pressing for a higher minimum tax rate. But some nations are opposed to 15 percent, including Ireland, which lured Apple and Google to Dublin with low tax rates. In their final statement, the G20 ministers "invite" countries to sign up. Without the agreement of Ireland and other EU hold-outs Hungary and Estonia, the European Union cannot implement the deal. And while hailing an "unprecedented agreement", EU economic affairs commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned: "Our work is not done." In Venice, G20 finance ministers are expected to reach agreement on a historic deal to tax multinational companies more fairly. Non-governmental groups that analyse the tax affairs of multinationals, like Oxfam, have criticised the reform for letting rich countries keep most of the extra tax revenue. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who attended the Venice talks remotely, said that "further work needs to be done to ensure a fairer, sustainable and inclusive tax system which results in meaningful revenue for developing countries". Worldwide rules Italian Finance Minister Daniele Franco said what had been achieved must not be underestimated. "To have worldwide rules for taxing multinationals, for taxing profits of big companies is a major change, it's a major achievement," he said. The minimum tax rate is expected to affect fewer than 10,000 major companies, but the OECD estimates an effective 15 percent rate would generate an extra $150 billion in revenue per year. The measure is one of two so-called pillars of global tax reform that have been under negotiation for years, and were given new impetus under US President Joe Biden. The other would give countries a share of the taxes on profits earned in their territory. Multinationals operate in many countries but usually pay taxes on profits only in tax domiciles cherry-picked for their low rates. The profit reform would initially apply to the top 100 or so companies, and is targeted at the most aggressive users of tax-reducing domiciles, such as technology giants Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple. The changes agreed will ensure "that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places", British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak told AFP. COVID risks Hundreds of protesters converged on Venice on Saturday, although the Arsenal area of the lagoon city, where the meeting was held, was cordoned off to the general public. "We don't expect the real change, radical change that we need," said student Elena Carraro, 20, demanding the G20 focus more on climate change. The G20, whose members represent about 85 percent of global wealth, did discuss the climate as well as the post-pandemic recovery. Ministers warned that the global recovery was uneven and "exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus and different paces of vaccination". They backed an initiative by the International Monetary Fund to increase aid to countries struggling to cope with the pandemic through special drawing rightsinternational reserve assetssaying it must be implemented "by the end of August". 2021 AFP A Delta Air Lines jet takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport Thursday, July 8, 2021, in Burbank, Calif. Airlines are adding more flights as the number of travelers continues to rise. The airlines are expecting the recovery to mean more traffic this winter. Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill United Airlines said Friday it will add nearly 150 flights this winter to warm-weather destinations in the U.S. and will also add flights to beach spots in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The airline said its winter schedule to places such as California and Florida will be larger than it was in 2019, before the pandemic crushed air travel. United's announcement is further indication that airlines are confident that a travel rebound that began this spring will grow stronger. Earlier this month, Delta revamped its schedule to add flights this winter to U.S. ski destinations including Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Aspen, Colorado. And discount carrier Spirit Airlines said Thursday that it would add new domestic flights and resume international ones from Orlando, Florida, that it had dropped during the pandemic. Airlines cut their workforces last year through buyouts, early retirements and voluntary leaves. Now they are recalling employees from leave and hiring again to meet the increase in travel. U.S. air travel has rebounded from pandemic lows last year to frequently more than 2 million people a day, although numbers are still about 20% below July 2019, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. Some airlines have struggled to keep up with the bigger crowds, particularly Southwest and American. So far in July, both airlines have canceled about 3% of their flights and more than one-third were delayed at least 15 minutes, according to figures from tracking service FlightAware. In June, 40% of Southwest flights were delayed and 3% were canceled, while 31% of American flights were late and 4% were canceled, Flightaware said. The airlines have mostly blamed their difficulties on bad weather. Explore further Southwest still struggling with flight delays, cancellations 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. At the Salvation Army on Union Street, its almost as if whoever is in charge of flooding said, Uh oh. Missed a spot, and sent Tropical Storm last week to finish the job. 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. A Texas A&M University computer science and engineering professor is helping with recovery efforts at the Surfside condo collapse near Miami. Robin Murphy, a robotics expert who has worked at three other building collapses, joined a team from Florida State University on July 3 at the request of a Florida urban search and rescue task force. The Florida State team had been flying drones at the site of the building collapse since June 25. The 12-story Champlain Towers South oceanfront condominium in Surfside collapsed on the morning of June 24, which has left 79 dead and 61 unaccounted for as of Friday night. It is the third-largest loss of life from a collapse in U.S. history. Officials have pivoted their search and rescue efforts to recovery as all efforts to find survivors have been used. Murphy is a member of the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue, a nonprofit established in 2001 to promote the adoption of robots by emergency responders for disasters. As of Thursday, Murphy said, the FSU team had conducted more than 160 missions, collecting 28,000 photos and 652 gigabytes of data. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Kenny Orts & the No Chance Band, 8 p.m. at The Western Steakhouse and Dancehall, 9524 Texas 6 in Navasota. $20. Lightning Ben, 3 p.m. at Brazos Valley Brewing Co., 206 S. Jackson St. in Brenham. Free. EXHIBITS Oceans of Plastic at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. A collection of art made from plastic pollution acquired from beaches along the Texas Gulf Coast. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, and tickets must be purchased at bush41.org/visit/admission. Postcards from the Future: Paintings of Deluge, through July 17 at the Brazos Valley African American Museum, 500 E. Pruitt St. in Bryan. An exhibit of paintings about strange weather by Mary Ciani, who taught art at Texas A&M University. The Smithsonian Institutions Water/Ways traveling exhibit, through July 17 at the Brazos Valley African American Museum, 500 E. Pruitt St. in Bryan. The exhibit explores waters environmental and cultural impact, including on climate, agriculture, transportation, industry and more. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Unlike the Trump administrations mixed messages on the virus and its efforts to proclaim premature victory, Biden kept the focus on the need for protection, in part by setting public goals for Americans to do so. The administration easily met its initial target of 100 million shots in its first 100 days. Its more recent one, protection of 70% of adult Americans with at least one of the two required vaccination shots by July 4, fell narrowly short, in part because of the resistance in certain areas. But it came close. CDC statistics show 67% have gotten at least one dose, and 56% two doses. The virus is on the run, Biden said Tuesday. But the vaccination numbers are lower for younger Americans and in many southern and mountain states. Still, theres no way Biden and his administration are losers because their effort fell short. The White House still hopes to reach those goals by getting vaccines to as many holdouts as possible via primary care doctors, local pharmacies and mobile units at work sites and special events. The losers will be those Americans who, for whatever reason, choose not to get the shots. As a result, they are increasing the likelihood they and those around them will suffer from the virus or die from it when most of the country is living a COVID-free future. Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Readers may write to him via email at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com. But despite this burgeoning need, home care workers are paid, on average, about $16,200 a year, and one in six lives below the poverty line. Just as we need good union jobs to repair and build our roads and bridges, we need good union jobs to take care of our societys most vulnerable. If we burn out these workers with low wages and long hours, our loved ones who need care will also pay the price. The $400 billion investment outlined in Bidens American Jobs Plan would allow aging and disabled Americans to stay in their homes, rather than having to move into expensive and potentially dangerous for-profit nursing homes. The plan would also let home care workers, more than half of whom are Black and immigrant women, to bargain collectively to improve wages and benefits. But as Congress works to strike up a bipartisan deal on infrastructure, Bidens historic $400 billion proposal has seemingly fallen by the wayside, in favor of physical infrastructure. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has said she supports investing in the care economy but it is not infrastructure and should be considered separately. Biden was vice president when President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq to general acclaim in 2011, only to come under fire when Islamic State rampaged across the country in 2014. Biden will have to remain engaged in Afghanistan for political reasons as well as for national security and humanitarian ones. That means hell need to push for negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government in hopes of reaching a peace agreement, or at least preventing a bloodbath, which diplomats consider more achievable. It means warning that the U.S. will use force against terrorists in areas under Taliban control, just as it does in other countries. It means mounting an energetic effort to help more than 18,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. military get out of the country with their families. And it means updating contingency plans to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, which still has about 4,000 employees, including 1,800 Americans, guarded by some 650 U.S. troops. Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Has COVID caused issues? It sure has. But were working through that, he told the board. Construction can be painful, and were feeling the pain. But were moving forward. Were still expected to get kids in on time. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Petsch said he is confident the project will be finished in time for the new school year, though he said, the school calendar isnt doing us any favors. He added: Its going to be tight but Chief (Construction) has been doing a really good job. Weve been up against some big obstacles this month. Those obstacles have not proven insurmountable, Petsch said. Were just finishing a few things. By this time next month we will be ready for kids, he said. Financial obstacles have been made less severe, thanks to donations, including a $400,000 donation from JBS. The building itself the former Shopko store on North Webb Road is a donation itself. The owner of the building, local businessman Ray OConnor, donated about 50,000 square feet of the building, valued at $3.3 million. In other action, the board: There has been a lot of discussion, especially here locally, regarding the document published by the Nebraska Department of Education in March 2021: Nebraska Health Education Standards Draft 1. These standards fall outside of what is required by law, but not outside of the bounds of what the department is able to publish. Fine arts, physical education, world languages, and career and technical education are just a few content areas for which the department has already published standards. What is different about these standards is one key thing these standards have the potential to save real lives. First off, these standards educate students on the facts regarding several aspects of reproductive health. They call for teaching students about anatomy, safe sex methods, and methods of contraception that have been proven safe. They do not pass judgment on what is right, on what is wrong, but rather introduce students to the facts about reproduction. This type of education has been proven to reduce teen pregnancy, a problem that has affected communities across the world for all time, Grand Island included. 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: As a result, to best support the entire Choate Center community, Mr. Davis, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Goins are being reassigned from the facility today, until the judicial process yields new information or reaches a conclusion, the statement continued. A spokeswoman for the agency said the three were reassigned to central office administration duties. They will continue to be paid. State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, minority spokeswoman for the Senates Behavioral and Mental Health Committee, previously called for the department to place those officials on leave pending the outcome of their cases. Bryant criticized the department for treating rank-and-file employees facing misconduct charges differently than top administrators. On Friday, Bryant said she was relieved to see the department remove the administrators from their direct oversight at Choate. But she continued to question the lack of parity between administrators and their employees. For those downstate Illinois residents who want to breakaway from Chicagoland and form their own state, two Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers have an emphatic caution: do not do it. In a whitepaper released earlier this year by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, a think tank at the university, political scientists John Foster and John Jackson said analysis of Illinois state revenue and budgeting over recent years shows downstate Illinoisans would be worse off without Chicago than they are with their northeastern neighbors. In other shootings from 3 p.m. Friday to Saturday morning: Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Saturday, a 36-year-old woman was shot multiple times while inside her vehicle in the 5500 block of South Princeton Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood. She suffered several wounds to the arm, and was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. Shortly before 3 a.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in the 3100 block of West Roosevelt Road in the Lawndale neighborhood. Police said the man was driving when another vehicle pulled alongside and an occupant opened fire, striking him in the hand. He drove himself to Holy Cross Hospital where he was listed in good condition. Shortly after 2:45 a.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the 4500 block of West Maypole Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said the man was standing outside when someone in a passing vehicle fired shots, hitting him in the abdomen and leg. He was dropped off to Rush University Hospital and later transferred to Stroger Hospital where he is in critical condition. The capture of 35-year-old Davis who had been spending time recently in Cuba and Canton, according to Standard was more complex. Early Thursday, Davis stole a van in Farmington, Standard said. Earlier, Davis was seen running through residential yards and hopping fences in the city along the Fulton-Peoria county border. The county line is near where Davis crashed the van, according to Standard. A tip led searchers to Blue Spruce Road, northeast of Norris and between Canton and Farmington, where they found Davis walking. "He was taking a lot of resources (to find)," Standard said. "Where he was walking, there aren't any residences, really. The guys were not too far from there when that tip came in." Searches took place on foot and by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and drone. Numerous local, county and state law-enforcement agencies participated. None of the captured men resisted arrest, according to Standard. "They knew it was up, and they knew we were after them and coming in force," he said. The Chemtool fire rattled the community, displaced residents, and took the combined resources and efforts of several fire departments to get under control. Although the flames have been extinguished, the hazard posed to the public and the environment continues, and Chemtool owes the community more information, Raoul said. My office, in collaboration with the Winnebago County States Attorneys office will ensure that Chemtool is held responsible for evaluating the extent of the contamination and thoroughly remediating the damage. Lubrizol, which owns the Chemtool plant, said in a statement this week that it has started to outline the scope of the site cleanup and working with local and state authorities on a plan. We remain devastated by the fire at our Rockton Chemtool site and the impact on the local community, spokesman Cody Adams said Friday in a response to the lawsuit. Throughout this event, we have been working with state and federal regulators to address their concerns and the needs of residents and will continue to do so. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that samples taken from the area show air and water, including in all wells used as a water source for Rockton residents, are safe. The agency worked with the Illinois National Guard to conduct the sampling, as well as with other state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 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 DENMARK Legacy of Leadership, Learning, and Love was the theme for the Eta Gamma Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.s virtual Mother-Daughter Scholarship Brunch held on Saturday, March 15. The program honored mothers and leaders in the chapters service communities. Hazel Rickenbacker, the financial secretary for the Delta Chi Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Orangeburg, served as the mistress of ceremonies. She was presented to the virtual audience by Christine Simpkins-Holman, a member of the local chapter. Other members of the chapter on the program were Barbara Brewer, chaplain, who rendered the invocation; Dianna Davis-Bailey, the historian, greeted the guests; and Sharmiece Patterson, a newly inducted member, delivered the occasion. The value and love of a mother and daughters bond were expressed in letters authored and read by sorority members, Angelica Allen-Gadson, A Letter to My Mother; and April Dobson, the chapters financial secretary, A Letter to My Daughter. A recording of the song Wind Beneath My Wings was played during the program to signify the mothers strength and support. McMillan crafted a Southern Sweet Tipsy Tea and a shrimp and grits tapas. "Both the shrimp and grits tapas and Southern Sweet Tipsy Tea were presented on an appetizer plate which allows a hand for partaking thereof," she said. "Every plate has a cutout for the drink. I love those plates because it's so easy for you to be mobile. I love hosting. So I typically do everything with those plates because you can have your drink in one hand and your food in one hand. It's actually an appetizer plate, but it's dinner size. I've been collecting them for about 10 years now," McMillan said. She carefully selected her cocktail and dish choices which were included on Lindsay's inaugural Cocktails and a Dish Memorial Day Zoom event. "I decided to do a Southern Sweet Tipsy Tea because, of course, you know sweet tea was birthed in Summerville. And then I did a grits tapas. So I baked my grits in a petit four pan so that it would be bite size and you could actually pick it up. "So often you end up at a dinner and you're sitting, but I decided I wanted to do something where you could still enjoy the Southern fare as an appetizer," McMillan said. McMillan, whose win was also featured in Harlem World Magazine, said it felt good to win the competition. Federal officials this week defended the door-to-door efforts, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki noting Thursday that the vaccine canvassing is done entirely by volunteers and the White House believes its helped boost vaccine rates in a number of states, including Alabama, Florida and Georgia. She emphasized that the federal government doesnt keep a database of whos been vaccinated. Jeffrey Zeints, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, also said Thursday that local trusted messengers like doctors, faith leaders and community leaders are the best people to promote vaccinations and may go door to door. So I would say for those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of trusted messenger work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, the community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, to save lives and help to end this pandemic, Zeints said. McMaster's letter comes a day after state public health officials warned that the overwhelming majority of South Carolinians now being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 are those who aren't fully vaccinated. Look at that wall. Its marble. The countertops are marble, Myrtle Phillips said of one side of the shop. The wall, the mirrors, the countertops and the cabinets came out of the Sanborn Hotel. The barber chairs also came from the hotel. Then there is the huge hat rack in the front of the store, built by the same company that manufactured the chairs, Dan said. If its not one of a kind, it might be close, he said. On a buffet in the shop there is a box of hair tonic bottles that have been there since the 70s, Dan said. The design of the display, though, might indicate the bottles predate the 70s. The salesman, Dan said, marveled at what his company had sent and offered to take them back. They stayed. That is the color they should be, and thats faded by the light, Dan said as he held up a bottle of the tonic from the back and compared it to a bottle of tonic at the front. The colors dont even come close to matching. And thats just evaporation. Theyve never been opened, he said of the missing tonic from several of the bottles. There is a shoeshine box on the floor in the shop and a shoeshine stand in the back room, Dan said. 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. Cheney to join rescheduled AARP town hall AARP Wyoming will start calling out to AARP members around 4:55 p.m. on July 21. If you wish to listen in on the call, but dont receive a phone call, you may listen by clicking on this link or going to: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=6277. The link will also be available on AARP Wyomings Facebook page. July take & make for adults In the summer heat, nothing beats an ice cold drink to cool you off and quench your thirst. But who likes those pesky water rings on your tables from the glasss condensation? Thats when coasters step in to save the day. With Julys Take & Make Kit for Adults, you can paint your own trendy cork coasters to preserve your tabletops. Stop by the front desk any time during the month of July to grab your craft kit with all the supplies and instructions you need to make this project at home. They are available for free for all of our grown-up patrons, while supplies last. Call 577-7323 or visit our website for more information. Wyomings civics and U.S. History education standards are among the worst in the nation, according to a new report from a national education group. The states top education official is hoping the grim analysis will serve as a call to action. The conservative-leaning Thomas Fordham Institute in June published rankings of each states standards in civics and U.S. history. It recommended a complete revision for Wyoming. Why we failed Wyomings biggest flaw is that it doesnt have course-specific standards for either civics or U.S. history, and its one of a few states that doesnt require either for a student to graduate. The Fordham Institute describes the standards as inadequate, failing to offer even a basic outline of essential content. Indeed, one of the most significant differences between Wyomings standards and the few states that earned top marks was a lack of specifics. Because of the broad, vague language Wyoming employs in its benchmarks, there is almost no sense of scope, and its impossible to say how content is meant to be sequenced, the report continues. The transcontinental railroad blazed a new overland route that allowed for the settlement of the city of Laramie in 1868, followed by the transcontinental Lincoln Highway in 1913. They all come through the same area right there, and before that it looks like Native Americans were using it comparably as well, Pelton said. The Willow Creek site was first excavated in the 1960s by archaeologist William Mulloy, the founding faculty member in the University of Wyoming Department of Anthropology. Mulloy found extensive Native American campsites with stone tools, pottery pieces, animal bones and beads. He also found artifacts from the 1860s suggesting the sites use by overland travelers. Pelton said Mulloys work at Willow Creek was never written up in a report and the artifacts are still stored at UW. Last year, the landowner approached the state office, knowing that the area had been studied before. The Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist decided it would be a good idea to return to it, answer some questions, and try to get a report, Pelton said. Archaeologists worked at the site for about 10 days in mid-June. They found an extensive collection of arrowheads, pottery pieces and animal bones. Almost 700 Venezuelans voluntarily left Trinidad and Tobago early yesterday on a repatriation trip from the Port of Port of Spain. The trip was organised by the Venezuelan Embassy in Port of Spain for citizens of that country who wanted to return home. The Venezuelan nationals assembled outside the Cruise Ship Complex from as early as 6 a.m. Eight more people have died of the Covid-19 virus. They have taken T&Ts death toll to 990. The Ministry of Health reported the new deaths in its daily update yesterday. The ministry said the deceased patients were: Three elderly men with co-morbidities Many lives and our economic survival depend on the availability of vaccines in sufficient numbers to vaccinate 70 per cent or greater of the adult population. We are reopening for business before the 70 per cent target is achieved and before more is known about the Delta variant, described as relentless. That is a significant risk, but I do acknowledge movement in a safer direction with the reported arrival last week of enough doses of Sinopharm vaccine for 400,000 people and the Prime Minister being pictured taking it. Last Sunday, the state of our national dialogue alarmed two Express columnists. Martin Daly described it as poisonous (The country has descended almost exclusively into the practice of the poisonous politics of demonisation), while Selwyn Cudjoe warned about the consequences (I dont know how the acidic squabble between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will end, but I know that verbal violence can have as much devastating consequences as physical violence). PHOENIX Arizona schools will be required beginning next year to teach students about the Holocaust at least twice between the 7th and 12th grades. But they wont be given a controversial list of statements and actions that some say is evidence of antisemitism. On Friday, Gov. Doug Ducey signed the education legislation crafted by Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson. She told Capitol Media Services that a state mandate is both appropriate and necessary. Its troubling that two-thirds of millennials dont know the Holocaust happened, she said. We must teach the atrocities of the past to make sure that it never happens again. The move, however, came over the objection of Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, who complained the bill does not include what he said is a necessary definition of antisemitism. And Boyer questioned the usefulness of teaching about the attempted extermination of Jews by the Nazis. Obviously, there is little value to Holocaust education if we dont teach students to identify antisemitism when they see it today, he said in a prepared statement. And he lashed out at Hernandez for refusing to include the definition he wanted in her bill and for Democrats in refusing to go along. For comparison, theres about a 1-in-500,000 chance of getting struck by lightning in a year, according to the CDC. In total, the county is aware of 401 fully vaccinated people who contracted COVID-19, which are often called breakthrough cases. This is about 0.075% of the fully vaccinated population in Pima County. And 16 fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 countywide. This is about 0.0029% of the fully vaccinated population. County health officials currently dont know which variants infected the two vaccinated people who died from COVID-19. Few breakthrough cases have been delta cases. It takes a while for officials to get genetic sequencing results that identify variants, so it may be a couple weeks before we know if the delta variant is common among breakthrough cases in Pima County. Meanwhile the delta variant has become the dominant variant in the U.S., according to estimates from the CDC. And it will likely soon establish dominance in Arizona. PHOENIX Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Friday to block the use of public funds for what he calls critical race theory. But there appears to be a disconnect between the description of what has become a favorite talking point of Ducey and other Republicans and what that term actually means. And it leaves open the question of what state and local agencies and, in a separate bill, schools will and will not be able to do and teach. On paper, HB 2906 is relatively simple. It says that employees cannot be required to go through orientation, training or therapy that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex. Then the bill gives examples of what that includes, like saying one race, ethnic group or sex is inherently morally or intellectually superior to another; that someone is inherently biased, whether consciously or otherwise, due to race, ethnicity or sex; or that an individual should feel discomfort, guilt or psychological stress because of race, ethnicity or sex. But Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, said none of that is being done right now. Instead, he said, it appears to be more of a political move. Also gone is a bid by Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, to require an entirely separate signed permission any time there would be a discussion about AIDS and the HIV virus that causes it, even when parents already agreed to let their children participate in sex education classes. That section had alarmed some who worried that students, including LGBTQ students, unable to get their parents to agree to that separate approval, would not be able to get their questions answered. But the changes still left several lawmakers dissatisfied. Rep. Tony Navarrete, D-Phoenix, said the measure is still too broad. He said the wording targets not just sex education but other parts of the curriculum. For example, he cited the Shakespeare tale of Romeo and Juliet. That has to do with sexuality, he said. History lessons also could be affected, Navarrete said, such as discussion of the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York City that led to the birth of the modern LGBTQ movement. Even talking about the U.S. Supreme Court Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage also would be off limits, he said. Theres a lot of stigma, and we are working really hard to try to combat that, Lockery said. But its a slow process, because this has been a long-time issue. The trauma that first responders face can cause various symptoms, such as insomnia, nightmares, avoidance, irritability, isolation and anger, which Lockery described as red flags because thats not the natural state of firefighters. More severe side effects, like substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, are not uncommon in first responders who have dealt with trauma. According to a survey of 7,000 firefighters conducted by the International Association of Fire Fighters Center of Excellence, 26% dealt with substance abuse and 19% had suicidal thoughts. Although trauma can be defined differently for everyone, Watson said firefighters never know what type of calls can be traumatic for them. Sometimes even the most unexpected calls can stick with first responders for months or years to come. During one of Watsons recent code arrest calls, he recalled how the patients wife was yelling at her husband, You promised you would never leave me, as the first responders performed CPR on him. Even though Watson sees death often, he said this moment deeply affected him. BUCHAREST (AP) Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, the U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said.. Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will "help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated, Sandu, a former World Bank official, wrote online. The announcement came days ahead of an early) parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. This donation could not come at a more important time, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova said in a statement. The U.S. remains Moldovas steadfast partner in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and saving Moldovan lives. MOSCOW (AP) The head of Russia's state coronavirus task force says the number of deaths nationwide in June this year rose nearly 14% over June 2020, due to the spread of the delta variant that caused infections to soar and a record spike in deaths. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday that current data show a 13.9% increase in mortality in June, year-on-year. Russia has been struggling with a surge of infections since early June, with daily new cases rising from about 9,000 at the beginning of the summer to over 23,000 in early July. On Friday, the task force reported 25,766 new infections. For the first time in the pandemic, the daily death toll this week exceeded 700, with 726 new deaths registered Friday. The delta variant is detected in 66% of cases, said Anna Popova, head of Russia's public health agency Rospotrebnadzor. Overall in the pandemic, Golikova's task force has reported a total of more than 5.7 million confirmed infections and 141,501 deaths. However, reports by Russia's state statistical service Rosstat that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher numbers. According to Rosstat, last year alone COVID-19 was the cause of 144,691 deaths. OPINION: History of Pima County elections, no cash at Los Reales and the labor shortage are the topics of the day. Join the discussion by submitting a letter to the editor at tucson.com/opinion OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma health officials on Friday urged more residents to get vaccinated amid an alarming spike in new cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19, particularly in the northeastern part of the state. Oklahoma is seeing an uptick in cases with the emergence of the new delta variant, particularly in rural areas where there are lower rates of vaccinations, said Oklahoma Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye. He said those numbers will likely continue to increase following the Fourth of July holiday. Vaccination numbers for 12-34 years old are particularly low, meaning this demographic is especially at risk," Frye said. We want people to get out and enjoy their lives and their freedoms. Vaccination is the way to get there." Oklahoma currently has the 11th lowest percentage of its population fully vaccinated at 38.9%, compared to a national average of 47.8%, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None of this can be fun for Biden, but he actually has something to celebrate. Almost lost in the infighting was a remarkable fact: Party infighting aside, the president appears increasingly likely to push through domestic spending increases of at least $1 trillion, something that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Even moderate Democrats seem to have accepted the premise that the federal governments success in combating COVID-19 and jump-starting the economy has made big government more popular than it has been since World War II. Manchin, a fiscal hawk within his party, had this to say last week: Theres a lot of need out there, whether it be child tax credits, whether it be helping kids have a start in life, whether it be fixing a lot of the human infrastructure that has fallen by the wayside. Im all for that. To what degree? Well see what were able to pay for. He said he could support $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion or $2 trillion, as long as it isnt paid for through borrowing. For comparison, when President Obama passed an economic stimulus bill in 2009 to soften the effects of the Great Recession, he told his aides to keep the price tag below $1 trillion because moderate Democrats recoiled at the number. Hawkins said while the state already has strong childrens treatment programs used in schools, a new state law will further that progress. Senate Bill 21, which took effect July 1, requires public school staff to be trained in suicide prevention by the ODMHSAS, Hawkins said. Prior to the law change, an estimated 13,000 school staff received training when it was voluntary. The state agency also has been working with primary care offices in suicide prevention. Its about making sure anyone who is under care of a health care or behavior health care provider is being screened, Hawkins said. Need for more training Meanwhile, since her sons death, Teehee and others have successfully lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to add a black box warning label on the asthma medication he was taking when he died. She also has worked to bring awareness to the need for more suicide prevention training among counselors. One of the things that I have come across is that there are not many counselors trained in suicide prevention, Teehee said. Neither a pursuit report nor an administrative investigation form documenting the chase and fatal TVI were done. Both of those documents had been filled out two months earlier for a TVI in Wagoner County that rolled an eluder in a stolen vehicle, inflicting critical injuries that the driver ultimately survived. Stewart in an email said command staff did review the Creek County case she didnt address the absence of an administrative investigation form and expressed thanks for pointing out the lack of a pursuit report. Potter, who was working speed enforcement April 29, 2020, attempted a traffic stop for the Chevrolet Cruze observed going 13 mph over the limit. His suspicion grew when the car took longer than normal to pull over and stop, and because its paper tag looked like it hadnt been filled out completely, according to his internal interview summary. After Potter exited his cruiser, the driver reportedly sped off, weaving through light traffic and reaching speeds around 90 mph. Potter said he saw the passenger throw something out of the window during the chase. The trooper acknowledged being unfamiliar with the roadways in the area and said he didnt see the bridge until after the car already was spinning in front of him. The tribes announcement additionally indicates that the Cherokee Nation will sign agreements with municipalities, Vian and West Siloam Springs among them, to donate fees from traffic and other citations to their jurisdictions. The measure, according to the update, will ensure local agencies do not lose funding as a result of McGirt. The tribe will also continue to file new cases in tribal court at an unprecedented pace in order to ensure victims can see justice and cases do not fall through the cracks, the announcement states. The Tulsa County District Attorneys Office is among several northeastern Oklahoma agencies participating in the McGirt-focused forum on Tuesday to discuss what they say are continued challenges for victims and survivors of crimes. Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard, one of the panelists, has expressed similar frustration at appellate courts ordering the release of incarcerated people and dismissal of charges after McGirt claims. He has argued that current statute of limitations laws could mean those who should be imprisoned are freed with no recourse to hold them accountable for past criminal activity. DHAKA -- At least 52 people were killed and 20 injured after a massive fire raged through a juice-making factory in Bangladesh, officials said on Friday, the latest industrial accident in a country with a track record of poor working conditions. The fire started late Thursday on the ground floor of a six-story factory building in Narayanganj, southeast of Dhaka, and was still raging Friday evening as firefighters scrambled to control it. Flames rose from the top floors of the building, where many workers had jumped out from to escape, as a key exit out of the working areas was locked, said fire official Abdullah Al Arefin. Three people died from jumping off the building to escape the fire and 49 charred bodies have been recovered," Mustain Billah, the administrator for the Narayanganj district, told Reuters by phone from the scene. Firefighters are struggling to control it, as chemicals and flammable materials were stored inside the building, he added. Unidentified relatives of the victims mourn at the site after a fire broke out at a factory named Hashem Foods Ltd. in Rupganj of Narayanganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 9, 2021. Photo: Reuters The cause of the fire is not yet known, but police official Abdullah Al Mamun told reporters that three police teams have been dispatched to probe the incident and legal action would be taken against those responsible for the fire. Dozens of disasters occur in Bangladesh each year due to poor fire and building safety standards. The latest incident is the worst since or August 2016, when more than 100 people fell ill in the southern Chittagong city after inhaling gas that leaked from a fertilizer factory. People look on as flames rise after a fire broke out at a Hashem Foods Ltd factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 9, 2021. Photo: Reuters Past accidents have mired the country's robust textiles sector, which employs millions of people and contributes the most to Bangladesh's economy. Industry officials promised better safety standards after the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Dhaka that killed more than 1,000 workers and injured hundreds. But many factories still fall short. We demand speedy trial and punishment of those responsible for this tragic murder incident through a fair investigation, the nonprofit Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust said in a statement. It also sought compensation for impacted workers and a probe into the cause of the fire, including reports of locked exits. A firefighter tries to extinguish fire inside the building after a fire broke out at a factory named Hashem Foods Ltd. in Rupganj of Narayanganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 9, 2021. Photo: Reuters The factory is owned by the private firm Hashem Food and Beverage, a unit of Bangladesh's multinational Sajeeb Group. Officials at both companies did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment on Friday. Al Arefin said each building floor is about 35,000 square feet (3,250 square meters) but they were only accessible by two stairways, which many workers couldn't get to as the fire had spread there. Some escaped to the roof from the stairs and were rescued, but many couldn't, as a door leading to the roof was locked. Dozens of family members protested outside the plant, demanding justice. But some, like Nazma Begum, were still looking for those lost. "There is no justice! Where is my son?" Begum cried out. Authorities in Hanoi started placing an apartment building in Thanh Xuan District under lockdown on Friday after two residents living there had been confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus. N.V.S., a 61-year-old resident at the apartment building at 35 Le Van Thiem Street in Thanh Xuan District, hosted a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City -- currently a COVID-19 hotbed in Vietnam -- on July 5 and 6, according to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (HCDC). After the guest was registered as a COVID-19 patient, S. and his family member, 11-year-old N.T.L., tested positive for the virus by the Medical Center of Thanh Xuan District on Thursday. As further tests conducted by the HCDC confirmed S. and L.s infections, local authorities have sealed off the aforementioned apartment building for three days, starting Friday, for contact tracing and sample collecting. The two new infections have raised Hanois tally in the current virus wave, which broke out on April 27, to 492 patients. The capital city gradually resumed several activities and services, including outdoor exercise, coffee shops, dine-in services, and barbershops in late June as it seemed to have put the outbreak under control before reporting new cases in the past few days. Authorities have thus restored a ban on outdoor exercise since Thursday. The Ministry of Health reported 598 new local coronavirus cases on Saturday morning, including 520 patients in Ho Chi Minh City, taking the caseload to 26,608 infections, with 8,984 recoveries and 110 deaths. Up to 23,126 cases, or nearly 87 percent of the overall tally, have been recorded in the ongoing round. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Health authorities of Vietnams business hub Ho Chi Minh City have delivered COVID-19 test results to the tested peoples smartphones from Saturday through their e-health declaration system, instead of printing results on paper. The municipal Health Department on Saturday said it has officially applied the new method from the same day, having successfully piloted it for two days in four local hospitals, including Nguyen Tri Phuong, Nhan Dan Gia Dinh, Thu Duc and Le Van Thinh. Electronic results of COVID-19 tests have the same validity as those in paper, the department confirmed. All testing facilities are required to create an automatic link between their testing system and the e-health declaration network of the department under its instructions. In case such connection has yet to be set up, test result details must be entered into the e-health declaration system within three hours after they are available, the department required. COVID-19 testing facilities must record cell phone numbers of tested people so that e-test results can be delivered to their phones through the departments e-health declaration app. They are also required to instruct people how to look up COVID-19 test results on their smartphones, and give them a clear confirmation that test results identified by QR codes through the e-health medical declaration system is equivalent to those printed on paper. On the same day, the department announced an updated list of 54 units that provide rapid antigen tests for coronavirus and another list of 26 COVID-19 RT-PCR testing facilities. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave erupted in Vietnam, COVID-19 tests have been given to over nine million turns of people nationwide, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday noon. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Hanoi on Saturday morning as the aid by the U.S. to Vietnam through the COVAX international vaccine mechanism. The shipment is part of the 80 million doses of vaccine that the U.S. government has committed to gift 92 countries and territories, including Vietnam, to help curb the COVID-19 spread. Among these doses, 75 percent is to be shared through COVAX, a global initiative aiming to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and guarantee equitable access for every country in the world, and the remaining 25 percent will be intended for priority parties and others. Speaking at a ceremony marking the vaccine arrival, Charge dAffaires of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi Christopher Klein said: The shipment gives us hope that there is an end in sight to our fight against COVID-19. It gives us hope that we will be able to return to our normal lives. The U.S. donated these vaccine doses to Vietnam through COVAX as part of our steadfast commitment to work with our partners across Southeast Asia to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said. We are proud to support Vietnam in its fight against this pandemic, and we are confident that together we will defeat COVID-19, USAID said. AFP earlier quoted a Biden administration official as saying that vaccine aid to Vietnam is part of a strategy to end the pandemic everywhere. The official also emphasized that the U.S. shares the vaccine without imposing any conditions. Besides the donation from the U.S., Vietnam has so far received vaccines gifted from other countries, including a total of nearly two million AstraZeneca doses from Japan, 2,000 Sputnik V shots from Russia, and 500,000 jabs of Sinopharm from China. After negotiating with many vaccine suppliers, the Ministry of Health has obtained from them the commitments to provide a total of around 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam in 2021, including 38.9 million from the COVAX, 30 million from AstraZeneca, 31 million from Pfizer/BioNTech, and 10 million that Vietnam registered to purchase from COVAX under a cost-sharing mechanism. To date, COVAX has delivered nearly 4.4 million of AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Vietnam. On Wednesday, Vietnam received more than 97,000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine shots as the first delivery under the firms commitment. UNICEF on Saturday commented that Vietnam has been successful in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020. However, due to the limited supply of vaccines globally, the vaccination rates in Vietnam are still low. So far, only about 4 percent of the population has been vaccinated while the number of infections has been increasing sharply in the past few weeks, the UNICEF said. By Friday afternoon, over 4,010,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered nationwide, and the number of people who have received two full shots is more than 258,000, the health ministry reported on Saturday morning. At noon on Saturday, the ministry confirmed 792 new COVID-19 cases, including 790 domestic and two imported cases, of which 600 were detected in Ho Chi Minh City, which recently led the country in daily new infections. With the latest cases, Vietnam has documented a total of 27,400 patients, including 8,984 recoveries and 110 deaths, since early 2020. Since the pandemics fourth wave that appeared on April 27, the country has recorded 23,916 infections. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Hanoi Oncology Hospital on Thursday evening said that its doctors are still treating a patient with oral cancer that caused his face to disfigure after the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the capital delayed his visit to hospital. D.V.T., 62, from Dong Anh District in Hanoi, found out he had a tumor at a time when a new COVID-19 outbreak erupted in the city at the beginning of May. He had smoked and drank alcohol for several years and had a previous medical history of another tumor in the oral cavity, which he had undergone a surgery to remove in 2020. After that, the patient never had a follow-up visit with his doctor. Too afraid of contracting the coronavirus, T. chose not to seek hospital treatment until the new oral tumor grew considerably, causing ulcers, necrotic tissues, and a facial deformity. He was admitted to the Hanoi Oncology Hospital when the tumor had already spread to his nose, making it difficult for him to breathe and impeding his ability to speak. His test results showed that the tumor was 8x10cm, invading the nasal cavity, the lower and upper jawbones, developing pressure on the oral cavity, and creating cervical lymph nodes of about two centimeters on the sides of his neck. The pathology of the patient was determined to be squamous cell carcinoma, which comprises a number of different types of cancer on different body sites. In T.s case, the cancer can be classified as hard palate cancer. The patient was then given radiation therapy for his symptoms, pain relief, and anti-bleeding drugs. He responded well after ten sessions of radiation therapy, with the tumor size decreasing by 70 percent. The patient has been able to communicate, eat and drink easier, and is breathing without difficulty. According to doctors at the Hanoi Oncology Hospital, hard palate cancer is an uncommon cancer, accounting for 1.3 percent of oral cancers, mainly in men over 60 years old. Unlike other head and neck cancers, patients can notice abnormalities on their own, with the most common symptom being sores on the palate. As the tumor grows, the ulcer may bleed. Doctors recommend that, when there is any doubt about problems in the oral cavity, patients should see a doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment. The earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the higher chance of success the treatment has. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Education East Texas school leaders react to STAAR test results, possible COVID-19-related learning gaps From left, Hawkins ISD Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Stephanie McConnell, Mineola ISD Superintendent Cody Mize and Tyler ISD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Christy Hanson. Cody Mize Christy Hanson Stephanie McConnell In an academic year defined by COVID-19, East Texas school district officials are noticing learning gaps, especially among online learners, after statewide standardized test results were recently released. The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, also known as the STAAR test, is a mastery exam that is used to measure a students proficiency in a specific grade level. With COVID-19 disruptions and virtual learning, 2021 is seeing statewide declines across all subjects and grade levels with English I and English II being the only exceptions. Stephanie McConnell, Hawkins ISD superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said one issue teachers faced during the pandemic was attempting to meet the needs of their students when they were having to learn from home. The most common obstacle faced by all teachers was planning for both virtual and in-person learning, McConnell said. When students were quarantined or on extended virtual learning for medical reasons, the teachers had to plan engaging lessons and resources for students at home. Despite the ability to lend technology devices to our students who are at home, the wifi in their area may be a challenge. These challenges with remote education were reflected in data released by the Texas Education Agency, with students who mostly attended school remotely seeing significant declines compared to in-person students. Thankfully, from early on, Texas prioritized the availability of in-person instruction during this tremendously difficult year, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. When students come into Texas public schools, they are well-served by Texas educators a fact that these scores confirm. But it is also painfully clear that the pandemic had a very negative impact on learning. I shudder to consider the long-term impact on children in states that restricted in-person instruction. In line with Morath, many East Texas schools did prioritize a return to in-person learning in fall 2020. According to TEA data, school districts in which 25% or less of students were learning from home saw a 9% decrease from 2019 to 2021 in students who met math expectations and a 1% decrease in students who met reading expectations. Comparatively, school districts in which 75% or more of students were learning from home saw a sharp drop of 32% in math and a 9% decrease in reading. Tyler ISD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Christy Hanson said that although the district did have many students return to in-person instruction in the fall, data confirms that districts with more virtual learners did, in turn, have lower scoring assessments. Tyler didnt have a great deal of virtual learners, we came back in November, Hanson said. We certainly saw the correlative data that our campuses who had the highest percentage of virtual learners had scores that tended to be a little lower than the schools with more face-to-face learners. Overall though, Tyler ISD compares closely with statewide data with the exception of seventh-grade math, which performed below statewide levels, Hanson said. We were right there with the state data, but we did see a big dip in seventh-grade math and were trying to figure out what happened there, Hanson said. Were taking a look at the curriculum and instructional pedagogy to see what happened there. Statewide, the percent of both in-person and virtual students meeting their grade level in mathematics decreased 15% from 2019 to 2021. Hanson said that research suggests that learning gaps in math could be seen nationwide due to difficulties engaging with math at home. Research told us that we would see skill gaps in math and certainly (Tyler ISDs) data mirrors that, Hanson said. Parents often read to their kids and a lot of times that academic math brain doesnt stay exercised unless parents really know how to talk about math. Math academic language isnt something thats just a part of household vernacular necessarily, so I think that when we started virtual learning in March 2020 it was easy for those math skills to just not get practiced. At Mineola ISD, Superintendent Cody Mize said compared to the region and statewide results, his school district did extremely well on the STAAR exams. He attributed the success to having 98% of students on campus for the first day of school and a detailed COVID-19 mitigation plan. Our parents trusted that the district had their childs safety first and foremost when we returned to school. The leadership at the campus levels and the dedication of our teachers was something so special to watch, he said. They knew we had a huge mission ahead of us and they executed it very well. Mize said one of the biggest weaknesses this year for Mineola was the fourth-grade STAAR writing scores, and there are some grade levels in need of additional support for the upcoming school year. We have to do a better job of preparing our kids to write by teaching the fundamentals of writing and writing across the curriculum at a younger age, Mize said. The STAAR writing exam will be changing quite a bit going forward as it gets incorporated into the reading tests and the entire state continues to make a shift to online testing. He said the COVID-19 pandemic showed schools that a strong support system at home is needed to handle online learning successfully. Several parents and children faced fatigue and had difficulty teaching and learning at home, while some students excelled with remote education. I think as a public education system, we need to evaluate the need for a flexible model and give our schools some mode of flexibility with complete funding from the state, Mize said. Hopefully, the Texas Legislature will take a look at this in the special session and work out a plan to support districts. Mize noted the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 4545 for local school districts to establish accelerated learning committees to develop an education plan for students who did not pass the STAAR third through eighth-grade tests. Students will have to receive 30 hours of additional support as committees meet with parents to discuss their childs progress. While meeting the requirements of the bill will take some adjustment, Mize has no doubt the district will meet the criteria and help catch students up academically. Administrators are already in the planning phases of carrying out House Bill 4545 to meet our students needs. They will also spend a lot of time carefully analyzing the data and preparing plans to address specific weaknesses down to the individual student level, Mize said. I think COVID-19 has certainly magnified the need for our Texas public school system and the level of support jointly between student, teacher, parents, administrators and community is vital to our continued recovery from the pandemic and future successes. The Texas Tribune reported in February that parents of middle and elementary students could choose not to participate in the STAAR test due to virtual learning. Despite this choice, TEA said there was a high level of participation in the testing. The high level of participation even among students who remained virtual most of the year allows for comparisons with the most recent year for which we have assessment data (2019) and ensures more students will benefit from enhanced academic supports that come with having access to the robust information STAAR provides, the TEA statement explained. Parents or guardians are encouraged to learn more about their childs results by logging into TexasAssessment.gov. Unique student access codes provided by local school districts should allow access to resources and additional information. The data may be disheartening, but with it, our teachers and school leaders are building action plans to support students in the new school year, Morath said. Policymakers are using it to direct resources where they are needed most. Armed with the best information, working closely together, and with significant new support from the Texas Legislature, we will provide stronger academic growth for students than ever before. (Zak Wellerman contributed to this report) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been given a "special award" for deciding to limit their family to two children. Prince Harry, 36, told British Vogue in 2019 he and Meghan, 39, were only planning "two maximum" to reduce their impact on the environment. Their son Archie was born on 6 May that year, followed by Lilibet 'Lili' Diana on 4 June 2021. The charity Population Matters said they were giving the couple the award after making the "enlightened decision" to have a smaller family and acting as "role models for others". "Having a smaller family reduces our impact on the Earth, and provides a better chance for all our children, their children and future generations to flourish on a healthy planet," the charity said in a statement. "We commend the duke and duchess for taking this enlightened decision, and for affirming that a smaller family is also a happy family." The Sussexes will receive 500 to donate to a charity of their choice, along with nine other recipients honoured in the run-up to the UN's World Population Day on Sunday. They include Wendo Aszed, founder of a women's empowerment and community health project in rural Kenya, Emma Gannon, author of Olive, a best-selling novel addressing the choice to be child-free, and Nairashe Maritsa, a teenager fighting child marriage in Zimbabwe. Harry, who recently returned to the UK from Los Angeles to unveil a statue of his late mother, spoke about his thoughts on family size in an interview with conservationist Jane Goodall. In the interview, which was part of Meghan's guest-edited copy of Vogue, he described our planet as "borrowed". "Surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation," he said. His comments came at a time the couple were facing criticism for reports they used private jets to travel to royal engagements and go on holiday. They quit as senior royals for a life in California last year, criticising the Royal Family in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. Police Arrest Second Man in Connection With Chad Power Robbery July 10 2021 Matthew Pitt Henderson police have arrested a second man in connection with the $1 million robbery of Chad Power. Trevaghn Battle, 26, was wanted by police for a number of offenses unrelated to the home invasion style robbery of poker pro Chad Power. Battle has a lengthy criminal record, including a recent charge of sexual assault and sex trafficking of an adult. Police arrested Battle on July 3 for the unrelated offenses before hitting him with additional charges regarding the Power robbery. Police detained Battle in jail, placing a $200,000 bond on his head. Suspect Was Hiding in Miami Las Vegas news outlet 8NewsNow, reported Battle may have spent some time in Miami in a vain attempt to avoid law enforcement agencies. Battle now faces a raft of offenses including a theft greater than $100,000, owning a gun by a prohibited person, conspiracy home invasion, and home invasion with a deadly weapon. Power was playing poker on the famous Las Vegas Strip on the afternoon of February 10 when his home security system alerted him to a break-in. Power returned home to discover his personal safe was missing; the safe contained approximately $750,000 in cash and an additional $250,000 in casino chips. Surveillance tapes captured two men walking out of Power's home with one clearly carrying the safe. Inexplicably, neither suspect had their face covered by a mask. A Henderson detective identified gangster Brock Brewer as a potential suspect after reviewing similar cases on file. The detective identified Brewer as a suspect in a similar case back in 2006 where a poker player was followed home before having $15,000 in cash and chips stolen. Anonymous Tip Offs Power received several anonymous tips about the potential identification of the two men who stole $1 million from him. one of the tip-offs named Battle as a prime suspect. Power contact the Henderson police department and relayed the information to them. Cell phone records revealed Brewer and Battle were in contact with each other on the day of the burglary. Furthermore, GPS records showed both Brewer and Battle were at Power's home at the time of the heist. Brewer was arrested by the police and the FBI on May 10 outside his home. Police recorded a phone call made by Brewer while in jail where he described his accomplice as a light-skinned black male with dreadlocks, which fully matches Battle's description. Police initially released Brewer on house arrest but took him back to jail on a $1 million bail after failing to comply with a judge's order. Official police records do not mention if the authorities have managed to recover any of the stolen money or casino chips, but do believe Brewer may have purchased two high-end cars using his mother's name, possibly with the stolen money. Battle now faces a preliminary hearing on July 20 at 9:30 a.m. on all eight counts related to the home invasion, and an additional three from the 2020 sexual assault. PokerNews will bring you more information as the case continues. Central and South Asian countries are not linked by reliable transport routes, which hinders the realisation of their potential for economic cooperation. The international conference Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities, which is scheduled to be held on 15-16 July in Tashkent will help to develop vision and directions of the regions, writes the Centre for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The heads of states, governments and foreign affairs of Central and South Asian countries, representatives of other countries, including Russia, the United States and China, as well as international organisations are invited to participate in the conference, which will provide an opportunity to discuss at a high-level specific proposal for the practical implementation of the mutual cooperation between the countries such key areas as transport and logistics, energy, trade and investment and cultural-humanitarian, Eu Reporter writes. Regional priority of Uzbekistan The new foreign policy of Uzbekistan with neighboring countries was designated by the President of Uzbekistan immediately after his election and the countries of Central Asia (CA) have taken priority in it. The head of state also began his first official foreign visits with the Central Asian countries and he subsequently initiated the creation of a format of regular consultative meetings of the region's leaders. As a result of the Uzbekistans cooperation with the Central Asian countries over the past 4 years, trade turnover with them has more than doubled from $2.5 billion to $5.2 billion, including with Kazakhstan 1.8 times, Kyrgyzstan 5 times, Turkmenistan 2.7 times and Tajikistan 2.4 times and the share of CA countries in Uzbekistan's foreign trade increased from 10.2% to 12.4%. Export indicators also increased almost 2 times, from $1.3 billion to $2.5 billion, and the share of Central Asian countries in total exports of Uzbekistan increased from 10.8% to 14.5%. In the first five months of 2021, the volume of exports to CA countries showed an increase of 20% compared to the same period last year, and the share of CA countries in total exports (excluding gold) increased to one-fifth. With the growth of trade, investment cooperation is expanding, joint ventures for the production of home appliances, automobiles and textiles with the participation of Uzbek capital have been opened in the countries the region. On the Uzbek-Kazakh border, construction of the International Center for Trade and Economic Cooperation "Central Asia" has begun, agreements have been signed on the establishment of the "Uzbek-Kyrgyz Investment Fund" and "Uzbek-Tajik Investment Company". Prospects for co-operation between the regions The Central Asia is a market with a population of 75.3 million and the total GDP is $300 billion. At the same time, GDP growth rates in the CA countries in recent years have been high - averaging 5-7%. In 2020, the total foreign trade turnover of the CA countries amounted to $142.6bn, of which $12.7bn or 8.9% is the share of intraregional trade, which would be much higher if we exclude the exports of primary products, which the region mainly supplies to third countries. The main trade routes of the CA countries are laid in the northern direction, in order to diversify foreign trade, a promising direction is the development of economic cooperation with the countries of South Asia. The countries of South Asia are a market with the population of about 1.9 billion (25% of the world), with the total GDP of more than $3.3 trillion. (3.9% of Global GDP) and foreign trade turnover of more than $1.4trn. At present, the trade turnover of the Central Asian countries with the South Asian countries has small volumes, in 2020 - $4.43bn, which is only 3.2% of their total foreign trade turnover. At the same time, the foreign trade turnover of Kazakhstan is 2.3%, Uzbekistan - 3.8%, Turkmenistan - 3.4%, Tajikistan - 4.0% and Kyrgyzstan - 1.0%. The calculations show that there is an unrealized potential for trade between the countries of Central and South Asia at $1.6bn, of which from Central to South Asia - about $0.5 billion. Despite the small volume of trade, CA countries are interested in implementing large investment projects with the participation of South Asian countries. For example, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the implementation of the international project 'CASA-1000', which provides for the construction of transmission lines for the supply of electricity in the amount of 5 billion kW/h to Afghanistan and Pakistan; Turkmenistan in the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline with a capacity of 33 billion cubic metres of gas per year; Kazakhstan in the development of the international transport corridor 'North-South', using the Iranian port Chabahar to increase trade with India and other countries of South Asia. Uzbekistan is laying a transport route to the south Expanding cooperation with the South Asian countries, above all, Afganistan opens up new promising markets and transport routes for Uzbekistan. In 2020, exports to Afghanistan amounted to 774.6 million, India - 19.7 million and Pakistan - 98.3 million, imports of food and industrial products, as well as energy. Afghanistan accounts for the largest export volumes due to its geographical location, as well as its heavy dependence on imports of food, industrial goods and energy resources. In this regard, Uzbekistan plans to bring the annual volume of mutual trade with Afghanistan to $2 billion by 2023. On the territory of Afghanistan, it is planned to implement the investment project "Construction of a 500-kW power transmission line" Surkhan - Puli-Khumri ", which will connect the power system of Afghanistan to the unified power system of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. The implementation of the project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Herat railway line is currently underway, which will become an extension of the Hairaton-Mazar-i-Sharif railway line and form a new trans-Afghan transport corridor. It is envisaged to develop a project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway, which was already discussed at a meeting of a trilateral working group with the participation of government delegations of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan in February this year in Tashkent. The construction of this railway will significantly reduce the time and cost of transporting goods between the countries of South Asia and Europe through Central Asia. In conclusion, it should be noted that increasing the volume of trade between the Central Asian countries and the countries of South and Southeast Asia largely depends on the creation of reliable transport routes for the delivery of goods. In this regard, the project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway plays important role for the countries of the regions, as it will allow them to significantly reduce transport costs for the delivery of goods to foreign markets. It should be noted that the implementation of these joint economic projects provides for the active participation of Afghanistan, which plays the role of a kind of bridge between the two regions. At the same time, recent events in Afghanistan introduce uncertainty into the prospects for the implementation of international economic projects on its territory. In this regard, the upcoming international conference on the topic of cooperation between Central and South Asia, among others the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan are invited, if representatives of the Taliban movement also participate in it, can play a significant role in determining further prospects for cooperation between the countries of the two regions. Turkish and Iranian energy companies can enter new markets if the U.S. sanctions are lifted and the Iran nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is fully implemented, an Iranian official said Friday, Daily Sabah reports. Reza Salehi, the chairperson of the Energy Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, said that Iranian economy would enter a new era once the nuclear agreement become operational after lagging behind for long years due to U.S. sanctions. Salehi told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the government and private sector will launch measures to normalize trade with foreign countries, adding that the government also aims to increase the oil revenues in the first stage, which are blocked by world banks. The Iranian official also said that the country will try to regain its place in the energy market and to prioritize oil-related projects. Energy supply to Europe via Turkey will be an important option. Turkey, with its pipeline infrastructure to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, can strengthen gas and electricity cooperation with Iran. This situation also supports Turkey's aim of becoming a transit country in energy. Also, Turkish and Iranian energy companies can enter new markets by combining their technical and engineering capacities, he said. The 2015 nuclear deal delivered relief from U.N. and Western sanctions for Iran in return for strict curbs on the country's nuclear program. However, it has been slowly disintegrating since former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. That prompted Tehran to disregard several of the deal's limits on its nuclear activities. The talks in Vienna to revive the deal have made little progress in recent weeks, and Iran's latest breach was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday. Iran was intending to produce uranium metal enriched to 20%, it said, prompting the United States to respond by warning Iran to stop what it called its nuclear "brinksmanship". Salehi said that re-entering oil market is vital for Tehran since the country derives most of its income from energy exports. He also noted that consumers of Iranian oil, who switched to other sources after the U.S. sanctions, could return to Iranian oil two years at the earliest after lifting of the sanctions. During this process, the Iranian government understood the significance of diversifying the economy. We will see the effects of this in the coming period, he said. A group of Russian archaeologists discovered June 24 an ancient settlement about 4,000 years old in Dhi Qar governorate in southern Iraq. The discovery was made in the area of Tell al-Duhaila, which is home to more than 1,200 archaeological sites, including the Great Ziggurat of Ur site from the Sumerian era, and the royal tomb. Treasures similar to the ones that were found in the tomb of Egypts Tutankhamun tomb were unearthed, Al-Monitor informs. Alexei Jankowski-Diakonoff, head of the Russian excavation mission, told Al-Monitor, The works started in April 2021, which was the first full round of field archaeological research in southern Mesopotamia. The first two rounds took place in 2019 and 2020. He said, The discovered city is an urban settlement in Tell al-Duhaila, located on the banks of a watercourse. According to initial speculation, the city could be the capital of a state founded following the political collapse at the end of the ancient Babylonian era [around the middle of the second millennium B.C.], which caused the systematic destruction of the Sumerian civilizations urban life. Commenting on the significance of research in the area, he noted, Researching the cities of southern Mesopotamia at the end of the ancient Babylonian era and the Tell al-Duhaila site in particular opens the secret of an unknown page in the history of the oldest civilization on the planet. The area of Tell al-Duhaila and the ancient city of Mashkan Shabir survived the mass robberies that began in 1991. Jankowski-Diakonoff added, This site also reveals the first development in agriculture using silt in Mesopotamia. The site contains remains of the material from the period that preceded the emergence of the Sumerian civilization." He expects a real opportunity to find cuneiform documents in an undisturbed archaeological context, which will be extremely important not only to Russian scientists but Mesopotamian archaeologists as well. The mission also discovered an ancient port where ships used to anchor and the remains of a temple wall about 4 meters (13 feet) wide. We also discovered an oxidized arrowhead, traces of tandoor stoves and clay camel statues dating back to the early Iron Age, he said. Talking about the history of the discoveries, the Russian archaeologist said, According to the study of the oldest architectural building in the city and based on the design features and huge construction blocks, the edifice was most likely built during the ancient Babylonian era. It mainly reflects slave culture, the Neolithic period and Early Copper ages. Jankowski-Diakonoff said, In 2019, the joint Russian-Iraqi mission obtained an official permit from the Directorate of Antiquities within the Iraqi Ministry of Culture to conduct archaeological research at two sites in southern Iraq in the governorates of Maysan and Dhi Qar, which cover the modern delta area in Mesopotamia, the cradle of the most ancient history on earth. Amer Abdel Razak, antiquity director in Dhi Qar, told Al-Monitor, The discovered city is located 70 kilometers [43 miles] southwest of the city of Nasiriyah [in the south] in the Sulaibiya depression, which is home to a large number of unexcavated archaeological sites. It is close to the city of Eridu the oldest and greatest city where kings are said to have descended from heaven, according to Sumerian legends. He said, The site was discovered before the arrival of the Russian mission. It was registered in the Dhi Qar Antiquity Department as an extremely significant archaeological site." Abdel Razak noted that, despite the hardships and obstacles in working on-site because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian mission was able to make important discoveries. Land surveys showed that the site dates back to the ancient Babylonian era. The mission, however, believes that it might go back to more ancient ages given the pottery pieces and statues in the form of camels and other animals that were found on-site, he said. Abdel Razak added, Dhi Qar is expecting visits by international universities and museums in October, including 10 Italian, American, French, British and Russian missions that are set to explore this vast area. Gaith Salem, professor of ancient history and civilization at Al-Mustansiriya University, told Al-Monitor, There are many cities that have been discovered in southern Iraq over different periods of time but there has not been much talk about them. He called for the development of systematic work within a fixed program to unearth the treasures of history, which are not important only to Iraq, but all humanity. He said, This recent discovery is of paramount importance because it introduces the world to one of the Sumerian cities overlooking the seaports. Most cities used to have a view to the sea but have turned today into a vast desert." Karrar al-Rawazeq, an archaeologist and member of the Muthanna antiquity rescue team, who participated in several excavations, told Al-Monitor, Exploration and excavation works in the area will yield economic and cultural benefits only if the site was turned into a tourist and investment destination, which would attract funds and tourists. In this regard, Sumaya al-Ghallab, head of the Culture, Tourism and Antiquity Committee in the Iraqi parliament, spoke to Al-Monitor and called for securing the necessary funds and protection for excavation teams, and following a strategy for an excavation and research process covering the entire archaeological map in Iraq. Almost 12% of the water samples taken in the Rostov region do not meet the standards for various parameters, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District Vladimir Ustinov said. According to him, the environmental rehabilitation of the Don water basin should be included in federal programs. "The water regime of a number of rivers in the region has been largely artificially changed. The natural flow of water is disturbed by ponds, dams and other hydraulic structures, a significant number of which are inoperative or abandoned," Interfax quotes Ustinov as saying. A total of 18 people were killed and 11 others injured in a road accident in the northeastern region of Algeria on Friday night, TSA news website reported Saturday, Xinhua informs. A bus and a truck collided in the province of Constantine, killing 11 women, six children and one man, TSA quoted a report from the Algerian National Gendarmerie as saying. The Armenian government announced on Friday the extension of coronavirus-related entry restrictions, initially set to expire on July 11, until December 20, Sputnik reports. As of now, people arriving in Armenia by land or air are required to provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before the departure, or a certificate proving complete vaccination against COVID-19 at least fourteen days before entering the country. Those who take COVID-19 tests upon arrival must self-isolate until receiving the results. "[The government decides] to extend quarantine introduced in Armenia and border crossings on September 11, 2020, until December 20, 2021," the government said in the relevant order. To date, Armenia has confirmed more than 226,000 cases of the coronavirus, including 4,540 fatalities. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, the country is rolling out its immunization campaign, using the vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Sinovac, as well as Russia's Sputnik V. Today, the construction of the Friendship Bridge has begun on the border of Georgia and Armenia, the statement on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development of Georgia reads. The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Irakli Karseladze, while inspecting the construction work, noted the challenges that the project faces. "A large-scale project is always full of difficulties, and given the recent problems in the neighbouring country, the efforts and contributions of the Armenian side are appreciated, even more, for which I would like to thank them. In the post-pandemic period, it is important to restore the economy, and we are doing important work in this direction,, Sputnik Georgia quotes Karseladze as saying. Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for the Reintegration of the Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov said that the country's government is considering several scenarios for Russian citizens "after the return of Crimea" to the country, including their deportation. Senator from the Crimean region, member of the international committee of the Federation Council Sergei Tsekov called this a primitive idea, advising not to pay attention to such statements. International ratings agency Fitch said on Friday it had affirmed Russias Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB' with a Stable Outlook, TASS reports. "Russia's 'BBB' IDRs reflect its credible macroeconomic policy framework, strong external balance sheet (including a large net external creditor position, and highest external liquidity ratio in the 'BBB' category), and the lowest level of general government debt/GDP in the peer group," the ratings agency said. Set against these factors are geopolitical risk, weak governance relative to peers, low potential GDP growth, and high commodity dependence, Fitch said.] The Finance Ministry of Russia is positive about international ratings agency Fitchs decision to affirm Russias sovereign rating at BBB with stable outlook. "We are certainly positive about Fitch Ratings new confirmation of Russias sovereign credit rating at BBB with stable outlook. The agency noted that the current condition of the countrys balance of payments, accumulation of significant fiscal reserves and balanced budget planning allows the Russian economy to successfully absorb potential exterior shocks," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters. Israel's Ministry of Health has issued a new travel ban to Uzbekistan and Belarus, citing a high level of coronavirus morbidity, The Weekend Leader reports. The new measure starting from July 12 will enlarge an existing list that bans travelling to Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa and Russia, reports Xinhua news agency. Israeli citizens and permanent residents who want to travel to one of the eight countries must request permission from an exception committee. Today, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan was headed by Erbol Karashukeyev. He was appointed to the post of Vice Minister - Acting Minister of Agriculture. The new vice minister, acting Minister of Agriculture, was presented by Prime Minister Askar Mamin, Tengrinews.kz reports with a reference to Primeminister.kz. Erbol Karashukeev was previously the chairman of the board of the KazAgro holding, and before he held various positions in the presidential administration, the ministries of finance and agriculture. According to forecasts of the Phobos weather center, the capital will set three heat records in a row on 13, 15 and 16 July. Thus, the previous record of 1936 was + 32.4 , of 1951 - + 33.2 and of 2010 - + 33.6 . Showers and thunderstorms are expected in Moscow only next weekend, the leading employee of the weather center, Yevgeny Tishkovets said. "The lid of the greenhouse boiler will nevertheless be torn off next weekend, when the first significant showers and thunderstorms will finally reach the capital, RIA Novosti quotes him as saying. Turkey will continue to support the process of internal reconciliation in Palestine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today following talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Istanbul. "President Erdogan said that Turkey will continue to support the process of internal reconciliation in Palestine. He also expressed satisfaction with the positive development of bilateral relations in all areas, from economy and trade to culture, education and tourism," the statement reads, TASS reports. Dinh Van Minh, Director of the Legal Department under the Government Inspectorate supports the Ministry of Home Affairs' decision on banning civil servants from going to the office in jeans, T-shirts without lapels, shorts and high-cut skirts. Dinh Van Minh, Director of the Legal Department under the Government Inspectorate He believes the Code of Conduct is necessary, and that other ministries and agencies also should do the same thing. Civil servants are the image of public authorities According to Minh, civil servants are the people who solve daily work for people and businesses, and the representatives of public authorities. Therefore, the image of civil servants and public employees is very important, which reflects the integrity of the public apparatus and the dedication of the civil service. This explains why the image of civil servants greatly affects people's trust in the government and state management agencies. When people trust the government and the contingent of cadres and civil servants, state management activities will become much more convenient. The daily expressions by civil servants when performing their official duties must be standardized, from clothing, words, attitude, to facial expressions when interacting with people, and businesses must show the spirit of service, dedication and listening. Dressing well, politely and formally is also a way to protect the image of civil servants. When civil servants dress properly, this will affect their manner of speaking and style. Though dressing doesnt determine the nature of a person, it partially shows civil servants lifestyle and behaviors towards their work and people. Commenting about the criticism of the regulation that civil servants must not wear jeans and short skirts at work, Minh said It is important to distinguish between ordinary life and public service life. There must be order, discipline and standards for public service life. Every individual has his own viewpoint about duty and convenience, but when people hold certain responsibilities and rights, they need to follow certain frameworks and principles. Everyone follows their own dressing style in normal life, but you have to follow common standards when working in a public environment, Minh said, adding that there are common standards recognized by the whole society. For example, wearing suit, long dress, casual trousers, shirt, and office skirt is considered polite dressing. Imagine that you work in an environment where you need to be agile, energetic, but you dress too complicated and colorful. People will think that you are not ready to work, he said. State agencies are the places to work, not to perform fashion, he said. Civil servants must not drink alcohol during work Not only having to have proper dressing, civil servants also have to use suitable language when talking to people. Smoking, having a coarse manner of speaking, laughing loudly, and being churlish do not fit the civil service which aims to serve people. If civil servants dont behave properly, this will not only harm their images, but also create bad thoughts about the public agencies where they work. Minh also reminded civil servants of their behavior on social networks. One needs to make comments in a constructive way. In other words, when making comments and offering suggestions, they need to use standard language, not bad language. It is also necessary to regulate that civil servants must not drink beer during working hours. People can drink when they want, but civil servants, especially ones in uniform, must not appear before the public with red faces because of alcohol. The Code of Conduct cannot cover all possible cases which may happen in reality. However, every civil servant needs to think that their images are the images of public agencies and the images of the state apparatus. Therefore, any behavior, word, voice or attitude will, more or less, affect people and society's trust in state agencies. Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has done a necessary thing when issuing a code of conduct with many specific regulations. The regulations will be referred to by civil servants and taken as thecstandards for their daily behaviors. The Code of Conduct is also a measure for people and businesses to evaluate civil servants. I believe that no one would be satisfied about civil servants who smoke, play electronic games and listen to music during working hours, he said. It is not by chance that many agencies have released codes of conduct and pointed out the behaviors that civil servants and public employees at their agencies must do. In fact, improper behaviors can be seen at many public agencies. In my opinion, it is a good thing to release a document signed by competent officials to control civil servants. It not only is a guidance to civil servants to behave property, but also a tool for people to supervise and offer opinions, so that civil servants can show the spirit of integrity at state agencies, dedicated to serving people and businesses, Minh said. However, he stressed that the heads of agencies will play a very important role in bringing the rules into life. The heads of agencies need to to be exemplary. When the leaders are exemplary, there will be much better order, discipline and office culture. Thu Hang VN ministries set strict requirements on civil servants clothing at work The codes of conduct previously released by other ministries and local authorities do not include detailed requirements on dressing at work or a ban on wearing jeans that was recently issued the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). To develop the processing and manufacturing industry, the State needs to have stronger policies that focus on domestic enterprises. To have strong policies, it needs strong resources. A large corporation in Vietnam is speeding up its project to manufacture and assemble electronic boards in the central city of Da Nang. A leader of the corporation said: People usually think that production of electronic boards is something high-end, but that is not true. "Manufacturing electronic boards is like a sewing factory, no different from making a vest," he said. He continued: The foreign partner gives us the design and ask us to obey security conditions. Then they supervise the production process until the finished products come out and bring them to their country. We don't even know what to do or where to install the products we make." He said that the foreign partner is in charge of Design, Research & Development (R&D) and distribution, which are the two highest value-added parts. The Vietnamese partner only assumes the assembly stage, with modest added value, but it is labor-intensive. We will consider performing R&D, researching and designing our own products in the next 10-20 years. Foxconn also started from manufacturing and assembly like us, then they moved to produce simple chips. As for high-tech chips, the core value is still in the hands of American corporations," he added. The businessman's description depicts the current picture of Vietnam's processing and manufacturing industry in general and the electronics industry in particular. This situation has been known for a long time but Vietnam has not had solutions to deal with it. A few months after assuming the position of Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Nguyen Hong Dien sent documents to leaders of provinces and cities with notes on industrial and trade development. In particular, when it comes to industrial development, this document points out that Vietnam's economy is still heavily dependent on foreign investment. The industry is still mainly processing and assembling, the added value is not high, the supporting industry develops slowly, the localization rate is low, and the efficiency in participating in the global value chain is still limited. In fact, after several decades carrying out the open-door policy, many industrial criteria for Vietnam to basically become a modern industrialized country by 2020 have not been met. Many other priotized industries did not reach the set targets, although they enjoyed great incentives and support from the State. The Ministry of Industry and Trades report shows that the mechanical industry met only 32.5% of domestic demand in 2019, much lower than the goal of 45-50% set out in a document dated October 2003 of the Party Central Committee. Specifically, machine tools, movers and construction machines satisfied about 40% of domestic demand, much lower than the target of 60-70% set out in the development strategy of the mechanical industry. For the auto industry, the localization rate for personal vehicles up to nine seats reached about 10-15% in 2020 while the target is 30-40%. The supporting industry has not yet developed, so the added value of the industry is not high. The supporting industry currently meets about 10% of domestic demand with simple components and details as major products, which have low value in the product value structure. The localization rate of most industries is low. Changing the mindset In order to change this situation, the involvement of the central and local governments is important, especially the local ones. The industrial development mindset of local leaders needs to change. Many officials just want to attract large-scale foreign investment projects to generate high revenue for the local budget. However, industrial development cannot follow that direction. Experts said that it takes five years for planning and up to 30 years for implementation of the plan. Why must the local government get involved? Because Vietnam's goal is to increase the added value of industrial products, it must rely on supporting industries. The supporting industries are small and medium enterprises. This force is directly associated with the locality. Vietnam has 112,000 processing and manufacturing enterprises, and all of them are small and medium enterprises that are located in 63 provinces and cities. If local governments do not have programs to support small and medium enterprises to develop supporting industries and processing agricultural and aquatic products, no one can do it. The Ministry of Industry and Trade cannot do it, an expert said. Therefore, the important solution is the coordination between the local and central governments. The Central Government sets out policies and ensures the development of industrial territory in the whole country. The provinces with abundant budget revenue can issue programs to support businesses in human resource training, technology transfer, land and other items. Mr. Truong Thanh Hoai, Director of the Department of Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that Japanese and Korean enterprises borrow only 2-3% of their total capital, while Vietnamese enterprises borrow 9-10%. With higher capital costs, Vietnamese products cannot compete with those of Japan and Korea. That is the reason Vietnams supporting industry is weak, not to mention the outdated machinery and technology. To develop the processing and manufacturing industry, the State needs to have stronger policies that focus on domestic enterprises. To have strong policies, it needs strong resources. In the case of South Korea, it established the Korea Supporting Industry Development Committee. This committee is chaired by the Korean Minister of Finance and Strategy, not the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Trade and Energy. Why? It is because they know that to support businesses, financial resources are the most important. The history of many countries shows that the State always plays the role of initiating many developed industries. For example, since the 1950s, the US economy has developed thanks to the combination of three core pillars: computers, microprocessors and the Internet. The research and development that underpins each of these pillars is rooted in a tripartite alliance between government, academia, and private businesses. The US government and its huge, long-term investments are the base for the development of Apple. However, funding for research and development by the US federal government has been reduced in recent decades, from 1.2 percent of GDP in 1976 to less than 0.8 percent in 2016. One of the reasons is that the government is less involved, cuts taxes, and lets private enterprises freely exercise their creative abilities. As a result, the United States is facing the risk of no longer maintaining the technological lead gap with its competitors, especially China, where the government invests heavily in science, technology and research and development. That shows that no country can produce "big guys" in industry or technology without the support of the State. Therefore, Mr. Truong Thanh Hoai said it is necessary to have the Law on Industrial Development. The core issue of the Law on Industrial Development that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is trying to build lies in the belief and ability to enforce. In Vietnam, many laws are promulgated but the enforcement is very poor, and many supportive policies are issued but only a very small part of businesses can benefit from them, not to mention the overlaps and conflicts between laws that make the implementation of the law poor. In order to convince people, businesses, and legislators, the Law on Industrial Development must overcome those shortcomings. Luong Bang Vietnam vows to develop support industries for automobile industry Current policies have not been attractive enough to persuade investors to pour money into support industries for the automobile industry. After over 30 years of Doi Moi (reform), Vietnam has had large private groups operating in many industries with international stature. There are also Vietnamese USD billionaires, but only a handful. Vietnamese private groups have constructed many large projects, contributing to changing the face of the country. Private groups have developed many big projects in Vietnam, such as Van Don international airport, Van Don - Ha Long - Hai Phong highway, Bach Dang bridge, and more. Private enterprises have also participated in areas previously under state monopoly such as aviation and airport development, making the market more competitive and benefiting a large number of people. Regarding exports, in addition to traditional items such as agricultural, forestry and fishery products, private enterprises have exported high-tech and high-value products like smartphones, cars... Some private groups have invested billions of dollars abroad. Of the 30 stocks with a market capitalization of more than $1 billion on the Vietnamese stock market today, 13 stocks belong to private groups, accounting for 41.98%. However, the private sector has not yet become a powerful force as expected, an important driving force for the country's economic development. According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), less than 2% of all private enterprises are considered large, over 2% are of medium size, and 96% are micro and small sizes. The private sector currently contributes 43% of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP), but private businesses only make up nearly 10%, while the rest belongs to individual and household-base businesses. Senior economist Pham Chi Lan said that in recent years the role of the private sector has been affirmed as an important driving force of the economy, but this sector has been going through a difficult development process and is still very small, difficult to grow, and does not want to grow. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the number of private enterprises growing from small to medium size and from medium to large size in Vietnam was very small in recent years. Worse, according to the VCCI, there has been a sharp decline in the number of medium and large-scale private enterprises in the last 5 years. This makes Vietnam an economy of small and micro enterprises, with a ratio of approximately 96%, of which the majority are micro enterprises, with nearly 67%. Moreover, the speed of transformation of private enterprises from small to medium and medium to large is very slow. Many enterprises have spent 10-20 years developing to medium size. But when they achieved initial successes, many enterprises decided to withdraw from the market, or sell or merge their businesses, mainly with foreign-invested firms. This is really a sad situation, said Pham Chi Lan. Large scale is an advantage for businesses to make full use of business opportunities, but many private firms do not want to grow. Experts explain that it is because the business environment in Vietnam is still unfavorable. The most pressing issue today is discrimination. A recent VCCI survey showed that 39.5% of private enterprises said that local leaders still prioritized attracting foreign investment and investment of state-owned enterprises rather than from the private economic sector. Private companies always face difficulties in having access to land and capital, as well as suffer from disadvantages in terms of inspection, tax, and customs compared to foreign-invested and state-owned enterprises. The percentage of enterprises that could regularly predict policy change decreased from 16% in 2014 to 5% in 2018. Meanwhile, the proportion of enterprises that never or rarely predicted policy change increased from 42% in 2014 to 67% in 2018. This decline in policy predictability has been a consistent trend over the past 5 years. This is a very worrying fact about the business environment in Vietnam. The main reason is that Vietnam's policies and regulations often change unexpectedly and happen too quickly in a short time. If the difficulty that small businesses often mention is access to capital and land, market and customers, for large enterprises, it is the risk of policy change. According to the report Review of implementation of improving the business environment, enhancing national competitiveness and supporting business development by 2020", recently launched by the VCCI, the concern is the ability to predict the change of policies was decreasing. Economic expert Nguyen Dinh Cung said that one of the biggest problems facing businesses is the unpredictability of change of business policies and laws. This results in the fact that business freedom has improved but business security has not. Resolution 10-NQ/TW dated 2017 of the Party Central Committee on private economic development clearly points out developing the private sector into an important driving force of the economy; and encouraging the formation of private economic groups capable of participating in regional and global production networks and value chains. However, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Head of the VCCI Legal Department, said that legal documents issued by ministries and agencies have not yet pursued the spirit of this resolution. In 2020, many legal regulations that are not friendly to private businesses were promulgated or drafted. For example, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) drafted a circular restricting credit institutions from buying corporate bonds issued for the purpose of contributing capital or buying shares in other companies. This regulation does not allow banks to buy bonds issued by parent companies in economic groups to raise capital and then use that money to contribute capital to subsidiaries. That makes it difficult for credit institutions to control the purpose of capital use, and cash flow. This concern is legitimate, but it can be completely solved through measures in a contract, or bond regulation, said Tuan. The Government's draft Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period sets out the orientation: encouraging the formation and development of large private economic groups with strong potential and regional and international competitiveness. It also sets the goal to have at least 2 million private firms by 2030, and the private sector's contribution to GDP to reach 60-65% by that time. However, according to Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, Director of the Institute for Brand Strategy and Competition, Vietnam is still confused about how to build a business system. He said that if Vietnam does not build a business system, the economy will be unable to develop. Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Phan Duc Hieu said that the Vietnamese economy is seriously lacking medium and large-sized enterprises to become channels connecting Vietnam to the global value chain and the international market. Small scale, large informality, poor governance, and low technology are common characteristics of Vietnamese private enterprises. Tran Thuy Private enterprises lack internal strength and driving force to develop How will Vietnam overcome challenges to realize its development plans? Nguyen Dinh Cung, former head of Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), shares his perspective with VietNamNet. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh engaged in a phone talk with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on July 10, during which the two Government leaders discussed measures to further the two countries comprehensive strategic partnership. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA) PM Modi congratulated Vietnam over its achievement in fighting COVID-19 and socio-economic development. He affirmed that India wants to promote ties with Vietnam across the fields from politics, economy, defence-security to cultural exchange. The two sides agreed to maintain contacts at both high level and other levels in flexible forms such as online or in-person when conditions permit. They also vowed to coordinate to organize activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-India bilateral diplomatic relationship in 2022 (January 7, 1972-2022). The two leaders affirmed that the two countries will work together and support each other to early drive back the COVID-19 pandemic. PM Chinh asked India to help Vietnam access vaccine supply as soon and as much as possible, and transfer vaccine production technology for Vietnam. The Indian PM said he is ready to cooperate closely with Vietnam in this regard. The two PMs also agreed to continue making the best use of consultation and dialogue mechanisms, and expand bilateral cooperation in defence industry and coordination in UN peacekeeping activities. They promised to intensify joint work in responding to both conventional and non-conventional security challenges. The two leaders agreed to work for the goal of 15 billion USD in annual bilateral trade through promoting trade, cutting technical barriers, and limiting trade protection measures against each others exports, especially Vietnams farm produce. PM Chinh called on Indian businesses to invest in Vietnam in such fields as processing and manufacturing, automobile supporting industry, information and communication technology, and renewable energy. The two sides reached consensus on supporting each other and closer coordinating at regional and international forums, particularly in the UN when both countries are serving as non-permanent members in the UN Security Council this year. The two PMs affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, as well as settling disputes peacefully based on international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./. Source: VNA Law enforcement agencies have heeded the call of 14 NGOs working in nature and wildlife conservation and begun cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade at the Thanh Hoa Farmers Market in southern Long An Province. A woman offers a wild bird for sale at Thanh Hoa Farmers Market in Long An Province. The southern province has been cracking down on the illegal trade of wild life at the market. Photo courtesy of PanNature Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), one of the NGOs involved, confirmed to Viet Nam News that shops displaying live wildlife for sale have been shut down. Notices on wildlife trading violations have also been distributed among the stalls and broadcast at the market recently. ENV said it is a positive step by the Peoples Committee of Long An. The market has long been a centre for the illegal wildlife trade with wild birds and animals sold disguised as farm produce for years. However, ENV said its volunteers are still recording incidents of trading wild bird species -- many that have been taken from the wild and have been kept illegally as pets for years. Director of People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature), Trinh Le Nguyen, representing the 14 NGOs involved, says the group has sent a proposal to the province asking for the illegal wildlife trade to be shut down completely and as soon as possible. Nguyen said the province should establish a supervisory team to identify legal certificates of origin among wildlife farms and suppliers to eliminate illegal hunting and/or trading activities. Enforcement of anti-wildlife trafficking laws, with heavy fines for the transportation and storage of protected species, has improved dramatically in HCM City, Tay Ninh, Lang Son, Lam Dong and Ca Mau. A toll-free National Wildlife Crime Hotline 1800 1522 launched in 2005, has seen more than 20,000 illegal wildlife violations reported by communities nationwide, according to ENV. This includes the seizure of 127 turtles, 16 monkeys, one frozen tiger and one frozen bear, along with 656 ivory products totalling 3.5kg, in May of 2021 alone. Many advertisements selling live wild life and meat on Zalo, Facebook, YouTube among other digital forums had been removed, EVN said. Some courts have already begun prosecuting illegal wildlife traders in open trials in Ca Mau, Tay Ninh and Lam Dong. In early 2021, in Ca Mau Province, two men were sentenced to a total of 18-years in prison for illegally transporting 12 endangered sea turtles. Two men, in Tay Ninh, were also given a combined 22-years in prison for transporting 39 of the same sea creatures. A sea turtle is rescued by law enforcement agencies in Ha Tinh Province. A report unveiled that 23 per cent of 800 wild life trade offenders nationwide, from 2010-2020 were from Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces. Photo courtesy of ENV Prison sentences have also been used in conjunction with financial penalties. Two bear farm owners, that transported the limbs of an Asiatic black bear were fined VND700 million (US$30,400) by the peoples court of Da Huoai district in the central highlands of Lam Dong Province. The two men cut off two limbs from a dead bear at their farm, but did not report it to local law enforcement agencies. In June 2021, Lang Son became the 40th locality in Vietnam to eliminate bear farms after three captured bears were transferred to a bear rescue centre in Tam Dao, run by Animals Asia. Figures supplied by EVN state that 346 bears have been captured at farms nationwide, of which Hanoi was responsible for 161 (about 46.5 per cent of the countrys total). Furthermore, a survey commissioned by EVN and carried out in Nghe An Province found that 97 per cent of surveyed local people in the province wanted more strict and heavier punishments for illegal wildlife violations. Two limbs of an Asiatic black bear are seized from an illegal transporting case in Lam Dong Province. Two men was sentenced a cash fine of VND700 million (US$30,400) for transporting the two limbs for sale. Photo courtesy of ENV ENV said 23 per cent of total 800 offenders related to illegal wildlife violations in 2010-20 were from Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces. Earlier, the group of 14 NGOs include WWF-Vietnam, ENV, PanNature, WildAct, Save Vietnam's Wildlife, Traffic Vietnam, HSI, GreenViet, Four Paws Vietnam and VietNature had sent a petition to the Prime Minister to stop the trade of wild birds nationwide. Source: Vietnam News Military-run telecom group Viettel has developed a digital health record system that allows people to register for COVID-19 vaccination, make health declarations, and receive information on time and venue for the inoculation online. Military-run telecom group Viettel has developed a digital health record system that allows people to register for COVID-19 vaccination, make health declarations, and receive information on time and venue for the inoculation online. It is part of Vietnams efforts to apply technology in managing and certifying COVID-19 vaccination as the country is about to start a nationwide inoculation drive this month. People can register to schedule a COVID-19 immunisation appointment on the system, which is available as a website and a mobile application. They will then receive a unique QR code to use for quick check-in for the appointment at their chosen location. Once operational, the system will allow people to cut their wait time and avoid mass gatherings at vaccination centres. It will also provide facts and information about COVID-19 vaccines and inoculation. Vaccine recipients will be sent another QR code as proof of vaccination, which will be later integrated into their digital health record, said Luu The Anh, Deputy Director of the Viettel Business Solutions Corporation (VTS)s Medical Solution Centre. A medical worker to inoculate COVID-19 vaccine on a recipient. (Photo: VNA) According to the national technology centre for COVID-19 prevention and control, the digital vaccination management and certification system will play a very significant role in Vietnam, given that more and more COVID-19 vaccine doses are arriving in the country to be given to Vietnamese in the coming months. With more foreign experts, who have been vaccinated against the virus, expected to enter Vietnam and the ongoing vaccination campaign, it is necessary to provide vaccine recipients with a digital certificate that enables them to travel from one region or country to others. The Ministry of Information and Communications is cooperating with firms to develop a globally recognized system for digital COVID-19 vaccine certification. Anh said the centre has worked on the digital health record system and vaccination management platform since the beginning of 2021 and Viettel, at the same time, has started offering training on the system for staff of the General Department of Preventive Medicine and local Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Updating the systems database may be challenging in the coming time and so is the training for health workers from 12,000 health clinics qualified to provide vaccination services in such a short of time, he added. But digitalising vaccination database remains an important step forward to help the country speed up the vaccine rollouts./. Source: VNA The day John Hennigan saw a picture of a child with a cleft palate abandoned in an orphanage in northern Hai Duong Province, he knew that his life would change forever. His incomplete smile shattered my heart, the 37-year-old English teacher recalled. I immediately knew that I wanted to adopt him. John, who has been living in Vietnam for five years, had always wanted to adopt a child. And the first time he met little Pham Dang Son (the name given to the baby boy by nannies at the orphanage) reassured the Irish man he had made the right decision. As soon as I walked into the room to him he had a big smile on his face, John said. So I scrapped the rule book and went over to him, played with him and picked him up and he was just very happy and the fact that he was so happy really comforted me. John Hennigan and his son, Liam. VNS Photo Paul Kennedy But as a single man, the journey to adopt little Son was a real challenge for John. It took him eighth months working with authorities in both Vietnam and Ireland to complete all the necessary procedures with a lot of paperwork being sent back and forth. It is very difficult to adopt a child, especially as a single parent. There were many times I thought it would not be possible, he said. The biggest hurdle was trying to prove that I was a worthy candidate to adopt and I had to obtain a no objection letter from Ireland, a letter that declared I was suitable to adopt a child and they had no objection to me continuing with the process. There was also another difficulty. As Son was born with a cleft palate, he needed a number of operations to repair his damaged face. John contacted the charity Operation Smile and received a great deal of support. John and Liam before the Operation Smile surgeries. Photo courtesy of John Hennigan On September 29, 2020, the baby boy underwent the first surgery to fix his facial deformities. Another surgery took place in March this year which was even more painful and he took more time to recover. John was there in the operation theatre to support the child through these tough times. Every day after work, John went to the hospital to look after him, cuddle him and nurse him to sleep. Despite what he called a frightening experience witnessing the surgeries, John was happy to see his little boy doing a very good job. This was why John decided to give him a new name, Liam Son Henningan, with Liam in Irish meaning warrior and being pronounced in Vietnamese as Liem, which means honesty. A new chapter of life A new chapter of life finally began for John and little Liam on January 28 this year when they were officially recognised by law as father and son. To prepare for the new role, John asked for advice from relatives and friends who have children and researched online to learn all necessary skills and knowledge. But raising a child is never an easy job for anyone, let alone for a single dad. John said: The first day he went home was really hard. He cried all the journey home. He did not really eat much or sleep much. Everything I had learned went out the window and I panicked. John and Liam at a playground near their home. VNS Photo Thu Ha Fortunately, he was given paternity leave by his school and dedicated the whole first three weeks to his new son. He turned his apartment into what now looks like a nursery filled with diapers, milk, books and toys for the 13-month old. It was just the two of us together, he said. A day in the life of the new father now starts early at around 6am when Liam wakes up and only ends when he is put to bed after some bedtime stories. Liam is not a difficult child but, many times, things still do not turn out the way the inexperienced father has expected, John admitted, bursting into laugh. When we were on our vacation in Nha Trang last week, Liam woke up two to three times a night. Maybe he was not used to sleeping in a strange place. It was really tiring, John said. Despite the mounting challenges, the journey has been rewarding. Six months into the new life, the dad and lad have developed a really strong bond together. John said he enjoys every little thing he does with his little angel, whether it is reading him a bedtime story, washing his hands or even watching him wake up after a nap in a good mood. John has already mapped out a clear plan for Liams future, with an emphasis on nurturing his Vietnamese heritage. Its very important to me that he grows up bilingually, both Vietnamese and English. And I really want him to get very familiar with Vietnamese culture and traditions, he said. I suppose that sometime in the future, probably the next five years plus, Id like to bring him back to Ireland and maybe expose him to Irish culture, so he gets the best of both worlds really. A long journey is still ahead for the father and son, but one thing is there for certain: it will be a journey full of love. Source: Vietnam News Where love blooms for abandoned children There is a special home in Bao Loc City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong that is always filled with the laughter of children. This home is Tin Thac Foster House. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the largest-ever immunisation drive in Vietnam, kicked off with a ceremony held on July 10. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh talks to health workers at the campaign launch on July 10 (Photo: VNA) Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said the campaign, to be conducted from July 2021 to April 2022, targeting people aged 18 and above, is the largest of its kind in the country, with the ultimate goal of protecting peoples health and lives and bring life back to normal early. Under the Government and the Prime Ministers directions, the Ministry of Health and relevant ministries and sectors have exerted every effort to acquire COVID-19 vaccines amid a global vaccine shortage. So far, Vietnam has secured 105 million vaccine doses for this year and is working to get 150 million doses so as to achieve herd immunity in late 2021 or early 2022. This July, more than 8 million doses are set to be delivered to Vietnam, which is on time for the pandemics complex developments in Ho Chi Minh City and some other southern localities, Long added. Addressing the launch, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said to help the country eliminate the pandemic, the Party and State are determined to carry out the vaccine strategy. Particularly, the COVID-19 vaccine fund has attracted great support from people both at home and abroad and enterprises. It has so far received donations worth more than 8 trillion VND (348 million USD), which is being spent on purchasing vaccines for people, he noted. browser not support iframe. The first vaccine doses arriving in Vietnam have been prioritised for frontline forces, and they have been distributed in a fair, equal, open, transparent, flexible, and effective manner, he remarked, elaborating that the previous vaccine batches were provided for workers and residents in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, which were being hit hard by COVID-19 in the past few months, but vaccines are now prioritised for HCM City and nearby provinces where the pandemic situation is developing complicatedly. Stressing the need for good coordination in vaccine distribution, PM Chinh said to implement the vaccine strategy, the Party and State will also step up domestic production and import of vaccines so as to secure vaccine supply for every year. He took this occasion to call for the entire peoples unanimity, solidarity, support, and sense of community responsibility to defeat the pandemic while also asking people to stay vigilant, even after getting inoculated, and seriously comply with the Health Ministrys guidelines. In his speech, the Government leader lauded efforts by frontline forces such as healthcare, military, and public security personnel, along with peoples support for the COVID-19 combat and the vaccination campaign. Prior to the launch, PM Chinh visited the operation centre of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign, based at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defence. This centre works around the clock and is connected with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the 63 provinces and cities, along with military regions across Vietnam./. Source: VNA Hanoi is striving for over 15 million domestic tourists in 2021, equal to 70 percent of that in 2019 and but two times higher than that in 2020, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Temple of Literature in Hanoi closes due to COVID-19. (Photo: VNA) In the first half of 2021, the number of tourists to Hanoi is estimated at 2.9 million, down 25 percent year-on-year. The city earned only 8.1 trillion VND (352.6 million USD) from tourism services, a year-on-year decrease of 57 percent. The start of the fourth coronavirus wave coincided with the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day holidays, which has severely impacted the tourism sector. About 90 percent of customers cancelled their booked tours slated for May and early June while programmes stimulating travel demand in summer, expected to be the golden season for tourism businesses, have yet to begin due to the complex COVID-19 situation in many provinces and cities. The number of foreigners coming to Hanoi during this time is modest, mainly experts and workers staying in Vietnam. Therefore, the capital citys tourism industry has actively restructured new tourism products with a view to better serving domestic tourists, such as a night tour to decipher Thang Long Imperial Citadel a UNESCO-recognised world cultural heritage site, a folk experience tour to the Museum of Ethnology, or a night tour to the Hoa Lo prison relic site. The city is designing and making a system of tourist signs, logos for trade villages and souvenirs related to its tourism. It is also working on a set of criteria to evaluate high-quality tourist spots and tourist areas for 2021-2025, and has a plan to upgrade the quality of tourism products and tourist destinations in association with relic sites and craft villages in Hanoi also for the period to 2025. Recently, the municipal Tourism Department has begun to implement a tourism programme in connection with the B52 Victory Museum. Developing cuisine in line with tourism activities is also a focus of work of the department. Regarding tourism promotion and advertisement, the municipal tourism industry has advised municipal authorities to issue a plan to popularise and promote the capitals tourist destinations in 2021, while coordinating with the Vietnam Television and the Hanoi Television to make and broadcast reportage and documentaries popularising the image of Hanois tourism and culture, and at the same time promoting its tourism image on LED screens at Noi Bai International Airport, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ly Thai To Monument. Regarding the cooperation programme with US-based TV channel CNN in 2021, the department is negotiating on terms of the cooperation, to advise the municipal People's Committee to sign an additional annex to the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation during 2019-2024 and in 2021. It has also coordinated with CNN to select products suitable to the communication strategy as well as major events of Vietnam and Hanoi this year. The municipal tourism sector has designed three growth scenarios for the sector in 2021. In the best scenario, an early recovery will allow Hanoi to welcome 15.34 million domestic visitors, double the figure in 2020, and equal to 70 percent of the figure in 2019 before the pandemic. An early recovery would mean the normal operation of services and accommodation facilities, with average occupancy exceeding 45 percent. The sector has also set an overall target of catering to between 13.16 and 19.4 million tourists, including 10.96-15.34 million domestic visitors, for this year. The capital city attracted some 8.65 million holidaymakers in 2020, equivalent to 30 percent as compared with 2019, of whom foreign arrivals were estimated at 1.11 million, equivalent to 15.8 percent from last year. Source: VNA This week, Svetlana Nguyen's personal story made headlines online. "Ukrainian lady who spent 20 years helping her husband recover from strokes" was the article that went viral. Svetlana took her husband's family name, but she still cannot speak Vietnamese. WELCOME HOME: Svetlana Nguyen holding her freshly baked sourdough bread in front of her restaurant. Photos courtesy of the cafe Svetlana Nguyen and her husband Nguyen Van Thang got married in Kiev in 1988 before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. They settled in Ukraine until Thang decided to come back to Vietnam in 2001. Following a sudden stroke that he suffered in Vietnam, Svetlana followed her husband to a new country and new culture where she does not speak the language. Svetlana Nguyen opened a small cafe serving Russian food in their home on Ngoc Khanh Street in 2004 and they named it Cafe CCCP (Russian abbreviation of the USSR). They use the former Soviet Union emblem for their logo, and on the sign board, they printed images of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin. As if fate had it planned long before, the cafe and restaurant is located in the Mac Le Nin neighbourhood, a residential area named after the Marx-Lenin Institute previously reserved for its staff. They have three children and made an income from cooking Russian food for the local community, raising their children and covering the hospital bills as Thang suffered from a series of strokes and his health deteriorated recently. If it wasn't for the suggestion of my dining companion, I'd never know this place, CCCP, or in English, USSR home restaurant. Russian food was never on my list of must-try food. Uninviting names of fatty fares like the milk porridge, salted lard or boiled potatoes turned my attention away as I grew up on veggie-based Vietnamese food. TRADITIONAL FARE: Popular dishes served at Cafe CCCP (clockwise from top right) mackerel, sourdough bread, pickles, cold cuts on lettuce and salted lard. It was a beautiful autumn day in Hanoi, when my dining companion insisted on taking me to this place, where he said has the best borscht soup in town. It was his personal way of commemorating the October Revolution day, a holiday he used to have back in his youth spent studying in Ukraine's capital Kiev. CCCP isn't a standard restaurant you'd usually expect. It's rather like a living room in a Soviet model of housing with limited space, basic decoration of a small table with some chairs, a crochet table cloth, a wooden cupboard and some USSR posters on the walls. My first impression wasn't positive. I was feeling as if we were intruding into the family's private life and did not feel comfortable at all. Some music from the Soviet time filled the air. There are a few other tables filled with diners. They seemed to know the place and each other well. The people who dined there that day seemed to belong to a close-knit group, who either spent some time of their youth studying or working in the then Soviet Union. This is the place for people who knew what to expect when they go there. First-time visitors may be in store for a few awkward moments. My dining companion explained to me the popular meals of the Kiev university kitchen he used to eat: borscht, usually more watery than it could be, bread, dumplings and marinated fish with boiled potatoes. HEARTY MEAL: Meat dumplings called "pelmeni" served with sour cream are one of the best selling dishes. The 1970's was not a great time for the Soviet Union. Food was scarce and people had to line up to purchase basics like bread and potatoes. But what the Vietnamese students were getting was still much better than in Hanoi, in which the wartime food ratio limited the amount of rice per person at over 10 kilos and meat at about 300g a month. Hanoi, though devastated and lacking everything a decent human existence required, still gathered all its resources to fight an unbalanced war with the world's No 1 military power. What we may have today for one meal, used to be what our parents' generation had for a month during wartime. Compared to the food at the student canteen back then, which is known as Stalovaja, what we have today at CCCP cafe is familiar but tastes much better, according to my dining companion. First we had an assorted plate of Russian cold cuts (VND200,000) including salami and salted lard. Varied pickles including sliced young cucumber and garlic should be a side dish for the meaty treats usually taken with a shot of Russian vodka. Next comes the first dish, as they say in Russian, the borsch, or any other soup. The red borsch is a comfort soup. It's sweet-sour taste from pickled cabbage makes it delicious and easy to eat, just like Vietnamese beef stew with pickled mustard greens. I've tried borsch in Moscow and took a cooking class to learn how to make it with a Russian chef in St Petersburg. But none of them taste like Svetlana's borsch at the CCCP cafe/restaurant in Hanoi. The thick base, that results from long hours of slow cooking beef and potatoes gave her soup a smooth taste when you sip the first spoon. Borsch says so much about the chef who made it. It's popular in Slavic cultures, but each family has their own tips and secrets. The next dish, or second, as the Slavic tradition has it, could be a meat, fish or pelmeni dumplings served with sour cream. We had shashlik, the roasted pork and chicken. The size was quite big, you get full if you go in two and order one portion. When we had this meal, Thang was clearly suffering from a stroke, but he could still help out with roasting the shashlik on charcoal. Upon hearing news about his deteriorating health, I'd wish them the best of luck and a miracle recovery. The Russian traditional treat for Easter, kulichi. Not available on the daily menu, but can be ordered. Photo courtesy of the cafe During Hanoi's most recent social distancing period, that only ended last week, cafe CCCP offered a delivery service with freshly baked sourdough bread (VND120,000 per loaf), Russian pickles, smoked fish, pelmeni dumplings (VND250,000 per kilo), Russian salads including Shuba, Olivier and Mimosa. Meldovik honey cakes at VND100,000 for 200gr and home-made drinks including kvas and kompot. After the story went viral, many people wanted to donate to the couple to help out, but Svetlana Nguyen made it clear on her Facebook account, that she would not take any money. She thanked everyone for extending their good wishes, helped to find a suitable hospital or doctor, but made it clear that she could support themselves by running the restaurant. They have another Cafe CCCP in HCM City run by the couple's eldest daughter. Source: Vietnam News Shes really nice, Sibal said. She had a really cool method of studying. He said Avant-garde used the same program to study that all but one of the 11 finalists used, called SpellPundit, but took it a step further. The program has a tendency to lag in between each word, so she alternated between two monitors with separate sessions up, practicing twice as many words in the same amount of time. Sibal said he might try the same method in the lead-up to the next bee, but he has not decided yet. His father, Dr. Aman Sibal, said his son has the discipline necessary to study on his own. All he and his wife have to do is make sure Vihaan has the study tools he needs and give him the occasional reminder to stay on track. I knew he had the discipline. He loves to play tennis, so there were days when he would just play tennis and pass out and didnt have the energy (to study), Aman Sibal said. So we reminded him at times that he wanted to plan things so he could take the time to (study) his words and improve his chances. He said his sons goal is to make it into the final three. 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. Third, what about students who have already contracted COVID-19 and have ample natural antibodies? Why in the world should they be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine? According to a study from the Cleveland Clinic titled Necessity of COVID-19 vaccination in previously infected individuals, Not one of the 1,359 previously infected subjects who remained unvaccinated had a SARS-CoV-2 infection over the duration of the study. In other words, if you have had COVID-19, there is no need for a vaccine. However, most (if not all) of the schools issuing vaccine edicts have made no exceptions for students previously infected with COVID-19. That makes no sense. Fourth, and perhaps most significant, is the fact that by and large, COVID-19 poses little threat to young people. As of this writing, according to CDC data, 314 Americans under the age of 17 have died from COVID-19. Among Americans aged 18 to 29 years old, 2,323 have died from COVID-19. The Texas Education Agency recently released results of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for spring 2021. The tests cover mathematics and reading for grades 3-8 as well as writing and science for some grades, eighth grade social studies and high school end-of-course exams in algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history. The results indicate abysmal outcomes pretty much across the board when compared with 2019, as districts struggled to deal with disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers of students not performing at grade level escalated for almost every subject area and grade, reversing generally improving trends in recent years. For mathematics, the percentage of students meeting standards was only 35%, down from 50% in 2019. Some grade levels were particularly hard-hit, with only 25% of grade 7 and 30% of grade 3 students performing satisfactorily. Reading scores also dropped, though not as severely, with 43% of students at grade level (down from 47% in 2019). WATERLOO A proposed contract to demolish Sloane Wallace Stadium is coming before the Board of Education Monday. The board meets at 5 p.m. in the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. A $118,879 proposal submitted by Bentons Sand and Gravel was the lowest of seven bids on the project. If approved, the Cedar Falls company is expected to complete the work by Aug. 12. Other bids ranged from $119,498 to $168,000. The project had an estimated price tag of $140,000. The field at 1115 W. Fifth St. is 99 years old and was built when West High School was located on the property. Now with Irving Elementary School next to the stadium, its demolition will make a larger play area for those students. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Updates will also be considered to the standardized dress code, which is coming to the board for a second and final reading. The changes will loosen the restrictions on what Waterloo Community Schools students can wear. SYDNEY Australian authorities are further tightening restrictions in Sydney after reporting 44 new community cases, the largest number since a coronavirus outbreak began there last month. The city of more than 5 million is already in lockdown. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 rattled the California-Nevada border Thursday afternoon, with people reporting feeling the shaking hundreds of miles away, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. The earthquake struck at 3:49 p.m. in a region about 250 miles (402 kilometers) east of San Francisco and south of Lake Tahoe. Its epicenter was 4 miles (6.5 km) west-southwest of Walker, a California town of fewer than 900 residents. It was followed by dozens of aftershocks, with at least a half-dozen of magnitude 4.0 or greater, the USGS said. The ground was shaking pretty bad, and then everything started falling, said Carolina Estrada, manager at the Walker Coffee Company. Syrup bottles broke, dishes fell to the ground and the roof of the shop caved in a bit. The shaking lasted 30 seconds or more, she said. We ran out of the building, Estrada said. But the shaking continued, and boulders the size of cars fell onto nearby U.S. 395, she said. Cars were struck by rocks, but nobody was injured, the California Highway Patrol reported. This will be an awesome spot if you need to stop while biking, Downs said. Its not an official trailhead, but it will certainly be a benefit to people who ride along here. Downs said the goal of the plaza is to be a community center for the people in businesses, homes and future mixed-use developments to use. It also has the potential to host future community events. With everyone in the direct surrounding area between housing developments and businesses like GoDaddy, Cedar Graphics and the library, you have about 1,500 people just in this area right now that can walk to this plaza regularly, Downs said. Next door to the future plaza and current City Hall is the Hiawatha Public Library, which has seen significant upgrades of its own. Library Director Jeaneal Weeks said the library expansion had also been years in the making and is a major piece in establishing a town center in Hiawatha. Weeks, who has been the librarys director since 2003 and has served on committees to talk about the town center vision, said shes seen visible growth since the start of the 21st century and is looking forward to growth continuing now that the library has more space. I think this is the first time theyve felt normal for a year, Garling said. Its really helped normalize things. With more than 300 Storm Lake students taking part in summer school, Cole said, those college students have been invaluable, working side by side with district teachers. Theyre also helping meet students emotional needs. Four Buena Vista social work students are among those on the summer staff, sitting in on morning social/emotional sessions in which students are free to talk about whatevers bothering them. Kids are suffering from some mental health issues that they dont know how to deal with, Cole said. It stems from many sources: the disruption of their normal school routine, being separated from one another, watching family members get sick with COVID-19. Cole said school counselors noticed increased signs of anxiety, depression and quick-to-anger behaviors among kids as this past school year progressed. Its one reason why Cole expects to use federal COVID relief funds to pay for expanded summer school sessions and the salaries of those who teach them for a couple more years. We really think this year and the following year are probably going to be the toughest years to get through, she said. Getty Images While unemployment remains relatively high due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are signs that employers are increasingly eager to hire. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 850,000 people were hired in June. The unemployment rate for workers age 55 and older in June was 4.9 percent, the same as in the previous month. The overall unemployment rate for June was 5.9 percent, well below last June's 11.1 percent but still a far cry from the 3.5 percent rate at the start of 2020. There's good news for older adults in that June hiring boom. Many of the fields that showed the most growth in hiring are also areas that provide ample opportunity for part-time work. AARP combed the June jobs report to find job growth in fields in which older workers thrive in part-time positions. The following list identifies nine such positions. Clicking on the job title will take you to the current list of job openings nationwide for that position on the AARP Job Board. Data on median hourly pay is provided by the BLS, and the portion of part-time workers over age 55 is provided by PayScale, a compensation-tracking firm. Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 30 percent 30 percent Average hourly wage: $17 With more companies starting to welcome their employees back to the workplace this summer, job opportunities in business offices are starting to spike. More than 72,000 people were hired for office jobs in June, for an increase of more than 1.2 million workers since a year ago. Experienced office managers are in particular demand right now, as employers and workers learn how to navigate hybrid workplaces (some people working remotely while others are required to be in the office). Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 15 percent 15 percent Average hourly wage: $10 With so many people staying home to practice social distancing for much of the past year, the demand for new clothes and the workers who help sell them plummeted. Now that people are getting out more, they also are shopping for clothes that fit their post-lockdown physiques. Clothing stores hired more than 28,000 workers in June alone. While the hourly wages aren't as high as for some of the other jobs on this list, retail sales work does offer very flexible hours, with opportunities to work nights and weekends. And many stores also offer employees a discount on purchases, which can help those earnings stretch further. Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 15 percent 15 percent Average hourly wage: $18 Schools already are gearing up for the return of more students to classrooms this fall. In June, more than 269,000 people were hired in education-related jobs. That number includes the 39,000 who found jobs in private education, including some tutors. Part of the appeal of tutoring is that you can focus on whichever skill best suits your expertise, whether you're great at writing or savvy with numbers. Tutoring also can offer some opportunities to work from home. Portion of part-time workers over age 55: 22 percent 22 percent Average hourly wage: $14 This is another occupation that is benefiting from more workers returning to the office. Because there is so much uncertainty in the job market right now, many employers are using temporary contractors to fill the need for support staff in their offices. More than 33,000 temporary staffers were hired in June. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... AURORA, Colo. A Kansas man convicted of sexual assault in the rape of a woman in suburban Denver and of assaulting and carjacking another woman has been sentenced to life in Colorado state prison. The Aurora Sentinel reports that 26-year-old Tre Carrasco was sentenced Friday by Arapahoe County District Judge Ben Leutwyler to a total of 136 years in prison. Carrasco was convicted in May of nearly a dozen charges, including felony sexual assault in the rape of an au pair in Cherry Hills Village in 2019 and the attempted kidnapping of another woman whose vehicle he stole outside an Aurora gym. A native of Hays, Kansas, Carrasco was sentenced in that state to more than eight years in prison for a violent sexual assault in 2011. Carrasco also has been accused of raping another woman at gunpoint in the passenger seat of her car in Kansas days before the Colorado crimes. He has yet to face charges filed against him in that case. Carrasco was sentenced to two years in Colorado state prison in 2020 after pleading guilty to a felony contraband charge. He has been detained at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Buena Vista. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. A Colorado police officer is being prosecuted after he allegedly got into a fight and used a Taser on a man in his 70s, requiring the man to be taken to the hospital. Nicholas Andrew Hamming, an officer in Idaho Springs, was charged Thursday with third-degree assault on an at risk person, according to court documents. Hamming and another officer responded to an alleged assault on a female by a neighbor May 30, according to a statement from the office of 5th Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum. When they contacted the neighbor at his apartment, a man in his 70s was holding a sword-like weapon that appeared to have teeth along both edges, prosecutors said. Hanning and the man got into a physical altercation and Hanning used his Taser after multiple commands were given by both officers, they said. The arrest affidavit is sealed so no other details were available. The incident was reviewed by police Chief Nathan Buseck, who asked the district attorneys office to conduct a criminal investigation. McCollum then asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to assist in the investigation, her office said. Two telephone numbers listed for Hanning were not working. Its not known if he has a lawyer representing him. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... PHOENIX Phoenix police said Friday they had arrested two men who fled from a fatal crash site in a vehicle they stole from good Samaritans who had stopped to help the victims. Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Williams said the driver of a Chevy pickup carrying a passenger turned in front of a compact sedan just after midnight in west Phoenix. The 35-year-old man driving the sedan was seriously hurt and his 42-year-old male passenger killed in the wreck. Two men driving by stopped and got out to help, Williams said in a statement. Thats when the two 20-year-old men in the pickup got guns and ammunition from their truck and stole the good Samaritans vehicle. Police later located the stolen Chevy Avalanche in a nearby neighborhood being driven by the man who was the passenger in the pickup. The driver of the pickup was found in a home the truck had just left. Williams said both men were arrested and charges they will face will be released later. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico State Police has identified the man who authorities say fatally stabbed a woman before he was killed by deputies Wednesday morning in Santa Fe. It marked the fourth police shooting in Santa Fe, and the third that was fatal, in a two-week period. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ State Police spokesman Dusty Francisco said no deputies were injured in the incident that left Delia Cervantes, 67, and Edward Santana, 45, dead. He said the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office was called around 8 a.m. to a domestic dispute at 1 Entrada Capulin. A relative at the scene told deputies a man was stabbing a woman at the home. Deputies found Cervantes lying on a patio bench outside the home and she was taken to a safe location, where paramedics rendered aid. Francisco said shortly after, deputies saw Santana standing on the patio with a fence post in his hand. He said Santana walked toward deputies in an aggressive manner with the fence post and ignored their numerous commands. Francisco said one deputy used a Taser on Santana before another deputy fired his gun at least once at Santana. Santana was struck and was pronounced dead at the scene. Cervantes was taken to a hospital, where she died. The identification of the deputies involved will not be released until interviews are completed, Francisco said. Upon completion of the investigation, this case will be given to the appropriate district attorneys office for review. It was the second fatal shooting by SFSO deputies and fourth in the Santa Fe area involving law enforcement since June 23. Last Sunday, State Police shot and injured a man who they say fired at them first during a foot pursuit across Interstate 25 and into neighborhoods. Then on June 23, Santa Fe police officers fatally shot a man downtown who had fled De Vargas Park. Later that day, SFSO deputies fatally shot a man after a car chase. State Police said the men pointed guns at police in both incidents. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The head of New Mexicos child welfare agency faced blunt questions about child abuse fatalities Friday during a five-hour legislative hearing at the Capitol. Brian Blalock, secretary of the Children, Youth and Families Department, defended the agencys work and said he couldnt address specific cases Friday as lawmakers questioned him and top staff members. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ But the department, Blalock said, is crafting a policy outlining how it can be more forthcoming with the public while maintaining compliance with confidentiality laws. Under New Mexico state law, he said, we could be doing a much better job of being transparent when child abuse fatalities occur. Blalock, a lawyer who has led CYFD since 2019, told lawmakers his agency rigorously evaluates its decision-making following a death and is working on a policy that would result in public reports. His comments came after members of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee asked him a host of questions about New Mexicos child welfare system, which has faced transparency questions for its past use of an auto-deleting messaging app. Much of Fridays hearing focused on whether New Mexico is adequately protecting children from abuse. Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, asked Blalock about the death of James Dunklee Cruz, a 4-year-old boy beaten in 2019, allegedly by a friend of his mother. A lawsuit filed this year accused CYFD of failing to protect the boy as it tried to keep him with his mom despite allegations of abuse and neglect. How does that happen? Matthews asked Blalock. Blalock said it would be contrary to confidentiality laws for him to speak about an individual case. But generally, he said, CYFD staff members take action based on the information they have at the time and that some tragedies cannot be anticipated given whats known beforehand. Regardless, Blalock said, the agency conducts rigorous reviews of its decision-making and can do a better job sharing information with the public. We have a draft policy were working on, Blalock said. Im hoping it gets us at least part of the way there. An agency review of data going back to 2015, he said, shows firearms, suicide and unsafe sleeping practices for infants are recurring trends among the deaths of young people who have been involved in the child welfare system. Blalock also said research shows children do best when living with a parent in combination with appropriate support services or with a relative, such as a grandma. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The debate over whether Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham can allocate federal stimulus funding without legislative approval may move from the Roundhouse to the courthouse. As the push for an emergency legislative session founders falling far short of the required three-fifths majority required Republican lawmakers are asking the attorney general for a legal opinion outlining whether Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, is empowered to spend about $1.75 billion in federal stimulus funding. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The governors administration may also face a legal challenge from a Democrat. State Sen. Jacob Candelaria, an Albuquerque lawyer, said this week that his office is preparing a lawsuit if lawmakers dont succeed in calling themselves into session to take up the federal stimulus spending. The suit would aim to stop the governor from illegally and unconstitutionally spending these funds absent legislative appropriation, Candelaria said in a tweet. Lujan Grisham, for her part, contends the law is clear that allocating federal funds is within the purview of the executive branch of government, not a legislative function. Her administration has cited court cases to back up that contention. The debate over next steps legal or otherwise comes after a petition by House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, failed to gather enough support from lawmakers to call themselves into an extraordinary session, as the state Constitution calls it. The proposal drew strong Republican support but only two Democratic legislators Sens. Candelaria and Gerald Ortiz y Pino, both of Albuquerque signed the certificate calling for a legislative session by Thursday, the target date set by Republican leaders. Democrats hold decisive majorities in both legislative chambers. In an interview, Ortiz y Pino said he believes an extraordinary session is the appropriate procedure for lawmakers to assert their authority over spending. Just because its a Democratic (administration) doesnt mean we shouldnt challenge when an executive oversteps their authority, he said. Montoya, for his part, said Attorney General Hector Balderas, a Democrat, should weigh in with a legal opinion, given the magnitude of the money at stake and precedent for future governors. Matt Baca, chief counsel for the attorney general, confirmed the office received the request for a legal opinion. The $1.75 billion at stake, Montoya said, is equal to almost one-fourth of the states $7.4 billion general fund spending this year, and legislators should help shape its spending. A lawsuit is definitely an option and is under consideration, he said. Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike have questioned Lujan Grishams authority to allocate federal stimulus funding without an appropriation approved by the Legislature. But they have not agreed on how to respond. Lujan Grisham has consulted with lawmakers informally on how to spend the money, but she also has acted on her own and vetoed budget language intended to determine how some of the federal money is spent. In some cases, she and lawmakers have agreed on where to apply the money replenishing a fund for unemployment insurance, for example though Lujan Grisham maintains the authority to decide is hers, not the Legislatures. The governors administration has tapped federal stimulus funds to pay for a return-to-work program for residents receiving unemployment benefits, lottery awards for COVID-19 vaccination and for the unemployment fund. Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said Friday that the administration doesnt comment on pending litigation or supposed plans of litigation. In a statement last month, Sackett said the state Supreme Court has ruled that federal contributions are not a proper subject of the Legislatures appropriative power, and that the Legislatures attempt to control the use of such funds infringes the executive function of administration,' citing two cases. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The controversial New Mexico Civil Guard is threatening to sue the city of Albuquerque over the treatment of several members after a chaotic protest that ended in a shooting last year that made national headlines. A letter obtained by the Journal, written by Civil Guard attorney Paul Kennedy, outlines the groups intention to file a civil complaint against the city stemming from the June 2020 protest of a Juan de Onate statue in Old Town. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ No member of the group there to protect the statue was charged. The letter lays out Kennedys request to settle for $750,000 and the citys response to negotiate rather than face a lawsuit. Those negotiations broke down Thursday morning. Mayor Tim Kellers office wouldnt comment on the mediation but said it tried to resolve the dispute without litigation, but was unable to come to an agreement. We wont be bullied by hate groups, a spokesperson for the Mayors Office said. Bryce Provance, former member of the Civil Guard, said Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department targeted the group prior to the protest and wrongfully arrested them afterward. He said that even though APD and Keller knew the group wasnt associated with the shooter, they labeled Civil Guard members as criminals and worse to the public. Kennedy did not respond to requests for comment. The New Mexico Civil Guard, which is a group of civilians who trained together practicing military exercises, made headlines and drew the ire of local leaders for its heavily armed presence at the protest. Tensions rose between protesters and group members before counterprotester Steven Baca shot protester Scott Williams after a scuffle. Williams is also threatening to sue, alleging negligence by the city and APD over their handling of the protest and subsequent investigation. The Civil Guards demand letter alleges that its members were targeted by police prior to the shooting, wrongfully detained for several hours afterward and labeled by Keller and then-Police Chief Michael Geier as possible criminal suspects and a potential federal hate group on Twitter. Soon after the incident, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez filed a lawsuit against the Civil Guard trying to limit its activities arguing that civilian militias can only be activated by the states governor and the Civli Guard was acting like law enforcement with no legal authority to do so. That case is pending. These seven arrests resulted from a series of decisions by the Citys highest policy makers, made for the apparent purpose of penalizing these individuals for political association with the Civil Guard, Kennedys demand letter states, adding that the highest-ranking members of the police department knew the shooter was not a member of the Civil Guard or associated with the group. The letter states APD then-Deputy Chief Harold Medina, Commander Arturo Sanchez and Sgt. Albert Sandoval knew the group would be at the protest and put officers nearby to wait and see whether they could catch NMCG doing anything illegal. Undercover officers at the protest were keeping APD informed of the events leading up to the shooting, which happened as Civil Guard members appeared to be leaving the area, according to the letter. After the shooting Civil Guard members surrounded Baca and secured his gun before APD swooped in and detained anyone who was armed. The letter notes that the members had their weapons seized and were detained on the street as people threw rocks and water bottles at them before being moved between police vehicles or interview rooms over several hours. During that time, the letter states police identified Baca as the shooter through a detective at the scene, video evidence on social media and Bacas own statements but Civil Guard members were still not released. The men suffered from prolonged handcuffing, according to the letter, and one urinated on himself due to not being able to use a bathroom, and another was diagnosed with post-traumatic osteoarthritis as a result of lengthy cuffing. While they were suffering these injuries and indignities, the policy makers responsible for their arrests were misleading the press about their conduct and suggesting that they were criminals, the letter states. The letter said these officials never told the public the so-called vigilantes were being detained as witnesses, not suspects. The witnesses could not defend themselves because they were being held in handcuffs, without lawyers, and without any means of communicating with their friends and families, as prisoners of the City, the letter states. In a letter to Civil Guard members, Kennedy said the city attorney upon receiving the demand letter asked the attorney to not file a civil complaint and enter into a negotiation process. This is a good sign as it signifies that the city recognizes liability on its part and probably wishes to settle this case rather than to litigate it, he wrote in the letter. Whether they will pay enough money to get the case resolved is of course another question. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Imagine getting a letter from a collection agency saying your outstanding medical debt had been paid off and credit agencies were notified the obligation had been cleared. Thats exactly what happened for 234 people in New Mexico and 548 in Arizona who collectively had nearly $1.4 million in medical debt wiped out thanks to a $15,000 contribution from St. Bedes Episcopal Church in Santa Fe. Peg Maish, a spokeswoman for St. Bedes, said Friday the donation was made to RIP Medical Debt, a New York nonprofit that buys outstanding medical debt in bulk on the secondary debt market, paying about 1 cent for every one dollar of debt, and then, instead of trying to collect on that debt, RIP pays it off. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ In other words, Maish said, for every $1 of debt purchased by RIP, $100 of medical debt was cleared, including more than $447,000 worth of debt to people in New Mexico. We have ongoing relationships with groups that try to relieve poverty on the Navajo Nation, and we have projects in Santa Fe where were working with food insecurity and homelessness, Maish said. Our focus is to try to do what we can, and not just collect money and make ourselves wealthier, but to use our donations to relieve suffering and help people near our home. Its just a natural outgrowth of what we feel our mission is as a parish. The Rev. M. Catherine Volland, rector at St. Bedes, said Friday she wasnt aware of any other program funded by the parish that had such a large impact. We were able to do it because, every week, we set aside 10% of donations to the church for outreach, Volland said. The church, she said, recognizes that medical debt is problematic not only for people in New Mexico, but also around the country. I would love a solution to medical debt that involves people not getting into debt in the first place and giving them access to medical rates and medical insurance that is affordable, Volland said. But, until we get there, we want to help people so that medical debt doesnt follow them forever. By partnering with RIP, Volland said, we used their expertise to really leverage those donations to have an impact on families. RIP Medical Debt was founded in 2014 by two former debt collectors who wanted to use their industry know-how to help relieve people of their medical debt, said company spokesman Daniel Lempert. Our founders, working with a group of people, purchased medical debt in bulk, as a debt collector does, but, instead of collecting on the debt, they just paid it off as a sort of act of forgiveness and to draw attention to the medical debt crisis in America, he said. Among the criteria used by RIP in selecting recipients is whether the person or familys yearly income is less than twice the federal poverty level; if their debts are 5% or more of their annual income; and if theyre facing insolvency and have debts greater than their assets. Those whose debts are purchased and abolished are sent a letter informing them of the action and inviting them to contact RIP with any questions. Many do, wanting to confirm that this good news is true, Lempert said. Of course, theyre grateful for the relief itself, grateful to know someone a stranger was watching out for them, he said, and grateful to have that debt off their backs and see their credit scores go up. Theres also a kind of spiritual element for a lot of people when told the debt relief was a result of a charitable donation from a church, Lempert said. Since its founding, RIP Medical Debt has helped more than 2.6 million families shed more than $4.5 billion in medical debt, Lempert said. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque police say an officer was injured when gunfire struck his windshield in a shooting early Saturday in Downtown that left one man dead and another in critical condition. The shooter remains at large and Crime Stoppers is offering $1,000 for information leading to the gunmans capture. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ It turned out to be the first of two homicides investigated by APD on Saturday as police say a man was fatally shot in Southeast Albuquerque later in the day. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said the Downtown shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Fourth Street, between Central and Gold. Two individuals were struck by gunfire, Gallegos said. One person died at the scene and another person was transported to a hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. Police Chief Harold Medina said the officer was injured as he and other officers responded to an alert from a gunshot detection device at Seventh and Central. He said that, as the officer was driving through Central and Fourth, shots were being fired from south to north and gunfire struck the officers windshield. He was injured from the shrapnel of glass that shattered into the police vehicle, Medina said. Gallegos said the officers vehicle came to a stop on Fifth, in front of the KiMo Theatre, and he was taken to a hospital and is expected to be released soon. Chief Harold Medina visited the officer and reports that he is in good spirits. Gallegos said the Multi-Agency Task Force will investigate the incident. We are very fortunate he was not seriously injured, Medina posted on Twitter, referring to the officer. Our condolences to the families of the other victims who were injured during this incident downtown. Detectives are seeking the publics help, asking that any witnesses or people with knowledge of the shooting call Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP. Tips can also be submitted at p3tips.com/531. Gallegos noted that information to Crime Stoppers can be anonymous. Police are also asking businesses that may have captured security camera video of the shooting to get that video to detectives through Crime Stoppers. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials have planned a job fair Saturday ahead of the Monday reopening. The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level for now. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation, paving the way for the casino to reopen. Casino patrons will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. The tribe on Saturday reported 13 additional cases. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: New virus surge is sending younger patients to Spains hospitals Indonesia short on oxygen, seeks help as virus cases soar Malta poised to become first EU member to require visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29% ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida health officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate over the past week. The number of virus cases in Florida rose by about 8,000 compared with the week before, for a total of 23,747 new cases, the state Department of Health reported Friday. New cases of the coronavirus have been on the rise in Florida over the past month. The rate of positive tests was 7.8% last week after trending at about 4% positivity in recent weeks. There were 172 deaths in Florida from COVID-19 last week, the health department reported. The state has recorded at least 2.4 million coronavirus cases and 38,901 deaths since the pandemic began. Officials also said about 11 million Floridians have been fully or partially vaccinated, or 58% of those 12 and older. ___ ALBANY, N.Y. New York is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as vaccination rates slowly rise, according to the states latest data released Saturday. About 525 people each day tested positive for COVID-19 in New York for the seven days through Friday. Thats up from 369 people for the prior week a 42% increase. Its unclear why more people in New York are testing positive at a time when fewer people are getting tested. The state Department of Health says a higher percentage of cases are linked to more contagious variants. It is urging more people to get vaccinated. New York City is driving much of the increase, though cases are also rising in parts of Long Island. Hospitals reported 342 COVID-19 patients as of Friday, similar to 340 patients from last Friday. About 55% of 20 million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated. Thats up from nearly 48% as of June 6. Vaccination rates are lowest in parts of western and central New York: about one-third of residents in Allegany County are fully vaccinated. Rates are also lower in parts of New York City: 43% of Bronx residents and 45.5% of Brooklyn residents are fully vaccinated. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. Health officials in Tennessee have linked a small coronavirus cluster to a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last month. It was Nashvilles first large-scale conference after lifting restrictions on gatherings. The Tennessean reports that Metro Public Health Department epidemiologist Leslie Waller said eight to 10 infections have been detected among attendees, but the cluster is almost certainly larger. Waller said its difficult to know how many other cases there might be because most of the more than 18,000 attendees live out of state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert asking health officials in other states to contact Nashville health officials if they discover more infections that trace back to the annual meeting of the nations largest Protestant denomination. Jonathan Howe, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said the organization has not alerted attendees about the cluster and is working with city and state health officials to identify its next steps. ___ MOSCOW Coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit another daily record, with authorities reporting 752 more fatalities amid a continuing surge in infections. Russias coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 25,082 new coronavirus cases. The daily tally of confirmed infections has soared from around 9,000 in early June to over 23,000 in early July. Officials have attributed a steady rise in infections and an increase in mortality to the spread of the delta variant. Despite the surge, the Kremlin has said there are no plans to impose another lockdown. Russia had one nationwide lockdown in the spring of 2020 that lasted six weeks, and the government has resisted another one to avoid damaging the economy. The coronavirus task force has reported over 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 142,253 deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher numbers. ___ BRUSSELS The European Union says it now has enough doses to meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the regions adult population by the end of this month. With infections resurging in many European countries, the next challenge will be ensuring that the doses find takers, as demand wanes in some areas. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 44% of the adult EU population is fully vaccinated, and 64% have received at least one dose. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that by Sunday 500 million doses will have been delivered to all regions of the 27-nation EU. She urged member countries to do everything to increase vaccinations. So far EU countries have administered 386 million doses for the overall population of 447 million, according to the ECDC. ___ PARIS Music is pulsing from Paris nightclubs for the first time in 16 months as other European countries shut night life down again because of rising coronavirus cases. The reopening of Paris dance clubs Friday night was the final step in Frances process of lifting pandemic restrictions. The move was meant to mark victory over the virus, since night clubs were among the few venues that had remained closed since March 2020. But the delta variant is spreading faster than vaccinations in France, and infections are rising again after weeks of decline. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak to the nation Monday about the situation, and the government could opt for new restrictions. At the popular La Bellevilloise club, many people were eager to return to the dance floor. Parisian Laurent Queige called it a liberation, an immense happiness to rediscover the clubbing, the party, friends. La Bellevilloise owner Renaud Barillet said this weekend could serve as a useful test to see how the public, the organizers, all that reacts and manages to adopt new habits. ___ TOKYO Tokyo has reported 950 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number in two months, as infections steadily spread less than two weeks before the city hosts the Summer Olympics. Saturdays tally compared with 822 confirmed cases reported Friday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo starting Monday to keep the infections from becoming explosive during the Olympics, which open on July 23. His government initially planned to take less-stringent measures, but came under pressure to issue the emergency order as the more contagious delta strain spread in the Tokyo region. Experts warned that caseloads could surge to thousands within weeks as people travel on summer vacations and the Olympics draws foreign and domestic visitors to Tokyo. Despite the recent acceleration of Japans vaccination program, only 16.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. Japan has reported about 812,000 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths in the pandemic. ___ HELSINKI A passenger arriving in Finland may soon be fined hundreds of euros for refusing to take a coronavirus test. A new amendment to the Finnish infectious diseases act with regard to border security imposes a fine to a tourist who enters Finland and opposes a required COVID-19 test. The law takes effect July 12 and is valid until Oct. 15. It already was possible for the police to fine those refusing of COVID-19 tests, but authorities say the amendment will remarkably clarify the situation in judicial terms. Konsta Arvelin, an inspector at the National Police Board, told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that the change creates a completely new criminal offense in Finland, titled violation of the COVID-19 test. Finland has a population of 5.5 million and one of the lowest coronavirus figures in Europe. The Nordic country has maintained tight border control during the pandemic. ___ BEIJING A Chinese vice foreign minister claims the possibility that the COVID-19 virus leaked from a lab in China has been ruled out, and called on Washington to release more information about how the virus originated as well as how it spread in the U.S. Le Yucheng on Saturday cited a World Health Organization report saying the pandemic most likely began through the passing of the virus from animals to humans, not from Chinese laboratory. The vice foreign minister reiterated that the origin of the virus remains unknown. Le said that, If the U.S. actually respects the truth and transparency, it should accept an international investigation to find the source of the U.S. epidemic, the cause of the U.S.s ineffective fight against the epidemic, and problems at U.S. biological laboratories. While similar to earlier official statements, Les comments come from a more senior official than in the past, indicating Beijing may be firming up its political stance in the dispute over the virus origins. Chinas outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has thrown suspicion on the U.S. military biological laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, calling for an investigation into the possibility the virus originated there. No evidence has been produced to support that claim or that the virus emerged from any U.S. military-run biological lab. ___ BUCHAREST Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are set to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said in a statement. Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. The announcement came days ahead of an early parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have so far been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 infections and 6,207 deaths. ___ COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has launched a massive vaccination program aimed at inoculating tens of thousands of people in the countrys tourism industry. Its the latest attempt to contain the spread of the virus and to revive the lucrative tourism industry. The vaccine drive took place in the countrys southern coast which is famous among tourists for its white sandy beaches. On Saturday, more than 1000 hotel workers, tourist guides and safari drivers were inoculated, said the tourism ministry. The Ministry said it plans to inoculate 500,000 people who are directly employed in the tourism sector. COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the tourism, which is a vital economic sector for Sri Lanka. Workers and businesses linked to tourism are currently facing crippling employment losses. Sri Lanka has so far recorded 269,946 confirmed cases and 3,391 deaths. ___ MADRID Managers at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase in Spain comes amid the advance of the delta variant that spreads far more easily. And its being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from eight to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous virus surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless drastic measures are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. ___ VALLETTA, Malta Malta is now requiring proof of vaccination for visitors to the Mediterranean island nation in hopes of stemming the latest rise in coronavirus infections. Starting Wednesday, visitors must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate that is recognized by Maltese health authorities, meaning certificates issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom. The EUs green passport certifies people who are vaccinated, receive a negative PCR test result or have recovered from COVID-19. But Malta has decided to recognize only those who are fully vaccinated. Malta will be the first EU country taking this step, said Health Minister Chris Fearne. Children aged 5-12 can present a negative PCR test, while those under age 5 are exempt. Malta, which has a population of just over half a million, had 46 active cases on July 1 but the number rose to 252 on Friday. The government says 90% of new cases are among unvaccinated people. Currently 79% of Maltese adults are fully vaccinated. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has set a new high in daily coronavirus cases for the third straight day as officials prepare to enforce the strongest social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Saturday that more than 1,000 of the 1,378 new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, a region where officials from Monday will clamp down on private social gatherings of three or more people from 6 p.m. Nightclubs and churches will close, visitors will be banned at nursing homes and hospitals and weddings and funerals will be limited to family-only gatherings. Dozens of new cases were each reported in major cities and regions across the country, including Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, South Chungcheong Provine and South Gyeongsang Province. After adding 9,700 cases in July alone, the countrys caseload is now at 166,722, including 2,038 deaths. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Jul. 10New Mexico State Police has identified the man who authorities say fatally stabbed a woman before he was killed by deputies Wednesday morning in Santa Fe. It marked the fourth police shooting in Santa Fe, and the third that was fatal, in a two-week period. State Police spokesman Dusty Francisco said no deputies were injured in the incident that left Delia Cervantes, 67, and Edward Santana, 45, dead. He said the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office was called around 8 a.m. to a domestic dispute at 1 Entrada Capulin. A relative at the scene told deputies a man was stabbing a woman at the home. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Deputies found Cervantes lying on a patio bench outside the home and she was taken to a safe location, where paramedics rendered aid. Francisco said shortly after, deputies saw Santana standing on the patio with a fence post in his hand. He said Santana walked toward deputies in an aggressive manner with the fence post and ignored their numerous commands. Francisco said one deputy used a Taser on Santana before another deputy fired his gun at least once at Santana. Santana was struck and was pronounced dead at the scene. Cervantes was taken to a hospital, where she died. The identification of the deputies involved will not be released until interviews are completed, Francisco said. Upon completion of the investigation, this case will be given to the appropriate district attorneys office for review. It was the second fatal shooting by SFSO deputies and fourth in the Santa Fe area involving law enforcement since June 23. Last Sunday, State Police shot and injured a man who they say fired at them first during a foot pursuit across Interstate 25 and into neighborhoods. Then on June 23, Santa Fe police officers fatally shot a man downtown who had fled De Vargas Park. Later that day, SFSO deputies fatally shot a man after a car chase. State Police said the men pointed guns at police in both incidents. ___ (c)2021 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal When Sir Richard Branson boards Virgin Galactics passenger rocket at Spaceport America on Sunday, it could mark the dawn of a new era in human space travel, and New Mexico is ground zero for the historic event. Virgin Galactics VSS Unity spaceship is set for takeoff at about 7 a.m. with two pilots and a four-member crew in the passenger cabin that includes Branson, the British billionaire who founded the space company in 2004. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ If the rocket successfully reaches space at 50 miles up, Branson would become the first civilian to fly into suborbit on a commercial spacecraft purposely built to carry paying passengers on joyrides to the edge of space. Once there, space tourists will be able to float for a few minutes in microgravity and take in spectacular views of the Earths curvature below before gliding back down to the spaceport. Virgin Galactic has always touted Bransons long-awaited flight as the turning point for the company to fully transition into commercial service following nearly 17 years of research and development to build a safe, proven system for civilian rocket rides to space. Once Unity returns to Earth and Branson unbuckles from his cabin seat to descend back onto the tarmac, the dream of making space accessible to all will become a reality, the billionaire said. I truly believe space belongs to all of us, Branson said in a prepared statement on July 1, when Virgin Galactic announced Sundays flight. After more than 16 years of research, engineering and testing, Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good. Tourists in space Indeed, Bransons flight is the first of three tourist rocket trips to space planned for the next three months, converting summer 2021 into the starting point for 21st century commercial space travel. Billionaire Jeff Bezos plans to fly to suborbit with three other passengers on July 20 from West Texas aboard his New Shepard rocket, kicking off commercial service for paying passengers by Bezos space company, Blue Origin. And Elon Musks Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, plans to launch four passengers in September on a three-day orbital flight around the Earth. That will be followed in coming months by a SpaceX trip to the International Space Station that the company Axiom Space booked for three more customers. Until now, SpaceX has flown only trained astronauts to the space station under contracts with NASA. As for Virgin Galactic, the company plans two more space flights this year, including one more test run for Unity later this summer, followed by a flight in the fall that will carry four passengers from the Italian Air Force to conduct experiments in microgravity and provide astronaut training. The fall flight will represent Virgin Galactics first true commercial launch for paying passengers. But the company wont actually begin full space tourism services until early next year, after a four-month hiatus for upgrades and maintenance on Unity, and on the mothership Eve, which carries the Unity on its underbelly to about 50,000 feet, where the rocket breaks away from Eve and fires up its motors to shoot into space. Historic moment For now, however, the worlds eyes are riveted on Bransons flight, which the company is livestreaming for a global audience for the first time on its website and YouTube. (Its also available at ABQJournal.com). Its a historic moment for the emerging commercial space industry in general, and for New Mexico in particular, said Dale Dekker of architecture firm Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. Dekker co-founded Ambassadors for Spaceport America, a group that unites about 400 local professionals, businesspeople and enthusiasts to promote the spaceport and the states budding space industry. Its a new dawn for space, Dekker told the Journal. It opens up a whole new industry and future for people on Earth, and its happening right here in New Mexico. It puts us on a global stage, with Spaceport America at the pinnacle. Virgin Galactic invited 500 guests to attend the launch at the spaceport. Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences are also hosting public watch parties in their cities. A huge celebration State officials hope Bransons launch will kick off a new wave of tourism in southern New Mexico, with even bigger crowds gathering for future passenger flights. With 500 guests onsite, plus all of Virgin Galactics people and contracted personnel, this launch is already having a significant economic impact, spaceport Executive Director Scott McLaughlin told the Journal. Hotels are filled. Its a huge celebration that Virgin Galactic wants to generate with all its future flights. Enthusiasts have been gathering since last week, potentially generating an overall $400,000 economic impact just in Las Cruces, based on hotel occupancy rates and past visitor spending forecasts, according to the city. Thats the kind of tourism-related benefit New Mexico officials have hoped for since constructing the spaceport a decade ago. The state spent about $225 million to build the facility, which is located about 45 miles north of Las Cruces. Now, with Virgin Galactic on the verge of commercial launch plus more than half a dozen other space-related companies also operating at the spaceport taxpayers could begin to see a real return on their investment, said Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes. Its been a long time coming, Keyes told the Journal. Weve been preparing for this for more than 16 years and now its time to focus on the future of space tourism, which can become a magnet for many more companies to operate out of the spaceport. Its all about diversifying our economy, and (Bransons launch) is helping us with global publicity for everyone to know about Spaceport America. Hopeful outlook Of course, Branson and the Virgin Galactic crew must still successfully fly to space and back Sunday morning. But the company is confident its extensive testing has fully prepared the passenger rocket, mothership and Virgin teams for safe, smooth operations. This will be Unitys 22nd flight since 2016. That includes glide tests and rocket-powered flights that culminated in three successful launches into space, the last of which occurred on May 22 at the spaceport. For the past two to three weeks, Virgin Galactic and spaceport staff have been working 24/7 to get ready for this flight, McLaughlin said. Virgin Galactic has repeatedly practiced everything with full dress rehearsals. Its looking like good weather for the flight and we expect a smooth operation. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Seventeen years after a long-shot sales call in London, Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America in southern New Mexico are on the verge of etching a spot in history Sunday when the first rocket-powered commercial spaceflight takes off with a full complement of crew and passengers. Its been a long journey with plenty of turbulence. There have been skeptics, critics, legislative opposition, the Great Recession, funding issues and a tragic accident that set the project back and cost a co-pilot his life. Despite all that, the vision shared by then-Gov. Bill Richardson and Sir Richard Branson, who sealed their deal with a famous handshake in the desert in 2005, is set to become a reality. New Mexico has built a world-class spaceport and Bransons company has made it the base for his visionary space business. A successful flight Sunday will allow Spaceport America to officially lay claim to the gateway to space title and the enormous potential that comes with it. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ I feel very excited and vindicated, Richardson said in a phone interview Thursday. It was a gamble, but the state came through and Branson came through. My objective was to build another industry for New Mexico and I thought space tourism was a possibility, although I knew it was a long shot. A gamble. We waited a long time and it required patience. But we stuck with it. It hasnt been cheap. New Mexico ponied up over $225 million to build the spaceport with more money spent on operations and additional area infrastructure. Virgin Galactic has invested well over $1 billion in the flight project. Assuming all goes as planned and Virgin Galactic can ramp up operations, there has been no shortage of A-listers, including Tom Hanks, Katy Perry and Brad Pitt, among the hundreds of people reserving $250,000 tickets for a ride into space. I think our next goal should be Number One in space tourism in the U.S. and were going to have a lot of competition, Richardson said. The fight isnt over. Elected support The states current governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has been an enthusiastic backer from Day One of her administration. New Mexico has always been a hub for exploration and the dawn of space tourism is happening right here, she said. Michelle has put a lot of commitment and energy in it, Richardson said. Im confident we are moving forward. Richardson makes a point of giving credit to three people Rick Homans, Casey Luna and Ben Lujan in addition to the people in Sierra and Dona Ana counties who agreed to a sales tax to help fund the project for getting the concept off the ground. Richardson says there needs to be an emphasis on making sure we get jobs and collateral technologies for them. Theyve been waiting patiently. It was Homans, who served as Richardsons Economic Development secretary and the first executive director of the spaceport, who knocked on the door at Virgin Galactics London office in 2004. He didnt have a lot of optimism and was told the top official, then-president Will Whitehorn, wasnt available. It felt like we were going to get blown off in fact, they later told us they only took the visit so as not to insult or embarrass us, Homans said. I was thinking it had been a long trip over and was going to be a long trip home. But Homans got a chance to make his pitch to Bransons pilot and projects guy, who eventually went upstairs and told Whitehorn, you need to come down and see this. Several hours later, Homans said, Will looked at me and said, I think this was meant to happen. This is where Virgin will call home. Not long after that meeting, Branson came to New Mexico to meet with Richardson the two didnt know each other before that and they struck their history-changing bargain. All in the details A project like this takes more than vision. It takes a lot of nitty-gritty work and detail. While Branson could call the shots at Virgin Galactic, Richardson needed legislative support and help from the counties surrounding the proposed spaceport site. Armed with studies for the 2006 legislative session that said the spaceport eventually could generate $550 million to $1 billion in economic activity and create up to 4,000 jobs through related business and tourism, the administration worked to secure funding. The timing was good. Richardson was at the peak of his political power and the state was riding a budget surplus prior to the 2008 crash. One study estimated there could be more than 400 suborbital flights every year from Spaceport America. Still, it took some convincing of reluctant lawmakers. What if we get involved and cant afford it, Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque and member of the Legislative Finance Committee, asked during the initial debate. What if Branson doesnt come through or it blows up? I dont want another deal where were stuck with something literally out of this world. It was House Speaker Ben Lujan who helped me get the $250 million, Richardson said of the late speaker and father of current U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. I told him that this was important and the way of the future. He also cited former Lt. Gov. Casey Luna of Belen who always would talk to me about this. He was one of the first spaceport advocates in the state. Homans ran point. He recalled in an interview Thursday that, after Richardson decided to push ahead, The governor looked at me and said, Dont screw this up, Ricky. Richardson also had an important ally in Republican powerhouse Sen. Pete Domenici, a sometime political nemesis. Domenici, who left the Senate in 2009 after 26 years and who died in 2017, pushed for federal legislation to help the project and publicly announced his support in a letter to Richardson. The new spaceport is of national significance he said in a Journal interview. He also said he would do everything in my power to make sure federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, which oversees nearby White Sands Missile Range, cooperate with the state. Legislators over the years were reluctant to appropriate funding for operations as the projected date for first flights kept moving back. While the spaceport attracted other tenants and Virgin Galactic upped its rent payments, money was tight. At one point, it was being used as the venue for photo wedding shoots. There has been turnover and controversy in the executive director position and, as recently as 2015, Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, now chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, called for putting the spaceport on the auction block so New Mexico taxpayers wouldnt have to continue to subsidize it. There were media questions. For example, a 2018 headline in The Atlantic read New Mexicos Sad Bet on Space Exploration. Virgin Galactic and spaceport backers had to overcome trial lawyer opposition to get two crucial pieces of legislation approved. Then-Gov. Susana Martinez signed a provision into law in April 2013 exempting spacecraft parts suppliers from liability lawsuits by passengers. That followed an earlier provision exempting spaceport operators from passenger lawsuits barring gross negligence. Other states were scrambling to attract the fledgling space business and some companies had passed up New Mexicos spaceport in favor of states that had extended those protections to suppliers. The legislative process took several years and Virgin Galactic at one point hinted it might abandon plans to launch its flights from New Mexico if the legislation wasnt approved. When Martinez signed the legislation, she said it reaffirmed the commitment New Mexicans had made to Spaceport America. Homans credited both Martinez, a Republican, and Lujan Grisham, a Democrat. It took political courage for them to follow through because there has always been a lot of political risk with this project. Each one continued on and, at the end of the day, they all own this project along with Gov. Richardson. Tragedy In addition to funding, land acquisition, utilities and other challenges, one of the anticipated risks to the project was a catastrophic accident. It happened in October 2014 with the dramatic failure of a test flight by SpaceshipTwo VSS Enterprise over the California desert. The aircraft broke apart soon after it reached supersonic speeds and an altitude of 50,000 feet, the result of a series of events officials blamed on human error when co-pilot Michael Alsbury pulled a lever too early, unlocking the tail of the rocket-propelled ship. Federal investigators also found the pilots were under pressure to carry out commands in a matter of seconds while rocketing into space. Alsbury was killed and pilot Peter Siebold severely injured after he was ejected his survival described as something of a miracle. Then-CEO George Whitesides, a former official at NASA who left the company in March this year, said in 2014 that, as devastating as the loss was, Virgin Galactic engineers would figure out what went wrong and how to fix it moving forward. Space is hard, and today was a tough day, he said. But were going to get through it. They did, overcoming various technical obstacles and, in December 2016, VSS Unity performed its first glide flight in Mojave, California. That was followed by its first powered flight above 50 miles in February 2017. The race to space was back on. The company unveiled the interior of its Gateway to Space in August 2019, a few months after announcing relocation of some of its operations and work force from California to New Mexicos Spaceport America at a celebratory event in Santa Fe with Branson and Lujan Grisham. Virgin Galactic cleared its final regulatory hurdle for sending customers into space from New Mexico in late June this year when the Federal Aviation Administration updated the companys license. Todays approval by the FAA of our full commercial launch license, in conjunction with the success of our May 22 test flight, give us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer, CEO Michael Colglazier said. Just the start New Mexico already had a space legacy that included rocket launches and a space shuttle landing at White Sands. The first photo of the planet taken from space was from a camera on a rocket launched from White Sands. Its high altitude and restricted airspace were major selling points for Homans when he knocked on the door in London. Homans, who now works in economic development in Florida, has a personal relationship with Branson and was scheduled to spend time with him on Friday. Then, at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, he was set to be on the bus pulling out of El Encanto hotel in Las Cruces to head out to Spaceport America the day we dreamed about back in 2005. A successful flight, he said, will be cause for celebration. Then it will be time to get back to work. This is really the beginning of something much bigger, Homans said. Humans have been through the industrial revolution and the digital revolution. Now, we are on the brink of the space revolution. New Mexico is going to have to be even more aggressive and more visionary to stay out front. And that will require commitment from the political and business leadership of this state. The opportunity is so big it would be foolish to let up when weve come this far. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... One thing this endeavour has had from the start is star power. Richard Branson and Bill Richardson are larger-than-life-figures with resumes to match. In addition to eight years as New Mexicos governor, Richardson has been ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy and chair of the Democratic National Convention, and he mounted a credible bid for his partys nomination for president. He has hosted Mikhail Gorbachev for dinner in Santa Fe, negotiated with despots and dictators from Saddam Hussein in Iraq to leaders in North Korea, and won the release of hostages and American servicemen in Cuba and the Sudan. He negotiated with the Taliban. He penned a book in 2013, How to Sweet-Talk a Shark: Strategies and Stories from a Master Negotiator. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Ive made deals with dictators, he once said. Heres my advice for Congress. A regular for many years on cable news shows because of his command of policy and conversational style, he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times. Then theres Sir Richard Branson. The mega businessman swam with sharks to protest their killing for sharks fin soup, and has worked to save the polar bears in Canada and endangered lemurs in Madagascar. He has a vision for democratization of space and a global system of suborbital air travel where people will take off from New Mexico and land a couple of hours later at a spaceport in Dubai or Tokyo. Sundays flight is step one in that vision. A profile in Zoomer magazine described him as the ultimate 007 nemesis. With his long locks, twinkly eyes and mischievous grin, hes like a cackling Bond film supervillain who lives on his own island and has his own submarine. That style has been on display here. He has rappelled down the wall of the spaceport with a bottle of champagne to dedicate the facility, lifted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham off the ground for a selfie and is testing Sundays flight experience as a private astronaut. He has millions of followers on Twitter and was quoted in the Zoomer interview as once writing that every single business person has the responsibility for taking care of the people and planet that make up our global village I have been convinced this is the way forward, if the planet as we know it, and life as we know it, is to survive. Richardson, who was on his way Thursday to distribute sneakers to Navajo kids through a foundation he has set up before heading down to the Spaceport for Sundays launch, is a Branson admirer, describing him as brash, bold and a tough negotiator who tried to get New Mexico to pay for everything. A tough negotiator himself, Richardson said it was a bidding war, but after the back and forth, Branson still picked New Mexico and Arnold (California Gov. Schwarzenneger) was mad we beat him out. Im ecstatic that Branson is gonna beat (Blue Origins Jeff) Bezos into space, Richardson added. Typical Branson. And it puts New Mexico Number One. WENN/FayesVision Movie The 'Attack the Block' actor has been brought in as a replacement for the 'Lovecraft Country' star after the latter left the project due to scheduling conflict. Jul 10, 2021 AceShowbiz - John Boyega is set to star in the upcoming indie drama "892" after "Lovecraft Country" star Jonathan Majors dropped out. The 29-year-old actor - who played Finn in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy films - has joined the cast as a replacement for Jonathan after he withdrew from the project due to a scheduling conflict. Jonathan, 31, was originally due to star in the drama, but was forced to back out because 892 overlapped with "Ant-Man 3", according to The Hollywood Reporter. His decision to withdraw from the project also prompted other stars to back away from the film. At one stage, it appeared as though the drama would be scrapped altogether before a last-minute call to John managed to resurrect the movie. The London-born star is being joined on the set of the film by the likes of Michael K Williams, Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, and Olivia Washington. The upcoming film tells the story of a Marine war veteran who faces mental and emotional challenges when he seeks to return to normal life. The project is based on a script written by British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah and director Abi Damaris Corbin. Earlier this year, John quit film "Rebel Ridge" due to "family reasons." The actor was originally cast in the Netflix production, but he left the project in abrupt fashion and the streaming service subsequently released a statement to explain his exit. Netflix said, "Rebel Ridge is pausing temporarily as we look to re-cast John Boyega who needed to leave the project for family reasons." "We remain committed to Jeremy Saulnier's extraordinary film and look forward to resuming production. We look forward to continuing our partnership with John Boyega's UpperRoom Productions, in addition to our upcoming film They Cloned Tyrone in which he also stars." Universal Pictures Movie During a Cannes Film Festival masterclass, 'The Bourne Identity' actor also reveals that the media 'gave up' on him because he is 'relatively free of scandal.' Jul 10, 2021 AceShowbiz - Matt Damon has reflected on turning down a role in James Cameron's mega-blockbuster "Avatar". Despite regretting his decision to pass on the opportunity, which was later taken by Sam Worthington, "The Martian" actor revealed that it was his "moral" choice because he didn't want to abandon "Jason Bourne" franchise. "I was offered a little movie called 'Avatar', James Cameron offered me 10 percent of it," the 50-year-old said during a Cannes Film Festival masterclass, according to Deadline. "I will go down in history... You will never meet an actor who turned down more money." Despite finding it difficult to miss out on 10 percent of a movie that ultimately grossed over $2 billion worldwide, Matt noted that he would still have chosen to stick to his commitment with the "Jason Bourne" franchise. He also recalled John Krasinski's reaction when he told him the story. "Nothing would be different in your life if you had done 'Avatar', except you and me would be having this conversation in space," John allegedly quipped. Damon has previously opened up about the matter in a 2019 interview with British GQ. "Jim Cameron offered me 'Avatar'," he said at that time. "And when he offered it to me, he goes, 'Now, listen. I don't need anybody. I don't need a name for this, a named actor. If you don't take this, I'm gonna find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn't really need you. But if you take the part, I'll give you 10 per cent of (profits)." "It would have caused a problem for Paul Greengrass and for all my friends on 'The Bourne Ultimatum', so I couldn't do it," he continued. "Cameron said to me..., 'Well, you know, I've only made six movies'. I didn't realize that. He works so infrequently, but his movies, you know all of them. So it feels like he's made more than he has. I realised, in having to say no, that I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and that's still brutal. But my kids are all eating. I'm doing OK." That aside, Matt also divulged at the Cannes masterclass that the media "gave up" on him. He explained, "The media gave up on me because I was so boring. What sells magazines is sex and scandal. Everybody knows I'm married and a dad, and relatively free of scandal, it's not worth their money to sit outside my house. They also know I'll wait them out." Movie During a presentation outside the festival's testing center on July 8, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard explained how vital the canines would be in sniffing out cases. Jul 10, 2021 AceShowbiz - Cannes Film Festival bosses have recruited dogs to sniff out COVID cases on the Croisette. Organizers have recorded an average of three positive tests per day of the festival so far and the COVID canines are tracking down those who may not know they are carrying the coronavirus. The dogs are part of the latest preventative measure being trialed by the French government, according to Deadline. Cannes Mayor David Lisnard staged a presentation outside the festival's testing center on Thursday, July 8, during which he explained how vital the dogs would be. Deadline translated Lisnard's reported statement about the dogs. "This screening method, whose scientific reliability has been successfully confirmed nationally and internationally, is a real revolution thanks to the time savings it generates," he allegedly said in French. Two of the pooches, Mystik and Strike, have been trained by firefighters in Marseille, France, and are part of a trial that could be used at events nationwide. Cannes Film Festival's general secretary Francois Desrousseaux additionally addressed rumors about skyrocketing cases. "Since the start of the festival on Tuesday, there were a maximum of six cases found on a single day," he told Variety. "If we look at the proportion of cases compared with the number of people tested, we're well below the national average." "Understandably, people were particularly enthusiastic to reunite after such a long time during the first 24 hours, but we are making sure that sanitary rules are now strictly observed by everyone; and have more staff on the ground in charge of enforcing the protocol," Desrousseaux further stated. "We have to be fully conscious that we're still in the middle of a pandemic." Hype Film Movie Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov is banned from leaving his country to promote his new movie at the French international film festival as he is battling fraud charges. Jul 11, 2021 AceShowbiz - Filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov is hoping to appear at the Cannes Film Festival virtually after Russian lawmakers banned him from leaving the country to promote his new movie, "Petrov's Flu". The film is in competition at Cannes, but Kirill, who is battling fraud charges back home, won't be there to celebrate. "I'm not allowed to leave Russia for some time, but the global situation is not good for travelling anyway," he tells Deadline. "Russia is now in the red zone and the number of sick people here is very high. The vaccination rollout is going very slowly." "First it's my personal circumstances, then the virus situation, and then also I am shooting a film right now, so I cannot afford to lose 10 days to quarantine." He first started working on "Petrov's Flu" while he was under house arrest in Moscow, adding, "The novel was highly acclaimed; it won all possible Russian literature awards. (Producer) Ilya (Stewart) bought the rights, but how do you work with this very strange book? It's surreal and multi-layered, complicated, but extraordinary literature in terms of language... It's a masterpiece. So how to transform it into a movie?" "I was under house arrest and Ilya told me, 'You have a lot of time, could you think about how to do something with it?' I jumped into it and it grabbed me completely. It is poetry, the author is a poet who started to write prose, the construction of the text is poetic - and cinema is poetry." "The producers loved the script and started to look for a director to make it. But then my circumstances changed, I was released, and I had time to work. And then my trial started, I said, 'Let's do it anyway'. I had a month or two months without sleeping - part of the day was the trial and then we shot at night. The days were short. The crew and actors understood what was happening and helped a lot." He's still awaiting a virtual invite for Cannes, stating, "If they ask me I definitely will (appear)." Trials of a shorter working week in Iceland have been hailed as an "overwhelming success" by researchers. Public sector employees taking part in two large trials between 2015 and 2019 worked 35-36 hours per week, with no reduction in pay. Many participants had previously worked 40 hours a week. The trials run by Reykjavik City Council and the national government saw worker wellbeing "dramatically" increase across a range of indicators, from perceived stress and burnout, to health and work-life balance, according to researchers from think tank Autonomy and research organization the Association for Sustainable Democracy (Alda). The trials involved 2,500 people more than 1% of Iceland's working population and were aimed at maintaining or increasing productivity while improving work-life balance. Researchers found that productivity and services stayed the same or improved across the majority of workplaces. Autonomy and Alba, which advocate for a shorter working week, analyzed the data from the trials. Following the trials, Icelandic trade unions negotiated reductions in working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country. Some 86% of Iceland's entire working population is now working shorter hours, or have gained the right to shorten their working hours, according to Autonomy and Alda. Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, said the public sector trial "was by all measures an overwhelming success." "It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks and lessons can be learned for other governments," he said. Daiga Kamerade, associate professor of work and wellbeing at the UK's University of Salford, told CNN Business that while the trial was encouraging, studying public sector organizations that may have better working conditions than the private sector could have affected the results. "Reducing the working week from 40 to 35-36 hours is a first step towards a shorter working week, we need similar large-scale trials that push this reduction further for example, looking at a true four days working week of 32 hours or less," she said. CNN Business has reached out to the Icelandic government and Reykjavik City Council for further comment. Kamerade said that in her own research, her team explored the motivations of working reduced hours, and found that working less is perceived as having more control and freedom in one's life, which can then increase wellbeing. A growing number of small companies have already adopted a shorter working week and now, bigger corporations are investigating the potential benefits of the change. Unilever New Zealand announced in December that it would trial a four-day workweek at full pay, following a change in working habits caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Microsoft trialed a four-day workweek in Japan in 2019, and said productivity, measured by sales per employee, went up by almost 40% compared to the same period the previous year. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. CHICO, Calif. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that fully vaccinated teachers and students no longer need to wear masks in schools. Regardless, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says that masks will still be required in school for all students in the state. Action News Now spoke with parents in Chico who say theyre upset that the state is not implementing the changes. I think its ridiculous, said parent, Kendria Farias. Farias says that her son, Eli, had a difficult time because of the mask-mandate during the past school year. When my son got home from school last year in kindergarten, his mask was soaked and I had to send three extra masks with him to change into, its just insane, she added. Even though the CDPH will still require masks inside school, it will drop social distancing rules. With the COVID-19 Delta Variant on the rise, health experts are warning people to stay cautious. The Delta Variant is highly contagious, including among young children, so of course we recommend that people be vaccinated if you are 12 or older, said Kerri Schutte, with Shasta County Public Health. Even so, Farias says she prefers that her first-grader ditch the mask. "It's so sad that you can't see your friend's smile. I mean that's my biggest thing that you can't see facial expressions and you base somebody off of their facial expressions, said Farias. Lisa Almaguer, Communications Manager for Butte County Public Health tells Action News Now that they will make a comment on any changes to the guidance if and when the state adopts the change. Masking up is also making an impact on student's mental health. Scott Kennelly, the director of Butte County Behavioral Health told Action News Now that unmasking in school may lead some students to experience freedom and others fear of the virus. Kennelly said masks have made it hard to convey emotion, but kids need to stay strong. "You can find ways to work around wearing masks and ask clarifying questions, said Kennelly. And say, are you mad at me? Are you upset with me? Or, I am not sure what you mean? It is not as easy to adapt for all. "We've had concerns expressed about the ability for people who are deaf or hard of hearing for people to read lips or understand what is being communicated, said Kennelly. Kennelly added that parents will be crucial in supporting their students in returning to school this fall. They should even be giving their kids some creative freedom in deciding what types of masks they can wear. CHICO, Calif. - With temperatures in our area staying well over 100 over the weekend, health safety is a big concern. Still, a few hours after sunset, the temperature on Friday night was still around 90 degrees in Chico. "We're down here for fires so we have to be prepared for this stuff," said Travis Newman from Alaska. "It's my first time in Chico, California," said John McAllister who is also from Alaska. "The August Complex [fire], that's the farthest South I've gone," said Newman. Newman is a wildland firefighter, and McAllister is in the process of becoming a firefighter in Northern California. "He's got six years of experience," said McAllister pointing to Newman. "He's the one that convinced me to come down here." One thing both McAlister and Newman are trying to adapt to is the summers in chico. "I gotta check it out, I guess it's going to get a whole lot hotter, aye?" he asked. "Just drinking water," said Newman. "Just staying hydrated," said McAllister. Using a thermometer on Friday afternoon, it was 106 degrees. At that temperature, the car door handle was 110-115 degrees. The only place to get away from this is the shade, but it's still 90 degrees there too. That's why Butte County Public Health recommends staying in the AC, and to stay away from alcohol and sugary drinks. "For every drink, we're drinking a glass of water with it so you know trying to even it out," said CJ Stephens with his friend Claire Sanders by his side. "Obviously drinking water throughout the entire day." "We're just doing the best we can," said Owner of Pourhouse Gary Lewis. "We've got lots of shade, lots of umbrellas and obviously misters out here as well. We've got lots of beer and obviously free ice water as well." Customers were trying their best to stay cool as well. "You go to the river, you come here. But for me, it's just good people you get a cool drink," said Robert Robertson while gripping his cold beer. "Not so bad, I got misters on me right now, I got a pretty lady with me, whatever." Health experts also suggest drinking something with electrolytes to replenish those you lose from sweating. If you don't have air conditioning, BCPH suggests you visit a public place with air conditioning, such as a shopping mall or public library. Enormous conceptualises the latest campaign Girl Power is Gold Power for Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) and Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation (Gopichand Academy). The Girl Power is Gold Power campaign has a special message for India's most talented female athletes, as well as all young girls who aspire to follow in their footsteps. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW The campaign video features badminton doubles specialists, Ashwini Ponnappa, a Gold Medal winner at the Commonwealth Games 2010 and N. Sikki Reddy, Gold medalist at the South Asian Games 2016. The one-minute film not only honours the young women who follow their dreams, but also celebrates the people that lend their support to young dreamers thereby paving the way for a generation of champions. Commenting on the campaign, Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner, Enormous says In Indian households, saving gold for a daughter's future or marriage is a widespread tradition. Her marriage is not just a familial duty but also seen as a social responsibility. The campaign's idea was about girls of today who are forging new routes for themselves and pursuing their dreams in order to achieve anything in life. As a result, you won't need to save gold for your daughters' future; they'll be able to earn it on their own. They will win the gold with their commitment, honesty, and hard work. Rohit Rao, Joint President & Group Chief CSR Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited said, Every empowered child is a product of an enlightened ecosystem comprising family, friends and acquaintances who have extended their support. With the worlds biggest sporting event upon us, this is a good time to remind us all that investing in the dreams and aspirations of the next generation can give us returns beyond measure. Kotak Karma is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) identity of the Kotak Mahindra Group. Under its CSR Projects on Sports, KMBL has collaborated with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation based in Gachibowli, Telangana to develop a state-of-the-art badminton training facility with advanced infrastructure and amenities, and international standard coaches that will help India produce more world-class players. Both the athletes featured in the film train at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation. Agency Credits: Creative Head: Ashish Khazanchi (Managing Partner, Enormous) Creative team: Purva Ummat, Ajeet Shukla, Sachin Sharma, Meghna Mitra Account Management team: Mansi Jain, Anuj Aras Production House: Useful Garbage Creations Director: Puneet Prakash Producer: Chandra Mani Tata Consumer Products, the consumer products Company uniting the principal food and beverage interests of the Tata Group under one umbrella, has launched its redesigned corporate website. The new website reflects the expanded scale, scope and ambition for the Company to become a leading player in the FMCG category. The new website is built around the companys brand promise of For Better, a reflection of its commitment to improving, by pushing boundaries and aiming higher, every day for all stakeholders. This is brought alive through a unified narrative, effective storytelling, evocative imagery and an enhanced user experience. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW The website features the companys new vision and mission, strategy, brands, sustainability agenda, and people philosophy. A category-based structure highlights the expanded brand portfolio and enables easy access to information on products. A dedicated investor section provides all relevant information for investors and shareholders. With a streamlined design, improved functionality and easy navigation, the site is optimized for viewing across desktop and mobile devices. Some key highlights include: Mr. Sunil DSouza, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Consumer Products speaking about the new website launch said, Our redesigned corporate website symbolizes the Companys transformation journey and ambition to become a leading player in the FMCG space. The website showcases our new vision, strategy, expanded product portfolio and sustainability focus. With an interactive interface, and holistic content, the new website will serve as a key information hub for Tata Consumer Products and help us communicate better with our stakeholders. Vedanta is rolling out a social transformation campaign through its flagship project, Nand Ghar, focused on key areas of Health, Education, Nutrition, Women Empowerment & Hygiene. The campaign titled #ForABetterKal aptly showcases the essence of Nand Ghar, aiming to bridge the gap between urban and rural India. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW As part of the campaign, the company will be unveiling five videos paying tribute to frontline workers of Nand Ghar who are working tirelessly towards upliftment of communities. The Nand Ghar project - run under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation - is transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development. The campaign, conceptualized and created by McCann World Group, throws light on services such as education and new e-learning modules introduced across villages to ensure continuity of early childhood education even during the lockdown. These modules that were previously only seen in urban cities are now being implemented successfully in villages through the ardent efforts of the Nand Ghar team. Another video showcases the advanced healthcare facilities provided to the communities. Medical services that were a distant dream for these villages are now seeing the light of day due to the Nand Ghar project. The company will also be launching these videos as TVCs across multiple national television channels as well as social media platforms. They will be aired on leading channels supported by digital, outdoor and retail activation plan. Speaking on the initiative Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Director, Vedanta Resources said, All women and children deserve equal opportunities. Vedanta Nand Ghars are working towards providing the best nutrition, healthcare, education and skilling for children and women in rural India to help them grow and become self-sufficient. These videos are a testimony to the undying spirit of our frontline workers of Nand Ghar who are fulfilling these dreams through their unwavering determination. Speaking on the idea behind the video campaign, Prasoon Joshi, CEO & CCO McCann Worldgroup, India said, A brand carries in itself rivulets of narratives that gradually engage and build a unique relationship. Desh ki Zarooraton ke Liye has already struck a chord with the audience. With the launch of the second phase of this campaign, a new dimension to this relationship will be added. With more than 2,300 Nand Ghars across 11 States, the campaign is key to bringing out stories to the world and aid transformation in rural women & children. Nand Ghar aims to transform the lives of 7 crore children and 2 crore women at the grassroots level. The Nand Ghar project offers an integrated bouquet of services to beneficiaries such as e-learning for children, primary healthcare services, economic empowerment of women, strengthening of local government systems, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Women and children are most important to support and Nand Ghar has grown into a hub that the community depends on for their needs. It has also been leading the fight against COVID-19 and spreading awareness among community members. The Nand Ghar centres have been repurposed to act as Vaccination and Quarantine centres during the pandemic. ZEE5, Indias largest homegrown OTT platform has presented Originals across languages and genres with meaningful and purposeful content. State of Siege: 26/11 was a tribute to our brave Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country during the dreadful 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Coming up next from the same franchise and makers is original film State of Siege: Temple Attack which premiered in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu simultaneously on 9th July. GAMEXX Awards 2021 Early Bird Discount Extended Last Date - Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - ENTER NOW Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, "After receiving an overwhelming response from audiences across the country for State of Siege: 26/11, we are extremely thrilled to bring forth another story from the successful State of Siege franchise that will captivate the audiences attention. We take immense pride in telling stories of valour and unwavering grit, and this film, which is based on NSG commandos sacrifices, pays a befitting tribute to these real-life heroes who risk their lives to save ours. We are focussed on giving access to great stories to our viewers from their choice of device, anytime, anywhere. State of Siege: Temple Attack stars Akshaye Khanna and sees him return in the uniform after many years. It also stars Vivek Dahiya, Gautam Rode, Sameer Soni, Parvin Dabas, Manjari Phadnis among others. The dream team who created State of Siege: 26/11, Contiloe Pictures led by Abhimanyu Singh has produced the film and Ken Ghosh who helmed the hugely popular and successful Abhay 2 has directed this film. Lt. Col (retd.) Sundeep Sen (2nd in command at the NSG during the dreadful 26/11 Mumbai attacks) was a consultant on both State of Siege projects. Inspired by true events, State of Siege: Temple Attack pays tribute to our soldiers, salutes the brave Indian spirit and continues the legacy of the Siege series. The NSG has always showcased their will and determination to save the lives of innocent people and successfully capture or kill the terrorists. This film will take the viewers up close and personal on all the behind-the-scenes action of a dreadful temple attack. Full of thrill, action, drama and suspense, the film is sure to keep the audience on the edge of the seat. To create buzz around this film, ZEE5 deployed an extensive 360-degree campaign consisting of print, TV, digital and on-ground promotions. From multiple print ads and an on-air promotional plan to a stimulating digital plan including a UGC activity where people sent in their gratitude in the form of a message to NSG commandos, ZEE5 left no stone unturned to promote State of Siege: Temple Attack. State of Siege: Temple Attack is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu only on ZEE5 Traceability in the food system is something that came under the microscope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now one of the nations largest beef processors is getting behind a CattleTrace, an system for tracking animal disease. SUTHERLAND, Iowa Paul Mugge steps into a field of triticale on his organic farm in northwest Iowa. The triticale is part of a crop rotation he is always tweaking, always experimenting with. In a way, that is the same thing happening across the organic agriculture industry. Farmers and regulators and industry leaders are continually tweaking and, in many cases, arguing over the best way forward. Consumer demand for organic food continues to grow, according to Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the Organic Trade Association. I think the consumer interest in organic food and fiber products has never been higher than it is today, Batcha says. In 2020, the market grew by about 12%, its highest rate since 2008, and it accounted for nearly $62 billion, or about 6% of food sales in the United States. That means more farmers are going into organic production as well, Batcha says. But that growth in the organic industry brings with it some inescapable conflicts. One of those is that organic traditionally was identified with small and local production, but the certification has nothing to do with size. As it becomes a larger industry, there have been issues regarding imports. Thats a hot issue, Mugge says. He says there has been concern in the past several years that USDA was not updating and enforcing standards in regards to imports. The United States imports about 80% of its organic grain, and 70% of its organic soybean meal comes from India. Many Midwestern farmers question whether all of that imported grain meets organic guidelines. Adding to an already busy operation can be a challenge. So when it comes to cover crops, keeping things simple is key. Doug Hanson, a forage and cover crop specialist for ProHarvest Seeds, said those looking to start using cover crops should take an easier approach. Pick one or two things, Hanson said. Start out with a field or two, especially if you have no experience with cover crops. Patience is important. The effects are compounding, he said, so soil health benefits may take a couple of years to be seen. However, when the benefits start, they will keep coming. One early benefit is weed control. Using an overwintering cover crop, such as rye, will help control weeds in the spring. That is one of the immediate benefits that will help farmers see the process through if they are getting impatient, he said. You can get good weed control using a cover crop, Hanson said. Doing that in front of soybeans is nice because soybeans are pretty resilient. We dont want to take any chances of negatively affecting the seedbed of the next corn field. Its hard to put a value on that, but some say its priceless if theyve struggled with controlling some of those resistant weeds. Hanson also addressed soil stability through cover crops, noting that fields dealing with weak soil structure and erosion may find help through cover. He said farmers who have been using conventional tillage and who are looking to switch to no-till or cover crops may take a few years to see those soil benefits, but it makes a difference in the long run. Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Raymond Ibrahims 2018 book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, was recently translated into French and published in France. In connection, Arnaud Imatz of the French website La Nef, interviewed him. An abbreviated, English version of that interview follows: The American Raymond Ibrahim has just published a fascinating and erudite history of the centuries-old conflicts between Islam and Christianity: L'epee et le cimeterre (Jean-Cyrille Godefroy Editions). This book is the almost exhaustive account of the fourteen centuries of antagonisms and fights, major or minor, which took place. A historian, linguist and philologist, and a specialist in oriental languages, Ibrahim has methodically exploited first-hand sources, both Muslim and "Western", and has consulted numerous manuscripts from the Library of Congress in Washington. His book is not only a detailed chronicle of the battles, it is also and above all a rigorous analysis of the intentions and strategies of the various warring leaders. Ibrahim shows that the Muslim forces were essentially obeying a religious, messianic, expansionist, conquering logic, whereas the Christian armies wanted above all to recover territories that for centuries had been Roman, Greek and Christian. He also shows that the religious fervor of today's Islamists overlaps exactly with ancestral Islamic dogmas, that Western reactions are 1400-year-old self-defense mechanisms, and that current rivalries are the reflection of a very old existential struggle. We interviewed him for La Nef. La Nef: Is the hostility between Islam and Christianity an accident of history or is it part of the continuity of Islamic history? Ibrahim: It is most certainly part of a continuum. The problem is that modern historians tend to sideline this religious aspect, and focus instead on national identities. For example, we know that for centuries, a great array of Eastern people invaded and sometimes conquered portions of Europe. Modern historians give them a variety of names -- including Arabs, Moors, Berbers, Turks, and Tatars; other times they call them Umayyads, Abbasids, Seljuks, and Ottomans. What modern historians fail to do, however, is point out that all these groups relied on the same exact jihadist logic and rhetoric that contemporary terrorist groups such as the Islamic State do today. Whether it was the Arabs (or Saracens) who first invaded Christendom in the seventh century, or the Turks and Tatars who terrorized Eastern Europe into the eighteenth century -- all of them justified their invasions by citing Islamic teaching, namely, that it is Islams destiny to rule the whole world through the means of jihad. They also followed the classical juridical injunctions of, for example, offering the infidels three choices before battle -- conversion to Islam, acceptance of dhimmi status and payment of tribute (jizya), or death. And, once they conquered a Christian area, they immediately destroyed or transformed churches into mosques, and sold whichever Christians were not slaughtered into abject, and often sexual, slavery. The degree to which the modern West fails to realize this is evident in its claim that groups like the Islamic State are not behaving according to Islamic teaching and doctrine. In fact, not only are they acting in strict accordance with Islams traditional worldview -- hating, combating, killing and enslaving infidels -- but they often intentionally emulate the great jihadists of history (such as Khalid bin al-Walid, the Sword of Allah) whom the West tends to know nothing about. La Nef: Is it your opinion that the term "West" masks the real history because it suggests that the "Eastern" and North African lands conquered by Islam (Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor, North Africa), that is to say two thirds of the original Christian territories, were not really part of the Greco-Roman Christian heritage, contrary to what is usually said of the Christian regions of the Balkans or Hispania? Ibrahim: Yes, just as post-Christian Europe and its offshoots (America, Australia, etc.) fail to understand Islams true history, so too do they fail to understand their own true history -- especially as impacted by Islam. What is now referred to as the West was for centuries known and demarcated by the territorial extent of its religion (hence the older and historically more accurate term, Christendom). It included all the lands you mention and more; they had become Christian, many centuries before Islam arrived and were part of the same overarching civilization. Then Islam came and violently conquered the majority of those territories, some permanently (the Middle East, North Africa, Anatolia), some temporarily (Spain, the Balkans, the Mediterranean islands). During this time, most of Europe became the last and most redoubtable bastion of Christendom not to be conquered though constantly attacked by Islam. In this (forgotten) sense, the term the West becomes ironically accurate. For the West was actually and literally the westernmost remnant of what was a much more extensive civilizational block that Islam permanently severed. Overall, however, the term the West shortchanges its own history with and truncation by Islam. It further implies that all those Eastern lands conquered by Islam were never part of Western civilization, when in fact they were the original inheritors of its Greco-Roman and Christian heritage. La Nef: The battle of Manzikert, which was for the Turks what Yarmuz was for the Arabs, is celebrated as a great victory of Islam by Erdogan and Turkish dignitaries. On the other hand, the leaders of countries like France and Spain prefer to ignore or underestimate the historical importance of Tours-Poitiers or Las Navas de Tolosa. Many French scholars no longer consider the battle of Poitiers-Tour (732) as a "turning point" but rather as a "minor raid episode." Should we see in this attitude signs of the revival of fighting Islam and, conversely, of European pacifism and renunciation? Ibrahim: Yes, you should most certainly see this, because that is precisely what these attitudes signify. But I would argue that, for the European elite, the matter is worse than merely downplaying their ancestors defensive victories against Islam. Some are actively condemning them. For a growing number of Spaniards, for example, the Reconquista -- centuries of warfare to liberate Spain from Islam -- is a source of shame, a reminder of how intolerant and backwards their forbears were, particularly vis-a-vis the supposedly tolerant and advanced Muslims of al-Andalus. In reality, the shame such elites have for their ancestors, and the praise they have for their ancestors enemies, is indicative of the degree to which they have been indoctrinated in a history that is antithetical to reality. La Nef: The feeling of Christian solidarity has disappeared nowadays not only among European politicians and chancelleries but more generally in public opinion. What about Muslims who know the history of Islam? Do they consider the concept of jihad against the infidels to be an integral part of Islam? Ibrahim: Yes they do, certainly the ones learned in history -- and the average Muslim is by far much more learned in Islamic history than the average European is in their own history. Worse and as mentioned, Europeans tend to be learned -- that is, indoctrinated -- in false histories, ones designed to demonize their past and heritage, while whitewashing the past and heritage of others, in this case, Muslims. Jihad against infidels is indeed an integral part of Islam, documented and validated everywhere -- in the Koran, hadith (and subsequently Sunna), and the consensus of the umma. No authoritative Muslim cleric (or alim, singular for ulema -- they who know) past or present, has ever denied this -- except, of course, when speaking before infidel audiences and practicing taqiyya. La Nef: Are the "militant", "extremist" or "Islamist" Muslims faithful to Islam or are they holding it hostage to their own political interests? Ibrahim: The bottom line is this: there is hardly anything that these types of Muslims do that is not already part of their religion and heritage. For example, all the depravities the Islamic State engaged in -- enslaving, selling, and buying infidel sex slaves; beheading, crucifying, and even burning infidels alive; destroying or turning churches into mosques -- were committed countless times over the centuries by Muslims, always in the name of jihad. Such depravities are, moreover, defined as at least permissible in Islamic law. How then can we call such Muslims militant and extreme? Seems more logical to call Islam itself militant and extreme, no? Image: Charles de Steuben To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. The Monty Python boys, dressed in red frocks, once irreverently boasted, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! ... Amongst our chief weapons are such diverse elements as fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the pope!" If you switch "pope" to "woke" and the "Spanish Inquisition" to "Authoritarian Imposition," I think that old comedy sketch nails our present situation in America pretty well. Consider how our D.C. despots, with their stern expressions of disapproval and general sense of entitlement, have responded to 75 million Trump voters who insist on auditing the 2020 election. Have they done so with transparency, calm reason, compassion for those governed, and steadfast respect for the rule of law? Nope. They've decided to defend tyranny in the name of liberty and protect self-government by denying the people their chance to consent. They've embraced Monty Python levels of absurdity by pretending free people can be free only if the authorities say so. Questioning the legitimacy of an election is treason! (fear) To "protect democracy," some people must be imprisoned for their political beliefs! (surprise) In order to protect freedom, the Intelligence Community must work with Silicon Valley to label defenders of the Bill of Rights as "domestic extremists"! (ruthless efficiency) Patriotic Americans are enemies of the state because Antifa and BLM say so! (fanatical devotion to the woke) Aristotle warned that "republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms." The U.S. government seems intent on proving that observation true. A legislature can trample a people's rights just as easily as can a king, especially when it has learned to hide its despotism behind deceptive language. "Social justice" sure is a nice way of saying some people must be punished for the color of their skin, and "racial equity" (the government's decree that powerless proles, regardless of talents or work ethic, should be rewarded identically) and "carbon neutrality" (the government's mechanism for controlling all free-market action by first controlling all sources of energy) sound pretty good for commie claptrap dressed up in hipper clothes. All within the state, nothing outside the state? Workers of the world, unite? Black lives matter? Build back better? Like some awful Trojan horse that gets a new paint job every generation, history's tyrants find new magic words they can use to entice free people to subjugate themselves. It's always the same junk, just a newer jingle. It seems like yesterday that Americans naturally fought government overreach, had a general love for freedom and an abhorrence toward the police states of China and Soviet Russia, and understood that freely expressed speech was a deal-breaker that separated the two systems. Now we have a Maoist mainstream media establishment that cheerleads for Communist China while actively arguing for regulated speech here at home and an army of pop culture blowhards who spend all day long begging the government to criminalize words and redistribute wealth in the name of "fairness." (Does anyone want to tell LeBron James that in the "equitable" system, which both China and our American authoritarians use him to promote, his money eventually becomes their money?) At the G-7 summit in Cornwall, during which Biden and the other defenders of the "neoliberal order" positioned the United States and Europe against the growing power of Russia and China, they did so by framing the global contest as one between "democracies" and the "threat of authoritarianism." That's a pretty difficult distinction to make for anybody living in the West during this time of COVID-induced hysteria and total government control over every aspect of an individual's life and livelihood. Sure, authoritarianism from China is a stark threat to human freedom, but the threats of growing authoritarianism in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. are no less threatening. The fact that G-7 leaders don't appreciate how their own increasing despotism has watered down their claim on the "free world" does not bode well for the wars to come. Fighting for freedom abroad while it disintegrates at home doesn't make much sense. And fighting for the preservation of "American values" when those values have been repeatedly demonized by our out-to-lunch woke rulers makes no sense at all. Now that the U.S. military has decided that "global warming" is America's biggest threat and racial Marxism (AKA "Critical Race Theory) is America's newest creed, the United States government has betrayed all who died in the name of preserving American freedoms. Why on Earth did we sacrifice so many young men on the beachheads and battlefields of Europe to fight Nazism's dogma of racial supremacy only to be ruled by woke-whisperers who find America itself irredeemably racist? Why did we have to lose so many soldiers fighting the communists in Korea and Vietnam and throughout Central and South America only to discover that "progress" requires America to go full-tilt commie? I want those lives back. I want the children who were never born and the families that never came to be because young Americans were sent all over the world to lay down their lives in the hope that strangers from foreign lands might taste freedom, too. If soldiers knew then what they would know now that the American government deems them "domestic extremists" for waving Old Glory from the beds of their trucks or defending the Bill of Rights on social media surely they'd have had second thoughts before stepping off those landing crafts or disappearing into tropical jungles to fight the same enemies that have ended up taking over America anyway. Maybe if all those children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren hadn't been lost to history because their family lines ended in the mud and blood of foreign fields, enough Americans still committed to individual freedom would be alive today to fight back against the Marxist hordes who call D.C. home. Regardless, treating Americans as enemies and then expecting them to defend their nation from peril is a losing proposition. Monty Python, as always, got it right: "There are a great many people in the country today who, through no fault of their own, are sane." Image: TheDigitalArtist via Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Darryl Cooper, AKA MartyrMade, is a researcher, writer, and podcaster who has put together one of the most brilliant Twitter threads you will ever read. Over the course of 35 tweets, he examines fact after fact from the last five years to explain why conservatives the people who used to believe in our government, in law enforcement, in the election process have become cynical, disillusioned, and prone to accepting conspiracy theories to explain the manifest breakdowns in the American system. It's a brilliant analysis, one so good that Tucker Carlson read almost the entire thread on his show. Since I find it hard to read long Twitter threads, I've put the entire text, verbatim, into prose form. You can read the thread here, in the original tweets. Frankly, I'm a little surprised the thread is still up because its scathing truths should frighten outlets like Twitter: I think Ive had discussions w/enough Boomer-tier Trump supporters who believe the 2020 election was fraudulent to extract a general theory about their perspective. It is also the perspective of most of the people at the Capitol on 1/6, and probably even Trump himself. 1/x Most believe some or all of the theories involving midnight ballots, voting machines, etc, but what you find when you talk to them is that, while theyll defend those positions w/info they got from Hannity or Breitbart or whatever, theyre not particularly attached to them. 2/x Here are the facts actual, confirmed facts that shape their perspective: 1) The FBI/etc spied on the 2016 Trump campaign using evidence manufactured by the Clinton campaign. We now know that all involved knew it was fake from Day 1 (see: Brennans July 2016 memo, etc). 3/x These are Tea Party people. The types who give their kids a pocket Constitution for their birthday and have Founding Fathers memes in their bios. The intel community spying on a presidential campaign using fake evidence (incl forged documents) is a big deal to them. 4/x Everyone involved lied about their involvement as long as they could. We only learned the DNC paid for the manufactured evidence because of a court order. Comey denied on TV knowing the DNC paid for it, when we have emails from a year earlier proving that he knew. 5/x This was true with everyone, from CIA Dir Brennan & Adam Schiff who were on TV saying theyd seen clear evidence of collusion w/Russia, while admitting under oath behind closed doors that they hadnt all the way down the line. In the end we learned that it was ALL fake. 6/x At first, many Trump ppl were worried there must be some collusion, because every media & intel agency wouldnt make it up out of nothing. When it was clear that they had made it up, people expected a reckoning, and shed many illusions about their govt when it didnt happen. 7/x We know as fact: a) The Steele dossier was the sole evidence used to justify spying on the Trump campaign, b) The FBI knew the Steele dossier was a DNC op, c) Steeles source told the FBI the info was unserious, d) they did not inform the court of any of this and kept spying. 8/x Trump supporters know the collusion case front and back. They went from worrying the collusion must be real, to suspecting it might be fake, to realizing it was a scam, then watched as every institution agencies, the press, Congress, academia gaslit them for another year. 9/x Worse, collusion was used to scare people away from working in the administration. They knew their entire lives would be investigated. Many quit because they were being bankrupted by legal fees. The DoJ, press, & govt destroyed lives and actively subverted an elected admin. 10/x This is where people whose political identity was largely defined by a naive belief in what they learned in Civics class began to see the outline of a Regime that crossed all institutional boundaries. Because it had stepped out of the shadows to unite against an interloper. 11/x GOP propaganda still has many of them thinking in terms of partisan binaries, but A LOT of Trump supporters see that the Regime is not partisan. They all know that the same institutions would have taken opposite sides if it was a Tulsi Gabbard vs Jeb Bush election. 12/x Its hard to describe to people on the left (who are used to thinking of govt as a conspiracy Watergate, COINTELPRO, WMD, etc) how shocking & disillusioning this was for people who encourage their sons to enlist in the Army, and hate ppl who dont stand for the Anthem. 13/x They could have managed the shock if it only involved the government. But the behavior of the corporate press is really what radicalized them. They hate journalists more than they hate any politician or govt official, because they feel most betrayed by them. 14/x The idea that the press is driven by ratings/sensationalism became untenable. If that were true, theyd be all over the Epstein story. The corporate press is the propaganda arm of the Regime they now see in outline. Nothing anyone says will ever make them unsee that, period. 15/x This is profoundly disorienting. Many of them dont know for certain whether ballots were faked in November 2020, but they know for absolute certain that the press, the FBI, etc would lie to them if there was. They have every reason to believe that, and its probably true. 16/x They watched the press behave like animals for four years. Tens of millions of people will always see Kavanaugh as a gang rapist, based on nothing, because of CNN. And CNN seems proud of that. They led a lynch mob against a high school kid. They cheered on a summer of riots. 17/x They always claimed the media had liberal bias, fine, whatever. They still thought the press would admit truth if they were cornered. Now they dont. Its a different thing to watch them invent stories whole cloth in order to destroy regular lives and spark mass violence. 18/x Time Mag told us that during the 2020 riots, there were weekly conference calls involving, among others, leaders of the protests, the local officials who refused to stop them, and media people who framed them for political effect. In Ukraine we call that a color revolution. 19/x Throughout the summer, Democrat governors took advantage of COVID to change voting procedures. It wasnt just the mail-ins (they lowered signature matching standards, etc). After the collusion scam, the fake impeachment, Trump ppl expected shenanigans by now. 20/x Re: fake impeachment, we now know that Trumps request for Ukraine to cooperate w/the DOJ regarding Bidens $ activities in Ukraine was in support of an active investigation being pursued by the FBI and Ukraine AG at the time, and so a completely legitimate request. 21/x Then you get the Hunter laptop scandal. Big Tech ran a full-on censorship campaign against a major newspaper to protect a political candidate. Period. Everyone knows it, all of the Tech companies now admit it was a mistake but, ya know, the elections over, so who cares? 22/x Goes w/o saying, but: If the NY Times had Don Jrs laptop, full of pics of him smoking crack and engaging in group sex, lots of lurid family drama, emails describing direct corruption and backed up by the CEO of the company they were using, the NYT wouldnt have been banned. 23/x Think back: Stories about Trump being pissed on by Russian prostitutes and blackmailed by Putin were promoted as fact, and the only evidence was a document paid for by his opposition and disavowed by its source. The NY Post was banned for reporting on true information. 24/x The reaction of Trump ppl to all this was not, no fair! Thats how they felt about Romneys binders of women in 2012. This is different. Now they see, correctly, that every institution is captured by ppl who will use any means to exclude them from the political process. 25/x And yet they showed up in record numbers to vote. He got 13m more votes than in 2016, 10m more than Clinton got! As election night dragged on, they allowed themselves some hope. But when the four critical swing states (and only those states) went dark at midnight, they knew. 26/x Over the ensuing weeks, they got shuffled around by grifters and media scam artists selling them conspiracy theories. They latched onto one, then another increasingly absurd theory as they tried to put a concrete name on something very real. 27/x Media & Tech did everything to make things worse. Everything about the election was strange the changes to procedure, unprecedented mail-in voting, the delays, etc but rather than admit that and make everything transparent, they banned discussion of it (even in DMs!). 28/x Everyone knows that, just as Don Jrs laptop wouldve been the story of the century, if everything about the election dispute was the same, except the parties were reversed, suspicions about the outcome wouldve been Taken Very Seriously. See 2016 for proof. 29/x Even the courts refusal of the case gets nowhere w/them, because of how the opposition embraced mass political violence. Theyll say, w/good reason: What judge will stick his neck out for Trump knowing hell be destroyed in the media as a violent mob burns down his house? 30/x Its a fact, according to Time Magazine, that mass riots were planned in cities across the country if Trump won. Sure, they were protests, but they were planned by the same people as during the summer, and everyone knows what it would have meant. Judges have families, too. 31/x Forget the ballot conspiracies. Its a fact that governors used COVID to unconstitutionally alter election procedures (the Constitution states that only legislatures can do so) to help Biden to make up for a massive enthusiasm gap by gaming the mail-in ballot system. 32/x They knew it was unconstitutional, its right there in plain English. But they knew the cases wouldnt see court until after the election. And what judge will toss millions of ballots because a governor broke the rules? The threat of mass riots wasnt implied, it was direct. 33/x a) The entrenched bureaucracy & security state subverted Trump from Day 1, b) The press is part of the operation, c) Election rules were changed, d) Big Tech censors opposition, e) Political violence is legitimized & encouraged, f) Trump is banned from social media. 34/x They were led down some rabbit holes, but they are absolutely right that their govt is monopolized by a Regime that believes they are beneath representation, and will observe no limits to keep them getting it. Trump fans should be happy he lost; it mightve kept him alive. /end Yesterday, I wrote that China is giving every indication that it intends to go on the attack in the Pacific, against Taiwan, and even against America. However, two things that I read provide a different way of looking at China's huffing and puffing. It may not actually be able to blow the world's house down although it still wins if the world responds as if China were, in fact, capable of that kind of destruction. Ivan Eland, a senior fellow at the Independent Institute (one of my favorite think-tanks), has written an intriguing essay at The American Conservative arguing that China is weaker than Xi's positions would indicate: China's first weakness is strongman Xi himself. Instead of selling off inefficient state-owned industries and banks, which still make up a significant portion of the Chinese economy, he is trying to recentralize power. He has done away with the improvement of Hu Jintao, his predecessor as Party leader, which set the expectation that CPP leaders would step down after two five-year terms. This was Hu's attempt to begin to modernize Communist Party governance by trying to regularize changes of leadership. Instead, Xi is trying to return China to the bad old days of succession struggles after a political strongman (now Xi) dies or is incapacitated. In addition, the private economy continuing to carry the burden of sclerotic state-owned "key" industries and banks will slow Chinese economic growth. Also likely to slow economic growth is China's demographic crisis. As countries develop and industrialize, they have fewer children because less labor is needed in the agricultural sector and greater numbers of children raise costs to individual families. Thus, many developed countries around the world have declining birthrates. However, China's problem is much worse because of the Communist Party's disastrous "one-child policy," which was revoked only after it had exacerbated the demographic crisis. Furthermore, China has restive ethnic inhabitants of Xinjiang and Tibet and a politically unruly pro-democracy population in Hong Kong, which China is suppressing in violation of its promise to allow a "One China, Two Systems" approach. Such fractious populations weaken China internally. There's more, and I encourage you to read it all. Our own Joe Strader, in a letter to me regarding my post yesterday, had a different and equally interesting point: I do not think China wants a hot war. I think the Chinese want their enemies to surrender preemptively thinking they are willing to pursue a hot war. China makes very little precision machinery that works reliably. If their military is equipped with Chinese made arms, they are unreliable and mostly junk. The Chinese are good at making junk and environmentally damaging sub-components, but you can go to every factory in the USA and you will find zero manufacturing machinery from China. The important precision stuff is all made in America, Europe, and Israel. Moreover, while the Chinese certainly have a huge military, it's made up of conscripts (which the American military avoids because conscripts too often make poor soldiers). And again, the conscripts are armed with those shoddy Chinese-made weapons. If China has to battle the world with the stuff they make, the USA would beat it handily. However, if the Chinese can threaten their neighbors and, currently, the neighbors know that the USA, with its superior machines, will not be there to help. At the end of the day, Chinese junk is superior to no response. The wars need not go hot. The enemies will fold. That is the Chinese plan as I see it. The Chinese are ruthless, and, as they've shown with COVID, they have no moral compunction about engaging in biological warfare. In fact, COVID is the perfect example of both sides of the Chinese: either they deliberately released the virus, which is evil and a violation of the Geneva convention, or they carelessly released the virus, and promptly capitalized on that, which is what Joe Strader is arguing. Ultimately, whether China is bluffing or plans to follow through on its threats, the only thing that will deter it from action is knowing that America will respond with a vengeful fury equal to its response when Japan attacked and Hitler declared war on America. Now you just need to ask yourself if that response is ever going to come from Joe Biden and the Democrat party, all of whom have already been bought and paid for by China. Still, if it's all a bluff, at least it will be a bloodless takeover... Image: Chinese communist party centenary. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Like all blue-city mayors, Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles has been a colossal, miserable failure. So when Joe Biden announced yesterday that he was appointing Garcetti ambassador to India, it wasn't surprising to see huge cheers of "good riddance" not just from the right, but the radical left, too: As a citizen of Los Angeles, leave tonight Eric Garcetti. You are a horrible Mayor! https://t.co/4DrKoz88iN TheLeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) July 10, 2021 Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of increasing police budgets, gentrification, displacement and appropriator of movement language, is finally leaving LA. #GoodRiddanceGarcetti pic.twitter.com/uBAzMvwH1f #BlackLivesMatter-LA (@BLMLA) July 9, 2021 Garcetti was hated in all quarters. His COVID lockdowns brought untold misery to the city. The homeless crisis, which he stoked by shoveling millions of dollars at, is now out of control. Crime is soaring, the police are defunded, and the streets are full of potholes. And his administration is loaded with scandals, lots of pay-to-play and union overtime scams, which Garcetti covers up. (Peter Schweizer, in Profiles in Corruption, documented many.) But the appointment is a weird one, given that Garcetti is a top Democrat, a co-chair of Biden's re-election committee, a member of his vice presidential selection committee, and chief of his inaugural ball. He also has well known presidential ambitions of his own. The press is saying it was a reward to a crony. But that makes little sense, given that the job's a demotion. Going from mayor of America's second largest city to any ambassadorship, even a big one, is obviously a step downward. More likely, Joe was sidelining a troublemaking rival by offering him a "plum." Now, it's very likely that Biden liked Garcetti a lot based on his Hollywood ties, and his record of pay-to-play and other corruption, most notably his requests from corporations to donate big dollars as "behests" to his pet projects. According to Schweizer, Garcetti played that game way better than his northern rival, Gov. Gavin Newsom, by shaking down ten times as much in those "behests." And Garcetti, recognizing a kindred soul, liked Biden back. Of all the Democrats out there, Garcetti was there when the power players were determining that Joe would be the Democratic nominee at the South Carolina primary and gave him an early endorsement. So suddenly sticking Garcetti in India, a place he has otherwise shown minimal interest in, is kind of noticible for something being off. To start, Kamala's niece, Meena, has already screwed up U.S. ties with India, so Garcetti's going to have problems. Garcetti's acceptance is already pretty strange he's not going as representative for the U.S., he says, but to do good things for Los Angeles and its political machine. Here's his statement, according to the New York Post: "Today, the President announced that I am his nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to India. I am honored to accept his nomination to serve in this role. I have committed my life to service as an activist, as a teacher, as a naval officer, as a public servant, and if confirmed, next as an ambassador. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call," he said in a statement. Now, it may well be that Garcetti's got big political problems with investigators breathing down his neck at home, and his exit to New Delhi is convenient. Maybe it's a bailout for an ally. Can't discount it entirely. More likely, though, it looks like a Biden bid to get him out of the picture. Historically, when a president wants to sideline a rival, he packs him off to some ambassadorship abroad. Pete Buttigieg, recall, turned down Biden's offer of the ambassadorship to China in favor of the higher-profile transport secretary "infrastructure" job instead. The logic there was clear. Note that the talk of Garcetti taking the ambassadorship started in May, right about when stories about senile Joe were starting to bubble up in the press. Maybe Garcetti's exit was a bid to make the senility stories stop. Because these days, it seems that everyone knows that Joe is senile. There have been press attacks on Kamala Harris and press puffery about Pete Buttigieg in recent weeks, as well as a gushing profile from Vogue about first lady Jill Biden, currently playing the role of Mrs. Wilson. It's obviously the crossfire of a power struggle at the White House. I tried to parse that out a bit here, thinking maybe Buttigieg was making a power-grab against Joe, and Jill was undercutting Kamala. Now, in light of this ambassadorship, it comes to light that maybe it was Garcetti leading the move to get rid of Joe. That's because he's even closer to both Kamala and Buttigieg than he is to Joe. Biden, and Jill, could have easily arranged to knock out ambitious Kamala with the negative press as well as the border assignment she was unfit for and sure to fail at. They also likely arranged the negative Vogue coverage of Kamala and the gushy cover story about Jill. But the spate of positive stories about Buttigieg suddenly coming out at a time when everyone is thinking of how to get rid of Joe could have been Garcetti's hand striking back. Garcetti, might be the real puppetmaster in a sneaky campaign to push both Kamala and Buttigieg as presidential material to take Joe out. The offered ambassadorship to Garcetti would therefore be Joe's response. On the matter of Harris, Garcetti was on the four-person team that chose Kamala to serve as Biden's running mate. He told Fox 11 in a short video clip what that was like: On the matter of Buttigieg, Garcetti has said this: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's dream of a 2020 presidential run may be over, but he's still comparing himself to the field of Democratic candidates. Garcetti, 49, quipped that he's an "older, straighter Pete" Buttigieg during a speech Thursday, likening himself to the former South Bend, Ind., mayor because they both served in the Navy Reserve. Both politicians also are Rhodes scholars and play the piano. It wasn't the first time Garcetti has linked himself to Buttigieg, 38, now a top-tier presidential candidate who came in second in this week's New Hampshire primary. "It's nice to have Pete be like my mayoral avatar, to show that the theory was correct and that there is, I think, a hunger for a new, outside-Washington mayoral leadership," Garcetti told the Atlantic earlier this year . Garcetti's eminence grise, a guy named Rick Jacobs, described by Schweizer as a top adviser and political wheeler dealer, went to Buttigieg's putative wedding. The pair also started an infrastructure fund together in 2017, noted like this by Politico: Prospective presidential candidates tend to launch PACs to pump money into campaigns of people who might prove helpful. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is starting a nonprofit with other mayors, union leaders and business executives to fund what they call innovation investments around the country. Called Accelerator for America, the group will hold its first meeting Nov. 7 and 8 in South Bend, Indiana, timed to coincide with the anniversary of last year's election. The second meeting is already booked for February, in Columbia, South Carolina. It all has the feel of Joe Biden getting rid of a political troublemaker out to get his job to get his own people in. Garcetti is a much stronger money-man and political operator than other Democrats such as Newsom. He plays the corrupt big-city games better than any of them. He's not a total freak such as the mayors of New York and Chicago, so he largely stays off the press radar. He's just a troublemaker for Joe, and suddenly he's getting packed off to India. It remains to be seen as to whether he stays there. It's interesting. Image: Screen shot, Fox 11 shareable video. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. President Biden explained his Afghanistan policy this way: I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome. The United States cannot afford to remain tethered to policies created in response to the world as it was 20 years ago. Well, I disagree. We decided to keep a major presence on the Korean border, and no generation has gone back to fight again. When was the last time that a U.S. soldier was killed in combat in Korea? Our presence in South Korea has been the best insurance policy ever. It kept the peace in the region. The same with the U.S. presence in Europe after World War II. Again, U.S. soldiers keep people from attacking each other and creating chaos. We went to Afghanistan to attack the people who authored 9/11 and to kill Osama bin Laden. We met those two objectives. Furthermore, I am no fan of the Afghan government, nor do I have fantasies that we can build a democracy there. Our presence in that country is about the U.S., not Afghanistan. We've kept the terrorists in check and prevented them from putting the band together for future activities. We should have kept a force behind to remind the terrorists that we've not forgotten 9/11. Unfortunately, we will now see the country overrun by terrorists, who will punish women for going to school and claim the victory that they never won. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). Image: PxFuel. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. See also: Definite sign of panic: Pennsylvania acting Secretary of State issues illegal orders to obstruct audit of 2020 election This is quite a coincidence: Two days after Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano announced that the committee he heads was preparing a forensic audit of the 2020 presidential election, the White House announced a trip to Pennsylvania by President Biden "to deliver remarks on actions to protect the sacred constitutional right to vote." Source. The stakes are just too high to allow the Senate in Pennsylvania to conduct a 2020 election audit; and all prior corrupt activity must be protected and maintained. As a direct result the White House is announcing the people behind Joe Biden are immediately dispatching all federal resources to Philadelphia to begin the war against Pennsylvania voters. The Obama regime officials cannot permit the State of Pennsylvania to challenge or expose the scale of election fraud executed in Philadelphia county. They will manipulate every narrative needed, instruct every corporate media ally, call out every labor union and community activist group, pre-position Antifa, trigger every BIG Tech mechanism, activate the DOJ, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and even the U.S. military if that is needed to quell any rebellion. Senator Mastriano's committee, the Intergovernmental Operations Committee of the Pennsylvania state Senate, will predictably have trouble getting the information it is requesting (and has the right to demand) from the local authorities, especially after a visiting president meets with them or their significant influencers and lobbies them to resist and delay. Mastriano's announcement stated: Today [July 7], as Chair of the Intergovernmental Operations Committee, I issued letters to several counties requesting information and materials needed to conduct a forensic investigation of the 2020 General Election and the 2021 Primary. We have asked these counties to respond by July 31st with a plan to comply. The counties represent different geographical regions of Pennsylvania and differing political makeups. Some are Republican while others are Democrat, which means that this will be a balanced investigation. The Intergovernmental Operations Committee is a standing committee of the Pennsylvania State Senate with oversight and investigatory responsibilities regarding activities relating to or conducted between two or more governments or levels of government, including the administration of elections across the Commonwealth. As set forth in Pennsylvania Senate Rule 14 (d), each standing committee is empowered with the authority to inspect and investigate the books, records, papers, documents, data, operation, and physical plant of any public agency in this Commonwealth, including county boards of elections. The hysteria with which the left and its NeverTrump allies proclaim that questioning the election results is a Big Lie reveals their fear. These same people had nothing to say about years of phony claims that Russian collusion placed Trump in the White House and treat Stacey Abrams as an icon after her claim to have been elected Georgia's governor despite losing by tens of thousands of votes. Suddenly, sunshine no longer is a disinfectant. Ignorance is bliss (if you are a cheater and your marks are the ignorant). We're still impatiently waiting for the Arizona audit to be completed and results announced. Georgia is another state that provided a margin of victory where suspicions abound and preliminary data suggest that fraud determined the outcome. There is no constitutional or established legal remedy for a stolen presidential election, and the words "constitutional crisis" would not be an exaggeration of the trouble ahead if audits demonstrate that the presidential election was stolen. That may be why so many disturbing moves like the national expansion of the Capitol Police are being put in place by Democrats. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. One of the most frustrating things for conservatives in the past five years is the fact that, no matter what Deep Staters and leftists do, there are no consequences. In leftist Palo Alto, however, which lies at the very heart of Silicon Valley, five police officers are fighting back with a lawsuit that seeks to remove a "discriminatory" Black Lives Matter mural celebrating a famed cop-killer. For the past five years, we've seen Democrats, Deep Staters, and ardent leftists (although perhaps I'm repeating myself) walk free, no matter the crime they've committed. When Hillary Clinton commits national security violations that would see anyone else imprisoned for life, she's considered a respected political doyenne. When James Comey and James Clapper lie to Congress, they get book deals and speaking gigs. When Antifa tries to burn down Portland, its members get arrested and then released. And when Black Lives Matter destroys whole communities and implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) seeks police deaths, its rampages are called "peaceful protests." If there's one truism in life, it's that bad behavior, if rewarded, will continue. So far, nothing has happened to stop bad leftist actors from destroying national security, election security, an entire presidency, or the peace and freedom of the American people. Slowly, though, Americans are starting to fight back. And that gets us to Palo Alto, California. Palo Alto is not only a fabulously wealthy city, but it's also an incredibly leftist city. This is hardly surprising, given that it occupies the heart of Silicon Valley. Also, typically for a rich leftist enclave, it exists cheek-by-jowl with an extremely poor Black community in East Palo Alto. The lefties preach Critical Race Theory and theatrically grovel about their "White privilege," but they never do anything to alleviate actual poverty in the primarily Black or Hispanic inner cities. But I digress. When the whole Black Lives Matter movement exploded last year, Palo Alto put up a huge Black Lives Matter mural right across from the town hall and the police station. The mural prominently features Joanne Chesimard, who is still one of America's most wanted fugitives. A member of the Black Liberation Army and the Black Panther Party, Chesimard, who adopted the fake African name of "Assata Olugbala Shakur," was an active, murderous player in the infamous New Jersey Turnpike shooting in 1973. It was Chesimard who shot the already wounded Werner Foerster, a trooper, execution-style, in the head. Chesimard was involved in several other crimes, including bank robbery and kidnapping. Eventually, Chesimard was convicted on two murder charges and six assault charges. She was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a concurrent sentence of 26 to 33 years. In 1979, though, Chesimard escaped from prison and, by 1984, received political asylum in Cuba. Barack Obama, when he reopened America's relations with Cuba, rather conspicuously did not ask for Chesimard's return as a condition of the renewed diplomatic relations. The same Palo Alto mural, in addition to celebrating a cop-killer who is one of America's most wanted escaped prisoners, has the New Black Panthers logo. Even the Southern Poverty Law Center concedes that the New Black Panthers is a hate group. According to the Daily Mail: Multiple officers based at the nearby police station have complained they feel 'harassed' by the mural every time they have to pass it. 'For law enforcement required to enter the building, is there any description other than a hostile work environment?' the National Police Association said in a statement. 'Officers, including (the five) Plaintiffs, were forced to physically pass and confront the Mural and its offensive, discriminatory, and harassing iconography every time they entered the Palo Alto Police Department,' the lawsuit filed on June 4 read. The lawsuit identified the five police officers as Eric Figueroa, Michael Foley, Christopher Moore, Robert Parham and Julie Tannock. [snip] The National Police Association called the move to keep the celebratory mural 'reprehensible,' prompting the organization to create a petition last July to have it permanently removed. 'If it is not possible to imagine putting a 17' tall mural of nurse killer Richard Speck in front of a hospital or putting a 17' tall mural of Dan White, who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, in front of a mayor's house, the atrocity of the celebration of a fugitive convicted cop killer in front of Palo Alto's City Hall is equally reprehensible,' the petition reads. Since the suit was filed in California (and Palo Alto hasn't yet been served), I can't say I'm too optimistic about the outcome, but I certainly appreciate the effort and wish the police well. Image: Joanne Chesimard on the Black Lives Matter mural. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Donald J. Trump explaining "Why I'm Suing Big Tech," and The New York Times published a guest essay (the term op-ed has become verboten at the Times) by Kara Swisher titled "Donald Trump Just Can't Quit Facebook and Twitter"? The Swisher column included this internal summary: "The former leader's new lawsuit shows he doesn't understand free speech." The Swisher rebuttal is not convincing. First, however, in furtherance of accurate understanding of what "free speech" is all about, here is an excerpt from Justice William Brennan's opinion in New York Times v. Sullivan, a libel law case that provided an "actual malice" test for libel actions, a ruling that, lately, has come under criticism for that test but not for its review of what free speech in the United States is all about: 23 The general proposition that freedom of expression upon public questions is secured by the First Amendment has long been settled by our decisions. The constitutional safeguard, we have said, 'was fashioned to assure unfettered interchange of ideas for the bringing about of political and social changes desired by the people.' Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476, 484, 77 S.Ct. 1304, 1308, 1 L.Ed.2d 1498. 'The maintenance of the opportunity for free political discussion to the end that government may be responsive to the will of the people and that changes may be obtained by lawful means, an opportunity essential to the security of the Republic, is a fundamental principle of our constitutional system.' Stromberg v. California, 283 U.S. 359, 369, 51 S.Ct. 532, 536, 75 L.Ed. 1117. '(I)t is a prized American privilege to speak one's mind, although not always with perfect good taste, on all public institutions,' Bridges v. California, 314 U.S. 252, 270, 62 S.Ct. 190, 197, 86 L.Ed. 192, and this opportunity is to be afforded for 'vigorous advocacy' no less than 'abstract discussion.' N.A.A.C.P. v. Button, 371 U.S. 415, 429, 83 S.Ct. 328, 9 L.Ed.2d 405. The First Amendment, said Judge Learned Hand, 'presupposes that right conclusions are more likely to be gathered out of a multitude of tongues, than through any kind of authoritative selection. To many this is, and always will be, folly; but we have staked upon it our all.' United States v. Associated Press, 52 F.Supp. 362, 372 (D.C.S.D.N.Y.1943). Mr. Justice Brandeis, in his concurring opinion in Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357, 375 376, 47 S.Ct. 641, 648, 71 L.Ed. 1095, gave the principle its classic formulation: 24 'Those who won our independence believed * * * that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government. They recognized the risks to which all human institutions are subject. But they knew that order cannot be secured merely through fear of punishment for its infraction; that it is hazardous to discourage thought, hope and imagination; that fear breeds repression; that repression breeds hate; that hate menaces stable government; that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies; and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones. Believing in the power of reason as applied through public discussion, they eschewed silence coerced by lawthe argument of force in its worst form. Recognizing the occasional tyrannies of governing majorities, they amended the Constitution so that free speech and assembly should be guaranteed.' 25 Thus we consider this case against the background of a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials. See Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1.... Among other observations, note Justice Brennan's recognition of a "prized American privilege to speak one's mind, although not always with perfect good taste[.]" Jack Dorsey at Twitter and Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook have rejected that "privilege," demanding that its customers must behave in accordance with the Dorsey and Zuckerberg views on "perfect good taste." See Justice Brennan's reference to Judge Learned Hand, who was confident that "right conclusions" would be the result of diversity of opinion, not authoritarian diktat from the likes of a Dorsey or Zuckerberg. And consider, please, Justice Brennan's recognition of "a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials." There should be no doubt to the unbiased observer that the Big Tech "Iron Curtain" excluding former president Trump from access to its social media contravenes America's commitment to free speech. Yet Kara Swisher asserts that free speech is protected, under the First Amendment, only from interference from Congress, not from private entities. To reach this unpersuasive conclusion, she first had to accuse then-president Trump falsely of "insurrection" at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. But she ignored what social media are, or should be, all about a marketplace of ideas for the public. That is to say, arguably, the matter of public accommodation is in play here, and would a court hold that while the notion of public accommodation does not allow of discrimination in booking a hotel room, or making a reservation at a restaurant, it is perfectly permissible for the likes of a Dorsey or Zuckerberg to discriminate against people they loathe, barring them from access to the social and public media they control? In an unintended giveaway, Ms. Swisher remarked, "But feelings aren't facts." Yet because she likely loathes Donald J. Trump as much as Dorsey and Zuckerberg and The New York Times, of course she would allow her feelings about Mr. Trump to trample on our tradition of free speech and accommodation to public venues. Here now is the part of Mr. Trump's argument that fits in with a public accommodation context against Big Tech censorship of shall we say unwoke views: Social media has become as central to free speech as town meeting halls, newspapers, and television networks were in prior generations, The internet is the new public square Citizen Trump concluded his Journal op-ed: Through [the Big Tech lawsuits], I intend to restore free speech for all Americans Democrats, Republicans and independents. I will never stop fighting to defend the constitutional right and sacred liberties of the American people. If there was hyperbole in Mr. Trump's concluding words, it was the suggestion that Democrats are still interested in "free speech." Swisher's "guest essay," after all, declared, of Big Tech's censorship practices against what they regard as disagreeable opinion, "Yes, they can, Mr. Trump[.]" What better proof that The New York Times has effectively hurled a spear in the direction of the heart of Justice Brennan's opinion in New York Times v. Sullivan? Should that spear find its mark, we shall indeed have abandoned our legacy of liberty for totalitarianism. In short, the court that rules on Donald J. Trump's lawsuit against Big Tech should hold that the principle of access to public accommodation extends to social media, which must not turn the First Amendment into an American Iron Curtain. In case anyone is wondering, the ACLU responded to the Big Tech ban on Citizen Trump with a mealy-mouthed statement, of course denouncing him, but also expressing a bit of difficulty with the ban. Here is the conclusory paragraph from the ACLU statement: Again, Facebook is a private entity not governed by the First Amendment. And President Trump's actions in the wake of the Nov. 4 election [Note: the election took place November 3, 2020 the shenanigans probably occurred on November 4] were deplorable. But the broader issue here is how an extraordinarily powerful private corporation regulates access to one of the country's most important forums for discussion and debate. We believe Facebook can and must do more to ensure that it operates its platform consistent with principles of free expression and fair process for all. We'll be paying close attention to see how Facebook's approach evolves, and whether the Oversight Board plays a meaningful role in protecting political speech and free expression rights online. How this illiberal cabal committed to promoting anti-Trump propaganda would howl if Zuckerberg and Dorsey ever banned a leftist totalitarian or an ayatollah, but then, this dreadful duo wouldn't. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. "Critical Race Theory" is a made-up discipline that throws away most American's understanding of race relations in this country, from slavery to abolition to the Civil War to Jim Crow and, finally, to the luminous vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, something that my generation has believed in for over 60 years. Instead of trying to beat back this fantasy, Sean Davis suggests that conservatives start having their own "Critical" theories challenging things that leftists hold dear. Although some of his ideas are just delightfully funny, and fall into the same crazy zone as Critical Race Theory, as to others, conservatives would have the advantage, since their arguments would be supported by actual facts. (Hat tip: Twitchy.) Because it's exhausting posting long Twitter threads, I've translated the thread, verbatim, into ordinary prose: The same people who claim they oppose Critical Race Theory bans in schools because "muh academic freedom to teach controversial ideas and history" would be the first to build bonfires for witch-burning if they learned teachers were telling students Trump actually won in 2020. If someone who clearly supports CRT but won't admit it says it shouldn't be banned because "we can't ban ideas or controversial topics," introduce him to Critical Election Theory for K-12, which argues 2020 was rigged and Trump won, and see how he reacts. It's not Birtherism. It's Critical Origin Theory, and it merely posits a framework by which students can better understand the political power dialectic of the early 21st century. It's not Moon Trutherism. It's Critical Space Theory, an alternative lens through which children can explore the vast beyond while considering the limits and potential of the patriarchy's obsession with interstellar colonization. It's not Flat Eartherism. It's Critical Geography Theory, and it helps students to explore their world and themselves by tackling difficult concepts about space, time and the idea that true reality is a construct unconstrained by traditional man-made STEM frameworks. It's not Intelligent Design. It's Critical Evolution Theory, and it tackles the possibility that we all exist within a simulation of sorts that was created and is overseen by an omniscient, omnipowerful, omnipresent creator who set forth His own rules for a proper life. It's not anti-China xenophobia. It's Critical Pandemic Theory, and it teaches students from the age of 2 to 22, that the arrogant, incompetent communist regime that imprisons and enslaves its people created COVID-19 in a garbage lab, and then lied to the world when it leaked. It's not an anti-Biden conspiracy theory. It's Critical Senility Theory, and it analyzes decades of data on aging to provide children a way to think about how the 46th president is a walking pudding pop who has no idea what's happening and is controlled by monsters with no souls. Critical Race Theory needs to be beaten back at every opportunity, in every way possible: facts, humor, interpretative dance, if absolutely necessary. The one thing we cannot do is to let this utterly pernicious idea take root in America. The fact that public school teachers desperately want to introduce CRT into classrooms means that parents are the front line in this battle. Those of us who no longer have, or never had, children in the school system will give you moral support, but you guys and gals must take the battle to the school board meetings, the school administrators, and the teachers. Being armed with humor may be just what you need for the fight. Image: Joe Biden by DonkeyHotey. with added text by Andrea Widburg. CC BY 2.0. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Almonds best for Diabetes and Cholesterol risk:- Eating almonds twice in a day will improve your glucose metabolism and will keep a check in the cholesterol levels. This is revealed as per a study. It said that the consumption of almonds can improve the blood sugar levels at pre-diabetes stages and it will completely prevent or delay the diabetes. The consumption of almonds will also reduce the total cholesterol and acebad. The almonds have a potential to halt the process of pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes. Simply add almonds to your daily snack twice to make the difference. Jagmeet Madan, Professor and Principal at Sir Vithaldis Thackersey College of Home Science in Mumbai told about the importance of almonds in daily life. The reduced HbA1c levels and the LDL-Cholesterol levels came to a control in just 12 weeks of consumption of almonds. The research was conducted on 275 participants with prediabetes. There are 59 males and 216 females who participated in this research. The group ate 56 grams or 340 calories of unroasted almonds every day for three months. The levels of HbA1c decreased significantly for all the people. There was a fasting blood glucose in all those who took almonds. 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* A couples outing! Louis Eisner snapped a rare photo of his girlfriend, Ashley Olsen, via Instagram Story when the pair went on a nature hike on Friday, July 9. Read article Eisner, 32, shared the pic of the fashion designer, 35, as she carried a drink in one hand and a machete in the other while walking along the trail. Olsen wore a white sweatshirt over a black tee-shirt, white linen pants, a black baseball cap, oversized sunglasses and a black pair of YEEZY sneakers. Ashley Olsen and Boyfriend Louis Eisner Hike in the Woods With a Drink and a Machete The Still House Group artist didnt share a caption alongside the photo, but he followed up the Story with a pic of himself standing on a log over a pond. Read article The duo was last spotted in March 2021 on a double date in New York City with friends, according to photos published by the Daily Mail. The group followed COVID-19 health guidelines at the time, wearing face masks. The New York Minute star also wore a tan trench coat and a black scarf as she held hands with Eisner while walking down the street at the time. The former child star has been linked to the California native since October 2017. After dating for nearly two years, the pair sparked engagement rumors in July 2019 when the Elizabeth and James designer allegedly wore a ring on her left hand. Other than a few rare sightings with Eisner, Olsen seldom mentions her relationship publicly and prefers to keep her personal life quiet. The Row designers sister, Mary-Kate Olsen, previously shared why the twins before to keep their personal lives private during a rare interview in June 2021. We were raised to be discreet people, Mary-Kate told i-D magazine at the time. The sisters have worked together since they were toddlers on the set of Full House and, more recently, as fashion designers for their The Row label. Read article We like working together and we like having that dialogue. I think it helps harden your ideas to be able to hear them out loud, to speak something through, Ashley said in the interview. You know, we definitely go by intuition and instinct and it can either confirm that feeling, or if were both not feeling right about something, for some reason, we just dont do it. Our instincts are kind of the same. But I think whats great is that we have each other to lean on. Ashley Olsen and Boyfriend Louis Eisner Hike in the Woods With a Drink and a Machete The discreet stars chose not to return to Netflixs Fuller House reboot, a decision that saddened their former TV uncle, John Stamos. You know, we were disappointed, but we understood, Stamos, 57, admitted on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in April 2021. I remember Lori [Loughlin] saying to me, They won two or three CFDA Awards. Thats like winning two or three Oscars. If you won three Oscars, would you come back and do this? I was like, Eh, maybe not. BERLIN (AP) Esther Bejarano, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp who used the power of music to fight antisemitism and racism in Germany, has died. She was 96. Bejarano died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday at the Jewish Hospital in Hamburg, German news agency dpa quoted Helga Obens, a board member of the Auschwitz Committee in Germany, as saying. A cause of death was not given. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid tribute to Bejarano, calling her an important voice in the fight against racism and antisemitism. Born in 1924 as the daughter of Jewish cantor Rudolf Loewy in what was then French-occupied Saarlouis, the family later moved to Saarbruecken, where Bejarano enjoyed a musical and sheltered upbringing until the Nazis came to power and the city was returned to Germany in 1935. Related video: Holocaust survivor, museum president Fritzie Fritzshall dies Her parents and sister Ruth eventually were deported and killed, while Bejarano had to perform forced labor before being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943. There, she volunteered to become a member of the girls orchestra, playing the accordion every time trains full of Jews from across Europe arrived. Bejarano would say later that music helped keep her alive in the notorious German Nazi death camp in occupied Poland and during the years after the Holocaust. We played with tears in our eyes, she recalled in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press. The new arrivals came in waving and applauding us, but we knew they would be taken directly to the gas chambers. Because her grandmother had been a Christian, Bejarano was later transferred to Ravensbrueck concentration camp and survived a death march at the end of the war. In a memoir, Bejarano recalled her rescue by U.S. troops who gave her an accordion, which she played the day American soldiers and concentration camp survivors danced around a burning portrait of Adolf Hitler to celebrate the Allied victory over the Nazis. Bejarano emigrated to Israel after the war and married Nissim Bejarano. The couple had two children, Edna and Joram, before returning to Germany in 1960. After once again encountering open antisemitism, Bejarano decided to become politically active, co-founding the Auschwitz Committee in 1986 to give survivors a platform for their stories. She teamed up with her children to play Yiddish melodies and Jewish resistance songs in a Hamburg-based band they named Coincidence, and also with hip-hop group Microphone Mafia to spread an anti-racism message to German youth. We all love music and share a common goal: Were fighting against racism and discrimination, she told the AP of her collaborations across cultures and generations. Bejarano received numerous awards, including Germanys Order of Merit, for her activism against what she called the old and new Nazis," quoting fellow Holocaust survivor Primo Levi's warning that it happened, therefore it can happen again. While addressing young people in Germany and beyond, Bejarano would say, You are not guilty of what happened back then. But you become guilty if you refuse to listen to what happened. LOS ANGELES (AP) It took nearly a decade and a federal lawsuit for U.S. Marine Corps veteran Hector Ocegueda to finally come home. Following a conviction for intoxicated driving, he had been deported to Mexico, a country he left with his parents when he was a child. The 53-year-old has spent the past nine years living in Mexico but on Friday, will take the oath to become an American citizen a step that allows him to return to his family in Southern California. While in Mexico, Ocegueda applied to become an American citizen after connecting with a group for deported veterans. Under U.S. law, veterans who serve honorably during a conflict are eligible to become citizens if they meet a series of requirements, including undergoing an interview with a citizenship officer. He had been scheduled for the interview in Los Angeles last year but couldn't attend because border authorities wouldn't allow him back into the country following his deportation order. Ocegueda sued last month, asking U.S. officials to give the citizenship interview on the border, where he could attend, or allow him to cross so he could make an appointment in Los Angeles, which is what happened this week. It felt that I was coming back home when I crossed that border. I was so happy, he said. A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer interviewed Ocegueda on Thursday. A day later, he is scheduled to take his citizenship oath before a judge in Los Angeles. I know the system is not perfect. I am mad at the system but not at this country," Ocegueda said before attending the ceremony with his sister and other relatives. "I love this country. The case comes as the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to reach out to noncitizen military members and veterans. Last week, the Departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs announced plans to identify deported veterans, ensure they can access benefits they are entitled to and remove barriers to naturalization for current and former service members who are eligible to become American citizens. The American Civil Liberties Union issued a report in 2016 detailing the cases of dozens of veterans who were deported or facing deportation, many over convictions for minor crimes. Had these veterans become citizens on account of their military service, they wouldn't have been deported. Ocegueda was brought to the United States from Mexico by his parents and grew up in the Southern California city of Artesia. He served in the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991 and spent four more years in the reserves before he was honorably discharged. He got married, had two daughters and obtained a green card through his wife. But Ocegueda also had a drug problem. He was convicted of driving under the influence, prompting U.S. immigration officials to deport him in 2000, his lawyers said. Despite that order, Ocegueda returned to California to be with his family and participated in a drug treatment program through a local veterans hospital. But he was deported two more times. Since 2012, Ocegueda says he has remained in Mexico, where he worked as a driver and a security guard and connected with the leader of a group for deported veterans who encouraged him to stay put so he could pursue citizenship. It came at a cost. It was difficult to adjust to life in a country he had left when he was a boy. But nothing compared to the hurt of being away from his family. His marriage was suffering, and he wound up divorced. He missed out on time with his daughters. And he was lonely; he said his relatives often had to work and couldn't make the trip down to see him as often as he would have liked. Now, Ocegueda said he hopes to go back to school so he can work as a nurse assistant, find a job and spend time with the people he loves. I am going to take it day by day, he said. It's great to be here with them. 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 Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! The Glenwood Springs Mall along Highway 6 and 24, as seen from Google Earth. Ross Dress for Less still operates out of the largely vacant building in West Glenwood and developers have eyed the property for possible redevelopment. You are the owner of this article. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Last weeks international air combat training at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, in Hawaii, was the first time a French F3-R Rafale showcased its abilities in the Hawaiian airspace. As the host, the Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) F-22 Raptor was the one to lead the way. The 2 were the main players in the Wakea exercise, supported by two A400M Atlas 4-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, one A330 Phenix refuelling tanker, and 170 FASF personnel.The French Rafale was developed by Dassault Aviation as the only aircraft in the world that can be considered totally omnirole. Thats a big statement, but what is certain is its ability to conduct an entire array of combat missions, from interception and air-to-air combat, to deep strikes, maritime strikes, nuclear deterrence, plus real-time tactical reconnaissance.Another one of the F3-Rs assets is the ability to carry 1.5 times its weight in weapons and fuel. Speaking of which after its latest upgrade a few years ago, it integrated a high-performance MBDA missile, the laser-guided version of the Safran AASM air-to-ground modular weapon, plus the Thales Talios new-generation laser designator pod.From June 27 to July 5, three of FASFs primary fighters got to practice air combat synchronization and other interoperability tasks with the Hawaiian F-22 Raptors. Another important element of the training was exchanging best practices related to aerial refueling , which is key during fighter operations so, the Hawaii ANG personnel got to see what its like to operate the French A330 Phenix tanker.According to Hawaii ANG officials, its a rare opportunity to train together with the French forces in this particular location in the Pacific, which is part of a broader effort to reinstate Frances balancing role in the region and partnership with the U.S. Air Force We are dealing here with a rare example of a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R Series 1 V-Spec model. According to the description provided by the seller (a private party going by the NY-Skylines username), it has been produced and sold in just 282 units when dressed up in the cool Midnight Purple II shade. Its properly fast and furious, or perhaps Need For Speed-worthy if thats your adrenaline of choice, but either way, it will be a very expensive catch After all, the great looks are just part of the performance equation, as under the hood resides the twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter RB26DETT inline-six mill hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission that needs to be operated from the wrong side of the cabin. Such are the JDM ways , of course, and diehard fans will be more interested in hearing about the all-wheel-drive system and limited-slip rear differential more than anything else.But thats not all, because other highlights include the Super HICAS (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering) rear-wheel steering system, tough Brembo brakes, 18-inch wheels, stock aerodynamic package, or the gray interior with factory air conditioning, among others (such as the Kenwood audio with pop-up touchscreen navigation unit). Oh, and let's not forget about the decidedly low mileage of under than 25,000 km (around 15,000 miles) shown on the odometer, either.Apparently, the R34 Skyline GT-R reached North America back in 2015 when it was imported from Japan to Canada. The sellers father came into the possession of the car half a decade later, in January last year, and the ride is now in search of new adventures with a clean New York title. It won't be cheap though, considering the huge current bid and the fact theres still enough time left on the auction clock to reach overdrive. Copyright 2020 by Mountain Times Publications. Digital or printed dissemination of this content without prior written consent is a violation of federal law and may be subject to legal action. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 100F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Sunday's snap parliamentary elections in Bulgaria pit the man who has dominated the Balkan country's politics for a decade against an insurgent party led by a popular TV host. The big picture: Former longtime Prime Minister Boyko Borissov failed to form a government after an inconclusive election in April, which followed massive protests last year over corruption and Borissov's alleged mafia ties. Since the election, the Biden administration has sanctioned three Bulgarian power brokers for corruption, denting Borissov's support further. The other side: That has left a major opening for political newcomers like Slavi Trifonov, sometimes referred to as the Bulgarian David Letterman. Trifonov's "There is Such a People" party now has 21.8% support versus 21.5% for Borissov's GERB party, according to a poll released Thursday by Alpha Research. Known to Bulgarians simply as Slavi, the 6.6-foot showman is a folk-pop musician, producer and actor, but he's best known for his late-night program Slavis Show." Before previous elections, Trifonov interviewed all the leading candidates, including Borissov. Now he is using his own cable channel, launched in 2019, as a platform to criticize other politicians and promote his own party. He became a major political player in 2016 when he spearheaded a referendum campaign to reform Bulgaria's electoral system. The reforms won a clear majority of voters but fell 12,000 votes short of the threshold to make the result binding an outcome Trifonov denounced as a monstrous fraud. He's now set to become the latest TV star to parlay his fame and outsider appeal into political power, following former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Borissov is a colorful figure in his own right. A former bodyguard to Bulgaria's last communist leader, he projects the image of a man of the people. But he has had to fend off a number of scandals, including when photos surfaced last year appearing to show him sleeping next to a handgun, stacks of cash and gold bars. He claimed the photos may have been staged or doctored. Whats next: Despite leading the two top parties, Borissov and Trifonov have both said they won't serve as prime minister if their party wins. Both are considered likely candidates for the presidency in the fall, though that role is less powerful. A Russia-based hacking group known as REvil has compromised the computer systems of at least 1,000 businesses by targeting managed service providers, according to to the cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs Inc. Why it matters: It's a large-scale ransomware campaign the full scope of which is not yet known and comes on the heels of several other high-profile ransomware attacks this year. Of note via Bloomberg: "Such attacks can have a multiplying effect, since the hackers may then gain access and infiltrate the MSPs customers too." The affected MSPs, platforms that provide IT management and other core network functions for businesses, and companies have not yet been named. The latest: President Biden said Saturday that the U.S. government is still not certain who is behind the hack, according to Reuters. "The initial thinking was it was not the Russian government but we're not sure yet," Biden said. Biden said he directed U.S. intelligences agencies to investigate. Victims have emerged in 11 countries so far, per cybersecurity firm ESET. Grocery chain Coops 800+ stores in Sweden couldnt open Saturday after the hack led cash registers to malfunction, spokesperson Therese Knapp told Bloomberg. What they're saying: John Hammond, a cybersecurity researcher at Huntress Labs, said more than 20 MSPs have been impacted. He noted the criminals targeted software supplier Kaseya, using its network-management package to spread the ransomware. What makes this attack stand out is the trickle-down effect, from the managed service provider to the small business, Hammond said. Kaseya handles large enterprise all the way to small businesses globally, so ultimately, it has the potential to spread to any size or scale business. Cybersecurity researcher Jake Williams, president of Rendition Infosec, told AP it's no accident that this happened before a holiday weekend, when IT staffing is generally thin. Hackers frequently infiltrate widely used software, then spread malware as the software automatically updates. The privately held Kaseya is based in Dublin, with a U.S. headquarters in Miami. The Miami Herald reported Kaseya's plans to hire as many as 500 workers by 2022 to staff a recently acquired cybersecurity platform. The big picture: The breach comes after a summit between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Biden threatened to use the U.S.' "significant" cyber capabilities to respond if critical infrastructure entities are targeted by Russian hackers. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress in June that cyber threats against U.S. businesses are increasing "almost exponentially." Go deeper: FBI: Russia-linked REvil behind ransomware attack on meatpacker JBS Editor's note: This story will be updated as new information is released. Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, head of the Social Democratic Party, resigned Monday after losing a no-confidence vote last week and declining to call for snap elections. The state of play: Lofven will remain as head of Sweden's caretaker government as the parliament speaker begins the process of asking party leaders to attempt to form a new governing coalition. Officers responded to a neighborhood southwest of I-17 and Northern Avenue around 9 p.m. According to Phoenix Police Sgt. Andy Williams, officers responded to the house for reports of a person that was hurt. When they arrived, a guy came out and said he had a gun. He then proceeded to aim th Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 103F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 80F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. What ShakeAlert warning system got wrong and right about this week's 6.0 quake in California Executive Editor Christine Peterson answers your questions and takes your complaints about The Californians news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 661-395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Please include your name and phone number. Cooling center facts Cooling centers are open from 1 to 8 p.m. when the temperature is hot enough. People who need transportation to a cooling center can call 211. Find cooling centers at https://www.kerncounty.com/government/parks/facilities/cooling-centers Learn more by calling Kern County General Services at 661-868-7000 or Kern County Aging & Adult Services at 800-510-2020. In another clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom over energy and environmental policies, the Kern County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 with one absenc Email Dan Walters of CalMatters at dan@calmatters.org. CalMatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining Californias policies and politics. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. Integrating Militias Federal and state law restricted service in state militias to White male citizens. State militias were no longer critical for national defense due to the professionalization of the U.S. military, but exclusion from service was yet another area in which people of color in the North were not treated as equals. Morris regularly petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to integrate the states militia. He also fought for equal participation in military service during the Civil War. Morris was gravely disappointed when the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, made up of Black soldiers, was sent to fight for the Union under the command of White officers. NEW YORK (AP) The triumph of a moderate Democrat in the mayoral primary in deep blue New York City appears to accelerate a recent trend of some of the partys most fervent voters breaking away from its most progressive candidates. Eric Adams, a former New York Police Department captain, this week became his partys nominee to lead the nations largest city after making a centerpiece of his campaign his rejection of left-leaning activists' calls to defund the police. His win comes on the heels of victories by self-styled pragmatic candidates in relatively low-turnout elections which tend to draw the most loyal base voters in races for a U.S. House seat in New Mexico, a congressional primary in Louisiana and a gubernatorial primary in Virginia. And those successes come a year after President Joe Biden defeated more liberal opponents to capture his partys nomination on his way to winning the White House. It all raises questions as to the best candidates and approaches for Democrats trying to hold on to slim majorities in Congress next year and make inroads in Republican-dominated state legislatures. Because there was such an intensity of a reaction on the left to (former President Donald) Trump, many in the political ecosystem mistook that for ideological intensity on the left, said Jennifer Palmieri, who served as White House communications director for President Barack Obama. The same ideological shift on the right Republicans moving with Trump did not happen on the left and voters are instead being more pragmatic and less ideological. The long-simmering family feud between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party exploded into full view in the 2016s presidential primaries when Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a self-described democratic socialist, waged a surprisingly robust challenge against establishment favorite Hillary Clinton. Sanders movement drew bigger crowds and seemingly more energy, if not ultimately more votes, than Clinton and helped define an intraparty divide. In its aftermath, liberals scored some big victories, none more seismic than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs 2018 primary defeat in New York of Rep. Joe Crowley, a member of the House leadership. But five months later, it was largely center-left Democrats whose wins helped flip the House of Representatives to their party in the general election. The 2020 presidential primaries were largely perceived as a battle between liberals like Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and a group of moderates from which Biden emerged after early missteps. The battle lines drawn during that campaign continue to shadow the Democratic Party in 2021. Trump tried vainly to paint Biden as a socialist and tie him to the effort to defund the police that took hold in some quarters of the left after a number of Black people, including George Floyd, were killed by white police officers, setting off protests that rocked some cities. Biden, long a friend of law enforcement, rejected the defund the police call even as he pushed for reforms, but the issue became something of a litmus test for Democratic candidates. Biden and his staff have taken pride in ignoring a lot of the dialogue on Twitter, often fueled by the most inflexible partisans from both parties, a sentiment Adams echoed on Wednesday, the day after his victory was announced. We have reached a point where were allowing the dialogue to get in the way of moving us in the right direction, Adams said on CNN, and Im hoping that what happened here in New York City, people are going to see a cross section of everyday, working class New Yorkers came together. Typically, off-year special elections and primaries feature small turnouts and, often, that is advantageous for a candidate who fires up the most dedicated and often extreme wings of the party. But that has not been the case in 2021. Terry McAuliffe, a moderate Democrat and Clinton ally, won the Virginia gubernatorial primary last month. More moderate Democrats and even some Republicans in Louisianas open primary backed centrist candidate Troy Carter as he defeated fellow State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, a more liberal pick. And Democratic state Rep. Melanie Stansbury easily won a special House election in New Mexico for Interior Secretary Deb Haalands old seat. But while moderate Democrats have racked up recent victories, some triumphant candidates are not so ideologically clear cut . Adams win is the most high-profile notch on the pragmatists ledger. On a number of issues he positioned himself to the right of his rival Democrats, but while he offered a full-throated rejection of defunding the police, his own backstory is more nuanced. When combined with New York City voters tendency to elect mayors with an emphasis on local issues and not ideological purity, it makes drawing national conclusions complicated. Though known as one of the most liberal cities in the nation, New Yorkers voted for non-Democrats in five straight mayoral elections from 1993-2009, choosing Rudy Giuliani twice and Michael Bloomberg three times. They cast their ballots with eyes toward crime, education and efforts to rebuild after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. A rise in shootings as the city emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic helped animate the stretch run of Adams campaign as he edged out fellow moderate Kathryn Garcia and liberal Maya Wiley. But his lifetime of speaking out against police misconduct and his blunt, working-class style make it difficult to pigeonhole him. Adams, 60, made a strong connection with voters in the citys boroughs outside Manhattan, and he spoke frequently on the campaign trail of being beaten by police officers as a teenager and joining the force to reform it from within. He was a founder of a group called 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care that fought against racial profiling and advocated for the hiring of more officers of color. When Adams spoke to his supporters on primary night, he said unequivocally Black lives matter, noted Christina Greer, a Fordham University political science professor. So obviously thats going to touch a certain segment of the New York population. He then quickly pivots to, but it cant just be cops and Black people, we have to address Black on Black crime, Greer said. Well, thats a message that conservative whites, conservative Blacks, of which there are many, and other groups also agree with as well. Some Democrats dismiss the notion that the primary results, particularly in New York, signal a move away from progressivism and toward the center in the partys politics. Wiley, a lawyer and activist, pointed to primary wins by progressives for such offices as city comptroller and Manhattan district attorney, and to a strong showing by women in City Council primaries. Thats what is moving forward in this city, Wiley said, and anyone who claims otherwise is simply spinning a narrative, rather than focus on pulling us all together to say what solves our most pressing problems. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. An undocumented woman has been arrested for stabbing a U.S. Border Patrol agent with a pen, according to an arrest affidavit. Zulema Mendoza-Mendoza was charged with assault on a federal agent by using a deadly and dangerous weapon and inflicting bodily injury. At about 5 p.m. July 1, agents were moving Mendoza-Mendoza from the intake processing area to a cell in the Laredo North Border Patrol Station. Agents told Mendoza-Mendoza they were going to place her in handcuffs to move her. Agents told her she would only be moved to a different cell location. But Mendoza-Mendoza refused to obey agents commands to place her hands behind her back. Mendoza-Mendoza then lunged at an agent and grabbed a pen from his left pocket. Zulema Mendoza-Mendoza then made a stabbing motion with the pen at an (agent) in an attempt to stab him, states the affidavit. Mendoza-Mendoza struck the agent with the pen on the palm of his left hand between the agents left thumb and palm, states the affidavit. The agent gained control of Mendoza-Mendoza as she repeatedly continued to click the pen. Other agents assisted with placing Mendoza-Mendoza on the ground and placing her in handcuffs, according to court documents. Border Patrol said the agent did not seek medical attention after the alleged assault. Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents attempted to interview Mendoza-Mendoza following her arrest, but she invoked her right to an attorney. However, Mendoza-Mendoza did issue a statement: I apologize to the Border Patrol agent after it happened, but I reacted like that because they took my daughter away and she was traumatized from the things she had experienced in Mexico, states the affidavit. Local community action groups in Beaumont are calling for transparency from law enforcement and city officials as investigations continue into the alleged injury of man by the Beaumont Police Department. Members of the the Beaumont NAACP chapter, 100 Black Men of Beaumont, the 100 Plus Black Women of Beaumont and other groups met at the Jefferson County Courthouse Friday to publicly request that police administration share information about an incident they say took place on June 12 and left a man paralyzed. Rev. Michael Cooper, president of the NAACP Beaumont chapter, said the coalition of groups were inspired to come forward after seeing photos and talking to the family of the man that they said suffered severe spinal injuries while being transferred to by BPD officers to the Jefferson County jail. We are asking that law enforcement trust that the people of Beaumont are grown enough to handle whatever is on those videos and release them to the public, Cooper said. We will then have to trust the law and judges to determine what should happen, but the public deserves to know. BPD Chief Jim Singletary said the department couldnt comment at this time. The coalition decided not to name the alleged victim out of respect to their family and a desire not to convict them in the media, but Cooper said the mans identity and the situation has been growing in notoriety online. Candice Matthews, statewide accountability chair for the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, also was in attendance to speak about the call to action. We stand in solidarity with these coalitions that have gathered, because accountability breeds responsibility, Matthews said. It is Beaumont PDs responsibility to release those videos and not uphold police brutality. Cooper said comments in the media he heard from Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens about referring the incident to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and Texas Rangers was a good sign. In Texas, sheriffs are responsible for the upkeep of county jails and the well-being of inmates, as well as reporting any incidents, injuries or deaths that occur in their facility. Stephens said contacting the commission and an independent agency for review of an incident is standard practice for her department and isnt exclusive to this particular case. Anytime we have a critical incident in the correctional facility, documenting and reporting what happened is standard to our process, Stephens told the Enterprise. Inmates are supposed to remain healthy, and it is my responsibility to make sure were doing our duty. The detention center contracts with a medical provider that screens each inmate coming into the facility and makes sure they are healthy enough to be admitted. They also provide medical treatment if necessary or make sure inmates are admitted to a hospital when needed. The person at the heart of the June 12 incident was screened before being admitted to the detention center, and was initially turned away due to their condition, according to Stephens. They later returned after being given clearance by a local hospital, but Stephens said the detention center had to then transfer them back to a hospital for treatment after medical staff reviewed their condition again. Since being admitted to the hospital, advocates have said the mans injuries have left him paralyzed. He was released from police custody on June 14, two days after his arrest for allegedly being intoxicated in public. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism Courtesy photo /Texas DPS A traffic stop in Maverick County yielded more than $70,000, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. As part of Operation Lone Star, the case unfolded at about 6:25 p.m. July 5, when a trooper stopped a gray Nissan passenger car for a traffic violation traveling south on U.S. 57 near mile marker 396. PEORIA, Ill. (AP) Dana Garber has always identified as a woman. The notion was crystal clear for the lifelong Pekin resident, until the world stepped in and muddied the waters. The first time it happened was on Garbers first day of school. Her kindergarten teacher made her use the boys bathroom. I got in the girls line, said Garber while sitting in her office at Planned Parenthood in Peoria recently. The teacher grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out of line and said No, honey, you are a boy, you got to go to the boys bathroom. I didnt understand that, and everybody was laughing at me. I got humiliated, and I went in the bathroom, and I was literally sick to my stomach. Garber went home early from school that day. Her mother explained the situation after picking her up. She said, Well, honey, you are a boy. Boys and girls bodies are different. You cant go in the bathroom with the girls, you have to go in the bathroom with the boys, and I just kind of accepted it, said Garber. It was the first of many instances where the world forced Garber into an uncomfortable role. At that time, in the early 1960s, there were few options for people who didnt identify with their gender assigned at birth. It was considered a mental health disorder and could lead to institutionalization. Doctors believed it could be cured with therapy. The mental health community has evolved a lot in the last 50 years, said Garber. They have recognized that gender identity disorder is a stigmatizing term, and they started calling it gender dysphoria, which is an incongruence between your mind and your body. They also realized that you cant cure gender identity disorders, its a condition they can treat. So whats the treatment for gender dysphoria? Its transitioning. Though it took more than 50 years for Garber to begin to transition, today at 63, she is living life in line with her gender identity. She is also helping others on that journey through her role as transgender health program intake coordinator at Planned Parenthood. Once I became a happy person, I just got so excited, I wanted to help everybody else, said Garber, who was offered the job not long after Planned Parenthood in central Illinois started offering gender-affirming hormone therapy in 2016. I do interviews with the new patients to find out what their needs are and what their goals are, said Garber. We explain how the program works, and what kind of things to expect from hormone therapy, and they sign the consent forms. After that, we give them a prescription and they come back in 90 days and we do a checkup and some blood work. They come back every 90 days until we get them on a stable dose where their labs are in the sweet spot. Gender-affirming hormone therapy is not a walk in the park. Given to men and woman as part of gender-affirming care, its a powerful therapy that helps people gain physical characteristics more in line with their gender identity. Garber was thrilled when she started seeing softer skin and less body hair, but she also experienced mood swings. The hormones knocked me for a loop. That first six months is hell, said Garber. I had everything on the PMS list but menses. Hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery, which Garber had in 2018, are not easy things to do. But for her, deciding to transition was a matter of life or death. After living as a man for 55 years, Garber hit a rough patch a time when depression led her to thoughts of suicide. In a short time period, Garber went through a divorce after 27 years of marriage, lost her 20-year-old son in an accident and was forced into retirement after downsizing at the Powerton power plant, where she had worked for 35 years. I found a good counselor in Peoria, and I saw her for a little over two and a half years. We talked about everything, my relationship issues, my gender identity, my grief. There was just a whole pile of stuff on my plate, said Garber. She finally said to me one day, You know, you had yourself figured out, you just needed some validation... Her recommendation was you just need to try this. There is no harm in cross-dressing, trying to live in that gender role. If its not right for you, go back to where you were. If its right for you, proceed. I wasnt even a cross-dresser at that time, I was about 57. So I said OK, and I started dressing in the fall of 2014. Garber also started visiting area gay bars where she met other LGBTQ people. She was quickly adopted into a loving and supportive community. I met a person who was a member of the Peoria Transgender Society down at Diesel one night. I was standing at the bar, and this person came up to me and said, Hey, are you trans? And I said, Yeah, why? I turned around, and he was a trans man. ... We started talking, and he told me about the Peoria Transgender Society. I didnt even know it existed. So I started going to the meetings. It was very validating to meet some other people like me, said Garber. Through that group, Garber learned about a weekend-long event in Oklahoma City an outing that would prove pivotal in her journey. That was right after I was first dressing (as a woman). I went to a couple bars in Peoria when it was really late at night, and I was hoping nobody would see me, said Garber with a laugh. So I checked into this event, and I knew it would be good for me. I contacted the organizer and said Im scared to death, and she said, Honey, every single one of us started off just like you. The girls are gonna love you. Come on down here, and have a good time. So I went, and I left all of my boy clothes at home. I dressed up and put my makeup on, and I drove down through Missouri and Oklahoma, and I stopped and got things to eat and went to the bathroom, and I was terrified. But when I got down there, I had so much fun, I just felt so great. I decided on the ride home that once I had enough clothes, I was gonna (start dressing like a woman) full time. And I never have looked back. Garbers experiences are helpful when she mentors others. Her clients come from all around central Illinois and as far away as Missouri. Her oldest client is 74 and has been dressing in line with their gender identity for years. They recently decided to begin hormone therapy. And while Garber cannot treat anyone under 18 years of age, she occasionally has the opportunity to speak with young people questioning their identity. She recently spent time with an 11-year-old girl during a community festival. This kid said, Can I walk around with you? and I said You have to clear that with your parents first. They were OK with it. She talked the whole time. At the end of the day, I went back, and I gave her mother my card and said, if you need help, to find some counselors to take her to, I have a list of trans-friendly counselors around here that I can hook you up with, said Garber. The mother said she was hoping this is a phase, and she will grow out of it. I said, Well, maybe it is, and maybe its not. Just support her. If she grows out of it, no harm done. And if she doesnt, then you are probably going to have to provide some support. While community support for trans people has improved in recent years, there are still many challenges people face. Most of our issues revolve around employment and income disparities. Gender identity and expression are protected classes in Illinois, but you know as well as I do that if an employer looks at you and they dont like you, theyll find a legal reason to not hire you or to fire you. And that is a real problem for the community, especially the Black community. Especially the Black trans community, trans females, said Garber. Discrimination is everywhere, from the workplace to the family and at home, and the lack of understanding can lead to mental health issues and, in some cases, substance abuse. Homelessness is another issue. Trans teens can find themselves out on the street after coming out to their parents. All in all, though, Peoria isnt a bad place to be LGBTQ, said Garber. There is a strong LGBTQ community that provides support, and the availability of medical services has improved in recent years. Garber has seen a lot of changes in her 63 years, and shes glad young trans people are growing up in a more accepting world, where they are more likely to find support. Though it took Garber more than 50 years to live as an out trans woman, she says she wouldnt change the past. Everything that Ive been through made me the person I am now. I would not go back and change anything if I could. I got a wonderful daughter who loves me, and my family is pretty accepting. When I came out to my parents at age 55, they were in their early 80s, late 70s. My dad is 90 now, and my mom is 85, and Im closer to my mom than I have ever been, she said. The fact that Garber is happier than she used to be has helped win over a couple of reluctant family members. Transitioning helped her dispel the cloud of anxiety and depression she had lived under for many years. I had to change my life if I wanted to stay on the top side of the dirt it was really that simple. It was down to a life-or-death decision for me. And Im glad I chose to move forward because Im still here, and Im happy now. Better late than never. ___ Source: (Peoria) Journal Star, https://bit.ly/3jyY0za ROANOKE, Va. (AP) Trudy Neely found herself tearing up when she heard the tale of her uncles final, harrowing moments in war. Neely had never met her mothers older brother, Henry Edward Ellis, of Roanoke. The 22-year-old Marine was killed in action in 1950 four years before Neely was born during a firefight that erupted when his units convoy encountered an enemy roadblock near Koto-ri, North Korea, just five months after the start of the Korean War. Ellis and his compatriots found themselves surrounded. We just wanted to cry for him because you think, here is a young 22-year-old, he had to be terrified, knowing there was no way out, Neely said. And he lost his life, she said. Im just about to cry now. But we are blessed that we can bring him home now. Ellis, a private first class with Headquarters Company, 1st Service Battalion, 1st Marine Division, was until recently one of the more than 7,500 Americans still unaccounted for almost seven decades after the end of the Korean War. An extensive federal effort has been launched to identify and repatriate the remains of the nations fallen service members from this and other wars. That includes a years-long push to discover the names of nearly 850 people whose remains were returned to the U.S. during Operation GLORY an exchange of military war dead organized with North Korea after the conflicts armistice but not successfully identified at the time. Neely and her family were notified of the identification project almost a decade ago. She and her daughter traveled to Washington, D.C., and submitted DNA for the research. It was there that she first learned more about her uncles service. She had always known that she had an Uncle Henry who died in battle. But until that trip, she had few details to fill in that image an old, sepia-toned family snapshot of a tall young man, smiling for the camera in his uniform. Her mothers memories of a kind-hearted older brother who never left her behind. Neelys mother, who was one of seven children, died in 2004. Ellis last sibling died a year before the Department of Defense first reached out to Neely. Ellis would be positively identified in late 2020 through a process that involved laboratory tests, historical research and anthropological analysis, according to the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The news was announced Wednesday after his family had been briefed and arrangements for his memorial service made. Ellis final resting place will be in a national cemetery in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he was born before he moved to Roanoke with his father, and where Neely lives. He will be buried next month in a ceremony with full military honors. Neely and her family will be there. It was emotional when they told us, she said by phone Wednesday. This has just been an unbelievable journey. I know my mother is smiling down from heaven right now, she said. This would have done her heart so much good. Neely now has stacks of papers shedding light on her uncles remarkable life. He was drafted into service in 1943 when he was just 15. His father wrote letters pleading for the error to be corrected but to no apparent avail. Ellis would serve in the Pacific theater of World War II. How the mistake about his age came about is unclear, Neely said. But when his tour of duty ended, he voluntarily reenlisted and continued to serve, until he was deployed to the new war brewing along the 38th parallel. He still had a heart to serve his country, I guess, Neely said. That just shows me that he was dedicated to what he was doing. Neely said shes grateful that her uncle will finally be at rest and that his memory will be honored. I just feel like his story needs to be told, she said. For years, Ellis name has been inscribed on the Courts of the Missing, a memorial erected at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, where a federal lab has been leading the identification project. Federal authorities said Wednesday that a rosette will now be etched next to his name there a signal that Marine Pfc. Henry Edward Ellis is missing no longer. That he is finally home again. Former Midland County Assistant District Attorney Ralph Petty has surrendered his law license after an order from the Texas Supreme Court because of professional misconduct during the Clinton Young capital murder trial. According to an order from the Texas Supreme Court on April 13, Pettys bar card was canceled, and he is now prohibited from practicing law in the state of Texas. Petty surrendered his license in lieu of further disciplinary action, the order states. Petty is at the center of an appeal case for Young, who was convicted for the murders of Doyle Douglas, 41, and Samuel Petrey, 52, in 2003 for the use of their vehicles during a 48-hour crime spree. Young has been on death row since his conviction, but his lawyers have argued that his right to due process was violated. While working on Youngs prosecution, Petty also moonlighted as a judicial clerk for the same trial. This created conflicting roles and gave Petty access to confidential information for the defense, according to an opinion from the Midland County 385th District Court recommending a new trial. Judge Sid Harle, who was sitting by assignment in the Midland County 385th District Court, recommended in April that Youngs conviction be overturned because of Pettys dual role, which he said demonstrated that Youngs right to a fair proceeding had been violated. Young was convicted of killing Douglas and Petrey to steal their vehicles as part of a methamphetamine-fueled crime spree with three other men, according to news reports. Petrey was kidnapped in his hometown of Eastland and killed in an oilfield near Midland. Midland County District Attorney Laura Nodolf, who took office in January 2017, said in a previous statement to the Reporter-Telegram that she was not aware of Pettys conflicting roles until after he retired in 2019. She said she immediately disclosed the information to Youngs lawyers after she learned of it. As part of Pettys disbarment, he must immediately notify his current clients and opposing counsel for ongoing cases, according to the Texas Supreme Court order. He must also notify each justice of the peace, judge, magistrate and judge in courts where he has pending matters. The writ filed by Youngs attorneys in September 2020 is the fifth writ Young has submitted seeking relief from a judgement of death. The recommendation by the 385th District Court will be considered by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Kim Brent / The Enterprise The Port Arthur Public Library is hosting a five-week summer reading challenge until July 27 for children up to 17 years old with a current library card. After registering, participants are encouraged to check out books and read at least 20 minutes each day. The program also encourages young readers to complete a reading journal and book summary of their favorite book, according to a news release. To earn an incentive, participants are asked to turn in their journals and summaries to the library weekly. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Showers this morning then thundershowers developing during the afternoon hours. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Showers this morning then thundershowers developing during the afternoon hours. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch. In this March 2021 photo provided by Pfizer, a technician inspects filled vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the company's facility in Puurs, Belgium. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is made up of 99.9% graphene oxide, a toxic compound. But, chemical and medical experts who are not associated with Pfizer confirmed to The Associated Press that there is no way graphene oxide would be found in the vaccine. In this Sept. 1, 2020 file photo, a demonstrator lies on the pavement imitating the lifeless body of Bar Association President Monferrier Dorval, covered with photos of the murder scene, during a protest to demand justice for Dorval, who was fatally shot in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on claims circulating online wrongly asserting that a photo of a man lying on the pavement in blue pants covered in blood shows Haitian president Jovenel Moise after his assassination early Wednesday. The photo is really from the Aug. 29, 2020, killing of Dorval, a prominent lawyer who was shot outside his home. In this June 28 photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, President Joe Biden, center, meets with Israel President Reuven Rivli, left, and Rivka Ravitz, head of Rivlis delegation, in the White House in Washington. Amanda Burke can be reached at aburke@berkshireeagle.com, on Twitter @amandaburkec and 413-496-6296. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. William Bill Cameron Jr., chairman of Berkshire County Education Task Force, is poised to step down as interim superintendent of the Lenox Public Schools. In the second of a two-part interview, Cameron weighs in about issues including consolidation, MCAS and school choice. Organizers who pushed for rules changes in the Massachusetts House said the campaign sought to hold representatives accountable to voters rather than to House leadership. Shonda Rhimes and Netflix are growing their relationship together. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the mega-producers deal with the streaming company is both extending and expanding as Rhimes company Shondaland will soon produce feature films, virtual reality and gaming content in addition to the numerous series shes already working on for Netflix. Currently, Shondaland Media has a branding and merchandising deal with Netflix. The expanded pact will also include live events and experiences, which has already been a growing part of Rhimes business. When Ted [Sarandos] and I decided to break the traditional network TV business model to move Shondaland to Netflix, we were both taking a leap into the unknown, Rhimes said in a statement, according to THR. Today, Shondaland at Netflix is creatively thriving, profitable as an asset and engaging audiences around the world with stories that fearlessly challenge viewers and keep them highly entertained all at once. RELATED: Shonda Rhimes "Really Shocked" By 'Bridgerton' Fans Disappointment To Rege-Jean Page's Exit A showrunner-turned-mogul, Rhimes debuted her first scripted series, Bridgerton, this past December and it quickly became one of Netflixs most-watched shows ever. The show was renewed for multiple seasons by Netflix as it announced itd launch a spinoff, focused on the character Queen Charlotte. Coming up, Rhimes will debut the limited series Inventing Anna, centered on con artist Anna Sorokin, which is the first project Rhimes has created, written and run since Scandal. Rhimes first creation, Greys Anatomy, is among the most watched acquired titles on Netflix. Shonda makes shows that get the world talking, and weve seen the power of her creative vision to translate in any language, said Bela Bajaria, Netflixs recently upped head of global TV, according to THR. Shondas a brilliant businesswoman and a terrific partner and were thrilled to expand our relationship with her for years to come, Additionally, As part of the new deal, Netflix will invest in financial and technical infrastructure to support Rhimes mission to create diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs to promote traditionally underrepresented groups in the industry, both in the United States and United Kingdom. According to Vulture, who spoke with a source from the Westchester County medical examiners office X passed away from a cocaine-induced heart attack which ultimately cut off the blood flow to his brain. The influential rapper born Earl Simmons was first hospitalized on April 3 after suffering a reported drug overdose and a heart attack. The source told Vulture that an analysis of Simmons urine showed cocaine was in his system and acute cocaine intoxication caused a chain of events leading to his death. An autopsy was not performed on the rapper by the medical examiners office. The source also added that the cause of the 50-year-olds death was determined through documentation by medical professionals and police. RELATED: BET Awards 2021 Rewind: The DMX Prayer Explained So obviously, there were a number of days where he was on ventilatory support and so forth in the hospital, the rep told Vulture. However, he was diagnosed brain-dead early on He never woke up from [a] coma. Hailing from Yonkers, DMX blazed his way through the underground rap scene in the 1980s before working with some of New Yorks finest including Jay-Z, Lil Kim, Mase and LL Cool J. In the 90s, the rapper signed with Def Jam, later dropping his debut single Get at Me Dog, which reached the Hot 100s Top 40. RELATED: BET Awards 2021: Stage Explodes in Electrifying Tribute to DMX In 1998, he released the albums Its Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood both of which combined to sell 10 million copies combined. His eighth album, Exodus, was posthumously released in May. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. High 94F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Friday fired the commissioner of Social Security after the official refused to resign, and accepted the deputy commissioner's resignation, the White House said. Biden asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated after he refused the Democratic president's request, a White House official said. Deputy Commissioner David Black agreed to resign, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Both officials had been put in place under President Donald Trump, a Republican. Biden named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner while the administration conducts a search for a permanent commissioner and deputy commissioner. Kijakazi currently is the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration. Saul's removal followed a Justice Department legal opinion that found he could be removed, despite a statute that says he could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance. The opinion researched at the request of the White House concluded that a reevaluation because of a recent Supreme Court ruling meant that Saul could be fired by the president at will. - Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo contributed to this report. Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch the boss when Richard Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend. The self-described tie-loathing adventurer and troublemaker will join five company employees for Sundays test flight from New Mexico's southern desert the companys fourth trip to the edge of space. Branson assigned himself to Virgin Galactics first full-scale crew, jumping ahead of Blue Origins Jeff Bezos, an even richer rocketeer looking to launch himself into space. Bezos liftoff is set for July 20 from West Texas. A brief look at Bransons ride and company: BOSS ON BOARD Just a week shy of turning 71, the London-born founder of the Virgin Group says he's "not apprehensive at all and it is the dream of a lifetime to ride into space. The longtime fitness fanatic put in extra effort to prepare for the brief up-and-down flight. Im in my 70s now so you either let yourself go or you get fit and enjoy life. His wife, children and grandchildren will be there as he climbs aboard the rocket plane thats attached to a dual-fuselage aircraft for takeoff. During the three to four minutes of weightlessness, Ill be looking back at our beautiful Earth and taking it all in and realize that only 500 other people have done this. Closer to 600, actually, but still a relatively small number. Upon landing, hell celebrate with a great, great grin on my face. WHO ELSE IS FLYING Two pilots are needed to fly the rocket plane from the time its released from the mothership to shoot into space until it glides down to a runway. It will be the third trip to space for chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Bransons Virgin Atlantic, and the second for chief flight instructor Michael Masucci. Chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, a former NASA engineer, is also launching for the second time. Joining Branson as space rookies are lead operations engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, a vice president. The six will grab a lift from mothership pilots C.J. Sturckow, a former NASA astronaut, and Kelly Latimer. ROCKET PLANE Virgin Galactics space plane, Unity, will take off attached to a specially designed double aircraft nicknamed Eve after Bransons late mother. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), the plane will be released and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space, exceeding 3 Gs, or three times the force of Earths gravity. The motor will shut off once the craft reaches space a maximum altitude of about 55 miles (88 kilometers) is anticipated enveloping the ship in silence as everyone but the pilots unbuckle, float and gaze out the 17 windows at Earth and the black void of space. After a few minutes of weightlessness, the occupants will strap back in as the plane reorients itself for entry folding up its wings, then folding them back down in unique technique known as feathering. The rocket plane will glide back, NASA space shuttle style, to conclude about 15 minutes of free flight. TRACK RECORD Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic got its start when Branson teamed up with aircraft designer Burt Rutan to provide the necessary spaceship technology. A 2007 rocket motor test in Californias Mojave Desert left three workers dead and three more injured. Then in 2014 the rocket plane Enterprise named after the Star Trek ship broke apart during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. Unity, the replacement ship named by the late physicist Stephen Hawking, began flight tests in 2016. It made its first trip to the edge of space with two pilots in 2018 and the second in 2019, both times from Mojave. The operations moved to New Mexicos Spaceport America, with the plane soaring from there on May 22 to achieve the companys third spaceflight. WHATS NEXT After Branson's launch, Virgin Galactic plans two more test flights this summer and fall before inviting paying customers on board. The next one will include more company employees, and the last will have Italian Air Force members conducting research. If all goes well, the first of the more than 600 confirmed ticket holders will climb aboard next year. The company plans to reopen reservations once Branson soars. Initial tickets went for $250,000; no word on whether that will change. Branson promises a surprise after his ride to give more people the chance to become an astronaut because space belongs to us all. In the meantime, scientists are lining up for research rides, including Southwest Research Institutes Alan Stern, who was behind NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. 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 After Mayor Rick Chrest mentioned the possibility of a municipal COVID-19 business relief program in his state of the city address in May, Brandon City Council will finally discuss the topic at their meeting on Monday. Advertisement Advertise With Us After Mayor Rick Chrest mentioned the possibility of a municipal COVID-19 business relief program in his state of the city address in May, Brandon City Council will finally discuss the topic at their meeting on Monday. During that address, Chrest warned the city doesnt have the same resources the province and federal government when creating their relief programs, but that he was confident the city would be able to provide modest help. The agenda for Mondays council meeting suggests the modest help will come in the form of a $250,000 fund created through funds received from the federal government through the COVID-19 Safe Restart Relief Funding Program. Other COVID-19 funds from the federal government were used to help cover losses sustained by Brandon Transit and prevent the need to increase municipal property taxes during this years budget process. A document attached to Mondays agenda suggests local businesses will be able to apply for grants covering up to 90 per cent of eligible expenditures made during the pandemic to a maximum of $2,500 per business. Applications for the program will likely be open from Aug. 16 to Oct. 16 or until funds are depleted. Government organizations, post-secondary institutions, health authorities, organizations that primarily provide services for government organizations, craft-based home businesses and independent consultants will not be eligible for the program. Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Barry Cooper will be on hand to make a presentation in support of the program. Several more items will also be considered at what is poised to be a busy council meeting. These include council voting on whether to apply for funds from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund for the design and construction of a new direct street entrance, foyer and elevator for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. Votes will also be held on multiple subdivisions, the southeast secondary plan, amending the citys fire safety bylaw, several rezoning applications and on a first reading of the citys plastic bag reduction bylaw. First discussed in 2019, the citys proposed phasing out of single-use plastic bags has been long delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark We need to respect our heritage, just as we need to respect one another. Not to find fault, not to tear down, not to highlight every failure, but rather to realize we are a complex country as we are made up of complex people. And so, our failures should not be celebrated, but they should not be repeated, either. There were failures of character on display the other day that need not be repeated. And that are not helpful, and, in fact, are most unhelpful to the struggle for real building and real reconciliation that must be pursued. "We need to respect our heritage, just as we need to respect one another. Not to find fault, not to tear down, not to highlight every failure, but rather to realize we are a complex country as we are made up of complex people. And so, our failures should not be celebrated, but they should not be repeated, either. There were failures of character on display the other day that need not be repeated. And that are not helpful, and, in fact, are most unhelpful to the struggle for real building and real reconciliation that must be pursued." Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister The days that have followed the tearing down of a pair of statues of British queens on Canada Day that once stood at the Manitoba Legislature have been as much a test in leadership character as the event itself was a defining moment our provinces history and our governments relationship with Indigenous people in this province. And thus far, I dont believe our leadership has passed that test a fact that has made reconciliation even more difficult as the opinions of the pro and anti camps have solidified around partisan and racial lines. It was truly remarkable to witness how many Canadians from across this country took a more sombre tone for what has historically been a national day of celebration. Following news of the sheer number of unmarked graves of Indigenous children that have been found at former residential school sites in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the past few months, the cancelling of Canada Day events and the numerous calls for a day of national reflection were appropriate, if not long past due. As the CBC reported on Canada Day, thousands of people dressed in orange gathered in Winnipeg for two separate rallies one called "No Pride in Genocide" that started at noon at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and another group taking part in the Every Child Matters walk that gathered at Portage and Main and marched toward the Manitoba Legislature. Toward the end of the second walk, which was held to remember Indigenous children who died at residential schools, the statue of Queen Victoria and a smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth II were pulled down. The head of the Queen Victoria statue was removed and tossed in the Assiniboine River. These were not isolated incidents either a statue of Queen Victoria in Kitchener, Ont., was doused in red paint, a statue of Captain James Cook was dismantled and tossed in the harbour in Victoria B.C., and in St. Johns N.L, two buildings and a statue dedicated to the local police force were also vandalized. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister: "The people who came here, to this country before it was a country, and since, didn't come here to destroy anything; they came here to build." Its worth remembering that Indigenous leaders in Manitoba, including Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief Arlen Dumas and Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand, expressed their disappointment and sadness over the toppling of the statues, decrying the violence that accompanied what they hoped would have been a day of peaceful protest. Those protests were meant to highlight the ongoing need for reconciliation efforts and to remember those who were forcefully removed from their families to attend residential schools, such as the one here in Brandon. To my mind, it is unfortunate the statues came down as they did, but not because of any belief on my part that we should celebrate historical figures who bear responsibility for this countrys historic wrongs. Critics of the reconciliation process are right to suggest there are better ways to remember the shared and problematic history of this land. But as Chartrand said, the defacement and destruction of public property has had the effect of co-opting the conversation and giving unnecessary soapboxes to those who would rather turn a blind eye to the lessons of that history and instead focus on red herring issues of crime and punishment. Over the last week, I have seen far too many comments come to my newsroom inbox lamenting the destruction of a pair of old metal statues that glorified royal sanctimony and colonialism. By comparison, scarce few since Canada Day have offered condolences to our Indigenous friends and neighbours. On Wednesday, our premier had the opportunity to seize the moment in the wake of the Canada Day trouble at the Legislative grounds and show some grace. But he didnt take it. Though he wasnt wrong to express his unhappiness with the destruction of government property, he missed the chance to look past the actions of a few angry men and women, and reach out to Indigenous communities to offer a new way forward. Instead, he played to his vocal political base of supporters who see the destruction of public property as a form of homegrown terrorism and Indigenous people as a bunch of ungrateful welfare recipients. He talked of settlers who "came to build" with "dedication and with pride," and gave patronizing advice about how reconciliation should take place. Unfortunately, his comments joined the destruction of public property on Canada Day in proving detrimental to ongoing efforts toward reconciliation. We need cooler heads to prevail. Matt Goerzen, editor We lived in different cities, so our relationship developed slowly for the first few months, but his persistence in pursuing me added to his charm. We didnt rush into marriage, either, taking five years to live together and invest in property together, in preparation for the children we both wanted to have. I left my desk and sat in a toilet cubicle for a long time, finally understanding the meaning of being sick to the stomach: it felt as if my insides were being twisted into the tightest knot as my mind raced. I tried to tell myself that everything was going to be fine. Of course, it wasnt fine. His blanket denials continued for the first 24 hours of the weekend, despite my persistent questioning. Eventually he admitted theyd kissed, no more. Another 24 hours and the story became kissing plus sex, just once, on a work trip. By this stage I was distraught but determined to learn the truth. When he went for a walk and left his phone behind as a show of his honest character, I found her number in his contacts and called it. It was like shed been waiting all weekend for me to call, and by the sounds of it shed been drinking for most of it. She seemed eager to answer my questions: I suspect shed been wanting to blow things up for quite some time. It turned out that the trigger for the destructive phone call was a romantic holiday that my husband and I were about to take shed asked him not to go with me and hed refused. She told me everything, in graphic detail. That they had been having an affair for three years. Theyd had sex on work trips, in a storage cupboard at their office, at her house after her husband went to work. In my house, too, while I was away and he was ostensibly looking after our children. I spoke to her until it turned dark outside, trying to understand the unfathomable shift to my world, to the image of the man I adored, to the marriage I treasured, to the lives of our children who had spent nearly every waking hour of the weekend parked in front of the television while this all unfolded in another room. Loading There were no signs: how could there be when my husband was intent on living a parallel life? A husband as well as a lover to another. There were no unexplained late nights, no lipstick on the collar, no secret love letters, none of the cliches. Yes, there were frequent business trips but there were always phone calls first thing each morning and late every night, to say he loved me, to talk to the kids. There were flowers for no reason, beautifully written cards, a healthy sex life. I remember little about those first heart-wrenching days. I walked the streets where we lived, trying to assemble my thoughts and emotions. Once when I took a bath I heard him on the phone checking if she was okay. It somehow didnt strike me as strange that he wasnt checking if I was okay. I went to work on Monday without my wedding ring, unable to bear the feel of it on my finger when I no longer believed in what it symbolised. I asked him to leave our home to go think about which life he wanted, so he temporarily moved to an apartment. He eventually returned and we went to couples counselling where he charmed the psychologist into thinking he was putting in an effort to save our marriage, while stonewalling discussions about the narcissistic personality disorder that drove his behaviour. Over and over during counselling I asked if there was more that he hadnt told me, that now was the time to put everything on the table while I was trying to process what had happened. He repeatedly assured me there was nothing else, that I knew everything. I did my best to function as a mother, a colleague, a friend, although there was a lot of crying in the car when I was alone. I confided in very few people, figuring that if we stayed together I didnt want this to be a shadow hanging over our life. I did my best to function as a mother, a colleague, a friend, although there was a lot of crying in the car when I was alone. I mostly functioned as a wife, too. We went on a few short holidays together to reconnect: they were surreal but surprisingly good. I convinced myself that I had forgiven him, believing when he said that hed ended the affair, that it had never happened before and would never happen again. Fast-forward six months and wed moved far away from the place where it all happened, to a new home and life. He was, again, the perfect husband and father: attentive, loving, hosting and cooking an elaborate birthday dinner for me with family and friends. He assured me his heart was full with me and the kids, that hed made the right choice. I felt so lucky to start again, to have kept my family intact. But deep down there was a lingering doubt that he hadnt been completely honest. So I took one final stab at finding the truth. One night I ensured he was drunk enough to completely lower his guard and I pretended to know more than I did about his extracurricular life. Out it all came: multiple affairs during our 15 years together, some of them with people I knew, encounters with escorts on nearly every work trip plus hed still been seeing the woman who left me the message, despite telling me it was over. It was worse than I could have imagined. With such a long history of infidelity and deception, of destructive behaviour, of repeatedly lying to me, it was clear that he was never, ever going to change. And it was equally clear to me that I wasnt prepared to live a life of turning a blind eye while my husband slept around and put my sexual health at risk. Even through all the hurt and damage to my self-esteem, I knew I deserved better than this. I had always wondered how love could turn to hate so easily, but at that moment I understood. I told him I wanted a divorce and asked him to leave immediately. What he didnt take from our bedroom that day I tipped into bags and suitcases and left them at the front gate, including every love letter and card hed sent me, torn into small pieces. A few days later we sat down with the kids for that awful, We love you, youve done nothing wrong, Mum and Dad just cant live together any more conversation. He had to say the words, I had no voice. Part of me felt so guilty that I couldnt stay with him for the kids. I hoped one day they would respect my decision. I knew I didnt want to be defined by the end of a marriage. I wanted to love and trust again, to choose a better partner. Do you ever fully recover from such a monumental betrayal? It took time to understand the failings on both sides: him for not being honest when we first met that he didnt believe in monogamy; me for not seeing the person he really was. But I knew I didnt want to be defined by the end of a marriage. I wanted to love and trust again, to choose a better partner. Towards the end of the first year of separation, I told my father that I was going to start dating. I had spared him the worst details of what had happened but still he said, You are the bravest person I know. Loading Dating was brave, and there were a few more battle scars along the way. I did eventually find a man who makes me smile and laugh and feel cherished, whose arms feel like the warmest place in the world. I trust him and know his values around love and fidelity align with mine. The dark days seem like another lifetime ago, not 10 years. The alleged president of the Brisbane West Chapter of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang has been charged with murder after police raided an Ipswich home on Saturday morning. Police will allege the 46-year-old man directed and financed the execution of Gold Coast bikie Shane Bowden in the driveway of his Pimpama unit on October 12, 2020. Mr Bowden was a senior member of the Mongols and reportedly the gangs former national sergeant-at-arms, who had defected to the rival motorcycle gang the Finks. He was sprayed with 21 bullets by two gunman in last years killing, and was ambushed moments after he drove his car into his garage. An Australian Army captain has won a retrial after allegedly telling a Papua New Guinea nurse that his doctor had asked in writing that she help to collect a semen sample from the captain. Captain William Michael Howieson was convicted of prejudicial conduct in September last year in a General Court Martial and was due to be demoted to Lieutenant as part of his punishment. Australian Army Soldiers on parade. (File image) Credit:Glenn Campbell He was originally charged with four offences three counts of committing an indecent act and one count of committing an act likely to bring discredit on the Australian Defence Force. All four charges related to alleged incidents on November 16, 2018 or December 7, 2018 and the complainant was the same for all charges a female nursing officer of the PNG Defence Force. Public health campaigns to promote COVID-19 vaccination should steer clear of needles, medical items and even images of the Prime Minister getting the jab to avoid inducing feelings of disgust. Thats the message from a recent Macquarie University study, published in the ISBT Science Series, which compared the role of disgust with other emotions such as fear when it comes to blood donation. The Prime Minister receives his vaccine in March. Credit:Edwina Pickles Disgust can potentially turn people off from various medical procedures, especially those involving needles, said lead researcher Philippe Gilchrist. Disgust might be present in the promotional campaign images, the phrasing of public health messages, or even in the clinics. In fact, vaccinations may actually be even more disgust-inducing because it involves injection of a foreign substance into the body almost an extreme prototype for disgust. Rebellion at the Celtic Club over a decision to sell the pub that was its home has escalated into a legal fight involving allegations of financial mismanagement, alcoholism and not being Irish enough. Two former Celtic Club committee members are locked in a fresh defamation battle, after past president Brian Shanahan recently took legal action against former secretary Felicity Allen over claims made on social media. A bitter legal fight has broken out among former Celtic Club committee members. Credit:Pat Scala The Celtic Club has been plagued by infighting after the sale in 2016 of the Victorian-era building on Queen Street it had called home for 58 years to a Malaysian developer for $25.6 million. The club has since spent millions paying debts and tax on the Queen Street sale, and on renting a William Street office and the Metropolitan Hotel in North Melbourne. Two men have appeared in court and a murder charge has been laid in relation to missing man Brendon Farrell, after human remains were found at a Noble Park home on Friday. Forklift driver Mr Farrell, 32, was last seen about 12.30pm on May 31 by a friend at a bungalow he was living in behind a house on Kidds Road in Doveton. Missing man Brendon Farrell. Credit:Victoria Police An autopsy is under way to formally identify the human remains found at a home in Cyril Grove in Noble Park on Friday night. Terence Tiumalu, 30, from Hampton Park has now been charged with the murder by detectives from the Missing Person Squad. Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Haitis interim government said it asked the US to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilise the country and prepare the way for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moises assassination. We definitely need assistance and weve asked our international partners for help, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a phone interview late on Friday (Saturday AEST). We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. The US has rebuffed the request, with a senior US administration official telling Reuters there were no plans to provide US military assistance at this time. A Haitian police asks a woman to move away from a gate at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Credit:AP The stunning request for US military support recalled the tumult following Haitis last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In just over a week, the full 90-man roster is slated to report to Green Bay, with the first practice of training camp set for July 28. And because Rodgers has said next to nothing publicly about his intentions, all anyone can do at this point is make educated guesses. The administration has sacked 11 of its employees, including sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and two from the police department, for allegedly working as over ground workers for terrorist organisations, officials said on Saturday. The 11 employees, who have been dismissed, are from the Jammu Kashmir Police, the education, agriculture, skill development, power and health departments, and the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). Among the employees, four are from Anantnag, three from Budgam, and one each from Baramulla, Srinagar, Pulwama and Kupwara districts, the officials said. These employees were dismissed under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution under which no inquiry is held and dismissed employees can only approach a high court for relief. The officials said that the designated committee in for scrutinising such cases, in its second and fourth meeting, recommended dismissal of three and eight employees, respectively, from government service. Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Yousuf, who are sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief and one of the most wanted terrorists, Salahuddin, were also dismissed from service for allegedly being involved in terror funding, the officials said. One of them was working with SKIMS and the other, was in the education department, they said. The Investigation Agency has tracked terror funding trails of both the persons. They were involved in raising, receiving, collecting and transferring funds through Hawala (non-banking) transactions for terror activities of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, the officials said. The three officials recommended for dismissal in the second meeting of the committee, included an orderly of the ITI in Kupwara, who was an over ground worker (OGW) of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, they said. He was providing information to terrorists about the movement of security forces, and abetting and harbouring terrorists to carry out activities in a clandestine manner, the officials said. Besides him, there were two teachers from Anantnag in South Kashmir who were found involved in anti- activities, including participating, supporting and propagating secessionist ideology of the Jamat-Islami (JeI) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), they said. The eight government employees recommended for dismissal in the fourth meeting of the committee included two constables of the Jammu Kashmir Police who supported terrorism from within the police department and provided inside information to terrorists as also logistic support, the officials said. Constable Abdul Rashid Shigan has himself executed attacks on security forces, they said. Another government employee with terror links is Naaz Mhammad Allaie, an orderly of the health department. He is an OGW of the Hizbul Mujahideen and has a history of direct involvement in terrorist activities, the officials said. Two dreaded terrorists were harboured by him at his residence, they said. Employees Jabbar Ahmad Paray and Nisar Ahmad Tantray of the education department, who terminated from service, were actively involved in furthering the secessionist agenda unleashed by terror-sponsors from Pakistan and are Jamat-e-Islami ideologists, the officials said. Shaheen Ahmad Lone, an inspector of the power department has been found involved in smuggling and transporting of arms for the Hizbul Mujahideen, they said. He was found travelling along with two terrorists on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway and carrying arms, ammunition and explosives in January last year, the officials 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.) With the prospect of a lengthier lockdown looming over Sydney, the idea of living with the virus has resurfaced. NSW's health minister, Brad Hazzard, raised the prospect of abandoning the lockdown and accepting that the virus has a life which will continue in the community at a press conference on Wednesday. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have rejected that idea, but many voices in the media have been pushing it. As with pandemic policy in general, much of the discussion of the Sydney outbreak has framed the problem as one pitting health against the economy. In this framing, epidemiologists and public health experts are seen as the advocates of saving lives, while economists are seen as the advocates of saving money. In reality, the great majority of Australian economists support policies of aggressive suppression or elimination that is, keeping case numbers close to zero, and clamping down when an outbreak threatens. Broad agreement As with epidemiologists, that broad agreement encompasses a range of views about the appropriate response in any particular case. Some economists, and some epidemiologists, supported the NSW government's decision to delay a lockdown, while others wanted earlier action. But only a minority in either group support the idea of ending restrictions and waiting for herd immunity to protect us. Unfortunately, as we have already seen in the case of climate change, many media outlets thrive on conflict. It is more interesting to present a debate between a pro-lockdown public health expert and an anti-lockdown economist than to present a nuanced discussion of the best way to suppress the virus, taking into account insights from a range of disciplines. Understanding exponential growth Why have economists endorsed the policy of suppression with more enthusiasm than, for example, political and business leaders? First, because economists understand the concept of exponential growth. While economics' stress on growth is rightly contested, its centrality to economic concepts means related concepts from epidemiology, such as the reproduction number (R), are immediately comprehensible to us. Once you understand how rapidly exponential processes can grow, the idea that lockdowns are disproportionate responses to a handful of cases, as The Australian has editorialised, loses its superficial attraction. A clear majority of economists surveyed by The Conversation in May 2020 (after the end of the national lockdown) supported strong social distancing measures to keep R below 1. Most of those who disagreed felt alternative measures could hold R below 1 at lower costs. Only a handful supported a let it rip strategy. Considering counterfactuals Second, economists understand counterfactuals that is, the need to specify what would have happened under an alternative policy. It is easy to make the point that lockdowns are both economically costly and psychologically traumatic. But the counterfactual is not a situation where the economy is unaffected and everyone is happy. Living in fear of the virus, and watching family and friends suffer and die from it, is psychologically traumatic. As regards the economic costs, the steps people take to reduce their exposure to risk are themselves costly, as is the need to allocate medical resources to treat the sick. Weighing trade-offs Third, and most importantly, economists understand about trade-offs. There are always trade-offs within the space of policy choices. Should we lock down at the first sign of an outbreak and risk unnecessary costs, or wait until later and risk a longer and harsher lockdown? Should we incur the costs of purpose-built quarantine facilities, or accept the greater risk of leakage from hotel quarantine? Economists also understand that not all choices involve trade-offs. Sometimes one policy is unequivocally worse than another, on all relevant criteria. While there are always trade-offs somewhere in policy space, it's often the case that, of the live options, one dominates the other in all important dimensions. On the central question of suppression versus herd immunity, there was no trade-off, as countries like Sweden found out. The evidence points strongly to one conclusion. Allowing the virus to spread uncontrolled would have done more economic damage than temporary lockdowns, as well as causing thousands of avoidable deaths and tens of thousands to suffer severe, and possibly long-lasting, illness. Risk and uncertainty Finally, economists understand the complexities of risk and uncertainty. One implication is the benefit of diversification by backing every horse in the race, as opposed to putting all your eggs in one basket, or even a few. The federal government's vaccine policy relied heavily on a limited range of options primarily AstraZeneca, and the University of Queensland's vaccine venture both of which ran into problems. If we had followed the logic of diversification, we would be much better placed than we are now. Economics doesn't have all the answers. No one knows that better than economists. Dealing with the pandemic requires insights from a range of disciplines. But lazy stereotypes, pitting one profession against another, don't help. (The Conversation) (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 World Health Organization (WHO) is likely to take a decision on including Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in the emergency use list (EUL) within four to six weeks, Soumya Swaminathan, the global health body's chief scientist has said. Speaking at a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Friday, Swaminathan said the WHO is reviewing Covaxin as its manufacturer Bharat Biotech is now uploading its entire data on the health body's portal. According to WHO guidelines, EUL is a procedure to streamline the process by which new or unlicensed products can be used during public health emergencies. There is a process to be followed for EUL and pre-qualification of vaccines under which a company has to complete phase 3 trials and submit the whole data to the regulatory department of WHO which is examined by an expert advisory group, Swaminathan said. The completeness of the data, which includes safety and efficacy and also the manufacturing quality, standard is provided. So, I expect that Bharat Biotech has already submitted data and in four to six weeks there will be a decision on its inclusion, Swaminathan added. At present, the WHO has approved vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna and Sinopharm for emergency use. We currently have six vaccines approved with EUL and have recommendations from our Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE). We continue to look at Covaxin. Bharat Biotech has now started uploading their data on our portal and that is the next vaccine that will be reviewed by our experts committee, the chief scientist said. She also mentioned the WHO Research and Development Blueprint prepared in 2016, shortly after the Ebola outbreak, in which a research roadmap for diseases with pandemic potential was laid out. I want to mention the Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint. I think we need to think about how we can do better in the future in terms of development of not just vaccines but drugs, diagnostics and ensuring equitable access. This blueprint was developed after the Ebola outbreak and essentially it laid out a research roadmap for diseases which have pandemic potential, she said. So, when the roadmap was developed in 2016, it mentioned 'Pathogen X' in it which showed that we were anticipating a pandemic, which is now COVID-19, she added. Swaminathan also said the roadmap essentially laid out the steps in terms of developing target product profiles like standards for vaccines, diagnostics regulatory standards, trial designs, and trial simulators. This pre-thinking helped because WHO was able to bring together scientists, researchers, academics and companies at the beginning of last year to develop a research roadmap for COVID, she said. At present, there are 105 candidate vaccines in clinical evaluation out of which 27 are in phase three or four, she said. There are another 184 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation. Most of the vaccines are designed for a two-dose schedule, she added. The WHO chief scientist also said the Delta variant of the is very transmissible. Two complete doses are required for protection against the Delta variant but you can still get the infection and can transmit it. This is why masking and other precautions are important to continue, she said. Talking about some companies stressing on the need to develop a booster dose after two vaccine shots doses to protect people, Swaminathan said, at this point there is no data to indicate if a booster dose is required. Science is evolving. At this point we don't have data to indicate that everyone will need a booster and is it going to be after one year or two years. But data from follow up studies of vaccinated people are very encouraging and is showing that immune responses are lasting up to 8, 10 or even 12 months, she said. A few studies that have looked at giving booster dose after six months have shown that it can increase the antibody levels so high that they can protect against all variants. What we know is you need a high level of antibodies, whether it's through a booster or the first course. We need more studies and see which vaccines will require a booster and when. It could be possible that a combination of two different vaccines is administered in future but these are all being looked into through research and so we have to wait, she said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Doyen of and managing trustee of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala (KAS) Dr P K Warrier passed away here on Saturday, family sources said. He was 100. KAS sources said Dr Warrier breathed his last around noon. In hislifetime spanning a century, he treated tens of thousands of patients from across the globe and his patients included former presidents and former prime ministers of India and abroad. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinararyi Vijayan and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly M B Rajesh condoled the death of the "patriarch" of Ayurvedic The Governor said, "As a physician, he was committed to the scientific pursuit of He will be remembered for his matchless contribution to the modernisation of As a humanist, he envisioned a life of good health and dignity for everyone in society. "The demise of Dr Warrier is a great loss for medical sciences. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the Arya Vaidya Sala fraternity. May his soul attain Mukti", he added. Vijayan, in his message, said Warrier was instrumental in leading Ayurveda to global fame and it was due to his efforts that this field of has gained international acceptance today. Warrier worked towards ensuring that money should not be a barrier to treatment and from heads of state to the poor, he was approached by all for treatment. "He was the patriarch of Ayurveda in Kerala," the chief minister said. Assembly Speaker M B Rajesh, condoling Warrier's death, said that he made great contributions to Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala and was instrumental in making Ayurveda a therapeutic discipline and giving it a strong place in modern education. Health Minister Veena George, in her message, said,"We have lost the patriarch of Ayurveda". Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also condoled Warrier's death and said that his name will always be remembered as the physician who brought the greatness of Ayurveda to the world. BJP state president K Surendran also offered condolences on the death of Warrier. "P K Warrier was a person who made his mark in the healthcare sector," he said. The country had honoured him with Padmasree in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2010. A prominent physician and a visionary who popularised the classical and authentic Ayurveda treatment across the world, Dr Warrier's birth centenary celebrations were held on June 8. The renowned Arya Vaidya Sala in Kottakkal near here and the Ayurveda Medical college flourished and became synonymous with Ayurveda after Dr Warrier took the reins of the institution decades ago. Born to Sreedharan Namboodiri and Panniyampilly Kunhi Warrisyar on June 5, 1921, Panniyampilly Krishnankutty Warrier (PK Warrier) did his schooling in Kottakkal and joined KAS at the age of 20. However, he was attracted to the freedom struggle during the Quit India movement and abandoned Ayurveda studies under the tutelage of his uncle and founder of KAS Vaidyaratnam P S Warrier. However, Dr Warrier returned to studies after he realised that active politics was not his cup of tea. Soon after completion of his studies, he joined the KAS as a trustee at the age of 24. Warrier had steered the 119-year old charitable trust managing the KAS for over six decades and made it an internationally-reputed and all-under-one-umbrella ayurvedic institution. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has stayed a Green Tribunal order directing payment of compensation to the families or heirs of those who died in a toxic gas leak in Steel Plant. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notices to the Central Pollution Control Board, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Department of Factories and Boilers of Odisha and others. "Issue notice. In the meanwhile, stay of the operation of the judgment and final order dated February 11, 2021 of the Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi. The dependants of the workers, who died on January 6, 2021 shall continue in employment till further orders," the bench said. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Steel plant against an order which took cognisance of a media report about gas leak in the plant and directed payment of compensation to the families or heirs of people who died in the gas leakage. The tribunal also constituted an expert committee for the purpose of suggesting safety measures to be taken by the industries. Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Goradia Divan submitted that the Green Tribunal has no jurisdiction to take up the matter suo moto and this point is pending consideration in two appeals before this court. She further submitted that the dependants of three out of four workers who died on January 6, 2021 have been given compassionate appointments. The had directed the constitution of an expert committee comprising the Ministry of Environment, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Odisha Pollution Control Board (PCB) to look into the matter of suspected toxic gas leak in Steel Plant on January 6. The bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on February 11 had said that the committee may co-opt two other industrial safety experts. At least four workers died and a few others fell ill after inhaling a toxic gas leaked from a unit at Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of the state-run SAIL in Odisha, official sources had said. The mishap took place at the Coal Chemical Department of the RSP in the morning, when a total of 10 workers were on duty. (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 35,707 cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 5,058,093, according to official figures released on Friday. The country also recorded another 29 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,365. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, the Xinhua news agency reported. Nearly 45.7 million people in Britain have received the first jab of Covid-19 vaccine and over 34.3 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. England's reproduction number, also known as the R number, has risen slightly to between 1.2 and 1.5, up from between 1.1 and 1.3 last week, according to the latest estimate by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), a British government advisory body. An R value between 1.2 and 1.5 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 15 other people. An outbreak can grow exponentially when the figure is above one. Meanwhile, the growth rate range of coronavirus is 3 per cent to 7 per cent, which means that the number of new infections is growing by between 3 per cent and 7 per cent every day. Overall vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease in risk groups is approximately 60 per cent after one dose of either the AstraZeneca vaccine or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with little variation by age, according to a study released on Friday by the Public Health England. After two doses, vaccine effectiveness is 81 per cent with AstraZeneca among people in risk groups aged 16 to 64. No data is available for Pfizer-BioNTech. Among people in risk groups aged 65 and over, vaccine effectiveness with Pfizer-BioNTech is 89 per cent and 80 per cent with AstraZeneca. Although age is the greatest risk factor for adverse outcomes following Covid-19 infection, certain health conditions also increase the risk of severe disease. Diabetes, severe asthma, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, neurological disease, and diseases or therapies that weaken the immune system - such as blood cancer, HIV or chemotherapy - have all been linked to an increased risk of hospitalization or death with Covid-19, according to the PHE. 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.) Over 42,500 fresh cases reported India reported 42,766 fresh infections on Saturday, taking the cumulative caseload to about 30.8 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 1,206 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 407,145. The active caseload is at 455,033, while the total recoveries have surged to 29.9 million. As many as 37.2 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 3 million were given on Friday. Read more What is a booster shot? A booster shot is a way to strengthen the immune system against a particular pathogen, an explainer in The Indian Express said. It may be identical to the original vaccine, in which case the goal is to raise the amount of protection by generating more antibodies. Researchers can also alter what goes into the booster to offer protection from a new variant a version of the virus thats mutated significantly from the original version you were vaccinated against, the explainer said. Read more Tripura sent 151 samples for Covid testing. More than half found positive for Delta plus More than half of the samples sent for genome sequencing by Tripura have turned out positive for the Delta Plus variant of the SARS-CoV-2, a report in the Hindustan Times said. The variant is feared to potentially drive a third wave of Covid in the country. Of the 151 total samples that were sent for testing, as many as 90 came back positive for the Delta plus strain. "It is a matter of concern," said Dr Deep Debbarma, a Covid-19 nodal officer in Tripura. Read more Negative Covid report must for tourists flocking to Mussoorie The Uttarakhand administration has made a negative RT-PCR test mandatory for those entering Mussoorie from outside the state after reports of large-scale violation of appropriate norms, a report in the Hindustan Times said. The local administration said the travellers would be required to make an online booking of their accommodation in Mussoorie after getting negative reports of RT-PCR tests. Those without a Covid-19 negative report would be denied entry beyond Kolhukhet. Read more Treatment of non-Covid patients takes a hit during the pandemic, finds study A study by Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has quantified the impact of Covid being at the centre of focus on non-Covid treatments, a report in The Indian Express said. Researchers observed a reduction of more than 80 per cent in both outpatient attendance and surgical work compared to the year before. The study looked at 677,237 cases at the hospital in two years, the year of Covid and one year before. It revealed that new and follow-up cases dropped by 57.65% in the Covid year. Outpatient cases attendance dropped by 89% and surgical work dropped by 80%, the report said. Read more is planning to inject the third doses of Covid-19 vaccine to healthcare workers across the country next week, a minister said. The country's Health Ministry will start the vaccination program using the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine next week, targeting 1.47 million health workers across the country, the Xinhua news agency reported. gave its emergency use approval to the Moderna vaccine last Thursday. "The Moderna vaccine is planned to come this week and it is hoped that starting next week we can start (the vaccination)," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said at a virtual press conference on Friday evening. Sadikin went on to say that the third vaccination will only be given to health workers due to the limited amount of vaccines available. "It is important for us to understand that this third vaccination is only given to health workers. Because they are the ones who encounter very high levels of the virus every day and we must protect them to the utmost so that they can concentrate on their works," he said. Health workers in have received the second doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines. Until July 3, as many as 6,698 nurses were confirmed to have been infected with and 339 of them have died, according to the data provided by National Nurses Association (PPNI). Meanwhile, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) said that the number of doctors who have died from infections until July 8 is 458 people. On Friday at a separate virtual press conference, head of the IDI's mitigation team Adib Khumaidi said that the number of deaths of doctors infected with the virus have been increasing drastically in the past two months. "In May, the number of deaths of doctors increased by seven and it immediately increased in June, 48 doctors. So, it's almost seven times," he said. Indonesia on Friday recorded 38,124 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. The total tally is 2.45 million, the country's Health Ministry reported. Meanwhile, the Covid-19-related death toll added by 871 to 64,631. --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.) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued red and orange alerts for various districts of For Saturday, the has issued a Red alert for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Kasargod districts. It issued an Orange alert for the districts Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur. The department has also issued a Yellow alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Alapuzha districts. The IMD, for Sunday has issued an Orange alert in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasargod districts, while it issued a Yellow alert for the districts Pathanamthitta, Alapuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad. An Orange alert has been issued for July 12 in the Kannur and Kasargod districts. The had issued a warning of heavy rainfall in yesterday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asked authorities to take stringent action against people visiting monsoon tourist spots in Pune district on weekends defying COVID-19 norms, the rural police fined 424 revellers till Saturday evening and collected Rs 1,99,600 from them, a senior officer said. "Despite COVID-19 restrictions on weekends, many people came to Lonavala which is one of the famous monsoon tourist spots. We have deployed personnel at various locations in Lonavala city and rural areas. Police penalised 100 revellers visiting Lonavala and collected a fine of Rs 47,000," Pune (rural) Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh told reporters. According to Pune Rural police, they have also fined revellers visiting famous monsoon tourist spots like Sinhagad fort, Panshet dam, Bhor, Velha, Kamshet, and Junnar. Since morning police, penalized 424 revellers in the district and collected a fine of Rs 1,99, 600. Meanwhile, Pune district reported 1,114 fresh positive cases on Saturday, taking its tally to 10,62,995, while 14 more fatalities pushed the toll to 18,081, a health department official said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The announcement by US drugmaker of a plan on developing a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine to better protect people from growing variants, has heightened hesitancy amongst the unvaccinated population and sparked confusion across the country on whether it was needed or not. and its partner German firm BioNTech announced on Thursday that they were planning to seek approval for the booster shot within weeks, predicting that people would require a vaccine boost six to 12 months after being fully immunised, reports Xinhua news agency. The two companies said they have seen encouraging data in the ongoing trial of a third dose of its current Covid-19 vaccine. Initial data from the study demonstrate that a booster dose given six months after the second dose has a consistent tolerability profile while eliciting high neutralisation titers against variants including the highly transmissible Delta variant, which can be five to 10 times higher than after two primary doses. They expected a decline in vaccine efficacy against symptomatic disease over time and the continued emergence of variants. They said that based on the totality of the data to date, a third dose may be needed within 6 to 12 months after full vaccination, to maintain the highest levels of protection. But after the announcement, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a joint statement on vaccine boosters, saying that "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time". The two agencies on Friday added that people who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe illness and death, including from emerging variants such as the highly contagious Delta variant which is now the dominant strain in the US. "FDA, CDC, and NIH (National Institutes of Health) are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary," said the statement. The decision, the statement said, will be only partly informed by data from drug companies. Delta, which is now in over 100 countries, represented over 50 per cent of new infections in the US over the two weeks ending July 3, according to the CDC. Experts are concerned the variant will cause a surge in new cases this fall, hitting the unvaccinated population the hardest. About 47.8 per cent of the US population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and 55.3 per cent of the population has received at least one shot, CDC data show. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After detection of 'Delta Plus' variant of in Tripura, the state government has extended the 15-hour daily curfew in several urban areas for another week till July 17, an official said on Saturday. The government also increased the time for such a restriction by two hours on Saturdays and Sundays, Revenue Secretary Tanushree Debbarma said. The curfew will be in place from 2 pm to 5 am on weekdays and from noon to 5 am on Saturdays and Sundays in the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation and 12 other urban local bodies, she said. Debbarma stated that the administration decided to extend the curfew after the COVID situation in the state was reviewed. "The curfew will be enforced strictly in several areas from noon to 5 am on Saturdays and Sundays and from 2 pm to 5 am on weekdays," the official said. The COVID curfew will remain in place in Agartala, Ranirbazar, Jirania Nagar, Udaipur, Kailashahar, Dharmanagar, Khowai, Belonia, Kumarghat, Teliamura, Sonamura Nagar, Amarpur Nagar and Sabroom Nagar till July 17, she said. The COVID curfew in these urban areas was first imposed on May 16 and then extended several times. Many cases of 'Delta Plus' and 'Delta' variants of COVID-19 have been detected in the northeastern state, a health department official said. "Altogether, 151 samples were sent for genome sequencing in a laboratory at Kolkata. The report was shocking as more than 90 per cent of them were found positive for the 'Delta Plus' variant. New strains were detected not only in West Tripura but also in other districts," Dr Tapan Majumder, head of the microbiology department of Agartala Government Medical College, said. State Surveillance Officer for COVID-19 Dr Deep Kumar Debbarma said the 'Delta Plus' strain was detected in 138 samples, 'Delta' in 10 and UK variant in three. "The 'Delta Plus' strain can spread rapidly. The situation may turn complicated if the COVID appropriate behaviour is not enforced strictly," Majumder said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US is sending 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to and another 500,000 to Bhutan, the White House has said, asserting that its donations around the world are without any strings attached. Today we are sending three million doses to Indonesia, 1.5 million doses to Nepal, 500,000 doses to Moldova, and 500,000 doses to Bhutan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday at her daily news conference. There are no strings attached to our vaccines that we're providing. We're providing them around the world to save lives and to be a contributor to the global effort to fight the pandemic, Psaki said in response to a question. She said that with these shipments, in this week alone, the US has sent nearly 15 million doses to countries including Guatemala, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. Psaki said that in addition to the vaccines given to Indonesia, the US is also moving forward on plans to increase assistance for Indonesia's broader COVID-19 response efforts. "We recognise the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases, and our thoughts are with all those in Indonesia who are affected, she said. Psaki acknowledged that there are more doses needed beyond the billion. I would note that the is far and away the largest contributor in the world to the fight against the pandemic, including specific doses of vaccines. The President has made clear that we will continue to build from here, and we're working on manufacturing capacity around the world and in the United States, and we will continue to contribute even beyond the billion doses, she said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was recently sworn in as chief minister, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and sought his directions on the possible third wave of coronavirus, the proposed Kanwad Yatra and the Chardham Yatra against the backdrop of the pandemic. He also sought establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kumaon region of the state on the lines of AIIMS, Rishikesh. In a tweet, Dhami said he sought the blessings of the prime minister. "Sought his directions on the state's development, the possible third wave of Covid-19, Char Dham Yatra and Kanwad Yatra. The prime minister assured all possible help for the state's development," Dhami tweeted. The Prime Minister's Office also tweeted pictures of the meeting. On Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's comments asking why people of the hill state, which generates electricity, cannot get free power like consumers in the national capital, Dhami said the AAP leader may have his agenda but the only agenda for the BJP is the state's development and offering the best to people. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor will visit Dehradun on Sunday. The party has decided to contest the assembly polls in the state due early next year. on Thursday decided to review its decision to stop all Kanwad yatra devotees from entering the state this year. The yatra sees lakhs of devotees travel through several states by foot to the holy town of Haridwar in According to an official release in Dehradun, Dhami said an AIIMS in Kumaon will give access to the people of the region to world class medical facilities, adding the state government will give land for it. Describing AIIMS, Rishikesh as a big gift to the people of the state from the Centre, Dhami said it is playing a significant role in the battle against Covid. Dhami also sought speedy implementation of the 300 mw Lakhwar multi-purpose project from which six states including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will benefit. The project has all the clearances and work on it can begin after a cabinet committee on economic affairs by the Union Government gives its go-ahead to the project, Dhami said. He informed the prime minister that the second phase of building and reconstruction projects at Kedarnath are to begin at an estimated cost of Rs 108.78 crore and sought an appointment from him for laying their foundation stones virtually. Dhami's meeting with the prime minister lasted one hour and 15 minutes. Congratulating Dhami, Modi expressed hope that under his youthful leadership the state will prosper, the release said. Dhami also met Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to remove inner line restrictions from Nelong and Niti valleys near India-China border saying it will boost tourist inflow to the beautiful valleys and increased economic activities as a result of this will stop migration from border villages. He also demanded two air ambulances and establishment of one disaster research institute at Uttarakhand's summer capital Gairsain in view of the state's vulnerability to natural calamities. The Chief Minister also met Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and requested him to increase the budgetry allocation for solid waste management projects in Uttarakhand under the Swacch Bharat Mission-2 from Rs 89 crore to 150 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.) As the tourist's influx has increased in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said the state government has issued an order regarding 50 per cent occupancy capping in hotels in Nainital and Dehradun. Speaking to ANI, Dhami SAID, "We have issued an order regarding 50per cent occupancy capping in Hotels in Nainital and Dehradun. Challans are being issued to those who aren't wearing masks. We are making efforts & will follow guidelines to contain the spread of the virus." have been thronging hills as the heatwave has hit the plains and the second wave of COVID-19 seeing a significant decline in the country, although the gross violation of Covid appropriate behaviour by the visitors is being accounted for in many places. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Friday cautioned that the second wave of COVID-19 is not over yet and noted that 66 districts in the country reported more than 10 per cent positivity rate for the week ending July 8. Addressing a press conference, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said 80 per cent of new cases are coming from 90 districts- indicating the need for focused attention in these areas. (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.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said lack of a dipping Covid-19 cases in the State when compared to other States was not a cause for concern or fear as things are under control. He said the endeavour of the State from the beginning was to protect as many people as possible from being infected or succumbing to the virus until the vaccine was available for all. "Many are wondering as to why the number of patients in Kerala has not decreased. This comes as no surprise when examined in terms of public health principles. We can confidently say there is no need to be fearful and that things are under control," he told reporters. He said the Delta variant which has a higher chance of spreading struck Kerala during the second wave of COVID-19 and that the number of people infected by it increased because of the huge population in the State. "In addition, the disease spreads rapidly across the State due to the interconnectedness of rural and urban areas," he said. Since people already infected by COVID and those who have been vaccinated have limited immunity against the Delta variant, it can lead to infection recurring in those infected in the past, he said. "Many of those who are now positive fall into these categories. It is reassuring that they have no serious symptoms and no risk of death," he said. He said the sero prevalence study of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the end of the first wave revealed the prevalence rate in Kerala was only about half (11.4) compared to other States (21.6). "Therefore, the infections in the second wave were higher. Consequently, the number of tests have also increased," he said. He further said the study found 70 to 80 per cent of people in many cities in country were infected. The Chief Minister said though thenumber of infections are not going down, restrictions like lockdown cannot be continued indefinitely and things need to go back tonormal as soon as possible. That is why the restrictions are being eased or phased out. However, the relaxations should not be misused or abused by people by not following COVID-appropriate behaviour like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing, he said and added that overcrowding should be avoided. He further said the State has beenable to provide appropriate treatment to patients in hospitals and ICUs even when the number of cases was high and even then more than 60 -70 per cent of COVID hospital beds were never used. "About 90 per cent of the total patients are being treated free of cost in government hospitals. This is an achievement no other State has achieved," he said. He said there are 252 private hospitals affiliated with the government's Karunya Health Care Scheme for providing treatment to the poor and vulnerable families and that the cost of treatment in other private hospitals has been controlled. "The government and the private sector are working together to deal with the COVID situation," he said. On reporting of deaths due to COVID, the Chief Minister said it was not something that could be done easily. Again referring to ICMR studies, he said they show Kerala was better at reporting deaths than most other States. On the vaccinations in the State, the Chief Minister said 43 per cent of people in the above 18 years category have received the first dose and 12 per cent have received the second dose. In terms of vaccination numbers, the State was ahead of the others, he said and added that the State was also ahead in non-wastage of the vaccine supplied by the Centre. "Vaccine distribution has now started through private hospitals as well. In addition to the COVISHIELD and COVAXIN vaccines, some hospitals are also offering the SPUTNIK vaccine.Other vaccines from Indian and American companies are expected to be available soon," he said. He said experts opine immunity can be achieved only if around 70 per cent of the people in the 18 years plus group are vaccinated. Since at least 60 per cent of people in that category have been infected without being vaccinated and have some immunity, he told reporters that steps would be taken to vaccinate another 15 per cent soon to achieve herd immunity. Vaccination is recommended for pregnant and lactating mothers as per the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation as scientific studies have shown that COVID infection during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth. He said the State was trying to vaccinate 2.5-3 lakh people per day for which a campaign called 'Vave' (Vaccine Advancement for Vaccine Equality) was launched for the registration of marginalised people like those below the povertyline who do not know how to register or do not have the facilities for the same. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Pradesh Committee on Friday held a signature campaign at petrol pumps across the national capital to protest against the fuel price rise. DPCC president Anil Chaudhary attacked the Delhi government and the central government, saying regular hikes in the prices of petrol and diesel add to the "sky-rocketing expenses" of households. "The Modi government at the Centre and the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi were revelling at the misery of the people, without taking any corrective measures, as they were making enormous profits from fuel price hikes," Chaudhary said in a statement. Chaudhary took part in the signature campaign at the Janpath Road and Chandni Chowk petrol pumps. The leader questioned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the steps taken to control the price hike. "Why is he not reducing VAT on oil prices to provide relief to Delhiites? If the Centre does not reduce Excise Duty, Delhi can reduce VAT, which will help reduce the prices of petrol and diesel in the National Capital, to provide relief to the people," he argued. Petrol price was hiked by 35 paise per litre and diesel by 9 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers issued on Thursday. Petrol price, which has already crossed Rs 100 in over half of the country, rose to Rs 100.56 a litre in Delhi and Rs 106.59 in Mumbai. Diesel rate climbed to Rs 89.62 per litre in Delhi and Rs 97.18 in Mumbai. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) police on Saturday arrested eight people, including the owner of a factory and his sons, in connection with the fire in their food processing unit which killed at least 52 people, according to media reports. The fire broke out at the factory in Narayanganj outside Bangladesh's capital on Thursday. The authorities have put the death toll at 52 from the bodies recovered so far. Forty-nine workers died after being trapped on the third floor with its only exit locked. Three also died after jumping off the six-storey factory. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the owner, several directors and managers of the Sajeeb Group and its sister concern Hashem Food Ltd were among those taken into custody by police, the Tribune reported. "No one will be spared if their negligence is found over the incident," the minister warned. Police are seeking a 10-day remand order from a court to question Hashem and over the deadly blaze, according to Rupganj Police Inspector Humayun Kabir Molla. Apart from Sajeeb Group Chairman and Managing Director Md Abul Hashem, his four sons, including Deputy Managing Director Hasib Bin Hashem and Director Tareq Ibrahim were also named in the case, according to Narayanganj's Superintendent of Police Zaidul Alam. Sajeeb Group is the parent company of Hashem Foods Ltd, the scene of the devastating fire. The home minister earlier visited the gutted factory. The Home Ministry formed a committee to look into the fire incident. The probe report will be submitted very soon and action will be taken quickly as well, the report said. Narayanganj's Superintendent of Police (SP) Alam said they will bring to book the responsible for the tragic incident and the subsequent deaths after interrogating the eight arrestees. "Police have filed a murder case with Rupganj Police Station against them. If we find anyone involved during the investigation, we will include them too," The Daily Star quoted Alam as saying. The action was taken as it emerged that many children were working in the factory. Hashem, however, denied all responsibility for the factory fire and said there should not be any child labour in the factory. Md Salauddin, the factory's admin officer, said, "The issue about the age of the workers is wrong. They were hired after reviewing the relevant documents. If the age is low, it is the workers who tampered with the documents." The injured are undergoing treatment at Medical College Hospital and US-Bangla Medical College and Hospital at Rupganj. Apart from the Home Ministry probe team, several other agencies and the local administration have also started investigations into the incident. According to the Fire Service, a huge amount of plastic and packaging materials in the building had fueled the fire in just a few minutes after it broke out. They said the blocked door at the factory's staircase has caused so many deaths that could have been avoided. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) and the USA were said to be leaders of a project to identify presence of viruses in wildlife with the potential to cross over to humans. Correspondence by Ping Cheng, Director, NIAID Office in has detailed these contacts which took place. These details are under the spotlight as a debate is emerging over the role of Wuhan Institute of Technology in the spread of Cheng writes that Global Virome Project will be visiting Beijing to discuss the scope of the project which is sponsored by USAID and other organisations. "They plan to have US and to be leaders of the project. The China host is China CDC and our dear friend George Gao is China POC for the project. The purpose of the project is to identify viruses present in wildlife with potential crossing over to humans, causing human infection and spread", Cheng wrote. "Following the identification of the viruses is the development of vaccines to protect the human population", Cheng wrote. This is exactly the sequence of events with Covid 19 when first the virus broke and then vaccines came in the picture. Cheng further wrote that China has huge capacity for vaccine development with 7 national owned vaccine manufacturing facility and over 30 private vaccine making companies. "One of the partners in this project is Ecohealth Alliance. Peter Daszak from EcoHealth Alliance is one of the leaders of the GVP project and he has NIAID grant from RDB looking at the in bat populations in China in collaboration with Wuhan Institute of Virology. He came to visit me once in the Embassy. This grant has direct connection with the purpose of GVP", Cheng wrote. --IANS san/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 Colombians implicated in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise were recruited by four companies and travelled to the Caribbean nation in two groups via the Dominican Republic, the head of Colombia's police said Friday, while the U.S. said it would send senior FBI and Homeland Security officials to help in the investigation. Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles said 17 suspects have been detained in the brazen killing of Mose that stunned a nation already reeling from poverty, widespread violence and political instability. As the investigation moved forward, the killing took on the air of a complicated conspiracy. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian-Americans, who have been described as translators for the attackers. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwan's Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. At a news conference in Colombia's capital of Bogota, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said four companies had been involved in the recruitment, the gathering of these people implicated in the assassination, although he did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified. Two of the suspects travelled to via Panama and the Dominican Republic, Vargas said, while the second group of 11 arrived in on July 4 from the In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials will be sent to as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist. The United States remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president, Psaki said. Another eight suspects are still at large, said Haitian National Police Chief Lon Charles. We are going to bring them to justice, the police chief said, as the 17 handcuffed suspects sat on the floor during a news conference Thursday. Investigative Judge Clment Nol told the French-language newspaper Le Nouvelliste that the Haitian-Americans arrested, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers originally planned only to arrest Mose, not kill him. Nol said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers, the newspaper reported Friday. The same newspaper quoted Port-au-Prince prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude as saying he ordered an investigative unit of the National Police Force to interrogate all the security agents close to Mose. These include Moise's security coordinator Jean Laguel Civil and Dimitri Hrard, head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace. If you are responsible for the president's security, where have you been? What did you do to avoid this fate for the president? Claude said. The attack, which took place at Mose's home before dawn Wednesday, also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to Miami for treatment. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military and declared a two-week state of siege. Port-au-Prince already has been on edge amid the growing power of gangs that displaced more than 14,700 people last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory. The killing brought the usually bustling capital to a standstill, but Joseph urged the public to return to work. The airport, street markets, supermarkets, banks and gas stations reopened Friday, and people lined up to buy fuel again. Vargas has pledged Colombia's full cooperation, and authorities there identified 13 of the 15 Colombians implicated in the attack as retired members of the military, 11 captured and two killed. They range in rank from lieutenant colonel to soldier. The commander of Colombia's Armed Forces, Gen. Luis Fernando Navarro, said they had left the institution between 2018 and 2020. In the criminal world, there is the concept of murder for hire and this is what happened: they hired some members of the (army) reserve for this purpose and they have to respond criminally for the acts they committed, said retired Colombian army general Jaime Ruiz Barrera. Senior officials from Colombia's security forces will travel to Haiti to help with the investigation. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are heavily recruited by private security firms in global conflict zones because of their experience in a decades-long war against leftist rebels and powerful drug cartels. The wife of one former Colombian soldier in custody said he was recruited by a security firm to travel to the last month. (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 and Georgia, during the bilateral meeting discussed economic cooperation, tourism, trade and connectivity, said India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) on Saturday. The minister made the remarks after holding a meeting with the Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of David Zalkaliani. "It was a very good discussion. We discussed economic cooperation, tourism, trade and connectivity. Our relationship is doing well. There're some big Indian projects in Georgia," said EAM Jaishankar. The minister said he has invited Georgian leaders and business delegation to India. "I invited him to visit India with a business delegation. In India, people need to know more about Georgia, especially about its high ranking in ease of doing business. I'm very confident my visit will be the opening of a new chapter," he added. Earlier today, EAM Jaishankar, had met with representatives of the Indian community from the country's Tsnori, Khaketi. Jaishankar arrived in Tbilisi on Friday on a two-day official visit. On his arrival, the minister said he was blessed to hand over the holy relics of St. Queen Ketevan to the people of and it was an emotional moment. Jaishankar was received by his Georgian counterpart David Zalkaliani on his arrival. Zalkaliani also referred to Jaishankar bringing with him relics of Georgia's Queen Ketevan and said the visit will play a huge role in strengthening ties and taking the relations to a completely new level. Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan to the Government and the people of at a ceremony in the presence of His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili. St. Queen Ketevan was a 17th century Georgian Queen who attained martyrdom. Her relics were found in 2005 at the St. Augustine Convent in Old Goa, India, on the basis of medieval Portuguese records. (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.) Top officials from the US, Germany and France said theyre confident that a global tax deal endorsed at the Group of 20 meeting in Italy has enough momentum to overcome political obstacles in Washington and within the European Union in time for it to be finalized in October. Theres more work to be done, but Im really hopeful that with the growing consensus were on a path to a tax regime that will be fair for all of our citizens, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting in Venice. The landmark agreement aims to revamp rules that have allowed major companies to save billions by shifting profits to low tax jurisdictions. A total of 132 countries last week backed the two-pillar accord at the OECD that seeks to address that situation with a global minimum rate, as well as making multinational companies pay more in places where they operate rather than where they are headquartered. Yellen was particularly confident that the US Congress would pass legislation needed to implement at least the part of the proposed deal that imposes a minimum tax rate. Im very optimistic that the legislation will include what we need for the US to come into compliance with pillar 2, Yellen said. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said he believes European holdouts Ireland, Hungary and Estonia would be brought on board. This is a big historic moment. The G-20 has now reached an agreement here for new rules on taxation to be introduced, he said. Frances Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said there is no turning back from the G-20 officials giving their stamp of approval. It will be implemented and we will have built this taxation system for the 21st century, Le Maire said. The three finance chiefs, whose countries have for years haggled over the details of an agreement, hailed the political endorsement in Venice as killing off a competition among countries that have sought to attract corporations with lower and lower taxes. Congress Hurdle Getting that finalized, however, will require support from Congress, where many Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have expressed serious reservations about both so-called pillars of the deal. Yellen said she has engaged in talks with the Democratic leaders of key congressional committees on the Biden administrations tax proposals. These would cover not only the agreement but also measures needed to pay for the presidents ambitious plans to invest in infrastructure and other priorities over the next decade. The Treasury chief said changes necessary to comply with the minimum corporate taxes could be passed alongside other Biden proposals through a process known as budget reconciliation that wont require Republican support in the closely divided legislature. Congress is negotiating a budget resolution that we expect to result in a reconciliation bill, she said. Following Yellens remarks, a Treasury official said the administration sees approval for pillar 1, which proposes a redistribution of corporate tax rights on multinational firms, as moving forward on a different schedule. That part of the deal wont be approved until next year at the earliest, said the official, who commented on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly. The OECD accord foresees implementation in 2023. Europe Hurdle Scholz and other European leaders face their own internal fights to get the agreement adopted across the 27-member bloc. Ireland, Hungary and Estonia have so far refused to sign up to the minimum tax, creating a potential roadblock because of the need for unanimity on tax issues within the EU. While Scholz expressed optimism the three countries will eventually back the accord, the EU could yet create other problems because of a plan to present a digital levy for the bloc in the coming weeks. That has rankled Treasury officials, who point out that the OECD deal is supposed to eliminate taxes in several European countries on digital giants like Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. The U.S. has insisted such levies are abolished before a deal goes to Congress, and that no new ones be adopted. Yellen is due to meet with European counterparts in Brussels on Monday to discuss the matter. We can fix the issue, we can alleviate the difficulties, Le Maire said. There is and there are solutions and Im sure that the European Commission will do its best efforts to find solutions with the American administration. Rate Hurdles Besides possible implementation challenges, there are issues that remain to be settled between advanced and developing countries, and high and low tax jurisdictions. On the minimum tax, Le Maire said he had agreed with Yellen and Scholz in Venice to push for a rate higher than 15%. There also remain technical and political hurdles connected to sharing out of rights to tax international firms. According to the OECD deal, between 20% and 30% of profits over 10% of revenues would be allocated for tax in countries where multinationals generate revenues. For the time being we have consensus for 20%. I think that best solution would be a level of reallocation of 25% to meet the concerns of some developing countries, Le Maire said. Haiti's interim government has asked the U.S. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilise the country and prepare the way for in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. We definitely need assistance and we've asked our partners for help, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told The Associated Press in an interview, declining to provide further details. We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. Joseph said that he was dismayed by opponents who've tried to take advantage of Mose's murder to seize political power an indirect reference to a group of lawmakers have declared their loyalty and recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haiti's dismantled senate, as provisional president and Ariel Henry, whom Mose designated as prime minister a day before he was killed, as prime minister. "I'm not interested in a power struggle, Joseph said in the brief phone interview, without mentioning Lambert by name. There's only one way people can become president in And that's through So I'm asking everyone to work together so the country can have an elected president. (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.) Extending his wishes to his newly appointed counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister on Saturday expressed confidence that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries would continue to become stronger under his able guidance. Modi welcomed the fact that both countries share a similar vision of an open, inclusive, peaceful and rules-based Indian Ocean Region, and hence the India- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership can contribute to promote regional stability, prosperity and development. In this context, a statement issued from Prime Minister's Office said, the Prime Minister also noted that both India and were presently fellow members of the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Modi pursued India's opinion in a telephonic conversation with the Vietnam Prime Minister earlier this morning. Modi thanked PM Chinh for the valuable support provided by the government and people of Vietnam during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. The leaders agreed that both countries should continue consultations and cooperation to support each other's continuing efforts against the pandemic. Both Prime Ministers reviewed the state of bilateral relations and shared their views on different areas of cooperation. Noting that year 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the leaders agreed to celebrate this auspicious milestone in a befitting manner through various commemorative activities. Prime Minister Modi also invited PM Chinh to undertake an official visit to India at an early suitable date. --IANS rak/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.) Powerful US and eminent members of the Indian-American community have welcomed the nomination of Mayor Eric Garcetti as the country's next envoy to India. US President Joe Biden on Friday announced the nomination of Garcetti, 50, as the US Ambassador to India. I am honoured to accept his nomination to serve in this role, Garcetti said in a statement soon after he was nominated for the role. Top American and eminent members of the Indian-American community described it as an excellent choice. Mayor Garcetti is an excellent choice to serve as US ambassador to India. The importance of India to the global economy and national security will only continue to grow over the coming years and having a steady hand to guide our relationship with that nation is vital, Senator Dianne Feinstein said. Garcetti, as the grandson and great-grandson of immigrants, is committed to economic opportunity and justice for all, two bedrock American values that he will effectively champion in India, she said. Biden's nomination of Garcetti to serve as next ambassador to India is an important step forward in the US-India partnership as the two countries work together to end the pandemic, increase economic cooperation, and ensure regional security, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said. Mayor Garcetti's experience in leading while championing cooperation between the world's leading cities will undoubtedly serve him well as he helps strengthens the relationship between the world's largest democracy and its oldest, he said. The choice of Eric Garcetti to be the US ambassador to India is a mark of how keen the Biden administration is on establishing strong ties with India, said M R Rangaswami, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and investor, about his nomination. Rangaswami said Garcetti has a strong track record as the mayor of America's second largest city and a personal connection with Biden. Both of these will be significant assets as he plays a leading role in the efforts to further strengthen US-India ties and we at Indiaspora are delighted with this development," he said. As Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, I look forward to working with Garcetti to strengthen the relationship between the world's oldest and largest democracies, said Congressman Brad Sherman. Indiaspora, a nonprofit organisation of global Indian diaspora leaders, in a statement said as the Mayor of Los Angeles, the United States' second largest city, Garcetti would bring valuable political and administrative experience to the role. A close political confidante of President Biden who served as a Co-chair of his campaign in 2020, Garcetti also would have the President's ear, it said. Garcetti has a range of experience, having lived and worked in Asia as well as Europe and Africa. A Rhodes' scholar, he has served as Los Angeles' first Deputy Mayor for Affairs, where he expanded L.A.'s global ties to bring more jobs, economic opportunity, culture, education, and visitors to the city, according to Los Angeles' government website. Ambassadorship to India is a critical position for strengthening ties between the world's largest and the world's oldest democracy, and President Biden has made an excellent choice in Mayor Eric Garcetti, said IMPACT executive director, Neil Makhija. As Mayor, Eric Garcetti oversaw the vaccine deployment in the nation's second largest city, where over 50 per cent of people over the age of 16 are now vaccinated. Garcetti understands the urgency and reality of addressing climate change, is familiar with geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region from his service in the US Navy, he said. As a trusted ally of President Biden, Eric Garcetti will make great strides in strengthening diplomatic ties between the United States and India as ambassador, especially during this time of humanitarian crisis, Makhija 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.) One in 10 recovered COVID-19 patients in Singapore had persistent symptoms six months after their initial infection, a study led by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) has found. In this condition known as "long COVID", they continued to experience symptoms, most commonly a lingering cough and shortness of breath, long after recovering from COVID-19. Other symptoms included persistent fatigue, dizziness and insomnia, but these were not frequently observed, The Straits Times reported on Saturday, citing the study by the country's top infectious disease body which is focusing on COVID-19 treatment. More importantly, the study also found elevated inflammatory markers regardless of whether the person had a serious or mild case of the disease. These proteins in the blood have been associated with conditions affecting the circulatory system and are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Long COVID is a serious concern from a societal perspective and, if widespread, will likely put a strain on the society and economy for years to come, the Singapore daily cited experts it had spoken to previously on the matter. It adds to the hidden toll of the pandemic, with the long period of less-than-optimal health signalling the critical need for people to avoid infection in the first place. The study led by NCID involved three other public hospitals. Patients typically joined the study during their first week of illness and are monitored for six months. A total of 288 patients were recruited, and 183 of them returned for outpatient follow-ups. The study began in mid-January 2020 soon after the first case was detected in Singapore, with the aim of studying the long term impact of COVID-19, up to two years post-infection, and also to understand how any protective immunity from infection evolves over time. Dr Barnaby Young, a consultant in NCID who was involved in the study, said, "We understand from cases, who passed on from acute COVID-19, that although the lungs are the major organ affected, the virus actually caused wider damage." This included damage to the heart as well as the inner lining of small blood vessels. In some individuals, the Sars-CoV-2 virus damages blood vessels, and in particular small vessels that are present in every part of the body, leading to blockage of the blood supply and bleeding, Dr Young said. He noted that much is still unknown about long COVID. The symptoms of long COVID can be wide-ranging and non-specific, and of varying duration, though the mechanisms that cause it are unclear. bodies like the World Health Organisation (WHO) are also actively gathering more information. The NCID is embarking on another study of whether there are long-term inflammatory consequences to COVID-19, according to The Straits Times report. Recovered COVID-19 patient Sylvia Sim, 58, said that it took her about a year to regain her sense of smell completely. She tested positive for the virus on April 6 last year and was discharged on April 25. "When I was first diagnosed, I was down with a fever and lost my sense of smell and taste. My sense of taste returned only some six months later and my sense of smell a year later. Till today, I am sometimes unable to smell," the daily quoted Sim as saying. Sim's condition would fit under long COVID, Dr Young said. "Some aspects of long COVID relate more to a 'post-viral syndrome' with prolonged lethargy, dizziness and other symptoms. Loss of taste and smell may fit in as well," he said. Other complications such as blood clots may also be considered to be part of long COVID, Dr Young added. "These different presentations are probably all related to each other but may be driven by different combinations of chronic inflammation, specific aspects of the immune response to infection or possibly residual viral fragments." Studies elsewhere are also showing the pandemic's debilitating effects from long COVID. A study in June this year tracking the health insurance records of nearly two million people in the United States who contracted the last year found that almost one-quarter of them sought medical treatment for new conditions, such as nerve and muscle pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and fatigue. Meanwhile, Singapore reported six imported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, but there was no locally transmitted case, the Ministry of Health said. It was the first time since April 25 that no new locally transmitted case was reported here. The six had already been placed on stay-home notice (SHN) or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Singapore has had 36 deaths from COVID-19 complications, while 15 who tested positive have died of other causes. Singapore has recorded 62,684 cases to date. (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.) Despite remaining on the "grey list" of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is less worried about the UN-designated terror groups living on its territory amid the US troop withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan. The terrorist groups against whose leaders and commanders is supposed to take action include the Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation and al Qaeda and Islamic State. Fabien Baussart in Times of Israel said in his blog that must be "hoping" that the FATF's insistence on investigating and prosecuting leaders of terror groups living on Pakistani territory does not clash with the role it wants in influencing the future of Afghanistan. Pakistan has been providing shelter to several terrorist groups which the FATF wants to be prosecuted and punished. They are also the chief elements impeding the return of peace to war-torn Afghanistan once the United States fully withdraws itself from that country. The FATF has asked Pakistan to complete three tasks including demonstrating that financing investigations and prosecutions target persons and entities acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities, demonstrating that terrorist financing prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all 1,267 and 1,373 designated terrorists, specifically those acting for or on their behalf, said the blogger. Last month, the FATF noted "serious deficiencies" in Pakistani actions to check terror financing. It told the country at the end of the meeting that the FATF encourages Pakistan to continue to make progress to address as soon as possible the one remaining CFT (counterterrorist financing)-related item by demonstrating that TF (terrorist financing) investigations and prosecutions target senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups, he added further. However, it is difficult for Pakistan to complete the above task in the next three months in the upcoming Force plenary meets in October. In fact, Pakistan has not been showing much willingness to take action against the leaders of the terror groups, the Times of Israel reported. Pakistan has to date prosecuted senior leaders of LeT and JuD. LeT leader Hafiz Sayeed is also serving a prison sentence in a terror-financing case. The JeM chief, Masood Azhar, has escaped action so far even though he has been held responsible for several terror attacks. Much of the Afghan Taliban leadership, which lives in Pakistan, is also yet to face any action and it continues to engage in campaigns to raise funds for its terror campaigns. It is also involved in unleashing violence and terror attacks in Afghanistan in a bid to capture territory in the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US troops from the country. US President Joe Biden has set a deadline of September 11 for the final pullout of the few remaining troops from Afghanistan. FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer said Pakistan will remain on the grey list till it addresses all items on the original action plan agreed to in June 2018 as well as all items on a parallel action plan handed out by the watchdog's regional partner - the Asia Pacific Group (APG) - in 2019. Pakistan's consistent failure to combat money laundering and terror financing is directly linked with the way, in which the Pakistani military dominates and manages politics and business both at home and abroad. Over the past four decades, the Pakistan army has been financing jihad from Afghanistan to the Kashmir Valley. The anti-Soviet jihad of the 1980s, as well as violence in Kashmir, required an uninterrupted flow of capital. This was earned through drug trafficking. To start with, Pakistan's military and the ISI treated Pakistan as a domestic market for the consumption of heroin. The 1980s saw hundreds of thousands falling prey to a drug culture that was encouraged by the Pakistani military establishment. (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 (CII) on Friday halted legislation on Bill in 2020 saying the Islamic constitutional body needs to review and gave its findings to the government. They expressed reservations on several provisions of the bill. The opinion of the CII was conveyed to the Human Rights Ministry in the third week of June only after the bill generated controversy following its passage in the Senate, reported The News The CII considered the bill in November 2020 after it was laid before the National Assembly (NA). The bill is presently with the NA Secretariat and is to be tabled again before the National Assembly to endorse the amendments made by the Senate and to make it an act. After its passage in the Senate, the bill attracted serious controversy among many, including parliamentarians, political leaders, including Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad and Jamiat Ulema-e Islam of Fazal-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, religious scholars and opinion-makers, who raised objections and dubbed it highly objectionable. It was demanded by the Imran government, through the media and social media, to refer the bill to the CII because several of its provisions were considered against the teachings of Islam, reported The News Following public pressure, Prime Minister Imran Khan's advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan formally approached Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and asked the latter to refer the bill to the CII. Babar Awan wrote a letter on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was also told about some 'un-Islamic provisions' included in the bill. Sources said that even on Tuesday, the PM in the cabinet meeting told his ministers that it is the right decision to refer the matter to the CII. Although the CII has yet to receive any reference on the issue from the Speaker of the National Assembly, senior figures in the Council told The News that the Human Rights Ministry has already been informed by the Council not to go ahead with legislation on the bill because of the constitutional body's reservations about several provisions. The annual report of the State of Human Rights in released by the Human Rights Commission of (HRCP) for the year 2020 has set alarm bells ringing over the plight of women in the country. The HRCP report has once again painted a concerning picture of the women's rights situation in the country. The HRCP has highlighted forms of violence against women, which include sexual assault and prevalent across the country. The report also reiterated that the HRCP has registered an increase in and even digital versions of such cases, which according to the report underlines "the increased vulnerability of women during the [COVID-19] pandemic." "Many families realize too late that a divorced daughter is better than a dead daughter," exclaimed Khadija Siddiqi, a women's rights activist and gender-based violence survivor. (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 Talibans lightning-fast advance to control more territory in is raising alarms from Russia to China, as U.S. President Joe Bidens move to withdraw troops disrupts a balance of power in South Asia that has held steady for about two decades. At least 1,000 Afghan troops this week retreated into Tajikistan, prompting the country mobilize an extra 20,000 soldiers to guard its frontier. Russian President Vladimir Putins sought out assurances from the that it will respect the borders of Central Asian states that once were part of the Soviet Union, while neighboring Pakistan has said it wont open its borders to refugees. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who warned last week that the most pressing task in was to maintain stability and prevent war and chaos, plans to travel to Central Asia next week for talks on the country. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the ministry, on Friday called the U.S. withdrawal hasty and said Washington must honor its commitments to prevent becoming once again a haven for terrorism. The U.S. has rushed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and left the Afghan people in a mess, which further exposes the hypocrisy behind the pretext of defending democracy and human rights, Wang Wenbin said at a briefing in The will not allow anyone or any group to use Afghan soil against China or any other countries, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, a senior official at the groups political office in Doha, Qatar, said in a WhatsApp message Friday. This is our commitment. Biden on Thursday had insisted the U.S. military had achieved its goals in Afghanistan and would leave by Aug. 31, just shy of its 20-year anniversary after the deaths of 2,448 U.S. service members and about $1 trillion in spending. Yet the battle will go on for the people in Afghanistan and surrounding countries, threatening in particular the $60 billion in projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) right next door. The chaos in Afghanistan could spill over into other countries and lead to regional turbulence, said Fan Hongda, professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of the Shanghai Studies University. China does not want to take over the U.S. role, but hopes to facilitate regional peace and stability because it has interests in the region. The have dramatically expanded their hold on Afghan territory in recent months, leaving the U.S.-backed government in control of little more than 20% of the country, according to data compiled by the Long War Journal. The insurgent group now holds 204 of 407 districts, up from 73 at the beginning of May, while the Afghan government only controls 74 currently. The rest are contested. On Friday, senior Taliban official Shahabuddin Delawar said that the countrys borders are now under the control of the group and would remain open and functional. We assure all, we are not going to target diplomats, embassies, and consulates, NGOs, and their staff. While the militants have taken some areas along Afghanistans borders, their takeover wont last, Fawad Aman, a deputy spokesman of the Defense Ministry, said by phone Saturday. Weve stepped up our offensive assaults and those areas will be liberated and retaken soon. At the moment, authorities in Kabul still control all of the 34 provincial capitals, although two of them near the borders of China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are now being contested. The Afghan Defense Ministry has stepped up airstrikes against Taliban fighters in recent weeks. The Talibans swift rise after fighting the U.S. for 20 years risks leading to a collapse of the Afghan government and military, a scenario that last took place in the 1990s after the Soviet Union withdrew. While the U.S. seeks to prevent al-Qaeda from regaining a foothold in Afghanistan, the implications are dire for the six countries bordering the country -- as well as nearby nations like India that have frequently been the target of Jihadist attacks. The risks of regional contagion were made clear in April when a car bomb exploded at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in the Pakistani city of Quetta, not far from Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan. The attack, claimed by the loosely affiliated Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), showed that governments in the region might struggle to protect high-profile diplomats and business people. Significant Threat The Taliban has close links with as many as 20 terror groups who operate across the region from Russia to India, said Farid Mamundzay, Afghanistans ambassador to India. Their activities are already visible on the ground and they pose a significant threat to the region. Pakistan, which helped the Taliban rise to power in the 1990s, is now worried about a resurgence of the TTP, a group that has been blamed for 70,000 deaths of civilians in the country since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Only recently crushed by a combination of Pakistan military operations and U.S. drone strikes, the TTP may see an opportunity to attack Chinese projects to influence policy in Islamabad. These groups want to hurt Pakistan, and these attacks hurt the most, said Asfandyar Mir, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. The situation in Afghanistan is an important factor for the security of CPEC. Chinese Targets With an economy that has grown by about five times since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, China is a particularly ripe target. Showing the importance of the relationship between and Islamabad, Pakistans army has raised a dedicated force of thousands to protect CPEC projects across the country. A Taliban-led Afghanistan would likely solidify relations between China and Pakistan on one side and the U.S. and India on the other, with Russia and Iran in the middle to adjust policies depending on the threat perception, according to Gautam Mukhopadhaya, a former Indian ambassador in Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar. The region will be severely impacted, but the rest of the world will not be immune to the shifts in geo-political balance, extremism and violence, said Mukhopadhaya, currently a senior visiting fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, a think tank based in New Delhi. Fleeing Refugees As the Taliban makes gains, many Afghans are fleeing villages for the relative safety of bigger cities. Pakistan expects 500,000 refugees from Afghanistan, and authorities have said theyll be kept in border camps. More than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees are already in Pakistan, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. A win for the Taliban would ultimately embolden all sympathizers across the region, said Madiha Afzal, a David M. Rubenstein fellow at Washington-based Brookings Institution. Foot soldiers of these groups also cross over from one to the other, she said. They see the U.S. withdrawal and the Talibans position as a victory for jihadists. China's cyberspace regulator said on Saturday any company with data for more than 1 million users must undergo a security review before listing its shares overseas, broadening a clampdown on its large "platform economy". The security review will put a focus on risks of data being affected, controlled or manipulated by foreign governments after overseas listings, said the Cyberspace Administration of China's cyberspace regulators are imposing tighter restrictions on data collection and data storage, while authorities more broadly are pushing for to list domestically. Saturday's announcement will also require firms to submit the IPO materials they plan to file for review. The CAC is seeking public opinion on the rules. The notice comes after Chinese authorities launched a probe of ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc for allegedly violating user privacy, just days after its listing in New York. Didi's shares plunged 20% on news of the probe, and the company said its revenue would be affected. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has said it sees China as a "friend" of Afghanistan and assured Beijing that it would not host Uyghur Islamic militants from the volatile Xinjiang province, which is a major worry for the Chinese government, according to a media report. The comments came as the made territorial gains in the war-torn country amid the withdrawal of the US forces. China has already evacuated 210 of its nationals from Afghanistan by a chartered flight this week. Beijing is concerned that under rule, Afghanistan will become a hub for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a separatist outfit aligned to Al-Qaeda which is waging an insurgency in Xinjiang. The resource-rich Xinjiang shares about 8- km-long border with Afghanistan. Playing down China's concerns, the Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said they see China as a friend to Afghanistan and is hoping to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work as soon as possible. Suhail also said the Taliban would no longer allow China's Uyghur separatist fighters from Xinjiang, some of whom had previously sought refuge in Afghanistan, to enter the country. The Taliban would also prevent al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group from operating there, he said. We have been to China many times and we have good relations with them, Suhail told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, recalling the few meetings hosted by China in the past for Taliban delegations. China is a friendly country and we welcome it for reconstruction and developing Afghanistan, he said adding that "If (the Chinese) have investments, of course, we will ensure their safety," Shaheen said. Sharply critical of the US move to pull out its troops without stabilising the peace process in Afghanistan, China this week has asked its close ally Pakistan to step up cooperation to contain the security risks in the war-torn country following the withdrawal of the foreign forces. "(China and Pakistan) need to defend regional peace together. Problems in Afghanistan are practical challenges that China and Pakistan both face," especially the expansion of both and regional terrorism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday addressing a meeting of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Pakistan. While the American troops' withdrawal and resurgence of the Taliban should strategically benefit China as the Taliban shares close ties with Pakistan, both Islamabad and Beijing are concerned as they faced threats from the Islamic militant groups which were part of Al-Qaeda and Taliban. China has been eying big scale investments in Afghanistan as the country has the world's largest unexploited reserves of copper, coal, iron, gas, cobalt, mercury, gold, lithium and thorium, valued at over USD one trillion. In 2011, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) won a USD 400 million bid to drill three oil fields for 25 years, containing roughly 87 million barrels of oil. Chinese firms have also gained rights to mine copper at Mes Aynak in Logar province, according to the Post report. But observers say China will remain very cautious and concerned about the Taliban delivering on its promises. Whatever benign language the Taliban use, China remains highly concerned about the security situation there, Andrew Small, a senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund's Asia Programme told the Post. He said China's biggest concern in its dealings with the Taliban had always been whether it was sheltering Uyghur separatists. China's crackdown in Xinjiang, observers say, has exasperated the resentment among native Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The US, the EU and human rights organisations have accused Beijing of committing genocide in the province. The 12th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the UN last month confirmed the presence of ETIM militants in Afghanistan. The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) consists of several hundred members, located primarily in Badakhshan and neighbouring Afghan provinces," the report submitted to the UN Security Council said. The report said that large numbers of Al-Qaeda fighters and other foreign extremist elements aligned with the Taliban are located in various parts of Afghanistan. (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 Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - rose for a second day on Friday as the market reacted to falling U.S. inventories, and signs of strong Asian demand from both China and India added support. Brent crude oil futures were up $1.43, 1.93%, at $75.55. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $1.62, or 2.2%, at $74.56. "The market is coming to grips with the historic drop in U.S. oil inventories, and dimmed prospects of Iranian oil returning to the market," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. Still, prices on both sides of the Atlantic ended the week little changed, despite significant daily fluctuations. Prices were weighed down early in the week by the collapse of output talks between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, together known as OPEC+. U.S. crude and gasoline stocks fell and gasoline demand reached its highest since 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Thursday, signalling increasing strength in the economy. "A bullish EIA stock report helped the oil market rebound into the black," said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM. "Clearly, U.S. oil are tight. However ... the only way to prevent further losses is for the threat of an OPEC+ price war to be contained," he added. Gains in were capped by worries that members of the OPEC+ group could be tempted to abandon output limits that they have followed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with talks breaking down because of an impasse between major producers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The two Gulf OPEC allies are at odds over a proposed deal that would have brought more oil to the market. Russia was trying to mediate in an effort to strike a deal to raise output, OPEC+ sources said on Wednesday. The United States had high-level conversations with officials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the White House said on Tuesday. "Price wars are almost always quite short-lived - no one wins in the long term," consultancy Rystad Energy said in a note. "It is in the interest of the (OPEC+) group to provide some leniency to the UAE and other supply hawks to produce a bit more within the framework of the deal." The global spread of the Delta coronavirus variant and worries it could stall a worldwide economic recovery also weighed on (Additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi and Noah Browning Editing by David Goodman, Kirsten Donova, Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Amid the ongoing power crisis in Punjab, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday hit out at the opposition, accusing the (AAP) and the (SAD) of being "bent upon the state's destruction." Taking to Twitter, Sidhu accused the Badals of looting the state by signing power purchase agreements (PPA) for 25 years of solar power at Rs 5.97 to Rs 17.91 per unit during their rule, despite knowing that the cost was decreasing at 18 per cent per year. "Badals-signed PPAs with Thermal Power Plants & Majithia as Minister Renewable Energy (2015-17) signed PPAs for 25 Years for Solar Power at Rs 5.97 to 17.91 per unit to loot knowing the cost of solar is decreasing 18% per year since 2010 and is Rs 1.99 per unit today," the Congress leader tweeted. Hitting out at the AAP who will contest the upcoming state assembly elections for the first time next year, Sidhu said that the Delhi government wanted thermal power plants to shut down in the middle of the ongoing power crisis. "Today, forces bent upon Punjab's destruction are clearly visible... Delhi Govt wants Punjab's lifeline, our Thermal Power Plants, to shut down in middle of Punjab's Power crisis leaving Punjabis helpless in this simmering heat and our farmers suffer in this paddy-sowing season," he tweeted. Over the last few days, several parts of experienced several hours of power cuts as demand increased amid the intense heatwave in the region. Demand reportedly reached a high of 14,500 MW. On Saturday, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said the government would soon announce a legal strategy to counter the 'ill-conceived Power purchase agreement (PPA) signed by the Badals during their rule, which had put an 'atrociously unnecessary financial' burden on the state. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, meanwhile, asked who or what was stopping the present government from scrapping agreements in the last few years and pointed out that industries were suffering huge losses to the crisis. He has also asked the Chief Minister to 'beg, borrow and buy power', but ensure 24x7 electricity to the people. Earlier last week, FIRs were filed against several AAP workers by the Police for protesting near the Chief Minister's house in Mohali over the power issue. (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 President on Saturday allegedly slapped a man who attempted to put his arms around him, drawing criticism from the BJP and on social media. In the video that has since gone viral, Shivakumar can be seen getting irritated by the action of the man, who tried to get close to him and pace along with him. The Pradesh Congress Committee Chief, who appeared to lose cool, can then be heard telling the man, said to be a party worker: "...you should be responsible....", before asking cameramen present there to delete the footage. The incident took place during his visit to the district headquarters town of Mandya to inquire about the health of ailing veteran leader, former Minister and MP G Made Gowda. Tweeting the video of the incident, BJP national General Secretary C T Ravi, asked Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi whether he had given "licence for violence" to Shivakumar, whom he referred to as a follower of Kotwal Ramachandra, one of the underworld dons of Bengaluru in the 1970s and 1980s. " CONgress President @DKShivakumar SLAPS his party worker in full public view. If this is how the "former shishya" of Kotwal Ramachandra treats his party worker, one can imagine what he would do with Others. Have you given DKS the "licence for violence", @RahulGandhi?" he asked. Karnataka BJP, hitting out at Shivakumar for his "behaviour" and calling him "Rowdi DKShi", said he should learn how to conduct himself in public. Posting a video of an earlier incident where Shivakumar can be seen hitting a youth who was clicking selfies, as he was about to address the media, the BJP in a tweet asked him to quit public life if "underworld-like behaviour" is unavoidable. #WATCH Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar slaps a party worker for trying to put his hand on his shoulder in Mandya yesterday pic.twitter.com/6ldIB08mdw ANI (@ANI) July 10, 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.) Chief Minister on Saturday claimed victory in the polls for the posts of the block panchayat chief, amid allegations of violence by the opposition parties. The Opposition has slammed the state government over incidents of violence in the run-up to the polls. Reports of clashes had surfaced from several areas of the state with allegations that candidates backed by opposition parties were not allowed to file nomination papers. However, claiming an outstanding show by the BJP in the polls to the posts of block and district panchayat chiefs, Adityanath said almost 85 per cent seats went in favour of the ruling party. Terming the success an outcome of the team work, the chief minister said the BJP and its allies bagged 635 of 825 seats of block panchayat chief on Saturday. Meanwhile, lauding the BJP's win in the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the "big victory" is a reflection of the benefits people have received due to the government's policies and pro-people schemes. All party workers deserve congratulations for this win, he said. The CM also praised the state Election Commission for the peaceful and fair polls. Conducting such a massive election process peacefully, in a state where democracy was mortaged before professional criminals and mafia on the basis of caste religion and sect, is praiseworthy, he told reporters at the BJP headquarters here. He said it was due to the guidance and inspiration of PM Modi, work was done without discrimination for every sections of society. The inclination of the people was towards the BJP and I am happy to say that the strategy of the party has yielded this result, he said. On Saturday, the elections were held for 476 posts of the block panchayat chief as 349 candidates were declared elected unopposed on Friday. (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 is likely to chair a meeting with on July 14 to discuss key issues amid ongoing Covid-19 crisis as well as other issues to take forward the country to fulfill his 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self reliant India) vision. Sources said that the Prime Minister will take a brief plan from each of the ministers about their future roadmap to manage the crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic which has widely affected almost all sectors of the economy, especially the health sector, and other matters related to the growth of the country. The meeting is expected to witness many notable issues and discussion related to key ministries like Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, now being handled by Mansukh Mandaviya, and education being taken care of by Dharmendra Pradhan. The meeting would be the second such interaction with the 75 after Modi carried out a major expansion and reshuffle of his ministers on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet and the meetings were held back-to-back on Thursday, a day after the major rejig in the Central government. It is usual for the Prime Minister to convene meetings of the Union Cabinet as well as the Council of Ministers after a reshuffle and expansion exercise. On Wednesday's exercise saw the induction 36 new ministers and promotion of seven old ministers. --IANS rak/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 Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in on Saturday staged a Statewide protest against rising fuel prices across the country. All the Front leaders, along with their families, sat in front of their houses and held placards condemning the Union government over the hike. KPCC president K Sudhakaran, senior leaders M M and Ramesh Chennithala were among those who took part in the demonstration. Chennithala, also a legislator, told reporters that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was looting people in the name of fuel price hike. "The Modi government is looting people by hiking the fuel price and derailed the family budget of the commoners. Due to the hike, the cost of essential commodities is rising," he said. "The State government too is looting and is refusing to slash the additional excise duty," he said. Petrol price was hiked by 35 paise per litre and diesel by 26 paise, according to a notification of State-owned fuel retailers. (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.) Within the next fortnight two of the Earths wealthiest individuals will attempt to fly into space. Richard Bransons flight on Sunday aboard a Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. spaceship will be followed by Jeff Bezoss rocket trip with Blue Origin LLC on July 20. In a summer not lacking in awe-inspiring spectator sports, this rivalry remains pretty unique. And its not without risk. Its taken a couple of decades for both men to realize their ambition of going into space. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 and Virgin Galactic four years later. The critics will harp that they could have devoted their time and money toward more worthy terrestrial endeavors (and paying more tax). Their jostling to be first smacks of billionaire bravado. Yet the spectacle is unmissable. If seeing Earths majestic curvature inspires better care of this planet, then Im all for rich folks taking a joyride into space. (At around $250,000 a ticket to fly with Virgin Galactic, this remains a rich persons pastime.) And if Branson and Bezoss space odyssey inspires even a handful of kids to attempt hard things, so much the better. I just hope nobody feels ill: Branson is planning to live stream his trip. While theres symmetry in billionaires blasting off within days of each other, Branson and Bezos have followed quite different technical paths and theyve done so with markedly different budgets. They cant even agree on what technically counts as space. Bezos is adamant that space begins at the internationally recognized Karman line some 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level. Blue Origin typically reaches an apogee of around 66 miles. By contrast, Virgin Galactic flies to an altitude of around 55 miles, thereby surpassing the 50-mile mark at which U.S. military pilots are awarded their astronaut wings. For what its worth, I dont think this matters. Bezoss New Shepard rocket takes off and lands vertically, whereas Virgin Galactic spaceflight system comprises a rocket ship that detaches from a carrier aircraft at around 45,000 feet, having taken off horizontally much as a regular plane would. Virgin Galactic has completed three piloted suborbital space flights already. Blue Origin has been to space 15 times, but never with people on board. Bezos appears to be outspending Branson and no wonder: Bezoss $214 billion fortune makes Branson look like a pauper. The Virgin Group founder is worth just $7.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bezos has sold around $1 billion of Amazon.com Inc. stock annually to fund Blue Origin. By comparison, Branson has said hes invested almost $1 billion in Virgin Galactic, which burns through around $250 million of cash yearly. Hes sold several chunks of Virgin Galactic stock to help fund his pandemic-hit terrestrial interests. If Sundays flight is a success Im convinced that Virgin Galactic will soon raise more capital while the shares are flying high. Branson has historically made up for what he lacks in financial power with a talent for self-publicity. His last-minute bid to beat Bezos into space is pure Branson, as were indiscreet comments about his wife vowing not to attend his funeral if he doesnt make it home. Though he may have to settle for second in space, I still think Bezos has outplayed Branson here. Auctioning off a seat for $28 million with the proceeds put to encouraging kids to go into math and science was inspired. So was extending an invitation to Wally Funk to join him on the trip. The 82-year-old skilled pilot will fulfill her own lifelong dream of going into space Im more excited for her than for Bezos. He even managed to squeeze a few shots of an Amazon-backed Rivian electric pick-up truck into a Blue Origin promotional film. Of course, thats nothing compared to another billionaire space-nut Ive not mentioned yet, Elon Musk. His Space Exploration Technologies Corp. fired a Tesla Roadster into space in 2018 aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket with a Starman mannequin in the vehicles driver seat. Musks next ambition is to send humans to Mars. Bezos and Branson will have to up their game. Thalassery/Kannur (Kerala) [India], July 10 (ANI/NewsVoir): 'Empty your mind, Fill your belly!' - Beevi's always gives a call for action to explore the authentic Malabar cuisine. Channeling the products through its exclusive website, this brand from Kerala is creating a unique space among Biryani lovers across the country. India's love affair with biryani goes back centuries in time. Who can resist a plate of juicy and succulent meat teamed with rice, bursting with aromatic spices? The country's love for biryani is evident in the number of biryanis that are available throughout. It is one of the few dishes that has a separate fan base, imbibed local flavours and became a mainstay everywhere it went. Homage to the Arabic influence and refined culinary skills of Malabar, Beevi's Instant Thalassery Biryani masala ensures the right flavor to the gravy of your biryani and lets you prepare a delicious meal at home. The brand is throwing a question as what good is a masala range that cannot recreate the magic of Malabar. Beevi's bring you Malabar on a platter, with simple instructions, so that you don't feel left out. Whether you are home or entertaining guests or whether you want to show-off to others or just want to savour the flavours of home away from home, the brand is here with the quintessential Malabar. Presenting, simple, straightforward Thalassery chicken biriyani, the brand offers easy cook Instant masala mix with a 3 step preparation - a perfect serve for 3 or 4 people under 20 mins of cooking. The widely popular 'Dum' preparation is a laborious balancing act of spices, time and temperature. Rice and meat - the former, delicately marinated and the latter, robustly flavoured - are cooked separately and then together, slowly on a low flame. With an ideal mix, the Beevi's ingredients smell, taste and behave the way they do, and one can coax the flavours and textures they want out of them. Blended with the perfect combination of onions, green chilli, cashew nuts, garlic, ginger, pepper, garam masala and Malabar spices, Beevi's creates the perfect algorithm for your Biryani Masala. Just add 50g of Beevi's Biryani Masala to 500g Chicken and cook with sauteed tomatoes and onions. It's that simple! And together with the most treasured and finest grain for Thalassery Biryani in its truest form, the Jeerakasala rice as it enriches the features of rice by reducing the moisture content and increasing aroma. The flavourful, versatile and perfectly textured aromatic grains of Beevi's Biryani keep alive the Malabar tradition of serving true flavors. The brand features these Malabar specials and an exclusive range of Instant Masala's and non-veg pickles at their official website beevisfoods.com. In a press statement, the Management of Mosons Edibles (Parent Company of Beevi's Foods) said, "Being able to cook well is a rare gift - the elusive magic of those gifted hands. We are not here to challenge such gifted hands. We are just here to cheer for those who need some support managing their kitchens and their families without letting themselves down. Because in today's world, though we have learnt to cope with stress, we still cannot cope with bad flavours and aftertastes. Time is of the essence for everything we do, and that exactly is what we sorely lack. When it comes to cooking, the most time-consuming part is planning the dish, putting the ingredients together and getting the right blend of spices. This is where Beevi's comes to the rescue, with a delicious variety of dishes to choose from. All you need to do is follow the two-three instructions step-by-step and your dish is ready." With all these passionate efforts coupled with great marketing strategies, Beevi's Foods is all set to clock greater heights to become the Indian brand bearing splendid testimony to the Malabar culinary. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Become A Subscriber A subscription opens up access to all our online content, including: our interactive E-Edition, a full archive of modern stories, exclusive and expanded online offerings, photo galleries from Caledonian-Record journalists, video reports from our media partners, extensive international, national and regional reporting by the Associated Press, and a wide variety of feature content. * 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. I didnt know an awful lot about Mary Simon when the Prime Minister announced her as his choice to become Canadas 30th Governor-General (G-G). After online research and watching television interviews I learned that Mary Simon has been a broadcaster, diplomat, Inuit activist and advocate, and sits on numerous boards of directors. Born in Northern Quebec to a non-Indigenous father who was manager at a Hudsons Bay Company trading post and an Inuk mother, her new job is largely ceremonial. However, it has made unwanted headlines quite a few times, most recently when Julie Payette left office prematurely due to a toxic work environment, allegedly caused by her bullying and harassment. Interest is stirred among Canadian plebeians and the Great Unwashed because the G-Gs annual salary is in excess of $300,000, and comes with a mansion called Rideau Hall. Theres also a yearly expense account of over $200,000 that can be accessed for rest of their lives, and even six months after death. All that is topped off with a pension of about $150,000 per year. My ears pricked up in a television interview that named Mary Simon as one of 59 prominent Canadians who had accompanied former G-G Adrienne Clarkson on a circumpolar trip to Iceland, Finland and Russia in 2003. Can well remember the hullaballoo at the time when the free-spending G-G, known as Empress Adrienne, racked up an enormous bill of over $5.3-million on that junket, whose $1-million budget was already thought to be extremely extravagant. Lets hope the new G-G will not be making headlines for all the wrong reasons like these two predecessors, and that she will immediately advise the Prime Minister that this country has fixed federal election dates should he drop by Rideau Hall anytime soon requesting an early election, as current polling numbers may put his party into majority territory. As a courteous reminder to Mary Simon, the fixed date is the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the last poll. In today's woke society it has become risky to say anything that could be vaguely misinterpreted as misogynistic or racist, but as the 1960s song goes : Im just a soul whose intentions are good, Oh Lord, Please dont let me be misunderstood. Bernie Smith, Parksville Re: Downtown living? Further to Michael Hendersons letter of July 06, 2021, I wish to say that I live downtown on Bertram with the Missions big construction project (which is my constant view) between my condo block and Bernard. Although I see some homeless individuals in the vicinity of my condo and throughout the downtown, they have never bothered me. What has been a thorn in my side during the past 14 years since I bought my condo has not come from the exterior of the building, but from the inside. When I was in the process of purchasing my 50+ condo, I kept emphasizing and reiterating that being a quiet senior, I was looking for a quiet single or couple to live above me, which I was assured would be the situation. Even as I was moving in, I knew that was not the case. A, then, crawling toddler, her mother, and other relatives all lived there twenty four seven. Additionally, quite frequently heavy bags of laundry(?) were kerplunked over my head; and the shower, washing machine and dryer were going constantly. No amount of my pleading with members capable of effecting a change brought forth results. So one day when I met the, then, board president (an apparent retired minister) at the elevator, I asked for his help. In reply, the minutes showed that there were complaints about noise against me, and the board president and another member would come to see me, which they did and offered me $50,000 Yes, $50,000.00! for my condo if I would leave. I dont know how they planned to utilize the monetary difference between that $50,000 and the purchase price I paid for my condo. After seven years, the people in the condo above me gradually faded away, and I heaved a premature sigh of relief. The very next day a couple moved in who began tearing the place down to its bare bones and essentially building a new condo renovating they call it. They have been doing this since they moved in seven years ago! Im blessed with the noise of two construction sites the condo above me and the huge Mission project beside me. I have tried several times and in various ways for the so-called seven year renovation above me to cease with no positive results. A few days ago, I was working at my computer, when something very heavy was dropped over my head and some of the contents of my office went on a flying trip, breaking a trinket. I phoned upstairs, only to be told again the Board had given them permission for what they are doing, so I phoned the Board. As usual, I got some brilliant answers. I was told the noise came from another condo on my floor, although he did not know which one it was. Anyway, he concluded by telling me that the occupants above me had been in the military and so they followed the rules (which rules?). It might surprise them to know that I was also in the military, where I met and married my late husband and raised two Air Force Brats. It would be my pleasure to take them on a days manoeuvre! So, Mr. Henderson, it seems various undesirable situations exist. As for me, Ive been carrying a much-too-heavy burden for the past 14 years, none of it being the fault of the homeless. Elsie Dawe, Kelowna Photo: Washington State Governor's Office International Marketplace owner Ali Hayton (left) takes Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee and US Congresswoman Suzan DelBene on a tour of her store during a visit to Point Roberts on Friday. Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee flew to Point Roberts on Friday to hear from residents about the impacts of the prolonged closure of the Canadian border in response to the COVID pandemic. Inslee became just the third governor to ever visit Point Roberts, after Govs. Albert Rosellini and Gary Locke visited during their time in office, respectively. The governor publicly reiterated his call for the U.S. and Canadian governments to find a way to reopen the border to help communities like Point Roberts, which is only accessible by land via border crossings with Canada. Inslee sent a letter earlier this month to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging an immediate full or partial reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border to provide relief for individuals and communities impacted by the prolonged closure. "We're working hard to find more ways to support Point Roberts, building on the strategic reserve funding I announced last month," Inslee said. Funds of $100,000 from the state Strategic Reserve Fund will help provide food security for the community and avoid a food crisis in this remote area of the state. The strategic reserve funds went to Point Roberts' International Marketplace, the only grocery store in Point Roberts. The Marketplace recently announced that due to losses associated with continued closures of the U.S.-Canada border, they might be forced to close on July 15. With these funds, the grocery store will be able to retain its 10 employees and possibly add three more jobs when the border re-opens and business picks up. These state funds complement federal funding support provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other COVID-19 relief legislation, which were secured thanks to the efforts of U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene. Inslee was joined by DelBene, state Reps. Alicia Rule and Sharon Shewmake, and Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu on the visit to Point Roberts. I strongly support the re-opening of the U.S.-Canada border to support our border communities in Washington and British Columbia. The Point Roberts community has been isolated due to the closure throughout the pandemic, and while all Washington communities have been impacted, the situation up there is unique, Inslee said. Buena Vista, CO (81211) Today Mostly sunny early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. A shoplifting was reported at the Fresh Market, 2288 Gunbarrel Road. The manager said that at a white female with blonde hair, black jacket and black purse pushed past the checkout with a $92 bottle of Justin Isostles wine. He said she left in a Volkswagen sedan with a TN plate. The vehicle was Bolo'd. * * * While working regular patrol and exiting I-75 NB to Shallowford Road, police spotted a man on the Interstate off ramp, panhandling with a cardboard sign. The man was warned of the offense of pedestrians on the Interstate, especially with panhandling, and was given a warning. The man left the area without incident.* * *A disorder was reported at the Super 9 Motel, 7024 McCutcheon Road. Police spoke with a man who said he paid for a room and was upset with the hotel environment and room. He attempted to get a refund, but Super 8 declined his request. The man called 9-1-1 for police assistance. Police spoke with a Super 8 employee who said the man was not able to be issued a refund due to his issue being with a light problem in his room. The employee would not allow him to stay on the property, due to the fact that he called police and was disgruntled. The man wished to document this in case he went further later with this issue.* * *A suspicious vehicle was reported at River Street and Tampa. Police found a silver Honda UAX with a man inside it. The man was backed in the area watching videos on his phone. He had a valid license and no active warrants.* * *The manager of the Extended Stay, 6240 Airpark Dr., told police that a man couldn't afford to stay there anymore and they were wanting police assistance in getting him a place to stay. Police transported the man to The Mission on S. Holtzclaw Avenue without incident.* * *Police observed a maroon Mitsubishi parked in the middle lane with hazard lights on at 4700 Hixson Pike. The vehicle pulled into the Bojangles parking lot and police spoke with the woman driver. She said her granddaughter was arguing with her and she was trying to get her away from her apartment because she didn't want to cause a scene at her apartment. The 19-year-old granddaughter walked off and police did not speak with her.* * *Police were called to a gas spill at Harry's gas station, 305 Frazier Ave. Upon arrival a couple's vehicle was leaking gas. Fire contained the spill and Cain's Wrecker responded to tow the vehicle back to the the couple's residence per their request. Police transported the couple back home. Both thanked police and fire for the assistance.* * *A stolen vehicle from E. 16th Street was recovered at 1609 Wheeler Ave. Officers located the abandoned Nissan Maxima and attempted to contact the owner, but were unable to get in contact with them. Police called for a wrecker and Denton Wrecker arrived on scene and towed the vehicle. Fingerprints were lifted from the vehicle and will be turned in for processing.* * *Friends of a man on Douglas Street called police when they could not get him to answer calls. Police observed a man sleeping on the ground in a corner of the yard. Police spoke with the man, who was able to inform police of his location, day and year. The man told police he had gone out drinking with friends the previous night and was unsure how he ended up back at this location. He told police he would be getting in contact with his friends and moving on from the area. The man was checked for any outstanding warrants, none which showed active.* * *A woman requested police come to her former residence on Sylvia Circle so she could get her items. Police responded to the address and spoke with the woman's mother, who said her daughter could get all her items. The mother and daughter did not speak or come into contact with each other. The daughter obtained all her items without incident.* * *Police responded to the Walmart parking lot, 5764 Hwy 153, due to a citizen concerned that a woman was intoxicated. Police located the woman sitting in her vehicle - a gold Chevy Impala. The woman said that she had been in a verbal argument with her mother and had left the residence to cool off. The woman did not appear to be intoxicated, only sleepy.* * *A woman on English Oaks Drive told police her landlord has been pestering her about moving out of the property she rents. She said she was scheduled to move out at the end of the month, but her landlord was still trying to pressure her to get out sooner. The woman was worried her landlord would try and start moving her belongings out of her home. The woman called police the next day and said she is still having issues with the landlord. She said she found the door to the basement, where she rents, ajar and asked if anyone had gone inside, but did not receive an answer. The woman said she would like this documented for further paper trail in case legal action is needed.* * *A shoplifting was reported at Walmart on Gunbarrel Road. Police spoke with a Loss Prevention employee who said a woman did not scan multiple items while at self checkout.* * *A shoplifting occurred at a business on Brainerd Road. The manager told police a skinny elderly black male wearing a red T-shirt and hat grabbed a Tylt brand travel bundle valued at $40, then left the store without attempting to pay and bypassing all points of sale. The officer provided the manager an email so she could send a picture of the suspect.* * *A man in an apartment at 2463 Bridge Circle told police his blue/white Suzuki GSXR-750 was stolen from the parking lot of his apartment complex. The keys were not with the bike when it was taken. He said he has no idea who could have stolen his motorcycle. Police entered the bike into NCIC, placed a BOLO on the bike and also added the apartment complex to the watch list for several weeks. * * * Police noticed a vehicle at the 700 block of Caruthers Road parked the wrong direction on the east side of the road with its headlights turned off. Police checked the vehicle and found two people in the back seat. Police explained to them they were parked on the wrong side of the road and asked them to correct it. The vehicle was a gray 2019 Nissan Rouge with a Tennessee tag. The woman in the back seat told police the vehicle was hers, and the man told police he lives on Caruthers Road. They said they met there and were talking in the vehicle. The woman told police she would correct the parking of her vehicle. Next week marks the 40th anniversary of an event that was quite memorable at the time and came following a lot of contentious discussions possibly never seen inside the historic City Hall in terms of how many weeks the debate lasted.At their regular Tuesday morning meeting on July 14, 1981, before the old City Court building next door was converted into a meeting hall, members of the Chattanooga City Commission in a surprise-but-unanimous move voted to rename Ninth Street.The historic black business and residential street was to start being called M.L.King Jr. Boulevard in memory of the noted civil rights leader who had died in 1968. And it was being done at a time when other cities around the country were naming streets or places after him as well.But the decision had not come without a lot of back and forth over the previous few months between elected officials and black and white citizens.And just a few weeks before that event occurred, the Tennessee state legislature had in a much quicker manner and without much previous public attention voted to name the new bridge over Amnicola Highway in honor of state Rep. C.B. Robinson. He was the first black legislator from Hamilton County since Reconstruction.While they were both done as gestures of goodwill to recognize black achievement and literally and figuratively create better bridges and avenues of harmony among all citizens, the decisions did not come with ease, particularly with the M.L. King Boulevard effort.Serious talk of getting Ninth Street renamed after the slain civil rights leader had begun in the summer of 1980 after some racial disturbances broke out in Chattanooga following acquittals or very light sentences of three men with Klan connections. They had been charged in connection with the shooting and injuring of some women on Ninth Street earlier that year.And some said the idea for the renaming had stretched as far back as 1971, when some racial disturbances took place over black frustrations, incidents I have been trying to document in several stories this summer on the 50th anniversary. The idea for some to honor Dr. King in some way might have even dated back to shortly after Dr. Kings assassination in Memphis.After the plan to rename Ninth Street did not seem to be making headway in 1980, in January 1981, a push was made anew by the Rev. M.T. Billingsley at the City Commission meeting shortly after Dr. Kings birthday anniversary.The pastor at Tucker Baptist Church and social action chairman of a ministers union said that it was appropriate to honor Dr. King. Once there was a man who dared to dream, who preached and practiced non-violence, who believed that the power of love was stronger than the force of hatred, he said, according to an article in the Chattanooga Times by Pat Wilcox.At the time, the city was slow to act in part because they wanted to gauge the interest of stakeholders along Ninth Street, and to see what technical or engineering challenges might result in renaming a street. Also, as that area had received some funds for redevelopment, a park in the area was being looked at, and it could also be named in memory of Dr. King.By March 1981, however, the debate really began heating up, with many black leaders continuing to push for it, and the city commissioners weighing the issue while claiming they were having to hear from various sides.Among members of the public and those with a vested interest in the street, Vernon Cox of Chattanooga Federal Savings and Loan said a new street might result in the financial firm having to spend money on new mailing material.Local developer Tommy Lupton, meanwhile, said he was not prejudiced but thought Ninth Street was blossoming into a major new business street, at least in the area near the Read House and the old Union Depot land. He said he was simply wondering how the new name would affect that.He also asked that only East Ninth Street, not West Ninth Street, be renamed.At the time, he was building what would become the Tallan Building next to the Krystal Building alongside the street.Later in March, some supporters of the renaming move, including Johnny Holloway of Operation PUSH, placed some bumper stickers with the King street name on the Ninth Street signs.At the City Commission meeting on April 7, Commissioner John Franklin the lone black commissioner in the form of government that was then elected citywide had made a motion to rename the entire street after Dr. King, but it was not seconded.Instead, the Commission voted to establish a plaza named in Dr. Kings memory, although Mr. Franklin dissented on that vote.However, the black leaders vowed to continue their fight, with NAACP President George Key saying the black community would never accept a plaza as a suitable symbol to honor Dr. King, according to a story by Dave Flessner, who still works for the Times Free Press 40 years later.As that was happening amid a city in debate, almost out of nowhere state Rep. Bob Davis, a Democrat from Chattanooga, introduced on April 8 the day after the City Commission rejection -- legislation to rename the new Amnicola Highway bridge after Rep. C.B. Robinson.Rep. Robinson, who by all accounts was liked and respected by virtually everyone, had served in the state legislature since being elected in 1974 after an education career that included being principal at Howard.And Rep. Davis, a white man, said the move had come not due to the City Commissions rejection of the street renaming, but simply because he felt Rep. Robinson was worthy of the honor.And the state House later that month voted 95-0 to name it in honor of Rep. Robinson.The state-funded bridge, which had its approach span over Amnicola Highway collapse on Feb. 22, 1980, during construction, was dedicated and opened on May 22, 1981, with Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander on hand.The 70-year-old Rep. Robinson, who others described as a builder of bridges of the proverbial kind, was apparently quite overjoyed with the honor. He said in one article by Ms. Wilcox at the dedication that the bridge stands as a symbol of love for one another, a symbol of brotherhood, a symbol of the many bridges I have helped build over social chasms and lifes troubled waters.He jokingly added that he had the urge to move out on the bridge and live on it now that it was named for him.With the Ninth Street renaming, meanwhile, no easy or fun time was being had, and the work toward an agreement was still under construction.Later in April, on the Saturday of Easter weekend, some supporters of the renaming marched again along the street and pasted green Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard stickers over the street signs. The emotional event even included a stirring rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, by Robert Eady, causing one woman to weep openly.At the City Commission meeting on April 28, the Commission again rejected Commissioner Franklins move to rename the street. Commissioner Franklin, who had apparently been inspired after the commissions move to endorse the state Houses action honoring Rep. Robinson, was disappointed.For the first time in 10 years, Im almost ashamed to be a member of this commission, he said.However, Commissioner Franklin had quite an army of supporters, and they were not going quietly into the night.On June 9, the Rev. Virgil Caldwell of New Monumental Baptist Church and others continued to push for the renaming.To borrow an old civil rights cry, their feet (or mouths in this case) might have been tired, but their souls were rested.And the black ministers and others soon had another ally five white local Episcopal church ministers. In reading a statement, the Rev. Robert E. Wood of Church of the Good Shepherd on Lookout Mountain said at the June 23 Commission meeting, We would lay before you the urgent need of black Chattanoogans to know that they are being taken seriously as citizens of this community.And then, at the City Commission meeting on July 14, the unthinkable and unexpected happened. Public Works Commissioner Paul Clark, who had shown no sign of being for the move, suddenly had a change of heart and made a push for the renaming.In one of the more emotional moments in city government history, Commissioner Clark said, If John (Franklin) is still in the notion to make the motion, I will give him a second.And what followed was a unanimous vote to rename the street entirely from Riverfront Parkway to Central Avenue, although both names and signs would be used for the next six months as the transition was made.After the meeting, Commissioner Clark a wounded veteran of World War II said, If this is one of the things that can bring the community together, Lord help us all.The next day, despite receiving some negative messages from anonymous callers and some praises from pro-renaming supporters, Commissioner Clark said he did not regret his effort. He said that he hoped the move would make Chattanooga a more cooperative and harmonious community.And with that, Ninth Street had a new name: M.L. King Jr. Boulevard. And many were hoping along with Commissioner Clark that the city was going to have a collective new attitude toward racial wholeness as well.* * *Jcshearer2@comcast.net The Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America will host the 17th Annual Friends of Scouting Luncheon on Sept. 28 starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The annual luncheon serves as the Councils largest, and most important, annual fundraiser. The Cherokee Area Council will welcome Colonel (Ret.) Mark Tillman as its keynote speaker. Col. Tillman served as pilot and commander of Air Force One from 2001-2009, including during the historic events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as serving as the first pilot to fly the Commander-in-Chief into an active war zone. Col. Tillmans career spans 30 years in the United States Air Force. We are excited to welcome Colonel Tillman and hear his captivating accounts of some remarkable moments in our nations history from a firsthand account, as well as how the values and morals taught by the Boy Scouts program helped prepare him for those historic moments, says Scout Executive/CEO Jared Pickens. We hope this event will truly inspire the hundreds of Chattanooga area business and community leaders who will attend the Friends of Scouting Luncheon, while supporting our deserving scouts through local Scouting programs and camps. A limited number of tables and seats are still available for this event. More information about the luncheon, as well as tables and tickets, can be secured by contacting Aurora Wells at 423-713-7627 or aurora.wells@scouting.org. Donations are accepted through the Cherokee Area Council website at www.CherokeeAreaCouncilBSA.com. The weather outside might be scorching, but over at Hallmark Channel, its a winter wonderland. The feel-good network kicked off its annual Christmas in July event on July 9. For the next several weeks, it will be a non-stop holiday extravaganza on the feel-good network. Part of the celebration includes the premiere of an all-new Christmas movie, Crashing Through the Snow, starring Amy Acker and Warren Christie. To get the perfect wintry look for the rom-com, Hallmark headed to a popular tourist destination in Canada. Crashing Through the Snow was filmed in Banff, Canada Amy Acker in Crashing Through the Snow | 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Steven Ackerman RELATED: Hallmark Christmas in July 2021: Movie Schedule, Premieres, and Everything Else You Need to Know Crashing Through the Snow is set in Aspen. But like many Hallmark Channel movies, it was filmed in Canada. In this case, production took place around one of the courntrys best-known national parks. We shot in some beautiful areas, Christie shared in a Q&A video with Acker (via YouTube). We shot in Banff, Alberta, in Kananaskis. When the cast wasnt working, we got to explore Banff a lot, the actor added. Its one of the most beautiful places Ive ever been. On Instagram, Christie shared some behind-the-scenes snaps from his time on the set, including a picture from the luxury Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Thank you to the beautiful @fairmontbanff for the incredible hospitality, he wrote. Truly one of the most beautiful spots in the world. What is Crashing Through the Snow about? Amy Acker and Warren Christie in Crashing Through the Snow | 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Steven Ackerman RELATED: Holiday Movies From Redbox and the Hallmark Channel for Christmas in July In Crashing Through the Snow, Acker plays a divorced woman named Maggie who agrees to join her ex-husband Jeff (Kristian Brunn) and his new girlfriend Kate (Brooke Nevin) on their Christmas getaway in Aspen. Maggie jumps at the chance for her and her two daughters to spend the holiday on vacation. However, once they arrive at the resort, she ends up feeling like a bit of a third wheel, especially when she feels like she has to compete with Kate, who has organized a ton of special activities for Christmas. But things start to change once Kates hapless brother Sam (Christie) crashes the party. Sam is sick of always being stuck in his sisters shadow, and he has a plan for putting a stop to that. Sam convinces Maggie that if they team up, they can give her daughters the best Christmas ever. However, neither Sam nor Maggie is prepared for the blended family challenges that lie ahead for them or for the feelings that they start to develop for each other. Viewers who tune in to watch Crashing Through the Snow can expect a big dose of holiday fun, Acker said during the Q&A. Theres so much Christmas in this movie, she said. Its incredible. Crashing Through the Snow airs Saturday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Harrison Ford and Karen Allens chemistry is one of the best parts of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Marion Ravenwood was Indiana Jones match and they made for a great on-screen pair. But as it turns out, the actors never auditioned together before they were cast. Talk about a vote of confidence from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark | CBS via Getty Images Harrison Ford and Karen Allen never screen tested together Raiders of the Lost Ark turned 40 on June 12. And the cast and production staff came together to give interviews to commemorate the anniversary. In an interview with People, Allen revealed she didnt do any scenes with Ford until they were already on set. However, she did screen test with other actors being considered for Indy. Allen said: I went out [to L.A.] and I screen-tested with Tim Matheson, who had been in Animal House with me. And I screen-tested with a New York actor named John Shea, who I knew a little bit. And they asked me to do the role a few weeks later. Harrison was not even a thought in their mind, because he was Han Solo. Whats more, the role and project was kept secret from Allen until she arrived at her meeting with Spielberg. She said: Steven came to New York City to meet, not just me, but some other actors he was interested in meeting for the film. I didnt know anything about the film. They were being very secretive about it. They gave me the scene in the bar, and then I was in love. I fell in love with Marion, and then I really wanted the role. RELATED: Indiana Jones 5: Harrison Fords Injury Has Not Shut Down Filming, Director James Mangold Says Working with Harrison Ford on Indiana Jones was challenging at first, Karen Allen says Of course, Ford did end up landing the role. And once they were on set, Allen said she was a tad intimidated by Fords working style. She told The Hollywood Reporter: The thing that was challenging for me at the time was Harrison very much worked privately. He liked to work on his lines and a scene by himself in the trailer. He didnt much like to run lines with other actors. In the beginning, I didnt know how to take it. I didnt know whether to take it personally. Coming out of the theater, I was so used to working with other actors and running lines. So it took me a while to make an adjustment to that. But then we got into a groove with each other. I found him so fascinating. Allen was given freedom to come up with ideas for Marion while filming Raiders. And unlike Ford was at first, other cast members were down to figure out changes together. Allen worked with Paul Freeman (Belloq) to change the scene where Marion seduces Belloq to escape. Allen didnt want to just seduce the man, so she came up with reprising the drinking contest from her opening scene and putting a knife in her dress. If we really think that even for a moment she really would sleep with him in order to escape, then the love story between her and Indiana really didnt have much power, Allen rightly said. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark | CBS via Getty Images RELATED: Mads Mikkelsen Gives an Update on Indiana Jones 5 Harrison Ford says Karen Allen was as brave as Marion while filming Raiders of the Lost Ark For his part, Ford loved working with Allen. He told The Hollywood Reporter she was just like the character, noting she like himself preferred to do as much of her own stunts as possible. Karen is so much fun to work with, Ford said. Shes wonderfully funny, inventive and talented. She brings energy to the work. Shes not fussy in any way. The character she played was a very brave character, and she had to be brave to do it. Indiana Jones 5 is currently filming while Ford heals from a shoulder injury. The film is set to come out July 29, 2022, but no news if Marion will return. Shadyside, Ohio: also known as the Killer Capital of the U.S. At least, thats how Netflixs slasher trilogy Fear Street depicts the town of Shadyside. Is this town a real place with the same dark history as shown in the films? Heres more on Fear Streets setting and where the horror movies were filmed. Maya Hawke in Fear Street: 1994 | Netflix What happens in Shadyside and Sunnyvale? The Fear Street trilogy tells the twisted story of Shadyside, a town cursed by a witch. In the last 300 years, Shadyside has seen several seemingly normal residents go on random, brutal killing sprees. Local legend states that the killings are directly related to Sarah Fier, a witch hanged from a tree in 1666. Before her death, Sarah Fier cut off her hand in a gory ritual and vowed to haunt the land until someone reunites her hand with her body. Some skeptical townspeople argue that Shadysides killers just went mad, but others believe that they became possessed by Sarah Fier. The Fear Street movies follow a group of teens as they try to discover the truth of Sarah Fiers curse and finally bring it to an end. In contrast to Shadyside, the films also mention its neighboring town Sunnyvale, where nothing bad ever seems to happen. Sunnyvale high school students have formed a rivalry with Shadyside students and often make fun of the town for its bad luck. For the most part, Sunnyvale students seem to be spared from the Shadyside killings, unless they get in the way of a killers slaughterous path. Shadyside, Ohio exists, but its not the town in Fear Street The nightmare is just beginning. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 premieres Friday pic.twitter.com/XVOkivBYkB Netflix (@netflix) July 5, 2021 There is a town called Shadyside in Ohio, but thankfully, it doesnt hold the same gruesome history as the town in Fear Street. The real Shadyside, Ohio, a village in Belmont County, borders the Ohio River. Theres no lake like the one seen in Fear Street: 1978, and theres no bordering town called Sunnyvale (though there are a few Sunnyvale towns scattered throughout the country). The real Shadyside, Ohio, is not considered the killer capital of the U.S. The Fear Street movies werent filmed in Ohio, either. As Pop Sugar reported, the films were mostly shot in Atlanta, as well as other parts of Georgia like Decatur, Rutledge, and East Point. The opening scene of Fear Street: 1994 takes place in Shadyside Mall, which is actually the half-abandoned North DeKalb Mall in Decatur. Meanwhile, Fear Street: 1978s camp setting used shots of Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge, according to Pop Sugar. Fear Street filmed some residential scenes in the East Point neighborhoods of Frog Hollow and Conley Hills. Fear Street is loosely based on R.L. Stine novels Last Friday, you met the killer cast of Fear Street Part 1: 1994. This Friday, get ready to be slayed by the stars from Fear Street Part 2: 1978! pic.twitter.com/lI3BSCXseL Netflix (@netflix) July 7, 2021 Fear Streets Shadyside is kids horror author R.L. Stines creation. Film director Leigh Janiak revealed to Den of Geek that the movies take inspiration from Stines Fear Street series, which includes nearly 50 books. I think I would endeavor to stay true to the spirit of the books, which was kind of subversive and edgy for teenage readers. Theres violence, theres blood, theres hints of sex. And then for me, just a lot of fun. Theyre really, really fun to read, Janiak said. Fear Street Part One: 1994 and Fear Street Part Two: 1978 are available now on Netflix. Fear Street Part Three: 1666 arrives on July 16, 2021. RELATED: Fear Street: Why Viewers Are Comparing Netflixs New Slasher Trilogy to Stranger Things Outlander is an epic, time-traveling fantasy that jumps between two centuries and features dozens of characters. Everyone is connected to each other in some way, but it can get difficult trying to keep everything straight. The heart of the story, though, is the romance of Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and the family they create. But how many children do Jamie and Claire actually have? Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in Outlander Season 6 | Robert Wilson/STARZ Outlander fans love Fergus Fraser Outlander fans first met Fergus Fraser (Cesar Domboy) in season 2 when Jamie and Claire lived in Paris. It was 1744 when Jamie hired a young pickpocket named Claudel after meeting him in Madame Elises brothel. He was the son of one of the prostitutes, but he had no idea who his father was. Jamie gave Claudel his new Scottish name, Fergus, and hired him in exchange for clothes, lodging, and 30 ecus a year. He proved to be fiercely loyal to Jamie and Claire, and ultimately accompanied them back to Scotland and later to Jamaica and the American colonies. RELATED: Outlander Season 6: There Is Trouble Ahead For Jamie and Claire Thanks to Newcomer Malva Christie He may not be Jamie and Claires biological child, but Fergus Fraser is definitely their adopted son. Fans absolutely love him, and couldnt imagine Outlander without him, his amazing wife Marsali (Lauren Lyle), and their numerous bairns. Brianna is Jamie and Claires daughter Of course, the most well-known child of Jamie and Claire Fraser is their daughter Brianna Randall Fraser MacKenzie (Sophie Skelton). She was conceived before Claire went back through the stones at Craigh na Dun during the Battle of Culloden. This means she was born and raised in 20th century Boston by Claire and her first husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies). Brianna didnt learn of her true parentage until after Frank died and her mother took her to Scotland. Thats when she learned about Claires journey through time, and also met her future husband, Roger MacKenzie (Richard Rankin). While Claire was in the 20th century with Brianna, Jamie had a son with a woman named Geneva Dunsany. The highlanders son is known as William Ransom (Oliver Finnegan), but Jamies paternity is a secret. Legally, William is the son and heir of Ludovic Ransom, Eighth Earl of Ellesmere, his mothers husband at the time of his birth. Lord John Grey (David Berry) is the husband of Genevas sister, Isobel Dunsany. Lord Grey has been Williams legal guardian since he was six years old. Outlander also features the tragic story of Faith Fraser Its no secret that Outlander is filled with a lot of tragedy, which includes the story of Jamie and Claires first daughter, Faith Fraser. Both Outlander season 2 and its novel counterpart Dragonfly in Amber follow Claire during her first pregnancy. RELATED: Outlander Confirms 1 Fan-Favorite Character Is Returning For Season 6 This came as a surprise for the World War II nurse because she wasnt able to conceive with Frank. The pregnancy was a risky one, though, as Claire was in 18th century Paris trying to prevent the Jacobite Rising. Claire went into early labor when she was pregnant with Faith When Claire raced to stop Jamie from dueling with Captain Jack Randall (Menzies), she ended up going into early labor and was rushed to LHopital des Anges. This is where Claires first daughter was stillborn, and it left her devastated. Claire named her first child Faith before the nuns buried her in the hospitals cemetery. I think its such a defining moment in Claires life and for her character, that in a way, you just relish these moments as an actor to be able to go through this journey with the character, Balfe told Variety in 2015. Jamie and Claire have never forgotten their first daughter, and they mentioned her in a later season. When Claire later returned to Jamie in the 18th century and brought pictures of Brianna, he mentioned she had red hair like her sister Faith. Outlander star Caitriona Balfe insisted on including a line about Faith According to Express, the mention of Faith during that scene was all Balfes idea. She wanted to bring up Jamie and Claries first child because the couple would never forget the daughter they lost. I was like, Can we please put in just even the tiniest thing about Faith? Balfe said. Because I think anyone who has lost a child or had a miscarriage or anything like that, its something they would never forget and that is still part of this family. RELATED: Outlander Season 6: New Photos Tease Big Changes For Roger Season 6 of Outlander will premiere on Starz in February 2022. Its a great time to give the oven a break when temperatures rise in the summer. But skipping it doesnt have to mean going without baked goods. Ree Drummond has a recipe for a chocolatey treat that wont heat the kitchen. Stay cool and get a hefty dose of peanut butter and chocolate with The Pioneer Woman hosts No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars. Ree Drummonds No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars are a 20-minute dessert Ree Drummond | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images These are so darn easy. I make them a lot, and I can never get over how simple they are to make, the Pioneer Woman said while making a batch of these bars on her cooking show. Theyre so easy to make, and I love how theres no oven involved. Drummonds not exaggerating. They really are that easy to make. She gathers up a few ingredients from the pantry chocolate chips, peanut butter, and cookies before combining everything to make the bars. According to Food Network, the Pioneer Woman starts by making what will become the bottom layer of the bars. She combines cookies the recipe calls for vanilla wafers chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Next, she presses the mixture into a pan. Thats the bottom layer done. Then comes the filling. Drummond uses more peanut butter and chocolate to make a creamy topping. She melts the ingredients together in a double boiler on the stove. After pouring the topping over the vanilla wafer layer, the cookbook author sprinkles some chopped peanuts on top All thats left to do is let the bars set in the fridge for approximately an hour. Once theyve cooled and hardened, Drummond cuts them into bars, and theyre ready to be served. The Pioneer Woman uses (almost all) pantry items to make her No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars RELATED: Trisha Yearwoods No-Bake Chocolate-Pretzel-Peanut Butter Squares Are an Easy Fourth of July Dessert This recipe makes stars of pantry ingredients. Featured on a Pioneer Woman episode called Perfecting the Pantry, Drummonds No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars are made using all but one pantry item. Its part of the reason why shes so fond of the recipe. I love that they come straight out of the pantry, the Pioneer Woman said while making the bars at the Drummond ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The one ingredient that doesnt come from the pantry? Butter. Now butter is not a pantry item, Drummond said. The butter is sort of indispensable when it comes to making these bars delicious. So Ill forgive myself just this once. Thats the only ingredient that doesnt come from the pantry, but the rest do. Drummond combines sugar, cookies, peanut butter, and melted chocolate to make the bars. Drummonds No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars have 5 stars Perfecting the Pantry is replaying on @FoodNetwork here in a few minutes! Good stuff, Maynard! pic.twitter.com/gT1p6KFX21 Ree Drummond The Pioneer Woman (@thepioneerwoman) February 20, 2016 RELATED: Girl Meets Farm: Molly Yehs Halva Magic Bars Are an Easy 1-Pan Dessert It looks like fans of the Pioneer Woman love No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars just as much as Drummond. At the time of publication, the recipe averages five stars and more than 30 people have reviewed it. The one criticism? That the bars are a little too sweet. Other than that, those who tried them at home liked how they turned out. These were really good, one person said before describing the bars as a cross between a bar and candy. Others used words such as amazing and simple to describe them. As for Drummond, the bars left her speechless when she made them on The Pioneer Woman. I have nothing to say, she said before adding that shed like to swim in this bowl of chocolate topping. Yellowstone star Forrie J. Smith plays cowboy Lloyd Pierce on TV. Hes also a cowboy in real life. Creator Taylor Sheridan (another real life cowboy) has gone to great lengths to make his representation of ranch life authentic. This includes hiring real cowboys like Smith for the Yellowstone set. Forrie J. Smith as Lloyd on Yellowstone | Paramount Network The Yellowstone star grew up on a ranch Smith grew up in Helena, Montana, where he learned the ropes of ranching, rodeo, and riding horses. It was the family business, as both Smiths dad and grandpa were ranchers who were skilled in rodeo. And, his mom was a barrel racer. I fed cows with a team and sleigh when it was 50 below and it was 106 in August when I was setting posts, he recalled. My granddad was whining about the cow prices and how he wasnt going to make any money, and I would ask, Granddad, why are we doing it? He looked at me and said, Son, were helping feed our country. Were helping feed America. Were Americans. His years in rodeo have helped his film career When Smith was just six years old he fell off a horse. But, that didnt stop him. Instead, he told his parents that he wanted to be a stuntman when he grew up. He started competing in rodeo at the age of eight, and he continued to compete for years afterward. Then, Smith made his transition to Hollywood and worked 25 years as a stuntman. He says that his years in rodeo have been very helpful in the film industry. I use a lot of the things I learned from rodeo in the film industry like breaking things down into steps, thinking positive and not being negative, Smith told Rodeo News. Thinking about what you did wrong and forgetting it; thinking about what you did right and building on it. Hurry up and wait thats all learned from rodeo. The Yellowstone star is more than just a cowboy on TV Before Sheridan created Yellowstone on the Paramount Network, he was writing Oscar-nominated screenplays like Hell or High Water. Smith was a stuntman for that film, as well as other westerns, like Tombstone and Desperado. Smith has been working in Hollywood since 1987 as both a stuntman and actor in small bit parts. Yellowstone marks the first time that Smith has landed the role of a series regular. He started out during the first two seasons as a recurring character, and made the jump to full-time in season 3. Forrie J. Smith is happy people are seeing the cowboy way of life The modern world has changed things for real cowboys, and Smith says hes happy people are getting to see the story that Yellowstone is telling. The actor/stuntman/cowboy told TV Fanatic that it was special to him that Sheridan brought the cowboy way of life to the small screen. I give Taylor a big kiss on the cheek for bringing our culture to the forefront and making a great show out of it, Smith said. It means a lot to me, but its kind of too late. Theyve already got the water table sucked down. Theyve already subdivided a lot of good grazing land. But [Yellowstone] is telling our story. And Im glad to see that getting out. The Yellowstone star says being a cowboy is a never-ending process Being a cowboy and horseman are lifetime endeavors, Smith says. He added that you never quit learning, and days dont always go as planned. Its something you just have to wake up everyday, and its a new day, and you might make some plans, but they might go awry right off when youre working cattle. And you have to go to plan C, D, E, or F, Smith said. Up until Yellowstone, Smith was still working as a wrangler in between acting jobs. But with more seasons of Yellowstone on the way, it looks like it will be a while before Smith goes back to real-life cowboying anytime soon. Seasons 1 through 3 of Yellowstone are available on Peacock. RELATED: Yellowstone: Everything You Need to Remember About Season 3 Ahead of the Season 4 Premiere TIZI-OUZOU, Algeria, July 9, 2021 (Morning Star News) A judge in Algeria on Thursday (July 8) sentenced a Christian to six months in prison and fine of 100,000 dinars (US$740) for allegedly accepting unauthorized donations to spread Christianity, the convert from Islam said. Ahmed Beghal (name changed for security reasons) received the sentence at a court hearing in Khemis Meliana, in Ain-Defla Province, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Algiers. He denies the charge and says related allegations distributing Bibles, printing and distributing Christian literature and thus shaking the faith of a Muslim are also all false. Accusations were brought against me by the National Gendarmerie to the court in a false and forged report, Beghal told Morning Star News, adding that he has suffered emotionally because of this injustice and pitfalls on the part of my family, society, court and security. Beghals wife and children left him in 2017 because of his conversion to Christianity, and he said he has faced persecution from others. I am going through a very difficult stage through these difficult circumstances, and direct public persecution, Beghal said. There is injustice towards me in my personal and social life. He said his lawyer, Maitre Kebatti, did not appear at court for the sentencing nor at a June 30 hearing. Beghal said he was forced to sign Gendarmerie report without reading it, and that the charges were based on this report. Police detained Beghal on April 17 for no reason, telling him only that there are many rumors and accusations circulating about you you are very active, it seems, according to Beghal. After officers questioned him, they took him to his home to search it. The charges were based on Algerias 2006 law regulating non-Muslim worship, known as Law 03/06, which criminalizes any activity which aim to undermine the faith of a Muslim. Punishment can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars (US$3,745 to US$7,490). In addition, Beghal said, National Gendarmerie in Oued Seli, Chlef Province falsely accused him of threatening his ex-wife and daughters, resulting in an interrogation for 15 hours and a search of his home. Police also arrested him at a cafe in Khemis-Miliana, Ain Defla Province, without cause and interrogated him for three hours, he said. Beghal has eight days to appeal the sentence and said he plans to do so. Islam is the state religion in the 99-percent Muslim country. Since 2000, thousands of Algerian Muslims have put their faith in Christ. Algerian officials estimate the number of Christians at 50,000, but others say it could be twice that number. Algeria ranked 24th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 42nd place in 2018. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Vatekor Lament for a Father: The Journey to Understanding and Forgiveness By David George Moore Marvin Olasky has lived many lives: professor of journalism at the University of Texas (Austin) for twenty-five years, author of nearly thirty books, and the current editor-in-chief of World magazine. Over twenty years ago, I did a radio interview with Marvin on his book, The American Leadership Tradition. The American Leadership Tradition: Moral Vision from Washington to Clinton: Olasky, Marvin: 9780684834498: Amazon.com: Books The American Leadership Tradition: The Inevitable Impact of a Leader's Faith on a Nation's Destiny: Olasky, Marvin, Colson, Charles: 9781581341768: Amazon.com: Books This interview revolves around Marvins most recent book, Lament for a Father: The Journey to Understanding and Forgiveness. Lament for a Father: The Journey to Understanding and Forgiveness: Marvin Olasky: 9781629958668: Amazon.com: Books Moore: You have written many books. What made you decide to tackle this most personal of stories? Olasky: I wrote a column in World about never playing catch with my father, and then received many, many letters from readers containing their own laments. It struck me that a book telling a true story while pointing to understanding and forgiveness would be useful. Moore: Several of us are old enough to remember the cruelty perpetuated by renowned actress Joan Crawford against her daughter. Crawfords daughter eventually wrote a blockbuster tell-all titled Mommie Dearest. That book also became a movie starring Faye Dunaway. How did you wrestle with telling some of the dark things about your family while not falling prey to being simply a purveyor of prurient details? Olasky: Good question. The book isnt about deep, prurient things, but the disappointments that occur in non-famous careers and marriages. I also credit my parents for not getting a divorce and for doing the best they could for my brother and myself. As a young person I didnt understand why my parents did what they did, and lots of people never comprehend their own parents: This book tells a story but its also a guide to doing research, learning, and forgiving. Moore: Your Harvard-educated father led a tragic life in many of the conventional ways we measure success. However, you do a terrific job of honoring his bravery and loyalty in carrying out a ghastly responsibility at the end of WW II. Would you describe a bit of his service in the military and how you came to respect him for it? Olasky: I learned that in 1942 he had a deferment because he worked in a factory making boilers for submarines. He could have sat out the war, but he joined up to fight Hitler. He knew German and Yiddish and for six months after the war served as a translator for concentration camp survivors and refugees. The sights and smells sucked out a lot of his ambition and made him a person who said, Expect the worst so you wont be disappointed. He did not tell his wife or children about the stacked-up corpses, thus saving us from nightmares and a sense that churches were full of anti-Semites. Moore: Sometimes as Christians we paper over the far-reaching effects of trauma. You do not do that which I appreciated very much. How should we think of human agency when debilitating trauma seems to immobilize many people? Olasky: I have no expertise here, but it seems good that we know more about trauma now, with the military ready to provide help. If mid-twentieth-century folks had understood more, my father could have received help he needed. We know now that badly damaged people are often unable to heal themselves. What weve often forgotten, though, is that God can heal even the most traumatized, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly. The Bible gives us the example of Job, who is literally immobilizedsitting stunned after losing his children, all his wealth, and then even his health. His three old friends sit immobile on the ground for a week, then just orate: They would have done well by listening longer instead of offering their mistaken analyses of Jobs problem. Then a young man joins them and orates some more: still no action. Not until God tells Job, Dress for action like a man, explains life to him, and then tells him to pray for his loquacious pals, does Job finally move. Even without any great trauma in my life, I was immobile until God changed me. So we have individual responsibility, but J.I. Packer was right in his summary of the Bible: only God saves sinners. Thats one reason why prayer is so helpful. Moore: What are a few things you hope your readers will take from your book? Olasky: Two suggestions. First, one of writer Frederick Buechners comments stuck with me. He said he dealt with the sad parts of my life by forgetting them. I didnt know I was forgetting them but the mechanism of forgetting had been so strongly switched on in my childhood that it became a sort of automatic response. Buechner added, If you bury your lifeif you dont face, among other things, your painyour life shrinks. So, I hope readers will actively lament, and try to understand why sad things happened, instead of trying to bury the memories. Second, I hope readers will persist in questioning still-living parents. Why did they act in ways that seemed mysterious? If parents are dead, readers can interview others who knew them, and can learn a lot through Internet research. For example, I was able to learn what music my mother listened to in the 1930s, and what surrounded my father when he was in college. My books subtitle is, the journey to understanding and forgiveness: I hope it will help readers start their own journey. That road is often untaken, but its drivable. Moore: At the end of Lament for a Father, you briefly describe your conversion from Marxist radical to Christian. May I suggest that you consider writing an entire book giving more of those details? I think it would be a great encouragement to the body of Christ! Olasky: Thanks. Im thinking about it. David George Moore is the author of the recently released Stuck in the Present: How History Frees and Forms Christians (Leafwood/Abilene Christian University Press). Stuck in the Present: David George Moore: 9781684264605: Amazon.com: Books Pakistan high court forces 13-y-o Christian girl to return to captors home as his wife Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A court in Pakistans Punjab Province has granted custody of a 13-year Christian girl to a Muslim man who has three wives and allegedly abducted her and forced her to marry him and convert to Islam. Shahid Gill, the Catholic father of the girl, Nayab Gill, pleaded that his daughter was underage and could not legally marry or change her religion on her own, but the Lahore High Court upheld a ruling of a lower court, giving custody to the Muslim man, identified as 30-year-old Saddam Hayat, Morning Star News reported. Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry last week rejected the girls official birth documents showing she was 13, while siding with Hayat who claimed she had converted to Islam of her own free will on May 20. Hayat, who has three wives and four children, brought 12 of his supporters along with him to the courtroom, Pakistan Christian Post said. The girl told the court she had married Hayat and converted to Islam voluntarily. When the judge asked Nayab about her age, she said she was 19 years old and reiterated her claim that she had converted to Islam and married Hayat of her free will, the father was quoted as saying. The attorney representing the girls family told the judge, Her claim of converting to Islam and marrying Hayat could be due to coercion since she has been living with the accused and his family for over a month and a half. The judge also rejected the lawyers citation of a 2019 Lahore High Court ruling that children younger than 15 lacked the mental capacity to change their religion. The girls father indicated that he was disappointed with the lawyer. When Nayab claimed that she was 19 years old, I nudged the advocate to demand evidence in support of her claim, but he kept quiet, Gill told Morning Star News. He also did not demand medical tests of my child to determine her exact age. Church of Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall was quoted as saying that attorney Saif Ul Malook, who represented Asia Bibi, was initially supposed to fight Nayabs case, but a group pressured her parents not to hire him. Intercourse with a girl younger than 16 is considered rape in Pakistan, but men in many such instances produce fake conversion and Islamic marriage certificates to defend themselves. A 2014 study by The Movement for Solidarity and Peace Pakistan estimated that about 1,000 women and girls from Pakistans Hindu and Christian communities were abducted, forcibly married to their captor, and forcibly converted to Islam every year. The issue of religion is also often injected into cases of sexual assault to place religious minority victims at a disadvantage, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern has previously said, adding that perpetrators play upon religious biases to cover up and justify their crimes by introducing an element of religion. International persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA ranks Pakistan No. 5 on its 2021 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution due to an extreme level of Islamic oppression. Pakistan is also listed by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for tolerating in or engaging in egregious violations of religious freedom. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In some respects, Canada has been a step ahead of America in terms of moral and cultural decline. That means that what happens in Canada todayand I mean what happens in the most negative sensecould well be coming to America tomorrow. Of course, in other respects, America is far ahead of Canada in terms of serious moral issues. Just consider the difference in gun violence between our nations. Or ask yourself who is the world leader in exporting and providing porn; Canada or America? Yet, when it comes to government overreach or attacks on fundamental liberties or hostility towards the Church, Canadas descent has been more frightening. We do well to pay attention to what is taking place to our north. For example, Canada legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, a decade before the Supreme Courts Obergefell decision, without which the states would have been battling over the issue for years to come. Not surprisingly, Canada was also well ahead of America in terms of prosecuting Christians who opposed gay activism and propaganda. To give one case in point, already in 2006, a Canadian professor was fined two weeks pay by a Nova Scotia university for telling a student that homosexuality is an unnatural lifestyle...Cape Breton University (CBU) fined veteran history professor David Mullan $2,100 in response to two human rights complaints filed by a homosexual student who coordinates the campus Sexual Diversity Office. The student took umbrage at two letters the professor had written to his former Anglican bishop two years ago. Canada has also been ahead of the US in passing national legislation that would punish those who refused to comply with transgender activism, such as choosing not to refer to a male as a female if that person identified as such. Now, according to Tyler ONeil on PJ Media, a new bill, Bill C-36, would enable citizens to bring legal claims against people who engage in hate speech online, and if a member or panel of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal finds the accused guilty, the tribunal can either order the accused to cease the discriminatory practice and take steps to prevent it from happening again; order the accused to pay compensation of up to $20,000 to any victim personally identified in the communication that constituted the discriminatory practice, or order the accused to pay a penalty of not more than $50,000 to the Receiver General if the tribunal considers it appropriate considering the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the discriminatory practice. And what, exactly, would be defined as hate speech, especially if it simply needs to be hateful in the eye of the beholder? ONeil rightly warns, Claims about hate speech are arguably even more slippery than claims about discrimination, and it seems extremely likely that Canadas government will use this law to silence dissent from the governments preferred ideologies from transgender orthodoxy to COVID-19 (the border between the U.S. and Canada is still closed to those filthy Americans). Is there any reason that this could not become the law of the land in America too? Then there is the overt hostility towards churches, to the point of saying publicly, Burn them all down! As I mentioned, for years Christians in Canada have been prosecuted for opposing gay activism, with the noose getting tighter by the year. In more recent months, pastors who refused to comply with the governments COVID-related overreach have served time in jail, producing more national hostility to these allegedly lawless Christians who are supposedly endangering their fellow-Canadians. Just last month, as reported by the Christian Post,a Canadian pastor was arrested after his church held an outdoor worship service at an undisclosed location after the local government ordered the church building to be closed. Yes, the congregation was reportedly discovered by a police helicopter as they met outdoors, meaning that they were not violating COVID guidelines for indoor meetings. Can you imagine holding an outdoor service to worship Jesus together, only to look up and see a police helicopter overhead? You have been found out! You are guilty! We found you! The next day, the pastor was arrested. This really happened. But it gets worse. As reports have been emerging about unmarked graves being found at residential schools on First Nations reserves (roughly the equivalent of Native American reservations), church buildings are being set on fire, since these schools, which began in the 1800s, were normally church-led. The discovery of these graves has prompted a national outcry, as if hundreds of children were killed or allowed to die by these schools. And certainly, there should be thorough investigations to find out exactly what happened. (There could be totally innocent answers, such as children dying of various diseases over the years with the markers eroding over time. Or there could be totally nefarious answers. Either way, there need to be answers.) Others, however, are not waiting for answers, with radio host Nesta Matthews tweeting, Burn the churches down. Arrest any former staff that were actually there and any current staff that wont provide documentation. Sell everything they own in Canada and give it to survivors. Dismantle it completely. Or, as expressed by Harsha Walia, executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Burn it all down. Yes, these sentiments are being expressed openly and boldly. America, be forewarned! With the growing hostility in our country towards Christians, and with attacks on church buildings during last years riots, this does not seem so farfetched. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A recent special hearing regarding the Britney Spears conservatorship revealed shocking details about how the famous pop star is being treated by her father and management team. Most heartbreaking of all was the revelation that the conservatorship will not allow the 39-year-old to remove her intrauterine device (IUD) so she can have another child. This instance of forced contraception, which amounts to temporary sterilization, adds momentum to the already trending #FreeBritney hashtag spearheaded by fans who want to see her fathers abusive conservatorship end. Under her fathers conservatorship, Britney has been rendered powerless to make her own decisions. She stated, I wanted to take the [IUD] out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team wont let me go to the doctor to take it out because they dont want me to have childrenany more children. The pop superstar and mother of two should be free to pursue having a family, as should all women. No one should be subjected to the indignity and despair that results from forced sterilization, even a temporary kind via an IUD. Sadly, Britney is far from being the only person suffering this type of fate today. The Chinese government is currently enacting a large-scale campaign in Xinjiang to forcibly sterilize Uyghur Muslim women. These forced sterilizations, which include IUDs and tubal ligations, are a critical element of the Chinese governments ongoing effort to limit Uyghur births; an effort that the United States has declared a genocide. Worse, President Biden doesnt seem all that concerned that reinstating funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will contribute to the problem. One Uyghur woman previously detained in Xinjiangs internment camps told the Associated Press that officials in her camp installed IUDs in every woman of childbearing age. At almost 50 years old, she pleaded and promised that she would not have more children. Nonetheless, she and hundreds of other women were herded onto buses and sent to the hospital for their IUDs. Some wept silently, and all were too afraid to resist publicly. For 15 days, this woman suffered from continual menstrual bleeding and headaches. She claimed, I couldnt sleep properly. It gave me huge psychological pressure. She added, Only Uyghurs had to wear it. Gulgine, a Uyghur gynecologist who fled to Turkey, confirms stories like this. She recounted in an interview, A lot of women were put on the back of a truck and sent to the hospital for their IUD implants. The [sterilization] procedure took about five minutes each, but the women were crying because they did not know what was happening to them. Researcher Adrian Zenz found that officials planned to subject at least 80 percent of women of childbearing age in some rural areas of Xinjiang to IUDs or sterilizations by 2019. The devices used in Xinjiang can only be removed surgically by state-approved doctors. According to Zumret Dawut, Xinjiang hospitals require permission from five government offices before removing an IUD. Concerning her own compulsory IUDs, the mother of three told Radio Free Asia, They caused a lot of problems for me. I passed out, lost consciousness, several times after the insertions. Earlier this year, Chinese state media took to Twitter to argue that the sterilization program liberates Uyghur women, making them no longer baby-making machines. The post was later deleted, but the abuses have continued. It is not liberation for Uyghur womenor Britney, for that matterto be sterilized and made to labor for the benefit of a state or a conservator. It is tempting, but incorrect, to assume Uyghur sterilizations are far removed from American politics. When President Joe Biden announced his intention to reinstate funding to the UNFPA earlier this year, he paved the way for American funds to go to an organization that partners with Chinas National Health Commission (NHC). This is at a time when the United States has determined that the Chinese government is committing genocide in Xinjiang hospitals through forced sterilizations and abortions. Although the UNFPA may not directly fund sterilizations in Xinjiang, its cooperation with the National Health Commission enables the NHC to divert other funds elsewhere. The hard-earned money of American taxpayers should not be supporting atrocities abroad, even indirectly. Britneys conservatorship, and her father and management teams decision to retain her IUD against her will, brings the issue of forced sterilization closer to home for Americans. Fans and non-fans alike are empathetic as the pop stars basic rights are violated. Vulnerable celebrities in America and persecuted minorities in China deserve the freedom to have families, and as many children as they desire. The American court system should work on freeing Britney, and the world should work towards freeing the Uyghur people. Originally published at Family Research Council. If you love America, are you really a 'white Christian nationalist?' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment These days, the younger generation is encouraged to despise their American birthright. According to this worldview, the United States was a force for oppression in centuries past, and racism, baked into the very structure of the republic, constitutes the true narrative of the American people. And what is this worldviews solution to our countrys alleged ills? To tear down the existing order, cleanse it of its sins, and reeducate the youth such that they become activists against democracy, free speech, and free thought. This new mentality is driven by what some call wokeness. As I detail in my forthcoming bookChristianity and Wokeness, being woke means waking up, per the tenets of Critical Race Theory, to the reality of structural racism and inequity in a society. This entails standing against institutions that mediate oppression through power dynamicsinstitutions like the family, the church, and the nation-state. There is much to say about wokeness anti-institutional commitments, but we shall concern ourselves here with the distinctively anti-national nature of the movement, and the fact that it targets religious people explicitly. Today, defending American ideals and history means one is painted as a proponent of white Christian nationalism. The argument commonly goes that the evangelical movement has lost its moral compass by choosing to support conservative political candidates. Instead of standing for equity, justice, and fairnessbuzzwords of the modern ideological revolutionthe church allegedly chose to back xenophobia, narrowness, and tribalism. Wokeness has offered Christians the salutary chance to be antiracist, but according to many prominent media voices today, Christian conservatives have rejected this move, instead lending their support to the white Christian nationalist movement, thinking they are patriots while actually being racist extremists. This criticism is fierce, as one can see. It is not playing for a draw. But in this brief piece, I believe it is worth responding to the criticism for the good of the rising generation. I want Americas young people, especially Christians who believe in the power of the Gospel, to hear a stronger and sounder word than these lazy bromides. Let me briefly list out a few responses to the ideology mentioned above. First, it is not wrong for a Christian to love their country. Every believer is called to love their neighbor as themselves (Mat. 22:34-39), and a country is essentially a great mass of neighbors. Does this mean we will love every country the same? No, it will be harder to love a tyrannical state than a free one. Further, Americas real failings as a nation temper our enthusiasm and keep us from enshrining this body politic as perfect. Nevertheless, it is good and right for a believer to seek the good of the city in which they live (Jer. 29:7). There is much to be thankful for as an American citizen. If you and I can be thankful for our local community or a city we treasure, why can we not love our country? Second, it is right that we be engaged as believers in our country. We are called to pray for kings, honor the emperor, and submit to government as much as we can (1 Tim. 2:5, 1 Peter 2:17, Rom. 13:1-7). All this activity is expressly Christian; we perform such duties not as secularists, but as born-again believers. Christians of all kinds should live in these ways. It is not white people who are called to engage our community and country in some form, but all Christs church. Third, it is wrong to identify white people as national oppressors in our time. America has real historical failings in terms of slavery and Jim Crow, failings supported by groups of white people in days past. And surely white people in our day need Jesus just as anyone does. But wokeness would have us see the American church, which does include many white people, as a present-day racist force acting to oppress people of color. Could white people fall prey to such evil? Yes, any person of any skin color or background could. But is the evangelical church inherently and incurably racist today? This is a claim that is regularly made, but it should be read as a statement of slander rather than a statement of fact. A group that is majority white does not automatically an oppressive body make. The fever dream of many columnists, that a militantly racist body of extremist white fundamentalists waits just beyond the city gates to take back America, is downright silly. A whole lot of white Christians do want America to thrive, yes. But this does not mean they wish to oppress other people; I am linked up with evangelicals across America, and I dont know anyone who has this goal. If they did, I would try to talk them out of it! Fourth, supporting conservative politicians does not make you hateful. It does not make you a white Christian nationalist. Over and over, Christians who want their country to flourish have been labeled in such terms for voting for candidates of a Republican or conservative bent. The vast majority of Christians I know supported such candidates in past days because they are ardently pro-life, pro-religious liberty, anti-big government, anti-progressive agenda, and pro-free market. They do not have anything close to an evil vision of America that would ruin the lives of people of color. Nor do they wish to impose a ferocious theocracy on any who dare disagree with them. Instead, they want people of all kinds to be free, prosperous, and able to worship God. The stereotypes about white Christian nationalism will likely endure. There are very well-paid and highly connected journalists and leaders who make such arguments, and all too often they serve as a kind of house evangelical for elite media. It makes sense why this would be so. Wokeness is the imperial ideology of our age and standing against it is no popular move in our time. On the political front, it works neatly and nicely to denounce a huge and diverse group of people as promoting the evil specter of white Christian nationalism. Sadly, different professing Christians are glad to serve this odious cause. I encourage Christians, and especially younger Christians, to shake off such name-calling. Be a principled Christian young man or young woman. Serve your local church. Trust and follow Christ, the crucified king. Be salt and light in your community, on your campus, wherever God puts you in this land (Mat. 5:13-16). Learn American history, both the regrettable parts and the serious accomplishments. Live without fear. Know that God is good, is building his church, and that whatever the media and academicians may label you, if you are in Christ by faith, you will have your vindication on the last day. India: Christians call on NIA to release 83-year-old pastor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Church groups and civil society leaders in India are protesting against the arrest of an 83-year-old Jesuit priest by the countrys federal counter-terrorism task force on charges of being a Maoist, or extreme Marxist. The Catholic Church in India says he is being punished for protecting the rights of aboriginal people. The National Investigation Agency arrested Swamy last Thursday from his home in the eastern state of Jharkhand. Two days before the arrest, Swamy said in a video message posted on YouTube that he feared he would be arrested because he fought against the government's indiscriminate arrest of thousands of young aboriginal people and local settlers who question big business projects that take away their land. The government falsely claims that all such protesters are part of an outlawed Maoist group, said Swamy, who documents the displacement of tribal, or aboriginal, people as a result of commercial projects like mining, setting up industrial units and the construction of dams on their resource-rich ancestral land. Several states in India, including Jharkhand, are affected by a Maoist-led insurgency. During the past three decades I have tried to identify myself with the Adivasi (aboriginal) people and their struggle for a life of dignity and self-respect, Swamy said. As a writer, I have tried to analyze the different issues they are faced with. In this process, I have clearly expressed dissent with several policies, laws enacted by the government in light of the Constitution. Swamy was transported to Mumbai city by plane at about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, where he was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the Sessions Court, according to the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which further reported that he has been sent to Taloja Jail near Mumbai until Oct. 23. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India expressed deep sorrow and anguish over his arrest. According to our reports, Fr. Stan has for decades been working to protect the rights of the Adivasis (aboriginals), especially their land rights. This could have worked against the interests of certain people. When questioned during the months of July-August 2020 by authorities, Fr. Stan Swamy fully cooperated with investigating agencies and has provided detailed statements, claiming to be innocent in the case, CBCI said. It is difficult to comprehend the plight of an octogenarian with several morbidities, like Fr. Stan Swamy to have to undergo such difficulties during this pandemic in which even a normal healthy person would hesitate to travel or would never travel risking ones life. The Catholic body called on the authorities to immediately release Swamy, who is originally from the southern state of Tamil Nadu. A human rights activist, Xavier Dias, who is close to Swamy, told Indian media that the priest had publicly disagreed with the Catholic Church. He was depressed that the Church sided with the elites, The Indian Express quoted Dias as saying. He said big institutions run by Jesuits taught in English medium, leaving behind the poor who did not understand the language. He demanded that schools run by Jesuits should be converted to Hindi medium so that the common people may benefit. CSWs founder president, Mervyn Thomas, said in a statement, We have grave concerns about the Indian authorities handling of the investigation and their heavy-handed approach towards a human rights activist who has long spoken out for the rights of the tribal community. Thomas said a worrying trend is visible in India where voices speaking out for truth and justice are being suppressed. The Indian government is increasingly being seen as heavy-handed. In June, New Delhi denied entry visas to representatives of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom who had planned to investigate reports of persecution of Muslims and Christians following the release of its report that designated India as a Country of Particular Concern. Religious freedom commission demands Biden hold India accountable for priests death Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the Biden administration to hold the Indian government accountable for the death of 84-year-old Jesuit priest and human rights defender Fr. Stan Swamy. Condemning in the strongest terms the deliberate neglect and targeting by the government of India that led to the death of the priest, USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza urged the United States to hold the Indian government accountable and to raise religious freedom concerns in the U.S.-India bilateral relationship. Swamy died Monday, days after suffering a cardiac arrest at Tajola Central Prison in May. He was later put on a ventilator at a private hospital in western Mumbai city due to his deteriorating health. The priest was suffering from Parkinsons disease and had contracted COVID-19 in pre-trial detention. Despite international concern and urgent pleas for bail on medical grounds, Indian officials and the courts denied Swamy bail and timely medical care, USCIRF said. He was arrested last October and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, for suspicion of ties to organizations accused of instigating violence in Maharashtra state in 2018. Officials used UAPA and other statutes to detain advocates, the media, and academics, including religious minorities. Fr. Jerome Stanislaus Dsouza, the president of Jesuits in India, issued a statement. Stan worked to light the world and do away with injustice. The government may have succeeded in snuffing his life out, but his spirit will continue to inspire, Dsouza said, according to The Washington Post. Swamy had cited the inhumane treatment he was receiving in prison, including being denied a sipper to drink water, in the several letters he wrote. His arrest by the NIA, without proper evidence, his bail pleas that were repeatedly denied despite his deteriorating health, and the inhumane treatment he received while in prison are all reminders of the shocking violations of basic human rights that remain a regular occurrence in India, Scot Bower, chief executive of the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said in a statement. CSW quoted Fr. Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and human rights activist in India, as saying that Swamy championed the cause of the indigenous people. He did all he could to ensure that the natural resources (water, forest and land) which are rightly theirs, which are being exploited by the powerful, the rich and the mining mafias, were not illegally snatched away from them," said Prakash. "Because of this, he paid the price. I personally believe that Father Stan will never die. He has finished his pilgrimage here on Earth, but he will continue to live in the hearts of thousands of people and we will see many more Father Stans springing up for the sake of India. The Washington Post noted that Indias anti-terror law, amended in 2019, allows the government to designate an individual as a terrorist and detain people for up to six months without producing any evidence. Further, the accused can subsequently be imprisoned for up to seven years. Critics have called the law draconian, and accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modis government of using it to mute dissent. Church groups and civil society leaders in India protested against the Jesuit priest's arrest on charges of being a Maoist or extreme Marxist. The Catholic Church in India said he was being punished for protecting the rights of aboriginal people. Two days before his arrest, Swamy had said in a video message posted on YouTube that he feared he would be arrested because he fought against the government's indiscriminate arrest of thousands of young aboriginal people and local settlers who question big business projects that take away their land. During the past three decades I have tried to identify myself with the Adivasi (aboriginal) people and their struggle for a life of dignity and self-respect, Swamy said. As a writer, I have tried to analyze the different issues they are faced with. In this process, I have clearly expressed dissent with several policies, laws enacted by the government in light of the Constitution. The Indian government is increasingly being seen as heavy-handed. Last June, New Delhi denied entry visas to representatives of the USCIRF who had planned to investigate reports of persecution of Muslims and Christians following the release of its report that designated India as a Country of Particular Concern. IRS reverses course, grants tax-exempt status to Christian group it accused of being too political Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The IRS has reversed an earlier decision denying tax-exempt status to a Christian organization it had previously deemed too political because it advises voters to read what the Bible says on issues such as the sanctity of life and marriage. Christians Engaged, a nonprofit group based in Garland, Texas, led by conservative activist Bunni Pounds, had previously applied for an exemption under Section 501(c)(3), only to be rejected earlier this year. However, the First Liberty Institute, which helped to represent the Christian group, announced Wednesday that the IRS has granted Christians Engaged's request for tax-exempt status. This is truly great news for our client, as well as religious organizations and churches across America, said First Liberty Institute counsel Lea Patterson in a statement shared with The Christian Post. We are grateful the IRS changed course to bring its decision into line with the Constitution and its own regulations. Christians Engaged President Bunni Pounds said she was incredibly thankful to the IRS for doing the right thing. we look forward to continuing our mission of educating more followers of Jesus to pray for our nation and to be civically engaged. When we stand up, our republic works for all Americans, she added in the statement. In 2019, Christians Engaged applied for tax-exempt status, only to receive a notice of denial from IRS Exempt Organizations Director Stephen A. Martin on May 18. In the notice, Martin argued that the group was too political, asserting that they engage in prohibited political campaign intervention. You are also not operated exclusively for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3), because you operate for a substantial non-exempt private purpose and for the private interests of the [Republican] party, wrote Martin. Pounds, who heads Christians Engaged, ran for Congress in 2018 but lost in the Republican primary. The organization's vice president is Trayce Bradford, who previously led the pro-family advocacy group Texas Eagle Forum. Martin claimed that the group should be denied tax-exempt status because it works to instruct people on what the Bible says about various issues that "generally distinguish candidates and are associated with political party platforms." Patterson noted in several media interviews that the IRS had granted a tax exemption to former first lady Michelle Obama and her activist group When We All Vote, as a counter to Martin's reasoning for denying Pounds' organization tax-exempt status. In June, Christians Engaged filed an appeal with the help of the First Liberty Institute, arguing that the IRS reasoning was flawed in multiple ways, namely that it invented a nonexistent requirement that exempt organizations be neutral on public policy issues. The appeal also argued that the agency wrongly assumed that "Christians Engaged primarily serves private, nonexempt purposes rather than public, exempt purposes because he [Martin] thinks its beliefs overlap with the Republican Partys policy positions." Christians Engaged received the backing of several Republican members of Congress who sent a letter to the IRS on June 25 imploring the government agency to reverse its decision against the nonprofit. The IRS must objectively analyze applications for tax-exempt status and cannot allow political biases to creep into its decisions, reads the letter in part. We urge you to immediately review Christians Engageds application for 501(c)(3) status personally, and terminate the IRS staff involved in the flawed and politically motivated reasoning behind the determination. In 2013, the IRS garnered controversy when the agency admitted to targeting conservative groups' tax-exempt applications with the terms Tea Party or Patriot in them during the 2012 presidential election season. Lois Lerner, then director of the IRS Exempt Organizations Division, gave an apology, stating at the time that it was absolutely inappropriate and not the way we should do things. Until recently, new companies had one option to raise funds sell an uncomfortably large chunk of it to an interested venture capitalist or angel investor and hope they dont get in the way of the creative process. Otherwise, they need to build from the ground up, and thats not always the most effective strategy for many business models. Suddenly, theres a second option cryptocurrency. Legally, it wasnt always feasible. Starting in 2018, coins known as equity tokens have allowed more traditional businesses to tokenize equity in their company and sell these "shares in an ETO (Equity Token Offering). In the past year, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have passed new laws to accommodate this emerging industry. With the right approach, equity tokens are now accessible to the average entrepreneur. This is all new and unknown, which may be a cause for hesitation. But the underlying technology creates a powerful, versatile platform with a solid legal framework that is accessible to a wide range of entrepreneurs. It has nothing to do with coins or competing monetary systems. In this context, its simply a new way to structure a business and raise funds. There are many benefits to equity tokens, but there are also many reasons why someone might choose the more traditional route. Related: 5 Things to Consider Before Investing In Cryptocurrency Here, Ill explain the pros and cons of each. Cryptocurrency offers the ability to crowdfund resources, but this isnt always ideal for companies with sensitive intellectual property. It appeals to a wider audience, but it is often the individual investor who wants all or nothing and is willing to pay for it. Finally, the blockchain provides simplified and cost-effective legal solutions, but many companies require a more nuanced approach. Cryptocurrency offerings are a form of crowdfunding, which isnt a new concept. IPOs follow a similar model. Even merchandise, like books and t-shirts, is a form of crowdfunding. GoFundMe and Kickstarter were the next evolution, but they are very limited in capability. Its a great way to access a much larger pool of capital and a wider potential audience. For example, Intercoin is essentially the Kickstarter for crypto companies, providing a platform to raise funds for new projects. Intercoin comes with a variety of other tools for new projects, including a built-in community, infrastructure and automated tasks. There are drawbacks to this method. The company is put on display for everyone to see before it has a chance to get a foothold in the market. Any company with a high proprietary model would want to stay within the protection of private investments. Private meetings and NDAs are there for a reason. Its also possible that no one takes an interest. Crowdfunding spreads the rewards thin. Some potential VCs prefer the high risk and high reward of a private raise and will often contribute other resources, like connections and personnel, that crowdfunding cant offer. But there is a new wave of sentiment around crowdfunding and decentralization that may be a selling point for new investors. Liti Capital presents a new way to decentralize litigation finance by crowdfunding litigation asset purchases. The LITI token gives its holders a vote in the decision-making process. Investing in litigation finance was only accessible to the rich, said David Kay, CIO of Liti Capital. But the blockchain gave us a way to access a much larger pool of investors. Related: Cryptocurrency and Taxes: What You Need to Know Tokens give users a way to interact more intimately with the companies they have invested with, providing more incentive for retail investors to choose a project and help projects raise the funds they need. Tokens also provide novel ways of raising funds for existing companies. OneOf is an NFT platform that allows artists to raise funds through NFT sales. By positioning themselves within the green blockchain sphere, projects are one step closer to utilizing the tools that the Tezos blockchain has to offer. Blockchain projects benefit from high interoperability with each other and streamlined partnerships. The legal fees involved in forming a corporation are often a major hurdle for new companies.. Not only are the fees a burden, but the legal system is as well. Structuring a business without help from a lawyer can be very complicated, leading to more fees. Companies like Neufund can create documents automatically and allow new projects to configure the details in a guided process. These simplified templates allow potential business owners to dodge a tremendous amount of stress and legal fees. This significantly lowers the barrier of entry for a large number of entrepreneurs who are self-starters and who have the vision to make their company succeed. More complex entities may need a customized solution that doesnt fit into the cookie-cutter boxes offered by blockchain platforms. Simplicity is a lifesaver for companies with very basic legal structures and a liability for companies who need multiple layers of complexity. Some companies also require multiple layers of jurisdictional protections under multiple entities. This requirement can also apply to crypto companies who may need out-of-the-box solutions that modular platforms cant offer. With all of the regulations and pressure on cryptocurrency, new projects often hire the best lawyers for an airtight legal framework. If a project fits within the guidelines and limitations of cryptocurrency ETOs, crowdfunding the capital raise could be highly effective and lucrative saving time and money. This option also benefits from the popularity of cryptocurrency and decentralization sentiments. That said, there are still good reasons to do things the old way. Many companies need to raise a large amount of money in private before showing their creation to the world. Its possible and understandable that this new market doesnt have a perfect solution for everyone. You should do what is best for your developing brand. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Click here to read the full article. Brian Kilmeade employed some interesting logic on Friday to criticize President Bidens push to get more Americans vaccinated. Theyre going to knock on your door, theyre going to demand that you take it, and theyre going to give you a third shot, the Fox & Friends host said. Its unbelievable how offensive this administration is getting with a pandemic that is clearly on the run. Were doing better than any other country. Almost 60-70 percent of this country has taken two shots, and yet this administration is panicking and infiltrating our lives. Kilmeade continues his crusade against the Biden administration for wanting to get people vaccinated: "It's unbelievable how offensive this admin is getting with a pandemic that is clearly on the run This admin is panicking and they are infiltrating our lives" pic.twitter.com/FCRJZnXPCI Lis Power (@LisPower1) July 9, 2021 Kilmeade is correct in noting that the U.S. has done a good job tamping down Covid-19, and even that the virus is now on the run. The reason for this is simple: People are getting vaccinated. A recent Associated Press analysis of government data found that 98.9 percent of Covid-related hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated. Same goes for 99.2 percent of Covid-related deaths. This is a reason to keep vaccinating people, not to stop vaccinating people, especially as the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading around the world. Kilmeade doesnt seem to get it. The focus of this administration on vaccination is mind-boggling, he said on the same show a day earlier, neglecting to mention the Delta variant, neglecting to mention infection rates could go up in the fall, and neglecting to mention that this focus on inoculating people against a deadly virus is why life in America has regained some sense of normalcy while other developed nations are still stifled with restrictions. Kilmeades morning musings are only a small example of the vaccine hysteria that has exploded across right-wing media since Biden gave an address on Tuesday calling for a community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and oft times door-to-door, literally knocking on doors campaign to get people vaccinated. The speech was pretty innocuous, but conservatives are seizing on the door-knocking image as an example of, as former White House doctor Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) so eloquently put it on Friday, socialist communist Marxist overreach. Conservatives are now not only questioning the vaccine, theyre pushing full-blown anti-vaccination propaganda. Matthew Gertz of Media Matters compiled a sampling of what the watchdog has noticed on Fox News, including a guest telling Laura Ingraham that no one under the age of 30 should be vaccinated. Meanwhile, Ingrahams chyron described THE LEFTS CONSTANT COVID POWER GRAB. Fox hosts are relentlessly attacking the vaccination campaign against the coronavirus. Their nightly effort to delegitimize the vaccines is a big problem. https://t.co/2gfLo7UXIm pic.twitter.com/y7OdhuVst1 Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) July 9, 2021 Its unclear how vaccinating people against a virus that has now killed more than 600,000 Americans and 4 million people worldwide constitutes some sort of Democratic power play, but that doesnt even matter. The idea is displayed in all caps for Ingrahams viewers to absorb in all its incoherence, and absorb it they have. According to an ABC/Washington Post poll released over Fourth of July, 93 percent of Democrats have either been vaccinated or plan to get vaccinated, compared to only 49 percent of Republicans. The QAnon contingent in Congress isnt helping matters. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted this week that Biden is sending Needle Nazis to her district, referring to the vaccine as the experimental vaccine. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) wrote that no one cares about the Delta variant and that all voters are over Covid. As Phillip Bump of The Washington Post points out, Greenes district in Georgia is one of the least vaccinated in the nation. So is Boeberts in Colorado. In fact, according to a Harvard analysis, of the 50 least-vaccinated congressional districts in America, 46 are represented by Republicans. The rights campaign to keep people unvaccinated is starting to extend beyond Fox News chyrons and tweets. Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have for weeks been attacking the states health commissioner for peer pressuring teenagers about getting vaccinated. The Tennesseean reported on Thursday that the the states Health Department has now instructed its county-level employees to halt vaccination events focused on adolescents and stop online outreach to teens as a result of the pressure from elected officials. Republicans said the health officials were peer pressuring kids to get vaccinated. So officials deleted a digital flyer it used to recommend vaccinations. You may ask yourself: How pushy was the flyer? This is it. pic.twitter.com/J8fambqdoN Brett Kelman (@BrettKelman) July 8, 2021 The Tennessee Department of Healths reversal which has included the deletion of some pro-vaccine Twitter and Facebook posts is especially concerning considering how quickly the Delta variant could spread. This variant is simply more transmissible, Dr. David Aronoff, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, told the paper. If it gets into populations that are not vaccinated, it will sneak into and through and across those groups more quickly than the original virus, which already did a pretty good job of spreading on its own. Those groups are plentiful in Tennessee, which ranks seventh-lowest in the nation in percentage of the population to have received at least one shot, according to The New York Times. States that voted for Trump in November occupy 21 of the bottom 22 slots on the list. Fox News is more hell-bent than ever on keeping it that way. Sign up for Rolling Stone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By now, youve probably heard the stories about Hawaiis rental car shortage, which has prompted visitors to rent U-Hauls and other unorthodox vehicles. The rental shortage has also sent prices soaring for the few available options at traditional agencies like Hertz and Avis. But there are more reasonable and affordable alternatives, particularly for those willing to string several of them together over their vacation. The first is to challenge the conventional wisdom that youll need a car for the entire length of your stay. Depending on which island youre visiting, where youre staying and what you plan to do, you can get away without a vehicle for all or most of the time. If youre traveling to Oahu, for example, and are used to taking public transit at home, TheBus provides relatively convenient service from Waikiki and nearby Ala Moana Center to major attractions for $2.75 one way. On Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, however, bus routes and schedules primarily benefit local commuters. But even on those islands, consider that youre unlikely to do much exploring the day of your arrival or departure, and a beachfront resort will offer its own diversions; you may find you only need your own wheels for a few days. On Kauai, the South Shores relatively flat, large Poipu Beach Resort, neighboring Kukuiula and historic Koloa Town are easy to navigate by foot or via scooters, moped, electric bikes or beach cruisers just dont try to head out on the high-speed road toward the highway. Start by booking an airport shuttle from Roberts Hawaii; rates to the boutique Koa Kea Hotel & Resort, for example, run $46 per person for a shared ride, with a minimum of two people. Or catch a ride to your hotel from the islands new and rapidly expanding homegrown alternative to Uber and Lyft, Holoholo, which also serves Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Lanai. The ride-hailing service allows you to book airport rides in advance or use the app when you land; the estimated fare for a ride for four people from the airport in Lihue to Koa Kea is $64 ($69 for a low-emission alternative, $84 for a luxury ride.) Once in Poipu, you can walk or ride to three shopping centers, including the Shops at Kukuiula and the Poipu Shopping Village, which include numerous restaurants and shops, three grocery stores and outfitters offering scuba dives, snorkel gear, zip lines and other activities. Pedego Poipu offers top-of-the-line e-bikes starting at $109 a day, while Kauai Mopeds will deliver one-rider mopeds and scooters accommodating two riders to your hotel for free with a two-day minimum rental, starting at $190. If that seems too pricey, Polynesian Adventure offers two new, all-day Aloha Shuttles with loop routes. The first has stops at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Sheraton Kauai, Shops at Kukuiula and Old Koloa Town, running 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; the cost is $24. The other shuttles between Koloa and several resorts on Kapaas Coconut Coast, with additional stops at Kilohana Plantation (home to shopping, dining, sugarcane train and rum tasting) and the shopping centers in Anchor Cove (walking distance to Kalapaki Beach) and Kukui Grove. It costs $35 and operates from 8:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday and till 5:15 p.m. Sunday. The hotels and vacation condos in Kapaa also have easy access to several vendors renting beach cruisers ($15 to $18 for a half-day) to use on the 8 miles of Ke Ala Hele Makamae, a multi-use coastal path close to beach parks, shops and restaurants. On the North Shore, Hanalei is easy to cruise via bicycle, particularly with the ongoing limited access into the valley due to roadway repairs. Pedal 'n Paddle offers beach cruiser rentals from $15 a day. While the North Shore Shuttle to Haena is not expected to reopen anytime soon, Hanalei Colony Resort in Haena provides its guests with free shuttle service to various North Shore destinations. On Hawaii Island, the large, flat Mauna Lani and Waikoloa Beach resorts offer similar opportunity to walk, use a rental bike or take a shuttle to sites such as beaches, restaurants, shopping and the trail to the Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve. On Maui, Lahaina and the Kaanapali Beach Resort, with its miles of beach boardwalk, are also easy to navigate on foot or bike; guests of the Westin Maui and its sister properties can take a free shopping shuttle into Lahaina (which also saves the headache of looking for parking). To add a getaway to a more remote area, fly to the Hana-Maui Resort via its new, private 10-passenger Cessna service from Kahului and Kapalua airports on Maui, Lanai City or Honolulu, or on one of the regularly scheduled nine-passenger Mokulele flights from Kahului. Once at the former Travaasa Hana, which became part of Hyatts Destination Hotels brand last fall, the resorts 8-minute shuttle will take you to famed Hamoa Beach. On secluded Lanai, the two Four Seasons resorts shuttle guests between the airport or ferry and their lodgings above Lanai City or Manele Bay, and then to any offsite activities like horseback riding, e-bike tours or snorkeling, plus shopping or dining in walkable Lanai City. Going carless doesnt mean youre forced to stay in urbanized or resort areas. With snorkeling and seasonal whale-watching trips leaving right from beaches in front of the resorts, such as those offered by Trilogy Kaanapali, you wont have to worry about driving to a harbor. Hawaii Forest & Trail, Hawaii Islands premier operator of hiking and nature tours, including stargazing on Mauna Kea, also offers pickup from most major resorts. Still, some travelers will find that it makes the most financial sense and eases logistics to get behind the wheel themselves. In that case, take heart: So many island residents are flocking to list their cars on Turo that some more experienced owners on the car-sharing platform are now complaining on a Facebook group for Hawaii Turo owners that the market is flooded with new listings, and their profits are going down along with prices. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has compiled its own list of alternative ground transportation for all six islands open to visitors (Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, Molokai and Lanai) on a web page that notes the rental car fleet has decreased more than 40% because of the pandemic. But just in case youre still considering the U-Haul option, it also states: The Hawaii Tourism Authority does not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for leisure purposes. YORK, Pa. (AP) Critics worry the program is prone to unfairly separate poor and minority children from parents. When a 4-year-old girl drowned in her swimming pool near Pittsburgh on an August day in 2019, the family was already known to child welfare. Reports of lack of supervision in the home had been called into Allegheny Countys Department of Human Services six times between December 2017 and July 2019, and five of those reports were labeled unfounded or invalid, according to a state document. The sixth call was investigated, and child welfare was involved with the family when Ca-Niyah Mitchell slipped into the pool without a life vest while her father was inside their house. Charles Mitchell pleaded guilty to child endangerment last year and received probation. This is the horror story of child welfare, where the red flags were raised to see a child was in danger, but they were missed, screened out by the person taking the call and put into the unfounded pile. When serious neglect and abuse cases happen in Allegheny County, we review them with a fine-tooth comb with tons and tons of stakeholders, and just so often you see these cases where thered been a call for abuse and neglect, and we screened it out, said Erin Dalton, director of the countys Department of Human Services. Dalton and her predecessor, Marc Cherna, set about changing that six years ago, and working with engineers in New Zealand, they built an algorithm, or predictive analysis tool, to help decision-making for the person who is screening those critical calls. It has its critics, but Dalton remains the algorithms biggest cheerleader. In Allegheny County, an algorithm is being used to help make a critical decision in a childs welfare. The critical call Theres a critical moment in child welfare that happens when a phone screener receives a call from someone reporting child neglect or abuse. The decision has to be made whether to proceed into an investigation or set the case aside. Screeners looking at the facts of a case, even given family background to inform the decision, were often leaning in the wrong direction in Allegheny County. An analysis of the countys DHS five years ago found that 27% of the highest risk child welfare cases were being screened out and 48% of the lowest risk cases were being screened in, according to DHS. First and foremost, our job is to keep children safe, Dalton said. The county decided to turn to data it had been collecting on the countys families since 1998. DHS screeners had been using that information to inform their decisions in the critical moment of moving an abuse or neglect case into an investigation or screening it out. It was just a lot of information, though, and screeners had limited time to dig through it all, Dalton said. DHS decided that information could be automated. A partnership with the Auckland University of Technology led to the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, which assigns a number to a child based on data fed into the system. The data comes from publicly available records. The algorithm assigns a number to the child, predicting the likelihood the family will be referred to DHS again. The higher the number, the more likely that will happen. Its just that humans just arent good at this. They have their own biases. And so having a tool like this that can help to provide that kind of information to really talented staff really does just change everything, Dalton said. Fixing whats broken I was hired 25 years ago to fix child welfare. We were known as a national disgrace, Marc Cherna wrote to his colleagues last year when he announced his retirement as head of Allegheny Countys Department of Human Services. When he took over the department, children were being removed from their homes and placed in foster care at alarmingly high rates in Allegheny County, and Cherna sought to change that. He didnt go far enough (to fix the system), and then he thinks were still not finding all of the horror story cases, so well use the algorithm, said Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. Wexler and other critics of the algorithm believe it carries its own biases and pushes more children out of their homes because theyre poor, not because theyre in danger. If this is so great, why is that, by and large, the people who are most enthused about it are people whose statements or track record shows a strong propensity for taking away kids (from their homes)? If this is really a way to preserve families, why isnt the family preservation movement leading the charge for this? Were not. Why isnt the racial justice movement leading the charge for it instead of saying: Hey we know what happened in criminal justice, why do we think its gonna be any different in child welfare? he said. You are destroying families. You are emotionally traumatizing children, and you are exposing children to high rates of abuse in foster care, and at the same time, youre making it harder to find those few children who really need to be saved. Wrongful removal drives all of the problems, Wexler said. Whats wrong with algorithms? One of the issues with algorithms, generally, is the data thats used to feed them, according to Nicol Turner-Lee, director of the Center for Technology Innovation and senior fellow of governance studies with the Brookings Institution, First and foremost, computers do not discriminate; people do. The people behind these models may come with explicit and implicit biases that are baked into the model, she said. The data thats used for algorithms is primarily public data, so the poor family using government services for food, housing, drug and alcohol counseling and mental health treatment will have much more data in the public sphere than a wealthier family using private insurance for counseling and treatment. Computer technology that gets deployed takes on the face of those communities, so unfortunately, you can look at any algorithm, like a criminal justice algorithm, and it picks up the historical legacy that are vetted in unfair systems, Turner-Lee said. Ive had a keen interest in not just addressing the output portion of the problems, which is the ultimate prediction, which can have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, but Ive also taken an interest in the design and the evaluation of these products. Whos at the table? How do they get formed? What questions are they trying to solve? And whether or not theyre being done from a diverse perspective, she said. Political scientist and author Virginia Eubanks wrote a book about predictive algorithms. Called Automating Inequality: How high tech tools profile, police and punish the poor, it chronicles the issues of these predictive tools in three places, one of them Allegheny County and its Family Screening Tool. Faith that big data, algorithmic decision-making, and predictive analytics can solve our thorniest social problemspoverty, homelessness, and violenceresonates deeply with our beliefs as a culture. But that faith is misplaced, Eubanks wrote in an article in Wired magazine. These grand hopes rely on the premise that digital decision-making is inherently more transparent, accountable, and fair than human decision-making. But, as data scientist Cathy ONeil has written, Models are opinions embedded in mathematics. She goes on to say: Allegheny County has an extraordinary amount of information about the use of public programs. But the county has no access to data about people who do not use public services. Parents accessing private drug treatment, mental health counseling, or financial support are not represented in DHS data. Because variables describing their behavior have not been defined or included in the regression, crucial pieces of the child maltreatment puzzle are omitted from the AFST. Reducing racial disparities The University of Pittsburgh hosts a task force that looks at algorithms being used by government agencies, including the Allegheny Family Screening Tool, as the use of algorithms is becoming more common. As I think about that system and others, Ive had this kind of framing in my mind, of what is the thing that its replacing? What was the legacy, human decision-making process? Is this thing offering benefit? And for the screening tool, the county has shown some data that it has reduced racial disparities. We want that in a system like this, said Chris Deluzio, who works on that task force and is the policy director at Pitts Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security. The task force is currently working on a report about the child welfare algorithm, to be published this year. In an independent ethical analysis of the tool, two professors concluded the tool is ethically appropriate, particularly because its accuracy exceeded the alternatives at the time and there would be ethical issues in not using the most accurate measure, according to Allegheny Countys DHS. The state backs the tool as well: The Department of Human Services supports Allegheny Countys efforts to protect children and strengthen families. DHS has taken some initial steps to research predictive risk modeling, but there are no immediate plans to develop a statewide model, said spokesperson Erin James. ___ Online: https://bit.ly/3xqGqS4 A New York state DEC forest ranger is joining the fight to contain a wildfire in Oregon, according to a news release from the department. The Department of Environmental Conservation ranger is an expert wildland firefighter according to the agency. Those firefighters are deployed nearly every year to help with fires in western states. This ranger will help fight to Bootleg Fire, in the Fremont-Winema National Forest on Fuego Mountain. The fire is about 11 miles from the nearest town, but people have been ordered to evacuate areas outside of town close to the fire. Its unseasonably hot and dry there and the fire is spreading toward a high-voltage powerline, according to the U.S. Forest Service. "This is DECs first wildland firefighting deployment after 2020s busy fire season, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement. As climate change continues to drive wildfires that threaten communities throughout the West, New York state stands ready to assist our fellow states with expertise that our firefighters then bring back home to help with future emergency responses." New York state began sending firefighting crews to western states in 1979 and usually sends one or two crews a year. But in 2020, there were a record number of large wildfires. New York sent four 10-person crews to western states for two weeks each. Forest rangers also served as incident command specialists at various fires throughout the country. All expenses for the crews are paid by the U.S. Forest Service, states or federal land agencies. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) A Tennessee dog trainer was sentenced to a year's probation on Friday after pleading guilty to aggravated animal abuse in the starvation death of an animal in his care, the Johnson City Press reported. In court on Friday, Andrew Hunigan apologized to the owners of the 8-month-old bull terrier named Dallas, saying he never intended to injure the dog and didnt notice it was in medical distress. Burial 35 was a young enslaved woman who walked with a limp and was missing a front tooth. She was in her 30s when she died, perhaps in childbirth. Her infant son, who died a few months later, was buried in a tiny coffin on top of her. When the experts re-created her weary face, they gave her a headscarf, something she might have worn in the grimy Maryland industrial settlement where she lived. Burial 15 was a teenager who had been laid to rest with care and what may have been sprigs of sassafras. The herniated discs in his back from overwork could not be reflected in his face, and the sculptor gave him a look of innocence. The two re-created faces, unveiled for the first time last month, represent the culmination of an eight-year study that used genetics and other cutting-edge technology to examine remains of people enslaved in the late 1700s and early 1800s at Catoctin Furnace, a historic iron forge in Frederick County, Md. The study offered a rare look of the enslaved at an industrial site, as opposed to the farms or plantations where most captive Black people were forced to labor. Researchers said they were struck by the number of teenagers in the cemetery and wondered if the harsh furnace work played a role in their early deaths. Experts from the Harvard laboratory of geneticist David Reich extracted DNA from the bones of 29 people exhumed from the cemetery more than 40 years ago for a road project and identified five, maybe six, family groups. "I called them the invisible people," said Sharon Burnston, the retired archaeologist who directed the exhumation. "In the cultural climate of the '80s, nobody even cared." DNA helped reveal mothers and their children, and individuals who were potential siblings. It suggested racial backgrounds. The baby buried with his enslaved Black mother, for example, had a White father, experts said. And it revealed intriguing burial patterns. In one case, two baby boys - one a newborn, the other about 2 months old - were buried on either side of their mother, who was about 22 when she died. Some distance away, another relative of hers, a boy, was buried. But their exact relationship is unclear. Smithsonian anthropologists, who helped direct the study, found evidence of childhood diseases and congenital deformities. Craniostenosis, an abnormality of the skull, was found in an unusually high number of the deceased. The woman whose face was re-created had it. So did her infant son, who may have been killed by it. Her little brother, who was buried not far away, also had it, Smithsonian anthropologist Kari Bruwelheide said. In addition, the woman had a painful left-hip condition, where one bone rubbed against another and caused her to limp. The malady usually begins in childhood, Bruwelheide said. "That means she lived with this pain . . . for virtually her entire life," she said. Indications of sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that mainly affects African Americans, were found. A little boy, about 4, and his 2-year-old sister, who was buried nearby, both showed it. Signs of the toxic and backbreaking work the enslaved had to do at the primitive ironmaking site emerged. One older man's back was so severely bent that it had to be broken to get him into his grave, experts said. Another man's bones had extremely high levels of zinc, probably from having to clean deposits from the inside of the furnace and suggesting he may have had "fume fever" as a result, the experts said. The project was a major scientific advance, as well as a vivid portrait of the misery of enslaved life at the furnace. "I never thought that I would see . . . in my 40 years of doing this . . . the ability to go into a cemetery and actually through genetic means be able to identify relationships," Smithsonian anthropologist Douglas Owsley, who helped lead the project, said at the June 24 unveiling in Frederick. Maryland archaeologist Elizabeth A. Comer, secretary of the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, which launched the project, said of the deceased: "These people deserve what we're now able to do." The two reconstructed faces, which are based on copies of the original skulls held at the Smithsonian, went on display Saturday at the new Museum of the Ironworker in Catoctin Furnace, about 60 miles northwest of Washington. The faces were created in 2019 at StudioEIS, a leading sculpture and design firm in Brooklyn known for making figures for museums and other institutions around the country. (The unveiling was delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic.) "It's easier to tell a story if you're looking into a face," Comer said. And people involved in the overall enterprise hope it might lead to long-lost descendants of the furnace workers. None of those from the cemetery have been identified. "We don't know what [their] names were," Comer said. "And we don't know in many cases what their jobs were. . . . These are people, their memory has been lost, their descendants have been lost . . . a legacy has been lost." The project began when Comer, who grew up on a farm near Catoctin, suggested to the Smithsonian that it reexamine the cemetery bones that had come to the National Museum of Natural History 40 years earlier. Under the direction of Burnston, the remains were carefully removed from the cemetery in 1979 and 1980 when nearby Route 15 was being expanded. The graves were thought by some locals to be Native American. More than half the graves had to be removed. Dozens more are still there. They were turned over to the museum and were studied in detail by the late Smithsonian anthropologist J. Lawrence Angel. But there had been great scientific progress in 40 years and the Smithsonian agreed to revisit the bones. Catoctin Furnace was in operation from about 1776 until 1903, Comer said. Large deposits of iron ore had been discovered close by and the furnace was built to process the ore into pig iron. It was one of 65 ironworks in Maryland and Virginia, which usually used about 70 enslaved and free workers. The work was hard and dirty. The ore had to be dug out, washed and transported in carts to the furnace. Huge numbers of trees had to be cut down and burned in specially built mounds by "colliers" to make charcoal, which was hauled to the furnace for fuel. Catoctin required roughly an acre of hardwood for every 24 hours of operation, according to the book "Catoctin Furnace: Portrait of an Iron-Making Village" by Elizabeth Yourtee Anderson. Limestone also had to be acquired to reduce impurities during the process. The ore, charcoal and limestone were all dumped into the top of the furnace "stack" and heated with the aid of a water-powered bellows until the ore became molten and could be tapped. Once in operation, the furnace could run nonstop for months, at night casting an eerie glow over the landscape. Three generations of people were enslaved there, Comer said. Some may have been brought there because of ironmaking skills learned in Africa. Sometimes they managed to escape. In 1782, a newspaper printed an ad offering a reward for two men who had fled. Both were "much pitted" by smallpox, the ad said. The furnace owner offered a reward of three pounds each for their recapture. Catoctin used an enslaved workforce until the 1830s or '40s, when European immigrants began to supplant them, Comer said. "By the 1840s, the Catoctin Furnace African community is nonexistent," Owsley, of the Smithsonian, said. "What happened to these folks? . . . Where did they go? Were they sold out of the community? Were they sold down river?" When Catoctin's enslaved disappeared, they left behind their dead, simple field stones to mark their graves and the poisonous bloodroot flower in the cemetery underbrush. On a visit with Comer last year, the spot was overgrown. Traffic on busy Route 15 rumbled by. Furnace brick and slag remnants were still to be found in the dirt. And not far from the cemetery sat a large hole in the ground filled with water. It was an old ore pit, Comer said. So an enslaved laborer might walk into the pit to work every day, she said, with the cemetery looming as a backdrop. - - - The Washington Post's Katherine Frey contributed to this report. CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) A single-engine plane with four people aboard crashed and caught fire Saturday after taking off from Chandler Municipal Airport in metro Phoenix, officials said. Four people were transported to hospitals for treatment of injuries that werent life-threatening, the Chandler Department said in a brief statement DOYLINE, La. (AP) An officer died after being met with gunfire while responding to a disturbance call at a home in a small village in northwestern Louisiana, officials said. William Earl Collins Jr. was fatally shot while responding to the home in Doyline, and died just before 8 p.m. Friday, Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker told a news conference. The sheriff did not provide Collins' age, but said he was known as Billy and had been with the sheriff's office for about 10 years. WESTMINSTER, Colo. (AP) The trial for a Colorado Springs man accused of killing a teen following a road rage incident in Westminster two years ago, ended abruptly Friday due to a witnesss medical emergency. Jury selection was completed and opening arguments were set for Friday. But Judge Priscilla Loew announced that a medical emergency for one of the prosecutions witnesses would prevent the trial from going forward, the Denver Post reported. LAS VEGAS (AP) As Las Vegas hit record-high temperatures, Nevadas largest power provider urged customers to conserve electricity Saturday and Sunday evenings because of extreme heat and wildfires affecting transmission lines in Western states. Customers should turn off lights and pool pumps, unplug appliances not in use and avoid using large appliances such as dishwashers from 6-9 p.m. each day, NV Energy said Saturday in a statement. Conservation is the best way to reduce strain on the local power grid." BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Julio Miranda had never felt the threat of the coronavirus too close. With an appointment for his first COVID-19 jab scheduled for mid-July, the 48-year-old house painter was, like many in the vaccine-abundant developed world, eagerly awaiting the end of his personal pandemic worries. Then a colleague fell ill last month, followed by his boss' wife. Gradually, all but one of his five coworkers found themselves in bed. Miranda, who is from Chile, also started feeling stomach cramps. Soon, he was lying on the sofa, struggling to draw every breath. It's only when the virus hits you that you take it much more seriously, Miranda said this week from a hospital room overlooking Barcelona's beachfront where he recovered after a week in intensive care, conscious but connected to a machine aiding his oxygen intake. After a brief respite that brought medical activity back to pre-pandemic routines, managers at the Hospital del Mar in this northeastern city are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase comes amid the advance of the delta variant of the coronavirus that spreads more easily. And it's being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from 8 to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless drastic measures are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. Although the vast majority of those infected don't show symptoms, the speed of the surge can only be compared to that of the first surge in March 2020, Horcajada said. Most hospitalized patients don't need much breathing support and get well enough with corticosteroids. But doctors are seeing people in their 20s and early 30s developing serious pneumonia. In Spain, the young are largely socializing while unvaccinated because authorities have strictly prioritized the elderly and most vulnerable groups. As a result, 21 million or half of the country's adult population are fully vaccinated, but fewer than 600,000 of those are younger than 30, according to the latest Health Ministry data. It is still too early to think that vaccination will be brought under control in a short space of time," Horcajada said, adding that most of his patients became infected before they received their second vaccine dose. As a tourism powerhouse, Spain dropped curfews and outdoors mask requirements, among other restrictions, just in time for the summer season. The first major outbreaks were reported soon after, even before many tourists could make it into the country. Many have been tied to the first holiday trips, unofficial celebrations of traditional summer festivals that are getting labeled colloquially as the no-parties," and nightlife that reopened just as schools closed. For Horcajada, the timings were a recipe for disaster: We are dealing with a variant that is capable of infecting within seconds following minimum contact with a positive person," he said. On Friday, the closely watched 14-day rate of contagion per 100,000 residents rose in Spain to 316 cases, from a 2021 low of 92 on June 22. But, in a departure from previous surges, before vaccines were available, new deaths are receding and hospital occupation rates growing at a fraction of the pace of new infections. Spain's Health Ministry, for example, reported Friday 6 confirmed fatalities nationwide, the lowest figure since last summer, compared to 352 on Jan. 5 this year and 217 on Oct. 19 last year, two dates when the contagion rate was at similar levels and increasing. More than one-tenth of regular hospital beds and one-fifth of intensive care wards were treating COVID-19 patients on then, but the current occupation rate stands at 2.4% in regular beds and 6.6% in ICUs. There's a similar pattern in other countries with the fastest-spreading outbreaks in Europe. In Portugal and Cyprus, hospitals are far from previous near-collapse scenarios, although they steadily accumulate patients. The UK averaged almost 30,000 new reported infections a day in the past week, compared to a peak of roughly 70,000 at the height of the winter surge in January driven by the alpha variant more contagious than the original virus but significantly less so than delta. But daily deaths at the time surpassed 1,000 for days, while 29 were recorded on Friday. Spain's central and regional governments are trying to accelerate vaccination of younger groups, but are wary of sweeping measures such as nighttime curfews or travel bans that would affect tourism. France and Germany are already discouraging travel to Spain and neighboring Portugal, a move that has thwarted the tourism industry's attempt to get back on its feet. Experts and medical personnel complain that authorities are sending mixed signals. The northeastern Catalonia region, for example where Barcelona is only allows bars and nightclubs to operate their outdoor spaces starting this weekend, and yet authorities have allowed a music festival to go ahead with thousands of people. Concert-goers are required to test negative for antigens before joining the fun. Ana Aguilar, a 20-year-old nurse at the Hospital del Mar, sympathized with those who want to party but said her generation needs to be more patient. As a medical worker, she also expressed the frustration of a never-ending cycle of virus surges. When everything seems to be restarting again, the virus comes back . And its the same thing once again," Aguilar said. It's very tiring, the uncertainty makes it very difficult to deal with. ___ Parra reported from Madrid. ___ Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/coronavirus-pandemic MACON, Ga. (AP) A former Georgia school administrator accused of poisoning his ailing wife with a cocaine overdose has been denied bail after prosecutors told a judge that recorded telephone conversations showed him trying to gather a passport and cash. The Telegraph of Macon reports that Edward Judie Jr., charged with felony murder in the 2019 death of his wife, was denied bail Thursday by Bibb County Superior Court Judge Howard Simms. Joyce Fox Judie, 60, was found dead in November 2019 at the couple's suburban home in northwest Macon. Ed Judie, 66, told deputies at the time that he and his wife had been drinking and he thought she had fallen asleep. An autopsy found that Joyce Judie had many times the lethal dose of cocaine in her body when she died. Investigators say they determined that Ed Judie had bought cocaine that night. An arrest warrant states Judie poisoned his wife by introducing into her system cocaine," adding that Joyce Judie was being treated for dementia. Ed Judie was arrested July 1 by sheriff's deputies. Prosecutors told Simms of the conversations shortly after Judies lawyer, Gregory Bushway, had argued in a video hearing that Judie wasnt a flight risk, describing him as a former public employee and Army Ranger who has served his country valiantly. Mr. Judie denies the allegations in this case, Bushway said of the murder charge. But prosecutor Sandra Matson said Judie completely is a flight risk, describing several recorded phone calls Judie made from the Bibb County jail. Matson said Judie can be heard advising people to help him secure his passport ... He is also talking about committing an appraisal on a house to sell it to get money and cash. And hes also (in the calls) referencing getting the life insurance proceeds from his deceased wifes account to someone else, to get it out of his bank account into someone elses to hide it. Matson said insurance proceeds amounted to about $500,000. Simms denied bail but asked Matson to give him a copy of the recorded calls so that he could determine whether there are other possible interpretations. If so, the judge said, he might reconsider his bail ruling. Judie was deputy superintendent of student affairs for the Bibb County school district from July 2011 to Sept. 2015. After a new superintendent replaced him, Judie consulted for a charter school. Reservoir levels are dropping throughout the West, as the drought tightens its grip on the region and intense summer heat further stresses both water supply and the surrounding landscape. Many reservoirs are at or approaching historic low levels due to lackluster rainy seasons combined with increasing temperatures due to climate change. The drought crisis is perhaps most apparent in the Colorado River basin, which saw one of its driest years on record, following two decades of less-than-adequate flows. The nation's largest reservoir, Lake Mead near Las Vegas, is at its lowest level since the lake filled after the construction of the Hoover dam in the 1930s; it currently sits at 1,069 feet above sea level, or 35% of its total capacity. It supplies water to Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico. Further upstream, Lake Powell, which feeds Lake Mead, is at only 34% of its total capacity. By next spring, Lake Powell is projected to hit its lowest level since it was filled in 1964, possibly jeopardizing its ability to generate power. California's two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, are on track for potential record lows this summer, now at 37% and 31% of their total capacities, respectively. Amid a warm spring and early-season heat, mountain snowpack never made it into rivers and reservoirs - it simply seeped into bone-dry soils or sublimated directly into the atmosphere. This kind of reduced runoff "efficiency" is expected in a warming climate, and it contributed to the quickly intensifying drought this year in California and other states. "The reservoir levels in the second year of this drought are what they were during the third or fourth year of the previous drought," said Jay Lund, a professor and water resources expert at the University of California at Davis. As the summer progresses, the levels will continue their decline. "Certainly, many reservoirs in the state will see levels lower than they've seen since 1976-77, maybe even lower," said Lund, referring to California's driest water year on record. Lund said to expect a wide range of impacts from low reservoirs this summer, including reduced hydropower production and reduced water deliveries to agriculture, fish and urban areas downstream. The Western United States entered a months-long dry season already in severe drought, and then extraordinary heat bore down on the region in June, meaning reservoirs, soils and plants are losing even more water through evaporation. With climate change pushing heat to new and more frequent extremes, it's a safe bet coming months will feature more of the same. In fact, another major heat wave is descending upon California and the West this weekend. Both the drought and its effects are intensifying at a rapid pace. While these were felt first and most acutely by ranchers who rely on nonirrigated pastures, they have quickly expanded to other sectors as reservoir operators curtail water releases. The term "shortage" is now both a projection from government agencies and a reality for communities, farmers and ranchers. In August, a shortage probably will be declared for Lake Mead, which will trigger substantial cuts in water deliveries to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico next year to slow further losses. California's vast reservoir network, the State Water Project, is delivering only 5% of requested supplies to its 40,000 water rights holders, which is sending reverberations throughout the state. In June, the City of San Jose became the largest urban area to impose water restrictions so far this year, with Santa Clara County declaring a water shortage emergency. The drastically reduced deliveries from the state have also directly affected farmers, and by extension, smaller communities that rely on well water. Shallow wells are drying up as farms draw more heavily on groundwater; one Central Valley community has already run dry and is importing bottled water for basic needs, Cal Matters reports. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, expanded drought emergency status to 50 of the state's 58 counties. He asked Californians to voluntarily cut water use by 15 percent but did not issue mandatory statewide restrictions. Faith Kearns, a scientist at the California Institute of Water Resources, said many communities face chronic water supply issues that are exacerbated by drought and groundwater withdrawal. "My biggest concern is always with ensuring that people have affordable clean water at the household level, and that ecosystems and the life they support can manage," she wrote in an email. "It's already a struggle that will continue to worsen throughout the dry season." In the Klamath River watershed on the Oregon-California border, record low inflows are threatening fish both in reservoirs and downstream, while reduced reservoir releases are cutting off water to farmers. The region is already seeing fish die-offs from low stream levels and warm water temperatures. Some parts of the West, such as Southern California, are better prepared than others, having boosted backup water sources and enacted conservation measures during the last drought that are paying dividends today. But that doesn't mean the state has solved its water woes. "We are still facing many of the same issues we have been for a long time, including dwindling fish populations and drying wells," Kearns wrote. "That to me indicates that we still have a long way to go." Even after this summer, rains may not arrive as hoped, and it will probably take more than one good wet season to replenish water lost through missed precipitation and increased evaporation. "After having been through many more drought years than not over the last decade, I am starting to wonder if we should even be using the term drought," Kearns said. Over the last 20 years, human-caused warming has intensified what would have been an ordinary dry period in the Southwest into a potential "megadrought" - in some ways the driest such period in 1,200 years. On the Colorado River, Lake Powell and Lake Mead have supported the rapid expansion of population and agriculture in the Southwest. The river supplies about 25 percent of the water used in metropolitan Southern California. "There haven't been high enough flows to fill them, by any means, for a long time," Lund said. "We are asking a lot more out of that river than water is flowing into it." This raises the question of whether Western states should be doing more to conserve water for next year and beyond. "There have been some mandatory water restrictions in some parts of the state, but there is concern from a lot of folks in the water management community that those restrictions should be statewide," Kearns wrote, referring to California. Lund said it may be wise to accept smaller shortages this year to help stave off major shortages in the future. "We are not sure when the drought is going to end," he said. "You want to make sure you have enough water for next year." - - - About this story: Daily reservoir storage data from California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Satellite images of Lake Shasta via ESA Sentinel 2 satellite. Precipitation anomaly data via WestWideDroughtTracker. MADRID (AP) Spains prime minister overhauled his Cabinet on Saturday, forming what he called the government of the recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has led a minority coalition government formed by his Socialist Party and the anti-austerity United We Can party since January 2020. He has managed to keep it afloat during the pandemic and pass a budget by securing key votes from opposition parties. As we put the pandemic behind us, the new government will focus on the economic recover of the country and the creation of jobs, and taking full advantage of the enormous opportunity the European Union recover funds represent, Sanchez said. Women will head 14 of Spain's 22 governmental ministries, up from 12 in the current Cabinet. Sanchez has made gender equality and women's rights one of the priorities of his mandate. Sanchez left untouched the five ministers of United We Can and made all seven changes on the Socialist side of his Cabinet. The biggest change was the exit of Carmen Calvo, the deputy prime minister. Economy Minister Nadia Calvino was elevated to take her place. Calvo leaves in the aftermath of a tug-of-war with Equality Minister Irene Montero, of United We Can, over the draft of a law that will allow gender self-determination. Jose Albares will become the new foreign minister after leaving his post as ambassador to France. Albares will replace Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who was heavily criticized for the recent diplomatic spat with Morocco. Juan Campo is out as minister of justice just weeks after Spains government pardoned nine instigators of the 2017 secession attempt by the northeastern region of Catalonia. Judge Pilar Llop will leave the presidency of the Senate to take over for Campo. A tentative agreement between Volvo Trucks North America and a union representing nearly 3,000 workers who have gone on strike twice this year at a southwest Virginia truck plant has been rejected by the striking workers, United Auto Workers officials announced Friday. It was the third tentative labor accord rejected by union workers this year. A UAW statement said workers at the company's tractor-trailer assembly plant in Dublin would continue their current walkout after rejecting the July 1 tentative pact. We appreciate the solidarity and support of the community as we continue to walk the picket line and work to negotiate a fair contract for members of UAW Local 2069, said the UAW statement issued in Detroit. Volvo says the 1.6 million square foot (nearly 150,000 square meter) Dublin plant is the largest manufacturer of Volvo tractor-trailer trucks in the world. It is one of the largest private sector employers in the region, with approximately 3,300 employees, some 2,900 of whom are represented by the UAW. The previous contract, reached in 2016, was to have expired in mid-March and negotiations began in February. Unionized workers went on strike from April 17 to 30 and returned to work as negotiations resumed. UAW members rejected a proposed contract in May. The company announced another tentative agreement later that month, but it was rejected June 6. Volvo Trucks North America noted it was the third tentative agreement approved by UAW leadership but rejected by UAW members involved in Volvo's New River Valley truck assembly operations in Dublin. Given the significant wage gains and first-class benefits this agreement delivered, and the strong support it garnered from UAW leadership at every level, this outcome is unexpected and very disappointing, said NRV Vice President and General Manager Franky Marchand. He said in the statement that the company was considering its next steps. The ongoing strike - which we continue to believe is unnecessary - is hurting our customers, and has already set back our project to expand and upgrade the facility, he said. No one is gaining from the current situation, and we will consider all options related to the bargaining process. The Volvo Group is the only heavy-duty truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its trucks and engines for the North American market in the U.S., according to Volvo. It said the plant is undergoing a $400 million investment for technology upgrades, site expansion and preparation for future products, including the Volvo VNR Electric truck. It added the plant has added 1,100 jobs since the current union agreement was implemented in 2016 and is on track to have a net increase of approximately 600 positions in 2021. U.S. Border Patrol agents foiled a human smuggling attempt and arrested two criminal migrants in the process, according to authorities. The incident unfolded during the afternoon of July 8, when Hebbronville Station agents responded to a report of 20 individuals attempting to hide inside a shed on a ranch property southwest of Hebbronville. Every week, we explore a different Texas ghost story or venture into the unknown. This week, we tackle San Antonio's famous haunted house, Gillespie Mansion. READ ALSO: Not-so-rich Texans go crazy for Southlake castle on 'Zillow Gone Wild' The gruesome story surrounding the stately looking Gillespie Mansion, once a dwelling in San Antonio's North West side, is at its core a classic haunted house tale. Depending on where you zoom in, it also sets the scene of a cheesy '80s horror movie. In the years somewhere between John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Gillespie, popularly known by the folkloric and not so P.C. moniker "midget mansion," was a late-night destination for San Antonio teens looking to trespass, drink their parents Lone Stars and experience brushes with the paranormal. The site is said to be haunted, a result of the violent murders that happened there. Maybe this isn't the first time you've heard this San Antonio story, maybe you're one of the ones whose visited the site before. In the 1920's the grand house on a hill is said to have been purchased by a Navy Captain stationed in nearby Galveston, Texas. After a short time, he and his family jumped ship (nautical speak for moved out). The occupants that replaced the military family at the residence, the Gillespies, were said to be wealthy as a result of the father's earnings from a career in Hollywood. The husband and wife duo were distinct, and known throughout the community for their unconventionally short stature. Some sources say Mr. Gillespie even adapted the interiors of the massive home to have shorter ceilings, counters and door handles to accommodate their size. All was well, that is, until one dark evening. One night, the story goes, the father of the family returned home in a boiling rage. With his anger stemming from pitfalls in his business career approaching the depression, or mistreatment from the outside world, it is said he grabbed the nearest knife and violently slit the throats of his wife and two daughters. Other versions claim he shot his loved ones, one by one, each with a single bullet. He stuffed their bodies in the nearest closet and sealed it shut. After finishing, he quietly retired to the master bedroom, where he ended his own life with a bullet to the brain. Neighbors, noticing something was awry, eventually notified the authorities. Mr Gillespie of Gillespie manor was found laying in a pool of his own blood. In the years following the incident, new homeowners reported sounds of scratching and moaning, particularly from the house's second story. In the 70s, reports of satanic teen murders clung to Gillespie Mansions legacy. In a 2009 MySA story, spinning the greatest hits of various San Antonio Ghost Stories, the late UTSA folklorist Rhett Rushing says that no one can really tell if this story is true or not. "There's no documentation that this ever happened. What we do know is up through the 1970s, it was a place where teenagers would come and dare each other to go to the house," Rushing definitively states. Sifting through newspaper records from this era, I was unable to find any reports of the murder. On a whim, I reached out to the San Antonio Office of Preservation, to see if they had any information on the stately home. Still, nothing. As with all ghost stories, the lack of material evidence doesn't necessarily mean the horrific eve didn't happen, as archives are not fully complete. And sometimes, stories are stories for a reason. Even if fake, the horror of the incident has already burrowed itself in the city's collective memory. The legend of it all doesn't exactly beg to be disturbed. Facebook groups dedicated to the site are filled with writings of the fond and spooky memories of the Boomer generation that once poked around the ruins and crumbling pillars of the haunted Greek Revivalist home. Deborah Moore Wolff used to work at the Mama's Cafe off I-10. Sometimes, she would visit the ruinous mansion after she would get off a shift late at night. "I would go by myself. I felt it was special and I felt peace, even though it was burnt down," Wolff tells mySA. She would also often visit the site to explore the grounds with her younger brother. She alleges the grounds were spooky, but very inviting. As a young woman, she took the photo featured above. The exact address of the manor is disputed, though absolutely cemented in the city's North West side, near the Medical Center. The coordinates are said to be either off Callaghan and I-10, at the Preston Peak Apartments, which can be found at 4114 Medical Drive in San Antonio, Texas, or at 8139 Donore Place. Flickr/Chester Paul Sgroi In a Facebook post, one user reported paranormal occurrences at the Preston Peak Apartments, where they identified as a resident. All these years later, my guess is that this story is still in the San Antonio airwaves because of so many peoples shared histories exploring the grounds. However, something about the violent and grotesque nature of the tale, and the association with decrepit buildings with decrepit spirits, likely plays into a morbid curiosity. "It's something we can't control. We can't control what happens after death, and we don't know. It gives us a teaser, a taste of the afterlife," says Rushing from the grave in the 2009 MySA story. "Human beings think in stories. That's how we order the world around us. Humans can't stand chaos. As long as there have been people, we make a story to explain the chaos, the things we don't understand." In this, the Information Age, truth was supposed to be the great product of the times. Spread at the speed of light, and majestically transparent, the world of irrefutable truth was supposed to be available at the click of a key. The internet was to be like Guinness World Records, conceived by Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of the Guinness Brewery, when he missed a shot while bird hunting in Ireland in 1951. This resulted in an argument between him and his hosts about the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover (which he missed) or the red grouse. The idea for a reference book which would settle that sort of thing was born and which could help promote Guinness and settle barroom disputes. The first edition was published as The Guinness Book of Records in 1955 and was an instant bestseller. You might have thought there was a thirst for truth as well as beer. Despite the Supreme Courts repeated rejection of any suggestion that the presidential election of 2020 was fraudulent and that it wasnt won by Joe Biden, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has called a rare special session of the Texas legislature to pass a restrictive voting package that will likely include the power for the legislature to overturn any election result it deems fraudulent. This is happening across Republican-controlled states. They are ready to fix something big that isnt broken. Abbott has called the special session because the Texas legislature thanks to the Democrats denying him quorum in a parliamentary procedure didnt get what amounts to a rollback of democracy in the regular session. Second time lucky. What these Republicans are doing is equivalent to forcing men to wear blinders so they dont stare at naked women on our streets, even though there are no naked women on our streets. Better be sure. Behind all this refutation of truth is the Big Lie. It is promoted, cherished, and burnished by former President Donald Trump and those who swallowed his brand of fact-free ideology. The Big Lie is with us and will cast its shadow of pernicious doubt over future elections down through time. The loser will cry fraud and state lawmakers will, under the new scheme of things, be entitled to overturn election results, violating the will of the people to serve their own political goals. Mark Twain wrote a short essay in 1880 entitled On the Decay of the Art of Lying. If Twain were alive today, he might be tempted to retitle his work The Ascent of the Art of Lying. The extraordinary thing about the Big Lie is its blatancy; the fact that it has been found untrue by the courts and by every investigation, yet it rolls on like the Mississippi, unyielding to fact, unimpeded by truth. The Big Lie is an avalanche of political desire over democratic fact. It introduces corrosive doubt where there is no justification. It is a virus in the body politic that may go dormant but wont be eradicated. The host body, democracy, is weakened and the infection can flare at any time, triggered by political ambition. Historically, there have been primary sources of information and tertiary sources of doubt or refutation. For example, some believed the oil companies were sitting on a gasoline substitute that would convert water to fuel. That is a falsehood that has been spread since the internal combustion engine created a need for gasoline. It was believed by a few conspiracy theorists and laughed off by most people. When the fax machine came into being in the mid-1970s, there were those who thought that the Saudi Arabian regime would fall because information about liberal society was getting into the country. Instead, Saudi conservatism hardened and there was no great liberalization. Today Saudis are online and there is no uprising, no government in exile, no large expatriate community seeking change. Truth hasnt overwhelmed belief. It is an awful truism that people believe what they want to believe, even if that requires the suppression of logic and the overthrow of fact. Gradually all facts become suspect, and the lie fights hand to hand with the truth. As newspaper people joke, Dont let the facts stand in the way of a good story. Democracy isnt a good story; it is the great story of human governance. And it is being subverted by lies. Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of White House Chronicle on PBS. He can be reached at llewellynking1@gmail.com. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Florida, FL (34429) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High near 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening followed by isolated thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. With a lineage dating back to 2010, when it first began to offer cloud computing services, AVM Cloud Sdn Bhd (formerly Integrated Global Solutions Technologies Sdn Bhd) today is at the forefront of the growing and rapidly accelerating transition to a software-defined approach in Malaysia. We recently caught up with Kenny Lim Chief Technology Officer of AVM Cloud and a co-founder of Integrated Solutions Technologies, to learn what he sees driving the shift to the cloud, and what it means to be VMware Cloud Verified. Over the past decade we established ourselves and proved that were on par with the worlds leading cloud service providers, says Lim Today we have more than 200 corporate customers and more than 250 cloud tenants that utilize our private, public, and hybrid cloud solutions and services. And the appetite for the capabilities and cost savings the cloud makes possible is driving more growth than ever. Its hard to believe that we began to deliver cloud services just over a decade ago, but that of course is a worldwide phenomenon. I think we can all remember a time just a few years ago when it was debated whether it was pertinent and proper to keep mission-critical data in the cloud. That is no longer a question. Acquired recently by fixed-line telecommunications leader TIME dotcom, AVMs cloud menu includes everything the companys customers including financial services companies, restaurant chains, media companies, retailers, and government agencies need to thrive in the cloud. This includes Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, Backup and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service, a wide array of storage offerings, Containers-as-a-Service, and an extensive menu of professional and managed services, including those for artificial intelligence and data analytics. Built on a VMware software stack, the companys AVM Cloud is a robust private cloud that is offered in both multi-tenant and dedicated versions that integrate with the companys public and hybrid cloud solutions. AVM Cloud also offers a Cloud-in-a-Box version of its private cloud that resides on customers premises. Three years ago the second largest bank in Malaysia deployed our Cloud-in-a-Box offering, while for other customers or workloads, our public or hybrid solutions are ideal, says Lim We remain flexible and constantly listen to each customers unique needs so we can provide the optimal solution for their IT requirements. For example, we just deployed the AVM Cloud for a customer that wanted to use it for the deep analytics needed to better understand its customers and to fine-tune its strategies for new competitive products. The use cases for the cloud are as diverse as the clients we serve. Lim notes that one common theme among all of AVMs customers is a strong desire to lower their software and hardware costs, as well as the capital expenditure that was required to operate their own data centers. Importantly, he also stresses that this must be done while satisfying data sovereignty and performance requirements. The companys three data centers are located in Kuala Lumpur and Cyberjaya, all of which are Tier III-certified and offer low-latency performance throughout Malaysia and the surrounding region. Many organizations are reducing their internal tech refreshes and beginning to outsource their talents, Lim adds. In these times of uncertainty, organizations want to avoid long-term commitments that will dent their cash flows. Our solutions and services typically deliver savings or offset existing costs by providing our customers with additional capabilities while still using the proven and trusted VMware technologies they are accustomed to. AVM Clouds extensive relationship with VMware culminated in being awarded VMwares Hybrid Cloud Provider of FY 2018. Being VMware Cloud Verified and AVMs IaaS and software-defined network are VMware Cloud Verified is a source of pride for all of us, as is being one of the pioneering partners in Malaysia, says Lim With VMware, we also instill confidence in our customers. They know our products, solutions, and services are proven in mission-critical environments. Learn more about AVM Cloud and its partnership with VMware here. Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. As the 2020-21 school year came to a close, students and families embraced the many opportunities to celebrate with more traditional milestone events. Some of the events were rethought and refreshed in light of the pandemic. The focus was on bringing on as many people together as possible to (CNN) The violent fallout from the assassination of Haitiian President Jovenel Moise was evident on Friday near his private residence in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Burned out cars, spent bullet casings, bloodstains and bullet-pocked walls were what remained of a shootout between the police and some of the suspected assassins on Route de Kenscoff. Haitian authorities told CNN that three burned out cars belonged to members of the armed group who assassinated Moise early on Wednesday morning. The armed group are "professional killers," consisting of more than two dozen people, including two American citizens and retired members of the Colombian military, authorities have said. But as more details begin to emerge of the people who killed Moise, little is known about the suspected masterminds and their motivation for the attack. Police have so far detained 17 suspects in connection to the fatal shooting and a mass, countrywide manhunt is underway for at least eight additional suspects. The State Department is aware of the arrest of two US citizens in Haiti following the attack, a State Department official said on Friday, adding that the US was sending investigative assistance to the country on its request. Haitian officials have given conflicting accounts and numbers for those killed following the assassination attack. Citing figures from Haitian police, the office of acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph told CNN that three suspects were killed in a shootout with authorities. As the pursuit of those responsible intensifies, details have emerged relating to the arrest of 11 armed men in the grounds of Taiwan's embassy in the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Taiwan's foreign ministry spokesperson, Joanne Ou, told CNN the embassy called local police after security guards reported "a group of armed suspects" entering embassy grounds. She said 11 suspects, described in a separate foreign ministry statement as "mercenaries," were arrested at 4 p.m. inside the embassy without resistance and only a few doors and windows were damaged. The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry did not give information about the nationalities of those taken into custody, and it is not yet clear if the 11 suspects are among the 17 people detained by police. With tension high in the capital, crowds of people took to the streets Thursday night, burning cars and demanding justice. For weeks, Port-au-Prince has been reeling from violence which has claimed the lives of many citizens. Moise's death has left a power vacuum and deepened the turmoil from the violence, a growing humanitarian crisis, and a worsening COVID-19 epidemic. Much of the public anger has so far centered on the foreign nationals arrested in connection to the shooting. Speaking to CNN late Thursday, Elections Minister Mathias Pierre identified the two Americans arrested as James Solages and Joseph Vincent, both naturalized US citizens from Haiti. Separately, on Thursday, Police Chief Charles said 15 of those detained were Colombian nationals. He paraded some of the suspects at a press conference, alongside an array of military style weaponry. In a statement, Colombia's Defense Ministry said at least six of the suspected attackers were retired members of the Colombian Army and Interpol had requested further information from the Colombian government and the National Police. Colombian National Police Chief General Jorge Vargas added that two alleged attackers, killed in an operation by the Haiti Police, were retired officers of the Colombian Army, and at least four alleged attackers arrested by the Haiti Police were retired soldiers. The director of the Colombian National Intelligence Service and the director of the Intelligence Division of the National Colombian Police are to travel to Haiti to join the investigations, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Twitter on Friday. "I've just spoken with Haiti PM Claude Joseph. We express our solidarity and support in this moment. We offer our full cooperation to uncover the truth behind the authors of the assassination of President J. Moise," Duque added on Twitter. What's next for Haiti It was 1 a.m. when the attackers stormed the President's private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Haiti's capital, shooting Moise 16 times, according to former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe. First lady Martine Moise, who was also shot in the attack, was evacuated to intensive care in a hospital in Miami. Haiti's ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said he believes the first lady is "now out of danger." Following the assassination, Joseph, the acting Prime Minister, declared a "state of siege" in Haiti, closing the country's borders and imposing martial law. He appealed to the public to "keep helping us" and "if you see something, say something." The assassination leaves a huge power vacuum in Haiti. Its parliament is effectively defunct and two men are simultaneously claiming to be the country's rightful leader. Joseph has not been confirmed by parliament -- which has not sat since 2020 -- and he was in the process of being replaced by Ariel Henry, whom the President appointed shortly before his death. Henry told the Haitian newspaper le Nouvelliste that "Claude Joseph is not prime minister, he is part of my government." Moise, 53, was a former banana exporter and divisive figure in Haitian politics. He spent most of the past year waging a political war with the opposition over the terms of his presidency. For now, it isn't immediately clear who will replace him. Judge Jean Wilner Morin, President of the National Association of Haitian Judges, told CNN the line of presidential succession in the country is now murky. Throughout his presidency, Moise had repeatedly failed to hold elections at local and national levels, leaving much of the country's governing infrastructure empty. A constitutional referendum is set to be held in September, alongside the presidential and legislative elections. Municipal and local elections have been scheduled for January 16, 2022, the official electoral calendar also showed. Many in the country had disputed Moise's right to continue serving in the presidency this year. While the US, United Nations and Organization of American States supported his claim to a fifth year in office, critics say he should have stepped down on February 7, citing a constitutional provision that starts the clock once a president is elected, rather than when he takes office. Moise, however, claimed his five-year term should end in 2022 because he wasn't sworn in until February 2017. His inauguration was delayed over allegations of voter fraud during the 2015 election, which led to a presidential runoff that was postponed twice over what authorities called threats and "security concerns." This is playing out under the backdrop of extreme violence in Haiti's capital, with rival groups battling one another or the police for control of the streets, displacing tens of thousands of people and worsening the country's humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic has been worsening in Haiti. UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency, said Thursday that Haiti was the only country in the Western Hemisphere to not have received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine. At the same time, the country is facing a dire economic situation. Its economy had been contracting even before the pandemic and shrunk further 3.8% in 2020, with about 60% of the population now living in poverty, according to the World Bank. According to UNICEF, more than 1.5 million children are currently in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in Haiti. "The new wave of violent incidents that may arise after the killing of the President of Haiti could further exacerbate the humanitarian needs and hinder humanitarian access to the most vulnerable groups, leaving thousands of affected people with little to no assistance," UNICEF warned. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Haiti assassination allegedly involved Americans and retired members of Colombian military, officials say." Stage West, a 600 capacity concert venue at 420 E. College Ave., will host live music again in State College this summer. After opening in February 2020, the concert venue shut down for the pandemic, according to Steve Masterson, the owner of Stage West. It has not been in operation since. Stage West will host its first shows the last week of August, as students are returning to classes, Masterson said. The venue offers primarily electronic dance music shows, although many different genres will be represented, including country, rock and everything in between, Masterson said. Hosting these shows, having hundreds of people attend [and] have the best nights of their life at these events makes me happy, Masterson said. Masterson said he plans to have a schedule of four shows per week from Thursday through Sunday. Masterson originally founded a Stage West location in Scranton three years ago before opening the State College venue. He said launching a site in State College makes it easier for artists to tour Pennsylvania. The Scranton branch hosted outdoor, drive-in concerts during the pandemic when no one else was, Masterson said. The first show will be with Bonnie x Clyde, Aug. 28, according to Masterson. Other artists Stage West will host include Colt Ford, Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute, The Damn Torpedoes - A Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and No Quarter: the tribute to Zeppelin's Legacy. More information can be found at Stage Wests Facebook and Instagram pages. The live music venue will also be on Line Leap in a few weeks, according to Masterson. According to its Facebook and Instagram pages, Stage West is currently hiring bartenders, door hosts and security personnel. MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE State College borough and Penn State opened a new shared-use path in State College's West End neighborhood, which will enhance the "Centre Region regional bike path system," according to a release Friday. The North Gill Street Regional Bike/Pedestrian Connector will allow walkers and bikers to travel from the West End of campus to the Community Field near State College High School and also to Westerly Parkway and Orchard Park Bike Path, State College Mayor Ron Filippelli said in the release. The project surrounding the path began in 2007 after the beginning of the West End Revitalization Project, a plan that was intended to revitalize the Urban Village district, according to the release. In 2014, PennDOT granted the borough $160,000 in grant funding for the project and construction began in 2020, the release said. State College also received design support from the university. "Penn State is committed to promoting and supporting the development of alternative means of transportation to and from the University Park campus," Tom Flynn, landscape architect at Penn State's Office of Physical Plant, said in the release. "This new connection onto West Campus provides a critical bicycle and pedestrian portal and furthers our collective efforts in providing a safe, convenient and [interconnected] bicycle and pedestrian network." MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE Jian Zhong Xue and Raymond Chow filed a lawsuit against former State College restaurant John's Shanghai and owner Yun Xue Thursday in the Middle District Court of Pennsylvania. According to the filed complaint, Zhong Xue and Chow are suing John's Shanghai, which was located at 312 W. Beaver Ave. until its closure in May, for alleged violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act of 1968 and Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law. Xue's alleged acts were "knowingly, intentionally and willfully" against the plaintiffs, who stated they are also representing their fellow employees with the lawsuit. Xue allegedly "failed to pay" minimum wage, overtime compensation and provide accurate records of employee's hours, according to the report. Zhong Xue is allegedly owed $470,112 in lost wages, according to the filed complaint. He was also allegedly promised $4,500 per month but made $1,800 per month after. Both plaintiffs' employment ended in May 2020, the report said. Chow allegedly worked 84 hours in one week without overtime compensation and was given 10 minutes to eat meals, according to the filed complaint. The plaintiffs are requesting an award of liquidated and/or punitive damages and an award of unpaid minimum wages and lost wages after "wrongful termination," among other requests, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs are also requesting a trial by jury. MORE COURTS COVERAGE Former Penn State associate professor sues university for alleged human rights violation A former Penn State earth and mineral sciences associate professor filed a lawsuit against t Welcome to DC Doings, a weekly look at the Colorado congressional delegation's activity. Both houses of Congress were out of town this week for the Fourth of July recess. The Senate returns on July 12, and the House of Representatives returns on July 19 following a district work week. BUILDING A BRIDGE BACK Sen. John Hickenlooper and Rep. Joe Neguse joined fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera to celebrate the opening of a new 2nd Avenue Bridge in Lyons on July 8. The bridge was rebuilt after washing out in the 2013 Little Thompson River flood. This bridge symbolizes the Lyons communitys resilience and strength, said Hickenlooper, who was governor eight years ago when the state was hit with devastating fires and floods through the summer. We built back better. Now we need to make all of our roads and bridges stronger as we fix our nations infrastructure. Echoing the phrase made popular by Joe Biden's presidential campaign last year, Neguse praised the community for working hard to "build back better and more resiliently." Added Neguse: "Im abundantly grateful for the dedicated collaboration of the town of Lyons and the Boulder commissioners in this rebuilding project. The new bridge will connect our community and make local travel more safe and efficient. Primavera picked up the same theme in a statement. The Polis-Primavera administration is laser-focused on building back stronger. I cant think of a better moment to have unveiled the completed project. Todays unveiling will serve as a reminder of where weve been and as a symbol of our community connections in the future. Primavera's office said the bridge was paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program. THE BULLY PULPIT ... Republican Reps. Doug Lamborn and Michelle Steel of California led a July 8 letter with 29 colleagues calling on the Department of Labor's inspector general to conduct an audit to determine what fraud occurred in pandemic-related unemployment programs. While the department's inspector general has determined that nearly $89 billion in unemployment assistance has been paid fraudulently, the lawmakers said, a security company estimates that the sum could be substantially higher, possibly involving half the federal unemployment funds paid to assist workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must determine the total amount of money that has been fraudulently distributed throughout the last two years, Lamborn said in a statement. I am deeply concerned that American taxpayer dollars have even gone to overseas foreign nationals posing as American citizens. It is past time that the Department of Labor determine the total amount of taxpayer dollars that have been wasted. The widespread fraud in pandemic unemployment assistance is a gross abuse of taxpayer dollars, and we still do not know the full amount that has been paid out to fraudsters and criminals. We should all be on the side of good governance and protection of taxpayer money, Steel stated. We need a full audit to ensure something like this never happens again. IN THE HOPPER ... Rep. Lauren Boebert co-sponsored a bill with fellow House Republicans to forbid certain nonprofits from providing direct funding to official election operations. The End Zuckerbucks Act, introduced on July 2 at a press conference by lead sponsor Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York, takes aim at 501(c)(3) organizations in response to a large donation made last year by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to a group that encouraged voter turnout in what Tenney describes as predominantly Democratic precincts. According to Tenney, Zuckerberg's $350 million donation to the Center for Tech and Civic Life paid local election boards for get-out-the-vote efforts, mailings to register voters and online voter registration drives, rather than the personal protective equipment the funds were originally described as funding. Zuckerbucks are screwing with our elections by funneling private dollars in a partisan way to government agencies," Boebert said in a statement. "You want to know why many from across the country have serious questions about the integrity of our elections? It starts with shady crap like this, where billionaires funnel money through nonprofits to Democrat areas to influence election results. Neguse introduced bipartisan legislation on July 6 to increase the maximum loans available to homeowners recovering from natural disasters. The Rebuilding Communities After Disasters Act is also sponsored by Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia and Republican Reps. Maria Salazar of Florida, Dan Crenshaw of Texas and Garret Graves of Louisiana. The bill would double the cap on Small Business Administration physical damage disaster loans for home repair Fromm $200,000 to $400,000 and increase the limit on loans to replace household and personal belongings from $40,000 to $75,000. The maximum amounts haven't been adjusted since 1994, the lawmakers said. The bill would also require that the SBA market the loans to homeowners in declared disaster areas and report to Congress on the program. "As wildfires, flooding and other extreme weather events become more frequent, it is critical that our communities have what they need to recover, rebuild and repair, said Neguse in a statement. As our communities continue to face the Herculean challenge of these disasters, we will continue to do all we can to find creative solutions, expand resources and equip Colorado. TWEET OF THE WEEK ... Lamborn cheered news that the U.S. Space Force has agreed to enter into a partnership with the University of Colorado system in a July 3 tweet. This academic partnership is great news for @UCCS and @SpaceForceDoD! I appreciate the leadership of Gen. DT Thompson and Mark Kennedy for establishing this academic agreement under the Space Forces University Partnership Program. #SpaceSaturday https://t.co/ZZbz0nSehe Rep. Doug Lamborn (@RepDLamborn) July 3, 2021 Linking to an article in Air Force Magazine announcing the news, Lamborn called the partnership "great news" for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and the military branch. "I appreciate the leadership of Gen. DT Thompson and Mark Kennedy for establishing this academic agreement under the Space Forces University Partnership Program," Lamborn tweeted, naming Space Force's vice chief of space operations and the outgoing president of the CU system. The magazine reported that Thompson said around 10 universities will be part of the program, which is intended to help Space Force recruit personnel with more technical expertise. He said formal agreements should be set up this fall. Lamborn tagged the tweet #SpaceSaturday, marking it as one in a series of tweets he's been posting this year to highlight news involving space security and exploration. In the fields beyond Alamosa, it was a rare morning. Cleave Simpson found his hay damp. "It's frustrating when you got hay on the ground and there's rain on it," he said. "But when you live around here, you learn to appreciate it." Once again this summer, rain has been hard to come by in this historic farming valley of southern Colorado. The average annual precipitation in the middle of the San Luis Valley hovers around seven inches about as low as it gets in all of Colorado, according to the Colorado Climate Center. And yet farming prevails. It is the lifeblood of Alamosa, the town that rose from a once-bustling railroad and today is often passed by travelers en route to more flashy destinations on the Western Slope. Unlike other rural communities that have swapped mining or energy for tourism, the ruling industry here is and always has been agriculture. ABOUT THE SERIES In the arid West, water means life. Turn on your tap, and you're part of the Colorado circulatory system. The towns born along the banks of Colorado's most iconic waterways -- The Colorado, the Big Thompson, the Arkansas lead a list of 158 named rivers -- live the same way yet differently along the banks. The staff of Colorado Politics with the journalists of the Denver and Colorado Springs Gazettes are fanning out this summer to tell the story of a state as reflected in its water, its people, and its future, with the past as prologue. Come along all summer to learn more about the people and places that make us all a little bit more Coloradan. "The hospital, the county and city offices and school district, all of those are important," said Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman. "But farming and ranching, that's it. That's huge." Its a legacy of resilience maintained by generations of families dating to the 1800s, when companies carved canals across this high desert to capture generous snowmelt from the mountains. Winters would be harsh and sudden freezes in the spring all too common, and summers would be hot and dry. But that runoff would provide. With grit and innovation, potato producers here would be nationally renowned. Simpson represents his family's fourth generation to tend the fields. And often, he wonders if he'll be the last. This is the modern plight of life along the Rio Grande River. Simpsons worries led him to seek and win his district's Senate seat last year. "The ag community here is feeling an abundance of pressure as electricity and fuel and seed and fertilizer and labor all continue to increase. What we get for our crops isn't keeping up," he said. "And then there's this pressure about our demand for water exceeding our supply." That imbalance is almost as old as the state's first water right that was decreed in this valley in 1852, where tribes and conquistadors clashed before the U.S. staked its territory. Narrow gauge tracks led the way to a central hub that would be called Alamosa, so named for a Spanish word meaning cottonwood, for the trees lining that life-giving river. But by the turn of the 20th century, the Rio Grande was considered over-appropriated. Demand outpaced supply. "So we've always lived in this area where there was this level of stress," said Heather Dutton, manager of San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District and fifth-generation native. The difference, she said, is this century's more dire circumstances. Fundamental changes A multi-agency report last year found average annual streamflows to be steadily declining since the 1930s, with drops worsening in the 2000s. Citing climate change, the report warned of that long trusted snowpack in the mountains becoming less dependable. "Farmers and ranchers are likely to have significantly less surface water available," researchers wrote, "and groundwater recharge may decline." Where Simpson's and Dutton's grandfathers and fathers didn't have the Rio Grande to count on, they had groundwater. They joined drilling and pumping that ramped up in the '30s. The shallow and "unconfined" aquifer and deeper "confined" aquifer, both remnants of an ancient lake, represented turning points for farming. "But it was also a turning point for what my generation is now grappling with," Dutton said, "where now we have too many wells, we have too much pumping, and we're taking more out of the aquifer than we're putting back in." The decades saw agreements for taking and giving back for digging a hole, filling it with water and thus recharging the unconfined aquifer in hopes of making up for Mother Nature. "By far, that's where most of the groundwater withdrawals occur in the valley," Simpson said. "The potatoes are grown and raised above that unconfined aquifer. Most of the intense irrigation is above that unconfined aquifer." Simpson manages the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, which has tracked the aquifer's storage since 1976. From the mid-'80s to today, charts show a staggering drop: a change amounting to about 1.3 million acre-feet of water. The severe drought of 2002 started the steep trend of decline. Since then, there have been year-to-year gains of storage eight years totaling 746,791 acre-feet. But there have been more years of drops, 10 totaling more than 1.7 million acre-feet. Lows this year are on par with record lows following the 2012 drought, data show. The hope of Simpson and Dutton is to locally regulate before higher powers enforce harsher demands. The state has called on the valley to bring water back up to pre-2000 levels, or else face possible consequences of widespread shutdowns in 2030. Simpson looks at the charts and struggles to see the line rising that high. "The clock's ticking on us," he said. Farmers are taxing themselves to pump, with that money going to other farmers to pump less. Simpson and Dutton have been encouraging creativity, such as less water-needy crops like hemp and quinoa. But they fear more drastic measures. "There is a need to physically take land out of production," Dutton said. "And it's not like it's just one person owns everything and we can just say, 'Hey, can you cut back your farm by 30%?' There are hundreds of families that farm and ranch here. "And this is how they make their living, it's in their blood, they want to do it, they're proud of it. So trying to get people to cut back or stop farming altogether, it's a study in psychology and human behavior. It's really hard." And there are broader ramifications to consider when farms close, Simpson said. The well-being of his hometown is at stake when that happens, he said Alamosa's school, hospital and small businesses. "The potential to fundamentally change this place, it's there," he said. A river that binds Alamosa is trying to change before it's forced to. Leaders are looking to the river. "The river is the thing that unites us," Coleman said. Last year's report on the Rio Grande described it as "a diverse river, starting in once-glaciated mountain valleys, spilling out onto a broad and ancient alluvial fan, and then following a rift in volcanic rock as it turns south into New Mexico." Equally diverse are the people the river meets on the basin floor. About half of Alamosa's residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, many of them descendants of early settlers. Upon his mayoral election in 2017, Coleman promised to proudly represent that diversity as a person of color. He was a newcomer in valley terms, a resident since 2010, who brought new enthusiasm to the poverty-stricken town. Coleman is known to end conversations by saying: "Don't let anybody steal your joy." "The good thing about being an outsider, you can see things that people who haven't been on the outside can't see," Coleman said. Where others were taking it for granted, he saw the river as beautiful, an unrealized attraction and economic tool. His time in office has coincided with a collaboration called Revitalize the Rio, aiming to improve the stretch through town. The mission is led by growing nonprofit San Luis Valley Great Outdoors. It's personal for Patrick Ortiz. He represents the nonprofit and the young generation plagued by a crisis that has swept rural America, including Alamosa. "The opioid crisis really took a big chunk," Ortiz said. "It was a big loss of untapped talent and energy and just people power. And I think that's what galvanized efforts like Revitalize the Rio." The goal is to get people to fall in love with the river and the parks and trails Ortiz is helping to build along the banks. "To put people on a path that is restorative and not destructive," he said. That well-being could be tied to the future well-being of the river. Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project has been tasked with fixing outdated infrastructure and diversions, revegetating eroded banks and doing other work meant to improve flows. This is for the sake of fish, anglers, boaters and farmers, explained Emma Reesor, the project's executive director for the sake of improving efficiency when water does come from mountains or sky. The work can be "overwhelming," Reesor said. She's seen the river's record lows of the past decade; channels in and around Alamosa have been reduced to nothing at times. She's seen climate projections suggesting conditions will worsen. "It's challenging, because in a lot of ways, we work where it is outside the control of," she said, stopping to take a breath. "We're trying to make the system work as hard as it can. Making every drop of water work as hard as it can." Fighting waters Coleman is hopeful, ever the optimist. "Communities like Salida, where you have the river flowing through town and restaurants on the river?" he said. "Eventually, Alamosa will get to that point." But growth is a contentious topic in town. "Pretty much everything comes down to water," said Derek Heersink, whose family has farmed in the valley since 1897. He is the next to carry on the tradition. But he also expanded his prospects; he and a buddy opened a brewery in 2017. The business wouldn't mind more people around. Others would mind. "I'd love to see the standard of living for the folks here improve dramatically, but I don't know that I'd like to see more people or more industry," Simpson said. "I don't know how you find that balance." The balance he refers to is about water. It is all the more uncertain in the face of a multi-million-dollar idea to harvest the aquifer. Backed by major real estate moguls, Renewable Water Resources has proposed dealing for water rights and exporting millions of gallons from the faltering supply to booming populations on the Front Range. The company website dangles a promise to "enrich the local economy, bring more jobs to the area, support essential nonprofits and community groups, and improve the health of the area's aquatic habits and wildlife." The local senator has contributed to the resounding "no" around the valley. "We're not hugely prosperous, so it's easy for big-money interests to come in and flash money," Simpson said. At least four times in 50 years, valley people have managed to ward off such developers on some occasions combining funds to go to court. The message is clear, as one Alamosa city councilor recently put it: "Those are fighting waters." But Heersink wonders if his people can keep winning. "As long as more and more people keep going over (to the Front Range), and more and more money is going over there, it's gonna continue to be a thing," he said. "They're always gonna be eyeing our water. I have a real feeling that within my lifetime, we'll see at least some of the water end up over the hill." The feeling strikes Simpson during quiet moments on the farm. These have always been peaceful moments, almost meditative, coming with the satisfaction that comes with work that feels somehow sacred, deeply ingrained. Now the moments come with worry. "I wish I felt like my son had this really definitive, wonderful future in front of him by doing this, as well as my grandson," Simpson said. "But you find yourself questioning: Is this really the right thing to do?" 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. DANVILLE - Jane Thurston Hahne, of Danville, passed in her home surrounded by loved ones on July 3, 2021 at the age of 92. Jane was born on March 11, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jane will forever be known for the diehard Boston Red Sox and Ohio State fan she was. Along with raising her se 100% Website athensproaudio.gr uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 486072 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 235648 bytes (230.13 kb uncompressed) and 49989 bytes (48.82 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-03-14, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 100% Website go-myanmar.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: Boostrap. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 271461 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 138055 bytes (134.82 kb uncompressed) and 25237 bytes (24.65 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-12-02, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Weather Alert ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON... The National Weather Service in Little Rock has issued a * Flash Flood Watch for portions of central Arkansas, eastern Arkansas, north central Arkansas, southeast Arkansas, southwest Arkansas and western Arkansas, including the following areas, in central Arkansas, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, White and Yell. In eastern Arkansas, Jackson, Monroe and Woodruff. In north central Arkansas, Cleburne, Newton and Van Buren. In southeast Arkansas, Arkansas, Cleveland, Desha, Drew, Jefferson and Lincoln. In southwest Arkansas, Clark, Dallas, Hot Spring and Pike. In western Arkansas, Johnson, Logan, Montgomery, Polk and Scott. * Until 3 PM CDT this afternoon. * Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected today. The storms will be efficient rainfall producers, with amounts of one inch or higher possible in a very short term. Storms will be slow-moving and are likely to form and move over areas that have already seen heavy rainfall. * Localized flash flooding is possible. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. && The best pizza city in America is...Portland, Ore.? That's according to the authors of the upcoming book "Modernist Pizza," Bloomberg reported Wednesday. Authors Nathan Myhrvold and Francisco Migoya reportedly ate 400 pies across the country in areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, St. Louis, New Haven, Jersey City, New York (multiple boroughs), Chicago, Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois, Phoenix and Philadelphia. Myhrvold told Bloomberg he and Migoya were "shocked" at how good the Portland pizza was, and that its pizzerias offered "genius in multiple styles." Myhrvold says to be "wary of places that tell you they are working secret family recipes," and according to Bloomberg, the "Modernist Pizza" team found New Haven's pies "notably lame, though the book does include a section on why that citys pizza might be the closest America has to the Naples original." The backlash was swift. "Imagine thinking this when #NewHaven exists," Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who has weighed in on previous Connecticut "apizza" debates, tweeted in response to the Bloomberg link saying Portland reigned supreme. "There, I fixed it," Gov. Ned Lamont tweeted with a screenshot of the Bloomberg tweet that showed "city" and "Portland" hastily digitally scratched out and "Connecticut" typed in its place. "This is a joke," a post read on the Facebook page for "Pizza, A Love Story," the documentary from Gorman Bechard about New Haven's famed pizzerias. The official Twitter account for the state of New Jersey, named the No. 1 pizza state by Food & Wine magazine in April (with Connecticut coming in at No. 2) kept its response to two letters. In case you need a refresher: Here's an inside look at some of New Haven's most famous pizzerias Some picks for Connecticut's most underrated pies Square up: Where to find Detroit-style, grandma pies and Sicilian pizzas in Connecticut A fast-moving tropical storm heading toward Connecticut could bring parts of the state to a halt and impact others with everything from heavy rain and winds to power outages. Here are five things to know about Tropical Storm Elsa, the first named storm expected to affect Connecticut in 2021. Here's where there's a flood warning/watch in effect The National Hurricane Center says Elsa has reached post-tropical cyclone status, centered over southern New England. That means there is no longer enough strength to meet the thresholds for a tropical storm. About 2 to 4 inches of rain has fallen so far Friday, with locally higher amounts in some areas. Another 1 to 1.5 inches of rain are possible in the areas under the warning. The weather service said any additional rainfall will exacerbate any existing residual flooding. Strong northwest wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The highest winds will be along the coastline and across higher elevations. The weather service said the strong winds and already saturated grounds will likely cause downed trees and could knock out power lines in the early- to mid-afternoon. Roads are closed Some roads are closed due to flooding. In Norwalk, Connecticut Avenue Route 1 is closed between Scribner Avenue and Rampart Road. In Fairfield, Chambers Street is closed at the Interstate 95 underpass, Johnson Drive is closed from Black Rock Turnpike to Fiske Street, Kings Highway East at Chambers Street is closed in both directions due to flooding. In Darien, roads impacted are Nearwater Lane, Post Road at Thorndal Circle, Barringer Road, Post Road at Tokeneke Road, Leroy Avenue at West Avenue, Herman Avenue at West Avenue, Heights Road, Hecker Avenue at Frate Court, Renshaw Road, Post Road at Richmond, Raymond Street near the bridge, Post Road at Exit 13, and Sedgwick Avenue at Goodwives. Over in Bridgeport, nine streets are closed due to flooding: Bishop Avenue at Connecticut Avenue, Lincoln Avenue at Arlington Street, Seaview Avenue at the I-95 exit ramp, Iranistan Avenue at Gregory Street, Gregory Street at Columbia Street, Crescent Avenue at East Main Street, Seaview Avenue at Crescent Avenue, East Washington Avenue at East Main Street, and Seaview Avenue at Third Street. In Danbury, barricades have been put up by 120 Main St. to reroute traffic away from flooding; the city otherwise has "minor, localized flooding," according to Emergency Management Director Matthew Cassavechia. Branford Fire Chief Tom Mahoney said there are three roads that are impassable due to flooding: Alps Road at West Main Street, Pent Road at West Main Street, and Red Hill Road. Outages reported: Check the map Both United Illuminated and Eversource are reporting power outages among their customers as a result of Tropical Storm Elsa. As of 12:55 p.m. on Friday, Eversource is reporting 8,052 customers without power. Among the outages are 794 in Durham, 209 in East Haddam, 117 in Groton, 719 in Guilford, 745 in Haddam, 125 in Kent, 247 in Madison, 256 in Manchester, 588 in Monroe, 826 in Warren, 716 in Washington, 109 in Waterford and 582 in Westport. United Illuminating is reporting 1,863 without power, with 1,363 still out in Milford. We have hundreds of crews - including out-of-state crews that continue to arrive - ready to respond to any damage or outages this storm may cause, Eversources Electric Operatioms President Craig Hallstrom said in a statement. Since last week, weve been checking supplies and preparing. Now were prepositioning crews and equipment based on the latest storm information available and well adjust our approach if necessary. Trees are the number one cause of outages and winds of 35-45 mph are expected with this storm and will bring down limbs and branches onto electric lines so we encourage our customers to be prepared for outages as well. Eversource has faced significant criticism in the past over issues with response and restoration times, including following Tropical Storm Isaias last year in which more than 750,000 utility customers were without power. With heavy thunderstorms this week, they have restored power to about 80,000 customers already, they said. Here's where the flooding is worst The National Weather Service issued an urban and small stream flood advisory for central Fairfield and northwestern New Haven counties until 12:30 p.m. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain has fallen in the advisory area in the last three hours. Additional rainfall of half an inch to 1 inch are expected in the next two hours, with locally higher amounts possible. Areas that can expect flooding include: Stamford, Danbury Sherman, Newtown, Cheshire, Ridgefield, Bethel, Wilton, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Redding and Oxford. In Clinton, officials are seeing minor road flooding as the heavy rain bands pass through, according to Michael Neff, Network and Security Manager for Clinton Public Schools. He urged residents to stay home and not to drive through standing water over the roadway. Severe flooding is also occurring in some of the state's underpasses. In Darien, police said Post Road is closed at Tokeneke Road at the underpass because of heavy flooding, and in Fairfield, railroad underpasses are closed at Round Hill Road, North Benson Road and Center Street. New Haven is also experiencing severe flooding, where police say the following roads have significant flooding: Union Avenue, Mill River Street, Humphrey Street, Lombard Street, North Frontage Road, Church Street, Middletown Avenue, Wintergreen Avenue, Whalley Avenue at West Rock Avenue and George Street at Temple Street. In East Hampton, two roads are covered in water from overfilled creeks: Lake Drive is covered in a few feet of water near where Hales Brook flows into Pocotopaug Lake. Crews are also investigating a flooded portion of Highway 196 south of Highway 16 to determine the depth of the water. When will the storm clear? While Elsa has reached post-cyclone status, there is a chance of rain showers and thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m. Friday. The forecast indicates itll remain partly sunny, with a high near 83 degrees and wind gusts up to about 30 mph likely. By Friday night, theres a chance of showers and a thunderstorm before 10 p.m., with some of those storms possibly producing gusty winds. Skies will stay partly cloudy, with a low around 64 degrees. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Washington state on Friday became the second state in the Pacific Northwest in as many days to announce emergency rules that provide farmworkers and others who work outdoors more protection from hot weather in the wake of an extreme heat wave that is believed to have killed hundreds of people. The announcement comes a day after Oregon approved what advocates call the nation's most protective emergency heat rules for workers and as temperatures are spiking again this week in parts of the U.S. West, though not as severely as the end of June. The heat is making it difficult to fight wildfires in parts of a region struggling with a historic drought tied to climate change. The heat experienced in our state this year has reached catastrophic levels," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said. The physical risk to individuals is significant, in particular those whose occupations have them outdoors all day. Washingtons new rules take effect Tuesday and update existing mandates that are in place from May through September, when the state's multibillion-dollar agricultural industry relies on tens of thousands of farmworkers to tend and harvest crops such as apples, cherries, hops and asparagus. Under the emergency rules, when the temperature is at or above 100 F (38 C), employers must provide shade or another way for employees to cool down and ensure a paid cool-down rest period of at least 10 minutes every two hours. The state already required employers to provide every outdoor worker with at least a quart of drinking water per hour, offer safety training on outdoor heat exposure and respond to any employee with symptoms of heat-related illness. A new requirement is that the water must be cool. The onus is on businesses under heat rules in Washington, Oregon and California, where Del Bosque Farms owner Joe Del Bosque was monitoring his workers Friday and into the weekend, when he was expecting temperatures above 110 F (43 C) in the Central Valley. If we see it gets too hot and its a danger to them, we will shut down the operation and send them home, he said. Del Bosque also said he educates workers who pick and pack melons on his farm about preventing heat illness and provides plenty of cool water and shade to rest. The scramble to protect workers follows a heat wave that hit the Northwest and British Columbia at the end of June and broke all-time heat records in places like Seattle and Portland, Oregon. An immigrant from Guatemala who was part of an outdoor crew moving irrigation lines at a Oregon plant nursery was among those who died in the heat wave. Nearly 200 deaths have been blamed on the heat in Washington and Oregon, while authorities in British Columbia say hundreds of people there may have died. The record-high temperatures were caused by what meteorologists described as a dome of high pressure worsened by human-caused climate change, which is making such extreme weather events more likely and more intense. Last month was the hottest June on record for the contiguous United States, smashing the record set in 2016 by nearly a degree, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday. The unheard-of extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest at the end of the month was a main driver as the country averaged 72.64 degrees Fahrenheit (22.58 Celsius) for June, beating the old record of 71.76 F (22 C). The 20th century average for June is 68.4 F (20 C). Usually records get beaten by one- or two-tenths of a degree, but thats a wide margin, NOAA climate scientist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo said. That is pretty remarkable. While there is natural variability always involved, our climate is changing, she said. Eight states Arizona, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Utah had their hottest June, while six more had their second hottest. NOAA records go back 127 years. The recent heat wave is a reminder that extreme temperatures can be a real danger in the workplace. With more hot weather on the way, were taking action now, said Joel Sacks, director of the Washington state Department of Labor & Industries. Its rules are similar to increased protections that Oregon adopted Thursday, but that state went further. Once the heat index rises above 90 F (32 C), employers in Oregon must ensure effective communication between workers and supervisors so employees can report concerns and must ensure employees are observed for alertness and signs of heat illness. At 80 F (27 C) or above, employers must provide sufficient shade and an adequate supply of drinking water. Agricultural-rich California adopted the nations first rules requiring shade and water for farmworkers in 2005 following 10 heat-related deaths four of them farmworkers in a two-month period. The regulations have since been beefed up, requiring employers to provide shade when temperatures rise above 80 F (27 C) and 15-minute breaks in the shade each hour when temperatures rise higher. Employers also must provide cool drinking water in easily accessible locations, toilets and hand-washing facilities. When its hot, many work in the middle of the night. ___ Associated Press Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C., and video journalist Terry Chea in Firebaugh, California, contributed to this report. MADISON It was standing room only at the police commission meeting as residents voiced their concerns about the ongoing issue of car thefts throughout town. Speaking at the July 8 meeting were about a dozen residents from the Barberry Farms, Seaview and Waterbury beach associations, in addition to homeowners in other neighborhoods around town. Attendees all agreed that the car thefts are scary, and there needs to be a collective effort between police and residents to bring an end to the activity. Nancy Karas, a resident of Willard Avenue, spoke about her family and other neighbors concerns about rampant criminal activity in town. She said solutions have been discussed between neighbors and the police, which include increasing patrols, hiring private security, as well as installing surveillance cameras, and those that track license plates. But, in our view, Karas said, the alternative that is likely to have the most immediately deterrent effect, and which would also appear to be the most actionable in the short term, is by increasing the Madison police department patrols and presence in vulnerable neighborhoods in critical hours. Chairman Edward Dowling acknowledged that the problem is of upmost concern to the commission, as well as the police department. Commissioner Christina Cewe spoke of her personal experience. Ive actually been dealing with this. I live on Tuxis, and I have been broken into, she said. So, just to reiterate ... we are definitely talking about this, and know its an issue. Its happened to me three times in the last three years, so Im all about getting this solved, she said. Cewe also addressed the problem of fobs being activated from within a home. Even if you locked your door, if its inside your house and its too close to your driveway, they can open it. There are special boxes that can purchased to store fobs in order to eliminate the problem, she added. Chief John Jack Drumm talked about his staff of 25 officers, saying they need more. Every officer in the department helps with patrol, including your chief. I need personnel to do [the job], he added. We generally run with three or four officers on a midnight shift. We have to run three shifts. We have to have, on average, during the day and evening shifts, four to five. Were trying to put some funding in place for some overtime positions for officers between the hours of 11 to four in the morning, Drumm said. He encouraged residents to attend boards of selectman and finance meetings to push for more staffing for the force. He also encouraged residents to write their state representatives to get laws changed for juvenile offenders. Drumms department is seeing most car thefts take place between Tuesday into Wednesday, between the hours of 11 and 4 a.m., he said, adding there were 57 car theft incidents this year, compared with 68 in 2020. These include stolen vehicles, in addition to those that were broken into, and items taken from them. Theyre very bold, Drumm said. This is a phenomenon that we havent seen in the suburbs. It was, at one point, confined to mostly the urban environment. The gangs, they move, Drumm said. They have their own network that they put stuff on, like social media. They think its a game. They try to get the police to chase them. Its a property crime; we cant chase them by statute. Drumm explained that while his department may apprehend the perpetrators, capture the individuals responsible for the criminal activity on home surveillance cameras, or process fingerprints in the retrieved cars, state law makes it difficult to prosecute. The kids know. Weve captured some of these kids two or three times, he said. They know that really theres not much thats going to happen to them. Its like catch and release. One suspect was apprehended without incident, Durmm said. What do we find the next time in auto theft the same kid with the ankle bracelet on for probation. Under current law, police can hold the juvenile for up to six hours and must request a detention order from a judge to hold the individual for longer. If the arrest occurs late at night, police call the judge on duty, who might not have full access to the juveniles criminal record from home. Capt. Doug Harkins encouraged the public to do their part in stopping this activity. He used the theft of four cars July 6 as an example of how people can assist in this effort. Out of every one of our steals, the common denominator is that the cars unlocked, the key fob is left inside of the car, he said. Lt. Neal Mulhern echoed this. In the last four years of the auto thefts Ive investigated, Ive never once had a car that wasnt unlocked, with the key fob in it, he said. They are looking for the easy pickings, Harkins added. So, if you lock your car, you could slash the amount of thefts from auto and auto thefts, like, overnight. Thats where you can help the police and solve the problem. Julia Bergman contributed to this story in an earlier report for the New Haven Register. Contact Sarah Page Kyrcz at suzipage1@aol.com 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. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT Seaside Park Beach, Seabright Avenue and Lake Forest will be closed for a few days as the city looks to test waters in the area. The city said in a Facebook Saturday that the water needs to be tested after the heavy rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Elsa. BRIDGEPORT Police have charged a city man with second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting death of John Randall Patrick Jr. last month. Giovanni Ramos surrendered to police Friday morning, Bridgeport police said in a news release later that day. The 21-year-old is also facing charges of theft of a firearm, tampering with evidence, first-degree reckless endangerment, carrying a pistol without a permit and use of a firearm in an A, B, or C felony. Police said he was charged on an arrest warrant, and remains in custody on $100,000 bond. Authorities found Patrick shot dead in the bedroom of a second-floor apartment on Howard Avenue the afternoon of June 30. Police described the shooting as a targeted killing at the time. Police had been called to the 900 block of Howard Avenue just before 5 p.m. that day, where they found Patrick unresponsive. The 22-year-old was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. The shooting wasnt random, Capt. Kevin Gilleran said at the time. It was an isolated incident where the victim knew the shooter. Patricks killing marked the citys ninth homicide of the year, and its seventh fatal shooting. Marion Albright Slatsky grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. At a young age, she strived to learn everything she could...read everything she could. vBooks were her pathway to new adventures and knowledge, carving a path forward over the years to come. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, sh Pamela Powell is a film critic located in Bourbonnais and a member of the CFCA and the CCA and is a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic. Writing reviews for 10 years, Pamela also can be found on WCIA TV in Champaign. She can be contacted at pampowell5@att.net . Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 92F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Herford, NC (27944) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 73F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996. The Daily Freeman has moved to this building, at 115 Green St. in Uptown Kingston, N.Y., shown on June 16, 2021. The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Advertisement Copper Price Outlook: Copper prices have almost staged a meaningful recovery in July. Just not quite yet as more technical resistance remains overhead. The demand side hasnt recovered since news out of China that the government would release industrial metals stockpiles to cool their respective rallies. Trading is a function of both price and time; the technical uncertainty can be resolved either through a correction in price action or more sideways chop. Minor Recovery Thus Far Ever since late-May, when news has emerged from China that officials would take steps to curb unreasonable price appreciation in industrial metals by releasing inventories, copper prices have been under pressure. But with the drop in US Treasury yields alongside US equity markets pushing to fresh record highs (again), risk appetite is on the up-and-up, offering narrative relief for embattled copper prices. But the fact remains that the fundamental picture specific to copper prices hasnt gotten any better either: according to Reuters, on-warrant inventories of copper in LME-registered warehouses have jumped to their highest since May 2020, while Yangshan premiums of the metal going into China languished. In other words, demand has yet to absorb all of the recent additional supply. The gains seen since late-June have only proved to amount to a minor recovery thus far, as a cluster of technical resistance lingers ahead. COPPER PRICE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (March 2020 to July 2021) (CHART 1) In late-May, it was noted that a return back to the former yearly high established in February at 4.3755 may be on the horizon before buyers step back into the market. Copper prices briefly crashed below the former high at the end of June, but in the first week of July the level was once more reclaimed after price rebounded ahead of the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the 2020 low/2021 high range at 4.2000. For now, momentum indicators are still working off recent oversold conditions. Copper prices are above their daily 5-, 8-, 13- and 21-EMA envelope, but not yet in bullish sequential order. Daily MACD is trending higher but remains below its signal line, while daily Slow Stochastics have already on the verge of returning into overbought territory. Lingering just below the February 2021 high of 4.3755, it appears that a confluence of resistance remains ahead: the July high at 4.4025; the ascending trendline from the late-February and March swing lows; and the ascending trendline from the September 2020 and February 2021 swing lows. Breaching this confluence of resistance would put copper prices on more confident bullish footing henceforth. COPPER PRICE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: WEEKLY CHART (November 2008 to July 2021) (CHART 2) The perspective noted in mid-February remains valid: Copper prices breakout above the descending trendline from the February 2011 and June 2018 highs suggests that a multi-year bottoming process commenced in mid-2020. This point of view is reinforced by the failed bearish breakout in early-2020, which saw the multi-year symmetrical triangle support temporarily lost for a few weeks." "Clearing the June 2018 high officially ended the multi-year series of lower highs and lower lows. As long as the uptrend from the March and October 2020 swing lows is maintained, copper prices retain a bullish bias. --- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Currency Strategist {p style=color: #000000; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;}AP file{/p}{p style=color: #000000; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;}Proposed Pennsylvania legislation would let counties begin preparing mail-in ballots for counting earlier and would regulate the use of drop boxes to collect ballots.{/p}{p style=color: #000000; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;}{/p} Two months ago, I was in the idyllic beachside resort of Byron Bay in Eastern Australia, enjoying a Greek-themed 50th birthday party for 100 people. While people in London and Liverpool huddled together in groups no bigger than six, trying to avoid the pouring rain, I was enjoying shared platters of grilled lamb, a cocktail van, singing, speeches and dancing long into the night. Conversation briefly settled on which celebrities were in town Natalie Portman, Zac Efron, Matt Damon and Liam Neeson had all been recent visitors but talk soon moved to Covid-19. And the consensus was this: thanks to our 'Zero Covid' approach to the virus a ruthless determination to isolate ourselves, seal our borders and stamp out every single case Australia had escaped the horrors of Europe and the US. We were back in business. Only 31,000 people contracted Covid in Australia. Yet our vaccination roll-out has been mired in chaos. Pictured: Sydneysiders wait outside a Covid-19 vaccination centre on July 7 With our ambitions focused on elimination rather than suppression plus a paltry nine per cent vaccination rate, the prospects for 'Zero Covid' look dated Cafes in Byron Bay, an enclave proud of its green credentials, were once again safe to make coffee in customers' reusable cups after months of serving turmeric lattes in nasty disposable versions. And with the sun on our shoulders and surf at the door, it seemed like the pandemic that never was. Even now, only 31,000 people have contracted the virus in Australia. And while 910 have sadly died, this compares with 128,000 deaths in the United Kingdom and a staggering 606,000 in America. The sacrifice had been worth it, we told ourselves. Zero Covid an extreme policy that some influential scientists demand to see in Britain even now was vindicated. If the pandemic has taught us anything, however, it's that 'success' and self-satisfaction can mutate as quickly as the virus. In just a few weeks, the nation has gone from the envy of the world for its low number of deaths, quick and effective lockdowns, formidable contact tracing and routine 'doughnut days' where no cases are reported to a hermit kingdom shut off from the rest of the globe. We could be isolated for years, according to public health experts and epidemiologists. With our ambitions focused on elimination rather than suppression of the virus, firmly shut borders plus a paltry nine per cent vaccination rate the lowest among the developed countries the prospects for 'Zero Covid' look as dated and parochial as the Crocodile Dundee films. We could be isolated for years, according to public health experts and epidemiologists. The economy is suffering badly. Pictured: An almost deserted street in Sydney on July 10 As Brits pile into Wembley and Wimbledon and Americans take our spots in Sumatran surf resorts, Australians are trapped by an ideal that is rapidly proving unworkable. More than five million residents of Sydney are in lockdown because one unvaccinated driver delivering airline staff became infected and passed it on. The economy is suffering badly. Yes, our output declined by only two per cent in 2020 compared with ten per cent in the United Kingdom, nine per cent in Italy and more than three per cent in the United States. And it is true that the wine industry saw a stellar 31 per cent increase in production thanks to some outstanding weather. But accountants Ernst & Young estimate that Australia's closed borders are costing 4.2 billion a month. Sectors such as tourism have been crushed. Our beaches may be beautiful but they lose their allure when you're trapped here, unable to see friends and family overseas and with no fixed plans for reopening. The only exception is a stop-start 'bubble' with New Zealand another proponent of Zero Covid which bursts at the first hint of a case in either country. A Fortress Australia mentality could find us locked away for years. As the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has remarked: 'We are prisoners of our own success.' And what, you might ask, is success? Thirty per cent of Australians are first-generation immigrants, many with parents overseas. For them, the long-term implications are troubling. Mental health problems are rampant, particularly among the young. The twentysomethings who once flocked to the bars of Earl's Court in London are now floundering back home, a generation deprived of their rite of passage. Last week, a 22-year-old woman in a police-patrolled quarantine hotel scaled two balconies, kicked in a door and escaped via an outside staircase only to be found hours later at her mother's house. As a police spokesman wryly noted: 'She was fairly motivated.' As the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison (pictured), has remarked: 'We are prisoners of our own success' Covid has not killed many Australians, but it has certainly cowed us. We've regressed. A bunch of globetrotting wanderers bred on the 'Anzac spirit' of courage, good humour, mateship and derring-do is now a nation of Nervous Nellies growing more insular, anxious and divided by the day. A tribe of irritable, foot-stomping Rumpelstiltskins, bereft of a solution as we fetishise 'zero' case days yet hesitate to vaccinate amid confusion over safety and supply. Our border closures were swift and brutally efficient, including threats of jail for those trying to return from India as cases there surged. Yet our vaccination roll-out has been mired in chaos, leaving 'herd immunity' a distant dream. There's no question our anti-vaxxer movement is a problem, particularly when so many Australians think they they're not in danger. For them, there's no incentive to be vaccinated. Others, like me, are still waiting for the jab after initially being told we were suitable for our plentiful supplies of AstraZeneca only to have that advice withdrawn when those under 60 were considered at risk of rare blood-clotting complications. (This, despite, evidence that you are far more likely to develop clots by taking the contraceptive pill.) Supplies of the preferred Pfizer vaccine are limited. We're a nation caught in Catch-22, hesitant to vaccinate yet increasingly agitated about when we will ever open up. So far, New Zealanders have shown they are a more collegiate bunch, getting behind Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and their own policy of isolation. But there, as in Australia, the consensus is that they are more vulnerable to an outbreak than ever before. All eyes are on the United Kingdom to see if a high vaccination rate can bring about a sustainable way of life. More than five million residents of Sydney (pictured on June 29) are in lockdown because one unvaccinated driver delivering airline staff became infected and passed it on As someone who was born in New Zealand, spent my 20s in the UK, and has lived in Australia since 2000, I've never had less confidence in the country I've chosen to adopt. There's a detectable souring. According to the University of Sydney, Fortress Australia is fuelling 'a negative and inwards-focused national psyche that threatens our global standing, as well as national unity and cohesion'. Snitches used to be regarded as the lowest life form but as communities turn inward and state borders are barricaded, Australians are now actively encouraged to dob in the rule-breakers. The government remains understandably proud of the low death rate. As Morrison put it: 'When it comes to deaths from Covid, that is the statistic where Australia leads the world. Just the other day they had more cases in the UK in one day than Australia has had in the past 18 months.' But as the respected Australian Financial Review put it, Zero Covid is a 'pipe dream', at least in the medium term. Last week, Morrison appeared to signal the future restoration of freedoms, including the right to fly in and out of the country. But his plan is short on dates and detail, and many doubt that it's the right decision. More to the point, it's currently impossible with such low levels of immunity. As Britain embarks on its grand reopening, Australia remains crouching behind its borders, isolated at the bottom of the world. How predictable. As we head towards Freedom Day on July 19, the usual siren voices on the Left are again portending doom. The lockdown enthusiasts seem drunk on a cocktail of anti-capitalist ideology and reverence for an over-controlling state. When Boris Johnson announced last week that he intended to stick to his roadmap timetable, it was inevitable that he would be accused by sections of the scientific establishment of conducting a 'dangerous and unethical experiment'. Opponents of liberation include Professor Susan Michie a powerful voice on the official Sage committee who also happens to be a member of the Communist Party and the more militant climate change activists, who seem to welcome the economic damage caused by shutdowns. Boris Johnson (above) returns to Downing Street after making a statement on Afghanistan in the House of Commons on July 8 The rise in infections has been driven by the more transmissible Delta variant and the rapid spread of the virus in schools. But unlike previous waves, it has not been accompanied by a proportionate rise in deaths. Nearly nine out of ten UK adults now have antibodies to the virus, either through the vaccine or from the disease, which has severely weakened the link between infections and fatalities. In addition, the school summer holidays are nearly upon us, removing the catalysing impact of classrooms. It is surely better to open up under these conditions rather than wait to do so at the outset of another winter season. As Mr Johnson said last week: 'If not now, then when?' Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party has proved to be an irrelevance, failing to offer any constructive path out of the crisis. Pictured: Sir Keir on July 8 The rise in infections has been driven by the more transmissible Delta variant and the rapid spread of the virus in schools. Pictured: Stock image Sadly, death rates will, inevitably, climb over the coming weeks. But Mr Johnson is right to trust the British people to react cautiously to their newly reclaimed liberty. Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party has proved to be an irrelevance, failing to offer any constructive path out of the crisis. This is the time for stronger leadership than Sir Keir can offer. The Prime Minister must hold his nerve and embrace freedom. A young Australian businessman has shared how he turned over $90,000 in three months to support his family after his 70-year-old dad passed away from cancer. George Filopoulos, from Melbourne, became the manager of the family furniture business Windsor Furniture in January 2020 and started his own brand Zene Mirrors six months later in June. The 21-year-old felt he had no choice but to start the new business after his dad died from lymph node cancer on January 31, 2020, leaving the family stressed and struggling to make money. 'Dad was always the "bread provider" of the family and he taught me everything I knew about running a business,' he said. To kickstart his new brand, George decided to sell his dad's commodore ute and invest the $15,000 he received from the sale to start Zene Mirrors. George Filopoulos (pictured) became the manager of the family furniture business Windsor Furniture in January 2020 and started his own brand Zene Mirrors six months later in June The 21-year-old (left) felt pressure to start Zene Mirrors after his dad (right) passed away from terminal cancer at the age of 70 Before his father's unfortunate death, George deferred from studying construction management at university to learn about the family business for 18 months. After taking control of the business he discovered the furniture store was functioning at a 'massive loss' rather than a profit - a small detail his father kept to himself. 'That's when the stress started because Covid-19 had hit Australia and we weren't sure how it would impact our small business,' he said. As soon as the first national lockdowns initiated, George said the business was selling 'nothing' because customers prefer to come in store and feel the furniture rather than buy online. To link furniture and e-commerce together he decided vanity makeup mirrors would be the best suitable option to sell when launching his new brand. Zene Mirrors launched in June 2020 and George started working 12 hours a day to ensure he business succeeded Based on his experience working at the store, he knew mirrors were a desired item that didn't needed to be seen or touched before buying George said he has 'always wanted to start' an e-commerce business but wasn't sure where to begin. Based on his experience working at the store, he knew mirrors were a desired item that didn't need to be seen or touched before buying. 'Customers often like to inspect how mattresses and couches feel before buying them, but they don't need to do this with mirrors,' George said. The lush vanity makeup mirrors made $90,000 in the first three months and in six months George opened a pop-up store in the Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre in Melbourne But the business wasn't an overnight success as George put all his effort into the brand, working seven days a week and often 12 hours each day. 'I was surprised the business took off as well as it did, but I knew I had put in the hard work,' he said. George said he felt the pressure for the business to succeed because he knew he had to provide for his mum and sister, as his mum doesn't work. 'I was constantly thinking about it and how I needed the business to take off because it doesn't just affect me, it affects my family,' he said. The business wasn't an overnight success as George put all his effort into the brand, working seven days a week and often 12 hours each day Zene Mirros sell three different high-quality vanity makeup mirrors, including a Hollywood light mirror George said he now begins his day at 7:30am focusing on his father's business, then from 2:30pm to 7:30pm he shifts his focus to Zene Mirrors. Despite working long hours, he is strongly inspired by his dad who worked seven days a week for 20 years. 'I thought if he could do it at 70, I can do it at 21,' he said, adding: 'I was very lucky to have a dad like him.' Over the past year his business skills have grown exponentially and he has learnt how to make decisions under pressure and how to handle stress. The mirrors not only would create the perfect makeup space but would be great to provide essential light when putting on your makeup Zene Mirros sell three different high-quality vanity makeup mirrors, including a Hollywood light mirror. Prices range from $399 to $525, with two currently on sale for $499. The mirrors not only would create the perfect makeup space but would be great to provide essential light when putting on your makeup. Matching vanity tables and lush stools are also available and sold separately online. Currently George has signed a partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, with 5 per cent for every mirror sold going towards the charity. 'Since I took so much inspiration from my dad, seeing him work and live with cancer I considered a way for my brand to help other people in need,' he said. When asked what advice he would give to other young people wanting to start a brand, he said to not be scared and to make sure you do your research first. Wealthy fashion blogger Leandra Medine has come under fire for her polarizing podcast interview in which she admitted she thought she was 'poor growing up' despite living on Manhattans Upper East Side and attending an elite private school. The 32-year-old is best known for her now-defunct style blog Man Repeller, which she founded as a college student. The site shuttered in June 2020 following allegations of discrimination and criticism over its lack of diversity. In the latest episode of designer Recho Omondi's podcast, The Cutting Room Floor, Medine reflected on her experiences and what she learned since the controversy, openly admitting that she 'never realized' her privileged existence. 'I remember objectively growing up in a privileged environment and feeling like I was always on the brink of being homeless,' she told Omondi, per The Cut. 'I thought I was poor growing up, that I didnt have anything.' Backlash: Leandra Medine, 32, has come under fire over comments she made about her privileged upbringing on designer Recho Omondi's podcast, The Cutting Room Floor Disclaimer: Omondi said getting the interview required three different recording sessions, and she noted that Medine was 'very rude' to her when they first spoke in 2019 (pictured) Medine attended the Ramaz School, a Jewish Modern Orthodox day school in Manhattan. The total tuition for a high school senior at the school for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year is nearly $42,000. The cost of kindergarten is over $35,000. 'I went to a private school. I never had financial aid. I never had to pay off any student debt,' she confirmed on the podcast. However, she recalled feeling like she didn't fit in as the daughter of immigrant parents in a classroom filled with multi-generational New Yorkers. Her father Mois Medine, founder and CEO of the Mark Henry Jewelry Corporation, is originally from Turkey, while her mother Lyora Medine, a jewelry designer, was born in Iran. Medine said she was 'one of three immigrant' kids at school, and her classmates were primarily of Eastern European descent, hailing from families that had been living in New York City for decades. With parents from the Middle East, she said she saw herself as 'brown' not 'American white,' although she noted that she has 'benefited from her perceived whiteness.' Drama: According to Omondi, the fashion blogger called her crying after their second recording (pictured) because she didn't want the podcast episode to air Hard to handle: The podcast host said she was at her 'wits' end' after their third interview in Medine's Manhattan apartment She agreed that they were 'all members of an upper echelon in the city,' but she insisted she was on the 'lower end,' which is why she never realized she was wealthy. To state her case, she recalled how she would lie to her friends about not having enough money to eat at a restaurant where 'you cant even order a salad with $20 in your pocket.' Medine detailed how her classmates would take five vacations a year while her parents 'were trying to navigate their own experiences as new Americans in this new environment.' As Omondi pointed out on the podcast, her interview subject had failed to mention that her family has a summer house in Southampton that was featured on Man Repeller. Medine also claimed the Upper East Side neighborhood where she grew up was less than desirable, despite it being considered one of the most affluent in the city. 'My parents lived on a great apartment on the Upper East Side in Yorkville,' she said, 'which is actually a bit difference and a thing to be ashamed about when you go to a school with kids who live in buildings that require liquid assets of upward of $100 million for you to be approved by their boards.' Say what: Medine claimed she thought she 'poor growing up' because she wasn't as wealthy as her private school classmates, saying she felt she was 'always on the brink of being homeless; Privileged: Medine attended the Ramaz School, a Jewish Modern Orthodox day school in Manhattan that now costs upwards of $42,000 a year, without any financial aid Medine and her husband, financial adviser Abraham 'Abie' Cohen, have their own Manhattan apartment where they are raising their twin daughters Laura and Madeline. She admitted on the podcast that it only just hit her that she was wealthy. 'This past summer was like the summer of learning. I remember sitting in the car with Abie and my kids, thinking to myself, I did not grow up poor,' she said. 'I actually grew up rich ... I had everything.' Medine also had plenty of designer clothes, which helped her launch Man Repeller as a 20-something journalism student at the New School's Eugene Lang College. Her rise as a fashion blogger led to her turning her hobby into a media company that she ran for a decade. Medine stepped down from Man Repeller in June 2020 two weeks after George Floyd's murders sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality. Huh? Medine (pictured with her husband and twins) recalled how her peers would go on five vacations a year, and she felt 'ashamed' her family's Upper East Side apartment was in Yorkville Wealthy: Medine failed to mention her parents also have a second summer home in Southhampton that was featured on her now-defunct blog Revelation: Medine recalled sitting in the car with her husband Abie Cohen (pictured) and kids and realizing for the first time that she 'actually grew up rich' and 'had everything' She was accused of performative allyship after publishing an open letter showing support for the protests. Critics were quick to point out she had recently fired a black employee in a pandemic. Allegations of racism and a toxic company culture led to her announcing her resignation. Man Repeller was rebranded as 'Repeller' in September, but a month later, she officially closed the company. According to Medine, her actions weren't racially motivated. In her opinion, she was just a self-absorbed boss with poor leadership skills. 'I'm not surprised that people have had bad experiences at Man Repeller, but I don't think this is because I'm a racist. I think it's become I'm an immature a**hole,' she said. 'Im an equal-opportunity a**hole. Like, I sucked as a leader.' The podcast episode was nearly an hour and a half long, but a second-half of Omondi's interview with Medine is slated to air on her Patreon page. The host admitted that she doesn't even like the episode, saying she felt 'drained' by the process of getting the interview which required three different recordings and the conversation itself. Demise: Medine stepped down from Man Repeller in June 2020 following accusations of discrimination and criticism over lack of diversity and shut down the company in October Comments: Medine insisted she isn't 'racist, saying she is an 'equal-opportunity a**hole' 'I want to state that like all of my guests I really tried to be open, genuinely open to Leandra and what she had to say and what she's learned throughout the course of all this,' Omondi said, admitting that at the end of the podcast she 'couldn't stomach' any more of their conversation. She said she ultimately chose to air the episode because Medine represents a certain 'archetype' that is pervasive in the fashion industry. 'One of the reasons why this episode is so frustrating is because we had to record the interview three times,' she said at the start of the episode. 'The first time was in 2019, and Leandra was very rude. 'In fact, I was so turned off by the experience that I canned the tapes and never even planned to air them. Then, after George Floyd dies, like clockwork, she reaches out to me, randomly, and we record again,' she continued. 'After the second time we recorded, Leandra calls me crying, [saying] how she doesn't want to air the episodes. God only knows why, but we recorded again. By the third time, I was at my wits' end.' Wild: Listeners were baffled by the conversation and took to Twitter to call out Medine for her absorption and tone-deaf comments During the episode, Omondi featured a conversation she had with her audio editor Sebastion a black man from New Jersey who said Medine's recordings were the hardest ones he's had to work on. 'I really just cannot even wrap my head around what she is even trying to tell me because in my head I'm like, "Do you not hear yourself?"' he told Omondi. 'My main grievance is she is a super privileged woman who still doesn't see it.' Listeners were equally baffled and took to Twitter to call out Medine for her self-absorption and tone-deaf comments. 'This leandra medine interview is a masterclass... Im sweating from secondhand microaggressions and narcissism,' one person tweeted. 'I know she cant be the most self involved person in the world, but she is gunning for the top spot,' another shared. 'This interview with Leandra Medine is like...wow,' someone else noted. 'Sometimes when you just let people talk, they'll talk themselves in to a ditch. All by themselves.' Ambulances are queuing once more outside hospital entrances, and four-hour A&E waiting time targets are being breached. At a time of year usually dominated by minor injuries and broken bones, there has instead been an influx of children with respiratory infections and fevers which have begun to circulate again with a vengeance after the lifting of Covid measures. The problem has reached such heights that emergency medics issued a warning in the British Medical Journal last month about what they called 'winter in June'. To make matters worse, NHS officials have warned hospitals to prepare for a surge in another potentially serious illness normally seen in colder months respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) amid concerns that cases are already rising in parts of the country. Ambulances are queuing once more outside hospital entrances, and four-hour A&E waiting time targets are being breached. (Stock image) While RSV, which infects almost all children before the age of two, usually causes just a mild cough or cold, for roughly 30,000 under-fives every year it results in hospitalisation when a secondary infection called bronchiolitis develops, inflaming and clogging the small airways in the lungs and affecting breathing. Ventilation is sometimes needed. It can also be dangerous for older adults. But why is this happening now? Normally, cases of RSV begin to emerge in October and continue to early spring. But Public Health England (PHE), which started monitoring for the virus as early as May this year, has revealed there is already a surge in cases in the North West and signs they are beginning to accumulate in the South West and Yorkshire. The data, presented last week during a webinar for doctors held by the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health, also revealed this year's wave of RSV could involve up to 50 per cent more cases and last longer than normal. Dr Nick Gent, senior medical adviser to PHE, told the seminar: 'Our best guess is we'll see 20 to 50 per cent more hospitalisations and infections. NHS officials have warned hospitals to prepare for a surge in another potentially serious illness normally seen in colder months respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) 'There could be up to 50,000 cases, with peak daily admissions over 600 and over more weeks than usual.' The biggest issue is around paediatric intensive care capacity. At present there are 300 such beds in the UK, reserved for the most severely unwell children. 'We could need additional beds during the worst period if RSV infections peak in regions around the country at the same time,' says Dr Gent. 'That's a bit of a concern.' The alert came following the experiences of countries in the southern hemisphere. According to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, there was an 'unexpectedly large' number of children with RSV which began rising in New South Wales and Western Australia in December which is mid-summer there. What's the difference... between a clinical trial and observational study? Both methods are used in medical research. In a clinical trial, patients or volunteers are given a treatment and the outcome is monitored this is a standard approach to testing medicines. In an observational study, no treatment is given, nor attempt made to affect the outcome. Instead, participants are followed, or their medical records are analysed. This is done if it would be unethical to subject people to something in order to discover the effect. For example, doctors wouldn't consider making people smoke cigarettes to see if it led to lung cancer. Instead, they may track existing smokers, or look at the medical records of people who have admitted to being smokers, to see how much more likely they were to develop the disease. Advertisement The 'speed and magnitude of this increase was greater than the usual winter peak', the College reported. Similar reports have emerged from South Africa, and warnings are already in place in Israel and some US states. Last week, New Zealand hospitals were reporting wards flooded by babies with RSV. Rates of flu and other respiratory diseases affecting adults have, however, remained low. Specialists say the RSV surge is partly because of Covid measures being relaxed with more children suddenly mixing indoors together, allowing germs to spread. But also, a broader age range of children will be susceptible this year, having not been exposed to it before and so having no chance to develop immunity. 'RSV, like flu, almost vanished over the past 18 months because of the measures we were using against Covid like handwashing, social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as lockdowns,' explains Dr Damian Roland, consultant in paediatric emergency medicine and spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. 'Normally bronchiolitis affects children between age zero and two, but this year we may expect it in those aged up to three. 'It's not that their immune system isn't working, it's just that more children won't have been exposed to the infection and won't have developed the antibodies against it. 'So it could come back with a vengeance, and that's where the anxiety has come from.' The NHS is already taking measures to prepare for a possible onslaught. Hospitals were told last week to start holding clinics to treat the most at-risk children with palivizumab, a drug that provides them with antibodies needed to fight the infection. This happens every year, but not this early and more children than ever before will be invited to have the treatment, including all those born prematurely who have heart or lung problems. The Paediatric Critical Care Society, which brings together a wide range of professionals who treat sick children, is working on surge plans to increase the number of paediatric intensive care beds to meet the potential demand. It warned that services could come under 'intense pressure', with 'significant consequences' on adult critical care as staff may need to be diverted to help treat critically ill children. Some very sick children over the age of 12 may need to be moved to adult intensive care wards to free up space, it added. While the latest concerns could cause further problems for overstretched A&E departments, parents could play a vital role in easing this pressure. Doctors warned of a dramatic rise in the number of under-fives attending emergency departments for fevers and illnesses that could be easily managed at home or by a pharmacist Last week, a group of doctors' organisations warned of a dramatic rise in the number of under-fives attending emergency departments for fevers and illnesses that could be easily managed at home or by a pharmacist. Dr Ian Higginson, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, says the problem had also been compounded by difficulties getting access to primary care since the pandemic began, explaining: 'Patients will often present to A&E if they can't see their GP.' Meanwhile, Dr Roland believes the 'psychological trauma' of the past 18 months has made everyone, including parents of young children, 'jumpy and anxious' which could contribute to a 'perfect storm' this winter. He says: 'If we get RSV, a possible resurgence of flu and further Covid waves, that will be a real problem. 'We need to sort out the problems in accessing primary care, but everything needs to improve. There's too much demand for A&E to treat simple and inconsequential illnesses.' Dr Conall Watson, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health England, says: 'Some out-of-season RSV cases have been detected but the timing and size of a peak is hard to predict. 'We have seen an earlier rise in cases in other countries and so the NHS has been preparing for a similar scenario. 'Parents should call NHS 111 or their GP if they are concerned.' The stories have been as shocking as they are tragic: dozens of babies who died or were left brain-damaged after errors by clinical staff at one of Britain's biggest hospitals. But among the appalling cases of negligence spanning a decade uncovered by an investigation into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, one stood out as particularly alarming a baby boy, born in July 2019, who cried just once after birth, then fell silent, didn't move or feed, yet was discharged by staff who said all was 'normal'. Earlier this month, his bereft mother said: 'He never opened his eyes He never moved, he didn't lift his arm, a finger, a murmur.' She tried to raise the alarm yet both midwives and a junior doctor dismissed her concerns, and told her that only if he didn't feed for 48 hours would they do anything. The woman, in her 30s, and her son were then discharged with paperwork stating the newborn was 'happy and content', and that the midwife had seen him 'both breastfed and bottle-fed', which, the family now say was untrue. A baby boy, born in July 2019, who cried just once after birth, then fell silent, didn't move or feed, yet was discharged by staff who said all was 'normal'. Pictured: Stock image In the early hours of the following morning, back at the family's Nottingham home, the baby stopped breathing. His mother performed CPR and called an ambulance but attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. An independent investigation into the death, published last week, made note of the Trust's so-called 'reluctant feeder' policy, which instructed staff not to intervene or offer a bottle of formula if a newborn doesn't feed for up to 48 hours. Such guidance was said to 'ensure optimal breastfeeding support' and avoid 'unnecessary formula supplementation'. An inquest found the baby died due to a respiratory problem normally seen only in premature babies, and may also have suffered an underlying metabolic condition. It is unclear if not being fed played a role in his death. Yet Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has since changed its feeding protocol, shortening the delay to action, should a newborn not breastfeed, from 48 hours to just two. The family's legal case against the Trust is ongoing, and there have been calls for a public inquiry. But perhaps equally worrying, many maternity units still abide by similar reluctant feeding guidance to the one now abandoned by Nottingham. Figures published last week by the Health Select Committee revealed there are 1,000 preventable deaths among infants every year in British hospitals. An independent investigation into his death made note of the Trust's so-called 'reluctant feeder' policy, which instructed staff not to intervene or offer a bottle of formula if a newborn doesn't feed for up to 48 hours. Pictured: Stock image The committee, chaired by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, made special mention of the pressure on women to have a natural birth. Now campaigners are suggesting one 'misguided' hallmark of maternity care could explain some of these catastrophic failings: an 'outdated obsession with breastfeeding'. Dr Ruth Ann Harpur, a psychologist who runs lobby group The Infant Feeding Alliance, said: 'Not giving a baby anything to eat for 48 hours might be unlikely to harm them, because newborns have reserves that allow them to go without feeding for this sort of time but I struggle to see how it can be optimal. 'I know of many women with babies who have ended up hospitalised with starvation-related conditions simply because midwives would do anything not to give them a bottle. I also know of cases where something serious has been missed because the midwives have been too preoccupied with breastfeeding.' It's a fact! The taste of breast milk changes depending on what the mother has eaten, which may influence the babys food preferences as they get older. Advertisement As evidence for the failings of maternity wards' breastfeeding regimes, Dr Harpur points to a 2017 Nuffield report that shows the number of infant hospital admissions for feeding-related problems, such as jaundice and dehydration, had doubled since 2006. Since the early 1990s, hospitals have used various schemes to encourage mothers to opt for breastfeeding in response to the UK's record-low rates a hangover from the 1950s culture of medicalised childbirth, whereby formula was wrongly assumed to be superior. One of them, the World Health Organisation-backed Baby Friendly Initiative, has been adopted widely and requires maternity wards to adhere to standards designed to keep women breastfeeding, should they want to, for up to six months. This has been a huge success, credited for increasing the number of mothers who choose to breastfeed by at least 30 per cent. And the health benefits are well proven studies suggest breastfed babies are less likely than formula-fed counterparts to become obese in later life or develop allergies and gastrointestinal infections. But amid the triumphs have been consistent reports of problems. Some mothers say breastfeeding is prioritised by maternity staff above all else including both their and the newborn's health. Speaking to this newspaper, one mother told of being discharged from hospital after two days, despite her baby's weight continuing to plummet. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has since changed its feeding protocol, shortening the delay to action, should a newborn not breastfeed, from 48 hours to just two. Pictured: Stock image The weight loss continued for five weeks at home, until against the health visitor's advice she introduced bottles after noticing her baby had 'protruding bones'. Another was left traumatised after midwives attempted to latch their baby on to their breasts while they were fast asleep on a high-dependency unit recovering from a serious haemorrhage. One mother from London said the pressure from midwives to breastfeed while she struggled to produce sufficient milk caused her to spiral into a severe depression that saw her being admitted to a psychiatric ward. 'A problem I see commonly: the baby won't feed but the staff say 'Don't worry, it's normal', then a few days later the baby has lost a dangerous amount of body weight and has to be readmitted to hospital,' says Clare Byam-Cook, who has 30 years' midwifery experience in busy London hospitals and is now a breastfeeding consultant. 'It seems hospitals are more concerned about ticking the breastfeeding box than they are about healthy, happy parents and babies.' For babies who do not feed easily within four hours of birth termed reluctant feeders the Baby Friendly Initiative advises 'not feeling tempted to give formula feeds' in the first 24 hours. Guidance published by the British Association For Perinatal Medicine, which maternity wards use in combination with the Baby Friendly Initiative to set protocols, echoes this advice. Mothers are encouraged to keep trying to express colostrum (a nutrient-rich early form of breast milk) either using a hand or the baby's mouth, every two hours, or at least eight times in the first day. Campaigners argue that waiting two days before giving them formula is too long by that time mothers are often discharged home without support, where the situation can quickly worsen. But one hospital trust even extends the delay out to three days. Guidance published by The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust states: 'When babies are over 72 hours old and remain reluctant to feed it is appropriate to contact the Infant Feeding Team or Neonatal Team.' Dr Helen Mactier, consultant neonatologist and honorary clinical associate professor at the University of Glasgow, said: 'A baby who is not feeding by day three might well have something seriously wrong with them, and this needs proper investigating.' It's a fact! Some studies have suggested a childs IQ is slightly higher if they have been breastfed, although others have not found any link. Advertisement But why is there any delay at all in feeding a newborn baby? According to the breastfeeding support network La Leche League, introducing a silicone bottle in the early days can drastically alter a baby's sucking patterns, making it unfamiliar with the mother's nipple and therefore less likely to latch on dubbed 'nipple confusion'. Studies do support this concern. However, there is also research that shows nipple confusion is not a problem and that babies who are given supplemental formula milk in the 48 hours post-birth can actually help mothers continue breastfeeding in the weeks following. In one 2018 study, three months after birth, 80 per cent of infants who were initially formula-fed went on to be breastfed exclusively, compared with fewer than half of those not given the supplementary help. Another more recent study found exclusively breastfed newborns were more likely to lose significant amounts of weight six months after birth than those given a small amount of formula in hospital. In recent years, research has shown that the Baby Friendly Initiative hasn't been entirely beneficial. A 2018 University of Liverpool analysis of 11 studies of the scheme found, in some cases, it promoted 'unrealistic expectations of breastfeeding,' 'did not meet women's individual needs' and 'fostered negative emotional experiences'. One mother for whom this rings true is 42-year-old Sue Haddon, from Guildford in Surrey. In 2016, her four-day-old daughter Rain was rushed to A&E after a health visitor spotted signs of malnutrition and a dangerous drop in body weight. Sue had told midwives of her wishes to breastfeed, but when her first and only child was eventually delivered after an excruciating five-day labour it didn't go as smoothly as she'd hoped. 'I was completely exhausted, having had very little sleep for the best part of a week. I'd even started hallucinating,' says Sue, a copywriter. 'So when the midwives tried to get her to breastfeed a couple of hours after birth, with all their prodding and poking, it felt overwhelming and slightly terrifying. And it just wasn't working, she wouldn't latch on.' The midwives tried again every two hours, using hand massaging techniques and bringing syringes to inject tiny amounts of extracted colostrum into Rain's mouth. Sue adds: 'I could tell she wasn't feeding properly, but there seemed to be no concern about this from the midwives. 'And there was also no acknowledgment of the fact I desperately needed to sleep, or a conversation about whether exclusive breastfeeding was the best thing after such an ordeal. 'The pressure to keep going with breastfeeding made me even more anxious and scared, so when I did try to sleep, eventually, my head wouldn't stop spinning.' She says that there was no guidance from staff about how she and her husband, Will, would feed Rain at home without the constant physical help from midwives. The Haddons were discharged from the maternity unit on day three. But the following day a health visitor flagged several serious problems. Sue says: 'They told us to go straight to the hospital because she'd lost 13 per cent of her body weight since birth, had jaundice and was severely dehydrated. Basically, she wasn't getting enough food.' The couple were given an emergency referral to the paediatrics department where, Sue says, the approach was vastly different. 'It was about feeding my baby in a way that would provide enough nutrition to keep her healthy and was sustainable for me and my husband,' she says. 'They immediately gave us a bottle of formula and we noticed a difference in Rain almost instantly. The jaundice cleared up in a day. A nurse told us they saw situations like ours almost every day.' While her baby's physical health problems resolved quickly, for Sue the repercussions of the ordeal on her mental health continued for years. 'I was haunted by shame and guilt, feeling like I'd failed to feed my baby properly,' she says. 'It took a long time to make me realise that I hadn't done anything wrong.' Sue now campaigns for a more balanced approach to feeding. 'It's not that midwives didn't offer me support to help breastfeed in hospital they did,' she says. 'I just wish, when I was barely conscious, someone would have thought: maybe this isn't the best, most sustainable thing for her in this current state. 'My wellbeing, it seemed, simply wasn't a priority.' Speaking to The Mail on Sunday's Medical Minefield podcast, paediatric nurse and breastfeeding consultant Lyndsey Hookway said it was vital the debate didn't end up 'pitting one form of feeding against another', adding: 'As soon as we start making the suggestion that a mother doesn't have enough milk, or her milk is not good enough, or there's something wrong with the composition or volume, that can have quite long-lasting detrimental effects on their wellbeing.' However, Dr Heather Ryan, a GP and a member of campaign group the Infant Feeding Alliance, says: 'Reluctant feeder policies focus on avoiding formula supplementation because there's an idea that it'll hinder long-term breastfeeding. 'But there isn't good evidence to support that. If a baby has lost an awful lot of weight in the first few days, or is having a lot of trouble feeding, then formula supplementation may be clinically indicated. 'It's absolutely right and proper we promote breastfeeding, and it should be the first choice if it's possible. But there are plenty of mums who choose not to, or medically can't do it, and I don't think there should be the stigma attached to it.' Le Comte Ory Garsington Festival Opera, Buckinghamshire Until July 25 Rating: This fun-filled romp, hugely enjoyed by the audience, and perhaps even more by the cast, with great team spirit, begs the inevitable question: Where did it all go wrong for Count Ory? This late comic opera was presented in Paris (in French, of course) just a year before Rossinis final offering, William Tell, and his ensuing retirement, only in his late 30s, but totally exhausted. Hector Berlioz, who knew a bit about music, was enraptured by it: What musical riches! A wealth of felicitous airs throughout admirable orchestral effects and dramatic intentions that have fully succeeded Rossinis masterpiece in my opinion. Andrea Carroll (above) is most persuasive as the Countess, and Katie Bray perhaps even more so in the trouser role of the page Isolier And for 20 years thereafter it held the stage, becoming the foundation of a French comic opera tradition with Offenbach and others. But now its hardly ever done. Which is the answer to those who think this production, pepped up by Cal McCrystal of One Man, Two Guvnors fame, is too coarse and vulgar. What McCrystal has actually done is introduce contemporary comedy into the piece, some of it a bit crude, but why not, which then allows all the things Berlioz raved about to flourish. The choruses, for instance, especially the final ones, are superb, with wondrous propulsion, and plenty of felicitous airs, the culmination of Rossinis career-long mastery of such stuff. There are some meaty parts, all really well taken by a strong cast. The young American bel canto tenor Jack Swanson is a stylish Ory a bright future beckons. Jacques Imbrailo as his mate Raimbaud is an excellent foil. Joshua Bloom, a Garsington regular, is an imposing Tutor, who spoils Orys fun. Andrea Carroll is most persuasive as the Countess, and Katie Bray perhaps even more so in the trouser role of the page Isolier. In the pit, Valentina Peleggi, a new one on me, showed real Rossinian style, and a section of the Philharmonia gave of their best. Whats not to like? Catch it if you can. Black Widow Cert: 12A, 2hrs 13mins Rating: The Truffle Hunters Cert: 12A, 1hr 24mins Rating: Not all the big films delayed by the Covid pandemic have been quite worth the wait but, my goodness, Black Widow definitely is. Its funny yet poignant, superbly paced by director Cate Shortland and the action scenes are right out of the top drawer. As Marvel films go, this is a really good one. Given events of Avengers: Endgame, its inevitably a prequel, which turns out to be one part origins story and one part what Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, got up to after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Scarlett Johansson (above) is terrific as Natasha Romanoff but even better is British actress Florence Pugh as her seriously estranged sister, Yelena, another graduate Seems there was family business to settle and, of course, bad guys with dodgy accents and plans for world domination to sort out. Scarlett Johansson is terrific as Romanoff but even better is British actress Florence Pugh as her seriously estranged sister, Yelena, another graduate, or widow as the unfortunate but deadly young women are known, of Russias notorious Red Room. With strong support from Rachel Weisz and Stranger Things David Harbour as the girls adoptive parents, Ray Winstone as the despotic Dreykov (with an accent that often seems to be more Mile End than Moscow) is the only slight weakness, and even he doesnt spoil the impressively well-rounded fun much. Highly recommended. So too, for very different reasons, is The Truffle Hunters, a dankly atmospheric documentary about the old men who spend their muddy autumns hunting for Italys elusive and hugely valuable white truffle. Its a little contrived at times, and I could have done with a bit less of eightysomething Carlo and his disturbingly adored hound, but its fascinating, funny and informative. Makes you peckish too. The Invisible Hand Kiln Theatre, London 2hrs, until July 31 Rating: A Splinter Of Ice 1hr 50mins, touring until July 31 Rating: Think of a stinky breeze-block cell in Pakistan. Then imagine an American Wall Street banker hostage trading from it, teaching his Islamic captor how to make serious money. Thats the funny-but-grim set-up in The Invisible Hand, a fast, febrile play by American writer Ayad Akhtar. It was a hit five years ago and it deserves this fresh outing. I say fresh but you can almost smell the cells bucket-loo from the back of the stalls. Nick is played with sweaty desperation by Daniel Lapaine, Scott Karim is the volatile Bashir, and Tony Jayawardena (above with Lapaine) a polite but crooked imam Nick the bankers ransom is $10 million. As the US government wont negotiate, his wheeze is to play the futures market and earn it before his head is chopped off. His apprentice, and guardian of the laptop, is Bashir, an angry English Pakistani radical from Hounslow. Bashir is soon totally hooked making money proves a bigger buzz than revolution. Nicks tutorials in futures are fascinating, showing just how anything can be commodified even human captivity. The performances are top-notch. Nick is played with sweaty desperation by Daniel Lapaine, Scott Karim is the volatile Bashir, and Tony Jayawardena a polite but crooked imam. With sharp direction by Indhu Rubasingham, the evening thrums with tension and twists. In A Splinter Of Ice, the arch-traitor Kim Philby enjoys the privileges of a KGB colonel in his Moscow flat. Its 1987 and he is visited by the novelist Graham Greene, who stuck up for Philby in print. The two did actually meet and Ben Browns play imagines their cosy chat, with Graham Greene played by a twinkly Oliver Ford Davies, the dying spy by a dry-as-dust Stephen Boxer (above) The two did actually meet and Ben Browns play imagines their cosy chat, with Greene played by a twinkly Oliver Ford Davies, the dying spy by a dry-as-dust Stephen Boxer (left). Philbys Russian wife Rufa (Karen Ascoe) does the greeting and cooking. Theres a terrific chill when Philby reflects on all the Allied agents he sent to their deaths but with not a flicker of real remorse in his cold, lizard heart. An interesting addition to the various plays about the famous Cambridge spy ring, but its got no new revelations. A Splinter Of Ice is also available to stream until July 31 via originaltheatreonline.com After years of debilitating illness, actress OLIVIA WILLIAMS was finally diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She tells Julia Llewellyn Smith how humour and sheer bloody-mindedness got her through the dark days Olivia wears dress, Me & Em. Jewellery, Shape of Sound When actress Olivia Williams learned she had a 7cm by 4cm tumour in her pancreas, it felt like a death sentence. Tears just fell out of my face it was like a waterfall, she says. Olivia was overwhelmed, not least by memories of her dear friend and fellow actor Tom Beard, who, having thought he had backache, was dead within a terrifyingly short time from pancreatic cancer.Its a disease that kills one in four patients within a month of diagnosis and 80 per cent within a year. The slightly brutal doctor who broke the news to her three years ago demanded to know: Why are you crying? I told her about my friend and she said, OK, but you might not have that sort of cancer. She told Olivia, now 52, they wouldnt know what they were dealing with until they performed a biopsy. Olivia, best known for films such as The Sixth Sense, for her role as Felicity in Friends and wholl soon be seen playing Camilla Parker Bowles in season five of The Crown, headed straight to hospital for the procedure. The next day, she returned to work in Los Angeles, filming the Amazon Prime series Counterpart, insanely optimistic that the tumour would be non-cancerous. A week later, she was in her trailer when the same doctor emailed her the result in the most devastatingly stark manner possible: Its malignant, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour/cancer. Thank you, she read. In The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis; and Olivia and Nicholas Pinnock in the first series of Counterpart, 2017. Just then someone knocked on the door, asking for Olivia on set. I said, Give me a minute! She tips her head back. I walked to the set like this, so my tears wouldnt roll down my face and smudge my mascara. Later, back in her hometown of London, Olivia was asked to re-record dialogue for the scene shed filmed that day: So I got to see what you look like 15 minutes after learning you have a malignant tumour. It was an awful scene where I was saying goodbye to someone but, of course, my head was somewhere else, you can see a muscle in my jaw going like a steam engine and my eyes are darting around. It was mad. Although obviously terrified, Olivias trademark sense of humour pushed through. I was thinking about the words on Spike Milligans gravestone: I told you I was ill! After all, she had endured five years of debilitating symptoms including chronic fatigue, diarrhoea and aching limbs. Shed become so thin that one of her daughters (shes the mother of Roxana, 17, and Esme, 14) once burst into tears of distress after seeing her in a nightdress that revealed her gaunt figure. When filming Counterpart, the weight loss had accelerated to the point where Olivia was having to have her costume taken in every day and she was so dehydrated it had become near impossible to draw blood for tests. The reason, as she was later to discover, was her pancreas was so damaged she couldnt digest food. I very nearly starved to death because nobody knew what was wrong with me. Olivia with her husband Rhashan and their daughters, 2013 Yet for years, doctors had dismissed her symptoms, often saying she was simply perimenopausal (blood tests showed she wasnt). One clinic referred me to a psychiatrist because they said I might be mad. She tested negative for bowel and colon cancer. After that, I remember sitting in the Counterpart make-up chair and saying, Well, I dont know what this is but its not cancer. How wrong I was! Learning the truth in Los Angeles 5,000 miles from home, her children and actor husband Rhashan Stone (last seen in BBC Ones Welsh drama Keeping Faith) was agonising. But I had a good friend I live with in LA and she was my emotional support there. I also have an amazing husband, so he kept the home fires burning and made things feel safe for the children, while working himself. With characteristic dryness, Olivia adds. He was doing a play. Set in a morgue. Since the only way to treat her tumour was to chop the damn thing out, Olivia booked in for surgery in London, but determined not to let the show down spent the next week frantically filming every remaining scene from the series. In these situations, I go into a hyper-coping mode. I feel like one of those superheroes, batting things away as they come at you. I was like, Stand clear, Im coming through! Jumpsuit, Nynne. Earrings, Atelier VM When she flew home, she and Rhashan broke the news to the girls. They knew my tummy sometimes played up, but we decided not to tell them the full story until we knew what was going on. So we sat down and had the conversation after I knew they were going to operate. Olivia guards her familys privacy fiercely and wont talk about how they reacted, only saying the girls stepped up. Theyve been through a lot. She underwent a seven-hour operation to remove the tumour and then spent three weeks in hospital recovering from complications. Convinced she was now cancer-free, she threw herself back into work, only to learn a few months later she needed another procedure on her liver. A year on she found out this hadnt fully succeeded and yet more surgery was needed. Having been certain she would survive, For the first time I felt real dread. It completely knocked me back. Yet that final operation appears to have sent the cancer into retreat and, two years on, Olivias very much still here. Shes since become an ambassador for Pancreatic Cancer UK, although when they initially approached her she declined, thinking she wasnt famous enough. They replied, Were not asking you because youre famous, were asking you because there are no other survivors, she says. In the UK each year 10,500 people are diagnosed with it and 9,000 die from it. High-profile victims of the cancer, which tends to be spotted too late for treatment, include Alan Rickman, Luciano Pavarotti, Aretha Franklin, John Hurt, Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs. If better testing existed they might have been diagnosed much earlier and still be alive. Tests would also show exactly what kind of cancer they had. Right now, people with undiagnosed VIPoma like Olivias (a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that can be treated if caught early enough) are often written off as beyond help. Co-starring alongside Jason Isaacs in the 2003 film Peter Pan Having lost half her pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and a big chunk of my liver, today Olivia whose family left London for the countryside before the first lockdown, as she was on the vulnerable list looks and feels great. The only real difference day to day is she now takes enzyme-replacement pills in order to digest food. Throughout it all where treatment would allow she has never stopped working. Right now, you can see her not only in cinemas in the deeply moving film The Father, which won its star Sir Anthony Hopkins a best-actor Oscar, but also on Amazon Prime starring in Victorian supernatural thriller The Nevers. Shes also due to appear on an episode of the British remake of the French Netflix series Call My Agent, in which she and her friend Helena Bonham Carter, who attended the same North London girls school (She was a good friend of my sisters) play exaggerated versions of themselves. Presently shes filming The Crown, taking over from Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell in the role of Camilla Parker Bowles. As with anyone connected with the world-famous drama, she is banned from talking about her role. It is clear, though, that when I ask her about The Firm, Olivia is a fan of the Queen. In an age when people dont keep their word, the Queens kept her word. I have a profound respect for that, she says. Another project that she has just finished is a special one for her and her family. My Name is Leon is a BBC film, produced by Sir Lenny Henry, about a mixed-race boy in Birmingham in the 1970s to whom Olivias character becomes an unwilling, slightly racist foster mother. The dialogue for this clueless white person whos always getting it wrong didnt come as a surprise to Olivia. This film seemed to be a way I could connect with my children and my husband [Rhashan, 51, pictured above, was born in the US but moved to Norfolk when he was six], she says. It is particularly painful to say words that are often deemed not painful by people who dont suffer the consequences. These are words that have been used to, or in front of, my husband and children without qualification or apology that they are supposed to laugh at or dismiss as harmless or well-intentioned. With Monica Dolan in the upcoming BBC drama My Name is Leon Olivia, who is the daughter of two barristers and has a degree from Cambridge, has had a few shocking experiences of racism, beginning when Roxana was a baby. I was in my dreamy, milky, postnatal state and perhaps out of vanity looking through my own messageboard on my [film website] IMDB page and it said, Olivias had a baby, and someone said, It will be a beautiful baby because shes beautiful. Olivia fluffs her hair to show how flattered she was. Then, No it wont because her husbands [black]. So there you go. Last summers murder of black US citizen George Floyd by a white policeman, which led to huge protests from the Black Lives Matter movement, was a dark period in our household. Olivia was a successful British stage actress when, aged 29, she broke into Hollywood after being cast in Kevin Costners blockbuster The Postman. It flopped spectacularly, but it led to her landing the role of Bruce Williss wife in the mega-hit The Sixth Sense. Blazer, Joseph. Necklace, Completed Works Like most actresses working in Hollywood in the early 2000s, she had a seedy encounter with the now disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein. Harvey tried to persuade me to swap a blow job for an Oscar, Olivia says matter-of-factly. But he didnt assault me. Maybe it was because in my heels I was as tall as him and built, as one boyfriend put it, like a rower. Maybe broad-shouldered brunettes with legal parents arent his thing. It was quickly clear he had attempted the very same verbatim proposition with every single actress I told. When he tried the same line for the second time a couple of years later he clearly had no recollection of the first. For years, shed entertained her friends with anecdotes of how hed chased her around a sofa in his dressing gown. My coping mechanism is to turn the most traumatic experiences of my life into anecdotes, so I reported it in comedy form to anyone who would listen. I didnt know and wasnt aware of those who suffered sexual assault or rape until the New York Times article [exposing him] came out. How did she feel when he was sentenced to 23 years for rape and sexual assault? I felt tremendous relief for the people who suffered at his hands. I cannot say that I suffered, she says. Olivia is delightfully witty and straight-talking and surviving cancer has made her even more so. In situations where people would have once made me feel guilty or I would have backed off, I became completely uncompromising. I just had no time, it was like, No, you cant speak to me like that. Im not putting up with this. But Ive also very much learned to live in the moment and do things that please me, she says. And, happily, Olivia should now be pleasing us with her performances for years more to come. While millions of us routinely use Facebook on a daily basis, criminals are constantly on the look out to hack into them and the treasure trove of personal data lurking inside. Many of us will recognise the seemingly odd post from a friend on Facebook, swiftly followed by a 'Ignore my posts, I've been hacked message'. But why do the fraudsters do it? They can get access to people's personal data through Facebook, yet much of that has already been made public to an extent, so what is the attraction of the wave of Facebook hacking, how is it done, and can you protect yourself? Facebook have disabled more than 1.3billion fake accounts between January and March this year, but people are still getting hacked at times because they reuse easy to guess passwords Last month cybersecurity experts, Nordlocker, found a huge cache of stolen data containing 26million logins for popular websites such as Amazon, LinkedIn and Facebook. They said the data had been stolen between 2018 and 2020 using custom Trojan-type malware which infiltrated over three million Windows-based computers and stole 1.2TB (terabytes) of personal information. The battle to eliminate fake and hacked Facebook accounts rages on. Paul Vlissidis author of How to Survive the Internet and lead cyber-security advisor to Channel 4 show, Hunted, says: 'I think there is a constant background of people getting their account compromised. 'When the password information rocks up on the dark web, the hackers will use those passwords on various platforms of which Facebook is one. 'Hackers will sift through all of these accounts and see which ones are still current. They will put a list together and run a scam campaign against those groups.' It's not only breaches to your own Facebook account that you have to worry about. Security threats can also come from other account users. Between January and March this year, Facebook disabled more than 1.3billion fake accounts 99.8 per cent of the time before they were reported. While criminals use fake accounts to conduct phishing scams they increasingly prefer to hack into legitimate accounts. Paul Vlissidis a cyber-security advisor to the Channel 4 show, Hunted, says there is a constant background of people getting their Facebook account compromised. Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate at Comparitech, explains: 'Most of us are smart enough not to click on links in emails from people we don't know. 'But we're much more likely to trust a message from a friend on Facebook. 'That makes it easy for impersonators to trick victims into sending money, handing over passwords, and downloading malware. 'Once hackers have taken over an account, they'll start by locking the genuine user out. 'They may change passwords and account recovery settings, for example. While the real user struggles to get back in, the attacker starts messaging users on the hacked account's friend list. 'Part of the scheme likely involves stealing Facebook passwords from other users, which allows the hacker to move onto another account and repeat the attack indefinitely.' Some of this is to harvest more data, but it can also be to used to scam people. Messages asking for financial help due to lost wallets or cards, a stranding in another country, or even a loan from friends, can have a high enough hit rate of success to make them worthwhile for scammers. What's more, hacking a Facebook account can also open the door to other lucrative accounts with banking information, as people commonly use Facebook to autolog into shopping websites. To prevent your Facebook account from becoming another hacking statistic follow these seven steps to protecting your personal details: 1. Never use easy passwords for multiple accounts Don't use the same password for Facebook as other accounts, particularly ones that people could gain financial access from. Password reuse remains rampant because it's convenient and quick. According to a report by identity company, SecureAuth, 53 per cent of people admitted to using the same password for different accounts. Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee, adds: 'More than a third (36 per cent) say they have not changed their password for a long period of time. 'If criminals gain access to one of these account passwords, the likelihood is that they are then able to access all other accounts linked to that username and password. This is the most common way hackers gain access to all of your accounts.' Change your password often and make them unique. David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky, says: 'All account holders should be using strong unique passwords across all of their accounts, and back this up with multi-factor authentication. 'Not only will this limit the potential for brute forcing and password spraying, but multi-factor authentication will also limit the ability of hackers to log into accounts on other devices when passwords are compromised.' Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee says that 36% of people say they have not changed their password for a long period of time. 2. Employ multi-factor authentication Two-factor authentication - where you get a text code or email, for example, to confirm it is you - may feel like another troublesome step to access your Facebook account, but it will give you added protection from hackers. Facebook says: 'If you set up two-factor authentication, you'll be asked to enter a special login code or confirm your login attempt each time someone tries accessing Facebook from a browser or mobile device that we don't recognise.' You can also set up an alert on Facebook which will inform you if someone tries logging into your account from an unfamiliar browser or mobile device. 3. Don't connect to an unsecure WiFi network Samani says: 'Another common way for criminals to gain access to an account is by collecting data from devices when people connect to an unsecure Wi-Fi network. 'Despite two thirds of Britons believing that public WiFi networks are unsafe to connect to, half of consumers still often connect to public WiFi while on-the-go.' Oversharing on Facebook could give criminals vital clues to what your passwords or reset account questions and answers could be. Adjust your privacy settings to protect yourself 4. Select trusted friends to help you get back in Facebook allows you to choose between three to five friends to be 'trusted contacts' in the event that you're locked out of your Facebook account. Vlissidis says: 'Once you've set up your trusted friends on Facebook, they can issue you with a code to get you back into your account.' 5. Watch out for geo-tagging Samani says: 'Many social networks will tag a user's location when uploading a photo, as well as offering users the option to tag their location when posting. 'You should ensure this feature is turned off to avoid disclosing your location to criminals or people you would not want to know your whereabouts.' 6. Don't overshare on social media Think twice before answering those Facebook questions on your profile or the quizzes and polls that do the rounds. What might seem an innocuous or fun talking point question can be way for fraudsters to go viral and collect some very handy answers to personal questions. You wouldn't give your internet banking password out, but you might hand over your first pet's name and mother's maiden name for your porn star name - and these are very common answers in password reset systems. What is two-factor identification? Two-factor authentication is a second layer of security which is used to protect an account, system - and in this case, transactions online. It increases the safety of online accounts by requiring two types of information from the user, such as a password or PIN, an e-mail account, credit and debit card or fingerprint, before the user can log-in or transact. Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy, explains: 'If you publish too much personal information, bad actors can use it to take control of your online accounts, as well as credit card accounts and others. 'Things like your first pet's name, your mom's maiden name, the street you grew up on and other information are used on a regular basis for identity confirmation when you're locked out of an account or request a new debit or credit card.' 7. Don't befriend strangers Keep your Facebook friends circle to those that you know and trust. Samani says: 'Often hackers or criminals will send requests so they can see the information you are sharing to help them in access your private information.' Adjust your privacy settings so that only close friends and family can see your posts and photos. Also watch out for duplicate accounts of people you are already friends with asking to be your friend. It could be a fraudster has set up an alternative account and is harvesting their friends. Should you de-activate or leave Facebook? For some having a Facebook account or any social media account may feel more like a burden than a pleasure. If you feel this way or are too worried about security breaches, you could take the extreme measure and deactivate or delete your Facebook account. If you have an account that you rarely use and so therefore might not now if you have been hacked this may be wise. De-activation means that your account (including posts, photos, etc.) gets hidden and others can't search for your account. It's a temporary measure if you're undecided on keeping your Facebook account active or not. Deleting, however, means your account will be gone permanently. Emm says: 'This is a very personal decision, based on whether the potential risks are outweighed by the benefits of using the platform to stay in touch with people. But by securing your account, limiting what others can see and not over-sharing personal information, you can reduce the risks.' Motorists are being warned about a new wave of scammers that are taking advantage of problems at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to rip people off. The Government-backed website has struggled to handle a backlog of paperwork this year with unanswered phone calls and failures at responding on its online chat service when users try to renew a driving licence or pay their car tax. Exploiting the potential chaos, fraudsters have been bombarding people with fake text messages claiming they are from the DVLA and warning motorists that their payment details need to be updated or that their road tax requires renewal. Scam: Fraudsters have been bombarding people with fake text messages claiming they are from the DVLA These messages provide a link for recipients to give their bank account details, enabling thieves to go on and steal from them. The scams are often headed with capitalised letters: for example, 'ACTION REQUIRED' or 'FINAL REQUEST'. Another favourite criminal ruse is sending out emails explaining how 'your latest vehicle tax payment failed' or 'you are not up to date with your vehicle tax'. Accompanying these fraudulent messages are often financial threats, such as a 1,000 fine if payment is not made. Copycat websites should also be avoided. These pose as being official but are nothing to do with the genuine gov.uk website. A DVLA spokesman says: 'Gov.uk is the only website where customers can find our official services many of which are free. You may be charged a premium when using other websites. You should also be wary of texts and emails being sent from potential fraudsters.' Green, socially responsible investing is all the rage. It's a welcome trend in a world where evidence of frightening climate change is everywhere. It's spawned a rash of investment funds with an 'ESG' label ESG standing for environmental, social and (corporate) governance and it has got a lot of youngish people interested in investing for the very first time. Recent research by Boring Money suggests that more than six in ten adults between the ages of 18 and 34 would choose a new fund manager based on ESG factors. Flying the flag: At the end of the day, L&G's fund principally invests in government bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China All fine and dandy then? Well, not really. In the rush to profit from this surge in socially responsible investing, some (not all) investment companies are taking short cuts. They are labelling investment funds as ESG friendly when they patently aren't according to the contents of their underlying portfolios. This misleading art is called greenwashing and it's bang out of order. It's like buying a chicken for Sunday lunch that is labelled as free-range, only to discover later that it came from a battery farm. Over the past year, we've questioned the authenticity of some ESG portfolio management services. We have also raised concerns over the favourable sustainability ratings given to stock market-listed companies that operate in sectors normally off limits for ethical investors for example, gambling and alcohol. Yet evidence of greenwashing keeps resurfacing like sewage in a river. The latest example is that of an ESG-labelled exchange traded fund that is being promoted by Legal & General, a company that goes out of its way to signal its ESG credentials. As it says on its website: 'Environmental, social and governance factors and impact investing in the real economy are at the heart of our investment approach.' I don't doubt for one moment its commitment 'to act decisively on ESG matters', but I cannot see how the L&G ESG China CNY Bond fund listed on the UK stock market merits its socially responsible investing label. Although L&G's literature says the fund's performance is linked to an index that tilts towards bond investments that are 'ranked higher on ESG criteria', this is no more than glossy marketing speak in other words, greenwashing. At the end of the day, the fund principally invests in government bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China. Indeed, its top ten holdings are all Chinese government bonds with maturity dates ranging from 2023 through to 2030. Maybe, some of these bonds are being used to fund China's push into green energy, but L&G's latest factsheet on the fund makes no mention of this. But then, maybe the bonds are being used to finance the country's continued investment in new fossil fuel-burning coal plants or even worse, to help suppress human rights in parts of the republic and to fund its aggressive militarisation of the South China Sea. We just don't know because L&G doesn't tell investors. But what we do know is that the fund's portfolio is little different to that of other China bond funds for example, iShares China CNY Bond ETF which do not use an ESG label. Alan Miller, co-founder of wealth manager SCM Direct, says the ESG labelling of this L&G fund 'is the most flagrant example of greenwashing' that he has seen to date in the UK. Quite damning words given Miller has spent a big chunk of the last 18 months examining the robustness of ESG-badged investment products. He believes L&G should remove ESG from the fund's name on the grounds of misrepresentation and possible mis-selling. I agree. And if it doesn't, the regulator quite hot on ESG issues should instruct it to (again, I'm in agreement). Some of the country's powerful wealth platforms should also do their bit by either removing the fund or putting a warning notice on it. Both Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell are selling the fund. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. D.L. writes: A friend advised me of a one-year bond from Investec which offered a good return, so I checked the website and spoke to a helpful adviser who was not pushy, and I agreed to invest 25,000. When I was making the payment transfer, my bank Santander asked the usual questions about sending money to a previously unknown account and mentioned potential fraud, but without detailing how to check any indications. I now know that I was dealing with a clone of the real Investec, and the clone's existence was known to Santander, so I think the bank should shoulder some of my loss. A good result: The unexpectedly good news though, is that Santander is refunding the entire 25,000 Tony Hetherington replies: Investec is a major investment company, and the clone used its logo, its address and the names of its staff to offer you a bond yielding 5.75 per cent. It also used the correct company registration number and the authorisation code issued by the Financial Conduct Authority. Crucially though, the clone fraudsters did not use the real Investec's website, telephone number or bank account. So when you looked at the website, spoke to an adviser, and then transferred your 25,000, you were only dealing with the crooks. Without realising it, you had sidestepped all the details of the genuine firm. In fact, even the fraudsters' fake phone number was itself fake. I traced it to a communications company called Numbergroup Utilities, but was told the number has never been used, and no call has ever been connected to it. This means the crooks were 'spoofing' the number, quite possibly from abroad. You transferred 25,000 from your Santander account to sort code 040483, account number 04388673. This sort code belongs to Viola Money (Europe) Limited, which is licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority as an 'electronic money institution', allowing it to provide payment services. It is not a bank like Santander, which told me that Viola has not signed up to the voluntary code under which most banks repay money lost through 'authorised push payment' scams, where customers are tricked into transferring funds. I repeatedly invited Viola to comment and say who received your stolen 25,000 but it failed to do so. This brings me to Santander. I was disturbed by what you told me about the bank being aware of the clone. After all, Santander turned down any idea of refunding you, as it said it had done nothing wrong, even though the existence of the clone was well known and the FCA had even issued an alert. So why had Santander not warned you about the fake Investec? The answer is that Santander had no idea you thought you were sending money to Investec. On instructions from the crooks, you told Santander you were sending money to a firm that you were 'paying for a service'. If you had mentioned Investec, Santander would certainly have sounded the alarm. The unexpectedly good news though, is that Santander is refunding your entire 25,000. Staff told me: 'We have the utmost sympathy for Mr L and all who fall victim to the criminals who carry out these scams.' By the time you read this, the 25,000 will be back in your account. In future though, it would be a good idea to compare an investment firm's telephone number with the number shown on the FCA register and only use the number from the register. And if a supposedly genuine firm tells you to lie about where you are sending your money, do not trust it a second longer. Why was I billed by a nail bar in Miami? J.F. writes: I ordered two sets of cushions online. Next day I received confirmation of my payment from PayPal, but my PayPal account referred to an order from a nail bar firm in Florida, which was nothing to do with my order for cushions. I contacted PayPal and was told my order had been delivered to an address in California. PayPal now says it regards the matter as closed. Scam: J.F.'s PayPal account referred to an order from a nail bar firm in Florida, which was nothing to do with the order for cushions Tony Hetherington replies: The online advertisement for cushions has disappeared and seems to have been a scam, simply aimed at getting you to authorise a payment by PayPal that could be diverted. I did track down the nail bar in Miami, Florida, but found it had ceased trading. It is now impossible to tell whether the nail bar was involved in this scam, or whether someone in California did place an order with the Miami business, but found a way to charge your PayPal account instead of their own. The good news is that I had a word with PayPal and staff there reopened their investigation and decided they will repay you in full after all. PayPal told me: 'We originally rejected Mr F's claim as he claimed on the basis that the payment was unauthorised, rather than because he did not receive the goods he ordered. We have now taken another look and refunded on the basis of non-delivery of the goods.' British Gas dented my credit report by mixing up names Ms N.K. writes: I received my credit report from Experian and found that British Gas has linked me to someone with a similar name, but different spelling, and who lives in a different part of the country. British Gas told me it would sort it out, but did not and said it was up to me. It denied filing any report to another agency, Equifax, though I found out it had, in fact, given it the same false information. Tony Hetherington replies: Worse was to come. You raised a dispute with both credit agencies, but both replied that British Gas was standing by its report. Experian told you: 'They have confirmed the address link is accurate, so we do not have permission to amend or delete this entry on your credit report.' Absurdly though, when I looked at the report itself, it was clear that there were two similar surnames, spelled differently. And when I checked voters' lists, you appeared at your home address, but there was no trace of your double at the other address, in Bootle, Merseyside. British Gas has told me that it linked the two addresses because your double had actually used your home address when she arranged for British Gas to supply the other address in 2017. She no longer uses it as a supplier and British Gas has conceded that it has no real evidence to link you to the Bootle address so it has now contacted credit agencies, cancelling the link. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Like the UK economy, dividends paid by UK companies to shareholders are firmly in recovery mode. Last week, wealth platform AJ Bell forecast that dividend payments made by the 100 largest companies listed on the UK stock market would grow by 25 per cent this year to just short of 77billion. Although the bounce back is admittedly after the dividend decimation of last year caused by the economic fallout from the pandemic, it will be warmly welcomed by an army of private investors who depend on the income to bolster their household finances. If AJ Bell's financial crystal ball gazers are right, it should mean that the FTSE100 Index as a whole will deliver an annual income this year equivalent to around four per cent a rate not available from most other financial assets, especially cash where savers are lucky if they can get an annual return of 0.01 per cent. Hot stuff: While many investors will be comfortable holding big income-friendly stocks, an increasing number will be more selective as a result of ethical considerations Furthermore, AJ Bell believes the recovery in dividends will continue into next year, albeit at a slower pace (2.2 per cent). So, all good news? Well, not really. If you dig a little deeper into the wealth platform's analysis, you soon discover that much of this year's dividend lift will be provided by just ten companies. These include a clutch of big banks Barclays, HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds which last year were leant on by the City regulator to stop paying dividends while the pandemic raged and the economy teetered on the edge of catastrophe. Also, among the ten are mining giants Anglo American, BHP, Glencore and Rio Tinto. Completing the list are BT and housebuilder Persimmon. While many investors will be comfortable holding some of these big income-friendly stocks, an increasing number will be more selective as a result of ethical considerations. A heightened focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues means many investors are now shunning 'sin' stocks irrespective of the juicy dividend carrots dangled before their eyes. Although 'sin' is a subjective term when used in investment circles, 'sin' stocks tend to include mining companies (including the four just mentioned); oil and gas companies (the likes of BP and Shell); and businesses involved either in the manufacture of cigarettes (Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco) or alcohol (Diageo). All are dividend-friendly. Indeed, last week, Shell confirmed its intention to give shareholders more cash following its decision last year to slash its dividend by two-thirds. Dan Lane, senior analyst at share-dealing service Freetrade, says the link between 'sin' stocks and attractive dividends presents a dilemma for income investors mindful of ESG considerations. He says: 'With the FTSE100 full of big pharmaceutical, mining and weaponry businesses and vice stocks such as tobacco and alcohol, matching your morals with your money is easier said than done. Especially, given that some of the least 'sustainable' businesses pay some of the highest dividends.' Among some of the big companies expected to pay dividends this year, equivalent to an annual rate (yield) of seven per cent, are 'sin' stocks Anglo American, BAT, BHP, Imperial Brands and Rio Tinto. 'Is it even possible to get income outside the sectors of sin?' asks Lane. Well, it is, although it will mean investors being more pragmatic in terms of the income they want from their shares. A little less income now, in the hope of a growing income in the future. Andy Marsh is co-manager of Artemis Income, a 4.8billion fund popular with investors in search of income. It is currently delivering an overall income equivalent to around four per cent a year. To get this, the fund holds some dividend-friendly 'sin' stocks such as Anglo American and BP in its 47-strong portfolio as well as Barclays expected to be one of the market's biggest dividend payers this year. It also has exposure to some big 'yielders' such as Legal & General (seven per cent) and Direct Line (eight per cent). Yet a key part of Marsh's overall investment strategy is about identifying UK companies which pay a modest dividend (between two and three per cent a year), but offer the prospect of sustained dividend growth in the next three to five years. 'As a fund manager, cashflow is everything when it comes to looking for businesses which will pay shareholders a sustainable income,' says Marsh. 'We want to ensure a company will have sufficient cash left over to pay dividends once it has paid all its bills and made all the necessary investment in its business to protect and grow it. Strong cashflow drives strong dividends. But if a business's cashflow looks as if it could be compromised, red lights flash. It's a signal that a dividend shock could be around the corner.' Marsh says the likes of Relx and London Stock Exchange are good examples of businesses underpinned by good cashflow. He says: 'Although both have roots going back to the 19th Century, they have morphed unnoticed by many towards the new economy. They're profitable, growing, future facing and the dividends they pay appear sustainable. They also tick all the boxes as far as ESG investors are concerned.' FTSE100 company Relx, he says, has embraced technology to digitalise its publishing business. Meanwhile, LSE, also FTSE100 listed, earns 70 per cent of its revenue from subscriptions built around its data and analytics. 'The digitalisation of financial markets' data is still in its early stages,' adds Marsh. 'It presents a long-term opportunity as demand grows from banks, wealth and asset managers.' Relx grew its dividend last year by just under three per cent and it currently offers a dividend yield equivalent to around 2.4 per cent. London Stock Exchange grew its dividend by seven per cent last year with Marsh predicting 'double-digit growth' over the next three to five years. Both these companies appear on AJ Bell's list of FTSE100 companies which have grown their dividends every year for the past decade (see table). Last year, this list was 24-strong, but it has now shrunk to just 15. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, says many of these companies do not offer dividends that in terms of yield are going to set income investors' pulses racing. But he says investors should not be put off. Mould adds: 'History suggests it is not the highest-yielding stocks which prove to be the best long-term investments. Defending a high yield can become a burden for a business and the strongest long-term performance often comes from firms that have the best long-term dividend growth record.' By way of example, he points to safety equipment manufacturer Halma, which is among the 15 'dividend aristocrats' listed in the table. It has increased dividends in each of the past 42 years, always by at least five per cent. Last year, the dividend totalled 17.65pence a share, a seven per cent increase on the year before. With a share price above 27, the dividends equate to a yield of just 0.6 per cent. Mould says: 'Halma's share price was 1.9pence at the start of 1979 when its dividend growth streak began. So this year's forecasted dividend of 18.5pence looks pretty good against that. 'Its current share price represents an astonishing capital return over the past 40 years and shows how well-run, well-financed companies can reward truly patient investors with a combination of capital gains and income growth.' AND DON'T FORGET INVESTMENT TRUSTS Among AJ Bell's FTSE100 'dividend aristocrats' is Scottish Mortgage, the country's largest investment trust. Managed by Edinburgh-based Baillie Gifford, it has delivered 39 years of dividend growth although this aspect of its investment armoury often goes unnoticed by investors who get drawn into it because of its extraordinary investment record. Over the past year, its share price has increased by nearly 44 per cent 144 per cent over three years. Yet, Scottish Mortgage is not the only stock market-listed investment trust to have a record of sustained dividend growth. It is one of 18 which have grown their income to shareholders for at least 20 years. Top of the tree are Alliance, Bankers, Caledonia and City of London which have all increased dividends for 54 years. ONE FINAL THOUGHT ON SIN STOCKS AND INCOME Investment expert Rachel Winter believes that investors should not automatically snub all 'sin' stocks when searching for income. She says many such companies are striving to change the focus of their businesses to become more eco-friendly. Others are involved in industries which are supplying the materials necessary to reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Winter, an associate director of stockbroker Killik, says: 'Yes, tobacco companies are sin stocks, but it all becomes a bit more subjective when you look at other businesses such as mining. Take Rio Tinto, for example. Yes, it has been involved in some big environmental controversies, but through its mining of copper it is playing a key role in facilitating the growth of the eco-friendly electric car. 'Similarly, while BP and Shell are still dependent on oil production, they have outlined plans to become net-zero emissions businesses by 2050.' Winter's preferred eco-friendly income stock is energy supplier SSE which is busy building the world's largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Its dividend is equivalent to more than five per cent a year. American tech giant Apple has threatened to quit the UK over a $7billion (5billion) legal row. Apple's lawyers warned it could quit the UK market if a court forces the company to pay a 'commercially unacceptable' fee for the technology used in its iPhones. The extraordinary threat raises the prospect of an end to new iPhone sales in the UK and the restriction of services and upgrades to existing customers. Although Apple is highly unlikely to follow through with its ultimatum, the row is the latest sign of the escalating hostilities as British authorities try to rein in the powerful US tech giants. Apple issued the warning as part of a court battle with UK patent holder Optis Cellular Technology. Once bitten: Apple issued the warning as part of a court battle with UK patent holder Optis Cellular Technology Optis is suing Apple for patent infringement after the iPhone maker refused to pay licence fees worth a possible $7billion for using 'standardised' smartphone technology in its products. A High Court judge ruled last month that Apple had infringed two Optis patents, which help iPhones connect to the 3G and 4G networks. Optis has brought a string of similar claims over patents for other technologies it says Apple has used. Apple faces a trial in 2022 over how much it should pay. The UK Supreme Court ruled last year that a UK court is able to set the rate Apple should pay for all of its iPhone patents worldwide, even though the court only considers the infringement of UK patents. At a hearing in January, Mr Justice Meade warned Apple that 'it might be disappointed' by the rate set by a judge. Apple could walk away from the fees if it exits the UK market. But Mr Justice Meade suggested this was unlikely, saying: 'There is no evidence Apple is really going to say no [to paying the rate set by the judge], is there? There is no evidence it is even remotely possible Apple will leave the UK market?' Apple's lawyer Marie Demetriou replied: 'I am not sure that is right... Apple's position is it should indeed be able to reflect on the terms and decide whether commercially it is right to accept them or to leave the UK market. There may be terms that are set by the court which are just commercially unacceptable.' There will be a separate court case later this month over whether Apple should make a legally-binding pledge to abide by the payout rate decided at trial in July 2022. Apple could be banned from selling iPhones in the UK if it refuses to make undertakings to the court. Kathleen Fox Murphy of EIP Legal, representing Optis, said: 'Everyone thinks about Apple as the market leader in smartphones, but Apple has to buy in most of the technology in an iPhone.' Neil Masterson reckons Britain could become a nation of rocket scientists with his satellites venture acting as a springboard. It is an admirable ambition for the new chief executive of OneWeb, the communications firm creating a constellation of satellites in space. OneWeb went bust last year, but was bailed out by the British taxpayer. The controversial decision by Government to pump 400million into the stricken, high-risk venture alongside $500million from India's Bharti Global was credited as the brainchild of Boris Johnson's influential former adviser Dominic Cummings. In the business world, the jury is still out on whether it was a foolish move or a masterstroke. But Masterson is in no doubt. Ambition: Neil Masterson says he will take on rivals including Elon Musk 'What we have now is an indigenous British space industry that can lead to next generation satellite development and give the graduates of our many universities a real career opportunity in Britain,' the Lancastrian says. 'We're not going to lose them abroad to others, but rather we'll keep them here. As we've seen in the pharma industry, that's good for our future [economy in Britain].' OneWeb's efforts are complemented by a string of rocket firms, including Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit, aiming to launch from the UK from next year. The outlook for OneWeb, founded in 2014 by US entrepreneur Greg Wyler, has evolved rapidly since last year when its biggest investor, SoftBank, pulled funding and triggered bankruptcy. Bharti chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal now has a 39 per cent stake while the UK, France's Eutelsat and SoftBank all own just over 19 per cent. The Government which had been advised by civil servants to steer clear of OneWeb has a golden share, meaning it can decide who has access to the network. Masterson is overseeing a grand plan to create a network allowing rapid internet speeds in hard-toreach areas around the world. The first stage in OneWeb's vision will see 648 spacecraft shot into low earth orbit (Leo) around 750 miles from Earth to cover the northern hemisphere, before targeting the rest of the globe. Some 254 OneWeb satellites are already in space and testing is underway. Services will launch later this year, with the entire globe covered by June 2022. The venture was last month given a significant boost in signing a deal with BT to explore the use of its services in rural areas and at sea. Beyond commercial telecoms, it has potential uses in the defence and satellite navigation industries. But the project is not without its hurdles. To hit targets OneWeb will have to launch one rocket a heart-in-mouth operation which requires meticulous planning each month for the next 12 months. As we speak via video call, Masterson's team are monitoring the latest batch of 36 washing machine-sized satellites being launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome spaceport in Russia. What's more, making and launching the satellites has required huge sums of money, with $2.4billion raised so far and $3.4billion chewed up pre-bankruptcy. Talks with funders in Asia are said to be ongoing. Masterson, who joined OneWeb late last year, says the cash is in the bank to fund its launch. 'We may raise a bit more, but essentially what we need to do the job we now have,' he explains. 'It's a tremendous vote of confidence in the team, it's a vindication of, frankly, the Government and Bharti's first investment.' The development of OneWeb gives Britain the opportunity to grow an industry that seemed in peril post-Brexit. The timing of its expansion also feels fortuitous the pandemic has expanded office workers' horizons in terms of remote working, but also exposed the slow broadband speeds suffered by rural dwellers. Masterson assures: 'If you're in the middle of northern Alaska, we will be able to provide the same connectivity, the same speed, low latency, the same feel, as people have in New York City. 'In the UK, there are obviously locations that do not have the same connectivity as others. We can dramatically narrow that gap, which opens up opportunities from an educational perspective, from a healthcare perspective, and it just opens up the digital economy. What this means is that you don't have to be in a conurbation to be able to contribute to, or take the benefits from, that digital economy.' Beyond the logistical headaches lie another threat: Elon Musk. The Tesla founder is busily building his own network of Leo satellites, Starlink, and has begun UK trials. The unpredictable billionaire plans to shoot thousands of the spacecraft skywards at a lower altitude to OneWeb. Tousle-haired executive Masterson, 53, cuts a comparatively modest figure against his deep-pocketed galactic rival, who is pushing into the final frontier alongside fellow tycoons Jeff Bezos and Branson. 'I'm a very different character we're very much, 'Let's just get on with it'. Nothing breeds confidence, particularly for investors, like execution. Let's just focus on doing our job and then we'll see. We will fight with whoever's out there in the market as aggressively as we can, but also where it makes sense.' He points out that his and Musk's teams are in regular contact to avoid in-flight collisions. While the natural focus is on the skies, both OneWeb and Starlink are engaged in rapid building projects on the ground too. Each must construct a network of ground stations, capable of receiving a signal from the satellite and relaying it to the users from schools and hospitals, to ships in the middle of the Atlantic. OneWeb is in the process of creating 42 ground stations at a cost of around 600million. By contrast, Musk's ground stations are cheaper but likely to be more plentiful. On his own stations, Masterson says they are being built at 'an absolute clip'. 'Either they're complete, and literally the concrete is being set and the dishes are being put up, or we're buying the land,' he says. A large ground station has been constructed in Alaska where the firm is working with US and Canadian operators to 'fine tune' its systems this summer. The Government's investment in OneWeb also increased the likelihood of production shifting from the US to Britain. OneWeb and manufacturing partner Airbus have committed to building the first 650 satellites in Florida, but The Mail on Sunday revealed last year that civil servants have been briefed on the merits of shifting production of the next generation of the satellites which could run into the thousands to these shores. Masterson said the decision will be taken when designs are finalised in the coming years. Airbus's existing facilities in Stevenage and Portsmouth could be among the contenders. It's been a whirlwind few months for Masterson, a Lancashire-born geography graduate who has spent the last 20 years in New York, working for the software arm of media conglomerate Thomson Reuters. ('My wife and kids are American, they think I've got a very silly accent.') He began his career as an auditor at accountancy KPMG, before taking finance roles in the leisure industry, first at Whitbread then Regent Inns. Masterson says he has 'scars on his back' from Reuters that he will learn from in steering OneWeb, which he began running remotely and was last week reunited with his family post-quarantine. Plenty of hard yards lie ahead for this determined space man. Tycoon Elliott Bernerd is in talks to buy a stake in a London-listed surveying firm in a move that could eventually see the return of his Chelsfield real estate empire to the stock market. Bernerd, who made an estimated 250million in 40 years in the London property market, is in talks to buy a 29.9 per cent shareholding in Fletcher King. City sources said the unusual deal could be part of a longer-term plan to merge Chelsfield with Fletcher King so that the real estate firm can attain a new listing on the stock market. Bold return: City sources said the unusual deal could be part of a longer-term plan to merge Chelsfield with Fletcher King Chelsfield floated in 1993 but in 2004 Bernerd took the company private for 1.86billion with the backing of a consortium that included the billionaire Reuben Brothers and Saudi Arabia's Olayan Group. Bernerd, 76, worked as an estate agent in London before setting up Chelsfield. He was involved in the development of the Westfield shopping complex in West London. City sources estimated Chelsfield would be valued at 100 million to 150 million if it were back on the London Stock Exchange. Fletcher King, whose shares closed at 46p on Friday, said: 'Discussions are ongoing, including regarding price, and there can be no certainty that the potential transaction will proceed.' Chelsfield did not comment. Royal Mail is preparing a Supreme Court appeal over a record 50million fine for alleged anti-competitive behaviour. The huge penalty was imposed by regulator Ofcom in 2018 after a complaint by rival Whistl, then called TNT Post UK. Whistl had conducted trials of direct letter deliveries. Royal Mail then put up its charges for firms handling bulk business mail. The trials were suspended after a backer pulled its funding. Challenge: Royal Mail appealed against the fine to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, but this was rejected Royal Mail appealed against the fine to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, but this was rejected. An appeal of that judgment was dismissed by the Court of Appeal earlier this summer. A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: 'We are seeking permission to appeal this judgment to the Supreme Court.' Separately, Whistl filed a damages claim against Royal Mail in the High Court in late 2018. Royal Mail said: 'Whistl's High Court claim is on hold until after the completion of the appeal process.' Britain's largest bookmakers have been given more than 600million in tax rebates on addictive gaming machines. The taxman has been forced to reimburse bookmakers and casinos, who won a legal battle on VAT paid on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs). New documents show Betfred, owned by billionaire brothers Fred and Peter Done, has been paid 97.7million. William Hill confirmed it has been paid 208.3million. A sign of the times: The taxman has been forced to reimburse bookmakers and casinos, who won a legal battle on VAT paid on fixed-odds betting terminals Entain, which runs about 3,000 Ladbrokes and Coral betting shops, has received 217.5million and Flutter, the owner of Paddy Power, has been paid 15.9million. Rank, the owner of Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos, estimates its claim is about 80million. Rank and the Done brothers jointly launched a tax tribunal against Revenue & Customs, saying they had been charged VAT on FOBTs in the years to 2013 even though FOBTs were similar to roulette wheels, which are exempt from VAT. A judge finally ruled in their favour in April last year. The Revenue's decision not to appeal paved the way for William Hill and Entain to make similar claims. Fixed-odds betting terminals once made up the bulk of bookmakers' profits. But their addictive nature saw them dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling and in 2018 the Government curbed profits by reducing the maximum stake on each spin from 100 to 2. A young mother has revealed how she turned the thought of running a pizza shop into an $8million business that has seen its revenue double since the pandemic began. Before becoming a parent Tara Solberg was a 26-year-old graphic designer for surf brand Ocean and Earth who was considering taking over a pizzeria on the NSW South Coast. But turned off by the idea of spending hours chopping up vegetables, she and her husband Danny, then a work colleague, instead turned their minds to homewares and set up Few and Far in 2009. A visit to specialty homes store at Melrose, Los Angeles, a year earlier convinced them there was a market for one-of-kind furniture and antiques in Australia. Young mother Tara Solberg (pictured) has revealed how she turned the thought of running a pizza shop into an $8million business that has seen its revenue double since the pandemic They leased a rundown store at Huskisson, and borrowed $80,000 from her parents to do some renovations with help from her builder father. Unable to get a bank loan, they raised $70,000 by selling possessions like their boat. Through hard work, they now run four stores south of Sydney at Huskisson, Berry and Bowral, along with their Indigo Love business, which supplies rustic furniture to retailers across Australia. Their empire is now worth an estimated $8million, employing 40 staff in the shops, a warehouse and in administration. After enduring the early 2020 bushfires and the first Covid lockdowns, they have seen Few and Far's average monthly turnover double since the pandemic. Ms Solberg, now 38, said an influx of new baby boomers and young families moving to the South Coast from Sydney had boosted demand for their unique furniture. Before becoming a parent Tara Solberg was a 26-year-old graphic designer for surf brand Ocean and Earth who was considering taking over a pizza shop on the NSW South Coast But turned off by the idea of spending hours chopping up vegetables, she and her husband Danny (right), then a work colleague, instead turned their minds to homewares and set up Few and Far in 2009 'All of those stores were located in regional areas and they were the areas that people were choosing to visit or to holiday in because we can't travel internationally,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'We had a big kind of influx because of that but also because a lot of the people from Sydney or the city areas were moving into their holiday houses and the area had some significant growth. 'We've got a lot of people moving down.' Property prices in regional New South Wales have surged by 21.2 per cent during the past year, compared with 15 per cent in Sydney, CoreLogic data for June showed. The influx of new people to the South Coast has really boosted demand for things like sofas. Ms Solberg, now 38, said an influx of new baby boomers and young families to the South Coast from Sydney had boosted demand for their unique furniture Running a business and raising two children - son Jonah, 7, and daughter Sari, 4 - can be a challenge, with long hours involved 'They're realising that the sofa they're sitting on isn't quite so comfortable or it's in need of an update,' Ms Solberg said. Running a business and raising two children - son Jonah, 7, and daughter Sari, 4 - can be a challenge, with long hours involved. They were deprived of revenue during the bushfires of late 2019 and early 2020 that ravaged the South Coast and then missed out on customers during last year's Easter lockdowns that kept Sydney visitors away. Ms Solberg said the first lockdowns helped online sales and saw demand soar for a video conferencing service offering home decorating advice. Through hard work, Tara Solberg (pictured) and her husband Danny now run four stores south of Sydney at Huskisson, Berry and Bowral, along with a whole business Indigo Love which supplies furniture to retailers across Australia. Whatever the pandemic throws up - with lockdowns in Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast extended for another week - the businesswoman said she was prepared. 'We've learnt to pivot when we have to,' she said. 'In a regional area, definitely you have to start with a vision, you have to have a strong vision and a passion. 'If you don't have passion, you're never going to really succeed.' Monica Young always dreamed of becoming a teacher despite years of classroom bullying, sexual abuse in the playground and struggling with her grades. And yet, within three months of landing her dream role at an all-boys school in Sydney's southwest, she started to groom and sexually abuse a 'vulnerable' 14-year-old boy. The 24-year-old was sentenced in the New South Wales District Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a minor. Throughout the proceedings, the court heard details of her lonely six years of high school, beginning in grade seven when she was sexually assaulted by a peer. There was little sympathy for the convicted child abuser as she was led to her cell on Wednesday to begin her four year and nine month sentence, but Judge Kate Traill told the court she was given an insight into the root cause of the offending. Young struck up a relationship with the boy at the school where she was employed as his teacher, groomed him online and eventually encouraged him to have sex with her - on and off campus - on several occasions. He was too young to give consent and has since told the court the offending ruined his life. Monica Elizabeth Young, 24, was supported by family as she arrived at NSW District Court on Wednesday to learn her fate after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a minor Despite the serious claims levelled against him, Young's ex maintains he will continue to offer her support even while behind bars - and despite the fact that she is now single The boy was forced to drop out of school after his peers found out, and his relationship with his brother, parents and extended family has been strained by the proceedings. The court heard that Young admitted to knowing the feeling. When she was aged 12 and in grade seven, a boy of a similar age sexually assaulted her by pulling her by the ponytail to his crotch area, and holding her face there. She reported the assault and the boy was subsequently expelled from school. But her peers, she claims, bullied her incessantly for 'being a snitch' after the assault and the court heard Young struggled to make any friends at school in the years to follow. One of her only friends came when she was in year 12 and studying for her HSC with dreams of becoming a school teacher. The friend was a boy two grades younger than her who repeated year 10 because he struggled academically. He sought her out and what begun as a tutoring dynamic developed into a close friendship. Young entered court prepared to be sentenced to a custodial sentence. Throughout the proceedings, the court heard details of a desperately sad and lonely six years of high school, beginning in grade seven when she was sexually assaulted by a peer There was little sympathy for the convicted child abuser as she was led to her cell on Wednesday to begin her four year and nine month sentence, but Judge Kate Traill told the court she was given an insight into the root cause of the offending Eventually the duo became involved romantically, but his traditional Lebanese, Muslim family never approved. Young agreed to a bureaucratic conversion to Islam in an attempt to gain their trust and with that came concessions for the relationship. She was able to begin sleeping in the same room as her partner and travelling away on holidays together. They later got engaged and Young was again on the outer with his family, the court heard. A traditional Islamic ceremony took place, but the court heard the union is not recognised in Australian law. Young's lawyer claims the relationship soured when her partner began cheating on her, took control of her finances, isolated her from friends and family and 'became abusive'. He denies the allegations, telling Daily Mail Australia he has 'the utmost respect for women' and only ever treated Young the same way he would want his mother or sister to be treated in a relationship. Young expected to be sentenced two weeks ago but the judge delayed proceedings to consider the outcome When she finally landed her first job at an all boys high school in Sydney's southwest, she was a new graduate specialising in PDHPE, which is a highly coveted role among teachers. Pictured on her way to Bankstown Police Station while she was on bail Despite the serious claims levelled against him, Young's ex maintains he will continue to offer her support even while behind bars - and despite the fact that she is now single. But he won't be paying her a visit any time soon, acknowledging inmates get little time to accept visitors and that her immediate family deserve priority access to her. The court previously heard that Young was not particularly bright, exemplified by her Higher School Certificate ATAR score of just 44. That mark is just 14 points shy of a 'mystery mark' - a black dot which is generally issued on the testamurs of students who score 30 or below. Most teaching degrees in Australia have a minimum ATAR acceptance ranking of about 65, but schools have been known to accept lower scores in recent years. Young's lawyer, Margaret Cunneen SC, previously told the court she would not be considered a 'mature person' for somebody her age and struggled to develop both academically and socially. On one occasion, she sent a message to the victim which read: 'It's dangerous if we get caught, but if you do it it'll be worth it' Read the raunchy texts Young sent her victim begging for sordid hook-ups before having sex with the boy in the school's stairwell - and even a classroom while the rest of the year nine class watched DISNEY Young initiated contact with the boy on Snapchat, sending him a message which asked him to 'send pics' in exchange for provocative photos of herself, the NSW District Court's agreed set of facts reveal. She would also FaceTime the year nine student as she performed sex acts on herself. Young struck up a relationship with a boy who she taught six times a fortnight in geography, PDHPE and science when they began communicating closely because of the Covid lockdown which shut the school. On one occasion, she messaged him asking him to hug her at school the next day, and when he didn't, she sent a follow up accusing him of 'not having the balls'. The dare became a frequent tactic Young used to convince the boy to lure the boy into sexual liaisons. On another occasion, she sent a message which read: 'It's dangerous if we get caught, but if you do it it'll be worth it'. The duo exchanged messages about the sex acts they wanted to perform on each other, with Young initiated the 'sexting' on several occasions. The most brazen of her offending occurred inside the school's classrooms, once where she messaged her victim to meet him in an English room to perform a sex act on him, and a second time where she groped the boy at the back of the classroom while the rest of the year nine class watched Disney movie, WALL-E. During the movie, a friend of the boy even sat on the other side of him as the sex act took place. The victim was also encouraged to lie about his whereabouts, telling his mother on one occasion he stayed back late at school to get help on an assignment, and even skipped afternoon classes to spend time with Young. On the last day of school, the duo met on the staircase at 3.20pm to kiss goodbye, and Young performed oral sex on the 14-year-old. She then returned to the staff room, the statement of facts read. Advertisement When she finally landed her first job at an all boys high school in Sydney's southwest, she was a new graduate specialising in PDHPE, a coveted role among teachers. Instead, she was assigned 23 geography classes, with a smattering of science and PDHPE classes. When she took to the stand during her sentencing hearing two weeks ago, she admitted to being overwhelmed by the workload. Young didn't want to admit she was struggling and ask for help, so she did her best to stay one page ahead of her students by studying the textbooks and teachers' notes each night before class. Within three weeks, the Covid pandemic closed the schools and Young, along with all of her students, was forced online. It was during this time that the line between student and teacher was 'criminally blurred', and after years of struggling to bond with people her own age, Young claims she befriended her victim. Young arrived at court more than an hour early ahead of her sentencing on Wednesday, rugged up in the same black jacked she wore on her last appearance, with her mother at her side Young initially maintainedher innocence before changing her plea to guilty early in 2021 But there was no 'friendship'. The boy admitted in a victim impact statement supplied to the court that he never expected Young could hurt him and that he learned to trust her. To him, she was the 'cool' teacher. She sought him out on Snapchat and the relationship progressed from there. At one point, there was a group chat between Young, the victim and his friend, the court heard. They had sex on multiple occasions between June 24 and July 6 2020, including at least twice on the school's grounds and once in her car at a local park. On one occasion, she messaged him asking him to hug her at school the next day, and when he didn't, she sent a follow up accusing him of 'not having the balls'. The dare became a frequent tactic Young used to convince the boy to lure the boy into sexual liaisons. Monica Young always dreamed of becoming a teacher, despite enduring years of classroom bullying, sexual abuse in the playground and struggling to get her grades up Teenage sexual abuse victim reveals how his life was 'ruined' In a victim impact statement read to the court, the boy described how his relationship with his brother, parents, only friend and cousin deteriorated when they found out about his relationship with Young. The boy said he 'feels like a failure who let his entire family down' and has only recently realised the extent of the abuse. 'He says the offender has ruined his dreams ruined his school and his relationship with his family and friends and trust in others and ruined his life,' Judge Traill said. The court heard the boy constantly hears his parents bicker and blame each other for not noticing the abuse sooner. His brother 'hates him for embarrassing him in front of his friends at school' and the victim says he can no longer go on family holidays due to a strained relationship with extended family. The victim never returned to the school he once loved because all of his peers were aware of the court case, and he is now enrolled at TAFE, despite once having aspirations of becoming a physiotherapist. 'He struggles to smile about anything anymore,' the court heard. Advertisement On another occasion, she sent a message which read: 'It's dangerous if we get caught, but if you do it it'll be worth it'. The duo exchanged messages about the sex acts they wanted to perform on each other, with Young initiated the 'sexting' on several occasions. The most brazen of her offending occurred inside the school's classrooms, once where she messaged her victim to meet him in an English room to perform a sex act on him, and a second time where she groped the boy at the back of the classroom while the rest of the year nine class watched Disney movie, WALL-E. During the movie, a friend of the boy even sat on the other side of him as the sex act took place. On the last day of school, the duo met on the staircase at 3.20pm to kiss goodbye, and Young performed oral sex on the 14-year-old. At the beginning of her sentencing hearing, she tearfully told the court: 'I just never imagined I'd be one of those people I've never been in trouble with the law. I hope he and his family can forgive me. 'I was foolish.' Young had only just started her teaching career when the offences occurred between June 24 and July 6 last year She wrote an apologetic letter to the victim and his family in which she said she regrets letting the relationship progress and understands that both her victim and his family will carry the trauma of the offence 'for the rest of their lives'. 'I knew it was wrong, I knew my actions were inappropriate but I couldn't let myself believe it,' she said. 'He trusted me and I abused that trust.' On Wednesday, the court agreed. Judge Kate Traill described her offending as a 'violation of trust' before delivering her sentence. Young will be eligible for parole on October 31st, 2023. '[You] exploited his vulnerability and manipulated him,' Judge Traill said. Young was ultimately sentenced to four years and nine months' custody, but with time served she will be eligible for parole in a little more than two years. She will never be employed as a teacher again, and Judge Traill acknowledged she would need to be reintegrated into the community and her life post-sentence. 'But for these very serious offences she is a very impressive young lady she was in a very bad relationship and made very bad decisions,' Judge Traill said. Residents of a South Florida condo who were forced to evacuate over concerns about the building's structural integrity were allowed to return to retrieve essential items on Friday. North Miami Beach officials ordered the 156-unit Crestview Towers evacuated a week ago following an audit of high-rise buildings 40 years old or older. The audit was ordered in response to the collapse of the nearby Champlain Towers South condo complex in Surfside, which killed at least 64 and left 76 people missing in the rubble. Crestview Towers residents on Friday had just 15 minutes to pick up necessary items from their apartments while being escorted by a police officer. It came after the city dismissed a report from an engineer hired by the homeowners association which claimed that the building was structurally sound. Residents of Crestview Towers in North Miami had to evacuate last Friday but were allowed back to their apartments for just 15 minutes this Friday Residents could be seen hauling away their 'essentials' including clothing on luggage cards and trolleys Residents only had 15 minutes to gather precious belongings. They had to leave and enter the building with a police chaperone A woman can be seen hauling a luggage card across the street while another man makes use of a washing basket to get some of his previous belongings out of his apartment Police patrol outside of Crestview Towers, which was evacuated Friday after an audit prompted by the deadly collapse of Champlain Towers found the building structurally and electrical unsafe The city of North Miami Beach has deemed the Crestview Towers condo unsafe after a building inspection report from the condo association outlined unsafe structural and electrical conditions Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach is five miles away from the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South Condo building which was completely demolished last weekend On Thursday, city officials reaffirmed the decision to evacuate the building, saying it still hasn't been deemed safe for occupation. The city released records showing more than $500,000 in fines for illegal construction, electrical problems and 18 different fire code violations. Officials said the building must stay unoccupied until the condo association submits a new 40-year recertification report that addresses all structural and electrical issues. The building is about five miles from the site of the condo in Surfside, which collapsed on June 24. A resident of the Crestview Towers Condominium carries some belongings as he leaves the building which was deemed unsafe last Friday The audit found that Crestview Towers, which was built in 1972, had been deemed unsafe in January, officials said. In documents presented to the city by condo officials on Monday, surveys by an engineering firm and an electrical engineer concluded the building's integrity has not been compromised by structural deficiencies. The problems were outlined in the 40-year certification review the association filed in January, according to city officials. An engineer retained by the board in January had concluded the building was structurally and electrically unsafe for occupancy. The city said it rejected the condo association's response because the documents didn't comply with the 40-year certification process or address the issues raised in January. It is the only building so far to be evacuated since municipal officials in South Florida, and statewide, began scrutinizing older high-rises to ensure that substantial structural problems are not being ignored. Advertisement Britain could run out of people to vaccinate with AstraZeneca's Covid jab within the month, official figures suggest. The number of people receiving a first dose of the UK-made jab has already ground to a halt, with just 100,000 dished out last month compared to 2million per week in March. Around 3m Britons are still waiting on their second jab, but the Government has shortened the gap between doses to eight weeks, which means most of should get the follow-up injection this month. MailOnline has analysed data from the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which provides a weekly update on how many doses of each brand was deployed. Only people over the age of 40 are being offered AstraZeneca due to its link to rare but deadly blood clots in the young, which has seen its demand tumble since spring. Over-40s have been coming forward for the jab since April. The MHRA data shows two million first doses of AstraZeneca were being injected into arms per week in March before slowing to 300,000 in May. But just 100,000 first doses were deployed during the entire month of June. In total, 24.6m people had received their first AstraZeneca vaccine by June 30, the latest week for which data is available, and 21.5m had been fully vaccinated. It leaves 3.1m still to receive their second shot. Officials are administering 800,000 second doses of the British vaccine each week, which could see the remaining AstraZeneca patients protected by the end of this month. It comes after the Department of Health said that another 96,000 first and 175,000 second doses were dished out on Thursday. The latest figures mean 45.7m people are at least partially protected or 86 per cent of adults and 34.4m are fully immunised (65 per cent). Second doses have nearly caught up with first doses: In total, 24.6m people had received their first AstraZeneca vaccine by June 30, the latest week for which data is available, and 21.5m had been fully vaccinated. It leaves 3.1m still to receive their second shot. Officials are administering 800,000 second doses of the British vaccine each week, which could see the remaining AstraZeneca patients protected by the end of this month AstraZeneca was the UK Government's go-to vaccine when it was approved at the start of the year, because it was cheaper and easier to transport and store than Pfizer's, which was given the green light a month prior. At the peak in March, officials were administering 2m doses of AZ compared to 1m of Pfizer's in February It comes after the Department of Health said that another 96,000 first and 175,000 second doses were dished out on Thursday. It means that 45.7m people are at least partially protected or 86 per cent of adults and 34.4m are fully immunised (65 per cent) This graph shows the percentage of Britons in each age group who have received a first dose (green bar) and second dose (orange bar). Uptake is higher in older groups, who were invited for jabs earlier and are more at risk from the virus The Government will not completely abandon the AstraZeneca vaccine, of which it has bought 100m doses in total, even if it reaches all 3.1m remaining patients this month. There are still 1.8m over-40s in England alone who have not come forward for any vaccine, and AstraZeneca's would likely be used for them because Pfizer and Moderna's are being targeted for younger people. And ministers have put plans in motion for a booster vaccine programme in the autumn, which will see third jabs offered to everyone over the age of 50, NHS staff, carers and patients with underlying health conditions. Pfizer and AstraZeneca's jabs are 'just as effective' in the immunosuppressed and patients with underlying health conditions, real-world data shows Pfizer and AstraZeneca's vaccines are just as effective in people with underlying health conditions and the immunosuppressed, real-world data shows. There were lingering fears the jabs would work less well in those groups because they have a harder time mounting a strong immune response. But the first data from Britain's vaccine rollout shows both vaccines reduce the risk of symptomatic illness by about 74 per cent after two doses. Public Health England said the jabs were 'as effective... in the majority of people with underlying health conditions compared to the rest of the population. Even after one dose, vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease was around 60 per cent and did not fall substantially with age. An estimate for the jabs' impact on severe disease, hospitalisation and death has not yet been established but it is expected to be even higher. However, the analysis looked specifically at older versions of the virus and so the efficacy numbers could be slightly lower against the now-dominant Indian variant. Broken down, PHE said that after two doses for those aged 16 to 64, Pfizer/BioNTech offered 93 per cent protection, while AstraZeneca/Oxford offered 78 per cent. For those aged 65 and over, two doses of Pfizer gave 87 per cent protection while AstraZeneca offered 76 per cent. For people who are immunosuppressed, vaccine effectiveness after a second dose was 74 per cent, with similar protection to those who are not in an at-risk group. This rises from 4 per cent after a first dose, showing the importance of a second dose. Advertisement People are expected to be given a third shot of whatever brand their first two doses were, but officials have not ruled out mixing and matching doses, a tactic which studies suggest could give even better protection. AstraZeneca was the UK Government's go-to vaccine when it was approved in January because it was cheaper and easier to transport and store than Pfizer's, which was given the green light a month prior. But an investigation in early May found that the jab can trigger blood clots in very rare cases, mostly in young and healthy people. Despite the risk being small - about a one in 100,000 chance - the decision was taken by Government advisers to restrict its use in people under the age of 40. At the time of the announcement in May, 23.9m Britons had been given the jab compared to 11.7m jabbed with Pfizer's. Since then, fewer than a million first doses of AstraZenca have been deployed compared to 8m of Pfizer. The third vaccine being distributed in the UK by Moderna, which uses the same mRNA technology as Pfizer's, also became available in May and 1m people have since had a shot of the American jab. But supply issues with Pfizer and Moderna's jabs, combined with the restriction of the AstraZeneca's, has seen the country's rollout slow massively in recent weeks. Just 100,000 first doses are currently being dished out every day, half the rate seen a fortnight ago and a far cry from the 500,000 in March. Scientists have said that on top of supply and regulatory issues, younger people are more difficult to convince to come for a vaccine. Around 2million 18-24 year olds are still unvaccinated despite being made eligible in mid-June NHS vaccination data shows 60 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds had got their first dose by June 27, while among 25 to 29-year-olds it was 73 per cent. For comparison, 94 per cent of over-80s now have their first dose, and for 75 to 79-year-olds the rate is 90 per cent. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at Reading University, told MailOnline younger people were failing to turn up for jab appointments because they do not feel at risk from the virus. 'If the risk is low, as it is for younger ages, then the incentive is less, and less effort is made to go and get vaccinated, however easy that is. 'It is also a fact that 100 per cent vaccination cannot be reached as there will always be some groups who purposefully chose not to get vaccinated or are simply indifferent to it. 'That means there will be a tailing off in vaccination take-up and you are possibly seeing the start of that now.' Professor Jones called on everyone to make sure they get two doses of the vaccine. 'The main reason to get vaccinated is to prevent spread,' he said. 'As more and more people are immune the virus has nowhere to go and will naturally decline. But this cannot occur while a large pool of immunologically naive (those without Covid-fighting antibodies) remains.' Despite some concern among scientists about uptake in young people, Boris Johnson is pressing ahead with July 19 Freedom Day, when most of the remaining lockdown curbs will be lifted. Announcing the plans this week at a Downing Street press conference, he also revealed that 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. Ministers are also considering whether to roll out third vaccines this autumn in a booster vaccine programme. 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. Originally, both AstraZeneca and Pfizer's vaccines were approved to be dished out in three-week intervals because that was the gap tested in the research trials. But No10's scientists pushed the regimen back to 12 weeks to get wider protection in winter, when the second wave started to take off. Studies since have shown both jabs actually perform slightly better when the doses are spaced out for longer than a month. Hervis Rogers, 62, was taken into custody in Houston on Friday on two counts of illegal voting, a second-degree felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years A Texas Democrat who received widespread attention after standing in line for six hours to vote in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary has been jailed on illegal voting charges 'because he was on probation for burglary when he cast his ballot'. Hervis Rogers, 62, was taken into custody in Houston on Friday on two counts of illegal voting, a second-degree felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. His bail was set at $100,000. In March 2020, Rogers became an overnight face of Texas' battle over voting access when he emerged from a polling center in Houston around 1:30 a.m. He was among Super Tuesday voters who waited hours in line in mostly minority, Democratic neighborhoods. Lines in mostly white, Republican neighborhoods were shorter. 'The way it was set up, it was like it was set up for me to walk away,' Rogers told reporters in comments carried by multiple news outlets at the time. However, unbeknownst to the media a the time, Rogers was still on parole from a felony burglary conviction, making him ineligible to cast a ballot under Texas law. Hervis Rogers, the last voter standing (well, actually sitting because he carried a chair with him), has entered the voting room. Nicole Hensley (@nkhensley) March 4, 2020 People are pictured in long lines waiting to vote on Super Tuesday, March 3 2020, at Texas Southern University in Houston. Rogers was among those who waited The Lone Star State's law states that a felon can only vote one they have 'fully discharged the felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision'. According to court records, Rogers' parole began in 2004 and expired in June 2020 - three months after he cast his ballot. Andre Segura, an attorney for the ACLU of Texas who is representing Rogers, said his client did not know he was ineligible to vote. He drew comparisons to Crystal Mason, a Fort Worth woman who was sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot while on probation in 2016, who also said she was unaware she could not. 'Mr. Rogers made headlines after waiting hours for what he thought was his civic duty, and was very proud of that,' Segura told The Associated Press. 'We shouldn't be prosecuting people for innocent mistakes.' In March 2020, Rogers became an overnight face of Texas' battle over voting access when he emerged from a polling center in Houston around 1:30am Voters lined up for hours on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at Texas Southern University in Houston to cast their vote in the Democratic presidential primary The rare arrest on illegal voting allegations comes as Texas Republicans begin a second attempt at passing many of the same restrictive voting measures blocked by Democrats during a dramatic late-night walkout in May. Texas is the biggest state where Republicans have vowed to make voting changes since Donald Trump's repeated claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election. Courts records show Rogers is being prosecuted by the office of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has pledged to pursue election fraud cases. Elections officials in Houston blamed the long lines on the local Republican Partys refusal to hold a joint primary with the Democrats. GOP leaders accused the county of trying to shift the blame, saying county officials who allocated both parties an equal number of voting machines disregarded warnings about turnout for the hotly contested Democratic presidential primary. This weekend, Texas Republicans may begin advancing their revived election bills at the state Capitol. One provision would require courts to explain to defendants how a felony convictions impacts their right to vote, a change Democratic state Rep. John Bucy has pushed in the aftermath of Mason's sentence. 'Intent is vital,' Bucy told The Associated Press. 'We've got to really keep pushing back on these bills, because a lot of what they're trying to do could criminalize mistakes.' A GoFundMe page for Rogers has now been set up to pay for his legal costs. More than $100,000 has already been raised. A five-year-old girl has been found alive 36 hours after she went missing while out on a banana boat ride with her grandmother, their dog and 11 others. Australian child Lilycae Kilvert who lives in Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea, left the island's capital of Buka on the dinghy on Wednesday morning. When their boat never arrived on the island of Nissan, it wasn't until Thursday night when Lilycae's father Andrew Kilvert received the terrifying news that his daughter was missing. But just as the worried father was loading his boat ready to go out and search for his family, he received the call that the dinghy carrying Lilycae and the others had arrived on a remote island around 50km north of where they were supposed to land. An Australian five-year-old girl has been found alive on a remote island after she and 12 others went missing while sailing from Buka to Nissan in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (pictured are boats in Buka) 'Normally, I absolutely forbid my children getting in these banana boats,' Mr Kilvert told the ABC. 'But she was just so excited to go with her Grandma back to the island, that I said, ''Well look, it's really calm weather conditions so I will make an exception this time''. And anyway, it was the wrong exception.' Mr Kilvert has been living in Bougainville island for 30 years and runs a local boat service company. He said the waters around the island can be very rough and dangerous, and he's been called to rescue groups that set off on banana boats several times. 'You've got a chain of volcanoes that are hanging out of deep oceans, they get huge currents that are swirling through, and so it's difficult to predict the drift,' he said. The father, who is Australian, started the 20-hour journey to retrieve his little girl on Friday morning. Mr Kilvert has been living in Bougainville island for 30 years and says the waters around the island are very dangerous with several groups having gone missing in recent years There's been several reports of missing boats and travellers in waters off Bougainville. In February last year a group of 12 passengers left the island to travel 100km away to Carteret Islands when their motorised canoe capsized. The group ended up stranded at sea for 32 days with just four passengers surviving. Among the eight who died included a baby. Last August another group of 12 travellers went missing while sailing between Nissan and Buka. Reports confirmed the group were still unaccounted for in December. Luke Stolarzyk, 32, is alleged to have fired 29 bullets at a Portland, Oregon apartment building. He is pictured in his booking photo with two black eyes after residents beat him A Portland shooting suspect was tied up by his would-be victims after one of them snuck up on him while he threatened to continue firing at an apartment block. Luke Stolarzyk, 32, had allegedly fired more than two dozen rounds 'indiscriminately' at a building in the southwest of the city, using a handgun. Neighbors were all woken up by the disturbance which occurred around 1am on June 29th as the gunman fired 29 bullets before one resident decided to try and tackle the gunman himself. Stolarzyk, who lived next door to the building his is accused of firing at, is said to have briefly left the scene and swapped his handgun for an AR-15. The shooter was the only one injured in the incident after residents hogtied and beat him up before police arrived. One woman, Peroz Khoshnaw, could have been struck by gunfire had she not been on her knees saying her prayers. 'When she finished her prayer, she turns around and sees smoke coming out of her bedroom,' daughter Rezan Khoshnaw told KOIN 6 News. Rezan explained how the walls and windows of her mother's apartment are pockmarked with 10 bullet holes with the bed also being struck. 'We were lucky that my kids were not here that night,' Rezan said, 'and she was praying.' Fellow resident John Dickson saw the suspect with a gun and green laser and went outside, slowly creeping up on Stolarzyk from behind. Dickson struck the gunman, knocking him out before other residents rushed in to help disarm and detain him. Stolarzyk is alleged to have fired 29 bullets with some striking the side of the building or the windows Fox 32 reports Stolarzyk as having been beaten up as he was 'subdued'. Dickson managed to wrestle the gun away, almost getting shot in the process. He then continued to pummel Stolarzyk with his fists until he was unconscious, according to the affidavit as seen by Fox. He was the only person injured, according to the Portland Police Bureau. A booking photo shows Stolarzyk pictured together with two black eyes and bruises to his face. Nearby cars were struck by some of the 29 bullets. Bullet holes could also be seen in the side of the building The window of one resident's apartment appears completely shattered having been hit several times by bullets Surveillance video also shows Stolarzyk firing at a man who was running through the parking lot. By the time officers arrived at the apartment building after a number of 911 calls, 'several people [were] standing around the defendant, who was hogtied and had been beaten up.' The incident is said to have begun over a dispute over a dog and noise between Stolarzyk and another neighbor, Kenneth Nelson. Police reported they found 29 shell casings together with an AR-15 at the scene. Bullet holes were also found in the side of cars, in the wall of apartments and in windows which shattered. A handgun was found at Stolarzyk's apartment in building next door. Officers took Stolarzyk to hospital. He was charged with multiple counts of unlawful use of a weapon, criminal mischief and discharging a firearm. Earlier this week, additional charges were also filed including attempted murder and nine counts of reckless endangerment with his bond set at $250,000. Roberts-Smith, 42, is suing three newspapers in the Federal Court in Sydney over claims in 2018 media reports he says paint him as a criminal who broke the moral and legal rules of engagement during his military deployments Ben Roberts-Smith was sent a letter by a 'friend at 7' urging him to end his affair, as explosive text messages between the war hero and his mistress are revealed. Roberts-Smith, 42, is suing three newspapers in the Federal Court in Sydney over claims in 2018 media reports he says paint him as a criminal who broke the moral and legal rules of engagement during his military deployments. Australia's most decorated soldier is also pursuing the outlets over an allegation he assaulted a woman at a Canberra hotel. An anonymous letter - part of a collection of documents released by the federal court on Friday - questions why the 42-year-old is 'risking everything' for the affair and tells the warrior to 'save your marriage and family'. 'Dear Ben, I can imagine what you were doing with another lady (other than Emma) at Suite 991 Hyatt Regency in Sydney for 3 nights from Sunday 19 November to Wednesday 22 November,' the letter, which was sent to Roberts-Smith's family home that he shared with his then-wife and two young kids, reads. 'People saw you there. It's on your credit card and phone records. 'Why are you risking everything that you have built in your life your wife/marriage, your daughters/family, your career, our reputation?' An anonymous letter released by the federal court addressed to Roberts-Smith questions why the 42-year-old is 'risking everything' for an affair with another woman Ben Roberts-Smith (pictured with his new girlfriend Sarah Matulin earlier this year) was sent a letter by a 'friend at 7' urging him to end his affair The anonymous author, who claims to be a friend at Channel 7, asks Roberts-Smith to reconsider the affair to protect his family and his image. 'You need to stop and maintain your high standards and reignite your love/marriage with Emma. It's not too late yet. 'Try more marriage counselling. Save your marriage and your family please. 'A friend at 7.' Also released on Friday by the federal court were a series of texts between the Victoria Cross recipient and his mistress, referred to in court as Person 17. Roberts-Smith is accused of assaulting the woman at an event in Parliament House in Canberra, something he denies. Asked in court if he punched the woman in the temple causing her to stagger and fall onto a bed in a Canberra hotel room in March 2018, Mr Roberts-Smith said: 'I've never struck any woman and I certainly didn't strike Person 17'. 'This a complete fabrication,' he told the court. He also denied photographing Person 17 while naked and asleep and later showing her the photos with the intention of having a 'hold over her'. Text messages released by the federal court between the 42-year-old former soldier and his mistress reveal their conversation immediately following the alleged assault Text messages between the 42-year-old former soldier and his mistress released by the federal court reveal their conversation on the night of the alleged assault. The pair are speaking about her injuries and whether Person 17's husband suspects they had been together. 'I feel awful. I made a doctor's appointment for this afternoon after speaking to (Person 17's husband) and sent him a photo,' the woman writes. Roberts-Smith asks his mistress: 'Does he think I did it?' before she confirms, saying her husband is also skeptical of her explanation of falling down stairs. 'Yeah, he did to begin with and he didn't believe I had fallen down stairs. I just told him what we talked about,' she replied. 'I've got some other bruises including a massive one on my thigh on the same side of my body which will hopefully make the falling story more believable. 'I think having my period will also work in my favour in terms of convincing him I wasn't with you.' The war hero replies: 'OK well hopefully he believes you.' A week later the pair speak via text message again, with Person 17 telling Roberts-Smith not to attempt 'intimidation or payback' and says she has plans 'in the event anything should happen to me or my family'. 'You have been holding this over me since last year... what you have done, this is outright blackmail,' Roberts-Smith messages his lover. 'No. It most certainly is not blackmail. I'm not asking for anything from you,' she replies. 'Please don't waste your time with intimidation or payback either. 'The benefit of seeing what you were capable of a few weeks back and knowing the threats you've made to me since is that I immediately put in place 'insurance' in the event anything should happen to me or my family.' His mistress encourages him to attempt to rebuild his marriage, saying his marriage 'is strong and you love each other'. Roberts-Smith's ex-wife, Emma Roberts, and Person 17 are both set to testify against him. The 'friend' at Channel 7 asks Roberts-Smith to reconsider the affair to protect his family and his image The war hero, who completed six tours of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012, denies all claims. His accusers maintain they are true The war hero, who completed six tours of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012, denies all claims. His accusers maintain they are true. On Tuesday, the landmark trial was adjourned in its fourth week for at least a month after Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak prevented the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times opening their defence. It nonetheless gives Mr Roberts-Smith time to gather his forces after a lengthy stint in the witness box laying out his case against the papers. Bruce McClintock SC opened by painting the Victoria Cross winner as a courageous, highly organised and disciplined leader who risked his life in battle under the SAS motto 'Who Dares Wins'. In what is expected to be the veteran barrister's final trial, Mr McClintock described the 2010 Battle of Tizak, where Mr Roberts-Smith earned his VC, as a 'high water mark' for the SAS and his client's devotion to duty and self-sacrifice. He also alleged the defamatory articles were the result of a lying campaign against Mr Roberts-Smith by soldiers jealous of his stellar career and achievements. Mr McClintock submitted his client lost hundreds of thousands of dollars after his reputation was smashed by the media reports and his speaking business 'evaporated'. When he took the stand himself as first witness, Mr Roberts-Smith told the court the VC made him a tall poppy within the SAS and served to broaden attacks on him from envious associates out of 'pure spite'. 'It put a target on my back,' he told the court. A week later the pair speak via text message again, with Person 17 telling Roberts-Smith not to attempt 'intimidation or payback', the court documents read The two-metre tall former corporal said the media reports left him devastated. He also stridently defended his actions at several key engagements in Afghanistan that are the subject of the serious misconduct claims against him. Mr Roberts-Smith told the trial of an April 2009 SAS mission in Uruzgan where he says two insurgents were killed near a compound known as Whiskey 108. The respondents allege what in fact occurred was that two unarmed Afghans - one a man with a prosthetic leg - were brought out of a tunnel and taken prisoner. The outlets claim an SAS soldier, codenamed Person Four, shot the older Afghan in the head with a silenced firearm on the orders of another SAS operator, codenamed Person Five. They allege Mr Roberts-Smith carried the Afghan with the fake leg out of the compound and shot him with an extended burst of machine gun fire. Mr Roberts-Smith vehemently denied the claim. 'There were no men in the tunnel,' he said under oath. The two-metre tall former corporal lost hundreds of thousands of dollars after his reputation was smashed by the media reports, his trial heard Another engagement where versions are diametrically opposed centres on an SAS mission in the village of Darwan, also in Uruzgan province, on September 11, 2012. On Mr Roberts-Smith's version, he moved up an embankment with another soldier, person 11, and engaged an insurgent 'spotter' in a cornfield. Mr Roberts-Smith maintains he fired at the insurgent who was moving around in the field and later found a radio, known as an ICOM, near the fighter's body. But that scenario was queried by the respondents' barrister, Nicholas Owens SC, who suggested in cross-examination the man was handcuffed, kicked off a cliff, dragged across a creek bed into the cornfield and shot. 'That is completely false,' Mr Roberts-Smith told the court. The trial has also been told of alleged assaults on Afghans, accusations Mr Roberts-Smith bullied another trooper and the practice of soldiers at the SAS pub in Afghanistan known as the 'Fat Lady's Arms' drinking from the prosthetic leg of the man killed at Whiskey 108. Mr Roberts-Smith denies ever drinking from the leg but concedes possessing two engraved glass replicas of the leg given to members of his squadron. Australia's most acclaimed living soldier has also denied, after his exit from the SAS, writing threatening letters to another SAS veteran, burying USBs with secret material in his backyard or dousing his laptop with petrol and burning it out of panic. 'When I'm getting rid of a laptop that's what I do', he told the court. Once the trial resumes, it is expected to hear evidence from 21 current and former SAS members, and several Afghan villagers. It has already heard from former Liberal MP Brendan Nelson - a reputation witness for the applicant - who described Mr Roberts-Smith as the most respected, admired and revered soldier Australian soldier in half a century, since Vietnam veteran Keith Payne VC. Other notable witnesses set to testify include federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie and Mr Roberts-Smith's ex-wife Emma Roberts. The matter is next listed for mention on July 19 before Justice Anthony Besanko. A Baltimore police officer allegedly hid the body of his teenage stepson in a wall of his home's loft before trying to grab gun away from cop during his arrest. Eric G Banks Jr, an officer with the Baltimore Police Department who had already been suspended from the force, is facing a number of charges including assault and resisting arrest for the encounter with Anne Arundel County police. Officers received a complainant from the mother of Dasan Jones, 15, regarding a child custody dispute with the boy's stepfather, Banks, at 4.56pm on Tuesday, the department said in a press release. Cops were initially told by Banks, 34, that Dasan had departed the home in the 1400 block of Stoney Point Way in Curtis Bay, leaving his belongings behind. When officers went to the home to conduct a welfare check on the teenager, they found him unresponsive in the wall of the upstairs loft and tried to render aid until they were relieved by fire department personnel. It took five other officers to safely arrest Banks after he 'became combative and tried to disarm an officer' by trying to take her Glock 17 handgun from her holster, Anne Arundel police said in the news release. Dasan Jones, 15, (pictured) was allegedly found in a hole in the wall of the loft at the home of Baltimore Police Officer Eric G Banks Jr It was not immediately clear when Dasan was declared dead. Details about the cause and manner of his death also remain unclear Banks has not yet been charged in relation to the boy's death Anne Arundel police said the cause of Dasan's death is under investigation by the state medical examiner's office In charging documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the officer wrote: 'Mr. Banks stated multiple times 'you're gonna have to end this' as we were wrestling over the firearm'.' It was not immediately clear when Dasan was declared dead. Details about the cause and manner of his death also remain unclear. Banks has not yet been charged with any crimes related to the teen's death. Anne Arundel police said the cause of Dasan's death is under investigation by the state medical examiner's office. The department called Dasan's death 'suspicious' in comments to WJZ. 'There appeared to be some things going on with the couple and there needed to be some space between them,' according to Sgt Kam Cooke. In the charging documents, prosecutors said Banks told cops searching for Dasan that a hole in the wall of the home's loft was his 'gun safe'. Cops found Dasan's body in a 'hole in the wall with a white cover leaning on it,' the documents state. Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show Banks had allegedly tried to grab a gun from an officer responding to a call at the home and that Dasan's body had been found in the wall of the home's loft Assistant State's Attorney Jason Miller said during a bail review hearing that Banks moved and hid his stepson's body, and that he had 'made statements that he is homicidal and suicidal', the Baltimore Sun reported. 'He admits to officers that he moved his son's body from one location in the home, and secreted it in another, Your Honor,' Miller said. 'He has shown that he is not afraid to resort to violence.' Banks and his attorney Warren Anthony Brown appeared by video conference for the hearing on Thursday, during which he was denied bail. Officials told the Baltimore Sun that he's being held in protective custody as a potential suicide risk. Officials said Banks had already been suspended from his job with pay before the encounter, though the reasoning was not immediately clear. He has since been suspended without pay. Sgt. Kam Cooke, pictured, with the Anne Arundel County Police Department said: 'There appeared to be some things going on with the couple and there needed to be some space between them' Cops were initially told by Banks that Dasan had left the home in the 1400 block of Stoney Point Way in Curtis Bay, leaving his belongings behind Police tried to render aid to Dasan until personnel with the fire department arrived Banks, 34, 'became combative and tried to disarm an officer' by trying to take her Glock 17 handgun from her holster It was not immediately clear if he will ultimately face charges relating to the death of the boy During the hearing, Brown noted Banks served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 11 years and had obtained the rank of sergeant before he was discharged in March 2018. Banks, who was deployed to Afghanistan three times, had won a number of service awards and medals. It was not immediately clear if he could also be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 'The deputy commissioner and I have been in communication with the chief of Anne Arundel County,' Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison told the Baltimore Sun. 'The officer was already suspended based on a previous incident and is now suspended without pay, pending the outcome of that criminal and administrative investigation.' Dasasn, pictures, was reportedly an accomplished violinist Banks has served with the Baltimore Police Department for three years and received a gross pay of $88,933 during the 2020 fiscal year, the Baltimore Sun reported. His wife filed a June 25 petition in Anne Arundel District Court for a protective order from him in which she accused him of stalking and 'emotional and mental abuse.' Banks' wife, in her petition for custody of Dasan and her two sons with him, claimed he owns two guns. She again filed documents for another order of protection just hours before her son's body was found, according to documents obtained by WBFF. 'I am in fear for my life and well being because Eric Banks keeps trying to control, follow and emotionally abuse myself and my sons,' she wrote in the documents. According to the Baltimore Sun, Dasan was a magnet student at Glen Burnie High School and an accomplished violin player. He was described as a quiet and kind boy. Kayla Wright, who went to school with Dasan, has started a GoFundMe on behalf of Latrice Banks. 'Hi, my name is Kayla I went to school with Dasan. He had such a good soul and it is such a tragedy that he had to leave us so soon and so young,' Wright wrote. 'I created this to help his family and his mother through this hard time. This is for his funeral expenses and extra cash for his family. I have used the platform I have to bring awareness to this tragedy and hope to raise the money to help as much as I and we can, thank you.' She added: 'Justice will be served and you will finally be in peace.' Tributes to Dasan have started to pour in on social media while friends and family mourn his death Joseph Aposhian, who identified himself as Dasan's cousin, posted a moving tribute to him on Facebook including photos of Dasan Aposhian wrote that Dasan, who seemingly went by DJ, had 'forever changed' his life Dasan, left, is pictured with members of his family in a post made to Facebook after his death Joseph Aposhian, who identified himself as Dasan's cousin, posted a moving tribute to him on Facebook. 'I couldn't believe that the news was true,' Aposhian wrote. 'And as I write these words, I can't help but ache, knowing that another beloved family member is gone too soon. The only comfort being that I know I will see them all again someday. Dasan, I LOVE YOU.' He continued: 'You weren't just my little cousin. You were family, my brother, and my closest friend.' 'I remember holding you on the day that you were born. We were almost 5 years apart to the day, and it made my world to know that I was gonna have my 1st cousin born so close to me. It was the greatest birthday present ever!!! And I knew from that moment, that we were gonna be best friends.' Aposhian wrote that Dasan, who seemingly went by DJ, had 'forever changed' his life. 'Being an only child, I ALWAYS wanted a brother...and I never got that. But when you came, I didn't care anymore cuz you were much better,' Aposhian wrote. 'You made me feel like I mattered, and that I WASN'T alone. You played Hot Wheels with me. Swam together. Rode bikes together. Watched movies together.' He added: 'You may have considered me your role model, but it was the other way around. I WILL ALWAYS LOOK UP TO YOU. I admire your Courage, your Honesty, your willingness to Speak Out, and your Vibrant Love for ALL.' Five million Sydneysiders could be stuck in lockdown until at least August, a leading infectious disease expert has claimed. Residents across Greater Sydney were hoping restrictions would be lifted on Saturday morning but now face the grim reality of five more weeks in isolation. Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said it would take 'at least a month' to get Covid numbers down and even longer to eliminate community transmission completely. Sydney could be in lockdown until at least August, as tensions mount over extra police attention in the city's Covid-hit west and south-west Mary-Louise McLaws, professor of epidemiology at UNSW, claimed it could be five weeks before community transmission of the Indian Delta variant of Covid 19 slows in Sydney Police patrol Bronte Beach on Saturday morning in Sydney. Lockdown restrictions have been tightened across NSW as COVID-19 cases continue to emerge in the community 'You expect cases, sadly, in family clusters, but the ones outside isolation are the ones that are telling you there's a lot of circulating virus,' she told Weekend Today. Poll Are residents in Sydney's south-west being unfairly blamed for the lockdown extension? Yes No Are residents in Sydney's south-west being unfairly blamed for the lockdown extension? Yes 66 votes No 92 votes Now share your opinion 'My projections are that it's going to take at least a month to get those down.' Professor McLaws said it was concerning to see over half of the new Covid cases detected not having isolated. 'At the moment that (proportion has) been very high, anywhere between a half of all people diagnosed to 60 per cent and that has to get down to zero.' Her grim warning comes as tensions mount in south-west Sydney, where 100 extra police officers have been sent to ensure compliance in worrying Covid hotspots. Furious residents in the targeted local government areas - Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool - have questioned why Sydney's eastern suburbs are not receiving the same police attention. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned there will likely be an increase in cases on Saturday, after 44 new infections were recorded on Friday Dramatic video emerged on Friday of Rami Ykmour - the founder of popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks Under the tough new rules, which came into effect at 5pm on Friday, exercise is limited to groups of two, browsing is banned at shops and residents can still only leave their homes for one of the four essential reasons. Hours earlier, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had announced the state recorded 44 new cases, marking the worst day of the current virus outbreak. Ms Berejiklian has warned to expect an even bigger spike in cases on Saturday. Backlash to the police response hit a low point on Thursday when a high-profile restaurant chain owner was dramatically arrested and charged during the crackdown in southwest Sydney. Shoppers are seen wearing face masks in the suburb of Fairfield on Friday. NSW Police today launched a high visibility operation across Sydney's southwestern suburbs to enforce compliance with public health orders Members of the public have already been arrested with officers spotted escorting a handcuffed man outside of a shopping centre in Fairfield Rami Ykmour - the founder of the hugely popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks at the company's head office at Chester Hill on Thursday. 'The sending in of police into Western Sydney is about signally that Australian citizens are not 'one of us' because they're from migrant backgrounds,' claimed Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. 'It's about saying we don't belong. That we someone care less about our families and communities.' 'It's debased dirty racism. Enough,' Mr Karapanagiotidis claimed. Some furious residents in Sydney's west claimed the decision to send extra police officers to the western suburbs was an example of 'debased racism' Social media reaction to police targeting South-Western Sydney pointed out there had been a less visible police presence in the city's Eastern suburbs A lawyer specialising in 'police accountability' with the Redfern Legal Advice Centre said a better response would be improved community support. 'Targeting communities in south-western Sydney with more police and more fines seems disproportionate and unjust,' said Samantha Lee, solicitor in the police accountability practice at Redfern Legal Centre. 'All communities need equal access to health information, resources and support to get through this difficult time. Increasing penalties to lower economic areas is not the answer.' Sydneysiders wait in a queue outside a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Homebush in Sydney on Wednesday But Gladys Berejiklian warned things could get tougher for Sydney. 'Unless there's a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can't see how we'll be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday,' the premier said. '(This is) the greatest threat we have faced in NSW since the pandemic started (and) at the moment the numbers are not heading in the right direction.' Twenty-nine of the cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday were in the community for some or all of their infectious period. The premier said a premature reopening of Greater Sydney would result in thousands of coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths. A police officer chats with a local shopkeeper in the suburb of Fairfield on Friday as the suburb faced an increased police presence as part of an operation to ensure the public is complying with public health orders A photo taken early on Saturday shows a near empty esplanade at Bondi Beach in Sydney, as the city faces a lockdown that could go on for several weeks into late August Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday advised Sydneysiders to 'push through' and comply with restrictions. 'Hopefully (the lockdown is) as brief as it can be, but as long as it has to be, to ensure that we suppress the virus and this most recent outbreak and we're able to get back to where we were a few weeks ago,' Mr Morrison told Nine's A Current Affair on Friday evening. The state's health department on Friday issued alerts for 30 more venues across Sydney. People arrive at a COVID-19 drive-through testing clinic in the suburb of Fairfield on Friday Several places are listed close contact exposure sites for periods of seven hours or longer. They include an Ikea at Tempe, where a staffer worked whilst infectious, and a construction site at Homebush. Seven furniture stores along the same road in Campbelltown have also been identified as venues of concern for visitors on Sunday afternoon. Other venues include Westfield Burwood, two Bunnings shops, in Randwick and Hoxton Park, a Miranda Service NSW, medical centres in Liverpool and Wetherill Park, and numerous supermarkets. The number of close contacts isolating across NSW doubled in 24 hours, from 7000 to 14,000, Ms Berejiklian said on Friday. Under the new restrictions, only one person per household may leave the home for shopping each day. Residents cannot exercise further than 10km from their home. Funerals will be limited to 10 people. Ten COVID-19 patients in NSW are in intensive care, with four ventilated - one person aged in their 20s. The day Maysem was taken away for re-education, she was not given a chance even to take a change of clothes. A phone message ordered her to report, like all Uyghur Muslim students in the Xinjiang region of north-west China, to the street administration centre in Kashgar. A local government officer told her that, because she had studied abroad, she needed to enrol for a month-long politics course. This was mandatory, and it began with immediate effect. A protest demonstration in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA. Since 2001, China has been waging its own war on terror, using extremism as an excuse to persecute the Uyghur Muslims The blindfolded and shackled detainees are from China's minority Uighur Muslims, according to a source. Video was posted anonymously on Twitter and YouTube As she left the building, she recognised a woman from her apartment block Mrs Ger, the designated neighbourhood watcher. Mrs Ger pulled her aside and said: This isnt my doing. Big changes are coming. Her voice was polite but menacing. Then Maysem was bundled into a car. The young Chinese student, whose passion for reading had always worried her parents, knew that the big changes had already begun. It was September 2016 and one week earlier a new governor had been appointed, Chen Quanguo. It was rumoured that he intended to crack down on the underground dissidents campaigning for political independence and greater freedom for Muslims. Protesters were being denounced as terrorists. Maysem was an observant Muslim but her social science studies, which had taken her to university in Turkey, were her consuming interest. As she was ordered into the back of a car, to be taken to the re-education centre, her main concern was that this compulsory month-long course would put her return to Turkey and the start of her final years postgraduate education at risk. It took only an hour to realise that the dangers ran much deeper than that. The car pulled up at a school outside the old city walls, but this school had soldiers in camouflage uniforms standing guard at the gates. Inside were policemen in black carrying assault rifles and spiked, electric-shock batons. Maysem was escorted from the vehicle to a pair of black iron doors where she was scanned with metal detectors. Above the entrance hung a sign: The defence of our nation is the duty of every citizen. The doors slammed shut behind her. On one was a slogan: I am a citizen. I love my country. I will make my nation great. She was ushered into a lobby with one receptionist and cameras in each corner of the room. Maysem began to explain that she had done nothing wrong, and asked why she had been brought here. Dont ask questions. You sit and wait, snapped the receptionist. Ten minutes later, a few dozen elderly, well-dressed men and women flooded in, escorted by guards. What is the meaning of this? shouted an older woman wearing ostentatious jewellery. Do you know who I am? My husband works for the vice-governor! Around ten officers in black SWAT uniforms stood at the front of the room. One announced the indoctrination sessions would run for six hours a day. Then he said: We have a problem. This place is getting dirty. We have to clean up. Who wants to volunteer? He pulled Maysem out of the crowd. You look like the youngest person here! You can wash the windows. When she protested that she was a student, not a cleaner, he asked her: Do you have any important relatives? Then he summoned another officer and said: Take her to the detention centre. After a short car journey, she was pushed through another set of steel doors and down a corridor this one decorated with murals of Muslim girls cowering before a veiled teacher. On the opposite wall were happy Han Chinese women, leading a class of beaming children. Protesters gather outside the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, ahead of a motion calling on Canada to recognise China's actions against ethnic Muslim Uighurs as genocide A Uyghur woman during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity Maysem was led into a walled compound. In the middle stood a medieval apparatus built from wood, iron and leather straps. With a shiver of horror, she realised this was an infamous tiger chair. It was around noon. A boiling August sun stood high in the sky. Ten guards surrounded her as she began to protest: Its a mistake, I shouldnt be here, Ive done nothing wrong, I come from a good family. Lets show this bitch whos boss, one of the guards said. Two of the men pushed her on the ground and pulled off her shoes. Slut! the guards shouted. Bitch! Whore! The guards picked Maysem up and dragged her to the chair. It forced her back upright, with her legs stretched along a bench at an excruciating, raised angle. Cuffs were fitted around her forearms and shins. The discomfort was extreme. We had all heard of the tiger chair. Thats how they make an example of you, torturing you by contorting your body, she told me. Other prisoners gathered round to watch. They were like patients whod recovered from the head trauma of a car crash and lost their personalities, she said. They didnt seem able to think, ask questions, show emotion or speak. They just watched me with an empty stare, and then they were herded away back into the building. The guards left Maysem in the sun until her skin reddened and burned. When they finally removed the straps, they ordered her to get on her feet. Youre going to raise your arms and stand still for another few hours, said one. He stood behind her with a baton. You know what happens if you move, he told her. How did I get here? she kept asking herself. In Xinjiang, a region in north-west China whose nearest borders are with Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, people call their dystopia the Situation. The majority of the regions population are Uyghurs (just under one per cent of Chinas 1.4 billion population) and since 2017, an estimated 1.1 million of them one in ten have been accused by the government of harbouring ideological viruses and terrorist thoughts, and taken away to hundreds of concentration camps. Once there, they are sentenced, without trial, to anything from a few months detention to seven or more years. Many of the camps were repurposed high schools and other buildings, turned into detention centres for torture, brainwashing, and indoctrination. Chinese policemen push Uighur women who are protesting at a street on July 7, 2009 in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region It is the largest internment of ethnic minorities since the Holocaust. Thanks to strenuous efforts by the Chinese government to suppress all reports of the Situation, the outside world knows little of it. But over three years, up to September 2020, I interviewed 168 Uyghur refugees, technology workers, government officials, researchers, academics, activists, and a former Chinese spy who was preparing to defect. Some requested that I use pseudonyms if I published their interviews. Their stories remained consistent down to fine details, in dates, places, addresses and names. Most of these details were verifiable on satellite imagery, in leaked Chinese state documents and in annual reports published online by Chinese corporations, and in my own observations and travels inside Xinjiang. Even for those who dont end up in a camp, daily life there is hellish. If youre a woman, you might wake up every morning next to a stranger appointed by the government to replace your partner who has been disappeared into a camp. The Chinese authorities maintain that when this happens, the men do not take advantage of the women. Every morning before work, this minder will teach your family the state virtues of loyalty, ideological purity, and harmonious relations with the Communist Party. Hell check on your progress by asking you questions, ensuring you havent been infected with what the government calls the viruses of the mind and the three evils: terrorism, separatism, and extremism. After your morning indoctrination, you may hear a knock on the door. The local neighbourhood watch official, appointed by the state to keep an eye on a block of ten homes, will check your house for irregularities, such as having more than three children or owning religious books. She might say that the neighbours reported you. At noon each day, if you are female, you are required to take a government-mandated birth control pill. Still, you are one of the lucky ones: the government frequently summons female co-workers to a local clinic for mandatory sterilisation. The government says it wants to cut down on minority birth rates, claiming it will lead to prosperity. If you drive to the petrol station or the grocery store to grab something for dinner, at each place you are required to scan your ID card at the entrance, in front of armed guards. A display next to the scanner flashes up the word trustworthy, meaning the government has declared you a good citizen, and you will be permitted entry. A person who receives the notification untrustworthy is denied entry and, after a quick check of records, may face further problems. Maybe the facial recognition cameras caught him praying in a mosque. Or the cameras recorded him buying a six-pack of beer and the artificial intelligence (AI) system suspects he has an alcohol problem. He may never know the reason. But everyone knows that any little hiccup can cause the state to lower your trustworthy ranking. Police officers approach and question him. They double-check his identity on their smartphones with a programme called the Integrated Joint Operations Platform, which consists of mass data gathered by the government on every citizen using millions of cameras, court records and citizen spies, all of it processed by AI. Under the predictive policing programme, the AI determines he will commit a crime in the future and recommends sending him to a camp. The police officers take him away. He may return at some point after a period of re-education, or he may never be seen again. If that happens to someone in the queue beside you or at work, it is best to take no notice. Someone else might report you, hoping for a reward from the government or a stronger trust ranking. That evening, at home, your children tell you about the party virtues of patriotism and harmony they learned that day in school. You dont argue over their lessons. The teacher told the students to report parents who didnt agree with them. After eating dinner and watching the evening news, in front of a government camera installed in the living room, you lie down in bed with your government minder. He has the power to do whatever he wants here in bed because he was sent by the state. If you resist his advances, he will invent an allegation and report you, and you will be sent to the camps. Since 2001, China has been waging its own war on terror, using extremism as an excuse to persecute the Uyghur Muslims. During the past 20 years, this has escalated into a programme to erase their entire identity, culture and history, and to force the assimilation of millions of people. You cant uproot all the weeds hidden among the crops in the field one by one. You need to spray chemicals to kill them all, one official said in January 2018. Re-educating these people is like spraying chemicals on the crops. As a young woman at college in Beijing, Maysem was never accepted as fully Chinese by her professors. She was pale-skinned and Uyghur, and thus foreign. Despite this, she earned high marks and even won permission to pursue a masters degree abroad, at Ankara in Turkey. There, she adopted the Islamic veil but when she announced she would continue to wear traditional Muslim dress on her return to China in 2014, her parents were horrified. Instead, they urged her to wear bright reds and pinks that were regarded both as feminine and as symbolic of good communist values. They also expected her to smile at police officers. A smile and a bright red dress were the surest way to win acceptance. But the red dress was not enough. While the family were staying at their holiday home in the country, a local party official knocked on the door. He had received reports from neighbours, he said, that their interior courtyard wall was painted light blue. Blue was symbolic of the Uyghur independence movement. The fact that Maysems family did not even own a Uyghur flag was irrelevant. The courtyard had to be repainted red, the trustworthy colour. People belonging to the Chinese Uyghur Moslem minority protest in Urumqi, China, in 2009 A few weeks later, Maysems mother answered the door to a group of policemen. Her daughter had been taken for re-education, they explained, to cleanse her mind of ideological viruses. Her mother immediately began calling friends and contacts, pleading to get Maysem released or at least moved to a centre where she would have more lenient treatment. Eventually, she spoke to an aide to the citys assistant mayor. My daughter has not been charged with any crime, she pointed out. The official was unconcerned. Why is your daughter special? he asked. We have to take care of 5,000 women in the centres. The orders come from the top, not from our office. It isnt something we can control. Maysem shared a cell with about 20 women, watched over by two cameras. The space was about the size of a living room, so that the women stood almost shoulder to shoulder. Most of them stared blankly into space, in silence. I didnt talk to them, and they didnt talk to me, she said. No one trusted anyone. The police appointed a cell boss, whose job was to manage the cell, watch the prisoners, and tell the guards if they broke any rules, like fighting with the other cellmates or not studying the propaganda hard enough. On the first night, Maysem couldnt sleep. Next to her bunk bed was a bucket which the female prisoners used throughout the night. The stench was awful. The alarm rang at 6am. Fluorescent lights went on and the women tumbled out of bed. After showering, they performed callisthenics and stretches while a female voice read instructions and propaganda over the loudspeakers. Now stretch to the right! Stretch to the left! Hold! Repeat after me! Love our Chairman Xi Jinping! Love the Communist Party! Let us free ourselves of the viruses in our minds! We must all be good patriots! Then the prisoners were ordered to stand behind a line and bend their knees, ready to sprint. A female guard shouted Go! and for one minute, the prisoners sprinted around the courtyard until they arrived at their prize: slices of mouldy bread laid out on plates on the ground. Those who ran too slowly got no breakfast. The days were filled with indoctrination classes. In one, the teacher placed two water bottles on the desk. One was empty and one was full. I say the full water bottle is full of water. I also think the empty bottle is full of water. What do you think? One student raised his hand and stood up: Both water bottles are full! This was the correct answer. In another test, detainees sat down in front of two tables. On the left-hand table were scattered models of a house and a yard. On the right-hand table were miniature AK-47 assault rifles and a grenade. Maysem was given no instructions. The teachers simply watched what she did. She worked out that the correct response was to rearrange the model house, trees, and bushes into a lifelike domestic layout. But if she touched the toy weapons, she failed the test. The bizarre logic was that only someone with terrorist tendencies would feel comfortable handling guns and grenades, even model ones. The punishment for failure was a day or more in isolation, followed by a repeat of the test, until her thoughts were harmonised. The guards told Maysem that, if her infected mind was not cured, she would be sentenced to forced labour the governments solution to the national shortage of factory workers. According to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang between 2017 and 2019, into labour programmes that benefited at least 83 Western companies including Amazon, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger. Maysems mother continued to campaign for her daughters release, but the breakthrough came when Maysem was shown a propaganda video that included a face she recognised. One of her tutors from college in Beijing was in handcuffs. His name was Ilham Tohti and seven years earlier, when Maysem was his student, he was a prominent economist and a respected Uyghur intellectual. He had since been sentenced to life imprisonment, accused of infecting the minds of the young. One by one, students in the video began to stand up and denounce him. Professor Tohti was a terrorist who infiltrated our minds, declared one. Now that Im at a re-education centre, the Party is teaching me to cleanse my mind of Ilham Tohtis virus. The three viruses of terrorism, extremism, and separatism once existed within me, proclaimed another student. The virus was spreading, thanks to Professor Ilham Tohti. But the Party cured me. The Party set me on the right course. Love the Party! Love the country! they chanted. Down with the scoundrel Ilham Tohti! Grasping what was expected of her, Maysem began to fill notebooks with declarations of remorse and contrition: I have reflected on the teachings of the Party. I was wrong. The Party is great. The nation is great. The Party is my father and mother, and the Party has corrected me. Three days later, she was released. Now she could use her re-education to her advantage, to convince officials that her mind was purified and that she could therefore resume her studies in Turkey. Weeks of form-filling followed, as she presented endless documents to bureaucrats: My birth certificate, housing registration, documents proving my attendance at my elementary school through university, even the death certificates of my grandmother and grandfather. Permission to fly was denied because she had not used her previous plane ticket. The officials did not care that she had missed that flight because she was in a detention centre. Eventually, she was allowed to board a bus for a four-day journey across the border into India. From there, she flew to Turkey. For the next few weeks, Maysem exchanged messages with her parents, assuring them that she was safe and studying hard. Her mother sent back snippets of news, via the state-approved WeChat app. They were both careful to include suitably patriotic slogans in their messages, promising that they loved the Party and Chairman Xi. One day, the tone of her mothers messages changed. Maysem guessed at once that they were now being written by an official. She pleaded to know what had happened. The messages ceased. Maysem is now certain that both her parents are in a detention centre and fears she will never see them again. The Perfect Police State by Geoffrey Cain is published by Public Affairs on July 22 at 25. Geoffrey Cain 2021. To order a copy for 21.25 (offer valid until July 25, 2021; UK P&P free), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Ministers are considering plans for a DNA database for dogs to help tackle a surge in pet thefts. A Whitehall source said there was growing interest in mimicking the National DNA Database, which has revolutionised crime fighting since its introduction in the mid-1990s. The new system would require owners to supply a DNA swab from a pets mouth to be stored on a database used by police and local authority officials. Ministers are considering plans for a DNA database for dogs to help tackle a surge in pet thefts. Picture: Stock It follows a rise in pet thefts during the pandemic when demand for puppies drove prices to record levels. Cocker spaniels and labradors were among thieves prime targets, Direct Line Pet Insurance found. Staffordshire bull terriers were the most sought after, with 97 stolen across the UK last year. While designer dogs, such as chihuahuas and French bulldogs, were also on the hit list. In February, Lady Gagas dog walker Ryan Fischer was shot in the chest in Los Angeles by thieves who took two of her French bulldogs. She offered a 359,000 reward and her pets were eventually found and returned. DogLost, which works to reunite owners with missing pets, said dog thefts rose by up to 250 per cent in the last year. Boris Johnson is said to be determined to tackle the scourge, which leaves families heartbroken. Ministers rejected a bid by Labour this week to make pet theft a specific crime, arguing that it would lead to shorter sentences. Cocker spaniels and labradors were among thieves prime targets, Direct Line Pet Insurance found. Picture: Stock However, they are considering changing sentencing guidelines to make it an aggravated offence under the Theft Act. The Whitehall source said: A DNA database for dogs may sound a bit daft but we might end up needing it. It is being looked at. Pet dogs already have to be microchipped by law. However, some dogs have health conditions which mean they cannot be microchipped, while callous thieves are increasingly cutting the chips out to make stolen pets untraceable. The system has also been hampered by the reliance on private suppliers which have databases in different formats storing information. Tory MP Andrew Griffith (pictured) introduced a bill on the issue this week Tory MP Andrew Griffith introduced a bill on the issue this week, saying a national database would bring joy to families and individuals, fight crime, improve biosecurity, help the UKs leadership in animal genomics and repay the loyalty of the nations faithful four-legged friends. He added the system would have a number of other benefits, including making it possible to track down irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to foul pavements and parks. Mr Griffith said trials by Barking and Dagenham Council in London found the problem was reduced by 60 per cent after pet owners were warned they could be traced through DNA. Last month, Gloucestershire Police became the first force in the country to begin using DNA to tackle dog thefts. The DNA Protected scheme enables dog owners in the county to register their pets DNA on a database which can be accessed by police forces across the country. Testing company Cellmark helped to develop the scheme, charging 74.99 for a swab kit. Chief inspector Emma MacDonald, of Gloucestershire Police, said: Dog theft can have a massive impact on the owner and their families as dogs are often seen as family members and we are committed to doing all that we can to prevent dog thefts from happening. Tuition fee cuts and student number caps are being considered by the Government as part of an overhaul of university funding. Minimum English and maths GCSE grades for degree courses could also be introduced. The Department for Education is due to publish its long-awaited consultation document in response to the 2019 Augar review of post-18 education and funding. Tuition fee cuts and student number caps are being considered by the Government as part of an overhaul of university funding. Minimum English and maths GCSE grades for degree courses could also be introduced It is expected to list potential policies designed to lower the cost to the Government of Englands student loan system. Options include student number caps, cutting undergraduate fees from 9,250-a-year to 7,500 and differential fees for courses such as maths, sciences and nursing to encourage uptake. Britain's largest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was hunted by a Russian submarine in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, it has emerged. In response to the stalking of the Royal Navy vessel and her carrier strike group, two Merlin Mk2 helicopters were deployed to search for the Russian submarine. The aircraft dropped sonobuoys into the water to search for the lurking vessel by detecting its sounds underwater, reports The Daily Telegraph. The Russian boat - believed to be a Kilo-class diesel powered attack submarine from the Black Sea fleet - is believed to have been stalking HMS Queen Elizabeth and her carrier strike group as she sailed off Cyprus last month. Her strike group includes two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates and two support vessels. Britain's largest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was hunted by a Russian submarine in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, it has emerged In response to the stalking of the Royal Navy vessel and her carrier strike group, two Merlin Mk2 helicopters were deployed to search for the Russian submarine. Pictured: A Merlin helicopter lands on HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth in May The Merlin helicopters dropped sonobuoys into the water to search for the lurking vessel by detecting its sounds underwater The cat and mouse chase reportedly occurred on June 27, just four days after HMS Defender was involved in confrontations with Russian forces in the Black Sea. The two Merlin Mk2 aircraft, hailed as the 'world's most potent hunting helicopter' by the Royal Navy, were deployed from HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Navy support vessel RFA Fort Victoria. Former Royal Navy submariner Ryan Ramsey told The Telegraph: 'Submarines aim not to be detected it stops you completing your tasks. 'Evasion in a submarine is really difficult when you're going up against something as capable as Merlin helicopters. The UK has always been really effective at anti-submarine warfare using ships, submarines and aviation. 'When I was teaching the submarine command course, Perisher, it was the Merlins that the student captains worried about the most. I'm sure the opposition are doing the same thing.' The Russian Navy is believed to have diesel-electric submarines in the Mediterranean, which is near their naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. The Russian boat - believed to be a Kilo-class diesel powered attack submarine from the Black Sea fleet - is believed to have been stalking HMS Queen Elizabeth and her carrier strike group as she sailed off Cyprus last month. Pictured: FIle image of a Russian diesel powered submarine Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, allowing Syrian President Bashar Assad's government to reclaim control over most of the country after a devastating civil war. The incident, which is believed to have occurred on June 27, occurred just days after Russia launched sweeping military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean Sea. The military drills featured warships capable of carrying hypersonic missiles and several warships. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkob at the time warned Britain and the US that Russia will defend its borders using 'all possible means' including military force and accused the two countries of trying to incite conflict in the Black Sea. Moscow had also warned the UK it would bomb British naval ships in the Black Sea if what it called provocative actions by the British navy were repeated off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on whether the incident occurred but told the publication that there are 'robust measures' are in place to protect the carrier strike group. The MoD said: 'We do not comment on operational matters of this kind, but can confirm that robust measures are in place to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth and the ships of the UK Carrier Strike Group.' Since the reported incident HMS Queen Elizabeth has been sailing through the Suez Canal for the first time as it crosses from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea as part of its maiden deployment. HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain's largest aircraft carrier, has sailed through the Suez Canal for the first time during her maiden deployment alongside her carrier strike group The 3billion vessel - affectionately dubbed 'Big Lizzie' - was pictured sailing through the strategic Egyptian waterway on Tuesday alongside her carrier strike group which includes two Type 45 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates and two support vessels. Among them are HMS Defender and Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen, two vessels which were involved in recent confrontations with Russian forces in the Black Sea. Also present is American destroyer USS The Sullivans. The voyage takes the Elizabeth and her carrier group into dangerous waters that have been the site of clandestine fighting between Iran and its proxies and western-allied nations in recent years. In April, an Iranian vessel suspected of being a spy ship was blasted by a limpet mine as it was anchored off Yemen's Red Sea coast. In October 2019, an Iranian oil tanker was shot by two missiles as it sailed in the region. The route will also take the Queen Elizabeth close to China's only overseas naval base, located in Djibouti. Someone at the Conservative Political Action Conference is handing out cards touting a 'seven-point plan' to return Donald Trump to the presidency 'within days'. The so-called 'Trump Cards' touting the improbable plan were first spotted by Forbes political reporter Andrew Solender, who said that an attendee at CPAC Dallas on Friday sent him a photo of the card. In short, the plan calls for exposing the Democrats for monstrous crimes, electing Trump as House speaker, and impeaching and removing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The plan includes a link to a website that elaborates on the proposal, describing the seven 'dominoes' that must fall to reinstall Trump in the White House. Each step seems unlikely, if not impossible. Someone at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas is handing out cards touting a 'seven-point plan' to return Donald Trump to the presidency 'within days' In short, the plan calls for exposing the Democrats for monstrous crimes, electing Trump as House speaker, and impeaching and removing Biden and Harris CPAC attendee sent me this pic of a card they were handed about a 7-pt. plan to restore Donald J. Trump in days, not years, which involves installing Trump as speaker and ousting Biden & Harris. pic.twitter.com/dS0tQ5jW7b Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 9, 2021 Much of the longer online document focuses on claims that Democrats are involved in a web of 'secret Satanic sacrifices,' alleging 'STUNNING NEW EVIDENCE of a Satanic connection' between Biden and Mary Jo Kopechne, the young woman who died on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969 when Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge. The key first 'domino' of the plan involves exposing these alleged atrocities, prompting the Congressional Black Caucus to defect from the Democratic Party to the GOP en masse. With a new House majority, Republicans would then 'reveal suppressed results of existing investigations into election racketeering' and 'reveal that Trump legitimately won the 2020 election,' the plan states. No proof has emerged to support Trump's claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, and the claim has been repeatedly rejected in court. Next, the plan says that Trump would be elected speaker of the House, a position that is third in line for the presidency. Though the Constitution does not explicitly state that the House speaker must be a member of Congress, such a move would face intense legal challenges. No speaker has ever been elected who was not a sitting member of the House. A conservative supporter holds up a sign during the opening general session of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday in Dallas CPAC attendees pray during the opening general session of CPAC Dallas on Friday Finally, the plan calls for impeaching and removing Biden and Harris, putting Speaker Trump next in line for the presidency. Such a move would require 60 votes in the Senate, which is currently split 50-50, with Democrats holding the tie-breaking vote through Harris. In a podcast explaining his theories, the seven-point plan's author Robert J. Antonellis argued that securing votes for impeachment in the Senate would be no obstacle. 'If [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer should dare snipe from the sidelines that the impeachment is "Dead on arrival in the Senate, it's dead in the water," then you should ask, "Dead in the water, like Mary Jo Kopechne?"' he explained. Antonellis, who describes himself as an author, investigative researcher, and engineer, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Friday night. Though his plan may seem improbable, Antonellis is not the only Trump supporter who adamantly believes the former president could re-take the White House before the 2024 election. A bizarre whiteboard that Gen. Mike Flynn and MyPillow exec Mike Lindell posed in front of lists the 'paths to Trump' Donald Trump Jr. speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on July 09, 2021 in Dallas, Texas MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, a Trump advisor who continues to promote Trump's election fraud claims, also recently posed with a unique whiteboard showing the 'paths to Trump'. Last month, reports emerged that Trump himself was telling people that he would be reinstated as president by August, after his original National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said a Myanmar-style coup 'should happen.' At CPAC on Friday, one attendee was spotted with a modified campaign placard reading 'Trump 2021' in an apparent reference to the theory. Trump is scheduled to be the headline speaker at CPAC, the group's second event of the year after a February conference in Florida. On Friday, his son Don Trump Jr took the stage in Dallas and delivered a passionate speech. A young woman who survived the White Island volcano disaster has gained TikTok fame after bravely sharing details about the traumatic experience and her ongoing recovery. Stephanie Browitt, 25, was touring the island with her sister Krystal, 21, and their father Paul when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand on December 9, 2019. The 25-year-old survived with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body and lost parts of her fingers, but her father and sister were among the 22 people killed. Ms Browitt's mother Marie was the only member of the family to stay on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship when the tragedy struck. Stephanie Browitt, 25, (pictured before tragedy struck) was touring the island with her sister Krystal, 21, and their father Paul when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand on December 9, 2019 The 25-year-old has since amassed a huge TikTok following after sharing details about her lengthy recovery Since the terrifying ordeal Ms Browitt has been a beacon of strength, candidly sharing details on social media about her lengthy recovery process. She's gained a huge following on TikTok through sharing her story with more than 14million likes and a massive fan base. In a series of videos shared to the social media platform she answered some of the most common questions she is often asked about her burns. The young woman reveals how she has to wear compression garments head-to-toe for 23 hours a day for two years to help her burns heal, admitting the pieces of clothing are 'very tight and very uncomfortable'. In one TikTok she's seen showing her 638,000 followers the colour of her hand before she pulls up the compression garment to cut off her circulation - to demonstrate just how skin-tight they are. The young woman has to wear compression garments head-to-toe for 23 hours a day for two years, admitting the pieces of clothing are 'very tight and very uncomfortable' Ms Browitt suffered third degree burns to 70 per cent of her body from the volcano eruption 'My hand usually sits around this colour, a light reddish and purple colour,' she says in the video. She then folds the garment slightly backwards onto her wrist, which turns her whole hand and lower arm into a deep purple colour. 'That's how tight the garments are, they are very uncomfortable,' she explains. In another video the survivor fires off answers to various questions from fans and reveals she still has hair underneath the garments on her head, she's no longer in pain and that sadly her scars will never fully heal. Ms Browitt has also shared videos of herself making light of the situation including in one TikTok where she shows off her stomach that had to have part of it removed due to severe burns. In one TikTok she's seen showing her 638,000 followers the colour of her hand before she pulls up the compression garment to cut off her circulation - to demonstrate just how skin tight they are She jokes that she doesn't mind because now it makes it look as if she has 'abs'. She also films herself demonstrating how she shaves her legs before tossing out her razor and revealing she no longer has any hair to get rid of. The survivor also shares photos of her appearance before the eruption with thousands of supporters praising her for her bravery. In one video, Ms Browitt shockingly reveals that cruel trolls had been tagging her in videos of volcanoes erupting. 'Why someone would do that I really don't know but all I do know is there are definitely no good intentions when doing that,' she says. Marie Browitt (left with her family) was the only member of the family to stay on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship when the tragedy struck Stephanie is seen with her sister Krystal. Tragically Krystal was killed in the blast on December 9, 2019 'Everyone who has done that has been blocked instantaneously and the fact some people are doing this as a joke is really concerning.' Back in February this year, Ms Browitt revealed she suffered terrible PTSD after Melbourne's Australia Day celebrations. 'Last Tuesday was a horrid day for both mum and myself. Unfortunately we weren't warned of or knew of the 21 cannon salute to commemorate Australia Day,' she said. 'The loud noises and strong smoke set off my PTSD and I was left crying as past memories flooded my mind.' Back in February this year, Ms Browitt revealed she suffered terrible PTSD after Melbourne's Australia Day celebrations The commotion left her shaking in fear as she held onto her mum for protection. 'It took me awhile for me to ground myself back in reality and realise I was completely safe', she said. Despite thinking she didn't have the symptoms of PTSD, Stephanie said the most surprising things set her off. 'It's a huge reminder that even though I believe I'm ok, I still have a lot of mental and emotional trauma to work through and that's okay.' The Whakaari volcanic eruption claimed the lives of 22 people including 14 Australians in December 2019. The blast happened as tours to White Island were taking place and despite warnings of a risk of eruption. Reportedly the most expensive sale for any of Da Vinci's work on paper Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing of the head of a bear was sold for a record 8.8million at auction. The picture, titled 'Head Of A Bear', was drawn on a pink-beige 'Post-It Note' less than three inches squared, made in 1480, The Times reports. It was purchased at Christie's auction house by an unnamed 'family trust' and is the most expensive sale for any of Da Vinci's work on paper. Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing of the head of a bear (pictured), which is three inches squared, was sold for a record 8.8million at auction The 'Post-It note' size drawing was purchased at Christie's auction house (pictured) by an unnamed 'family trust' and is the most expensive sale for any of Da Vinci's work on paper The sale beat the 2001 sale for his 'Horse and Rider', bought for more than 8million pounds - the former record for a drawing by the Italian Renaissance master. The picture has been on display in New York, Hong Kong and London before it's purchase. Speaking before the sale, Ben Hall, old master paintings chairman at Christie's New York, described the drawing as 'one of the most important works from the Renaissance still in private hands'. He added: 'The work has been owned by some of the most distinguished collectors in the field of old masters across many centuries, not least the present owner who has owned it since 2008. Pictured: Royal Collection Trust staff pose beside some of Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomical studies at A Life in Drawing, the largest exhibition of Leonardo's work in more than 65 years, at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 23, 2019 [file photo] 'It has been admired around the world whilst shown by prestigious museums and Christie's is honoured to bring this Leonardo to the market this season.' The piece is a silverpoint drawing on a pink-beige paper, that depicts - as the name suggests - a sketch of a bear's head. The signature of Leonardo da Vinci is written in the bottom-right hand corner. The auction house said it is 'one of less than eight surviving drawings by Leonardo still in private hands outside of the British Royal Collection and the Devonshire Collections at Chatsworth'. Salvator Mundi: Da Vinci's 'male Mona Lisa' Salvator Mundi, a depiction of Christ as saviour of the world, is thought to have been painted in around 1500 for Louis XII - shortly after the French king conquered the Duchy of Milan and took control of Genoa. The original piece is the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, breaking all records at Christie's in New York in 2017 when it was purchased by Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud for $450,300,000. The painting depicts Jesus in Renaissance dress, making the sign of the cross with his right hand, while holding a transparent, non-refracting crystal orb in his left. Around 20 other versions of the work are known to have been created by students and followers of Da Vinci, with preparatory chalk and ink drawings of the drapery by the master held in the British Royal Collection. Advertisement The drawing's ownership can be traced to British painter Thomas Lawrence and upon his death in 1830, it was passed to his dealer Samuel Woodburn. He sold it to Christie's in 1860 for 2.50, according to the auction house. Its previous owner had it since 2008. In 2017 another record was set when Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, a depiction of Christ as saviour of the world, was purchased in New York by Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud for $450,300,00. The painting which Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly paid $450million to own may in fact have been created by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci after all. The expensive painting of Christ, dubbed the 'male Mona Lisa', has not been seen in public since it was reportedly bought for a monumental sum by the Saudi royal family at a 2017 Christie's auction. A documentary due to run on French TV this week alleges that the Saudis withheld the painting from a 2019 exhibition at the Louvre in Paris after experts concluded that the master had only 'contributed' to it. But other art experts have now rubbished filmmaker Antoine Vitkine's claims and believe the painting, which depicts Jesus in Renaissance dress holding an orb in his left hand, was 'indeed the work of Leonardo'. Da Vinci's other works, such as the Mona Lisa that is found at the Louvre Museum in Paris, are considered priceless. In addition to Da Vinci's paintings, the Italian renaissance polymath's drawings are among some of the most treasured items in museum and private collections. His most famous drawing is considered to be the Vitruvian Man, a sketch that represents the artist's ideal body proportions, kept in Venice. Two men will face a Sydney court following the seizure of more than $9 million worth of cocaine and ice during a vehicle stop in Sydney's southwest Two men have been arrested after police seized more than $9 million worth of cocaine and ice during a vehicle stop in Sydney's southwest. The pair, aged 24 and 23, were taken into custody after they were intercepted on the M5 Motorway at Milperra on Friday afternoon. During the arrest, the older man allegedly ran across multiple traffic lanes to escape but was found shortly after hiding in bushes. When searched, police say, 280 grams of cocaine was found in his pants while 17kg of the drug and 8kg of ice were recovered from the vehicle. The combined estimated street value of the haul is almost $9.3 million. When searched, police say, 280 grams of cocaine was found in his pants while 17kg of the drug and 8kg of ice were recovered from the vehicle The combined estimated street value of the haul is almost $9.3 million Strike force offices also executed a search warrant at a unit at Kogarah, where they allegedly seized 170 grams of a white substance believed to be cocaine. The 24-year-old has been charged with six counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug or greater, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and escaping police custody. It will be further alleged he was involved in a major drugs supply operation earlier this year. The 23-year-old has been charged with two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs. The pair were both refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday. The 24-year-old has been charged with six counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug or greater, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and escaping police custody The 23-year-old has been charged with two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs The bust follows the discovery of more than 50 kilograms of methylamphetamine, MDMA, heroin and other drugs when police pulled over an unregistered utility near Hay in southwestern NSW on June 1. A 65-year-old man is before the courts in relation to that matter. Both seizures are a result of a major joint state and federal investigation into the supply of narcotics across the state involving both the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and NSW Crime Commission. The group also conducted a raid on a home unit at Newcastle on June 4 in which $450,000 cash, electronic equipment and drugs were recovered. The BBC was hit with nearly 500,000 viewer complaints in just 12 months amid concerns at 'perceived bias'. The broadcaster received 462,255 complaints in the year 2020 to 2021 which it said 'was an increase of 93,878 on last year,' according to its own annual report published this week. Chair of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee Ian Hargreaves said: 'The volume of complaints to the BBC remains a concern. This financial year has seen another sharp increase in the number of complaints received.' He continued: 'The committee has explored the reasons behind this increase in volume year-on-year and asked the executive to review the operational handling of complaints.' The BBC was hit with nearly 500,000 complaints in just 12 months as viewers expressed their anger at 'perceived biases' The BBC's annual report stated: 'In the age of disinformation, echo chambers of opinion, and noisy partisan media outlets, a trusted, universal BBC has surely never been more important. 'Our research shows, however, that too many people perceive the BBC to be shaped by a particular perspective. 'This is not simply about the politics of left and right. We recognise that many feel the BBC does not get the world from their point of view.' Analysis of BBC programming found that the list of complaints was topped by Emily Maitlis with her monologue on Newsnight about Dominic Cummings in May 2020, The Telegraph said. Ms Maitlis, during a discussion about Mr Cummings' journey from London to Durham during the first national lockdown, claimed Boris Johnson's former adviser 'broke the rules' adding: 'The country can see that, and it's shocked the Government cannot.' Her speech later prompted 23,674 complaints and broadcasting watchdog Ofcom warned the BBC that hosts must not 'inadvertently give the impression of setting out personal opinions'. Analysis of BBC programming found that the list of complaints was topped by Emily Maitlis with her monologue on Newsnight about Dominic Cummings in May 2020 BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty, alongside co-host and Charlie Stayt, also attracted 6,498 complaints after the pair appeared to mock Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick over the size of the Union flag in his office. Ms Munchetty was later forced to apologise after liking social media posts in support of the on-air comments. She wrote: 'I 'liked' tweets today that were offensive in nature about the use of the British flag as a backdrop in a government interview this morning. 'I have since removed these 'likes'. This do not represent the views of me or the BBC. I apologise for any offence taken.' And Andrew Marr's interview with Prime Minister Boris Johnson was another bombarded with accusations of bias as it received 1,712 complaints. The broadcaster received 462,255 complaints in 2020 to 2021 including reports about programme's fronted by Naga Munchetty (left) and Andrew Marr (right) The report comes after Ofcom said it had received an 'unprecedented' number of complaints over the last year. The 'vast majority' of the record-breaking number were about 'content that audiences found offensive', the regulator's annual report said. Ofcom received 142,660 complaints in 2020/21 - a sharp rise on the previous year's total of 34,545. A spokesman said: 'We're a nation of TV lovers, and it's kept us entertained and informed like never before during lockdown. 'But, from time to time, viewers see things that trouble them, and that's where we come in. 'We assess every complaint we receive, and while we don't step in lightly given the importance of free speech we take strong action where we find serious harm to audiences.' Ofcom's report said it is 'unusual' to receive such a large volume of complaints about individual broadcasts. It said there was an 'increase in the number of complaints specifically about potentially racially offensive broadcast content'. Previous research by Ofcom found 'societal norms have shifted in recent years and discriminatory behaviours and language are now more commonly perceived as unacceptable than was previously the case'. Ofcom said it also received a high number of complaints relating to content about the pandemic. 'Most of these complaints did not raise issues warranting investigation under our rules,' the report said. 'However, when they did, we expedited investigations due to the serious nature of some of the content.' New South Wales recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday after three-consecutive days of record numbers as the premier warned 'things are going to get worse before they get better'. Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the new cases in a press conference in Sydney after introducing further restrictions on the current stay-at-home-orders on Friday. She says 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community, saying too many residents were 'cutting corners' and 'flouting the rules'. 'That is the number we need to get down to as close to zero as possible,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'When you know that there are 26 cases infectious in the community, the only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better.' She also hinted that the Greater Sydney lockdown, which is entering its third week, is likely to be extended. 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said there are 47 people in hospital being treated for the virus with 16 in intensive care including a teenager, a person in their 20s and person in their 30s. Of the 47 in hospital, 37 were unvaccinated. No one that has been double vaccinated is currently in hospital. Police issued more than 160 fines for breaching protocol in the last 24 hours, including five people being busted for throwing a house party in Sydney's east. New South Wales recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday after three-consecutive days of record numbers Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the new cases in a press conference in Sydney after introducing further restrictions on the current stay-at-home-orders on Friday Premier Berejiklin refused to be drawn into comments about extending the Greater Sydney lockdown but said she expects cases 'to get worse before they get better' Ms Berejiklian lamented people giving misleading or untruthful information when being contacted by NSW Health officials, pleading for Sydneysiders to be honest with their actions and exposure. 'One message I really want to get across to people who have been diagnosed with COVID, please tell us the truth the first time around,' she said. 'When people withhold information, it means that their contacts are infectious - potentially infectious in the community. Eventually our health contact tracers get to the truth. 'Please tell the truth from the first minute rather than after repeated conversations, because otherwise you put your closest family and friends at the greatest risk, and that is something we don't want to see.' There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic. Saturday's figure deepens the growing crisis with the highly-infectious Delta strain. There are currently 47 people who have been hospitalised as a result of the virus, with Dr Chant urging people to take it seriously. 'I'm making an impassioned plea for the community this weekend to follow the advice we've provided, and I think -- diligently the advice we've provided and I think you will understand my growing level of concern that we need to bring these case numbers down,' she said. 'I think what we are seeing is chains of transmission and we are having difficulty geting ahead of those chains.' She confirmed the teenager currently suffering from the virus in ICU is not on a ventilator. Police confirmed 167 fines were handed out in the last 24 hours, including a party in Randwick in Sydney's east involving eight men. There was also a party in The Entrance on the Central Coast involving five adults and a minor. Of the 100 fines, 67 came from Sydney's south-west - an area being targetted extensively by police to attempt to slow the virus' spread. Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said police will continue their high-visibility movement in the suburbs despite claims of racism and double standards. There were 72 people fined for failing to wear masks and 96 for leaving home without a reasonable excuse. Ms Berejiklian lamented people giving misleading or untruthful information when being contacted by NSW Health officials, pleading for Sydneysiders to be honest with their actions and exposure There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said Sydney's weather is set to be a boost for officials in containing the virus spreading further as rain lashes the Harbour City The announcement comes as five million Sydneysiders could be stuck in lockdown until at least August, a leading infectious disease expert has claimed. Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said it would take 'at least a month' to get Covid numbers down and even longer to eliminate community transmission completely. 'You expect cases, sadly, in family clusters, but the ones outside isolation are the ones that are telling you there's a lot of circulating virus,' she told Weekend Today. 'My projections are that it's going to take at least a month to get those down.' Professor McLaws said it was concerning to see over half of the new Covid cases detected not having isolated. 'At the moment that (proportion has) been very high, anywhere between a half of all people diagnosed to 60 per cent and that has to get down to zero.' Her grim warning comes as tensions mount in south-west Sydney, where 100 extra police officers have been sent to ensure compliance in worrying Covid hotspots. Furious residents in the targeted local government areas - Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool - have questioned why Sydney's eastern suburbs are not receiving the same police attention. Under the tough new rules, which came into effect at 5pm on Friday, exercise is limited to groups of two, browsing is banned at shops and residents can still only leave their homes for one of the four essential reasons. Hours earlier, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had announced the state recorded 44 new cases, marking the worst day of the current virus outbreak. Sydney could be in lockdown until at least August, as tensions mount over extra police attention in the city's Covid-hit west and south-west Mary-Louise McLaws, professor of epidemiology at UNSW, claimed it could be five weeks before community transmission of the Indian Delta variant of Covid 19 slows in Sydney Dramatic video emerged on Friday of Rami Ykmour - the founder of popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks Members of the public have already been arrested with officers spotted escorting a handcuffed man outside of a shopping centre in Fairfield Ms Berejiklian has warned to expect an even bigger spike in cases on Saturday. Backlash to the police response hit a low point on Thursday when a high-profile restaurant chain owner was dramatically arrested and charged during the crackdown in southwest Sydney. Rami Ykmour - the founder of the hugely popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks at the company's head office at Chester Hill on Thursday. 'The sending in of police into Western Sydney is about signally that Australian citizens are not 'one of us' because they're from migrant backgrounds,' claimed Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. 'It's about saying we don't belong. That we someone care less about our families and communities.' 'It's debased dirty racism. Enough,' said Mr Karapanagiotidis. A lawyer specialising in 'police accountability' with the Redfern Legal Advice Centre said a better response would be improved community support. 'Targeting communities in south-western Sydney with more police and more fines seems disproportionate and unjust,' said Samantha Lee, solicitor in the police accountability practice at Redfern Legal Centre. 'All communities need equal access to health information, resources and support to get through this difficult time. Increasing penalties to lower economic areas is not the answer.' Some furious residents in Sydney's west claimed the decision to send extra police officers to the western suburbs was an example of 'debased racism' But Gladys Berejiklian warned things could get tougher for Sydney. 'Unless there's a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can't see how we'll be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday,' the premier said. '(This is) the greatest threat we have faced in NSW since the pandemic started (and) at the moment the numbers are not heading in the right direction.' Twenty-nine of the cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday were in the community for some or all of their infectious period. The premier said a premature reopening of Greater Sydney would result in thousands of coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday advised Sydneysiders to 'push through' and comply with restrictions. 'Hopefully (the lockdown is) as brief as it can be, but as long as it has to be, to ensure that we suppress the virus and this most recent outbreak and we're able to get back to where we were a few weeks ago,' Mr Morrison told Nine's A Current Affair on Friday evening. The state's health department on Friday issued alerts for 30 more venues across Sydney. Several places are listed close contact exposure sites for periods of seven hours or longer. They include an Ikea at Tempe, where a staffer worked whilst infectious, and a construction site at Homebush. Seven furniture stores along the same road in Campbelltown have also been identified as venues of concern for visitors on Sunday afternoon. Other venues include Westfield Burwood, two Bunnings shops, in Randwick and Hoxton Park, a Miranda Service NSW, medical centres in Liverpool and Wetherill Park, and numerous supermarkets. The number of close contacts isolating across NSW doubled in 24 hours, from 7000 to 14,000, Ms Berejiklian said on Friday. Under the new restrictions, only one person per household may leave the home for shopping each day. Residents cannot exercise further than 10km from their home. Funerals will be limited to 10 people. Ten COVID-19 patients in NSW are in intensive care, with four ventilated - one person aged in their 20s. North Dakota has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for $80million after federal agencies canceled oil and gas leasing auctions in the state. The state's Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Western Division. It named Interior Secretary Debra Haaland and Bureau of Land Management Director Nada Culver, and their agencies, as defendants. John Melhoff, director of the Montana-Dakotas Bureau of Land Management, was also named as a defendant. 'BLM has unlawfully canceled the regularly scheduled auctions of oil & gas leases of public mineral rights in North Dakota that BLM is required by federal law to hold,' a press release from Stenehjem's office reads. The complaint argues that March and June auctions stopped by the federal agencies cost the state $80million in lost revenues, 'a number that could grow to into billions in the coming months unless BLM's illegal cancellations are stopped'. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota Western Division North Dakota has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for $80 million after federal agencies 'unlawfully canceled oil and gas leasing' auctions in the state It named as defendants: Interior Secretary Debra Haaland and Bureau of Land Management Director Nada Culver, and their agencies The lawsuit also seeks to require BLM to reschedule those lost oil and gas lease sales and prevent the federal agency from stopping future sales in the state. In a statement, Stenejhem said: 'I have taken this action to protect North Dakota's economy, the jobs of our hard-working citizens, and North Dakota's rights to control its own natural resources.' North Dakota's lawsuit comes after a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the Biden administration's pause on oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters last month, Reuters reported. 'I welcome and support the Louisiana federal district court's decision and I look forward to defending North Dakota's vital interests in its natural resources and continuing to put the pressure on the Federal government to do the right thing for our state,' Stenehjem said. North Dakota is America's second-biggest crude oil producing state, with the bulk of its tax revenues produced by oil and gas activity. In 2016, the Bismarck Tribune reported that Stenehjem's unsuccessful campaign for governor of North Dakota collected at least $50,000 in donations from oil companies' political action committees and oil executives. 'Coal PACs and power companies with coal interests also gave at least $97,000 to Stenehjem's campaign since it began accepting contributions in October,' the outlet reported at the time. Demonstrators hold signs as they protest against the Keystone XL pipeline in San Francisco, California in 2013 North Dakota is the second-biggest crude oil producing U.S. state, with the bulk of its tax revenues produced by oil and gas activity Heavy equipment works on a piece of the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline that lies north of Oyen, Alberta on February 1 Gov. Doug Burgum praised the lawsuit in comments posted to Twitter Petroleum Council President Ron Ness told the Bismark Tribune at the time that Stenehjem has been 'a strong supporter for a long time and great on these federal issues.' Stenehjem was beat out in that race by Gov. Doug Burgum, who praised Stenehjem for the lawsuit on Twitter. 'We support AG Wayne Stenehjems legal challenge to a federal ban on new oil and natural gas leasing on public lands. Rather than working with states on forward-looking innovation, this unlawful ban is top-down regulation that threatens to drive up the price at the pump,' Burgum tweeted. 'ND has a robust energy industry and clean air and water because we have developed our resources responsibly with an all-of-the-above energy approach. This ban hurts hardworking Americans, puts our energy security at risk, and fails to solve the problem for the environment.' News of the lawsuit comes after the energy firm that owns the Keystone XL pipeline announced it will seek $15billion in damages from the Biden administration for blocking its permit - which allegedly cost 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 Joe Biden announced on his 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 $15billion in damages that it has suffered as a result of the U.S. Government's 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. Even some moderate Senate Democrats including Montana's Jon Tester and West Virginia's Joe Manchin have urged Biden 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.' Two illegal parties have been shut down with 13 revellers slapped with $1,000 fines amid Sydney's lockdown - after 50 new cases were reported. Police deputy commissioner Gary Worboys revealed 167 Greater Sydney residents were given infringement notices in the past 24 hours including 67 in the city's south-west. Officers were called to a home in Randwick, in the eastern suburbs due to a noise complaint and caught eight men having a house party. 'Eight infringement notices were issued and that party was shut down and those people left that house,' Mr Worboys said. Two illegal parties have been shut down with 13 men slapped with $1,000 fines amid Sydney's lockdown - after 50 new cases were reported (pictured police patrolling Bondi Beach) At The Entrance in the Central Coast, another five people were caught at an illegal gathering and were hit with a $1,000 fine each. There were also 72 people fined for failing to wear masks and 96 for leaving home without a reasonable excuse. 'When people invite others to their house, it is a conscious decision to go against the public health order and put the health of themselves, those people in their home and their community, their family, at risk,' the commissioner said. Mr Worboys also warned police would be out in full force across the city asking residents why they were out of their homes. 'Over the next few days, police will continue their efforts right across this state, to the furthest places where people think they can escape Sydney and go on a holiday and again disguise that as some sort of business trip or some sort of activity - police are investigators,' he said. 'Police will ask questions, they will find out the truth, and if you need to be issued an infringement notice, they will.' Police deputy commissioner Gary Worboys revealed 167 Greater Sydney residents were given personal infringement notices in the past 24 hours including 67 in the city's south-west (pictured women wear face masks while walking through an empty Barangaroo) Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has meanwhile announced the cluster of cases linked to an illegal party at the Meriton Suites in Waterloo has jumped to 35 infections. Ten further infections were linked to the gathering which was held on the first day of the city's lockdown on June 26. 'I think what we are seeing is chains of transmission and we are having difficulty getting ahead of those chains,' she said. 'We need everyone to stay hunkered down this weekend, stay within your household, and if anyone in your household has the most minimal of symptoms get tested.' A team of 100 police officers have been sent to the city's south-west to ensure compliance in worrying Covid hotspots. Furious residents in the targeted local government areas - Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool - have questioned why Sydney's eastern suburbs are not receiving the same police attention. New rules came into effect from 5pm on Friday and include exercise being limited to groups of two, browsing banned at shops and residents only leaving their homes for one of the four essential reasons. From the 50 new cases announced on Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community New rules came into effect from 5pm on Friday and include exercise being limited to groups of two, browsing banned at shops and residents only leaving their homes for one of the four essential reasons (pictured Liverpool testing clinic) From the 50 new cases announced on Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community, and added too many residents were 'cutting corners' and 'flouting the rules'. She also hinted that the Greater Sydney lockdown, which is entering its third week, is likely to be extended as case numbers skyrocket. 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said. Dr Chant said there are 47 people currently in hospital being treated for the virus with 16 in intensive care including a teenager, a person in their 20s and person in their 30s. Of the 47 in hospital, 37 were unvaccinated. No one that has been double vaccinated is currently in hospital. The teenager currently suffering from the virus in ICU is not on a ventilator. There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic. Saturday's figure deepens the growing crisis with the highly-infectious Delta strain. Police were reportedly spotted checking customers' bags outside a Kmart store in locked-down south-west Sydney to make sure they're only buying essential items, but cops say this wasn't the reason for their visit. A local Facebook page shared a photo of officers standing at the entrance of the department store in Casula on Friday afternoon and urged residents to remain home. 'Heads up the police are at the entrance checking bags and questioning the reason for essential travel,' the caption to the post said. 'If the government doesn't want the community in Kmart then they need to shut down stores. This is where it confuses the "non-English" community they keep blaming for the numbers.' The picture shows two police officers wearing masks stationed next to the store's security gates. A worker at the store told Daily Mail Australia police had been there on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning speaking to shoppers and checking bags. However, NSW Police denied the officers were checking bags, insisting they were 'on the scene for other reasons'. 'Checking shopping bags is not part of the COVID police operation,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. A police operation targeting lockdown breaches has commenced in Sydney's West with police spotted at the entrance to Kmart Casula (pictured) on Friday A comment from the Facebook page who said the officers were checking shoppers bags on Friday afternoon On Friday a dedicated police operation commenced in southwest Sydney with 100 more officers deployed to the area to ensure compliance with lockdown rules. The Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas have seen high rates of Covid transmission this week. Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said shopping centres would be a particular focus of the operation. 'The question will bewhat's your reasonable excuse for being here? You don't need that pair of shoes today,' he said. 'The problem we have is people are going out when we don't need to, they are coming back and infecting their family. That is what we have said, that is what the health advice is.' People commenting on the controversial Facebook post of the police officers said the measures seemed extreme. Residents can only leave their house for essential reasons (pictured: a woman in Liverpool on Saturday morning) Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said shopping centres would be a focus for the 100 extra police deployed to western Sydney 'Welcome the the police state,' one person said. 'How ridiculous,' added another. 'Who are they to tell us what's essential? Maybe they just broke their last pair of shoes,' added a third. However others argued residents should follow the rules. 'Good, they should learn what's essential. If you don't desperately need something then don't go out' one person said. Saturday was meant to be the day Greater Sydney emerged from a two-week lockdown, but instead the city has recorded another 50 cases. They are also subject to the toughest COVID-19 restrictions in over a year. The new cases were diagnosed from over 42,000 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday, and include 37 who were active in the community for all or part of their infectious period. Residents in Sydney's south-west and western suburbs have been urged not to leave their homes unless necessary (police are pictured stationed in Liverpool) Advertisement A Holocaust survivor who returned to the Hamptons from Israel to find her tenant refusing to leave her home has claimed the renter 'totally destroyed' her furniture and left piles of trash to rot outside. Genya Markon, 78, spends the winters in Israel and the summers at her $675,000 home in Hampton Bays - which has been in her family since it was purchased by her parents in 1967. But Markon said she flew home to the Hamptons only to find her tenant, Julie Rinke, still there and the place covered in trash, as seen in photos provided to DailyMail.com. She has since filed a lawsuit seeking to force Rinke out of the home and accusing her of falsely claiming to be protected under New York's coronavirus-related ban on evictions. DailyMail.com photos show Rinke arriving at the home on Friday - nearly a month after the lease she signed in July 2020 ended. Markon said Rinke 'begged' her to sign another lease so she could return after the summer, but still never left. Instead, Markon said Rinke 'signed a pandemic hardship application saying she does not have the funds to find another house'. 'That is of no interest to me at this point, this is my house!' Markon told DailyMail.com. 'I returned, flew in 6,000 miles, and I want to spend my summer here.' Scroll down for video Genya Markon, 78, (pictured) spends the winters in Israel and the summers at her $675,000 home in Hampton Bays. She claims a woman she rented the home trashed the place and is refusing to leave Tenant Julie Rinke, a real estate agent, was spotted by DailyMail.com at the property on Friday Landlord Genya Markon, not pictured, said she leased the home to Rinke in July 2020 and the lease would have expired on June 18, 2021 The landlord could not return from Israel because 'there were no planes' so she decided to renew Rinke's lease for another full year from July 1, 2020 to June 18, 2021 Now, Rinke, pictured, has allegedly refused to leave the home after the end of the lease Markon said that she had gone without renting the home during the winters for 10 years because she was 'wary' about potential tenants. 'I didn't know who would want to live in Hampton Bays in the winter. Then I learned there were real estate agents who deal with winter rentals,' Markon said. 'I rented it to this woman, Julie Rinke, who presented herself as an interior decorator. She had two daughter who were in college, one a freshman and one a sophomore.' Markon ultimately leased the home out to Rinke in July 2019 and the lease would have expired on June 18, 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The landlord could not return from Israel because 'there were no planes' and 'nobody was traveling' so she decided to renew Rinke's lease for another full year from July 1, 2020 to June 18, 2021. Then, Markon said she started to see signs of trouble as Rinke allegedly used the pandemic in an attempt to persuade her not to return home. 'In January, I already told her I was returning to the United States to spend my summer,' Markon said. 'She kept trying to persuade me that I would be endangering myself to COVID and find all kinds of excuses not to say that she was leaving.' Markon has also accused Rinke of damaging furniture and leaving trash to fester Markon has accused Rinke of leaving piles of garbage outside of the house, pictured, some of which does not appear to be bagged Markon has said Rinke did not have permission to move furniture, like a couch pictured standing on its side Piles of dirty dishes appear to have been placed inside of the home's garage Smelling trouble, Markon said she offered to waive two months of Rinke's rent in April in a bid to get her to leave the home by the time she returned. 'I said, "I will waive your May and June rent if you sign this and promise me you will be out." Of course she didn't sign it, and by that time I hired a lawyer,' Markon said. She added: 'It was already clear to me that this woman was doing whatever she could to stay in my place.' Markon has also accused Rinke of trying to blackmail her into paying her to leave, even after the landlord said she offered to waive months of her rent. The landlord recounted Rinke saying: 'Well, if Genya wants to pay me some of my rent, I'll consider it and I'll be out of here as soon as possible.' 'So she wants to blackmail me after she's destroyed my belongings and turned my life upside down,' Markon said. The irked landlord said Rinke 'never imagined' that she would return from Israel. 'She had the audacity to think I wouldn't get on a plane and come back here,' Markon said. Southampton Town police were seen approaching Rinke at the home while she was parked inside of her Jeep It was not immediately clear what officers with the Southampton Town police said to Rinke when they approached her Police who approached Rinke at Markon's home are pictured talking to each other, though it was not immediately clear why they were there Southampton Town policeman talks with the neighbor where a Hamptons squatter allegedly trashed her rental home Markon also told DailyMail.com that she was 'astounded' by the condition in which she found her home. 'She said that she had permission to change beds and move furniture around, which is absolutely not true,' Markon said. 'She had no permission to bring in a dog or a cat, which I understand now she is declaring she had permission.' Rinke, a real estate agent, has not responded to requests form DailyMail.com for comment. Police officers were seen approaching Rinke while she sat in a vehicle outside the home on Friday. It was not immediately clear what police had said to Rinke. On Thursday, Rinke was spotted by DailyMail.com returning to the three-bedroom, two bathroom property. Julie Rinke was seen on Thursday returning to a home owned by Holocaust survivor Genya Markon, 78 - which Rinke was supposed to vacate on June 18. Markon has now taken Rinke to court to try and force her from the property Markon's home in Hampton Bays was leased in July 2020, and was due to be handed over on June 18. Rinke, however, remains in the property Rinke, a real estate broker, is accused by Markon of taking advantage of laws against eviction which were designed to prevent landlords taking advantage during the pandemic. Markon says her short-term lease does not apply Markon's lawyer, Anthony W. Cummings, filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Supreme Court at the end of June seeking Rinke's ouster as well as damages. 'She traveled all the way from Israel to spend the summer in her home and she has a tenant who won't vacate,' explained Cummings, according to the New York Post. 'Genya is in a real bad spot.' Markon said that Rinke is taking advantage of pandemic protection against eviction, designed to prevent unscrupulous landlords in New York from forcing people from their homes during the global crisis. But the protection should not apply to short-term leases, Markon said. 'My tenant, who is also a real estate agent, refuses to leave in spite of the fact that she only has a seasonal lease and is not protected by the hardship application she filed,' Markon said. Cummings questioned Rinke's qualifications, claiming in court filings that she 'is conducting herself in a bad faith, dishonest and manipulative way to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass confusion and gridlock in the lower courts all in an effort to block surrendering possession of the Premises.' Cummings told the New York Post: 'All you have to do is check a box and you can stay for free until at least August 31st. 'What is it? The honor system? It is easy to abuse. There's no penalty for lying, and no evidence to prove.' Rinke is also accused of failing to protect the property. Some of Markon's belongings have been 'totally destroyed' and Markon found 'piles of garbage' festering outside the house. Rinke also took down paintings already hanging in the space, Markon claimed. She said that some of the paintings 'are quite valuable including a family portrait by the well-known Ukrainian painter David Burliuk.' Cummings concluded: 'She displaced Genya and refuses to give back her home. 'Genya flew in all the way from Israel and now she's the one without a home.' A Southampton town police officer is seen talking to a neighbor, next to the home where Rinke is refusing to leave Markon's home, set back from the road, is where she usually spends her summers but now she says she has nowhere to go Cummings is also representing the owners of a home in Water Mill, who are trying to evict their over-staying tenants. Stephanie and her husband Paul Pion, the chief administrative officer of the Manhattan finance firm, have remained at their $10,000-a-month Water Mill rental despite their two-year lease expiring on May 31. In a lawsuit filed against the Pions in June, the owner of the Long Island property claimed the wealthy couple were exploiting New York's Covid-19 moratorium barring eviction and refusing to vacate the house. The filing claims the Pions have another home in Manhattan and have been using 'shifty' means to stay at the rental - which has also allegedly been in a state of disarray. But Stephanie, 39, has insisted 'there's no truth' to the allegations, claiming she's just trying to care for her two children, ages six and 11, while they search for a new place to live. Stephanie Pion broke down in tears on Thursday as she addressed claims that she and her husband Paul Pion, the chief administrative officer of Cantor Fitzgerald, were squatting at a $5million Hamptons house The mother-of-two, 39, tearfully explained she and her family have nowhere else to go, before dropping to her knees on the driveway and pleading for 'more time' Stephanie and Paul have been renting out a property in Water Mill for the past two years for $10,000 a month, but a court document claims their lease ended on May 31. They are pictured in an Instagram post 'I have two kids,' she said tearfully before dropping to her knees on the driveway and pleaded for mercy. 'I'm just trying to take care of them. I've been trying to leave. I just need more time.' In his filing, the owner of the home revealed he found a buyer for the house and expressed concerns that the Pions could jeopardize the $4,970,000 sale, which was scheduled to close on Tuesday. But a person close to the family told DailyMail.com that the Pions' tenancy had been open-ended, and that the landlord failed to give them appropriate notice that their lease was being terminated which would allow for an orderly transition to leave the house. 'Realizing now that they didn't give proper notice, the owner is scrambling to blame someone and the purchaser is using bully tactics to force their hand,' the Pion family associate said. Homeowner Damian Krause has accused the couple of refusing to leave Water Mill house, but a source close to the Pions say they were not given adequate notice to vacate the property. Krause is pictured above with his wife Sharon in Water Mill, New York in 2012 The homeowner, Damian Krause, further claimed the couple had refused to allow potential buyers to tour the home and even once removed a lawn sign saying the property was 'IN CONTRACT.' Earlier this week a source told the New York Post that the house looked like an episode of Hoarders, referring to the TV series that documents people who fill their homes from floor to ceiling with trash and belongings. An appraiser who was eventually let into the house also allegedly described the place as a 'mess' and said 'the occupant was crazy.' In photos obtained by DailyMail.com, however, the house did not appear to show such signs of damage or clutter. The filing painted the Pions as an 'intolerable nuisance', hosting large parties, and causing damage to the home through 'unauthorized alterations, misuse and overuse of the household systems and lack of routine maintenance.' A senior Queensland bikie has been charged with the murder of outlaw motorcycle gang defector Shane Bowden on the Gold Coast. Queensland Police said on Saturday the arrested 46-year-old from Chuwah was believed to be the president of the Brisbane West chapter of the Mongols. His name is Ian Robert Crowden, according to media reports. Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said the man was allegedly responsible for 'counselling, directing and financing' the execution of 47-year-old Mr Bowden in October last year. The alleged president of the Mongols bikie gang has been charged with the murder of outlaw motorcycle gang defector Shane Bowden (pictured above) Forensic officers at work after Bowden's shooting death at Cox Road, Pimpama on the Gold Coast on October 12, 2020 The murder charge comes after police released new vision on the lead up to the shooting on July 1 and appealed for public assistance. The CCTV footage showed Bowden driving into a garage unit at his Pimpana complex as two men trailed behind. The pair, one carrying a long firearm, could be seen running from nearby vacant land and rushing the car as he parked, before unloading a flurry of bullets. A total of 21 rounds were fired, 19 from a machine pistol and two from a shotgun before the offenders ran back to a waiting silver commodore and fled. Homicide squad detectives said on July 1 they were without doubt the Mongols orchestrated the execution of Bowden, as he sat in his BMW. Police allege three weeks before the brazen execution, Mr Bowden's car had been fitted with a GPS tracker. Two men are seen running down Shane Bowden's street as he arrives home around midnight on October 12, 2020 Superintendent Smith at the time warned others potentially involved in the murder to come forward to help with the investigation or risk getting locked up and missing their families. Police issued a $250,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Mr Bowden was initially a member of the Finks criminal bikie gang, part of its 'terror team' jailed over the Gold Coast's so-called ballroom blitz brawl in which three people were shot and two stabbed in 2006. After his release, he defected to the Mongols but was booted out and rejoined the Finks just before he was shot. On Saturday, Queensland police said investigation continues and warned people with vital information of the consequences of not assisting. 'I remind others with knowledge of this crime of the availability of both a reward of $250,000 and an indemnity,' Superintendent Smith said. 'It is time for these people to take steps to assist the investigation. 'They need to ask themselves do they want to be a witness or a potential defendant facing life imprisonment.' One of the men carries a long-arm firearm as they run into Bowden's residence seconds after he drove his black BMW into his garage Extraordinary footage shows 21 police cars parked along suburban streets in western Sydney as the state continues to enforce lockdown measures in the region. New South Wales Police have initiated a high-visibility operation in south-west Sydney after a spark of coronavirus cases in the area. Video posted to social media shows more than 20 patrol vehicles lining quiet streets in Bass Hill. New South Wales Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the major Covid-19 operation is being based out of the local station. Extraordinary footage shows 21 police cars parked along suburban streets in western Sydney as the state continues to crackdown on the region New South Wales recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday after three-consecutive days of record numbers as the premier warned 'things are going to get worse before they get better'. Gladys Berejiklian says 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community, saying too many residents were 'cutting corners' and 'flouting the rules'. Police confirmed 167 fines were handed out in the last 24 hours, including a party in Randwick in Sydney's east involving eight men. Of the 100 fines, 67 came from Sydney's south-west - an area being targetted extensively by police to attempt to slow the virus' spread. Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said police will continue their high-visibility movement in the suburbs despite claims of racism and double standards. The footage of dozens of police cars parked on local Bass Hill streets would have proved alarming to residents, who Dept. Comm. Worboys said 'the vast majority are being compliant'. 'I was there, there's police everywhere like crazy, like they had been invited to a party,' one person commented on the clip. 'Come on man this is so BS. Bondi can do whatever they want, what makes them different. I can't even leave my house they parked in my streets,' another said. One user said Bass Hill hadn't even had a case. Video posted to social media shows more than 20 patrol vehicles lining quiet streets in Bass Hill. Senator Mehreen Faruqi says the operation was a deliberate crackdown on 'already marginalised communities'. 'This is a terrible turn of events. Over-policing multicultural communities is a recipe for disaster,' she said. 'The mounted police were never called into Avalon or Westfield Bondi.' Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said the latest outbreak 'was not a western Sydney problem' and that the entire city should be under the same scrutiny. 'I'm not going to cop this. This is something that came from hotel lockdown and from the hotel quarantine,' he said on Today. 'The prime minister needs to make sure they provide support both financially and through services to people out here in Western Sydney. 'I just think we've got to work out a way to stop the virus coming in from hotel quarantine, it's a controlled area, that's where everyone's frustrated. Fairfield's a perfect example, an area that never had the virus, but the virus spreads.' A man was caught hiding behind a shower curtain while another pretended he was dropping off a package when busted by police at an illegal house party amid Sydney's lockdown. Eight men between the ages of 31 and 50 were found at the home on Arthur Street in Randwick, in the city's east at about 1.20pm on Friday after police were called. Officers spoke to two men outside the house with one pretending he was dropping off a delivery despite having no package in his hands. Upon entering the home the group of men were found scattered across different rooms with one trying his luck behind the bathroom shower curtain. Two illegal parties have been shut down with 13 men slapped with $1,000 fines amid Sydney's lockdown - after 50 new cases were reported (pictured police patrolling Bondi Beach) Five men from the group were from Sydney's south-west while the other three lived at the house, police said. Each was slapped with a $1,000 fine for breaching public health orders with Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys blasting those who continue to break the rules. 'This type of behaviour is nothing short of disrespectful we've already seen how easily the virus spread following the unlawful party at Waterloo,' he said. Police were also called to another home in The Entrance on the Central Coast at about 9.40pm on Friday to discover a teenage girl was celebrating her 18th birthday. 'On arrival, police spoke with six people aged between 17 and 22 who were drinking and celebrating an 18th birthday, which was in breach of the Public Health Orders,' NSW Police said. NSW Police have warned Sydneysiders officers will be out in full force ensuring residents are adhering to the stay-at-home orders Police confirmed a total of 167 people were fined for breaching public health orders in the past 24 hours (woman is seen buying essential items in Fairfield) 'The 17-year-old girl was issued a warning under the Young Offenders Act, while the other five people were issued $1000 personal infringement notices.' Meanwhile six guests were busted at a hotel in the CBD and fined for breaching public health orders. One woman, 26, was wanted on an outstanding warrant and is due to face court on Saturday. Mr Worboys revealed that a total of 167 Greater Sydney residents were given infringement notices in the past 24 hours including 67 in the city's south-west. Fines of $200 were given to 72 people for not wearing masks while the rest were given to those who were outside of their homes without a valid reason. 'When people invite others to their house, it is a conscious decision to go against the public health order and put the health of themselves, those people in their home and their community, their family, at risk,' the commissioner said during a press conference on Saturday. Mr Worboys also warned police would be out in full force across the city asking residents why they were out in the wake of 50 new Covid-19 cases being recorded. 'Over the next few days, police will continue their efforts right across this state, to the furthest places where people think they can escape Sydney and go on a holiday and again disguise that as some sort of business trip or some sort of activity - police are investigators,' he said. 'Police will ask questions, they will find out the truth, and if you need to be issued an infringement notice, they will.' Police deputy commissioner Gary Worboys revealed 167 Greater Sydney residents were given personal infringement notices in the past 24 hours including 67 in the city's south-west (pictured women wear face masks while walking through an empty Barangaroo) Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has meanwhile announced the cluster of cases linked to an illegal party at the Meriton Suites in Waterloo has jumped to 35 infections. Ten further infections were linked to the gathering on Saturday which was held on the first day of the city's lockdown on June 26. 'I think what we are seeing is chains of transmission and we are having difficulty getting ahead of those chains,' she said. 'We need everyone to stay hunkered down this weekend, stay within your household, and if anyone in your household has the most minimal of symptoms get tested.' A team of 100 police officers have been sent to the city's south-west to ensure compliance in worrying Covid hotspots. Furious residents in the targeted local government areas - Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool - have questioned why Sydney's eastern suburbs are not receiving the same police attention. New rules came into effect from 5pm on Friday and include exercise being limited to groups of two, browsing banned at shops and residents only leaving their homes for one of the four essential reasons. From the 50 new cases announced on Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community New rules came into effect from 5pm on Friday and include exercise being limited to groups of two, browsing banned at shops and residents only leaving their homes for one of the four essential reasons (pictured Liverpool testing clinic) From the 50 new cases announced on Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community, and added too many residents were 'cutting corners' and 'flouting the rules'. She also hinted that the Greater Sydney lockdown, which is entering its third week, is likely to be extended as case numbers skyrocket. 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said. Dr Chant said there are 47 people currently in hospital being treated for the virus with 16 in intensive care including a teenager, a person in their 20s and person in their 30s. Of the 47 in hospital, 37 were unvaccinated. No one that has been double vaccinated is currently in hospital. The teenager currently suffering from the virus in ICU is not on a ventilator. There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic. Saturday's figure deepens the growing crisis with the highly-infectious Delta strain. Marvin Scott III, who had a history of schizophrenia, died in custody in March Officials in Texas have released distressing video showing the events leading up to the in-custody death of Marvin Scott III after he was arrested on misdemeanor drug possession charges. The 41 minutes of jail security footage released on Friday by the Collins County Sheriff's Office shows Scott struggling with jailers, who pepper spray him, strap him to a restraint bed and place a spit hood over his head. Scott, a black man who was 26, then becomes unresponsive and officers are seen trying to revive him by rubbing knuckles over his sternum as they remove the spit hood. Scott's family, who had previously viewed the video after his death on March 14, has called the footage 'horrific' and argued that it clearly shows him in a mental health crisis. He had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Collins County Sheriff's Office is not commenting on the portion of the video released on Friday due to potential legal action, according to Fox 4. The office did clarify that the video has no sound because the jails surveillance video doesnt have sound, and says that some faces were intentionally blurred. 'In March 2021, Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner met with the family of Marvin Scott III and promised transparency regarding the investigation and facts surrounding his in-custody death,' the Collin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement to CBS Dallas. Officials in Texas have released distressing video showing the events leading up to the death of Marvin Scott III after he was arrested on misdemeanor drug possession charges The 41 minutes of jail security footage released on Friday by the Collins County Sheriff's Office shows Scott struggling with jailers Jailers then bring Scott to a restraint bed as he continues to struggle with them The video opens with footage of Scott in a hallway struggling with several jailers. About three minutes into the video, they bring him into a room with a restraint bed. As four officers hold Scott down and place him in restraints, a fifth officer is seen spraying him in the face with pepper spray. One of the officers then places a spit hood on Scott as he is restrained. Spit hoods are typically used on inmates who attempt For about 17 minutes, Scott is strapped down, moving periodically. Then around 18 minutes after being restrained, one officer pulls down the spit hood and another begins rubbing Scott's sternum, a technique to wake someone up if they are asleep. With Scott unresponsive, an officer then begins CPR, before medical staff enter the room and attempt to resuscitate him. Scott was transported to a hospital, where he was declared dead. The footage comes after a grand jury in Texas last month cleared eight former officers of any criminal wrongdoing in Scott's death. The Collin County Grand Jury had reviewed the video footage of the incident and heard testimonies from witness before coming to the decision not to indict the eight officers, the county's District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement. 'The eight officers who were dismissed in April following the death of Marvin D. Scott III will not be charged with any state criminal offense,' Willis said. Scott's family, who had previously viewed the video after his death on March 14, has called the footage 'horrific' and argued that it clearly shows him in a mental health crisis One officer is seen pepper spraying Scott as other try to get the restraints on him Jailers are seen placing a spit hood over Scott's head. Spit hoods are used on prisoners who try to spit at or bite officers, though the video doesn't clearly show Scott doing that After Scott became unresponsive, officers removed the spit hood and tried to revive him. Above, a medic is blue is seen attempting to resuscitate hime Scott was held on March 14 on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. The Collin County Medical Examiner had previously determined the cause of Scott's death as 'fatal acute stress response in an individual with previously diagnosed schizophrenia during restraint and struggle.' 'Marvin Scott's family is extremely disappointed the grand jury failed to bring charges in this case', the family's lawyer said. The evidence, 'provides more than sufficient probable cause for indictment,' he added. Dozens of people, along with Scott's family rallied at the courthouse, protesting the grand jury's decision. Earlier this month, the Justice Department passed an order to require law-enforcement agents to wear body cameras when serving search and arrest warrants, adding a measure of accountability. Last year, the United States saw months of demonstrations against racial inequality and police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, who was killed by a white police officer. The grand jury in Scott's death also released a rare public statement addressing the death and calling for a review of Scott's death and how people with mental illness are treated in the criminal justice system. Marvin Scott, 26, was arrested in Collin County on March 14 on a drug-possession charge and started exhibiting 'strange behavior' and died while he was in police custody A Texas grand jury declined to indict eight jail workers for the death of Scott - a black man who was strapped down to a bed and pepper sprayed while wearing a spit hood The grand jury wrote it hopes Scott's death 'will not be in vain' and recommended that 'a work group be convened' to address how people with mental illness are treated in the criminal justice system 'We, the Grand Jury of Collin County, Texas, wish to make a statement and give our recommendations regarding the in-custody death of Marvin Scott III,' the grand jury wrote in its statement. 'After careful consideration of the applicable law and all the relevant facts, we find that no probable cause exists to charge any person with a criminal offense related to the death of Mr. Scott. Accordingly, we have issued a no-bill for each of the eight detention officers involved.' The grand jury statement continued: 'This case was a tragedy foremost for Mr. Scott and his family, but also for his friends and our entire community. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr. Scott for the terrible loss you have suffered. We hope you can someday find peace.' The grand jury wrote it hopes Scott's death 'will not be in vain' and recommended that 'a work group be convened as soon as practicable to study the events of March 14th for lessons learned in an effort to avoid any similar future tragedy.' 'We recommend that this work group consist of a diverse group of Collin County community leaders, criminal justice and law enforcement stakeholders, local hospitals, and mental health providers,' the grand jury wrote. 'The goal of this work group should be finding the best solutions for the treatment of individuals with mental illness who come in contact with the criminal justice system.' The grand jury then addressed citizens of Collin County and asked them to 'respect' each other and their opinions and wrote: 'We hope and vigils, demonstrations, or protests remain peaceful.' The grand jury reviewed evidence including video of Scott's death and witness testimony before determining that the jail workers would not face criminal charges, officials said. It was not immediately clear if the Collin County Sheriff's Office would be releasing the footage now that the grand jury has declined to indict the jail workers. The jail workers who had faced possible criminal charges included: Andres Cardenas, Alec Difatta, Blaise Mikulewicz, Rafael Paradez, Justin Patrick, James Schoelen, Christopher Windsor and Austin Wong. The grand jury released a rare public statement addressing the death and calling for a review of Scott's death and how people with mental illness are treated in the criminal justice system Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Scott's family, responded to the grand jury announcement on Twitter on Tuesday In the press release, District Attorney Greg Willis declared he would be taking the lead in forming the mental health work group requested by the grand jury. 'I too share the Grand Jury's concern for the treatment of individuals suffering from mental illness, and I pledge to honor Mr. Scott by taking the lead in assembling the work group to look for lessons learned so that his tragic in-custody death will not have been in vain,' Willis said. He added: 'I know there are members of our community who have strong feelings about this case and the Grand Jury's decision. To everyone in Collin County, I say please be respectful to each other's dignity, and please be respectful of our laws. We all have a God-given right to peaceably assemble and be heard, but remember that our laws must be followed and they will be enforced.' Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Scott's family, responded to the grand jury announcement on Twitter on Tuesday. 'Marvin Scott's family is extremely disappointed the GJ failed to bring charges in this case,' Merritt wrote. 'The evidence (unreleased video, spit-hood, OC spray, policy violations & a ME conclusion of homicide, provides more than sufficient probable cause for indictments.' He added that the Scott family 'looks forward' to a review by a federal grand jury for possible violations of federal law. 'The failure of prosecutors to secure indictments in this matter reflects a trend in Texas of undervaluing the lives of African American's suffering mental health crisis,' Merritt wrote. Scott's death came nine months after the murder of George Floyd and sparked aa wave of protests in North Texas. Scott, who Merritt said suffered from schizophrenia, was arrested on a drug-possession charge when officers claimed they found him sitting next to a small amount of marijuana at an outlet mall, the Allen Premium Outlets. Collin County medical examiner Dr. William Rohr had ruled his death a homicide and declared in a preliminary autopsy report that Scott had died from a 'fatal acute stress response in an individual with previously diagnosed schizophrenia during restraint struggle with law enforcement,' The Dallas Morning News reported. Seven jailers were fired after an internal investigation and an eighth resigned, though one of them has successfully appealed the decision, The Dallas Morning News reported. Haiti was plunged further into chaos on Friday when the acting interim prime minister was accused of staging a coup, and a third person claimed to be running the country following the assassination of the president. President Jovenal Moise's murder on Wednesday has thrown the already-teetering country into turmoil, with democratic institutions hollowed out. Moise had been ruling by decree since January 2020, with only 10 senators left in power and an entirely vacant lower chamber. On Monday Moise had appointed Ariel Henry, a 71-year-old former minister of interior and respected neurosurgeon, as his latest prime minister. Henry had not taken up the role by the time Moise was assassinated two days later, and so interim prime minister Claude Joseph has remained in power, with the support so far of the United States and UN. POWER STRUGGLE: Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph (left) has seized power of the country, declaring a state of emergency, just days before he was due to be replaced by the country's coronavirus tsar Ariel Henry (right), the man Moise had named as Joseph's successor Haitian President Jovenel Moise and First Lady Martine are pictured together in 2017. Moise was riddled with 12 bullet holes and had his eye gouged out during Wednesday's brutal attack, which killed him and seriously injured his wife Joseph said that as head of the government 'who is still in function', he and other members of the government held a special meeting of Haiti's security apparatus and decided to 'declare a state of siege throughout the entire country'. The two-week declaration of martial law permits the police and security members to enter homes, control traffic and take special security measures and 'all general measures that permit the arrest of the assassins'. The decree also forbids meetings meant to incite disorder. On Friday Patrice Dumont, one of the only 10 senators left in power, accused Joseph of staging a coup, and demanded he hand over to Henry. 'He installed himself,' Dumont told a Haitian radio station, according to The New York Times. 'We cannot accept this.' Patrice Dumont, one of only 10 senators left in Haiti, said on Friday that he believes Claude Joseph is unlawfully seizing power Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said Joseph would keep that role until presidential and legislative elections are held on September 26. 'This is part of the chaos certain people are trying to create in the country,' said Pierre, blaming Joseph's opponents for destabilizing the country. 'For us, this is a second attempt to assassinate the president. We are doing what we have to do to establish stability and prepare for elections.' Henry's appointment was made unilaterally by Moise, without political agreement - leading many to question its legitimacy. To further complicate matters, a third person on Friday then claimed to be the legitimate ruler. Joseph Lambert, head of Haiti's senate, was on Friday nominated to be interim president. 'I was chosen unanimously,' he told The Miami Herald. 'That doesn't add to the conflict. Joseph Lambert (second from right, pictured with Jovenal Moise and his wife Martine Moise on January 12, 2018) has said that he should be in charge of Haiti 'There is a vacancy and the political force and class, the Organization of American States, the U.N believe there needs to a dialogue initiated with the political actors to bring the country to stability. 'The resolution the Senate vote is clear. 'I am provisional president until the next parliament takes its seat in January 2022.' The constitution is unclear. The 1987 version states that if the presidency is vacant for any reason, the country's most senior judge should step in. The head of Haiti's highest court, Rene Sylvestre, died of COVID-19 last week. But in 2012, the Constitution was amended, and the new one directed that the president be replaced by a council of ministers, under the guidance of the prime minister. Except if, as was the case with Moise, the president was in the fourth year of office. In that case, Parliament would vote for a provisional president. But there is no Parliament. 'Things are unclear,' said Georges Michel, a Haitian historian who helped write the 1987 Constitution. He told The New York Times: 'It's a very grave situation.' Earlier on Friday, Haitian officials pleaded with the US to send in military troops amid fears so-called 'urban terrorists' are planning to attack the nation's airport, gas reserves and port. Pierre warned that the masterminds of Wednesday's assassination of Moise could continue their attack by targeting the nation's critical infrastructure in the coming days. 'The group that financed the mercenaries want to create chaos in the country. Attacking the gas reserves and airport might be part of the plan,' he told the New York Times. The White House confirmed Friday it was responding to the call for help, drafting in senior officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to the capital Port-au-Prince as soon as possible. Press secretary Jen Psaki said the US would assess the situation on the ground to see how to best assist and will send in COVID-19 vaccines to the nation as soon as next week. The US is also providing $5 million to strengthen Haiti's law enforcement capacity to work with communities to resist gangs, Psaki said - something that was a key US priority even before Wednesday's deadly raid. 'The United States remains engaged and in close consultation with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president,' she said. A crowd of residents in Port-au-Prince gathered outside the US Embassy on Friday amid rumors the US will be handing out exile and humanitarian visas to escape the country which has fallen into further turmoil following Wednesday's assassination. In total, Haiti National Police said there were 28 presumed assassins responsible for Wednesday's raid, with 17 arrested, three dead and eight still at large. Among the 28 are 26 Colombians and two Haitian-born American citizens. On Friday a relative of one of the American citizens, James Solages, told The Daily Beast they were shocked, describing him as 'a nice guy'. No motive has yet been given and officials continue to hunt for the masterminds, while questions are swirling over the possibility of an inside job and the two US citizens arrested allegedly claimed to have only been hired as translators. Police patrol outside the Embassy of Taiwan in Port-au-Prince where 11 suspected assassins were detained in connection to the murder of the president Police patrol the Morne Calvaire district of Petion-Ville as they continue to hunt for eight suspected assassins two days on People gathered in front of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince Friday amid rumors the US will be handing out exile and humanitarian visas to escape the violence and mayhem in the country Haiti officials have pleaded with the US to send in military troops amid fears so-called 'urban terrorists' are planning to attack the nation's airport, gas reserves and port as the country teeters on the brink of chaos The two US citizens among the 17 arrested over the assassination have allegedly claimed they were hired as translators in a plot to arrest the Haitian president but not to kill him. Haitian-born American citizens Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, are said to have confessed to being involved in Wednesday's early morning raid that left Moise dead and his wife fighting for her life. Vincent allegedly claimed the plot was orchestrated by a foreigner named 'Mike' who spoke English and Spanish, they planned to take Moise to the National Palace and the plot was devised over the course of a month in a hotel in Petion-Ville. Deputy justice of the peace Judge Clement Noel told Le Nouvelliste the two men, who both live in Florida, said 'the mission was to arrest President Jovenel Moise, within the framework of the execution of a mandate of an investigating judge and not to kill him.' Solages said he 'found this job on the internet', Noel told the outlet. Authorities are now investigating if the plot was an inside job with the president's key security personnel facing interrogation. Jean Laguel Civil, Moise's security coordinator and Dimitri Herard, head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace will be questioned. The two men were among those most responsible for the safety and security of the president. Haitian Prosecutor Me Bed-Ford Claude said he had seen no casualties among the president's security detail following the assassination. 'They are responsible for the security of the president... I did not see any police victim except the president and his wife. If you are responsible for the security of the president where were you?' he asked. Herard is currently under investigation by US officials over allegations he is involved in arms trafficking in Haiti, Haitian and US sources told CEPR. Officials said they are still looking for the 'intellectual authors' of the plot. National Police Director Leon Charles said 'we have the physical perpetrators in hand and we are looking for the instigators.' The remaining 26 suspects are all Colombians with the Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano saying preliminary information points to at least 13 of them being retired members of the country's military. Colombian officials said Friday the Colombian suspects travelled to the Caribbean nation in two groups by way of the Dominican Republic. None of the other detainees or those killed have been named. Suspects in the assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise are shown to the media in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday Weaponry, mobile phones, passports and other items are being shown to the media along with suspects in the assassination Haitian-born American citizens James Solages, 35, (above) and Joseph Vincent, 55, are said to have confessed to being involved in Wednesday's early morning raid at the president's mansion near Port-au-Prince The deputy justice of the peace of Petion-Ville Judge Clement Noel told local paper Le Nouvelliste Solages (pictured) and Vincent - who both live in Florida - told authorities 'they were translators' Police lined up the 17 assassination suspects, including two American citizens and 15 Colombians, behind a table displaying an array of firearms, machetes, sledgehammers and several Colombian passports Suspects in the assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise, among them Haitian-American citizens James Solages, left, and Joseph Vincent, second left, are shown to the media at the General Direction of the police in Port-au-Prince Sources told Reuters that US intelligence and law enforcement officials are now probing American connections to Moise's assassination following the arrest of the two US citizens Thursday. Solages had been staying in Haiti for the last month while Vincent had been there for the last six months, according to Noel. The Colombian 'mercenaries' had been in the Caribbean country for around three months, he said Solages claimed. The judge said both Solages and Vincent were arrested following a shootout with police and were found to be carrying weapons, clothes and food at the time. Solages' now-deleted Facebook account claimed he spoke Spanish, English, French and Haitian Creole, while his shocked relatives said he had no military experience and was not known to harbor radical political beliefs. He is the president of a charity based in south Florida whose website - which has now gone offline - claims to be focused on ending childhood hunger in Haiti. The 35-year-old's bio on the site boasted numerous credentials including claims he is a 'certified diplomatic agent,' a politician 'promoting his country by focusing on compassion programs and counseling economic development program' and the former chief commander of bodyguards for The Canadian embassy in Haiti. After earlier claiming seven suspects were killed, Leon Charles, chief of Haiti's National Police, now claims that only three other suspects were killed by police, saying eight others are on the run Soldiers frog march two of the suspects in the assassination after displaying them for the media at a press conference Police officers guard a group of suspects accused of having participated in the assassination of the Haitian President However, Canada's foreign relation department released a statement that did not refer to Solages by name but said one of the men detained had been 'briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard' at its embassy by a private contractor. And relatives who have spoken out since Solages arrest say he once had a failed attempt to run for mayor in his hometown of Jacmel and had no military service. Solage's uncle Schubert Dorisme told Seattle Times from his home in Florida that the family was shocked to hear of his alleged involvement as they learned of his arrest in the media. Dorisme told the outlet his nephew has 'no military training', adding that 'I don't know how this thing happened.' He told the outlet his nephew would often travel back and forth between Haiti and his home in south Florida to carry out work for his charity in Jacmel. Solages once made an unsuccessful run for mayor in Jacmel, he said. Dorisme insisted Solages was not known to harbor radical political beliefs, however, he said he believed his nephew's latest trip was for the purpose of carrying out the attack. 'I think, for me, I think he went down there just for that,' he said. Dorisme said he did not know how long Solages had been staying in Haiti leading up to Wednesday's attack. He told the outlet he was upset over Moise's death and likened his nephew's alleged involvement to being like 'my son killed my brother.' Haitian police transport two other men in the back of a cop trailer to the police station of Petion Ville in Port-au-Prince. Police said the two men are suspects in the murder of Haiti president Jovenel Moise The two men were reportedly found hiding in bushes by civilians who roughed them up before turning them over to police One of the men detained by Haitian police on suspicion of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise Another male suspect is seen covered in blood as he was loaded into the back of a police car Thursday - one day on from the deadly raid on the president's mansion The bodies of two of the people killed by police are pictured being transported away in a police vehicle Thursday People look in through the window of the police car at the bodies of two of the people suspected of being involved in the assassination of the president 'First of all, I'm sorry for what happened about my president. I am deeply sorry. It feels like my son killed my brother,' Dorisme said. 'I love my president, and I love James Solages.' Solages' aunt Victorie Dorisme also spoke of her disbelief at his involvement in the president's assassination. She told the Miami Herald she had 'never heard of him in any trouble like this.' Instead, she said he spent his time working as a building maintenance man and running his charity and was going through a divorce. Prior to his arrest as part of an international assassination plot, the 35-year-old had no criminal record. Solages' Facebook was taken offline Thursday following his arrest. On his LinkedIn account, which remains active, Solages is listed as having achieved an associate's degree in IT at FCC College in Miami and worked for a technology maintenance firm from 2016 to 2019. He is also listed as CEO of EJS Maintenance and Repair, plant operation director at Senior Lifestyle and president at JacmelFirst. Jacmel First's charitable mission is to support the growth and development of underprivileged people in Haiti and specifically Jacmel - a port town on the south coast of the country, the website says. This includes through education, health education and the implementation of sanitation systems. Attempts by DailyMail.com to reach his charity by phone did not go through or were not answered. Meanwhile, little is known about Vincent, other than officials saying he lives in Miami. It is not clear if the two men were known to each other prior to their alleged involvement in the president's assassination. Footage from the raid reveals an attacker with an American accent shouting in English 'this is a DEA operation' as they arrived at the mansion before carrying out the attack. Noel said it is Solages' voice in the footage. Officials paraded the suspected assassins in a press conference Thursday night but are yet to provide evidence of their involvement or details of any plot other than to say it was carried out by 'foreign mercenaries and professional killers.' Interim President Claude Joseph, center, looks at the suspects at the press briefing Thursday. Joseph has assumed absolute power by declaring a 'state of siege' despite questions over who should assume the presidency Footage showed two Colombian suspects being hauled through the streets with ropes around their midriffs, one of the men was shirtless and covered in blood as people shoved him amid shouts and shrieks from the mob. The suspected hired guns are dragged up steps with ropes tied around their midriffs by the mob Crowds surround the police station where the suspects in connection to the assassination of the president are being held A crowd of local residents took matters into their own hands Thursday, surrounding two male suspects before police officers arrived and detained them (above) Locals surround a police car transporting two men arrested in the Jalousie township of Port-au-Prince Thursday Speculation of a possible inside job comes as Haiti's Ambassador to the US, Bocchit Edmond, said 'there is no doubt about it... there was some internal help.' Just after 1am on Wednesday, assassins shouting in American accents 'DEA operation, stand down' stormed into the 53-year-old president's private residence in the hills above the capital, ransacking bedrooms and offices, and leaving him to die an horrific death with machine gun fire riddling his body from his head down to his legs. Magistrate Carl Henry Destin told the Nouvelliste newspaper that the president's body had been ripped apart by 12 bullets from large caliber rifles and smaller 9mm weapons, to the forehead, chest, hips and abdomen. Moise's wife, Martine, 47, was shot through the legs, arm, torso and hand. She was first treated at a local hospital then airlifted in a 'critical condition' to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami where officials said she is now 'out of danger' and in a 'stable condition.' Their adult daughter Jormalie was left fearing for her life as she cowered in a bedroom but was able to escape unharmed while a maid and another domestic staff member were tied up by the gunmen. Footage circulating online purportedly taken by a neighbour of the president shows men with rifles arriving outside the property Footage circulating in Haitian WhatsApp groups purports to show men with rifles arriving at the president's home last night A car riddled with bullet holes outside the late president's home in the hills near Port-au-Prince on Wednesday Members of the Haitian police and forensics mark a bullet on the street as they look for evidence outside of the presidential residence on Wednesday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Investigators work near Haitian President Jovenel Moise's home in Port-au-Prince collecting evidence after the assassination The President of Haiti Jovenel Moise was shot dead in his home in the Pelerin 5 neighbourhood in the hills above Port-au-Prince Police discovered a cache of guns in a vehicle used by the attackers, including a CCTV camera from Moise's home, axes, wire cutters, bullet proof vests and more than $40,000 in US dollar bills. No motive has been given for the attack, which came at a time of escalating unrest in the country and as protesters called for the removal of Moise - who has been accused of turning the country into a dictatorship. In June, just weeks before his murder, one of the country's most powerful gang leaders announced he was launching a revolution against Haiti's political elites. Jimmy Cherizier, known as 'Barbecue', said his G9 group of gangs could free the country from the government and its opposition. Barbecue is an ex-police officer turned gang leader who has been linked to several massacres in the country but was also said to have ties with Moise. Trinity Air Ambulance touches down at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida, carrying the gravely injured Martine Moise, Haiti's First Lady, who was shot during an assassination raid that killed her husband, Haitian President Jovenel Moise Martine Moise, first lady of Haiti, arrives at Jackson Health System's Ryder Trauma Center, in Miami, for treatment Wednesday after being shot multiple times at her home earlier in the day in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in the attack that killed her husband The US had previously called for an election to be held in the Caribbean country by the end of 2021. Haiti had grown increasingly unstable under Moise, who was accused of turning the country into a dictatorship and allowing armed gangsters to roam the streets to prevent new elections. Protests had been going on for months against him as opponents and citizens said his term had ended, while he refused to hold an election. Moise also faced accusations of financial impropriety and power-grabbing by limiting powers for auditing government contracts and creating an intelligence agency that only answers to the president. He wanted to abolish the Senate, leaving a single legislative body, and replace the post of prime minister with a vice president who answered only to him, in a bid to streamline government. One of Sydney's most popular shopping centres has been put on alert after a confirmed Covid-19 case visited several of its stores. Broadway Sydney revealed an infected shopper had visited the centre's Kmart, JB Hi Fi, Coles, Aldi, Harvey Norman and Liquorland stores on Thursday, July 8 between 12pm to 2pm. Anyone who visited the centre as a whole during those times has been urged to get tested if symptoms appear and isolate until a negative result while close contacts are expected to be listed by NSW Health later on Saturday. 'NSW Health has advised that the customer was diligent in wearing a mask and checking in at all locations and we thank all of our customers who continue to do this to assist NSW Health in their contact tracing efforts,' the centre said. Broadway Sydney revealed an infected shopper had visited the centre's Kmart, JB Hi Fi, Coles, ALDI, Harvey Norman and Liquorland stores on July 8 between 12pm to 2pm Among the stores visited by the infected case include the Aldi at Broadway Sydney Shopping Centre The infected shopper also stopped by the Jb Hi Fi store at Broadway on July 8 'The Centre undergoes a full deep clean each night as part of our regular cleaning regime introduced at the onset of the pandemic to assist in protecting our community and will undertake additional measures following the confirmation of a contact.' The new virus alert comes after New South Wales recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday following three-consecutive days of record numbers as the premier warned 'things are going to get worse before they get better'. Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the new cases in a press conference in Sydney after introducing further restrictions on the current stay-at-home-orders on Friday. She says 'most concerningly' there were 26 active cases in the community, saying too many residents were 'cutting corners' and 'flouting the rules'. 'That is the number we need to get down to as close to zero as possible,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'When you know that there are 26 cases infectious in the community, the only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better.' She also hinted that the Greater Sydney lockdown, which is entering its third week, is likely to be extended. 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said there are 47 people in hospital being treated for the virus with 16 in intensive care including a teenager, a person in their 20s and person in their 30s. Of the 47 in hospital, 37 were unvaccinated. No one that has been double vaccinated is currently in hospital. Police issued more than 160 fines for breaching protocol in the last 24 hours, including eight people being busted for throwing a house party in Sydney's east. Broadway's Coles supermarket was also visited by the infected shopper on Thursday New South Wales recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday after three-consecutive days of record numbers Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the new cases in a press conference in Sydney after introducing further restrictions on the current stay-at-home-orders on Friday Premier Berejiklian refused to be drawn into comments about extending the Greater Sydney lockdown but said she expects cases 'to get worse before they get better' Ms Berejiklian lamented people giving misleading or untruthful information when being contacted by NSW Health officials, pleading for Sydneysiders to be honest with their actions and exposure. 'One message I really want to get across to people who have been diagnosed with COVID, please tell us the truth the first time around,' she said. 'When people withhold information, it means that their contacts are infectious - potentially infectious in the community. Eventually our health contact tracers get to the truth. 'Please tell the truth from the first minute rather than after repeated conversations, because otherwise you put your closest family and friends at the greatest risk, and that is something we don't want to see.' Kmart has also been listed as an exposure site meanwhile 50 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Saturday A woman is seen walking through Fairfield on Saturday as cases surge in the south-west NSW Police has warned Sydneysiders they'll be on high alert over the coming days ensuring residents are following public health orders SYDNEY EXPOSURE SITES: Anyone who attended the following venues at the listed time is regarded a close contact. They must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health. Strathfield: Lab Bakery Cafe, 4 The Boulevard Strathfield, Thursday 1 July, 11.30am-12.45pm Merrylands: Direct Trade, shop 1/150 Merrylands Road, Saturday July 3, 2.20pm-2.50pm Bankstown: Beacon Lighting - Home Central 9, 67 Chapel Road, Thursday July 8, 8am-9.30am Redfern to Beaconsfield: 309 bus route, Sunday July 4, 6.46pm-6.51pm Burwood: Kathmandu Burwood Shop 353/100 Burwood Rd Sunday 4 July, 12.35pm 1pm; Burwood: Mehfil North Indian Cuisine, Westfield Burwood Shopping Centre, 100 Burwood Rd, Burwood Sunday 4 July, 1.05pm 1.10pm; Wetherill Park: Beds R Us Wetherill Park, Greenway Plaza & Homemaker Greenway, Unit 70/71/1183 The Horsley Dr, Wetherill Park, Monday 5 July, 2.30pm 3.15pm; Smithfield: Oreganos Lebanese Bakery and Cafe, 1/693 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield, Monday 5 July, 2pm 2.30pm; Merrylands: Sadaqat Supermarket, 6 Memorial Ave, Merrylands, Monday 5 July, 1.30pm 2pm; Merrylands: Australia Post Office Merrylands, 12 Memorial Ave, Merrylands, Monday 5 July, 2pm 3pm; Merrylands: Aldi Merrylands, 191-201 Pitt St, Merrylands, Monday 5 July, 1.30pm 3.30pm; Merrylands: Kmart Merrylands, 1 McFarlane St, Merrylands, Monday 5 July, 1.30pm 3.30pm; Auburn: Auburn Fresh City Fruit & Vegetables, 67-69 Auburn Road, Monday 5 July, 3.30pm 4.30pm; Auburn: Sahar Market, 1/62 Auburn Road, Monday 5 July, 3.30pm 4.30pm; Auburn: New Star Kebabs, 15 Auburn Rd, Auburn, Monday 5 July, 3.30pm 4.30pm. Anyone who attended the following venues at the listed time is regarded a casual contact. They must get tested immediately and isolate until a negative result is received. Coogee: Barzura Coogee, 62 Carr Street, Saturday July 3, 9.30am-9.35am Haberfield: UTS Haberfield Rowers Club, Dobroyd Parade, Sunday July 4, 12.15pm-12.45pm Quakers Hill: ALDI, 85 Bali Drive, Sunday July 4, 1.15pm-1.35pm Liverpool: Big W Liverpool Westfield, 25 George Street, Monday July 5, 1.10pm-1.20pm Liverpool: Michel's Patisserie Liverpool Westfield, Kiosk 1003 Westfield Liverpool, Monday 5 July 1.20pm-1.30pm Hoxton Park: ALDI, 501 Cowpasture Road, Monday 5 July, 3.30pm-4pm Maroubra: Ek'sentric Cafe, 765a Anzac Parade, Monday 5 July, 9.30am-9.40am Georges Hall: Georges Hall Pharmacy, 1/195 Birdwood Road, Monday 5 July, 2pm-2.30pm Maroubra: My Local Cafe, 300/16-132 Maroubra Road, Tuesday July 6, 8.40am-8.50am, Wednesday July 7, 8.45am-8.55am and 12.30pm-12.40pm Rockdale: KFC, 274 Princes Highway, Tuesday July 6, 10am-4pm, Wednesday 7 July, 10.30am-4pm Coogee: Morning Glory Cafe, 128-130 Beach Street, Wednesday July 7, 11.15am-1.45pm Mascot: Woolworths, 55 Church Avenue, Wednesday July 7, 2.30pm-3pm Ashfield: ALDI, 260A Liverpool Road, Wednesday July 7, 1.15pm-2pm Ashfield: Woolworths, 260A Liverpool Road, Wednesday July 7, 1.45pm-2.15pm Parramatta: Country Growers, 159-175 Church St, on Thursday, July 1, 5.30pm-5.40pm Parramatta: Coles Westfield, 159-175 Church St, on Thursday, July 1, 5pm-6pm Wetherill Park: JB HiFi, 561-583 Polding St, on Saturday, July 3, 2.30pm-3.15pm Pendle Hill: Woolworths Metro, 109 Pendle Way, on Saturday, July 3, 5.45pm-6.15pm and on Tuesday, July 6, 10.50am-11.20am Pagewood: Kmart Westfield Eastgardens, 152 Bunnerong Rd, on Saturday, July 3, 4.20pm-5pm Burwood: Kmart, 100 Burwood Rd, on Sunday, July 4, 11.45am-12.35pm Wetherill Park: Chemistworks, 561-583 Polding St, on Sunday, July 4, 5.30pm-6.30pm Merrylands: Stockland Shopping Centre, 1 Pitt St, on Monday, July 5, 1.30pm-3.30pm Carlingford: Chemist Warehouse, 821-825 Pennant Hills Rd, on Monday, July 5, 12.45pm-1.15pm Hurstville: King Tea, Shop 432, Westfield, on Tuesday, July 6, 2pm-3.15pm Bonnyrigg: Bunnings, 1/9 Bonnyrigg Ave, on Tuesday, July 6, 1.45pm-2.15pm Telopea: The Valley Pharmacy, 4 Benaud Pl, on Tuesday, July 6, 3pm-3.30pm Carlingford: Carlingford Court Shopping Centre, Pennant Hills Rd & Carlingford Rd, Wednesday, July 7, 3.15pm-5.15pm Anyone who attended the following location at the time listed should monitor for symptoms and, if they appear, immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received Ashfield: Ashfield Mall, 260A Liverpool Road, Wednesday July 7, 1.15pm-2.15pm Broadway Sydney Shopping Centre, Thursday, July 8, 12pm - 2pm Advertisement There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic. Saturday's figure deepens the growing crisis with the highly-infectious Delta strain. There are currently 47 people who have been hospitalised as a result of the virus, with Dr Chant urging people to take it seriously. 'I'm making an impassioned plea for the community this weekend to follow the advice we've provided, and I think -- diligently the advice we've provided and I think you will understand my growing level of concern that we need to bring these case numbers down,' she said. 'I think what we are seeing is chains of transmission and we are having difficulty getting ahead of those chains.' She confirmed the teenager currently suffering from the virus in ICU is not on a ventilator. Police confirmed 167 fines were handed out in the last 24 hours, including a party in Randwick in Sydney's east involving eight men. There was also a party in The Entrance on the Central Coast involving five adults and a minor. Out of the fines, 67 came from Sydney's south-west - an area being targeted extensively by police to attempt to slow the virus' spread. Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said police will continue their high-visibility movement in the suburbs despite claims of racism and double standards. There were 72 people fined for failing to wear masks and 96 for leaving home without a reasonable excuse. Ms Berejiklian lamented people giving misleading or untruthful information when being contacted by NSW Health officials, pleading for Sydneysiders to be honest with their actions and exposure There were 38 new cases announced Thursday and 44 Friday, both the highest days recorded since the start of the pandemic 'I think it is pretty clear that unless we reduce that level of people in the community that are infectious, we won't be able to turn things around as quickly as we can or as quickly as we should,' the premier said Sydney's weather is set to be a boost for officials in containing the virus spreading further as rain lashes the Harbour City The announcement comes as five million Sydneysiders could be stuck in lockdown until at least August, a leading infectious disease expert has claimed. Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said it would take 'at least a month' to get Covid numbers down and even longer to eliminate community transmission completely. 'You expect cases, sadly, in family clusters, but the ones outside isolation are the ones that are telling you there's a lot of circulating virus,' she told Weekend Today. 'My projections are that it's going to take at least a month to get those down.' Professor McLaws said it was concerning to see over half of the new Covid cases detected not having isolated. 'At the moment that (proportion has) been very high, anywhere between a half of all people diagnosed to 60 per cent and that has to get down to zero.' Her grim warning comes as tensions mount in south-west Sydney, where 100 extra police officers have been sent to ensure compliance in worrying Covid hotspots. Furious residents in the targeted local government areas - Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool - have questioned why Sydney's eastern suburbs are not receiving the same police attention. Under the tough new rules, which came into effect at 5pm on Friday, exercise is limited to groups of two, browsing is banned at shops and residents can still only leave their homes for one of the four essential reasons. Sydney could be in lockdown until at least August, as tensions mount over extra police attention in the city's Covid-hit west and south-west Mary-Louise McLaws, professor of epidemiology at UNSW, claimed it could be five weeks before community transmission of the Indian Delta variant of Covid 19 slows in Sydney Dramatic video emerged on Friday of Rami Ykmour - the founder of popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks Members of the public have already been arrested with officers spotted escorting a handcuffed man outside of a shopping centre in Fairfield Backlash to the police response hit a low point on Thursday when a high-profile restaurant chain owner was dramatically arrested and charged during the crackdown in southwest Sydney. Rami Ykmour - the founder of the hugely popular Rashays eatery - was arrested after refusing to provide his details to officers while two of his staff were fined for not wearing face masks at the company's head office at Chester Hill on Thursday. 'The sending in of police into Western Sydney is about signally that Australian citizens are not 'one of us' because they're from migrant backgrounds,' claimed Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. 'It's about saying we don't belong. That we someone care less about our families and communities.' 'It's debased dirty racism. Enough,' said Mr Karapanagiotidis. A lawyer specialising in 'police accountability' with the Redfern Legal Advice Centre said a better response would be improved community support. 'Targeting communities in south-western Sydney with more police and more fines seems disproportionate and unjust,' said Samantha Lee, solicitor in the police accountability practice at Redfern Legal Centre. 'All communities need equal access to health information, resources and support to get through this difficult time. Increasing penalties to lower economic areas is not the answer.' Some furious residents in Sydney's west claimed the decision to send extra police officers to the western suburbs was an example of 'debased racism' Residents in the city's south-west have expressed anger at the large police presence they receive compared to the east But Gladys Berejiklian warned things could get tougher for Sydney. 'Unless there's a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can't see how we'll be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday,' the premier said. '(This is) the greatest threat we have faced in NSW since the pandemic started (and) at the moment the numbers are not heading in the right direction.' The premier said a premature reopening of Greater Sydney would result in thousands of coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday advised Sydneysiders to 'push through' and comply with restrictions. 'Hopefully (the lockdown is) as brief as it can be, but as long as it has to be, to ensure that we suppress the virus and this most recent outbreak and we're able to get back to where we were a few weeks ago,' Mr Morrison told Nine's A Current Affair on Friday evening. The state's health department on Friday issued alerts for 30 more venues across Sydney. Several places are listed close contact exposure sites for periods of seven hours or longer. They include an Ikea at Tempe, where a staffer worked whilst infectious, and a construction site at Homebush. Seven furniture stores along the same road in Campbelltown have also been identified as venues of concern for visitors on Sunday afternoon. Other venues include Westfield Burwood, two Bunnings shops, in Randwick and Hoxton Park, a Miranda Service NSW, medical centres in Liverpool and Wetherill Park, and numerous supermarkets. The number of close contacts isolating across NSW doubled in 24 hours, from 7000 to 14,000, Ms Berejiklian said on Friday. Under the new restrictions, only one person per household may leave the home for shopping each day. Residents cannot exercise further than 10km from their home. Funerals will be limited to 10 people. Surveillance video captured the moment hurricane-force winds tore the roof off a Jacksonville business as tropical storm Elsa hit Florida on Thursday. The wild footage shows the roof being torn off Cannon's Towing at 4.49pm local time on Thursday and dumping debris along Richard Street with pieces of the roof found hanging off a nearby cell tower, NBC News reported. The footage was taken by another business around the corner, video surveillance company Secur-Net USA, at the same time National Weather Service reports show tropical storm Elsa tearing through Duval County, Florida. The moment when hurricane-force winds tore the roof off a Jacksonville business was caught on nearby surveillance video The wild footage came as tropical storm Elsa hit Florida on Thursday The roof can be sign on the footage flying in the air as the storm hit Florida The footage was taken by another business around the corner, video surveillance company Secur-Net USA Secur-Net USA owner Jim Youngblood told WTLV that he was thankful members of his staff were not hurt in the storm. 'We saw it coming down the street and hunkered down,' Youngblood said. 'Always grateful nobody was injured as there were employees in the building at the time. The business was built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane so it's pretty beefed up.' Cannon's Towing is a local and family-owned business that has been in business for 61 years, WJAX-TV reported. Members of the family who own the business told the outlet that they were 'heartbroken' after the roof suffered the incredible damage. 'I'm still in shock, I don't think it's really hit us,' Brittani Phillips said. Photos posted to the nearby business Crossfit Total Control West also showed damage to the roof of a building Crossfit Total Control West posted that the gym sustained some roof damage but nothing structural that would close it A woman holds part of a sign for Crossfit Total Control West that was damaged in the storm Phillips, whose late grandfather started the business, told WJAX-TV that the community outreach after the storm has been 'overwhelming' whilke the business works to reopen. 'Luckily, we work as a unit and we have everybody here,' Phillips said. 'Everyone is putting their hands together lets see what we can do and try to get back fully operational as soon as possible.' She added: 'Everyone here is considered family and just to see this is heartbreak and something so personal and so close, that hits home a lot.' 'Any day we're above ground is a blessing so that's the way we have to look at it,' Phillips said. Philips showed WJAX-TV where the air conditioning unit was ripped out and said the business now has 'trees in the warehouse.' Secur-Net USA employee Wayne Griffin told the outlet that his car window was cracked from the flying debris and that he had to find cover when the storm came through. 'I heard like, loud fireworks, cannon blast and transformers blowing,' Griffin said. 'Mother Nature...don't mess with, that little, short minute that came through here did a lot of damage.' Advertisement On the same day that workers in Charlottesville, Virginia removed statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, the city council held a lightning vote to topple a monument depicting the explorers Merriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacagawea. Work crews already out on the job removing the Confederate monuments rushed over with a crane to bring down Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea on Saturday after the city council called an emergency meeting with 20 minutes notice. The statue of the explorers, which was erected in 1919, depicted Native American guide Sacagawea kneeling next to the white explorers -- a position critics called demeaning, but defenders argued was a depiction of her 'tracking.' 'I feel that it's entirely offensive and it should be obliterated,' said Rose Ann Abrahamson, a Sacagawea descendant, at the emergency council meeting, according to the Daily Progress. 'I feel that it should just be melted down.' The statue of the explorers came down hours after after crews finished removing the statues of Lee and Jackson, which were torn down to the cheers of watching spectators. The 26-foot tall bronze monument to Lee - which has stood in the city's Emancipation Park since 1924 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 - was the first to be taken down, shortly after 8am. Meanwhile, the bronze statue of Gen. Jackson - completed in 1921 by renowned sculptor Charles Keck - was hoisted off it base in nearby Jackson Park around 10am. The statue of Lewis, Clark and Sacagawea was hauled away on a flatbed truck around 2.45pm. A monument in Charlottesville depicting the explorers Merriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacagawea was removed on Saturday as the city council held an emergency meeting with 20 minutes notice to vote to remove it The 26-foot-tall bronze statue of General Robert E. Lee was removed from its base shortly after 8am Saturday, evening a four-year-long legal battle Meanwhile, the bronze statue of Gen. Jackson - completed in 1921 by renowned sculptor Charles Keck - was hoisted off it base in nearby Jackson Park around 10am Crowds cheered in celebration, while others including Tanya and Evance Chanda (pictured) appeared overwhelmed with emotion THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION 1804 -1806 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are best known for their expedition across the American west from 1804 until 1806. Lewis and Clark were both of British descent and born on plantations in Virginia. The pair met while serving in the US Army around 1800, where they both become prominent members. Lewis rose to the rank of captain, while Clark was a commanding officers. Lewis was noticed by President Thomas Jefferson, who commissioned him for an expedition across the American west with the aim of exploring and mapping the largely uncharted territory, which had just been acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. He recruited Clark to share command of the expedition. In May 1804, Lewis and Clark set out from St. Charles, Missouri crossing through modern-day Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. In November of 1804, in what is now presently known as North Dakota, the pair met Sacagawea - a 17 year old Shoshone woman married to a French Canadian trader by the name of Toussaint Charbonneau. Charbonneau had been hired by Lewis and Clark to work as a translator, and Scagawea was six months pregnant at the time. Sacagawea's son, Jean Baptiste, was born in February 1805, two months before she joined Lewis and Clark on their continuing expedition up the Missouri River. The presence of the female tracker and her baby son made the white men's expedition appear less threatening to Native American tribes they encountered along the way. Sacagawea - who was bilungual - also proved instrumental in translating languages for Lewis and Clark. In one diary entry, Clark called Sacagawea his 'pilot', and she helped navigate the expedition through a mountain pass through Montana to the Yellowstone River. Sacagawea was also a skilled naturalist, helping to collect plants, roots and berries for medicinal purposes. The expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in modern day Washington state in 1806. Lewis and Clark successfully achieved their objective of establishing legal claim to the land. At the conclusion of the journey, Sacagawea returned with her husband and son to their settlement in North Dakota. Her husband received received 320 acres of land and $500 for his work, but Sacagawea was not compensated for her services. Today, however, she is one of the most revered women in US history, appearing on both stamps and coins. She is known for her bravery and tenacity and the instrumental part she played in staking America's legal claim to the western half of the country. While Lewis and Clark have similarly been revered, contemporary historians are paying particular attention to more complicated aspects of their biographies. Clark was a slaveholder, whose slave, York, was present on the Lewis and Clark expedition. According to historians, York was an essential member of the expedition and repeatedly asked for his freedom following the conclusion of the journey. Lewis denied his request. Advertisement Both Lee and Jackson were slave owners who fought against the abolition of slavery in the US Civil War. Their statues will now be placed in storage. The fate of the statue of the explorers remained unclear. Charlottesville's Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center has offered to take the statue, but the city council has not yet agreed to that plan. A push to remove both Confederate monuments began in 2016, and subsequently prompted white nationalists to organize a 'Unite The Right' rally in the city in August 2017. The event culminated in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer who was run down by a car driven by James Fields, who was jailed for life in June 2019 for the murder. Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker gave a speech shortly after dawn decrying white supremacy. Jubilant locals lined the road to watch the statues be loaded onto the trays of trucks before they were driven away. Several spectators wore Black Lives Matter t-shirts and hugged one another as the historic sculptures were hauled off to a storage facility. Couples, families with small children and activists looked on Saturday. The crowd intermittently chanted and cheered as progress was made fairly quickly. Hymns at one point wafted down the street as musicians performed from the front steps of a church. The city announced its plans to hoist away the statues Friday. A long, winding legal fight had held up the removal for years. A coalition of activists commended the city for finally agreeing to remove the statues. 'As long as the statues remain standing in our downtown public spaces, they signal that our community tolerated white supremacy and the Lost Cause these generals fought for,' the coalition called Take Em Down Cville said. The push to remove the Lee monument began back in 2016 with a petition started by black high school student, Zyahna Bryant. A lawsuit was quickly filed, putting the city's plans on hold. 'To the young people out there, I hope that this empowers you to speak up on the issues that matter, and to take charge in your own cities and communities,' Bryant said, standing beside Mayor Nikuyah Walker while addressing the crowd before removal work began. 'No platform for white supremacy. No platform for racism. And no platform for hate.' Jubilant locals lined the road to watch the statues be loaded onto trucks before they were driven away The statue of the explorers, which was erected in 1919, depicted Native American guide Sacagawea kneeling next to the white explorers -- a position critics called demeaning, but defenders argued was a depiction of her 'tracking' Crowds cheered as workers removed a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday morning Work is underway to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia following a contentious four year legal battle. The monument is seen being hoisted of its base early Saturday morning The statue of Lee will now be placed into storage until the City Council decides what to do with it Locals and news crews were kept behind barricades as the historic statue of Lee was brought down after 97 years Last march through town: The statue, which shows Lee on horseback, was driven through the city as locals lined the roads One woman wore a Black Lives Matter tank top as she watched the statue of Lee be wheeled away There was a strong police presence as the monument of Lee was transported away from Emancipation Park. The city is still reeling from the deadly rally in Charlottesville four years ago The statue of Lee was taken to a storage facility outside of Charlottesville on Saturday morning. It's unclear how long it will remain locked away. The statue may eventually find itself in a museum 2017: White supremacists are seen gathering under the statue of Robert E. Lee during the Unite The Right rally Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker gave a speech shortly after dawn decrying white supremacy. She was joined by student, Zyahna Bryant who started a petition to remove the monument in 2016 The statue of Confederate General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson is put into chains and removed with a crane after years of legal wrangling Crowds clapped in excitements as the giant bronze statue - which was completed exactly 100 years ago - was taken into storage Confederate general and slave owner Robert E. Lee A portrait of Confederate general Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee was a decorated Confederate general. He joined the army in 1825, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1829. He married Mary Anna Randolph Custis, the only daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of Martha Washington, in 1831. Lee first saw action with the American military in Mexico in 1846. He later served as major general of Virginia's state forces. He inherited the Virginia mansion when his father-in-law died in 1857, leaving Lee to manage the large estate. The estate was in disarray and Lee ended up taking a two year leave of absence from the army to re-organize the flailing plantation. He had extremely strict expectations of his slaves and exacted harsh punishments for those who fell short. His efforts led to near slave revolts on site, especially as many believed they would be released on Custis' death. In 1859, Lee severely punished three slaves - Wesley Norris, his sister Mary, and a cousin of theirs - after they tried to escape the plantation. A newspaper at the time claimed Lee had them whipped once they were captured and returned to Virginia. Mary received 20 lashes while the two men received 50 before the pair were sent to work on railroads in Virginia and Alabama. Many of the 200 slaves he had inherited were either sold to traders or jailed by Lee and by 1860, only one family remained intact. He is believed to have told his son in 1868: 'You will never prosper with the blacks, and it is abhorrent to a reflecting mind to be supporting and cherishing those who are plotting and working for your injury, and all of whose sympathies and associations are antagonistic to yours.' After the Civil War, Lee resisted efforts to build Confederate monuments in his honor and instead wanted the nation to move on from the Civil War. After his death, Southerners adopted 'The Lost Cause' revisionist narrative about the Civil War and placed Lee as its central figure. The Last Cause argued the South knew it was fighting a losing war and decided to fight it anyway on principle. It also tried to argue that the war was not about slavery but high constitutional ideals. As The Lost Cause narrative grew in popularity, proponents pushed to memorialize Lee, ignoring his deficiencies as a general and his role as a slave owner. Lee monuments went up in the 1920s just as the Ku Klux Klan was experiencing a resurgence and new Jim Crow segregation laws were adopted. The Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, went up in 1924. A year later, the U.S. Congress voted to use federal funds to restore the Lee mansion in the Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. Mint issued a coin in his honor, and Lee has been on five postage stamps. No other Union figure besides President Abraham Lincoln has similar honors. Advertisement After the Unite The Right rally in August 2017, both the Lee and Jackson monuments were covered with black tarps on-and-off for a period of six months. However, in February 2018, Circuit Court Judge Richard E. Moore ordered the tarps to come down. The following year he ruled that both the statues met classification as 'memorials for Civil War veterans' and, as such, were protected by Virginia law. However, the case subsequently went to the Virginia Supreme Court, where they ruled this April that the monuments could be removed. Many confederate statues were unveiled during the 1920s and 30s, as Jim Crow laws enforcing racial segregation were introduced in the southern United States. Charlottesville's Stonewall Jackson statue was unveiled in 1921, and the Robert E Lee statue in 1924. Opponents claim the statues of Confederate generals were not built as memorials, but as a means to intimidate African Americans and glorify white supremacy. However, supporters say that bids to remove Confederate statues are an attempt to erase history. 'Oh look let's put away all the monuments and hide the past, now we won't ever have to remember it. Insanity...' one Facebook user complained last year as a separate statue was torn down. Bryant - whose 2016 petition sparked the movement in Charlottesville - was heartened by Saturday's removal. 'This is a crucial first step in the right direction to tell a more historically accurate and complete story of this place and the people who call this place home. The work did not start here and it will not end here,' Bryant, now a student at the University of Virginia, said in a statement. Kristin Szakos, who was a City Council member at the time of the deadly Charlottesville rally, said in an interview earlier this week that she was determined to make sure the lessons of 2017 were learned. 'It really brought up a lot of awareness of white supremacy that is not just from visitors from Idaho, but also from structures in our own culture and in our own institutions that we have to deal with,' she said. The statues are not the first to be removed in Charlottesville. Last September, another monument - which depicted an unnamed Confederate soldier - was taken down from its foundations out front of the Albemarle County courthouse as crowds cheered in approval. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, at least 160 Confederate statues have been taken down since the death of George Floyd sparked widespread protests last summer. The bitter four-year legal battle over the statues In February 2017, following a petition started by Bryant, the Charlottesville City Council voted to take Lee's statue down. In addition, advocacy from other local leaders and activists, and the work of a commission appointed to study the issue, were also involved in the removal decision. A lawsuit was quickly filed, putting the citys plans on hold, and white supremacists seized on the issue. First, white supremacists rallied by torch-light at the state in May 2017, following a small group of Klansmen in July, far outnumbered by peaceful protesters. The issue reached a crescendo in August, when white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizers of the 'Unite the Right' rally gathered in the city to defend the statue of Lee. They seized on the issue for publicity, meeting in what was the largest gathering of extremists in at least a decade. They brawled in the streets with anti-racist counterprotesters as police largely stood by and watched. A short time later, James Alex Fields, Jr - an avowed white supremacist and admirer of Adolf Hitler - intentionally plowed his car into a crowd of people, killing Heather Heyer, 32, and leaving others with life-altering injuries. Because of the litigation over a state law protecting memorials to war veterans, Charlottesvilles hands were tied. 2017: A push to remove both monuments began in 2016, and subsequently prompted white supremacists to organize a 'Unite The Right' rally in the city in August 2017 (pictured). The event culminated in the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer who was run down by a car 2017: A group of white activists participate in a torch lit march through the University of Virginia campus ahead of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville back in August 2017 2017: White supremacist groups and counter protestors clashed during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville Although the city government still wanted Lee's statue gone, and voted to remove the nearby Jackson statue, the pair of monuments had to stay in place. A judge prevented the city from even shrouding them with tarps. After Democrats took control of the General Assembly in the 2019 elections, the monument-protection law was rewritten a year later. Since then, local governments across the state have removed statues that stood for a century or more. Charlottesville, however, was waiting for the resolution of the lawsuit, which came in April, when the states highest court sided with the city. Since that ruling, the city government has been working its way through the requirements of the new law, like holding a public hearing and offering the statue to a museum or historical society for possible relocation. The offer period for Charlottesvilles statues ended Thursday. So far, ten responses have been received and the city remains open to 'additional expressions of interest,' according to Friday's news release. Under the new law, the city has the final say in the statues' disposition. Heather Heyer (left) was killed by white nationalist, Alex Fields Jr (right), while counter-protesting in Charlottesville in August 2017 In August 2017, white supremacists marched on Charlottesville to protest the removal of Confederate war monuments across the south A separate statue of Confederate General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson will also be removed in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon Premier Gladys Berejiklian has been accused of sending mixed messages to locked down residents across Greater Sydney during her latest press conference. Ms Berejiklian and chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant both implored positive Covid cases speaking to contact tracers to 'tell the truth' about their movements in the community - adding they wouldn't get in trouble. The plea was immediately followed by NSW deputy police commissioner Gary Worboys listing off the infringements police had handed out for breaking restrictions on Friday. Ms Berejiklian (pictured) urged anyone speaking to contact tracers to be honest and they 'won't get in trouble' for any lockdown breaches Many people said they found the 'mixed messaging' confusing after the plea was followed by police listing off the fines they has handed out Speaking on Saturday as she announced another 50 new Covid cases in NSW, Ms Berejiklian said the restrictions weren't being followed enough. 'Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who have been infectious have chosen not to do the right thing in the last few days,' Ms Berejiklian said. Of the 50 cases 37 were in the community for either all or part of their infectious period. 'We know that everyone is human and can make poor decisions, but please don't compound that initial mistake by not telling us the truth,' Dr Chant said. After a summary of the fines handed out the previous day, Ms Berejiklian added people wouldn't penalised. 'Please tell us the truth at the beginning - you won't get in trouble. We just need you to tell us so we can make sure all of your close contacts, all the people we need to get to, we get to,' she added. A police operation in Sydney's west has commenced targeting lockdown breaches (pictured) People suggested the communication could be improved especially for those in Sydney's West who may speak English as a second language Many said the mixed messaging was not helpful. 'They say people who talk openly to contact tracers aren't fined and then there a police report during every presser,' one person wrote to Twitter. 'Whiplash messaging,' another said. However, one person pointed out police were handing out fines on-the-spot to stop any danger of the virus spreading whereas contact tracers were just tracking movements. 'Tracers are chasing potential exposures and are not reporting historical rule breaches to police,' they said. Twisters have been spotted on Teesside as Britain prepares to be battered by storms over the weekend. Turbulent weather spawned 'mini-tornadoes' in the North East yesterday, including in Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham. Shocked onlookers shared pictures of the extreme weather on social media. NHS worker Dean Ball caught one of the natural occurring phenomenons known as funnel clouds on camera. Turbulent weather spawned 'mini-tornadoes' in the North East yesterday, including in Darlington (pictured) and Stockton-on-Tees Met Office Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said a number of funnel clouds have been spotted over the last few days across the UK. He said: 'It's a tornado that doesn't touch the ground. 'We have seen a few over the last few days actually, where there has been low pressure over the UK.' A funnel cloud was spotted in Lincolnshire just two days ago and last month one rampaged through Dagenham in east London. The spinning fingers of cloud are caused by the collision of warm and cool air currents moving in different directions and they can reach 300mph. NHS worker Dean Ball caught one of the natural occurring phenomenons known as funnel clouds on camera The funnel cloud sat just above a residential street in Dagenham, causing locals to take to social media to post pictures There was a yellow weather warning for rain in the south-east corner of the country where there is a risk of flooding until 8pm yesterday, with lighter showers expected this weekend. Mr Dewhurst has said there will be a north-south divide today, with warmer temperatures in Scotland and northern England than in the Midlands and further south. But Wimbledon fans can expect to stay drier than people in the North, which could see thunderstorms. Mr Dewhurst said: 'It's going to be a mixed weekend for the vast majority of us. 'There's going to be a north-south split on Saturday the North will see sunny spells and heavy showers which could contain thunderstorms, with maximum temperatures of 22C. 'The South will see cloudy weather with patchy rain, and maximum temperatures of 20C.' A Sydney woman has been caught breaking lockdown after allegedly flying to Canberra - before then having guests in her hotel quarantine room and attempting to flee before police arrived. The 24-year-old, from Paddington in Sydney's inner city suburbs, spent Friday night in the ACT Watch House after her bizarre behaviour. After travelling to Canberra in breach of Covid rules, the woman was identified by police as a Sydney resident when she got off the flight on Friday night about 8pm. Subsequent checks with ACT Health confirmed she had not been granted an exemption to enter the nation's capital. The 24-year-old from Paddington in Sydney's inner city was identified by police as a Sydney resident after flying to Canberra on Friday night (stock image) In a statement, ACT Policing said the woman was then driven to a hotel at the airport and ordered to stay overnight at her own expense. She was then to be escorted to a return flight on Saturday morning. However she had other ideas - and ended up having a wild night. At about 11.45pm on Friday, staff at the hotel where she was staying notified ACT Health that she had guests in her room and was leaving the hotel - in breach of health directions. As a rideshare vehicle departed with her as a passenger, police arrived at the scene. After she taken to a hotel near Canberra Airport the woman then had guests in her room and fled the scene after police arrived - she was later arrested and spent the night in the ACT Watch House (pictured an ACT police officer during quarantine compliance checks) The vehicle was soon stopped by officers just after midnight in the nearby suburb Russell, where she was arrested. Speaking to Magistrate Robert Cook from the ACT Watch House on Saturday, the woman said she was 'really scared' following her dramatic brush with the law. She has not pleaded to one count of failing to comply with a direction by the chief medical officer. The woman was granted bail and will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on August 2. A political row has broken out over the move to appoint ex-Huffington Post editor Jess Brammar to the BBC with Labour calling for Theresa May's former communications chief to be sacked from the board for 'trying to block her appointment on political grounds'. Sir Robbie Gibb, who became a non-executive director at the corporation in May, attempted to stop the former deputy editor of BBC Newsnight from being appointed as BBC executive news editor because he felt it would damage the government's trust in the broadcaster, reported the Financial Times. While head of HuffPost, Ms Brammar pushed the site's left of centre views on Brexit, the Black Lives Matter movement and Meghan Markle and clashed with equalities minister Kemi Badenoch. But her tweets from the last few years on those subjects have now been deleted. She left HuffPost earlier this year after the site made most of its UK-based reporters redundant after it was taken over by Buzzfeed. Now she is being considered for a role 'overseeing output on the public service broadcaster's domestic and global news channels'. Sir Robbie Gibb, who became a non-executive director at the corporation in May, attempted to stop former deputy editor of BBC Newsnight Jess Brammar (pictured above) from being appointed to oversee its news channels, reported the Financial Times It is claimed that Sir Robbie (pictured in May 2019), an ex-senior BBC journalist and editorial advisor to GB News, had sent a text message to BBC director for news and current affairs Fran Unsworth saying she 'cannot make this appointment' She clashed with the government after equalities minister Kemi Badenoch accused one of her journalists of 'creepy and bizarre' behaviour over a request asking why she did not appear in a video urging ethnic minorities to get a coronavirus vaccine. Brammar said Baddenoch's actions caused her reporter to receive online abuse and complain to the Cabinet Office. Jo Stevens, Labour's shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary, has since urged Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to join calls for Sir Robbie to resign. The FT claims that Sir Robbie, an ex-senior BBC journalist and editorial advisor to GB News, had sent a text message to BBC director for news and current affairs Fran Unsworth saying she 'cannot make this appointment' and that the government's 'fragile trust in the BBC will be shattered' if she did. It comes at a time when the broadcaster's director-general Tim Davie has attempted to address concerns over its impartiality. Ms Stevens said: 'These allegations raise very serious questions about Conservative cronyism at the heart of the BBC. 'If Robbie Gibb is in post to further Tory interests rather than the public interest, then he is in the wrong job. Oliver Dowden must join the calls for him to resign or the BBC must sack him immediately for the sake of its own integrity.' It comes at a time when the broadcaster's director-general Tim Davie (pictured in Glasgow in February this year) has attempted to address concerns over its impartiality Labour's shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary, said: 'These allegations raise very serious questions about Conservative cronyism at the heart of the BBC' (file photo) Sir Robbie, who is now a senior communications adviser at Kekst CNC and director of the Jewish Chronicle newspaper, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His brother Nick Gibb is Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton and minister for school standards. A BBC spokesperson said: 'The BBC doesn't comment on ongoing recruitment processes, which are the responsibility of the executive, but for the record, no recruitment process has been blocked. 'People should wait for the outcome which will be announced in due course. 'And as a general principle, board members are able to discuss issues with other board members or senior executives. These principles were adhered to.' It also emerged that he was suspected of driving naked from waist down The Met Police hired Sarah Everard's killer despite him being disturbingly nicknamed 'The Rapist' and the claim that he drove around naked in 2015 - three years before he was hired in London, it has emerged. Wayne Couzens' ex-colleagues at the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), where the 48-year-old joined in March 2011, reportedly gave him the nickname because he made some female officers feel uncomfortable. It has also come to light that Kent Police - with whom he volunteered from 2005 to 2009 - received a complaint from a male motorist that a man had been spotted driving around Dover naked from the waist down. No arrests were made and the fact it was suspected to be Couzens was kept secret until yesterday when the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) revealed the crime from June 2015. The claim comes as several women step forward to make historic accusations of harassment following Couzens' arrest, reports The Sun. The Met is under pressure to investigate how Couzens, who pleaded guilty to murdering 33-year-old Ms Everard after snatching her off the street, was able to continue serving as an officer despite suspicions being raised about his behaviour. Wayne Couzens' ex-colleagues at the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), where the 48-year-old (pictured left and right) joined in March 2011, reportedly nicknamed him 'The Rapist' because he made some female officers feel uncomfortable Despite the past cases, Couzens (pictured) was still a member of the elite Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection squad at the time of Sarah Everard's killing Couzens has pleaded guilty to murdering 33-year-old Ms Everard (pictured above) after snatching her off the street while she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham in March How was he still on the force? Killer cop was caught flashing six years ago and four days BEFORE he snatched Sarah Everard As Dame Cressida Dick apologised after Wayne Couzens' guilty plea at court yesterday morning, her force refused to comment on what other crimes he may now been linked to. But the IOPC laid bare a series of worrying incidents and said it had served 12 officers from several forces with gross misconduct or misconduct notices with multiple investigations ongoing. One gross misconduct notice and six misconduct notices relate to a probe into allegations officers from 'a number of forces' breached standards of professional behaviour by sharing information linked to the prosecution of Couzens via a messaging app. Gross misconduct notices have been served to three officers over an investigation into a probationary Met Police constable who allegedly shared an inappropriate graphic relating to the Sarah Everard case with officers over social media before subsequently manning the cordon at the scene of the search for her. A probe into the Metropolitan Police's alleged failure to investigate allegations of indecent exposure linked to Couzens in February 2021 continues with two officers being investigated for possible breaches of professional standards that may amount to misconduct. A separate investigation is also ongoing into claims Kent Police failed to investigate an incident of indecent exposure in 2015, but no notices have been served by the IOPC to officers over this. An investigation into how Wayne Couzens sustained head injuries while in custody on both March 10 and March 12 following his arrest has almost concluded, the IOPC said, with all officers involved treated as witnesses. Kent Assistant Chief Constable Tom Richards said: 'Kent Police made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to its investigation into an alleged indecent exposure in Dover in June 2015. 'It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst the IOPC continues to carry out its independent investigation.' Advertisement The IOPC revealed the 2015 allegation as it confirmed Couzens was suspected of two other indecent exposures feared not to have been properly probed by the Met force days before he killed Sarah. Despite the past cases, Couzens was still a member of the elite Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection squad at the time of Sarah's killing a role that entitled him to carry a firearm and a Metropolitan Police warrant card. He was also equipped with a Heckler and Koch G36 rifle while working at the CNC, as part of the team protecting Sellafield and later Dungeness nuclear power station. His odd behaviour there is rumoured to have been what made female workers feel uneasy - although the Civil Nuclear Police Federation confirmed there were no official complaints about him. In total, Couzens had been accused of indecent exposure three times before he abducted Ms Everard in Clapham, south London, on March 3. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to the murder of the marketing executive on Friday, having previously admitted her kidnap and rape. Five members of Ms Everard's family were joined by Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick in court to watch as Couzens, head bowed and shaking, entered his whispered plea by video link from Belmarsh prison. During the 20-minute hearing Lord Justice Fulford discussed the possibility of a whole-life order as he adjourned sentencing until September 29. Dame Cressida spoke to the family before making a statement on the steps of the Old Bailey. She said that she had told the Everard family 'how very sorry I am for their loss, for their pain and their suffering'. She said: 'All of us in the Met are sickened, angered and devastated by this man's crimes - they are dreadful. Everyone in policing feels betrayed.' The wife of Couzens also told of her horror at the police officer's sickening crimes and her distress at failing to spot any warning signs in the months before Ms Everard's kidnap and murder. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Elena Couzens, 38, said: 'I keep on asking 'why?' What Wayne did wasn't human behaviour.' His wife of 15 years said she is still picking up the pieces of her shattered life and rebuilding it together with the couple's two young children. 'If I had any idea what was going on in Wayne's head, then none of this would've happened but I didn't know anything,' she said. 'He didn't appear to be acting strangely. I didn't notice anything was wrong. I'm working full time, most of the time I'm dropping the children off at school and picking them up, I have a really busy lifestyle. 'I can't comprehend it because he never once previously showed any glimpse of violence, he was never that way. I'm just as puzzled as everyone else. In total, Couzens (pictured above) had been accused of indecent exposure three times before he abducted Ms Everard in Clapham, south London, on March 3 Wayne Couzens seen in a court sketch during a previous hearing relating to the case. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to the murder of the marketing executive on Friday Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick (pictured) said that she had told the Everard family 'how very sorry I am for their loss, for their pain and their suffering' 'I saw nothing wrong. He had a beautiful family, a good house what else did he need? I'm constantly asking myself "where I did miss the signs?" How on earth could this have happened?' Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women's Justice, is among those calling for a full public inquiry into 'police failures and misconduct and the wider culture of misogyny' following Couzens' guilty plea. Ms Everard's murder sparked protests by women fearing for their own safety earlier this year. Ms Wistrich said: 'As protesters made clear, women do not feel safe and it is incumbent on the Government and all criminal justice agencies to now take action over the epidemic of male violence which is the other public health crisis of our day.' Nick Thomas Symonds, the shadow home secretary, has also urged police to review their vetting process. A number of areas were searched in Clapham as police tried to look for the missing 33-year-old in March this year before they turned the hunt to Kent Sarah's family leave the Old Bailey after a previous hearing where Couzens made two guilty pleas. Her father Jeremy is seen on the left, with her sister Katie who can be seen on the right CCTV footage of Sarah Everard captured earlier on the night she was kidnapped in south London in March this year The Labour MP said: 'Society puts huge trust in the police to keep us safe and the vast majority of officers who serve their communities so bravely who will all be appalled by this case. 'It is absolutely vital that everything possible is done to ensure this can never happen again. 'The Metropolitan Police and wider policing must look at vetting processes and their own safeguarding systems to ensure people who pose a threat to the public are not able to hold such vital positions of trust.' The IOPC has launched an investigation into alleged failures by Kent Police to investigate the indecent exposure allegation against Couzens dating back to 2015. An IOPC probe is also ongoing into alleged failures by the Met to investigate two allegations of indecent exposure linked to Couzens in London in February this year, with two officers under investigation for possible breaches of professional standards. The watchdog said a total of 12 gross misconduct or misconduct notices have so far been served on police officers from several forces relating to the Couzens case. A charity that is campaigning to stop families having more than two children to save the environment has given Meghan Markle and Prince Harry an award that praises their 'enlightened decision'. Population Matters says its campaign to limit families is designed to achieve a 'sustainable population', despite their agenda's similarities to Communist China's notorious one child policy. Beijing now 'allows' its citizens to have three children after decades of limiting them to one child per family, which led to unknown numbers of 'unauthorised' children being abandoned or given away for adoption. The Duke of Duchess of Sussex were praised by the charity Population Matters for reducing their environmental impact by limiting their family to two children. The UK-based charity said the couple were being recognised as 'a role model for other families' after the birth of Lilibet Diana on June 4 and Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019. Prince Harry and Meghan will be given the award alongside nine others on Sunday, July 11 to mark the United Nations' World Population Day. The couple first referenced their intention to have just two children together during a Vogue magazine interview in 2019. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have become the recipients of a charitable award that praises their 'enlightened decision' to limit themselves to having two children Population Matters said it was recognising Harry and Meghan with the 'Special Award' for reducing their impact on the environment by not having any more children following the birth of their daughter this year. The Sussexes, who quit as senior working royals last year, had baby Lilibet 'Lili' Diana on June 4, following the birth of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019. A spokesman said: 'In choosing and publicly declaring their intention to limit their family to two, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are helping to ensure a better future for their children and providing a role model for other families. 'Having a smaller family reduces our impact on the Earth, and provides a better chance for all our children, their children and future generations to flourish on a healthy planet. 'We commend the Duke and Duchess for taking this enlightened decision, and for affirming that a smaller family is also a happy family.' Harry mentioned his intention to have no more than two children during a talk with chimpanzee expert Dr Jane Goodall in Vogue magazine in 2019. The royal couple have been recognised as a 'role model for other families'. Pictured: Meghan and Harry pose with their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in September 2019 During the interview, he claimed the Earth is 'borrowed', adding: 'Surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation.' Each recipient of a 'Special Award' will receive a 500 donation for a charity of their choice. Other winners include Wendo Aszed, founder of a women's empowerment and community health project in rural Kenya, Emma Gannon, author of Olive, a best-selling novel addressing the choice to be childfree, and Nairashe Maritsa, a teenager fighting child marriage in Zimbabwe. Gun female jockey Jamie Kah is officially the toast of Australian racing after setting a Melbourne riding record. Ms Kah, 25, became the first jockey to ride 100 city winners in a Melbourne season of racing at Caulfield on Saturday. Stranded on 99-1/2 winners after missing out midweek, Kah landed the milestone when Deep Speed held on over 1100m. The history-making moment came in front of a better-than-average crowd for a winter meeting as Kah told of her relief in breaking Brett Prebble's 21-year-old record. Standout jockey Jamie Kah, 25, became the first jockey to ride 100 city winners in a Melbourne season of racing at Caulfield on Saturday Jamie Kah (pictured with partner and fellow jockey Clayton Douglas) is undoubtedly one of Australia's best jockeys 'It's been a very, very long week,' Kah told Racing.com. 'I've had some really good people around me getting me through it. 'I thought I had a good book of rides today and it was going to be a pretty bad day if I didn't get it.' After finishing unplaced on Viviane in the opening race, Kah took luck out of the equation in the next as Deep Speed made the running. The well-supported favourite established a clear-cut lead at the 200m but shortened stride before clinging on for a narrow win. 'I was hearing the crowd and getting goosebumps over the line,' Kah said. 'I'm not the one for crowds and people cheering my name, it's very foreign to me still.' Kah took Adelaide racing by storm before moving to Melbourne in early 2019 and landed her first Group One win a few months later when Harlem took out the Australian Cup. She has notched a further five Group One victories. As the 2020-21 Australian racing season draws to a close, Kah has an unassailable lead in the Melbourne jockeys' premiership and is already an odds-on favourite to win again next year. She leads her nearest rival Damian Lane by almost 40 wins after adding to Caulfield tally when Red Santa survived a protest. 'To achieve what she's done, she is really one of the great sportswomen in the country,' Deep Speed's trainer Tony McEvoy said. Jamie Kah's win on Deep Speed on Saturday at Caulfield brought up one 100 city winners in a season in Melbourne by a jockey - for the first time ever (pictured, with Jason Richardson) Director Paul Verhoeven has predicted outrage in the US over his 'religiously sinful' new lesbian 'nunsploitation' film Benedetta. Verhoeven - who broke the 'barrier of decency' in mainstream movies with his leg-crossing scene in Basic Instinct - says he doesn't think Benedetta 'will be scandalous, at least not in Western Europe'. The film is the story of a 17th century French nun who embarks upon an affair with another sister. It contains scenes of lesbian sex, self-flagellation, nun- on-nun kissing and nudity and a dream sequence where the main character makes out with Jesus. But the iconic director fears it could face backlash in the conservative US, where there is more 'puritanism', he said. Director Paul Verhoeven has predicted outrage in the US over his 'religiously sinful and absurdist' new 'nunsploitation film' Benedetta (pictured) Verhoeven (pictured at Cannes) - who broke the 'barrier of decency' in mainstream movies with his leg-crossing scene in Basic Instinct - says he doesn't think the film 'will be scandalous, at least not in Western Europe' Benedetta premiered in the Cannes Film Festival yesterday to raving reviews - with critics dubbing it 'erotic, violent, religiously sinful and absurdist' and 'the best movie about Catholicism since Scorsese' Silence'. This year's festival has been hyped as 'the reintroduction of Hollywood red carpet glamour' to fans after the global pandemic stopped movie-going and cost the film industry billions in lost revenue. Benedetta - which the octogenarian director has dubbed his masterpiece - is based on a true story about an abbess of the same name in Renaissance Italy who had a lesbian fling within her convent while experiencing 'godly visions' and being hailed a saint. Benedetta is played by Belgian actress and former television presenter Virginie Efira. Her lover is portrayed by Daphne Patakia, another Belgian starlet. The film is the story of a 17th century French nun who embarks upon an affair with another sister (pictured) The cast of Benedetta are pictured, left to right: Clotilde Courau, Olivier Rabourdin, Virginie Efira, director Paul Verhoeven, Daphne Patakia and Louise Chevillotte The script was based on historian Professor Judith C. Brown's Immodest Acts: The Life Of A Lesbian Nun In Renaissance Italy, which was published in 1986. Verhoeven told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I dont think the film will be scandalous at least not in Western Europe. 'Maybe Americans will see it differently, though. There is more puritanism in the US - I saw that with Basic Instinct, and even more with Show Girls.' The trailer alone has caused consternation and cinemas are braced for protests. In the video - which is less than two minutes long - a young novice nun takes a shower, her modesty 'protected' by only the flimsiest of transparent gauze curtains. As the film's lead character enters in habit and wimple the young nun 'slips', causing Benedetta to instinctively reach out, almost touching the novice's naked breast before recoiling in pious shame. A producer who works for one of the biggest studios in Hollywood said of the film: 'Benedetta is competing for the Grand Prize at Cannes and it will have its world premiere there. It's the centrepiece of the festival. 'Sure it's controversial but sex sells. At this point the studios have to get people back into movie theatres. It's a matter of survival. 'What better than a bit of titillating nunsploitation?' The film (pictured) contains scenes of lesbian sex, self-flagellation, nun- on-nun kissing and nudity One Hollywood PR told The Mail on Sunday: 'You only have to look at the trailer for Benedetta. 'There's a graphic sex scene, nudity, flogging, titillation. This is Basic Instinct with wimples and crucifixes.' Verhoeven has insisted that his latest movie is 'empowering' to women. He lauds Benedetta as an apt heroine for the #MeToo generation because she is a woman who embraced her sexuality at a time when being a lesbian could result in a woman being burned at the stake. A source who has worked with the director said: 'Paul's a genius. This is his magnum opus. 'People are quick to criticise him but his films have layer upon layer and they are hugely entertaining. Benedetta premiered in the Cannes Film Festival yesterday to raving reviews 'Sure, people remember Basic Instinct because of the nudity but you can watch that film today and it still holds up as a great piece of film-making nearly three decades later. 'He is an auteur who takes risks and pushes the envelope. That's what all great artists do.' Verhoeven's last film, Elle, released in 2016, was about a businesswoman who plays a psychological game of cat-and-mouse with the man who brutally raped her. The critics loved it and it earned an Oscar nomination for lead actress Isabelle Huppert. A senior executive with a major Hollywood studio said films such as Benedetta were vital to revive an industry that's 'dead on its feet'. 'Hollywood studios are in dire trouble. The pandemic killed the movie theatres and people have got used to seeing new releases on streaming services in the comfort of their own home. 'It has cost the industry billions and continues to do so. 'We need to get people back into cinemas in order to survive. 'We know there are certain movies, Marvel comic book heroes, for example, which will get younger audiences back in. But we need to appeal to a wider demographic. Films like Benedetta could save Hollywood. 'The next 12 months will be make-or-break for Hollywood and that's why films like this are vital for our survival. We need to reintroduce the magic of going to the movies.' Critics dubbed Benedetta (left) 'erotic, violent, religiously sinful and absurdist' and 'the best movie about Catholicism since Scorsese' Silence'. Benedetta is played by Belgian actress and former television presenter Virginie Efira (right) The story of Benedetta had attained mythical status in Italy and was passed down through generations. But Prof Brown gave the story academic credibility by unearthing new documents in the state archives in Florence, which confirmed the authenticity of the story. Born in 1591, Benedetta Carlini grew up in a respectable middle-class Italian family and entered The Convent of the Mother of God in Pescia, Tuscany, at the age of nine. At the time in Renaissance Italy, middle-class families often 'bought' their daughters a place at a convent as it was a quarter of the cost of a marriage dowry and conferred respectability. Benedetta was made abbess of the convent at 30. She reported 'visions' which came to her, including one in which Jesus asked to take her as his wife. The story of Benedetta (the film, pictured) had attained mythical status in Italy and was passed down through generations Other visions were more graphic and sexual. She would 'speak' in the voices of angels and underwent a mock marriage ceremony at the convent where only she could 'see' Jesus, her new husband. She became a sensation with people flocking to see her and once showed stigmata on her hands bleeding wounds similar to the ones the Bible says Christ suffered during the Crucifixion. The other nuns were so concerned by her increasingly disturbing claims that they reported her actions to the papal council in Rome and were ordered to confine Sister Benedetta to her room. A young novice nun, Sister Bartolomea Crivelli, was assigned to watch over her. However, the pair embarked on a lesbian affair which ended when Bartolomea told another nun about their illicit romance. Later, at a papal inquiry, Bartolomea gave graphic testimony about how Benedetta engaged in sex acts with her while possessed by the spirit of a 'male demon' called Splenditello. Papal authorities determined Benedetta's revelations were the work of the Devil, not God; 'a diabolical obsession'. They stripped her of her rank and she was in the convent's 'prison' for the remaining 35 years of her life. She died in 1661. A post-mortem took place last week but cause of death not yet been ascertained The body of Mee Kuen Chong, 67, was found in Salcombe around 5pm on June 27 A woman has been charged with the murder of a pensioner whose decapitated body was discovered in woodland two weeks after she disappeared from her home in London. Mee Kuen Chong, 67, known to friends as Deborah, was found near Bennett Road in Salcombe, Devon, at around 5pm on June 27. Police said that 36-year-old Jemma Mitchell from Brondesbury Park in Brent, north-west London, has been charged with her murder. She was arrested at a residential address in Kilburn on Tuesday evening and will appear in custody at Willesden Magistrates' Court later today. The body of Mee Kuen Chong (pictured above), 67, known to friends as Deborah, was found in woodland near Bennett Road in Salcombe, Devon, at around 5pm on June 27 Ms Chong had been reported missing from her home in Wembley on June 11 before her decapitated body was found 16 days later Ms Chong had been reported missing from her home in Wembley on June 11. Her death was initially treated as unexplained with the investigation led by Devon and Cornwall Police. On Tuesday, inquiries by the force in south Devon and the London area led to a murder investigation being launched by the Met's specialist crime command. Crime scenes remain in place at two residential premises in north-west London and in woodland in south Devon. Police searches are likely to continue over the coming days, the Met added. In a statement, the force said: 'Jemma Mitchell, 36, of Brondesbury Park, Brent, was arrested on Tuesday, 6 July. Police pictured at the scene where Ms Chong was found dead in woods near Salcombe. Police said that 36-year-old Jemma Mitchell has been charged with her murder Ms Chong's family has been updated about the new development and is being supported by trained officers. Police searches are likely to continue over the coming days, the Met said 'She will appear in custody at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Saturday, 10 July.' A post-mortem examination took place at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital last week but a cause of death has not yet been ascertained. Ms Chong was originally from Malaysia but had been living in Wembley for more than 30 years. Her family has been updated about the new development and is being supported by trained officers. The man who was arrested by police after a horrific machete attack on a Tube last night that left a victim with 'half his head hanging off' has been pictured. British Transport Police were called to Bond Street and Green Park Tube stations in central London last night to reports of a stabbing, and the victim is in a stable condition in hospital. The suspect was led away in handcuffs from Bond Street station while flanked by armed police officers. Shocking pictures show a man with a bandaged head and leg being taken to an ambulance in a wheelchair by a paramedic outside the same tube station. Witnesses broke down in tears and embraced outside the stations after the attack last night. A passenger in his 30s, who was among those trapped in a carriage with the attacker, said he feared he would be 'hacked to death underground'. The man who was arrested by police after a horrific machete attack is led away in handcuffs from Bond Street station while flanked by armed police officers last night A man with a bandaged head and leg is taken to an ambulance in a wheelchair by a paramedic outside the same tube station Two devastated witnesses embrace and cry outside Bond Street Station after the attack last night A shocked tube passenger is escorted out of Bond Street station by a British Transport Police officer One of the terrified witnesses, who did not want to be named, said: 'All of a sudden there was a huge commotion. 'A man stood in the middle of the carriage and brandished a foot-long black machete. 'People started screaming, there was a stampede to the front carriage people got trampled on and pushed into the plastic and stuff.' The witness said he moved into the next carriage away from the attacker, adding that the victim had a wound on his head which he described as 'a deep gash meaning the side of his head was hanging off'. He added that the driver was unaware of anything happening for 10 minutes because the intercom was not working, and passengers were left defenceless on the moving Tube as the attacker 'taunted' them. 'The attacker went back down the train. We heard screaming but we don't know what happened,' he said. Officers were called to the tube station at 6.47pm amid reports a person had been stabbed on-board a Jubilee Line service train The victim was rushed to hospital and a weapon was retrieved, British Transport Police said. Pictured: Heavy police presence at Green Park British Transport Police said they were called to both Bond Street and Green Park tube stations in central London on Friday night to reports of a stabbing, and the victim is in a stable condition in hospital 'He then came back and stood at the opposite end of the carriage taunting us and making out he was going to break down the door of the carriage. 'It was completely and utterly terrifying. For about 10 minutes I genuinely thought I would be hacked to death underground. 'However, people showed compassion and care to each other - people held other's hands, and a teenage boy saved his mum from being trampled.' The witness said the Tube train eventually stopped and armed police arrested the attacker, who did not resist them. Model Gail Porter witnessed armed police officers walking through Bond Street station. She said: 'Hope everyone is ok. This was when I was advised to get out of Bond Street station tonight.' Armed police have rushed to Green Park tube station in London this evening and arrested a man over reports of a stabbing on board a train (file image) BTP told Mail Online that the stabbing took place on the Jubilee Line between Green Park and Bond street stations. Officers were deployed to both stations and managed to meet the train at Bond Street station, where they arrested the man on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Paramedics also attended the scene and took the victim to a nearby hospital. Video footage emerged showing a man being held by a police officer and another person in plain clothes while the man is handcuffed inside the station. A man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, police said. The tube station, which is less than a mile away from Buckingham Palace, was evacuated by police, according to witnesses. Model Gail Porter witnessed armed police officers walking through Bond Street station. She said: 'Hope everyone is ok. This was when I was advised to get out of Bond Street station tonight' Superintendent for Operations and Crime in London and the South East Mark Lawrie tweeted: 'Due to an incident at Green Park the station was closed but will be reopened imminently. 'Victim being cared for at hospital. No officers injured, weapon recovered.' A spokesperson for the BTP told MailOnline: 'British Transport Police were called to Green Park Underground station at 6.47pm on July 9 following reports of a stabbing on-board a Jubilee Line service. 'Specialist armed response units were deployed, and a man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and conveyed to police custody. 'Paramedics also attended, and a man has been taken to a local hospital. He is currently in a stable condition.' A heartbroken father has shared a post-operation picture of his son who required 28 life-saving surgeries after swallowing a tiny battery. Ollie Lennon was only one year old when his parents noticed that he was struggling to keep down solid food, with medics initially thinking he had croup or asthma. It was several days later that an x-ray revealed a button battery was lodged in his throat. Ollie endured 28 different operations to save his life, including one in which surgeons had to get behind his heart. At times, he was given just a 10 per cent chance of survival and his parents were told he will 'never fully recover'. Now, his father Elliot revealed the brave youngster's ordeal and warned other parents to check for warning signs. Ollie Lennon was only one year old when his parents noticed that he was struggling to keep down solid food, with medics initially thinking he had croup or asthma The youngster survived after 28 life-saving surgeries at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London (pictured above) Ollie was presented at Worthing Hospital, West Sussex on May 29, 2017 with a cough and not being able to keep down his food, but it was not until his parents discovered the button batteries that the full seriousness of the situation was discovered. Elliot Lennon said the ordeal began in the early afternoon after a family day trip. He explained: 'We'd been out as a family for the day, came back home for lunch and the kids were on their own in the front room while we were making them a sandwich. We're talking the space of a minute. 'The next thing we've gone in there and Ollie was being a bit strange, not coughing but kind of choking that you could hear. 'Any food that was going in just came straight back out. When we tried to feed him again, he threw up like a blood clot, it was really nasty.' Those at the hospital reportedly told his parents that Ollie might have croup or asthma, but an x-ray the following day revealed he had swallowed a button battery. 'I rushed out from work down to hospital, where we had to sign a social waver for them to pull out the battery,' Elliot explained. Elliot Lennon (left) revealed the brave youngster's ordeal and warned other parents to check for warning signs Despite this, the one-year-old still needed life-saving treatment from specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. Medical staff there warned that the level of intensive care Ollie required meant he had just a 10 per cent chance of survival when being moved from the ICU to the hospital. After 28 indiviudal operations, Ollie survived, but the damage caused by the caustic soda inside his body has left him extremely ill. 'He will never fully recover,' said Elliott. 'He will never be able to exercise like other children.' Less than two months ago, another toddler passed away hours after swallowing a tiny battery, with the acid burning through her food pipe. Two-year-old Harper-Lee Fanthorpe, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, died on May 23, after her mother Stacey Nicklin said she did not realise her daughter had swallowed the battery. Earlier this year, the Government launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risks of button batteries. Harper-Lee Fanthorpe, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, passed away on May 23, hours after swallowing the battery when the acid inside burnt through her food pip North Staffordshire senior coroner Andrew Barkley said: 'There is a very clear concern about this in public health. It has affected lots of children.' Reacting to Harper-Lee's passing, Elliot said: 'I do everything that I can. It's only when it happens to other people. 'We are in an unfortunate circumstance in this world where it takes a child's life to have been lost for something to be done. 'Harper-Lee passing away, I hope that good will come of this, but I am deeply upset that a life has to be lost for something like this to happen. It could have been my child.' This is the moment a Polish farmer harvests his field surrounded by apartment blocks after refusing to sell his land to developers. Footage shows Michal Myslowski taking his combine harvester out in a field just metres away from neighbouring properties in Lublin, Poland. The farmer said residents are 'fine' with the bizarre situation and 'understand he has work to do', with one local even complimenting the view. Social media users have also reacted to the clip, which recently went viral online, praising Mr Myslowski and saying: 'Good on him'. Footage shows Michal Myslowski taking his combine harvester out in a field just metres away from neighbouring properties in Lublin, Poland The farmer told Polish newspaper Dziennik Wschodni: 'People are fine. They understand that I have work to do. They watch and make videos. 'The children are also happy. There have never been any problems with it.' Mr Myslowski added that he carries out the agricultural work several times a year. One local, called Katarzyna, wrote on Facebook: 'We have a substitute for the village in the city. 'As a resident, I can say that it doesn't bother us at all, on the contrary. A better view outside the window than a block on a block.' And another person posted: 'Some would give everything for such views.' The video accumulated 86,000 upvotes on Reddit, with one social media user commenting: 'I would totally buy that farmer's spite wheat' The farmer told Polish newspaper Dziennik Wschodni : 'People are fine. They understand that I have work to do. They watch and make videos' The video accumulated 86,000 upvotes on Reddit, with one social media user commenting: 'I would totally buy that farmer's spite wheat.' Another said: 'I would love this where I live. Much better than having it all concrete and depressing.' And a third quipped: 'He went against the grain.' The words a magistrate used to describe his much younger fiancee at her funeral infuriated her grieving family so much they asked him to stop speaking mid-sentence. Court clerk Ashleigh Petrie was just 23 when she died after being hit by a car in eastern Victoria in October of 2019. Her death came shortly after her relationship with high profile Victorian magistrate Rod Higgins, 68, went public in the media. At her funeral in Werribee, in Melbourne's west, Mr Higgins told the mourners it was the 'saddest time of his life' and that his former partner - who he had recently proposed to in Fiji - was 'externally as attractive as a woman could possibly be.' He went on describe Miss Petrie's 'zest for life' before the language changed. A few weeks after getting engaged in Fiji Ashleigh Petrie was killed after being hit by a car in Victoria - her fiancee later insulted his former partner at her funeral, angering her family Ashleigh Petrie, 23, (left) was bullied in her role as a court clerk in Victoria after dating magistrate Rod Higgins, who was 68 Mr Higgins publicly pointed to Miss Petrie's 'problems of anxiety and depression', before revealing she was on medication for a chemical imbalance in her brain. When he also revealed her battles with depression had intensified her 'shortcomings', and that she constantly needed reassurance, her angry mother intervened, according to The Age. 'I think that's enough,' Theresa* Petrie said loudly, causing Mr Higgins to quickly sit down and end his 'tribute'. In a move which has shocked many, Mr Higgins has since received the $180,000 super and life insurance payout from his fiancee - despite earning $324,000 himself annually as a magistrate. Referring to himself on social media as 'Rocketman Rod', the grandfather-of-eight reportedly inquired about securing Miss Petrie's superannuation death benefit within 24 hours of her tragic death. She had bequeathed the entire balance and death benefit to her mother, but Mr Higgins successfully argued he was her 'dependent' and therefore entitled to her super payout upon her death. After Miss Petrie's death, Mr Higgins moved back to the riverside home in Shepparton he shared with his former partner, Lurline Le Neuf, to resume their 18-year relationship. Stuart Gowty, 50, who dated Miss Petrie for five years, previously told Daily Mail Australia of his disgust and bitterness at Mr Higgins winning Miss Petrie's superannuation. 'Here's a guy earning a hell of a lot of money and is about to retire on a huge pension,' said Mr Gowty, who runs a picture framing business in Shepparton. 'And you've got a grieving mother with very little. I don't know what to say. I don't think it's the right thing. It's horrendous to see. It just keeps going. 'I know her mother very well and she's a grieving mother. I've maintained a close relationship with the mother and brother since. 'Every time something like this happens, it just brings up a whole heap of old wounds.' Miss Petrie was struck by a vehicle and killed on Metung Road near Lakes Entrance in Victoria at about 1am. Rod Higgins (pictured right) then successfully claimed his dead fiancee's super after claiming she was his 'dependent' After Miss Petrie's death, Ian Higgins moved back to the riverside home in Shepparton he shared with his former partner, Lurline Le Neuf, to resume their 18-year relationship Her sudden death shocked her colleagues at the time, who were offered counselling, while her friends and family - as well as strangers - took to her Facebook page in droves to express their condolences. 'Sad, so very sad. Young life cut short. You obviously had a lot of support out there in this trying time. Pity they didn't express their support sooner,' one said. Another wrote: 'Ashleigh - I didn't know you but heard about you in recent weeks. I am so sad, so devastated. My thoughts with your family and friends. I know the angels in Heaven will be giving you those special hugs.' 'Tragic end. Poor girl. Sympathy to all her friends and family,' a third said. * Name has been changed If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, for free confidential support. Advertisement A Cantor Fitzgerald executive accused of exploiting pandemic-related protections to squat in a $10,000-a-month Hamptons mansion says he and his wife have been harassed and humiliated by false accusations and 'defamatory memes' sent to his bosses by the homeowner and prospective buyer. Paul Pion, the chief administrative officer of the Manhattan firm, and his wife, Stephanie, alleged in court papers filed Wednesday that Damian Krause and owner-to-be Aaron Appel had conspired to paint his family as 'squatters' and 'hoarders' in a bid to force them out of the $5million property in Water Mill. It follows a suit against the Pions by Krause Estates LLC, which accused the wealthy family of exploiting a COVID-related ban on evictions to remain in the gated four-bedroom mansion after their lease expired on May 31 - despite the couple allegedly owning an apartment in Manhattan. But hitting back in an affidavit seen by the New York Post, Pion rejected the claims and also alleged that Krause and Appel were 'behind a series of defamatory memes that were sent to media outlets and the executive management of Cantor Fitzgerald, questioning my ethics, in a blatant effort to cause reputational harm'. Stephanie and Paul Pion (left) have been renting out a property in Water Mill for the past two years for $10,000 a month. Homeowner Damian Krause (right, with his wife Sharon) says they are now squatting in the property The memes were not described in the filing, but one image sent to the Post shows him in a mock-up of a Dos Equis beer's The Most Interesting Man in the World commercial The house was allegedly described as a 'mess'. However, photos obtained by DailyMail.com suggested it was tidy The memes were not described in the filing, but one image sent to the Post shows him in a mock-up of a Dos Equis beer's The Most Interesting Man in the World commercial. Pion's face is seen super-imposed Jonathan Goldsmith, with the caption: 'Hurricane Paul Pion Sez. I don't always make landfall in the Hamptons - but when I do, I remain for years until Suffolk County Superior Court chases me out!' The suit went on to accuse Appel of using private investigators to 'harass' his family. 'In addition to a secret video of the home where my wife and children live being leaked on the internet, within days of this filing, my wife's personal cell phone number and email address was subscribed to dozens, if not hundreds, of ''spam'' advertisement lists and newsletters (causing her to receive hundreds of unsolicited texts and emails), and numerous doctor's appointments were made in her name, forcing us to change her cell phone number,' he claimed in the court document. Appel, a commercial real estate banker, told the Post: 'I have no comment. I have nothing to do with this other than I am closing on a house' Pion also denied 'maintaining a residence in Manhattan or anywhere else' and said he had been trying to buy a house from Krause before the purchase broke down. In previous court papers he and his wife have claimed that they were never formally served notice to leave. Appel, a commercial real estate banker, told the Post: 'I have no comment. I have nothing to do with this other than I am closing on a house.' Dailymail.com has contacted Krause for comment. Last month, Pion's wife, Stephanie, broke down in tears and explained that the couple and their two children have nowhere else to go. 'I'm not squatting, I'm just trying to keep my kids with a roof over their heads,' Stephanie told Dailymail.com on June 17. The 39-year-old insisted 'there's no truth' to the claims she and her husband were using 'shifty' means to stay in the house and exploiting a New York moratorium on evictions for tenants who 'declare a financial or medical hardship' from the pandemic until August 31. Stephanie she's just trying to care for her two children, ages six and 11, while they search for a new place to live. 'I have two kids,' she said tearfully before dropping to her knees on the driveway and pleaded for mercy. 'I'm just trying to take care of them. I've been trying to leave. I just need more time.' The property is valued at nearly $5million, and the homeowner has found a new buyer for it. The Pions alleged in court papers filed Wednesday that Damian Krause and owner-to-be Aaron Appel had conspired to paint his family as 'squatters' and 'hoarders' The Pions say the house was built in the 90s and has not received proper upgrades or maintenance since A source close to the Pions claimed the couple has spent tens of thousands of dollars of their own to maintain the properties systems 'which are old and in need of constant repair' In his filing, Krause expressed concerns that the Pions could jeopardize his plasn to sell the home for $4,970,000. But a person close to the family told DailyMail.com that the Pions' tenancy had been open-ended, and that the landlord failed to give them appropriate notice that their lease was being terminated which would allow for an orderly transition to leave the house. 'Realizing now that they didn't give proper notice, the owner is scrambling to blame someone and the purchaser is using bully tactics to force their hand,' the Pion family associate said. The homeowner further claimed the couple had refused to allow potential buyers to tour the home and even once removed a lawn sign saying the property was 'IN CONTRACT.' Early last month a source told the New York Post that the house looked like an episode of Hoarders, referring to the TV series that documents people who fill their homes from floor to ceiling with trash and belongings. An appraiser who was eventually let into the house also allegedly described the place as a 'mess' and said 'the occupant was crazy.' In photos obtained by DailyMail.com, however, the house did not appear to show such signs of damage or clutter. In regards to the lawsuit, Stephanie said: 'I'm not allowed to comment because of the litigation,' but went on to deny the claims. 'There's no truth to what they say,' she added. 'I don't have a city apartment. I'm not a billionaire, or whatever they make me out to be. 'The house is a very clean house. But I'm a normal person. It's not a showhouse. It's a teardown. The house was built in the 90s and it hasn't been touched,' she continued. 'The landlord never did anything.' Stephanie Pion broke down in tears in July as she strongly denied claims that she and her husband, Paul, were squatting The mother-of-two, 39, tearfully explained she and her family have nowhere else to go, before dropping to her knees on the driveway and pleading for 'more time' The filing painted the Pions as an 'intolerable nuisance', hosting large parties, and causing damage to the home through 'unauthorized alterations, misuse and overuse of the household systems and lack of routine maintenance.' But the family source told DailyMail.com: 'The house has been a money pit for the Pions as they have spent tens of thousands of dollars to maintain the property's systems which are old and in need of constant repair.' The insider claimed the owner pocketed the years rent all upfront and therefore 'had all the leverage to tell the family to make the repairs themselves.' Stephanie also confirmed reports that she and her husband were at one point considering buying the house in 2019, but explained, cryptically, that the deal never happened. 'He (the landlord) wanted to do it, an exchange, and I said, being a nice person, 'okay, no problem.' And then he didn't put a penny into it,' she said. The house, located on Flying Point Road, is surrounded by pine trees and not visible from the road. It's located about a half mile from the beach and considered modest given the luxurious estates located just down the street. One neighbor said he'd never met the Pion family but noted he has heard music blaring from their rental, particularly on weekends when he's seen as many as 10 to 15 cars parked in the driveway. The homeowner claims the Pions have become an 'intolerable nuisance', regularly hosting large parties and could potentially jeopardize the sale of the home Pion's lawyer, Anthony W. Cummings, is representing a second homeowner caught up in another Hamptons 'squatting row'. Holocaust survivor Genya Markon returned from Israel to find her tenant refusing to leave her home, and claimed the renter 'totally destroyed' her furniture and left piles of trash to rot outside. The 78-year-old spends the winters in Israel and the summers at her $675,000 home in Hampton Bays - which has been in her family since it was purchased by her parents in 1967. But Markon said she flew home to the Hamptons only to find her tenant, Julie Rinke, still there and the place covered in trash, as seen in photos provided to DailyMail.com. She has since filed a lawsuit seeking to force Rinke out of the home and accusing her of falsely claiming to be protected under New York's coronavirus-related ban on evictions. DailyMail.com photos show Rinke arriving at the home on Friday - nearly a month after the lease she signed in July 2020 ended. Markon said Rinke 'begged' her to sign another lease so she could return after the summer, but still never left. Instead, Markon said Rinke 'signed a pandemic hardship application saying she does not have the funds to find another house'. 'That is of no interest to me at this point, this is my house!' Markon told DailyMail.com. 'I returned, flew in 6,000 miles, and I want to spend my summer here.' Pion's lawyer, Anthony W. Cummings, is also representing a homeowner caught up in a second Hamptons 'squatting row'. Holocaust survivor Genya Markon returned from Israel to find her tenant refusing to leave her home Tenant Julie Rinke, a real estate agent, was spotted by DailyMail.com at the property on Friday Markon said that she had gone without renting the home during the winters for 10 years because she was 'wary' about potential tenants. 'I didn't know who would want to live in Hampton Bays in the winter. Then I learned there were real estate agents who deal with winter rentals,' Markon said. 'I rented it to this woman, Julie Rinke, who presented herself as an interior decorator. She had two daughter who were in college, one a freshman and one a sophomore.' Markon ultimately leased the home out to Rinke in July 2019 and the lease would have expired on June 18, 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The landlord could not return from Israel because 'there were no planes' and 'nobody was traveling' so she decided to renew Rinke's lease for another full year from July 1, 2020 to June 18, 2021. Then, Markon said she started to see signs of trouble as Rinke allegedly used the pandemic in an attempt to persuade her not to return home. 'In January, I already told her I was returning to the United States to spend my summer,' Markon said. 'She kept trying to persuade me that I would be endangering myself to COVID and find all kinds of excuses not to say that she was leaving.' Markon has also accused Rinke of damaging furniture and leaving trash to fester Markon has accused Rinke of leaving piles of garbage outside of the house, pictured, some of which does not appear to be bagged Markon has said Rinke did not have permission to move furniture, like a couch pictured standing on its side Piles of dirty dishes appear to have been placed inside of the home's garage Smelling trouble, Markon said she offered to waive two months of Rinke's rent in April in a bid to get her to leave the home by the time she returned. 'I said, 'I will waive your May and June rent if you sign this and promise me you will be out.' Of course she didn't sign it, and by that time I hired a lawyer,' Markon said. She added: 'It was already clear to me that this woman was doing whatever she could to stay in my place.' Markon has also accused Rinke of trying to blackmail her into paying her to leave, even after the landlord said she offered to waive months of her rent. The landlord recounted Rinke saying: 'Well, if Genya wants to pay me some of my rent, I'll consider it and I'll be out of here as soon as possible.' 'So she wants to blackmail me after she's destroyed my belongings and turned my life upside down,' Markon said. The irked landlord said Rinke 'never imagined' that she would return from Israel. 'She had the audacity to think I wouldn't get on a plane and come back here,' Markon said. Southampton Town police were seen approaching Rinke at the home while she was parked inside of her Jeep Southampton Town policeman talks with the neighbor where a Hamptons squatter allegedly trashed her rental home Markon also told DailyMail.com that she was 'astounded' by the condition in which she found her home. 'She said that she had permission to change beds and move furniture around, which is absolutely not true,' Markon said. 'She had no permission to bring in a dog or a cat, which I understand now she is declaring she had permission.' Police officers were seen approaching Rinke while she sat in a vehicle outside the home on Friday. It was not immediately clear what police had said to Rinke. On Thursday, Rinke was spotted by DailyMail.com returning to the three-bedroom, two bathroom property. Rinke was seen on Thursday returning to a home owned by Holocaust survivor Genya Markon, 78 - which Rinke was supposed to vacate on June 18. Markon has now taken Rinke to court to try and force her from the property Markon's home in Hampton Bays was leased in July 2020, and was due to be handed over on June 18. Rinke, however, remains in the property Rinke, a real estate broker, is accused by Markon of taking advantage of laws against eviction which were designed to prevent landlords taking advantage during the pandemic. Markon says her short-term lease does not apply Cummings filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Supreme Court at the end of June seeking Rinke's ouster as well as damages. 'She traveled all the way from Israel to spend the summer in her home and she has a tenant who won't vacate,' explained Cummings, according to the New York Post. 'Genya is in a real bad spot.' Markon said that Rinke is taking advantage of pandemic protection against eviction, designed to prevent unscrupulous landlords in New York from forcing people from their homes during the global crisis. But the protection should not apply to short-term leases, Markon said. 'My tenant, who is also a real estate agent, refuses to leave in spite of the fact that she only has a seasonal lease and is not protected by the hardship application she filed,' Markon said. Cummings questioned Rinke's qualifications, claiming in court filings that she 'is conducting herself in a bad faith, dishonest and manipulative way to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass confusion and gridlock in the lower courts all in an effort to block surrendering possession of the Premises.' Cummings told the New York Post: 'All you have to do is check a box and you can stay for free until at least August 31st. What is it? The honor system? It is easy to abuse. There's no penalty for lying, and no evidence to prove.' Rinke is also accused of failing to protect the property. Some of Markon's belongings have been 'totally destroyed' and Markon found 'piles of garbage' festering outside the house. Rinke also took down paintings already hanging in the space, Markon claimed. She said that some of the paintings 'are quite valuable including a family portrait by the well-known Ukrainian painter David Burliuk.' Cummings concluded: 'She displaced Genya and refuses to give back her home. Genya flew in all the way from Israel and now she's the one without a home.' A Southampton town police officer is seen talking to a neighbor, next to the home where Rinke is refusing to leave A former New York Times editor fired over a tweet claiming Joe Biden's inauguration was giving her 'chills' has defended her behavior in an op-ed entitled: 'I'm a Biased Journalist and I'm Okay With That.' Lauren Wolfe defended the comments that lost her her job at the New York Times in a piece published in the Washington Monthly on Friday, and insisted it is fine for reporters' to insert their personal views into some news stories. 'Being fair and having point of view aren't incompatible,' she wrote in an op-ed originally published on her Substack. 'Reporters at the New York Times and elsewhere shouldn't have to disguise or suppress their views' Lauren Wolfe (pictured) penned an op-ed published in the Washington Monthly on Friday where she defended her comments that lost her her job at the New York Times Wolfe lost her gig with the Times in January after tweeting: 'Biden landing at Joint Base Andrews now. I have chills,' on the day before the inauguration Wolfe lost her gig with the Times in January after tweeting: 'Biden landing at Joint Base Andrews now. I have chills,' on the day before the inauguration. Wolfe also tweeted that Trump was 'mortifying' and 'childish' for having refused to send Biden a military place to bring him to D.C. She later deleted that tweet after acknowledging Biden had made the choice not to take a military plane. 'Ever since I was fired from The New York Times at the end of January, no matter what I publish or say about journalism online, angry people come out of their hidey-holes to yell at me. They say that I'm biased that journalists are all crooked, and that I'm a perfect example of why no one can believe anything we in the media say,' Wolfe began her piece. Wolfe said she sees her job as a journalist as gathering information and translating it for her audience 'clearly and effectively' 'Sometimes that is best done by giving your own perspective along with your sources,' she said. 'And often, the most powerful way of doing that is by writing in first person.' She argues that there is no way to be totally neutral as a reporter. Wolfe penned an op-ed titled 'I'm a Biased Journalist and I'm Okay With That' 'As journalists, we can all use what appears to be a 'neutral voice,' but that doesn't mean our implicit bias isn't guiding our choice of sources, or even what stories we decide to cover,' she explains. 'Pretending that we're all able to be constantly and utterly objective just feels absurd to me. Instead, I've always believed it is better to be open about my views on the issues I cover, which for a long time have been war and international human rights. And yes, I often do write with an agendawith an eye toward creating change,' Wolfe added. The reporter was critical of media organizations' 'relentless need to find objective balance' in their reporting, which she said 'has actually led to dangerous imbalancewith outlets too often giving as much space to lies as to facts.' After she was fired Wolfe launched her own site to defend her post, asking 'is it cold in here?' and arguing the NYT was like 'being in a shoe that was a bit too tight' The Times said Wolfe's dismissal was not on the basis of the 'chills' tweet alone, but did not comment any further on the reasons for letting her go. But Wolfe argued the tweet was 'the only reason they fired me', calling their statement on the matter 'a shot at my reputation'. The New York Times has a social media policy for its journalism and editorial staff that requires them to remain impartial in their posting online. 'If our journalists are perceived as biased or if they engage in editorializing on social media, that can undercut the credibility of the entire newsroom,' its policy states. 'We've always made clear that newsroom employees should avoid posting anything on social media that damages our reputation for neutrality and fairness.' The paper - nicknamed 'the gray lady' has been roiled in recent years over claims many of its staff have become activist-journalists. Former opinion editor Bari Weiss resigned with a fiery statement claiming the publication was too beholden to the whims of whatever the prevailing view was on Twitter, and also said the Times no longer welcomes centrist or conservative viewpoints. A TikToker captured a disturbing scene at an upscale Las Vegas mall, which she says saw a woman hurl anti-Asian slurs at her and her 6-year-old son before punching the young boy. 'This woman attacked my son. She punched my 6-year-old while yelling racist, anti-Asian things,' TikToker @uhmmajo wrote of the incident, which occurred at the tony Shops at Crystals, located in the CityCenter complex. The unidentified woman, who could be heard yelling the word 'China' during her racist rant, ultimately turns around and leaves after the argument, before the video ends with her being escorted away by a mall security guard, who the boy's mother says eventually released her without further reprimand. She was not caught on camera punching the boy, or using any explicitly racist language, and it is unclear what she was saying the word 'China' in reference to. 'I hope the cops picked her up. Mall security just let her go. Yes, we are pressing charges #crystalsmall #arialasvegas #fyp #assault' wrote the boy's mom, who has not yet publicly disclosed her name or the name of her son. TikToker @uhmmajo captured a disturbing scene at an upscale Las Vegas mall, where a woman hurled anti-Asian racist slurs at her and her 6-year-old son The TikToker states that she punched the Asian mother's son amidst the racist attack 'This woman attacked my son. She punched my 6-year-old while yelling racist, anti-Asian things,' she wrote of the incident, which occurred at the tony Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas 'Stay safe, it's not safe anywhere.' The jarring incident, video of which was posted Wednesday, comes amid a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes to occur this year, as racist attacks towards Asians continue to skyrocket nationwide. According to a recent study by the Center for Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes reported against Asians are up a whopping 164 percent in 16 of the country's biggest cities since this same time last year. Researchers with the study analyzed data taken by the nation's largest police jurisdictions, and found 95 anti-Asian assaults or incidents had been reported in the first quarter of 2021. The same time last year, there were only 36 incidents reported to authorities. Over 300,000 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans reside in Nevada, making up around 10 percent of the state's total population, according to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Speak out and Strategize organization. Hate crimes against Asians are up a whopping 164 percent in 16 of the country's biggest cities since this same time last year 95 anti-Asian assaults or incidents had been reported in the first quarter of 2021, compared to just 36 reports the same time last year The Las Vegas metropolitan area has the third-largest population of Asian Americans outside of California out of all major West Coast cities, according to an Asian American Advancing Justice report. Asian-Americans are one of the fastest-growing groups in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area, with the total Asian population in the city increasing 130 percent between 2000 and 2010. The group held an event in Las Vegas back in April, where the goal was to 'speak out against hate, meet organizers in support of the AAPI community and help us build an AAPI movement here in Las Vegas,' according to event organizers. According to one of AAPI's event organizers, who goes by the name Wangdawg, the fight against hate crimes was sparked nationwide after the March 16 mass shooting in Atlanta, with six of the eight victims killed in the attack being of Asian descent. 'A lot of people woke up after the Atlanta shooting,' Wangdawg told Fox5 Vegas. 'We want everyone to know that we won't stand for Asian American hate in our community.' 'The Asian American Pacific Islander community is many cultures,' said Wangdawg. 'A lot of people in our community don't want to raise trouble, ya know? We want to belong in the community, some of us -- want to assimilate.' 'If you are Asian, [seeing] this, and you are hurting, and you want to build together -- then get in touch. Get in touch with me, or One APIA, or any of the other organizations we're building with,' Wangdawg added. Eunchong Kim, 26, holds a sign during a vigil at a makeshift memorial outside the Gold Spa following the deadly shootings in Atlanta Meanwhile, New York City, which has become the epicenter of anti-Asian hate crimes, saw a 223 percent increase in reported incidents in early 2021, with 42 reports compared to just 13 the same time last year. Elsewhere in major US cities, San Francisco had a 140 percent increase, with reports on anti-Asian hate crimes spiking from 5 to 12, while Los Angeles had an 80 percent increase, with 5 reported incidents last year compared to 9 reported hate crimes during the same time period in 2021. Advertisement The US Forest Service shared a video of a fire tornado ripping through a northern California wildfire site as the Golden State braces itself for another dangerous heatwave that could break a 90-year-old record. Officials shared a clip of the the fire tornado, or fire whirl, raging through the Tennant Fire in Siskiyou County on Friday. It quickly went viral after being shared by the National Weather Service, who said that the weather phenomenon's rotation was so intense that it was detected by radar. A fire whirl is defined by US forest service officials as a 'spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris and flame.' The Tennant Fire burned 10,580 acres since it started on June 28 and is 91 percent contained, the US forest service said on Friday. While the Tennant Fire is nearly under control, firefighters are dealing with a roaring wildfire that's forcing evacuations across state lines into Nevada this weekend as the region braces for 'dangerously hot' weather - with the mercury set to hit a searing 117F across much of Southern California's inland areas. National Weather Service Officials have issued an excessive heat warning for much of the Golden State, which is in place until Monday. The Beckwourth Complex Fire - which was started by two lightning strikes in Plumas National Forest on June 30 - showed 'extreme behavior,' fire information officer Lisa Cox told the Associated Press Friday evening. The lightning-caused fire burning 45 miles north of Lake Tahoe showed no sign of slowing its rush northeast from the Sierra Nevada forest region after doubling in size between Friday and Saturday. Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire prompted evacuation orders or warnings for roughly 2,800 people along with the closure of nearly 200 square miles of Plumas National Forest. The fire tornado tears through the Tennant wildfire in Northern California. A clip of the rare weather phenomenon was shared by the National Weather Service on Friday, as California was warned to brace itself for a 117F heatwave The fire tornado, or fire whirl, is defined by US forest service officials as a 'spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris and flame' The Beckwourth Complex Fire continues to burn in Doyle, California, on Friday and is only nine percent contained as of the more recent update on Friday Strong winds and scorching, dry weather are driving the flames from the Beckwourth Complex Fire forward and forcing evacuations in California and Nevada. Firefighters battle the flames in Plumas National Forest on Friday Firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Placerville station battle the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire in Doyle, California, on Friday Embers blow across the Beckwourth Complex Fire in Doyle, which has already burned through over 38,000 acres Spot fires caused by embers leapt up to a mile ahead of the northeastern flank - too far for firefighters to safely battle - and winds funneled the fire up draws and canyons full of dry fuel, where 'it can actually pick up speed,' Cox said. The flames rose up to 100 feet in places, forcing firefighters to focus instead on building dozer lines to protect homes. Strong winds and scorching, dry weather drove flames forward through over 38,000 acres of trees and brush and is only nine percent contained, the US forest service said in its most recent update on Friday. There have not been any reports of serious injuries or fatalities as a result of the blaze. The blaze, which was only 8% contained, increased dramatically to 86 square miles after fire officials made better observations. These are just two of several wildfires blazing trails on the West Coast, which is expected to see triple-digit temperatures upwards of 110F. Sacramento Valley is forecast to see record-breaking 115F temperatures on Saturday and Sunday. Death Valley is forecast to hit 123F on Saturday - hours after recording 130F - the highest temperature experienced on Earth in 90 years. Southern Inland California has also been predicted to experience 117F weather, with temperatures only forecast to drop slightly on Monday. The stretch of weather extending through the weekend could bring 'dangerously hot conditions,' the National Weather Service said. This heat wave comes just two weeks after the deadly 'heat dome' capped North America's hottest month of June on record. Firefighters from Cal Fire's Placerville station monitor the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire The Beckwourth Fire Complex, seen here in Plumas National Forest in Quincy, California, started after two lightning strikes hit ground dried out by California's ongoing heat wave The Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burns in Plumas National Forest, California on July 9 The heat dome lasted from June 26 to July 1, killing 116 people in Oregon and another 78 in Washington State as temperatures soared up to more than 95 degrees. It also caused some areas in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia to hit as high as 115 degrees. Sarah Rogowski, a National Weather Service forecaster, told The New York Times that California may experience record-breaking highs in the central part of the state over the weekend and into Monday, with highs 10 to 15 degrees higher than average in some parts of the state. The official temperature in California's Death Valley hit 130F on Friday, breaking the daily record for June 9 and coming close to the all-time worldwide record of 134F, which was set there in 1913. The accuracy of the 1913 record has been disputed by various experts, who say Friday's confirmed 130F heat might actually be the hottest temperature ever recorded. Ongoing extreme heat is sparking concerns of power and water outages. The California Independent System Operator warned of potential power shortage, not only because of mounting heat, but because a wildfire in southern Oregon was threatening transmission lines that carry imported power to California. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Friday suspending rules to allow for more power capacity, and the ISO requested emergency assistance from other states. And the Office of Emergency Services will be working closely with the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state's energy grid, to ensure that power continues uninterrupted over the weekend, the New York Times reported. Officials with California ISO said on Saturday evening that the state faces 'a serious situation on the electric grid this evening because of a Southern Oregon fire,' CBS Sacramento reporter Heather Janssen tweeted. 'The fire has doubled and put some lines out of service. California has lost about 5,000 megawatts of power. Lines came back into service briefly but went back out,' she tweeted. Janssen tweeted that the electric lines could be running again by Sunday night, meanwhile officials were urging Californians to conserve power by setting thermostats at 78 degrees or higher. NV Energy, Nevada's largest power provider, also urged customers to conserve electricity Saturday and Sunday evenings because of the heat wave and wildfires affecting transmission lines throughout the region. On Friday, Las Vegas set a new daily record-high temperature of 116F, breaking the previous record of 113F which was set back in 1943 and tied in 2012, according to AccuWeather. Saturday's temperatures are expected to be in the same range. Temperature forecasts are seen for Death Valley, which is flirting with the all-time record for surface temperature The West Coast is bracing for yet another record-setting heatwave, with temperatures set to hit up to 117F just two weeks after deadly 'heat dome' The heat dome, which capped North America's hottest month of June on record, killed 116 people in Oregon and another 78 in Washington State Officials with the California Office of Emergency Services believe the Golden State is undergoing serious climate changes amidst the recent influx in temperatures, droughts and wildfires. 'We believe that California is very clearly experiencing the impacts of a changing environment,' said deputy director of crisis communications for the California Office of Emergency Services Brian Ferguson. 'We're seeing drought conditions we haven't seen before, and there is a cascading impact, but it really all comes back to climate.' In preparation for this weekend's record-setting temperatures, the Office of Emergency Services are offering cooling centers throughout the state, especially for those without air conditioning. 'We're competing with Mother Nature,' Ferguson said. 'We're throwing everything we have at this challenge to help keep those who are vulnerable safe.' Governor Gavin Newsom has expanded a drought emergency to 50 of California's 58 counties, with 95 per cent of the state currently experiencing severe drought. The Oroville Dam - California's largest water reservoir - is currently experiencing such low water levels that a nearby hydro-electric power station which uses its water may soon have to be shut down. A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder and the attempted murder of two teenagers after a horrific stabbing in south London. Tamim Ian Habimana, also 15, was found with a single stab wound when officers were called to reports of an attack in Woolwich, south east London shortly after 5.20pm on Monday. Tamim was pronounced dead at the scene in Woolwich New Road at 6.08pm, despite the efforts of emergency services to save him. A 15-year-old boy was due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Saturday charged over the death. He is also charged with the attempted murder of another 15-year-old and possession of an offensive weapon. Two other boys, aged 14 and 15, remain in custody at a police station in south London, having also been arrested on suspicion of Tamim's murder. Tamim Ian Habimana, 15, (above) was found with a single stab wound when officers were called to reports of an attack in Woolwich, south east London shortly after 5.20pm on Monday Images from the scene appeared to show members of the public holding up sheets to cover the victim from view as paramedics desperately tried to save his life Paramedics, multiple police vehicles and an air ambulance were called to Woolwich New Road, south east London, at 5.23pm on Monday, July 5 after Tamim was attacked in front of stunned onlookers. 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 reports. The capital has been rocked by a spate of stabbings in the first six months of 2021, with more than 20 teenagers killed in knife crime incidents since the turn of the year. Emergency services at the scene after Tamim Ian Habimana, 15, was stabbed to death in a horrific attack on Woolwich New Road, south east London Police officers stand outside a nearby Tesco branch after it was evacuated earlier today 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. Police were later called to a south London hospital after another 15-year-old boy self-presented with a stab wound. The teenager, whose injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder. Advertisement Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Berlin today for a topless bicycle ride as they demand gender rights equality and raise awareness of a French mother who was kicked out of a city park for sunbathing without a top on. The 'no nipple is free until all nipples are free' protest began at Berlin's Mariannenplatz at midday on Saturday July 10, with hundreds of men and women turning out for the topless demonstration. The public action was hastily organised after a French mother, Gabrielle Lebreton, was removed from a Berlin water park by police last month after she refused to stop sunbathing without her shirt on. Men covered themselves up in bras, while shirtless women cycled through the city with phrases such as 'Free the Boobs' and 'My body, my choice' emblazoned on their bodies. Hundreds of shirtless protesters have taken to the streets of Berlin to campaign for gender rights equality after a French mother was kicked out of a water park for sunbathing without a top on Men covered themselves up in bras and bikinis, while shirtless women cycled through the city with phrases such as 'Free the Boobs' and 'My body, my choice' emblazoned on their bodies The protesters argue there is a double standard when it comes to difference between accepting the right of men sunbathing topless, while women cannot A shirtless activist with a slogan 'Free The Boobs' rides on the back of moped during Berlin's 'No nipple is free until all nipples are free' protest on Saturday, July 10 Topless participants demonstrate for equal gender rights at a demonstration held on bicycles on July 10, 2021 in Berlin, Germany Men covered themselves with bras, bikinis and other exaggerated outfits (above) as they joined in with demonstrations The group behind the demonstrations today call themselves Hedonist International, with their website demanding equality and describing all nipples as beautiful. The dress code was strictly topless, but feather boas, tinsel, wigs and body painting was encouraged. Men 'standing in solidarity' with women today were advised to wear a bra, bikini or nipple 'pom poms'. Topless demonstrations came to fruition after French citizen Gabrielle Lebreton was removed by security in Berlin's Treptower Park for refusing to sunbathe with a shirt on. According to local media, she and a friend had taken two children to play in the swim park, and Gabrielle was wearing a swimsuit. When asked by guards to cover her breasts, she repeatedly questioned why she had to do that. She refused to put her top on, pointing to the fact men can sunbathe freely in the park without a top. Protesters from the Hedonist International take part in a topless bicycle ride under the slogan 'no nipple is free until all nipples are free' The dress code was strictly topless, but feather boas, tinsel, wigs and body painting was encouraged. Men 'standing in solidarity' with women today were advised to wear a bra, bikini or nipple 'pom poms' An activist with a slogan 'Free ALL nipples' takes part in a rally in the Kreuzberg quarter in Berlin, Germany Protesters rode bicycles in solidarity with French citizen Gabrielle Lebreton and demanded equal gender rights Partial nudity isn't banned by law in Germany, although property owners can place certain restrictions on specific areas they own. Gabrielle told Berlin Zeitung being removed by police officers was an opportunity to 'draw attention to the unequal treatment of men and women, and organised an 'equal breasts for all' brainstorming meeting. She said: 'The misogynistic incident at the wading pool in Planterwald on Sunday, 21 June, serves as a springboard to this goal.' Donald Trump's aides believed Rudy Giuliani was usually drunk and feared he was on the verge of senility, according to an explosive new book by Michael Wolff. The former president's 77 year-old personal lawyer regularly demonstrated 'focus issues, memory problems,' and 'simple logic failures' while serving in the White House, it is claimed. Wolff wrote in Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump: 'Giuliani was, many around Trump believed, always buzzed if not, in the phrase Steve Bannon made famous in the Trump White House, hopelessly ''in the mumble tank''. 'Many believed he had the beginnings of senility: focus issues, memory problems, simple logic failures. A vast disorganization of papers and files and tech malfunctions followed in his wake.' Rudy Giuliani - pictured in Georgia in June 30 - seemed to always be drunk while serving in the Trump Administration, a bombshell new book has claimed Giuliani served as Trump's personal lawyer. He recently had his license to practice in Washington DC revoked The book also said the former New York City's mayor's weight 'ballooned' during Trump's tenure. Quoting administration insiders, Wolff wrote that 'his popping eyes and poorly dyed hair made him seem like a pre-television age character, a past-his-time and gone-to-seed former official hanging around the courthouse steps regaling anyone who will listen with tall tales and wild theories of the shameful secrets and gothic underbelly of politics'. Trump's personal lawyer was notoriously filmed with hair dye dripping down his face during a speech at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia in November 2020, where he repeated unfound accusations that the presidential election which Trump lost had been 'rigged'. Wolff said that Giuliani's life 'seemed to be singularly sustained by his being on television' and that he enjoyed unlimited access to Trump by telling him only what he wanted to hear. He added that Trump's aides - despite their best efforts - were unable to block Giuliani from showing up at the White House, especially after his boss's election loss. Wolff wrote that he was able to see the former president any time he wanted because he was 'willing to tell Trump not only that he could do whatever he wanted to do, but that he could go beyond this' and 'offered Trump vastly more power, right, and discretion than even Trump himself thought possible'. The book claims that, despite his loyalty, Trump would criticize his lawyer, accusing him of being drunk and saying things that weren't true. Wolff made the claims in Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency 'But Rudy would fight,' Wolff wrote. 'He could be counted on to fight even when others wouldn't. And, too, he would work for free.' Wolff's reporting - which Giuliani has not yet commented on - echoes another upcoming book, which claims that Trump enjoyed mocking Giuliani for falling asleep in meetings and would call him 'pathetic' after TV appearances. The attorney 'rarely complained' and, instead, 'seemed to crave the attention,' according to Michael C.Bender in Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost, in an excerpt exclusively by DailyMail.com. The book is out on July 13. Giuliani served as District Attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1983 and 1989. His career hit even greater heights in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, when he was hailed around the world for his thoughtful handling of the terror attack while serving as Mayor of NYC. But Giuliani's professional life has been mired in scandal since he began working for Trump, culminating in an FBI raid on his Manhattan home in May. He has not been charged with any crime. In the 432-page book, which details Trump's life in the White House, Bender reveals details of the president's relationship with his personal lawyer. Trump 'would needle the former mayor for falling asleep on flights and joke about Giuliani's constant use of his iPad,' Bender reveals. 'He's looking at cartoons,' Trump would say. For his part, Giuliani 'seemed to crave the attention and would often physically jockey with other aides and advisers to sit next to Trump at dinner or on the plane.' 'Rudy never wanted to be left out,' one 2016 aide said in the book. 'If you were ever between Rudy and the president, look out. You were going to get trampled.' Giuliani would keep turning up at the White House despite the efforts of Trump's aides, the book claimed Trump wasn't always happy with Giuliani, who was willing to go on television at any time to defend the president. After the release of the now-infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape in the 2016 campaign - where Trump is heard making derogatory comments about women - Giuliani was the only surrogate willing to go on the Sunday morning public affairs shows to defend Trump. Trump was not grateful. After the appearances, Giuliani went to LaGuardia Airport, where Trump was waiting on his plane to fly to St. Louis for his second presidential debate with Hillary Clinton. 'When Giuliani climbed up the stairs, he was greeted with huzzahs and high-fives' from Trump's aides Hope Hicks, David Bossie, and Stephen Miller. Michael C.Bender's book 'Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost' is out July 13 When Giuliani walked to the front of the plane, 'Trump barely looked up from his newspaper,' it is claimed. 'Rudy, you sucked,' Trump said. 'You were weak.' Giuliani looked like he'd simultaneously had the wind knocked out of him and taken a kick to the groin. 'What the f*** did you want me to do?' Giuliani said, according to the book. But, at other times, Trump showed his gratitude to Giuliani for his willingness to take the punches. During one 2017 staff meeting, 'Trump's team started complaining about Giuliani's puzzling television appearances that often veered off-message and created more work for the press shop. Trump barked that at least Giuliani was out there fighting for him. Everyone shut up after that.' Giuliani, however, was overly confident in his relationship with Trump. The two men knew each other for years when both were making names for themselves on the New York scene - Rudy as a hard-talking, tough prosecutor and Trump as a real estate mogul. After the election, Giuliani was 'eager for an administration post and assumed he would get one. He privately told friends that he was a lock to be named secretary of state and publicly told reporters that he was being considered for several positions but wouldn't say which ones.' He was under consideration but the vetting process 'set off alarm bells.' For example, Giuliani told aides he hadn't been to the Middle East in more than a year. It turns out he had been to the United Arab Emirates a month earlier. The book also reveals Trump's top campaign lawyer Justin Clark called Giuliani a 'f***ing a**hole' during a vicious Oval Office phone call with the president after Trump lost the 2020 election. The heated conversation discussing how the campaign would deal with their allegations of voter fraud led to Trump not trusting Clark and instead believing Giuliani, who was at the center of pushing the wild theories. 'Less than a week after 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the campaign's top attorney, had walked Trump through their legal plan, Giuliani was blowing it upand pushing his way further into the Oval Office,' it reads. Donald Trump's top campaign lawyer Justin Clark 'On November 13, Trump summoned Clark into the Oval Office as Giuliani, on speakerphone, claimed the campaign had been too slow to contest election results in Georgia. 'Clark explained that state law required results to be certified before a recount could be requested, which hadn't yet happened. ' "'They're lying to you, sir!'" Giuliani shouted. Clark denied anyone was lying. 'Suddenly, the two men were shouting loud enough that it startled people waiting outside the Oval Office. 'You're a f***ing a**hole, Rudy!' Clark said. Clark had been the campaign's top attorney for the past year. 'He'd spent most of 2019 in the weeds of state and national party rulebooks ensuring that it was virtually impossible for any Republican to challenge Trump in a primary. 'During Trump's first two years, he ground out long hours as a White House aide. 'Now, after one phone call from Giuliani, the president was entertaining nonsensical attacks on his ability to read Georgia election code and to give an honest answer to a simple question to the president he'd spent four years trying to reelect. 'Clark stopped going to the White House.' The Washington court suspended Giuliani from working as an attorney in the city 'pending final disposition' of his New York case Giuliani had his law license suspended last month by a New York appellate court for making 'demonstrably false and misleading statements' while pushing Donald Trump's election fraud claims and 'threatening public interest'. The Washington court suspended Giuliani's license under D.C. Bar Rule XI for 'reciprocal discipline' which reads that attorneys can face discipline in Washington for facing disciplinary action in another state or jurisdiction. 'Upon learning that an attorney subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of this Court has been disciplined by another disciplining court, Disciplinary Counsel shall obtain a certified copy of the disciplinary order and file it with this Court,' Section 11 of D.C. Bar Rule XI reads. 'In addition, any attorney subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of this Court, upon being subjected to professional disciplinary action by another disciplining court, shall promptly inform Disciplinary Counsel of such action in writing.' The order also notes that annual reports on the status of the disciplinary proceedings in New York must be filed. D.C. Bar rules note that any suspended attorney may be required to provide 'proof of rehabilitation' as a condition of reinstatement. Giuliani was an inactive member of the D.C. Bar when he was suspended on Wednesday and records show he was in good standing. In its 33-page decision, the New York appellate court wrote: '[W]e conclude that there is uncontroverted evidence that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020.' It claimed that the former New York mayor threatened 'public interest' in his capacity as Trump's personal attorney and insisted his actions 'warrant interim suspension from the practice of law.' Giuliani also faces legal trouble after the FBI seized 18 electronic devices when they raided Giuliani's New York City home and office in May UNREDACTED: The 18 electronic devices seized from his Upper East Side home belonged to both Giuliani and those who worked for him, according to an unsealed in a Manhattan Federal Court filing made public last month Giuliani was one of the figures in Trump's inner circle who led the former president's legal challenge to the 2020 presidential election results. The court said Giuliani made numerous false statements about the voting in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, including that hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots or votes, including from dead people, had been improperly counted. He argued the vote was riddled with fraud and claimed voting machines had been rigged in favor of Joe Biden. 'We find that there is evidence of continuing misconduct, the underlying offense is incredibly serious, and the uncontroverted misconduct in itself will likely result in substantial permanent sanctions', the court said. Giuliani was admitted to the state bar in New York in 1969 and had a prominent legal career before joining Trump's team including working in the Justice Department under Ronald Reagan. He was named U.S. Attorney in Manhattan in 1983 where he remained through 1989 before running and becoming Mayor of New York City. The New York State Bar Association announced January 11, 2021 that it was launching an investigation into whether Giuliani's membership should be revoked, noting his comments on January 6 to a crowd of Trump supporters before they stormed the Capitol. Although removal from the Bar Association membership does not disbar Giuliani, the ruling in New York does stop him from practicing law in the Empire State. Giuliani is also facing a slew of legal troubles stemming from his involvement with the Trump administration specifically his foreign dealings with Ukraine. The FBI seized 18 electronic devices when they raided Giuliani's New York City home and office in May, court documents unsealed last month revealed. The devices that were seized from his Upper East Side home belonged to both Giuliani and those who worked for him, according to Manhattan Federal Court filing recently made public. Details about the number of devices seized were previously redacted in a letter dated April 29 that was sent by prosecutors to US District Judge Paul Oetken. Prosecutors had written to the judge asking for a special master - an independent person - to be appointed to determine whether any materials found on the devices may be subject to attorney-client privilege. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating the former New York City mayor's dealings with Ukrainian oligarchs while working for then-President Trump. They are specifically examining Giuliani's interactions with Ukrainian figures and whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities without registering with the U.S. government. The unredacted version of the filing sheds new light on the FBI's investigative steps. It detailed how agents had already obtained a secret search warrant back in 2019 for Giuliani's iCloud account. Giuliani, a Republican who represented Trump in the special counsel's Russia investigation, has not been charged with a crime. He has said his activities in Ukraine were conducted on behalf of Trump. At the time, Giuliani was leading a campaign to press Ukraine for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter before being elected president. A former US marine accused of allegedly burning his ex-wife to death in front of their children won't apply for bail amid concerns for his safety. Brian Earl Johnston, 34, remains in custody after pouring petrol on Kelly Wilkinson and setting her alight in her Arundel backyard on the Gold Coast about 6.40am on April 20. He has been charged with murder and breaching a domestic violence order. Johnston's lawyer Chris Hannay said his client will stay behind bars indefinitely. 'He has not asked for a bail application because of concerns for his safety,' he said. Former US marine Brian Earl Johnston will stay in custody amid concerns for his safety after killing his ex-wife this year Kelly Wilkinson, a mother of three, died after he ex-husband set her alight in a shocking attack on the Gold Coast in April Neighbours who rushed to the Arundel property on April 20 after seeing flames flickering over the fence were confronted with the haunting image of the young mother up against the fence - still and alight. Mr Johnston, who was found in a semi-conscious state with burns after the attack, was carrying a knife sheath, police alleged at the time. Police will allege Mr Johnston jumped into the pool to douse the flames on himself. Police found a melted plastic jerry can, three knives and a duffel bag containing rope and duct tape at the scene. Brian Johnston had allegedly fled the home after the incident and was found nearby in a 'semiconscious' state Ms Wilkinson's three children aged between two and nine, who were at home at the time of the alleged attack, have since moved in with their selfless aunt Danielle Carroll, who has five children of her own Mr Johnston, who was married to Ms Wilkinson for 10 years, spent the first weeks after the alleged murder in hospital recovering from severe burns, but was recently moved to a general prison. Ms Wilkinson's three children, aged between two and nine, who witnessed the savage attack, are now living with their aunt Danielle Carroll, who has five children of her own. The Gold Coast community rallied around the Carroll family after the murder, with some of Australia's leading retailers, including Harvey Norman, Officeworks and YouFoodz providing them with supplies as they adjust to their new lives. A proposed law for policing the internet could silence debate on discussion forums including the popular parenting website Mumsnet, its founder warned last night. Justine Roberts, CEO of Mumsnet, urged Ministers to make changes to the proposed Online Safety Bill amid fears it could lead to 'censorship'. Her call comes amid mounting concern from campaigners, lawyers and politicians that the legislation will have a catastrophic impact on free speech in the UK. The draft Bill will impose a so-called 'duty of care' on tech giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google to remove any content that could cause 'psychological harm'. The new system will be policed by the regulator Ofcom, which will have the power to impose fines of up to 18 million on firms. A proposed law for policing the internet could silence debate on discussion forums including the popular parenting website Mumsnet, its founder warned last night. Justine Roberts (left), CEO of Mumsnet, urged Ministers to make changes to the proposed Online Safety Bill amid fears it could lead to 'censorship' But critics warn the definition of 'harmful' is too vague and that faced with the prospect of fines, tech firms could design algorithms that will simply erase comments that could be deemed controversial or offensive. People could be prevented from commenting on a range of issues from transgender rights to Brexit because under the legislation, the tech giants policing the internet could delete them. Mumsnet has already been targeted by activists. The Mail on Sunday revealed in 2019 how margarine brand Flora stopped advertising on the platform after a 'handful' of transgender activists complained the site was transphobic. Ms Roberts said the Government has told her that firms 'using their best endeavours to protect users will not suffer ill effects'. But she added: 'However, it's obviously a concern that we don't yet know what will be defined as constituting "psychological harm" or other kinds of "legal but harmful" speech, and we urge the Government to bring forward their definitions before this legislation goes much further. The draft Bill will impose a so-called 'duty of care' on tech giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google to remove any content that could cause 'psychological harm'. The new system will be policed by the regulator Ofcom, which will have the power to impose fines of up to 18million on firms 'If they don't, there's a risk that litigants will feel emboldened to force platforms such as Mumsnet to censor perfectly valid freedom of expression.' One Mumsnet user described the Bill as 'legislation designed to shut women up'. It comes as the MoS can reveal the influence of Scottish charity Carnegie UK Trust in drawing up the measures. For three years William Perrin, a former adviser to Tony Blair and a board member of Carnegie, has been working on the proposals along with Professor Lorna Woods, of the University of Essex, and Maeve Walsh, a former senior civil servant once in charge of Digital Strategy at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Earlier this year, Mr Perrin wrote that the Government's proposals were 'based upon principles and detailed work' put forward by the trust. This work has been bankrolled by Luminate, an organisation founded by eBay creator Pierre Omidyar. Luminate gave Carnegie 264,000 to help 'engage the expertise' of Prof Woods and Ms Walsh. Carnegie UK Trust defended its work, saying: 'It has been endorsed by three parliamentary committees. None have suggested that a duty of care amounts to censorship.' RUTH SMEETH: Silicon Valley robots must not be allowed to censor what we say online It is hard to fault the motivations behind the Government's Online Safety Bill. After all, no one wants to be unsafe online; no one wants to be a target of racism or sexism or abuse, says Ruth Smeeth (above) By RUTH SMEETH, Chief Executive, Index On Censorship It is hard to fault the motivations behind the Government's Online Safety Bill. After all, no one wants to be unsafe online; no one wants to be a target of racism or sexism or abuse. Tonight most of us will be rooting for Gareth Southgate and the England team, living and breathing every second of the match, but we all know that there will also be a handful of idiots who won't be able to stop themselves from being vile about the team on social media. The question is how do you fix it? And who should be given the responsibility of doing so? Personally, I'm not sure you can even legislate to change the way people behave online. This Bill doesn't even give the police more resources to prosecute those who break the law. It doesn't even state what is or isn't acceptable behaviour online. Rather, it sets in place a framework that will allow tech giants in Silicon Valley to sweep away content deemed by their censorious algorithms to be harmful. What those promoting the legislation seem blithely to overlook is the chilling effect this will have on free speech in the real world. It means, for example, that comments made on lively and informative discussion forums such as Mumsnet and even in personal social-media messages could be deleted almost as soon as they've been typed on to a computer or mobile phone. You might not agree with opinions expressed online about gender politics or Brexit, but would you prefer a world where those views are in effect outlawed by artificial intelligence from thousands of miles away? This wholesale outsourcing of online safety to powerful global corporations the very platforms that politicians have blamed for the systemic failure to combat hate online is a fundamental failing of the Bill in its current form. This Bill doesn't even give the police more resources to prosecute those who break the law. It doesn't even state what is or isn't acceptable behaviour online. Rather, it sets in place a framework that will allow tech giants in Silicon Valley to sweep away content deemed by their censorious algorithms to be harmful It imposes a legal obligation on internet giants to proactively protect their users from 'harm' but is so vague that it fails to define properly what constitutes 'harm'. Furthermore, words or comments that would be perfectly legal to use in a conversation in a pub could be censored if the Silicon Valley algorithm decides they are 'legal but harmful'. The threat of enormous fines up to 18 million administered by the communications regulator Ofcom will make the likes of Facebook and Google lean heavily on the side of caution and over-censorship. And this rush to erase will make some people less safe and could easily put them in personal jeopardy. This issue is deeply personal for me. As a Jewish woman, occasionally in the public eye, I have almost become immune to the unpleasant and offensive comments thrown my way daily online. But among them far more often than should be acceptable to anyone are threats to my personal safety. The Online Safety Bill will mean those threats will be deleted, which sounds great, except that removing them will mean I have no way of knowing if someone wants to hurt me, and neither will the police. Not only will I be more vulnerable, we won't be able to prosecute the criminals threatening me. It cannot be right for our politicians to legislate away fundamental rights and protections of speech and of personal safety in the name of 'online safety'. This shoddy legislation serves no one well. There is still an opportunity for those pushing this Bill to draw breath and explore better ways to meet their well-intended objectives. I urge them to take it. A tiny toddler has been pictured arriving by boat to the shores of Dover today after making the perilous crossing across the choppy English Channel. A Border Force officer was seen carefully carrying the tot in his arms from a patrol boat to the quayside at Dover harbour as the child's parents walked close behind. The tot was wearing an orange life jacket as it was carried to safety by a Border Force officer donning face mask and high-vis jacket. It is thought between 30 and 40 migrants made the treacherous 21-mile Channel crossing in three boats before being intercepted by Border Force vessels in UK waters. The group included a number of children and appeared to be of mainly African and Middle Eastern origin. It comes after 71 migrants in two boats were detained on Thursday. A Border Force officer carries a tiny toddler to shore from a migrant boat in Dover, Kent Wearing a face mask and high-vis jacket, the Border Force agent carefully carries the migrant child while holding a blanket At least two small children were pictured arriving to Britain today after making the dangerous Channel crossing Strong winds prevented a number of attempts on Friday with over 200 detained by French authorities but a number made it across today. It brings the total number to have made the crossing so far this month to 747. Some 6,653 migrants have now made the treacherous trip so far this year - which is almost triple the 2,439 who had arrived by this point in 2020. The Home Office is yet to release official figures for today's crossings. It comes after Priti Patel announced the Nationality and Borders Bill on Tuesday, heralded as the biggest shake-up of the asylum system for a generation. Set to be introduced next week, it will see UK Border Force granted new powers to 'stop and redirect vessels out of UK territorial seas'. Border Force will also be able to seize boats at sea, and to forcibly disembark migrants from boats when necessary. Miss Patel said: 'Access to the UK's asylum system should be based on need, not the ability to pay people smugglers. 'While people are dying and families are suffering at the hands of gangs, we have to act, and act quickly.' Migrant makes a hand gesture to a photographer after arriving by boat to the shores Devon on Saturday A migrant is escorted by Border Force to safety after making dangerous 21-mile Channel crossing It comes after June saw more migrants cross the Channel by small boat than in any month ever before. Border Force detained 2,179 people across 92 boats last month as they made the dangerous trip across the world's busiest shipping route. It smashed the previously monthly record set last September, when 1,954 arrived on UK shores. Clandestine Channel Threat Commander Dan O'Mahoney said: 'We are seeing an unacceptable rise in dangerous and unnecessary small boat crossings because illegal migration across Europe has led to a significant increase of migrants in northern France seeking to enter the UK illegally. 'The government continues to target the criminal gangs who are responsible for these illegal crossings at every level with intelligence and surveillance, and the joint work with France means we have doubled the number of police officers on the ground in France who are intercepting the crossings and arresting the gangs behind this trade.' In 2020, 8,410 migrants arrived to the UK, compared to just 1,850 the year before. The grieving family of an innocent motorist killed by a Minneapolis police officer while chasing a suspect has called for the officer to be fired and charged. Leneal Frazier, 40, the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenager who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for filming police officer Derek Chauvin as he knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes in May of last year, was fatally injured in a high-speed police pursuit of a suspected carjacker last week. Police Officer Brian Cummings smashed his cruiser into Frazier's Jeep while chasing another suspect, with the collision killing Frazier. The victim's grieving family have now called on Cummings to be axed from his job and prosecuted over the collision. Frazier's relatives also plan to sue the city of Minneapolis over his death, attorney Jeff Storms said. Storms is an associate of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who negotiated a $27 million settlement for the Floyd family. The grieving family of Leneal Frazier who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer while chasing a suspect has called for the officer to be fired and charged 'It's just so messed up,' Orlando Frazier, Leneal Frazier's brother, told reporters outside City Hall. 'Like, my brother got took away from us for no reason at all, like we don't even know the reason, we don't really know what happened, we haven't even seen my brother's body.' The family called on Governor Tim Walz to ask Attorney General Keith Ellison, who prosecuted the officers charged in the George Floyd case, to take over because they do not have confidence in Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Activists have accused Freeman of being reluctant to prosecute police officers in the deaths of Black people, ABC News reported. The family is currently learning more facts about the fatal collision and looking at evidence before they proceed with a lawsuit, Storms told ABC News. While Storms did not confirm what kind of suit the family plans of filing or what kind of damages they will seek, he said they will pursue legal action. 'Will there be a lawsuit? You betcha,' Storms said. He added that the city would be wise to settle with the family than force them to go through a drawn-out lawsuit, ABC News reported. 'The city of Minneapolis is going to ask itself, and has to ask itself, 'What kind of precedent are we going to set now?' Police said Cummings had his lights and siren activated during the high-speed pursuit of a suspect in a carjacking and several robberies, and that the suspect ran a red light just before Cummings crashed into Frazier's vehicle in a residential neighborhood, ABC News reported. Leneal Frazier, 40, (pictured) was fatally injured in a high-speed police pursuit of a suspected carjacker involving Minneapolis Police Officer Brian Cummings The image above taken from surveillance footage shows Leneal Frazier's Jeep (circled far right) drive into the intersection of 41st Avenue and Lyndale Avenue in north Minneapolis after midnight on Tuesday. The circled vehicle in the center is that of a carjacking suspect who is fleeing police. The circled image on the far left is a minivan that was damaged in the three-car wreck On Thursday mayor Jacob Frey, who called the crash a 'horrific tragedy,' said the city will review its police pursuit policy. Officer Cummings is currently on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation by the Minnesota State Patrol. Frazier, who was not suspected of any crime, was driving westbound in his Jeep on West 41st Avenue in the Camden section of north Minneapolis just after midnight on Tuesday when a police car slammed into his vehicle at the intersection of Lyndale Avenue. Frazier's family was outraged that police would conduct a high-speed chase through a residential area. 'This ain't the freeway. Y'all ain't cowboys, man,' a relative of Frazier told WCCO-TV. 'Y'all are supposed to protect and serve us.' The relative, who only goes by the name Terry, added: 'I understand you guys got a job to do, man, but this, bro. 'These people live right here, man.' 'My brother didn't do this,' Orlando Frazier, Leneal's brother, said. 'He didn't crash into the police, the police crashed into him. Police killed him.' Lanesha Frazier, Leneal's daughter, said her father 'didn't deserve to get hit by no car.' 'I am terrified of these police and they need to do something about it,' she said. 'This is not fair. This is not right. I didn't expect this to be my father. We need justice.' According to Minneapolis police, a squad car was driving north on Lyndale at high speed in pursuit of a carjacking suspect when Leneal Frazier's SUV, which was driving westbound on 41st Avenue, entered the intersection of Lyndale and 41st Frazier was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, (pictured) the teenager who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for filming police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd Frazier's niece Darnella expressed her grief about her uncle's death in a Facebook post Surveillance video emerged of the accident that showed the carjacking suspect blowing through the intersection at a high speed followed by a squad car driven by officer Cummings ramming into the driver's side of Frazier's Jeep. The violent collision sends the cop car and the mangled SUV careening into a nearby bus stop, destroying the canopy. Moments later, first responders are seen pulling a badly injured Frazier out of the wreckage. He is then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is pronounced dead. A medical examiner's report indicated that Leneal Frazier died of blunt force injuries, according to WCCO-TV. His niece Darnella expressed her grief about her uncle's death in a Facebook post. 'Minneapolis police killed my uncle,' she posted on Tuesday. 'Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police!' She added: 'Minneapolis police has cost my whole family a big loss...today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness.' In June 2019, MPD updated its pursuit policy, which now bans officers from initiating chases if they 'pose an unreasonable risk to the officers, the public or passengers of the vehicle being pursued who may be unwilling participants.' MPD officers may initiate a pursuit if they believe a suspect either has committed or is about to commit 'a serious and violent felony or gross misdemeanor.' Officers can also give chase if they believe the suspect's driving is 'so flagrantly reckless that the driver would pose an imminent and life-threatening danger to the public if not apprehended.' John Elder, a spokesperson for the MPD, told the Star Tribune that Tuesday morning's pursuit 'fit the criteria' spelled out in the department's updated policy. 'We are limiting what we can chase for, but these were obvious felonies,' Elder said. Jeremy Clarkson fans have spent up to four hours queuing outside his new farm shop that's been featured on the hit Amazon Prime series, Clarkson's Farm. Hundreds of enthusiastic fans queued outside his estate near Chadlington, Oxfordshire, desperate to catch a glimpse of the ex-Top Gear host, 61. One sign erected outside of the shop today indicated a wait time of at least three and half hours for the main store that became a hilarious feature on Clarkson's Farm. Those in attendance didn't seem to mind though, with several tweeting about the 'great atmosphere' on display. The popularity of Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime has led to queues for the Diddly Squat Farm Shop to check out his stock, which includes honey, chutney and even T-shirts. And police were called out to manage traffic chaos last month, caused by hundreds of Jeremy Clarkson fans descending on his farm in the hope of meeting him. The popularity of Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime has led to queues for the Diddly Squat Farm Shop to check out his stock, which includes honey, chutney and even T-shirts One sign erected outside of the shop today indicated a wait time of at least three and half hours for the main store that became a hilarious feature on Clarkson's Farm On Clarkson's Farm, Jeremy works on his 1,000 acre plot of land, located between Chipping Norton and Chadlington in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside in Oxfordshire. The former petrol-head appears to have settled for a serene farming lifestyle as part of his new hit Amazon Prime series. But the show's roaring success - and the opening of Clarkson's popular Diddly Squat Farm Shop - has created chaos for villagers who are more accustomed to cows than congestion. Those in attendance didn't seem to mind though, with several tweeting about the 'great atmosphere' on display The former Top Gear co-host, 61, and his farm shop have also angered locals complaining about visitors clogging up the country roads. Last month, Thames Valley Police were contacted as pictures emerged of hundreds of cars being left at the side of the road. Some have also claimed it is affecting the trade of local shops and pubs by selling food and even beer. Chadlington residents were left horrified as large queues formed on the usually quiet country roads in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside Crowds and queues built up at the Diddly Squat Farm Shop the day after the release of the hit Amazon Prime Video series, Clarkson's Farm Speaking previously about the farm shop's success, Clarkson said: 'I mean, if we'd built a nuclear power station I could understand their concerns, but not a tiny farm shop.' Clarkson bought the plot of land in 2008 and Clarkson's Farm follows the presenter's highs and lows of tackling the 1,000 acre working farm. The presenter recently revealed he was 'the happiest he has ever been' and that he 'loved every second' of filming the new hit show. His Diddly Squat shop is described as a 'small barn full of good, no-nonsense things' on its official website. The Amazon Prime series follows an intense and frequently hilarious year in the life of Britain's most unlikely farmer and his team, as they contend with the worst farming weather in decades, disobedient animals, unresponsive crops, and an unexpected pandemic. An alert Ohio state trooper used the Heimlich maneuver to save a panicked driver who tried to swallow a bag of weed during a traffic stop. The incident was caught on State Trooper Charles Hoskin's dashcam and released on the Ohio State Patrol's Twitter page on Thursday. The video shows Trooper Hoskin pulling over a white sedan. While the driver was still in the car, the Ohio state trooper can be heard asking if he's alright and if he can breathe. When the shirtless man got out of the car, Trooper Hoskin realized he was choking and performed the Heimlich maneuver. After a few seconds, driver can be seen spitting something up. 'What did you swallow?' Trooper Hoskin asks the man, who's trying to catch his breath, the video shows. 'A gram of weed, officer,' the suspect replied. Ohio State Trooper Charles Hoskin realizes a man, who he just pulled over, is chocking and performs the Heimlich maneuver After a couple seconds, the suspect can be seen spitting something up Trooper Hoskins is heard on the video asking the suspect what he swallowed as he tries to catch his breath. 'A gram of weed, officer,' the suspect replied Hoskin tells the suspect to sit down to catch his breath and calls for an ambulance to make sure he's OK. Hoskin tells the suspect to sit down and calls for an ambulance to make sure he's OK. The suspect, who has not been named, apologizes. 'It's a minor misdemeanor. You want to die over a minor misdemeanor?' Hoskin is heard on the video asking the suspect. 'Don't try to swallow a bag of drugs prior to getting pulled over in an attempt to keep a trooper from finding them,' the Ohio State Patrol tweeted with the video. 'Luckily, Tpr. Hoskin from our Ravenna Post was alert and able to assist the man who was choking on a bag of illegal marijuana.' Medical marijuana is legal in Ohio, although the state bans recreational use of the drug. A ballot on whether to legalize it for recreational use is set to be held later this year, meaning the midwestern state could become the latest to decriminalize the drug. Two 'hitmen' suspected of helping to assassinate Haiti's president both worked for a Miami-based security firm that paid staff $2,700-a-month to 'provide protection for powerful individuals' on the island, it was claimed Saturday. Haiti National Police believe 28 people were involved in Wednesday's raid that killed President Jovenel Moise, 53, with 17 arrested, three dead and eight still at large. The sister of one of the dead suspects, Duberney Capador, 40, said her brother, who retired from the Colombian army in 2019 with the rank of sergeant, was hired by a private security firm with the understanding he would be providing protection for powerful individuals in Haiti. She said she knew nothing about his employer, but shared a photo of her brother emblazoned in the logo of CTU Security - a company based in Doral, a Miami suburb popular with Colombian migrants. Two suspects accused of helping to assassinate Haiti's president worked for a Miami firm called CTU Security. Pictured is its president, Tony Intriago. He has not been linked to the plot CTUs website lists two addresses, one of which is a gray-colored warehouse that was shuttered Friday with no sign indicating who it belonged to The other is a small suite under a different companys name in a modern office building a few blocks away The wife of Francisco Uribe, who was among those arrested, told Colombia's W Radio that CTU offered to pay the men about $2,700 a month - a paltry sum for a dangerous international mission but far more than what most of the men, noncommissioned officers and professional soldiers, earned from their pensions. CTU Security was registered in 2008 and lists as its president Antonio Intriago, who is also affiliated with several other Florida-registered entities, some of them since dissolved, including the Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, the Venezuelan American National Council and Doral Food Corp. CTUs website lists two addresses, one of which is a gray-colored warehouse that was shuttered Friday with no sign indicating who it belonged to. The other is a small suite under a different companys name in a modern office building a few blocks away. A receptionist at the office said Intriago stops by every few days to collect mail and hold meetings. Intriago, who is Venezuelan, did not return phone calls and an email seeking comment. He has not been linked to last week's events in Haiti. Duberney Capador's sister Yenny said she last spoke to her brother late Wednesday - hours after Moises murder - when the men, holed up in a home and surrounded, were desperately trying to negotiate their way out of a shootout. American-Haitian James Solages, 35, (left) worked as a driver and bodyguard for a relief organization set up by Sean Penn (right, in Haiti) following the magnitude 7.0 quake that killed 300,000 Haitians and left tens of thousands homeless Solages (left) and Joseph Vincent (right) are seen at a Thursday press conference where Haitian authorities paraded the detained suspects. The two US citizens allegedly claimed they were hired as translators in a plot to arrest the Haitian president but not to kill him 'He told me not to tell our mother, so she wouldnt worry,' she said, fighting back tears. 'We are the ones who are most interested in clarifying what happened, so that my brothers reputation does not remain like it is,' said Capador. 'He was a humble, hard-working man. He had honors and decorations.' Its not known who masterminded the attack. And numerous questions remain about how the perpetrators were able to penetrate the presidents residence posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, meeting little resistance from those charged with protecting the president. Uribe is under investigation in the alleged murder of an unarmed civilian in 2008 who was presented as someone killed in combat, one of thousands of extrajudicial killings that rocked Colombias U.S.-trained army more than a decade ago. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian Americans, one of whom worked with Sean Penn after the star set up a charity to help rebuild the island after its devastating 2020 earthquake. James Solages, 35, worked as a driver and bodyguard for the relief organization set up to respond to the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 quake that killed 300,000 Haitians and left tens of thousands homeless. It is not known if they ever worked directly together. Suspects in the assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise are shown to the media in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday In an online profile Solages also lists as past employers the Canadian Embassy in Haiti, while his Facebook page - which was taken down following news of his arrest - features photos of armored military vehicles and a shot of himself standing in front of an American flag. Solages described himself as a 'certified diplomatic agent,' an advocate for children and budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in south Florida to assist resident of his home town of Jacmel, on Haitis southern coast. Solages and fellow Haitian-American Joseph Vincent, 55, are said to have confessed to being involved in Wednesday's early morning raid that left president Jovenel Moise dead and his wife fighting for her life. However, they allegedly claimed they were hired as translators in a plot to arrest politician but not to kill him. Vincent allegedly claimed the plot was orchestrated by a foreigner named 'Mike' who spoke English and Spanish, they planned to take Moise to the National Palace and the plot was devised over the course of a month in a hotel in Petion-Ville. Jean Laguel Civil, Moise's security coordinator and Dimitri Herard, head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace will be questioned. Haitian Prosecutor Me Bed-Ford Claude said he had seen no casualties among the president's security detail following the assassination. 'They are responsible for the security of the president... I did not see any police victim except the president and his wife. If you are responsible for the security of the president where were you?' Haitian President Jovenel Moise and First Lady Martine are pictured together in 2017. Moise was riddled with 12 bullet holes and had his eye gouged out during Wednesday's brutal attack, which killed him and seriously injured his wife Officials said they are still looking for the 'intellectual authors' of the plot. National Police Director Leon Charles said 'we have the physical perpetrators in hand and we are looking for the instigators.' It also emerged that the hit squad stayed at a home recently vacated by politician Magalie Habitant, an apparent ally of the murdered president. However, she claims she left the property in Thomassin three months ago and hired it from a lawyer. Habitant was implicated in a 2019 plot when seven heavily-armed foreign mercenaries were arrested in Haiti before fleeing the country. She was suspected of buying the vehicles used by the group and was temporarily banned from leaving the country. In total, Haiti National Police said there were 28 presumed assassins responsible for Wednesday's raid, with 17 arrested, three dead and eight still at large. The remaining 26 are all Colombians with the Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano saying preliminary information points to them being retired members of the country's military. Key members of the mercenary outfit were in the country for three months preparing for the attack, while others arrived from the Dominican Republic, which Haiti shares a land border with, last month, officials said. Weaponry, mobile phones, passports and other items are being shown to the media along with suspects in the assassination While the public is demanding answers around who is responsible for the death of their president, the nation is also in turmoil over who is the next rightful leader. Under the constitution, Haiti's chief justice Rene Sylvestre would normally take charge after the President's death - but he died of COVID-19 two weeks ago. Following Moise's slaying, a power struggle has broken out between Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph and Prime Minister-elect Ariel Henry. Moise's assassination came just one day after he named Henry as the new prime minister, who would have replaced Joseph in a matter of days. However, Joseph assumed sole power of the embattled country, declaring a 'state of siege' granting him absolute authority hours after the president's murder. Henry - who has the backing of many opposition politicians - said he does not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister and he should revert to the role of foreign minister. There are growing questions over who had a motive to order Moise's assassination as the alleged mercenary execution squad are slowly rounded up and details are emerging about the individuals. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard today urged the public to be aware the Covid pandemic is 'far from over' There were also another 32,367 Covid cases today, the fourth day in a row infections breached 30,000 Advertisement Britain's Covid hospital admission continued to spiral today, with infections also increasing by a third in a week as experts called into question the July 19 date for 'Freedom Day'. Hospitalisations jumped 57.3 per cent in a week on Tuesday data released today revealed reaching 563, the largest daily admission number since early March. And Department of Health bosses posted another 32,367 cases today, up 32 per cent on last Saturday's figure of 24,855. It was the fourth day the UK recorded more than 30,000 daily cases in a row. Meanwhile, Covid deaths also increased by 62.7 per cent up from 18 last Saturday to 34 today. The troubling figures came as a medical chief today warned Britain should not return to normal on July 19 because a 15-month NHS backlog combined with a third wave of cases is putting doctors under pressure. Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Professor Helen Jayne Stokes-Lampard said it would be 'dangerous' to 'throw away all the precautions' on Freedom Day in just over a week's time. The academic also urged the public to be aware that the Covid pandemic is 'far from over' and to take a 'responsible approach' when restrictions are eased. But, in more promising news, SAGE advisers famed for their more gloomy predictions yesterday said they expect Covid cases in England will 'plateau and then fall' within weeks with vaccines, natural immunity, seasonality and behaviour change driving the outbreak down. The claim unveiled in a tranche of documents published yesterday came amid fears infections will continue to spiral over the coming weeks, with England's progress to the final of Euro 2020 blamed on a surge in cases. Some 88,675 first vaccine doses were dished out yesterday , taking the UK's total up to nearly 45.8million people 87 per cent of the adult population. A further 166,883 second doses were given, with 65.6 per cent of adults now fully protected against the virus. In fresh documents it emerged that modelling produced by the government's SAGE modelling committee Spi-M underestimated hospital admissions by over a third Covid cases soar in Spain and Portugal as Delta variant takes hold - just as millions of Brits prepare to fly there when virus restrictions ease on July 19 Covid cases are soaring in Spain and Portugal now the Delta variant has taken hold, just as millions of Brits prepare for their holidays after July 19. Double-jabbed Britons will now be able to travel to amber list countries which currently include the two nations on the Iberian peninsula without isolating on return from Freedom Day in just over a week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced yesterday. Under the new rules, vaccinated travellers to green and amber list destinations only need to pay for a lateral flow test before travelling home and a PCR test on or before day two of return. Children aged five and over will also need to be tested. But Spain and Portugal are both experiencing a surge in cases not far behind the UK's, which recorded 35,707 positive tests yesterday, with the average number of cases now starting to rival levels seen in January. Spain's spiralling cases prompted officials to urge people not to cancel their holidays in the country. Cases per 100,000 have doubled in Spain in the last week, rising from 157.1 to 315.7 from July 2 to 9. The infection rate has also rose 39 per cent to 252 per 100,000 in Portugal during the most recent week. Meanwhile, France, Germany and Italy all of which are also on the amber list have yet to see such a drastic pick up in cases. The case rate is 48.9 per 100,000 in France, 16.3 in Italy and just 8.1 in Germany. On Thursday, France's secretary of state for European affairs Clement Beaune advised people to 'avoid Spain and Portugal as destinations' when booking their holidays because the French government is considering restrictions on travel to their neighbours. Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the current surge is not translating into more hospitalisations and urged people to be 'proportionate' in their response to pandemic trends. 'This is a time for prudence, not for panicking,' she said at a press conference in Madrid. 'There is no reason at the moment to ask people to cancel their vacations.' Malta, one of the most popular tourist destinations for Brits this summer thanks to its place on the green list, has now announced it is banning all visitors from entering the country unless they are double jabbed from next Wednesday. There has been a spike in infections on the island which the medical association is partly blaming on Malta's place on the green list, which meant travellers were not required to isolate on return, regardless of vaccinations status. Advertisement Meanwhile, in fresh documents it emerged that modelling produced by the government's SAGE modelling committee Spi-M miscalculated hospital admissions by over a third. Estimates on June 28 predicted approximately 275 daily admissions by around July 6 when in reality there were 461 people admitted on July 7, reports The Times. Boris Johnson is expected to 'tone down the Freedom Day rhetoric' and urge the public to behave sensibly while confirming the July 19 reopening on Monday. Speaking this morning, Professor Stokes-Lampard told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'I have been profoundly concerned for a week or two since talk of July 19 is ramping up. 'There seems to be a misapprehension that life will return to normal from then and that we can throw away all the precautions, and frankly that would be dangerous. 'The rising number of cases, the rising number of people requiring hospital treatment and intensive care, and sadly the number of deaths are beginning to rise again too. 'We all want to make sure that the public is aware that this pandemic is far from over. And that when the 19th comes we need a responsible approach and a very cautious approach to relaxing restrictions. 'We've heard some pretty alarming reports of companies saying 'all restrictions are removed, everyone back in the office , sitting close to each other, no masks indoors. 'And I do feel that is going to add fuel to the fire of this current quite dangerous wave that we're in.' The rate of new cases of coronavirus in most areas of England is now back at levels last seen during the winter. Patient numbers have risen to levels last seen around three months ago. And there has been a very slight increase in the average number of deaths reported each day of people in England who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. But this is still far below the sort of numbers seen in January and February of this year. The academic continued: 'The previous waves were high pressured in a different way. What we've got at the moment is we're dealing with the backlog that's built up over the last 15 months. We all know the record number of people waiting for operations and for investigations. 'And also we're seeing a sudden spike in the number of young children requiring hospital attention and people having infections that they didn't have before.' The Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing added: 'It feels in hospitals and GP surgeries like the middle of winter with how busy we are. Rather than July, when we would normally see a low number of infections. '[Staffing] is a massive problem we're seeing now. Partly because of the number of children who've been sent home from school and are isolating. The infection is running rife in young people. That inevitably means that healthcare workers are having to self-isolate following national guidance. 'But that means that the rest of the staff are under increasing pressure. And we're seeing hospitals cancelling operations, cutting back. We're seeing GP surgeries starting to cut back again on the more routine services they provide.' Covid cases have soared in Spain and Portugal after the Delta variant took hold, just as millions of Brits prepare for their holidays after July 19 PHE's weekly update also revealed that every local authority in England saw a rise in Covid infections last week except three, as the third wave of infections continues to surge. The three areas where infections dropped were Blackburn with Darwen, where there is a suggestion the outbreak may have already peaked after it was hit hard by the Indian variant, Wokingham and Salford The NHS Covid app issued more than 350,000 pings last week, which was the most since the Government began publishing data at the start of February England's Covid R rate may now be as high as 1.5 the highest it has been since the second wave spiralled out of control in October, Government scientists have announced SAGE member Dr Mike Tildesley also said higher cases 'challenge the virus' and give it the opportunity to mutate into a form which could make vaccines less effective. He told Times Radio: 'We need to be careful. We can't just say once we've broken the link between cases and hospital admissions that we are pretty much safe and no-one gets really sick so it's fine to have a big wave of cases. 'Of course the more cases you have, particularly with high levels of vaccine protection, that does then kind of challenge the virus a little bit more and gives more potential for it to mutate into a form where the vaccines are less effective.' Boris Johnson may tone down 'Freedom Day' rhetoric ahead of July 19 reopening Boris Johnson is expected to urge the public to behave sensibly while confirming the July 19 reopening on Monday. Several sources told the Guardian that the government is most likely to go ahead with the easing of restrictions in just over a week's time, but will tone down the 'Freedom Day' rhetoric. Two Whitehall insiders said internal polling had sparked concern amongst ministers, but one source added that it would be 'political suicide' to U-turn. It was also admitted that despite the Prime Minister's warning to the public not to be 'demob happy' at a news briefing last Monday, the message became 'slightly lost' amid the announcement of restrictions being eased. As of 9am on Friday, there had been a further 35,707 lab-confirmed Covid cases in the UK, the Government said, the highest daily increase since January 22. A further 29 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Friday, bringing the UK total to 128,365. Advertisement Asked about so-called vaccine passports for entry to pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs, he said there is a danger of 'potentially marginalising members of society who maybe don't have access to the vaccine that others do'. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said in a statement: 'There is little doubt that things will get worse before they get better.' It follows several sources telling the Guardian that the government is most likely to go ahead with the easing of restrictions in just over a week's time, but will tone down the 'Freedom Day' rhetoric. Two Whitehall insiders said internal polling had sparked concern amongst ministers, but one source added that it would be 'political suicide' to U-turn. It was also admitted that despite the Prime Minister's warning to the public not to be 'demob happy' at a news briefing last Monday, the message became 'slightly lost' amid the announcement of restrictions being eased. No 10 suggested on Friday that NHS staff could be made exempt from self-isolation if they are 'pinged' by the Covid app in order to help workforce levels. Prof Stokes-Lampard said it sounded like 'a sensible next step'. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, welcomed the idea of an exemption and suggested another option would be to bring forward, for NHS staff, the August 16 date from which the Government has proposed to end all quarantine for the double-jabbed who get a negative PCR test result. Mr Hopson said: 'Having spoken to trust leaders, we concluded that, given the current severe impact on service delivery, it is right for the Government to review their current proposed approach on self-isolation as it affects NHS staff. We are pleased that they are listening carefully to these concerns. 'It's important to remember that nearly all NHS staff have been vaccinated and that they were amongst the first groups to receive vaccinations. There are therefore various options available here.' However Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: 'The NHS is in crisis as Covid admissions climb, cancer treatments delayed, waiting times increase and pressures intensify. 'Sajid Javid has no plan to support NHS staff through the summer. Their only response is to talk about removing the batteries from the smoke alarm by watering down the NHS app and looking at ID cards for pubs. 'Boris Johnson's recklessness in throwing all caution to the wind is creating a summer of chaos.' Caitlyn Jenner was hit with vile transphobic abuse at the Conservative Political Action Conference by a heckler who called her Bruce and branded her a 'sick freak.' The former Olympic gold decathlete, 71, was repeatedly called 'Bruce' by the troll, who appeared to be filming himself abusing Jenner. He struck as the aspiring California governor chatted with fans in the lobby of the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas on Friday. The abuser, who has not been named, could be heard shouting: 'Hey Bruce. Bruce. What do you think of the stuff they're teaching in schools regarding the LGBTQ? Bout Jesus Christ Bruce, don't forget about Jesus.' He then added: 'Look at that sick freak.' Jenner did not rise to the cruelty, and pretended not to notice the man as she strolled through the lobby and into a waiting SUV. She fell victim to a practice known as 'deadnaming' - where a transgender person is deliberately called the name they used before transitioning in a bid to upset them. Before her transition, Jenner was known as former Olympic Decathlete Bruce, who won gold in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The socialite is also famous for being father to social media superstars Kylie Jenner, 23, and Kendall Jenner, 25. The abuse Caitlyn suffered was shared on a satirical Twitter page called Patriot Takes, which appears to poke fun at conservative personalities. Caitlyn was verbally abused despite running as a Republican challenger to current California Governor Gavin Newsom, who faces a recall election this fall. Caitlyn Jenner was harassed yesterday at CPAC. pic.twitter.com/sgwwcqEdwV PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) July 10, 2021 Jenner, 71, encountered the transphobic man during CPAC's kickoff event in Dallas on Friday Jenner did her best to ignore the man, who briefly followed her as she made a hasty exit from the Hilton Anatole hotel lobby Caitlyn Jenner, Candidate for Governor of California, meets the media to ensure the laws governing the recall election are enforced and uniformly applied on Friday Since she announced her campaign for Governor of California on April 23, news reports have covered the 71-year-old's efforts to endear herself to the GOP, voicing her distaste for critical race theory and towing the party's line on the issue of transgender athletes, according to a May 3 article by Politico. Jenner says she thinks it is unfair to let trans female athletes compete against cisgender women - women who were born as the gender they continue to identify as. 'For the past decade we have seen the glimmer of the Golden State reduced by one-party rule that places politics over progress and special interests over people,' Jenner said in a statement upon her announcing her candidacy. 'I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can put an end to Gavin Newsom's disastrous time as governor.' Her transphobic encounter at Friday's CPAC kickoff event in Dallas caused many to respond in disgust, while others appeared to blame Jenner herself for aligning with a conservative party. 'Did I hear that correctly??? 'Hey, Bruce' 'Yeah' Did... Did Caitlyn answer to 'Bruce'??' one person tweeted in response to the video. 'That was actually really troubling.... listen to the disgust in his voice. We have a really big problem' a second person commented. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr, delivered his own address at the conference on Friday, telling Fox News afterwards that he would be 'very involved during the 2022 campaign' season 'Looks like she is being welcomed in to the GQP with open arms. Face with rolling eyes,' another added. 'And shes proudly going to CPAC knowing they are intolerant of the trans community,' tweeted Victoria Woodhull. The conference will be headlined by a speech from former President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to speak on Sunday. Meanwhile, his son, Donald Trump Jr, delivered his own address at the conference on Friday, telling Fox News afterwards that he would be 'very involved during the 2022 campaign' season. Passengers aboard and American Airlines flight to Miami were asked to keep their hands on their heads for the final hour of their flight and warned not to film due to an undisclosed 'security threat.' The chaos went down on American Airlines flight 2289 flying from Los Angeles International Airport to Miami International Airport on Thursday. Passengers on the Boeing 777 were told to remain in their seats with their hands crossed on top of their heads. One person aboard the plane claimed a male passenger was branded a 'security threat,' amid claims that man was met by police at Miami International Airport and arrested. AA have refused to confirm that allegation. Passengers aboard and American Airlines flight to Miami were asked to keep their hands on their heads for the final hour of their flight and warned not to film due to a 'security threat' 'Here's the MIA terminal where passengers were forced to wait after getting off the plane,' a passenger tweeted after the plane landed in Miami International Airport One passenger defied crew orders and recorded a plane full of people with their hands on their heads and said law enforcement came on the flight with machine guns to arrest the unruly passenger. 'The arrest happened when 2289 landed in Miami (flight landed at 4:42 ET),'Chris Nguyen tweeted. 'Passengers were ordered to put their hands on their heads for 45-60 minutes before landing. Strangely, passengers were repeatedly told not to film on the plane.' He also posted a video of passengers gathered at the MIA terminal, where tempers appeared to have boiled over after the stressful inflight experience. 'Here's the MIA terminal where passengers were forced to wait after getting off the plane,' he tweeted. At least one passenger appeared to be yelling during the clip. A fellow passenger who claims they were near the unruly passenger called the flight the 'scariest moment of (their) life.' 'Scariest moment of my life. Are we gonna get any coverage on what happened? I'm traumatized. I was in the back near the passenger.' the person tweeted. The chaos went down on American Airlines flight 2289 flying from Los Angeles International Airport to Miami International Airport (pictured) on Thursday American Airlines said the flight was inspected but did not elaborate on the nature of the security threat. An American Airlines Boeing 777 is pictured in Miami last month Another person responded to the video of the flight and tweeted a woman on a flight she was on spent over an hour screaming and had to be duct taped to her seat but it was not clear if she was referring to the same American Airlines flight. 'I was on a flight last night and a woman was so out of control (passenger) she had to be restrained and literally duct taped to her seat - crazy screaming person - 1.5 hours of screaming - police were waiting when we landed.' the person claimed. DailyMail has reached out to American Airlines for comment. The airline told liveandletsfly.com that the flight was inspected but did not elaborate on the nature of the security threat. 'Passengers were deplaned and bused to the terminal, and the aircraft was inspected by authorities. Safety and security is our top priority and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused,' the airline said in a statement. A sunny afternoon at the private chapel of Windsor Castle and a christening celebration for the child who grew up to be Prince Michael of Kent, the Queens 79-year-old cousin. As the family party broke up that day in 1942, the newborns father kissed goodbye to his niece, the young Princess Elizabeth, and promised to visit her at Balmoral in the coming weeks but first he must go abroad on duty. However, she never saw Prince George, Duke of Kent again. Within days the future Queens favourite uncle was dead, killed when his RAF flying boat crashed into a Scottish mountainside, its 2,400 gallons of fuel erupting in a horrifying fireball. All on board, except one, perished instantly. The death of the Prince became the highest-profile fatality of the Second World War no royal prince had given his life in defence of his country for 500 years. But after three years of conflict, the Royal Family joined with tens of thousands of families in mourning the loss of a loved one bringing rulers and ruled that much closer. Georgie Kent was a wildly popular figure glamorous, debonair, sexy. At the time of the Abdication, six years earlier, it was thought in court circles that he might succeed the throne in preference to his elder brother Bertie. In 1942 the Queen's favourite uncle was killed when his RAF flying boat crashed into a Scottish mountainside with its 2,400 gallons of fuel erupting in a horrifying fireball. See box below for royal party Georgies elegant wife Marina, granddaughter of the king of Greece, had borne him two sons and a daughter and many favoured a male line of succession which Bertie could not provide. Decorated with the Order of the Garter, and a rear admiral in the Royal Navy, Georgie was a vital asset to an embattled Royal Family still struggling to wipe the slate clean after his eldest brother Edward VIIIs shabby escape to foreign parts with his American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Georgies death at the age of 39 was a colossal shock to the nation. Yet, after a hastily arranged funeral held just four days later, no public memorial was erected in memory of him no statue, no official biography, no charity bearing his name. He was airbrushed from history. But now I can reveal that the Establishments connivance at a cover-up may well have been because the Prince had secretly and illegally smuggled a woman lover on board the fatal flight. The known facts about that journey are scant. Namely, that the Short Sunderland flying boat W4026 took off from Invergordon, on the Cromarty Firth on the east coast of Scotland, at 1.10pm on August 25, 1942, on its way to Iceland the frozen north, Georgie called it where he was due to inspect bases. Thirty minutes later, a huge explosion was heard in the village of Dunbeath, 60 miles from Invergordon. In a thick cloud of sea mist, the aircraft had ploughed into a craggy hill called Eagles Rock. A court of inquiry was set up, held in private, and a brief resume of its findings read out in the House of Commons. Families of the 14 dead were not allowed to attend the court and in some cases had difficulty gaining access to any information about the loss of their loved ones. Later it emerged that all documentation relating to the court of inquiry had mysteriously gone missing. The National Archives, the RAF Historical Branch, the Imperial War Museum and the Royal Archives at Windsor all deny having possession of the key records relating to the death of George Vs son and his fellow aviators. Significantly, the flight briefing which the pilot, Australian Flight Lieutenant Frank Goyen, was instructed to follow by superior officers has also disappeared. Whos who at the royal party Princess Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth Prince Edward of Kent King George VI Queen Mary George, Duke of Kent Princess Alexandra of Kent Prince Michael of Kent Marina, Duchess of Kent Advertisement This is a very surprising vacuum of information after all, the Duke of Kents death was the most talked-about British fatality of the Second World War and, inevitably, has spawned countless conspiracy theories over the years. Was the Duke at the controls when the plane crashed? Was he drunk? Was the flying boat shot down by a stray German fighter or worse, by one of our own, mistaking it in the mist for a Luftwaffe bomber? Was he eliminated by British intelligence because of his perceived sympathies towards Nazi Germany? Or was he on a secret mission to Sweden to try to broker peace with the Nazi high command? Whatever the truth, the fortunes of war were decidedly against Britain in the summer of 1942 and successive military losses and victories quickly dominated the news again. Prince George was forgotten the circumstances of his death left undisturbed. But some years ago, while conducting research into the crash, I was contacted by Leading Aircraftsman Arthur Baker, service number 1505244, who told me hed been part of the RAF search-and-rescue team sent to retrieve the bodies on Eagles Rock that hot August afternoon. I met him in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, where he proudly laid out his medals and photographs of himself as part of the RAF Regiments 2847 Squadron B Flight, based at Skitten near the crash site. He reeled off the names of his comrades and his Flying Officer leaders before telling me what he witnessed. Id just returned from leave, he recalled. We were put in lorries and taken up to the crash site. We were told, Find the bodies, bring them here. The site was a terrible mess the aircraft had totally disintegrated, smashed to bloody bits. There was one body thrown well away. He didnt seem very damaged but his eyes were hanging on his cheeks. In his left hand he still had a fan of playing cards Lexicon, I think and he was lying on his back. Hed been thrown a good 50 yards from the rest of the crash, landing on thick heather. It was the Duke of Kent, instantly recognisable in his flying suit. We got him back to where the main crash was, carrying him on a piece of metal from the wreckage. Then we continued with the search. There was a strong smell of scent in the air and suddenly I saw ladies clothes lying about and a jewel case. Then I saw this body, badly damaged with one leg nearly severed. I thought, thats not a man, and, to make certain, I opened up the front of her clothes and there were a womans breasts. I shouted to my sergeant Woman! and he told me to cover her up quick and get her away, which we did. Then the sergeant ordered, What youve seen here, you speak about to nobody. During the war, it was forbidden for women to fly on operational missions. It would be unlikely given their precious and important Royal cargo that any crew member would have smuggled a girlfriend aboard the plane. Therefore, if there was a woman aboard, she had to be there at the invitation of the Duke. Given his well-documented track record of serial infidelity, that would come as no great surprise. Was the Duke at the controls? Was he drunk? Was the plane shot down by one of our own? On the evening of the tragedy, the Kings punctilious private secretary, Sir Alan Tommy Lascelles, noted the loss of the Duke of Kent in his diary, adding, There were 16 people in the aeroplane. Yet only 15 have been officially accounted for the Duke plus 13 RAF dead, and the one survivor, rear-gunner Flight Sergeant Andy Jack. Who was the 16th? In 2003, Andy Jacks niece, Margaret Harris, broke the eerie silence over the Dukes death. She recalled that her uncle, badly burned, was taken to hospital where the first person to visit him was a senior officer who ordered him to sign the Official Secrets Act. Later, Jack was promoted to officer status. After that, until his death in 1978, he never spoke of the circumstances surrounding the crash, but his niece revealed that he had told her father Jacks brother he could no longer keep the secret from the family. A mysterious extra person was on the plane, she said, without specifying the extra passengers gender. If it was a woman, who could it have been and why did nobody declare her missing? As I pursued my researches, I spoke to the now-dead Earl of Dudley, whose family had been close to the Royals for two generations and in whose home Prince George and his wife Princess Marina spent part of their honeymoon. He spoke freely of Prince Georges love of women and, in particular of one inamorata, the American jazz pianist Edythe dErlanger. Lord Dudley described one occasion, in late 1941, when the Prince leant over the piano and whispered in her ear as she played at her London flat. She had eyes only for the Prince, he said. But it wasnt Edythe dErlanger in the plane. She survived the war and died in 1971. Who, then, could it have been and why was the womans death never reported? Why did her family not come forward? The only conclusion to be drawn if Arthur Bakers testimony about finding a womans body among the wreckage is to be believed is that the same figure who silenced Andy Jack visited the dead womans family and put to them the undeniable fact that she had broken the law, compromised a military operation and, by accepting a lift in the flying boat, had brought shame upon their family and, incidentally, the Royal Family, too. Georgies elegant wife Marina (pictured together), granddaughter of the king of Greece, had borne him two sons and a daughter and many favoured a male line of succession which Bertie could not provide That, in a high-born aristocratic family and Georgie didnt bed any other kind might just be enough to silence them. A number of unanswered questions hang in the air to this day. The crash occurred at about 1.40pm, yet the Dukes brother, King George VI, holidaying not far away at Balmoral, was not informed until around 8.30pm, when a courtier interrupted a family dinner to break the news. Why was the tragedy kept from him? Was it because senior officers needed time to decide what to do with the extra person? Three weeks later, the King visited Eagles Rock to inspect the hillside. All evidence of the accident had been removed, with heather replanted and turf relaid to expunge the horrors of that day. It is the only example I could find during the whole of the Second World War where such remedial action occurred after an aircraft crash. Why was it done? I have spoken with the families of two others killed in the crash. Arielle Eweson was married to Michael Strutt, the Princes equerry at the time and another of the fatalities. Does the Queen wonder what happened or does she know? She said: Somebody rang me up and told me point-blank my husband was dead. And that was it I never learned any more. I was never told about the findings of the inquiry. No effort was made, no explanation offered as to what happened. After the war, Allan Goyen, brother of the pilot, Frank Goyen, made it his first duty to travel to England from his home in Australia to talk to the sole crash survivor, Andy Jack. But Jack dodged his questions and stuck to a number of part-recollections. Why was he so evasive? The cover-up was complete. And repeated requests to government and military departments by researchers, biographers and journalists since 1945 have failed to establish why such a determined news blackout was put in place, apparently to protect the reputation of the most famous casualty of the Second World War. Having written about royalty for much of my professional life, I considered writing a book about what I knew, but the story is so fantastic that a mere biography could not do it justice. So, adding my own belief of what actually happened, Ive turned it into a novel, Burying The Crown, written under my fiction name TP Fielden. Today, who knows the truth about the death of the Duke? Georgie Kent had three children Prince Michael of Kent, the present Duke of Kent, 85, and Princess Alexandra, 84. If they know, theyre not saying. And the Queen? When she thinks back to that summer day at Windsor when, as a 16-year old, she said goodbye to her uncle for the last time, does she ever wonder what really happened? Or does she know? The hospitalized wife of Haiti's assassinated President Jovenel Moise gave her first public statement Saturday since being wounded in the attack that killed him, accusing enemies of wanting 'to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology'. Martine Moise issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Florida hospital where she was being treated for wounds suffered in the attack early Wednesday. 'I'm alive, thanks to God,' she said in the recording, which also played on local radio stations. 'But I love my husband Jovenel. We fought together for more than 25 years. 'During all these years, love radiated within the home. But suddenly, the mercenaries came and pelted my husband with bullets.' Martine Moise (seen with her husband, President Jovenel Moise) issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Miami hospital where she was being treated for her wounds Turning to the assassins who murdered her husband, the former first lady said: 'You have to be a notorious criminal without guts to assassinate a president like Jovenel Moise with impunity without giving him the chance to speak. You knew who the president was fighting against. 'These people hired mercenaries to kill the president and his family because of the projects of roads, electricity, drinking water supply, organization of the referendum and elections. 'The mercenaries who assassinated the president are currently behind bars, but other mercenaries currently want to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology.' Moise continues to recover after her thigh and abdomen were seriously-wounded in the shooting. She was also shot in her arms and thigh. The first lady was so badly injured in the attack that she was flown by private jet to Fort Lauderdale in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, and admitted to the beach resort's Jackson Memorial Hospital, in a critical condition. Her health has since improved. She spoke hours after it emerged that the leader of Haiti's opposition hired a Washington DC lobbyist two days before President Moise was assassinated - and that he is now due to be questioned by cops over his murder. Pierre Reginald Boulos signed up Art Estopinan, a former chief of staff to former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), to push his interests on Capitol Hill on Monday - some 48 hours before the hitman was killed by hitmen during a dawn raid on his house. Boulos - leader of the MTVAyiti party - is a controversial figure who, in the aftermath of a 2004 coup, oversaw the import of weapons into the country so they could be distributed to the Haitian National Police, according to a 2005 US diplomatic cable exposed by WikiLeaks. 'I'm alive, thanks to God,' she said in the recording, which also played on local radio stations. Pictured is a police officer watching over a compound were the suspected assassins were being held Saturday This was reportedly part of an attempt to clamp down on resistance fighters opposed to the de facto US-backed government, and was justified at the time as an attempt to clamp down on street violence. However, it provoked an outcry and accusations that the island's elite were trying to form a 'private army'. Boulos later sat on the board of former President Bill Clinton's Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), which controls the spending of billions donated to rebuild Haiti after the January 12, 2010, quake, the National reported. The businessman was angry at Moise's decision to stay on as president past February 7, which they insisted was the end of his term. However, he has strongly denied any role in the killing, which has left the country on the brink of civil war. 'We condemn the killing strongly, very strongly,' he told Politico. 'It's a sad time for Haiti. It's a dark day for Haiti.' He will be asked to meet with prosecutors next week, along with Senate President Youri Latortue, who was described by former US ambassador Janet Sanderson as 'one of the most brazenly corrupt of leading Haitian politicians' in a leaked 2016 cable. My parents, John and Barbara Stonehouse, celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary at their favourite restaurant in London on the evening of November 13, 1974. My handsome, generous and brilliant father had seemed in good spirits that night, and my mother was relieved. Just a few days beforehand he'd phoned her from America and said something that had troubled her. 'I can't take it any more,' he'd told her. At the time she thought he meant he couldn't take any more of the stress of endlessly travelling the globe trying to set up business deals. Only later would she find out that 'it' meant his whole life. As she sat across the restaurant table from him that evening, my mother had no idea that this would be their last ever anniversary dinner together. Six days later, on November 19, my father flew to Miami. He was travelling with Jim Charlton, the deputy chairman of his trade and export company, Global Imex. My mother hoped Jim's presence would help her husband maintain his emotional equilibrium. She was wrong. The following evening, John Stonehouse, Labour MP and privy counsellor, walked from his hotel to the beach in Miami, left his clothes with the beach cabana attendant and effectively vanished off the face of the Earth. John (pictured in the 1970s) and Barbara Stonehouse, celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary at their favourite restaurant in London on the evening of November 13, 1974 It was no secret that my then 49-year-old father had been under intense emotional pressure in the years before his dramatic disappearance. His problems had begun in 1969, when he was accused by a defector from the Czech secret service of being a spy, because of his constituency and ministerial links with the country. Although never proved, the accusations threw a dark cloak of suspicion round him. They also cost him his political career a year later. When Labour lost the General Election in 1970, he was not offered a Shadow Cabinet job, nor a place in Harold Wilson's government during the hung parliament in 1974. John Stonehouse was in the political cold. Financial worries, too, were piling up. A committed supporter of developing nations, he had in 1971 helped set up the Bangladesh Fund a way of allowing Bengali citizens living in the UK to support their government in exile. In January 1972, more than 400,000 was presented to the president of Bangladesh. But shortly afterwards, rumours began swirling that the fund had once topped 1 million, and that approximately 600,000 was missing. The finger of suspicion was pointed at my father. Again, the rumours were utterly unfounded. But they would cast aspersions on his integrity for the rest of his life. Nearer to home, my father was sailing close to the wind with his own export businesses. At the time of his disappearance he owed at least 75,000 (the equivalent of 800,000 today). He had kept from my mother the extent of his money worries. He'd also concealed from her the fact that for five years he'd been having an affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley, who at 28 was more than two decades younger than him. His life was spiralling out of control, and to help cope he was using prescription drugs. My father's bathroom cabinet was full of bottles of Mandrax, a drug then widely prescribed for insomnia and anxiety but now banned for more than 30 years because of its negative impact on mental health. Its side effects include depression, anxiety, paranoia, mental confusion, poor decision-making and an increased risk of suicide. Taken with alcohol, it can be fatal. He was also a regular user of Mogadon, a benzodiazepine whose recognised side effects include depression, impairment of judgment, delusions and schizophrenia. For two years before his disappearance he was self-medicating on a cocktail of the two, essentially without any form of supervision. Nobody had any inkling of his dependence on these drugs. In those days, doctors carried around small green prescription pads, and when my father saw an MP who was also a GP walking down a corridor in the House of Commons, he'd get a prescription from them as well as his own doctor. My mother had no idea it would be their last ever anniversary dinner. Six days later, my father flew to Miami. Pictured: John and Barbara with their children, including Julia (left), in 1965 With each setback in his life, each anxiety attack or bout of depression, he popped another Mandrax or Mogadon into his mouth, becoming ever more paranoid in the process. By the middle of 1974, he had decided he had had enough. He remembered that in Frederick Forsyth's book The Day Of The Jackal, another identity could be obtained by presenting a birth certificate to the Passport Office. He imagined himself escaping the world of John Stonehouse and becoming someone else someone without all these difficulties. It was an enticing fantasy and, drugged into craziness by 18 months of overdosing on Mandrax and Mogadon, he set about making it a reality. In early July 1974, my father phoned a hospital in his constituency of Walsall, telling them he had money to distribute to young widows and asking if they could give him the names of men who had recently died. After satisfying themselves that he was, in fact, John Stonehouse MP, the hospital gave him about five names. A week or so later, my father visited a Mrs Mildoon, the widow of a man named Donald Clive Mildoon, at her newsagent's shop in Walsall Road, Wednesbury, introducing himself as John Stonehouse MP and saying he'd read of her husband's death in the newspapers. He said he was contacting her because he had a motion going through the Commons about the children of one-parent families, and explained that he had some questions to ask her about her husband. He also visited a Mrs Markham, widow of Joseph Markham. Without saying what his occupation was, he told her he was carrying out a survey of widows' pensions and their taxes. My father would later acquire copies of birth certificates for both Clive Mildoon and Joseph Markham, and falsely obtain one passport in the name of Markham. On Christmas Eve that year, Mrs Mildoon read on the front page of her local paper that John Stonehouse had been found in Australia using the name Clive Mildoon. It must have been a terrible shock to her, and to Mrs Markham, to find their husbands' names being used in this way. Throughout everything that's happened with my family, over all the years, this is the one thing we find so terrible. On behalf of my father, I apologise to the Markham and Mildoon families and hope they can accept that this bizarre behaviour was only brought about by terrible stress and the effects of mind-twisting prescribed drugs. It's unbelievable to us, the family, that my father should do something as cold-hearted as having a conversation with two widows with a view to adopting their husbands' names. It's so out of character for the John Stonehouse we knew. My father was a very kind man. We can only attribute it to madness, one symptom of which is that the person does mad things. Nobody had any idea of the degree of my father's mental collapse. Inside his head he was silently exploding. And now escape was beckoning, enticing him towards a new existence free of financial, political and emotional stress and perhaps, above all, the pain of being called a traitor to the country he'd worked so hard for all his life. On July 22, my father opened a deposit account at a branch of the Midland Bank near Parliament in the name of Markham, giving a false address. In the next few weeks he set up a large number of additional accounts, including one with the Bank of New South Wales in the City of London, telling them he was considering emigrating to Australia, and another in Zurich. For months he went round London alone, pretending to be Mr Markham or Mr Mildoon: into numerous banks, embassies and government agencies as he prepared for a new life in Australia. Many times he'd respond to the call of his false name and go to various desks to collect the new paperwork. He could have been recognised as John Stonehouse MP at any time. But people believed his new personas, and he began to enjoy the feeling. They were responding to him as an ordinary person, rather than as a politician. He could walk down the street, go for a meal and conduct business without people having any opinion, good or bad, about him. Being Mr Markham or Mr Mildoon was a safety valve, a release, a life-saver. The more those people became real to him, the more Mr Stonehouse yearned to be one of them. 'I could see it all clearly,' he later wrote. 'Stonehouse must definitely die.' It was no secret that my father had been under emotional pressure in the years before his disappearance. He had kept from my mother (pictured) the extent of his money worries But on other occasions the conflict between his various personas left him emotionally exhausted. 'I screamed at the reflection in the mirror. 'Why do you do this to me?' ' he wrote. 'But who was screaming was it Stonehouse or was it Markham? The struggle between the two was tearing me to pieces.' What had begun as a mad escape fantasy was becoming a disturbing reality. Our first thought when we heard the shattering news of his disappearance was my father had gone swimming far out from the shore in Miami and had either had a bad case of cramp or a heart attack, or had even been eaten by sharks. The phone call from my father on his earlier US trip saying he 'couldn't take it any more' led my mother to wonder if he'd had a breakdown or killed himself or both. None of the options was good, but as a huge police and coastguard search went on in Florida, we still clung on to hope. On November 22 my older sister Jane wrote in her diary: 'I just hope they never find his body, then I can imagine him starting a new life.' Little did she know that this was exactly what he'd planned to do. At the beginning of December, my mother Barbara had a call from a newspaper reporter asking about a flat my father rented at Petty France, Westminster. She didn't know anything about it. They said a girl lived there, and read out some names. One was Sheila Buckley, my father's secretary somebody we had known well for years. After three days on the phone trying to track her down, my mother finally caught up with Sheila and they arranged to meet. Barbara asked if she'd been having an affair with my father and Sheila broke down in sobs, saying 'Oh dear, oh dear' over and over again with mascara running down her cheeks. My mother told Sheila he'd had several affairs but always came back to her, adding: 'If he reappears, you're welcome to him. Then you'll find out how painful it is to live with an unfaithful man.' Sheila told my mother she'd been his mistress for a long time, that he loved her and that he waited on her hand and foot. My mother drove Sheila to an Underground station and, when they pulled over, Sheila said: 'You may as well know it all. I think I'm going to have his baby.' My mother felt sick. But she told Sheila: 'If John does turn up and you've got rid of it, it will make him very upset. He loves children.' Sheila left the car. What she hadn't told my mother was that she knew my father was alive, and that he knew she thought she was pregnant because she'd just spent the weekend with him in Copenhagen. While the Florida coastguards were looking for John Stonehouse or his body, 'Mr Markham' was on a non-stop flight from Miami to San Francisco. He caught a taxi into the city and asked the driver to take him to a good hotel. They arrived at the vast and magnificent Fairmont, high on a hill overlooking the city. He asked for a single room, but they didn't have one so accommodated him for the same price in their best suite, the largest my father had ever seen. It seemed as if luck was on Mr Markham's side. The next day he flew to Honolulu, from where he phoned Sheila in London. During my father's trial at the Old Bailey the following year, Sheila described how she had been completely bowled over to receive the call. He was utterly distraught and incoherent, she said. She thought he sounded suicidal. Sheila asked whether she should let the family know he was alive, and he'd said 'no'. She thought it would be dangerous to go against his wishes because of the chance he might attempt suicide. Three days later my father phoned again. Sheila said the calls were difficult to follow because he was speaking about himself in the third person, telling her that 'John' had to get away from the pressures in England. At no time did he use 'I', just 'he' or 'him'. He seemed very confused as to who he was, she said. On November 25, Mr Markham set out on his biggest challenge getting to Australia and having his migrant status accepted. It turned out to be easier than he expected. At Melbourne Airport he showed the documentation proving he didn't have tuberculosis. The immigration officer stamped his passport with a big round print saying 'Permitted to Enter', and said: 'You are one of us, now.' My father booked into an expensive hotel and that afternoon and the following day made several visits to two banks, withdrawing and depositing large sums of money using the names of both Markham and Mildoon. Unsurprisingly, this erratic activity aroused suspicion. Sharp-eyed officials had spotted him coming and going and made a note that he should be treated with extreme caution. He'd concealed the fact that for five years he'd been having an affair with his secretary, Sheila Buckley (pictured), who at 28 was more than two decades younger than him Through his own careless behaviour he had managed to raise the alarm within only 48 hours of his arrival. The banking community of Melbourne would ensure that the next time he turned up, he would be under police surveillance. Oblivious to all this, Mr Markham bought a ticket to Copenhagen. He arrived there on November 29 and wandered the streets for several days looking for British newspapers to find out what was going on back home. The reports were to give him no peace of mind. 'From the newspaper accounts it was evident that some people and certain sections of the press themselves were not only dancing on the grave of the missing man, they were trying to dig up the corpse to tear it limb from limb,' he would later write. Early on the morning of Wednesday, December 4, he phoned Sheila. 'Why won't they let him die?' he lamented. He told her he wanted to see her. Two days later, while my mother was trying to contact her, Sheila arrived at Copenhagen airport to find my father sitting in the arrivals lounge looking pale, thin and nervous. He was not wearing any kind of disguise. Given that there were plenty of British passengers on Sheila's flight, and that his face was plastered all over the newspapers, it was a miracle that nobody recognised him. Over the next two days he told Sheila that he planned to settle in Australia. He asked her to write to him at the Bank of New Zealand under one of his new identities. 'It was then that he told me he was also Mr Mildoon, which had the result of leaving me totally confused,' Sheila would later tell the Old Bailey. Two days after arriving in Denmark, Sheila flew back to London and my father set off for Australia again. I've lost count of the number of flights he took between November 20 and December 10. My father was a trained RAF pilot. He'd been a Minister of Aviation, worked on the development of Concorde and even negotiated the sales of the engines powering the very planes he was flying around in. He knew pilots, airport staff and airline executives. Anybody on any of his numerous flights could have recognised him. Moreover, he'd already made basic, stupid mistakes in Australia. This wasn't the behaviour of an arch criminal. He simply wasn't thinking straight. Back in Melbourne on December 11, there was more crazy banking for my father to do. He now had seven accounts at four banks. For him, a new uncluttered life seemed within reach. But the net was closing in. Unknown to him, eight police officers were taking it in turns to follow him, and intercepting his letters from Sheila. They were also keeping the flat he had begun renting under constant surveillance. 'We thought we might have a big, international criminal on our hands,' said one senior officer later. 'At one stage, we thought it might have been Lord Lucan.' Lucan was the other big character the world was looking for at the time, having gone missing in the same month as my father after allegedly killing his children's nanny. He has never been found. On the morning of Christmas Eve, my father went to a bank then ran to catch a waiting train. He didn't know it, but his luck had run out. Once on board, he was approached by three policemen, who ushered him off it and into the deserted booking hall. 'Are you Mr Markham?' they asked him. My father said nothing. He was in total shock. The three policemen stood over him, holding back his arms. 'Don't worry,' said one of them, 'it's all over.' Later that afternoon my father was allowed to make a call to my mother. He asked her to come to Melbourne, and to bring Sheila with her. The policeman had been wrong. It wasn't 'all over'. In many ways it was just beginning. John Stonehouse, My Father: The True Story Of The Runaway MP, by Julia Stonehouse, is published by Icon on July 19 at 16.99. To pre-order a copy for 14.44, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193 before July 25. Free UK delivery on orders over 20. A report that says the traveller community plays a significant role in rural crime has been delayed over fears of a woke backlash, it was claimed last night. The National Rural Crime Network (NRCN) made up of 32 crime commissioners and their forces ordered the research into serious and organised crime in the countryside and found the traveller community featured prominently in offences such as hare coursing, fly-tipping, farm vehicle theft and poaching. The study was due for release last October, but the organisations bosses ruled it should be delayed so more evidence could be gathered. The traveller community featured prominently in offences such as hare coursing, fly-tipping, farm vehicle theft and poaching, according to the report Conservative MP Peter Bone said: 'People feel there is one set of rules for us, and one set of rules for travellers. Lets have the report out and lets have the arguments. A police source said: The report has been hugely delayed as there were real concerns at the fall-out because it found travellers played a big part in rural crime. Theyre terrified the woke brigade will jump down their throats, so they asked for more supporting evidence to ensure against that. 'But every month delayed is another month we delay having this out in the open and a proper debate about how we help rural communities who feel under siege. The report is now due for release this summer, but it is unclear whether it will include the original conclusions. Last night, Conservative MP Peter Bone said: Weve had problems in the past when police forces have gone soft on certain sections of the community and, as a result, finding out terrible crimes have been carried out. 'People feel there is one set of rules for us, and one set of rules for travellers. Lets have the report out and lets have the arguments. Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore, the NRCNs new chairman, said Covid had created difficulties collecting evidence, but that he did not want to see a protracted delay. Last night, the Friends, Families and Travellers charity said it would await the final NRCN report before commenting He added: There are some sensitivities in the report but these reports have to be used otherwise there is no point doing it. The sensitivity here is that you dont want to label all travellers as difficult people to deal with, because theyre not. But sadly there are, as there are in many other groups of society, organised crime groups who do get involved. The broadcast regulator Ofcom received about 900 complaints last May after a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary claimed crime rates were higher near traveller sites. Last night, the Friends, Families and Travellers charity said it would await the final NRCN report before commenting. Disturbing surveillance camera footage captured the moment a New York City Subway passenger attacked a woman on a station platform by grabbing her hair. NYPD are searching for a man who assaulted a woman in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights at around 1:45am on May 30 in yet another act of transit violence that has been plaguing the city in recent months. The suspect, named as Manuel Gonzalez, allegedly began arguing with the 41-year-old woman before the assault at the Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue station, according to the department. He is said to have known his victim, although investigators have not disclosed any further details of the relationship between the two. Authorities say the 5-foot-8, 160-pound Gonzalez then grabbed the woman's hair before pulling her to the ground with it, where he began choking her and punching her. A Good Samaritan at the scene ultimately rescued the woman from her attacker, with Gonzalez then said to have jumped on a southbound F-bound train, before fleeing. NYPD are searching for a man who assaulted a woman in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights at around 1:45 am on May 30 Manuel Gonzalez (pictured in hat) began arguing with the 41-year-old woman before the assault at the Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue station The woman was taken to an area hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and later released, according to the NYPD. Police, who released images and video of the vicious assault, are now asking for the public's assistance in locating Gonzalez. Cops describe Gonzalez as between 30 and 35-years old, with a medium build. He was last seen with a beard and closely-cropped brownish hair, along with a blue hate, blue hoodie sweatshirt and black jeans. The attack is one of many that have recently taken place in the city's subway and transit system. In March alone, there were 309 police reports made over subway-related crimes, ranging from felony assaults to sex crimes, according to an NYPD complaint report. Another 46 separate crimes were reported that occurred on a bus. A month prior, there were 246 transit crimes were reported to police in February, with another 39 crimes having occurred on a bus. Police released photos and video of Gonzalez, who they say knew the victim, but would not further explain the nature of their relationship Disturbing examples of these attacks have hit the headlines in recent months. On June 18, a man was slashed on the head in a busy Times Square subway station during the evening rush hour, before the suspect fled in another brazen case of transit violence. The 35-year-old victim in that case was waiting for a 1/2/3 train just before 7pm before the brazen attack in the Big Apple's busiest station, according to the New York Post. That slashing came after another man was stabbed five times on a platform at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station on June 16, after he tried to break up a fight between a man and a woman. On June 14, an unidentified man attacked two people with a rock after an argument became physical on a Brooklyn-bound subway. One of the victims was rushed to the hospital with bruising to the head and knee, and the other victim was treated at the scene, according to police. And in May, another woman was attacked in an unprovoked stabbing on the subway before a passing journalist jumped in to save her. In that attack at Union Square station on Wednesday 19th May, 54-year-old Kelli Daley was jumped by a man identified as 22-year-old Joshua Nazario. Police said Nazario slashed Daley across her left shoulder, collarbone, and upper chest while she was waiting on the southbound N, Q, R platform for the train around 10.10pm. The NYC's metro regions transit agencies received $5.6 billion in funding back in January near the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after a federal relief bill was approved, however most of that money went to securing transit employee employment in the face of mass layoffs and cutbacks, according to AMNY. The MTA also acquired another $2.9 billion in a loan taken from the Federal Reserve to help prevent such cutbacks. New York transit bosses hope subway crime will fall as people return to the network post-COVID, with busier platforms and cars acting as a natural deterrent to would-be criminals. Safety advocates say more police are also needed to solve the ongoing issue. Dozens of Britains biggest supermarkets, restaurants and food manufacturers have pledged to slash their food waste by 30 per cent as part of a landmark environmental agreement, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. In a major boost for this newspapers War On Food Waste campaign, 47 of the countrys leading food companies have vowed to ramp up their own efforts. They have signed an agreement to help remove an astonishing 580,000 tons of food waste from the retail, manufacturing and hospitality industries over the next nine years. This giant reduction is vital for the UK to hit a key United Nations emissions target by 2030. Food waste currently accounts for around a fifth of Britains carbon footprint. Details of the so-called Courtauld Commitment 2030 which is also expected to include ambitious new greenhouse gas and water targets are due to be announced in the coming weeks. Dozens of Britains biggest supermarkets, restaurants and food manufacturers have pledged to slash their food waste by 30 per cent as part of a landmark environmental agreement. Picture: Stock More businesses are expected to sign up once it is launched. The British food industry wastes 2.9 million tons of food every year, accounting for almost a third of the total UK food waste and The Mail on Sunday has called on every business from farm to fork to play its part in reducing this figure. Our campaign is also calling on households to slash their own food waste by 30 per cent or one kilo a week on average to help reach Britains 2030 emissions target. This would have the same environmental impact as taking two million cars off the road. Under the new Courtauld pledge, every major British supermarket has now agreed to help slash food waste in the retail sector, excluding inedible parts, by 29 per cent equal to 80,000 tons. Conglomerates such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Associated British Foods and Nestle have agreed to help cut their sectors food waste by 26 per cent, saving 200,000 tons. And hospitality giants including McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC have pledged to help cut food waste by 37 per cent, or a total of 300,000 tons, across their sector. Across the UKs three main food sectors, the total reduction is just over 30 per cent. Hospitality giants including McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC have pledged to help cut food waste by 37 per cent, or a total of 300,000 tons, across their sector. Picture: Stock Businesses signed up to the Courtauld Commitment pledge to measure their food surplus and waste and report these figures publicly a key demand of our campaign. The commitment also asks retailers and other companies to review the date labels and storage advice on products to ensure less food goes in household bins. An MoS investigation last month revealed that major supermarkets routinely fail to follow official guidelines such as the unnecessary use of best before labels on uncut fruit and vegetables leading to 900 million of extra waste. Supermarkets are also being asked to help shoppers buy the right size packs of vegetables, meat and dairy goods. Our campaign is calling for an end to rip-off prices for small pack sizes. Businesses are also pledging to boost the amount of surplus food redistributed to charities and for animal feed. A spokesman for Sainsburys said: We see this as an important opportunity to collaborate with the industry, making the food and drink system more sustainable. Conglomerates such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Associated British Foods and Nestle have agreed to help cut their sectors food waste by 26 per cent, saving 200,000 tons. Picture: Stock Andrew Griffiths, of Nestle, said: Food waste is a critical issue, both in terms of its environmental and social impact. The new ambition in Courtauld 2030 provides clarity on the scale of action required. Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco, said: We know that what gets measured gets managed, so we urge all retailers and suppliers to disclose their levels of waste so we can tackle this issue together in an open and transparent way. The original Courtauld Commitment was established in 2015 by the food charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) as a voluntary agreement. It aimed to reduce per capita waste by 20 per cent across the entire food system by 2025. According to a Wrap progress report, UK food waste fell seven per cent between 2015 and 2018. The 2030 commitment asks firms to cut another 31 per cent off the total edible food they waste. Norwegian Anders Breivik, now 42, has sent 20 letters to filmmakers begging them to re-tell his story on screen A mass murderer who killed 77 people has been trying to sell the rights to a film and book about his life for 7million. Norwegian Anders Breivik, now 42, has sent 20 letters to filmmakers begging them to re-tell his story on screen as well as posting invites to be interviewed in prison, according to The Sun on Sunday. It said the killer, who is serving 21 years, penned his own film script and a biography before valuing the material at 7million ($10million). A source told the publication: 'Breivik's bid for fame, money and freedom is an insult to his victims and their families. 'So too is the prison life he lives. Breivik lives a life of Riley in prison. He's never said sorry for his wicked crimes and he has no plans to. 'He still wants to inspire others and he still believes in a fascist revolution. His plans to make money from the murders is an utter insult to his victims and their families.' Breivik, who has changed his name to Fjotolf Hansen, penned his works from his three-room 'cell' in Skien prison. It is complete with a study, gym and kitchen which allows him access to video games, a TV and exercise. In 2018, he lost his legal claim that his near-isolation in prison violated a ban on inhuman or degrading treatment and runs contrary to a right to privacy and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights. The anti-Muslim far-right extremist, who is thought to be making a fresh bid for parole, killed 77 people in Norway's worst peacetime atrocity in July 2011 Dressed in a police uniform, Breivik then drove to the island of Utoya, about 25 miles away, where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing Oslo district court agreed with him in a 2016 ruling but it was overturned by an appeals court in March 2017. Norway's Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in the case. Norway said at the time that draconian measures, including hundreds of strip searches and no contact with other inmates, are justified for the unrepentant far-right extremist who could be attacked by other prisoners. The anti-Muslim far-right extremist, who is thought to be making a fresh bid for parole, killed 77 people in Norway's worst peacetime atrocity in July 2011. He killed eight people and wounding dozens of others after setting off a car bomb outside the government headquarters in Oslo. Dressed in a police uniform, Breivik then drove to the island of Utoya, about 25 miles away, where he opened fire on the annual summer camp of the left-wing Labour Party's youth wing. Breivik, who has changed his name to Fjotolf Hansen, penned his works from his three-room 'cell' in Skien prison (pictured) Sixty-nine people there were killed, most of them teenagers, before he surrendered to police. His youngest victim was just 14 years old. At the time of the attacks, Breivik claimed to be the commander of a secret Christian military order plotting an anti-Muslim revolution in Europe but later described himself as a traditional neo-Nazi who prays to the Viking god Odin. Criminals are forbidden from profiting from their crimes after conviction in many countries - including the UK - but Breivik believes Norway's liberalism will present him with the opportunity to do so. In a text message, one manager said they should 'pause' it to avoid being notified London-based brewery's advice is due to concerns staff will have to self-isolate Fuller's brewery has advised staff to delete the NHS Covid app and come to work A pub chain has advised staff to delete the NHS Covid app over concerns they will be pinged and forced to self-isolate. In a text message, a manager at London-based Fuller's brewery, which operates more than 380 pubs, said they should 'pause or delete the app to avoid being pinged to isolate'. The message reminded them that 'there is no legal requirement to isolate' but added: 'If you are contacted by NHS Track and Trace you MUST by law comply and isolate.' In a text message, a manager at London-based Fuller's brewery, which operates more than 380 pubs, said they should 'pause or delete the app to avoid being pinged to isolate' (file photo) The Government plans to 'tweak' the app, which alerts people when they have been in contact with someone with Covid. A Fuller's spokesman said: 'We have shared guidance provided by our trade association, UK Hospitality, regarding the NHS app and the confirmation that notifications are advisory only. 'This guidance also recommends that team members turn off contact tracing at work or when phones are in lockers. We have not told anyone to delete the app.' On April 18, 1775, the great American patriot Paul Revere rode through the night to deliver his countrymen a simple warning: The British are coming! The British are coming! Today, as an American pollster returning to spend time in the UK after several years, I bring you an equally urgent warning: Woke is coming! Over the past decade we in America have seen two destructive forces creep up and poison our democracy, our society and even our economy: populism on the Right, and Wokeism on the Left. The rise of populism has shredded the political fabric of the country. The rise of Wokeism is undermining the principles of economic freedom and meritocracy. And thanks to social media, these forces know no borders, seas or oceans. Faith in democracy itself is at an all-time low. We all know about the damage done by populism. Even today, about half of Republicans a quarter of Americans continue to believe Donald Trump is the legitimate President. They are objectively incorrect but they believe they are right and righteous. And that makes them dangerous. But less well-known and potentially even more damaging is Wokeism. The rise of populism has shredded the political fabric of the country. The rise of Wokeism is undermining the principles of economic freedom and meritocracy. Pictured: The statue of Winston Churchill defaced, with the words (Churchill) 'was a racist' written on it in June To put numbers behind the terminology, 38 per cent of the UK population doesnt know what Woke means. Just over a third, 34 per cent, know nothing about cancel culture. And if the remaining two-thirds of the population have heard of it, many think its about toppling statues or choosing your pronouns. Some of the elite in this country claim Woke doesnt actually exist, or that its just like any other pressure group, or that it is purely a political movement for electoral gain. There is some legitimacy to each assertion. Yet Woke really is here. Like an as-yet-undiscovered tumour, slowly but steadily metastasising as it did in my own country. It is like coronavirus, impacting different people in different ways and theres no known antidote. And as a pollster, my job isnt just to measure the present. Its to see the future with clear eyes and then inform and enable people to control it. At its core, Woke is an ideology that classifies us into tribes and disrespects our individuality. It judges us not by our actions but by our appearance, seeking to create the perception that our history, our economy, and our society have been built on and are defined by exploitation, grievance and victimisation. It labels whole groups of people as co-conspirators in crimes committed generations or even centuries ago. Walking through London and observing the astonishing buildings some of them older than my entire country still fills me with reverence. But through the eyes of the Woke community, one would never see the majestic beauty of British architecture or the staggering accomplishments of your society. They bury their heads in shame, convinced by the premise that these buildings exist only because of the wealth stolen from other countries through imperialism and greed. In their view, the founding sin of America was slavery. Yours was the British Empire. That may seem like ancient history. Literally. But not to the Woke. To put numbers behind the terminology, 38 per cent of the UK population doesnt know what Woke means. Just over a third, 34 per cent, know nothing about cancel culture. Pictured: Police officers take the knee at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 There is real inequality in Britain and America today. We must be clear about that. Discrimination is still too common, a cancer that infects everyone and everything around. Ive seen with my own eyes what it does to the human condition. Where it is found, it must be eliminated. No exceptions. No excuses. For the past two months, Ive been conducting public opinion research in Britain to quantify precisely where the country stands. Our surveys and focus groups covered a range of topics, from politics to business, from society to culture, in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Studies, the think-tank co-founded by Margaret Thatcher. We had a simple mission: to listen to what all Britons truly think and feel not just the loud ones with their social-media-enabled megaphones and then report the information. We stayed clear of fear and negativity. Theres been enough of them already. We highlighted points of unity, though they are admittedly few. Prepare yourself Our polling found that when asked to choose between the statements The United Kingdom is a nation of equality and freedom and The United Kingdom is an institutionally racist and discriminatory nation, more than a third of the British public (37 per cent) say that this is a racist country. Similarly, if you ask whether British society gives people a fair chance to get ahead if they work hard and take responsibility, or is full of injustice and inequality that holds too many people back, 42 per cent (and 58 per cent of Labour voters) say the country is full of injustice and inequality. These are disturbing findings. Yes, the clear majority still believe that Britain is a good place. But many millions of Britons do not. BLM protesters toppled slave trader Edward Colstons statue into Bristol harbour in May 2020 (pictured) For the past two months, Ive been conducting public opinion research in Britain to quantify precisely where the country stands. Pictured: Protest in London in August 2020 Of course, some people will argue that Woke is a concern, but not the main concern. And in the short term, both sides are right. When British people go to bed at night, they dont lie awake worrying about the rise of cancel culture. If theyre thinking about politics at all, theyre thinking about the rising hospital waiting times, crime, or the rising cost of living that makes it difficult for some people to pay their bills. So why am I ringing the alarm bells? Why am I acting like Paul Revere in reverse? Because once you dive into our findings, an even more alarming picture emerges particularly when you break down the country by age, party and community. Britain, for example, is increasingly voting according to culture, not economics. The way to reach Conservative voters used to be through ideas such as entrepreneurship and wealth-creation. Now its about stability and security. Today, the way to reach Labour voters is to talk about (in)equality rather than economic opportunity. Its been said that Americans and Britons are two nations separated by a common language. In the same way, Britons are two peoples separated by uncommon priorities. Labour voters are much more likely to say that Britain is racist, unequal and generally broken. Unlike Tory voters, they believe that the political and economic system are stacked against them. Among those who think they know what Woke means, more Labour voters would say they are very or totally Woke than not, and more would say they are proud to be Woke than reject it as divisive the opposite of the public as a whole. But the most alarming finding is when you break down the country by age. The people who told us that Britain is institutionally racist and discriminatory were overwhelmingly the young. As a pollster, my job isnt just to measure the present. Its to see the future with clear eyes and then inform and enable people to control it. Pictured: Frank Luntz with former US President Donald Trump Among those aged 18 to 29, 57 per cent felt that way 20 points higher than any other age group. They are also by far the most likely age cohort to describe themselves as Woke. They see the world around them entirely differently from those who are older, and that makes inter-generational co-operation very difficult. While a majority of the public believes that white privilege exists, the young are the only group who agree that it must be addressed directly with specific education, training, and public policy, and that white people need to understand that their whole lives have been easier because of the colour of their skin, rather than that our focus should be on the people who need help regardless of skin colour. As if that wasnt enough, heres something truly troubling. Young people as a whole in this country are more likely to feel Britain is systematically racist than the non-white community who are actually experiencing the racism because thats what the young are being taught and told. One more time: racism and discrimination do exist. But if youre brought up to consider yourself a victim, you will be a victim. If youre raised to believe you have control over your life, you will have control. And if the people who have impact over how you think tell you again and again that your country is awful, eventually you will come to that conclusion yourself. This matters for two hugely important reasons. The first is to do with freedom of speech something as cherished in your country as it is in mine. The real problem I have with Woke culture is that it is just as intolerant as what it claims to oppose. It tells me that my voice should not be heard simply because they define me as being privileged in certain ways. That I can be dismissed, dehumanised. Delegitimised. Instead of lifting up those in need, it seeks to tear everyone else down. In Britain as a whole, we found that 28 per cent of people have stopped talking to someone, in person or online, because of something political they once said. But among 18 to 29s, that rises to 53 per cent, a majority. We are bringing up a generation that does not understand or appreciate that we have a duty to disagree. That the more certain you are in the virtue of your beliefs, the more necessary it is to listen to those who challenge them and to do so with mutual respect. And that its ultimately to their benefit. Iron sharpens iron. Social media has had a catastrophic impact in this regard. In Britain and America we are moving away from listening to news that informs us towards seeking news that affirms us towards talking only to those we already agree with while demonising those who dont. No wonder that the top worry for parents and grandparents is that children are too addicted to technology. They see the invasive, pervasive and values-shaping impact of screen time. Its not about the technology, its that they know the internet is doing more to shape their familys world view than they are themselves. And with that comes guilt, and worry. Wokeism doesnt just destroy friendships or the quality of debate, it also undermines respect for the past, faith in the future and a commitment to economic freedom for everyone. It says that you didnt succeed in life through hard work, effort and perseverance. That your company didnt succeed because it paid good wages and made good products. No, it succeeded because you exploited others, even if you didnt realise you were doing so and even if that exploitation took place decades or even centuries ago. With Woke and with populism alike, there is a greater emphasis on punishing the past than fortifying the future. Wokeism doesnt just destroy friendships or the quality of debate, it also undermines respect for the past, faith in the future and a commitment to economic freedom for everyone. Police guard Churchill's statue in April 2021 The US has seen a parade of companies writing seven-figure cheques to Black Lives Matter, abasing themselves before the warriors of Woke, in the hope of being spared. It doesnt work. It never did. It never will. In todays world, you can talk all you want about your corporate purpose or the charity donations. The Woke will still hate you. Its no longer about results or performance. Its about virtue signalling. The appearance of caring. One of the most striking findings in our survey is that people do not want to listen to businesses talking about how good they are, or giving us their views on political and social issues. The Woke PR staff at Ben & Jerrys may think that tweeting Home Secretary Priti Patel about immigration policy will get its customers on side. But no one else agrees. The British public does care about climate change and the environment, something on which uniquely among the countries Ive worked in both Left and Right agree. But that is where the consensus ends. What, you will ask, can you do about Woke? How can you and your Government ensure that Britain doesnt go the way of America? And there are two answers to that. The first is a bad one. Its to do what Donald Trump did. Turn everything into a culture war. Stoke up bitterness and division. Its a trench-warfare approach to politics that can yield short-term electoral gains but no long-term solutions. Ive seen where it leads. In America now, I cant even put Republicans and Democrats in the same focus group. Within a few minutes, someone will say: How can you say that? And five minutes later, its anarchy. You might not believe it but your country is different. It is better. It is civil. Ive done focus groups here with Labour and Tory voters and they disagree on many things. But theyre polite. They listen. They respond. You dont want to lose that. You cant. In a Twitter thread, Ben & Jerry's UK said that '"stronger" borders aren't the answer' and that 'people cannot be illegal' The other answer is something that emerged from our polling. When people talked about what was needed in Britains conversation about race, the words and phrases they used most were mutual respect, fairness, open-mindedness and tolerance. Those are essential British values that need to be taught to ensure they remain prized and cherished. That we are stronger together. That we can disagree passionately, and yet be better for it. And we also need to fix the economy: to share the genuine blessings of economic freedom with every citizen in every corner of the country. If anyone is held back or prevented from achieving their potential, the entire country suffers. Populism, Wokeism and grievance do best when people feel they are doing worst. If you dont think youve got the opportunity to build a better life, if you feel that the economy and political system are stacked against you, thats when youll be most vulnerable to disillusion, division and disunity. Its a perpetual downward spiral. So its truly bad news that by a huge margin of 61 to 20 per cent voters across the country agreed with the sentiment: When I look at the politicians and how they treat us, I just think f*** them all. Although the language is truly sordid, it elicits nodding heads across the country. Yet, however great the dangers facing Britain, your destiny is not determined. In his farewell address to the country, President Reagan described America as a shining city on a hill. It pains me to say this, but that shine is gone. Today, autocracies such as China and Russia point to America and claim democracy is dysfunctional. So this is my warning to you: dont let the shine come off Britain, too. For once its gone, that shine may never come back. Three peers banned from Lords bars for refusing to attend woke workshop By Anna Mikhailova Deputy Political Editor Three peers face being banned from using House of Lords bars and restaurants after refusing to take a controversial sexual harassment course. Former Tory party treasurer Lord Kalms, Lord James and Lord Willoughby will lose access to Lords facilities, and will be only allowed to communicate with staff by email, after refusing to take part in Valuing Everyone training. It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that Betty Boothroyd, who made history as the first and only female Commons Speaker, was one of 60 peers investigated for not completing the course. A row erupted over the decision to open the formal probe into Baroness Boothroyd, despite knowing that she had been recovering from open-heart surgery. After the public outcry, Lady Boothroyd was finally cleared of breaching the code due to exceptional circumstances. Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine called the training a shocking waste of taxpayer money after completing it to avoid punishment. It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that Betty Boothroyd (pictured in 2016), who made history as the first and only female Commons Speaker, was one of 60 peers investigated for not completing the course The Valuing Everyone two-hour session is run by a controversial consultancy firm that uses giant blue puppets in some of its courses. Challenge Consultancy has pocketed 885,354 for running the course across the Commons and Lords, a Parliament spokesman said. After being found in breach of the Lords code of conduct, the three peers will be banned from the Houses dining and banqueting facilities, the Lords Library and meeting rooms which they can usually book. They will only be able to communicate with Lords staff, including clerks and the Lord Speakers office, by email. The sanctions were approved by the Lord Conduct Committee, which is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Lord Mance. They will this month be debated in the Lords, which is expected to rubber stamp them. The peers will only get the access back if they agree to the training, which Lord James, 83, who previously advised George Osborne, argued is an infringement on freedom of speech. Hereditary peer Lord Willoughby, 82, said the training was misguided and amounted to virtue signalling. He told the committee: The idea that we should be trained to value everyone is wholly misguided. However much training I get, I will never value everyone; as an example, I will never be able to value murderous terrorists, however many re-education or self-criticism camps I am required to attend. A row erupted over the decision to open the formal probe into Baroness Boothroyd (pictured in 2019), despite knowing that she had been recovering from open-heart surgery Lord Stanley Kalms, 89, who ran electronics retailer Dixons, said: During that period I was at the forefront of female equal rights and pay well ahead of legalisation. He questioned the Lords powers to ban people on the basis of lack of training, adding: Does this mean the House could approve other embargoes, for instance no training in nuclear technology or not being able to read a balance sheet? Valuing Everyone, which is voluntary for MPs, was made compulsory in the Lords last year. Conservative MP Tom Hunt has previously said that peers should not be forced to do the course. Another MP criticised the training as woke consultancies trying to milk the public sector. In April the House of Commons spokesman said the total spend from Parliament on Challenge Consultancy to date was 885,354, which primarily covers Valuing Everyone training. Lords authorities insisted the training is informed by real examples of inappropriate behaviour by members that had previously typically gone unchallenged. Civil Servants Build Back Better With Lego Bricks: Anna Mikhailova The founders of the luxury fashion label that designed Meghan Markle's 56,000 engagement dress have been reported to the Serious Fraud Office over the collapse of the company, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Ralph & Russo's administrators last night confirmed they had alerted the SFO to allegations of financial wrongdoing, including claims that the company's pension pot was raided before it collapsed last March. The MoS last week revealed sensational court documents that claimed that Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo had been accused of plundering millions of pounds from the fashion house to bankroll their jet-set lifestyles. Ms Ralph has denied the allegations, calling them 'misconceived and demonstrably false'. She is yet to file her response with the court, but has confirmed she is defending the claim. The MoS last week revealed sensational court documents that claimed that Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo had been accused of plundering millions of pounds from the fashion house to bankroll their jet-set lifestyles The documents also included an extraordinary claim that, on Ms Ralph's watch, about 176,000 was 'appropriated and/or diverted from the company pension scheme' between October 2020 and March 2021. It was also claimed that when it collapsed, the firm owed the taxman 2.8 million after money was deducted from staff pay packets but not passed on to HMRC. In a statement to the MoS, the administrators said they had reported the case to both the SFO and the Pensions Regulator, which has its own prosecution powers. The revelation comes as a former employee hit out at the company, claiming that: Staff urged the company's human resources department to ask Ms Ralph to stop posting selfies of herself on private jets on Instagram as it was angering suppliers who were owed large sums in late payments; One Italian supplier was so furious at being owed money that he flew to the UK, arriving unannounced at the company's opulent London headquarters to demand immediate payment;lSalaries were paid late for at least five consecutive months. After its launch in 2010, Ralph & Russo enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of Britain's most celebrated luxury fashion houses. As well as Meghan Markle, its A-list clients included Angelina Jolie, Beyonce, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow. The label, however, was plunged into administration earlier this year, with debts of 23 million. Glamorous Ms Ralph, 39, blamed the pandemic, but the court documents allege that vast sums were raided from the firm. Mr Russo is accused of extracting 2.6 million from the firm in so-called directors' loans, while it is claimed Ms Ralph received 195,436. One former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, last night spoke of his anger at the way the company was managed in the years before it went bust. 'Everybody is frustrated and angry, he said. 'Their lavish behaviour was too much. I have never seen people in their position live life like they did. It was all 'let's just create fashion, let's spend all this money'. There was no control about what was going in and out, or how the company was really performing. It was spend, spend, spend all the time.' It was claimed in court documents that Ms Ralph and Mr Russo 'extracted substantial sums' from the firm. Ms Ralph, who had an annual salary of 225,000, is alleged in court documents to have spent company funds on 'luxury hotels, business class flights, expenses related to her pets, utility bills, yoga classes, lingerie, a housekeeper, beauty expenses and hair care'. Mr Russo is alleged to have withdrawn more than 151,000 from a cash machine that administrators believe is in a Mayfair casino. The former employee said staff were supposed to be paid on the 27th of each month, but payday was repeatedly delayed for between three and six days. Staff who were in financial difficulty were advised to talk to HR, he said. After its launch in 2010, Ralph & Russo enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of Britains most celebrated luxury fashion houses Suppliers across Europe were also not being paid, including one owed more than 170,000, it is claimed. 'One supplier who flew from Italy to the main office unannounced, burst into the door and said 'I need my money today',' the former staff member said. As the chaos deepened, it is claimed that more than 50 staff sent an email to HR demanding to know what was going on. The former employee said that in 2019, suppliers would question why they were still waiting for their money when Ralph & Russo was opening an extravagant store in Monte Carlo, which is believed to have cost more than 3 million. It is also claimed staff approached HR over Ms Ralph's posts on social media. 'She was taking Instagram selfies on private jets. We even said to HR 'Can you ask them to stop posting pictures?' because we received calls from suppliers.' Forensic investigators are trying to discover what happened to about 60 million pumped into the company by investors, including a 17 million loan from a firm belonging to property developer Nick Candy, between 2018 and 2020. Sources close to Ms Ralph have denied that she was responsible for the company's financial difficulties. They also deny that staff were paid late and say she has no knowledge of staff approaching HR about the company's financial health or her use of private jets. Nor, they say, has she knowledge of a supplier being owed more than 170,000, or that a supplier arrived in London demanding payment. US investment firm Retail Ecommerce Ventures bought the company earlier this month, although Ms Ralph and Mr Russo will no longer be involved. Sources close to Ms Ralph say the allegations in the court documents are only one side of the story and these allegations are wholly denied, as will be clear when her defence is served. Mr Russo did not respond to a request for comment. Private flights for couple's pampered pet chow-chows called Beluga, Money and Caviar Cuddled by its glamorous owner on a private executive jet, Beluga the pet chow-chow appears to be enjoying the high life, writes Mark Hookham. But the pampered dog, owned by fashion designer Tamara Ralph, could now be dragged into a sensational High Court legal claim. Court documents allege that Ms Ralph spent money from her luxury fashion company Ralph & Russo on 'expenses related to her pets'. Sources close to the company say it is believed this relates to alleged spending on Beluga, her beloved pet dog, which is understood to have been named after the type of caviar. Ms Ralph, 39, has strenuously denied the allegation. Former employees say Ms Ralph acquired Beluga after starting a relationship with Anglo-Indian billionaire and Liberal Democrat donor Bhanu Choudhrie. At the time, Mr Choudhrie, 43, also owned two chow-chows named Caviar and Money. One picture, posted by Ms Ralph on Instagram, shows Ms Ralph and Mr Choudhrie, who live together in Monte Carlo, flying on a private jet with two of the dogs. Cuddled by its glamorous owner on a private executive jet, Beluga the pet chow-chow appears to be enjoying the high life There is no suggestion that Mr Choudhrie used any Ralph & Russo money to pay for his dogs' expenses. A former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Beluga would often accompany Ms Ralph to the fashion label's offices in White City, West London. It is claimed, however, that the dog was not completely house-trained. 'Beluga was sometimes in the office,' a former staff member said. The former employee claimed that Beluga would regularly be taken to a grooming parlour and at one stage was sent to a training school. Caviar died in November 2020. In emotional comments on Instagram, Ms Ralph paid tribute to the dog and posted nine pictures featuring the couple's pets. She wrote: 'Our hearts are broken losing you so young and so suddenly, you were the most beautiful puppy with the warmest heart, our home has a huge emptiness in it today. 'You brought so much warmth and happiness into our lives, we will miss you so so much our baby Caviar. RIP our angel.' Known for its dense double coat, chow-chow is a dog breed originally from northern China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan, meaning 'puffy-lion dog'. A source close to Ms Ralph said the claim that she used company money to pay for expenses related to her pets was wholly false. Ralph: 'Smear campaign designed to bully me' Designer Tamara Ralph last night denied she was responsible for the collapse of her luxury fashion company and claimed she is the victim of a 'smear campaign'. In a furious broadside, Ms Ralph, 39, claimed she had raised her concerns at how Ralph & Russo was being financially managed but was 'met with abuse and contempt'. Vowing to 'fight to clear my name with every breath in my body', Ms Ralph, whose haute couture gowns have been worn by a string of Hollywood celebrities, declared: 'I am ready to stand up for myself.' Last week, sensational legal papers revealed by The Mail on Sunday blamed the fashion label's financial woes on Ms Ralph's 'serious wrongdoing', which 'stripped' the fashion house of cash. But in a statement to the MoS, Ms Ralph said the claims were 'demonstrably false' and 'designed to discredit me and stop me speaking out about what really happened at Ralph & Russo'. She said: 'There is a smear campaign aimed at destroying my name and my career. I did everything in my power to save the company but was hindered at every turn by bullying and intimidation sadly, these are tactics which will be recognised by many women in the workplace. 'In my resignation letter, I set out many of my reasons for leaving the business to all shareholders and directors, so they would be aware of what happened to me. 'I resigned when I could no longer take the abuse and I will be taking my case to an employment tribunal if this is not resolved.' Ms Ralph added: 'The fact that this behaviour is rife in an industry that celebrates women is disgusting.' Vice President Kamala Harris quipped that she will have to stop agreeing to take on more responsibilities from the president amid criticism over her handling of the southern border crisis and claims her office is plagued by fighting. About 19 minutes into the 20-minute interview with BET that aired Friday, broadcaster Soledad O'Brien rattled off Harris' major undertakings. 'Immigration, increasing broadband access, black maternal mortality, racial inequality, women in the workforce, infrastructure. We just talked about voting rights. That seems like a lot for one person,' O'Brien said to Harris. 'Can one person do all that realistically?' O'Brien asked. Harris responded by saying she multitasks and admits there's a lot to get done. Then she jokingly said, 'Yeah, maybe I don't say "no" enough,' and then laughed. 'But I do believe that these things are achievable. It's just a lot of hard work, but that's why we're here and that's what people wanted. Right?' Harris said. 'We will go into these positions that we will arrive in these positions, and we will work hard and get things done. And that's what motivates me, truly.' Scroll down for video of full interview. Vice President Kamala Harris during the BET interview that aired on Friday, when she jokingly said, 'Yeah, maybe I don't say "no" enough' to President Joe Biden Broadcaster Soledad O'Brien, in the blue, rattled off Harris' laundry list of major undertakings and asked, 'Can one person do all that realistically?' President Joe Biden, flanked by Harris, delivers remarks on deals made with Senators on a bipartisan infrastructure plan in the East Room of the White House in Washington Harris has been heavily scrutinized by Republicans and some mainstream media, including CNN, for her handling of the border crisis. West Wing aides from Joe Biden's office are also said to have been displeased by missteps she made while addressing the issue. And last week, aides and administration officials complained of a tense atmosphere with low morale and trust, and bad communication in Harris's office in a bombshell Politico report. She waited 93 days to visit the border after President Joe Biden tasked her tackling the immigration crisis. When she finally visited El Paso, Texas on June 25, Republicans said it was a 'pit stop' en route to her California home. In Politico's report, aides said they were treated 'like s**t' and tensions reached a breaking point when Harris finally decided to visit the border. The decision blindsided officials tasked with arranging travel and others outside her office responsible for messaging across the administration, according to Politico. The outlet cited 22 officials, former officials, aides and associates of President Biden and Harris who described low morale, a tense atmosphere, porous lines of communication and diminished trust. Harris's Chief of Staff Tina Flournoy especially came under fire with one source saying, 'people are thrown under the bus from the very top.' Flournoy has allegedly created an environment where 'ideas are ignored or met with harsh dismissals and decisions are dragged out,' the outlet reported. She allegedly 'refuses to take responsibility' and blames staffers for negative results. Some of the sources told Politico that Harris also is responsible for how her office is run, claiming that the toxic environment 'all starts at the top.' 'People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it's an abusive environment,' said one source. '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**t.' The sources claimed that even President Joe Biden's office is concerned about the treatment of staff. The White House pushed back on the claims, with Biden's Senior Adviser Cedric Richmond calling it 'a whisper campaign designed to sabotage [Harris].' 'People are cowards to do this this way,' Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders said. Harris speaks to the media at El Paso International Airport in Texas on June 25 Harris arrives at El Paso International Airport in Texas to visit the border on June 25 She added: 'We are not making rainbows and bunnies all day. What I hear is that people have hard jobs and I'm like 'welcome to the club.' 'We have created a culture where people, if there is anything anyone would like to raise, there are avenues for them to do so. Whoever has something they would like to raise, they should raise it directly.' The vice president hosted her team to her Naval Observatory home for a post-Fourth of July barbecue Thursday night, when it was all smiles as Harris and first gentleman Doug Emhoff hosted dozens of staff at an indoors event at their home, as it was raining in Washington, D.C. An Albanian murderer who raked in more than 40,000 a year from a car wash business has finally been deported in a legal victory for Home Secretary Priti Patel. Selami Cokaj, once on Interpol's most wanted list, fled to Britain after escaping from prison in Albania where he had been jailed for stabbing a man to death in 1994. He was sent back to his homeland in 2009 but sneaked back to the UK in 2015 before setting up several businesses and living openly in Leicester. Now, after five years, the 47-year-old has been deported to Albania. Speaking from Albania's capital Tirana where she signed a deal last week to strengthen deportation arrangements, the Home Secretary told The Mail on Sunday: 'I make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals to keep the British public safe. An Albanian murderer who raked in more than 40,000 a year from a car wash business has finally been deported in a legal victory for Home Secretary Priti Patel. Selami Cokaj (above), once on Interpol's most wanted list, fled to Britain after escaping from prison in Albania where he had been jailed for stabbing a man to death in 1994 Speaking from Albania's capital Tirana where she signed a deal last week to strengthen deportation arrangements, the Home Secretary (pictured earlier this year) told The Mail on Sunday: 'I make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals to keep the British public safe' 'So far this year, more than 1,000 foreign criminals have been deported, with more being removed every single week. 'Too many offenders are making unjustifiable and opportunistic claims as an attempt to stop or delay their deportation. This cannot continue.' She added: 'I'm here in Tirana signing a new deal that will allow us to remove Albanian nationals who have committed some of the most heinous crimes and abused our hospitality. 'Mail on Sunday readers rightly expect we take tough action, and they will be heartened to know that this Government is speeding up the removal of these dangerous foreign offenders. 'Since April we've sent back over 250 Albanian criminals.' Albanians make up the largest number of foreign nationals in UK jails, totalling 16 per cent of overseas offenders. The latest figures show the number of Albanians in prison has almost doubled from 876 in August 2019 to 1,574 in March this year. Based on the current rate of 44,600 a year to keep an offender in jail, the prison service is estimated to spend around 70 million annually to keep Albanians behind bars. On her trip to Tirana, the Home Secretary met Albanian prime minister Edi Rama (above) to discuss a crackdown on organised crime groups behind drug trafficking, illicit finance and organised immigration crime to the UK The Balkan state's criminal gangs are globally renowned for drug trafficking and production, and they play a leading role in people-smuggling to Britain. Ms Patel's new deal will allow the Government to remove Albanian criminals more quickly as part of the proposed Nationality and Borders Bill. It will enable foreign crooks to be deported from prisons a year before the end of their sentence, rather than nine months, meaning they can serve the remainder of their sentence in their own country's jails. The new measure comes after the Government signed an agreement with Albania to remove jailed criminals in 2013 which resulted in just 24 being removed six years later. The Government has removed 254 Albanian criminals from Britain since April and another 85 with no right to be in this country, but a number of the Eastern European nation's criminals have been able to remain in the UK after falsely claiming refugee status following the war in Kosovo which ended in 1999. On her trip to Tirana, the Home Secretary met Albanian prime minister Edi Rama to discuss a crackdown on organised crime groups behind drug trafficking, illicit finance and organised immigration crime to the UK. Matt Hancocks lover Gina Coladangelo looks deep in thought as she strides across a London common, phone in hand. There was no sign of a wedding ring, but there was some evidence of her estranged husband Oliver Tress: the pink 42 crossbody handbag she carried was made by Oliver Bonas, the firm he founded. Ms Coladangelo, 43, wore a sleeveless black top, polka-dot skirt and aviator sunglasses for her excursion last week, and also carried a picnic cool bag slung over her shoulder. Ms Coladangelo, 43, wore a sleeveless black top, polka-dot skirt and aviator sunglasses for her excursion last week Gina Coladangelo ex husband Glynn Gibb. Mr Gibb was born in South Africa and returned there earlier this year to look after his mother, who is recovering from Covid at the familys home near Pretoria The exclusive photograph comes a fortnight after Mr Hancock was forced to resign as Health Secretary after footage of a furtive clinch with his glamorous aide was leaked. Hours before the story broke, Mr Hancock was telling his osteopath wife Martha that he was leaving her, and Ms Coladangelo was seen loading bags into her car outside her 4 million family home in Wandsworth, South-West London. Her marriage to Mr Tress, 54, with whom she has three children, is understood to be over. The couple married in 2009, several years after she divorced her first husband, Glynn Gibb, who is understood to have been very hurt by the circumstances of their split. This weekend, friends of Mr Gibb who is now happily remarried described her latest marital woes as karma. Speaking in South Africa, one friend said: All I can say is this is karma, because this is how Ginas marriage to Glynn ended. Mr Gibb was born in South Africa and returned there earlier this year to look after his mother, who is recovering from Covid at the familys home near Pretoria. The friend described him as humble and very caring towards his mum. When he married Ms Coladangelo in Cambridge in 2004, Mr Gibb worked for a London property firm and Ms Coladangelo was a consultant with the PR and lobbying firm Luther Pendragon. Mr Hancock was forced to resign as Health Secretary after footage of a furtive clinch with his glamorous aide was leaked Mr Hancock and Ms Coladangelo met while students at Oxford University and she helped with his ill-fated bid to become Tory Party leader in 2019. Last March, she was given a part-time role as a non-executive director at the Department of Health, for which she was paid 15,000. She resigned from the role when her affair with Mr Hancock was exposed and he was forced to quit after admitting their clinch had broken social-distancing rules. This weekend, a photograph has emerged of Mr Hancock at Newmarket Racecourse in his Suffolk constituency last week, where he is believed to have received his second coronavirus vaccination. David Mordukhaev, 30, who escaped in the middle of the night from the prison ship is now back in custody An inmate thought to have ties to the Russian mob who managed to escape from a floating jail in New York has been caught after just over 12 hours on the run. David Mordukhaev's made his prison break early on Saturday morning - just hours after suspicious federal investigators had called the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Facility to check on him at around 1am. At the time, officials were informed that Mordukhaev, 30, was indeed still inside his cell. When a second call was placed at 4.30am, Mordukhaev was nowhere to be found. Only his prison clothes remained. The timeline of his escape remains murky as it is not 100 percent certain if guards physically checked his cell when the first request was made. Mordukhaev, who is 5'8" and weighs 220 pounds, managed to outsmart prison security and is believed to have escaped from the prison barge docked in The Bronx through his cell window. Investigators said he may have had a car waiting to collect him upon his breakout. By 7pm Saturday he was back in custody. 870 inmates are custody on the ship. They are housed in 'medium to maximum security' conditions housed in 16 dormitories, with 100 cells within the five-story structure A guard who was supposedly on duty at the time has now called out sick before he could be suspended. The facility was placed on lockdown after Mordukhaev's escape. After the 4.30am call prison officials 'observed the window inside [Mordukhaev's] cell was open and the inmate unaccounted for'. He apparently descended from his cell using a knotted white rope dangled from the window. The 870 fellow inmates in custody on the ship are said to be housed in 'medium to maximum security' conditions housed in 16 dormitories, with 100 cells within the five-story structure. Federal authorities had already been looking into Mordukhaev's associates. 'No escape from our facilities is ever acceptable and we are taking every step to locate and return this individual to custody,' Department of Corrections spokesman Peter Thorne told the New York Post before Mordukhaev was recaptured. 'A thorough investigation into how this occurred is underway to ensure that this does not happen again, and disciplinary action, if warranted, will be taken at the conclusion of the investigation.' Mordukhaev, at 5ft 8in and 220 pounds, somehow managed to escape through his cell window Mordukhaev had been sentenced in December 2013 to 65 months (just over five years) in prison for his involvement in a plot to burglarize a New Jersey pharmacy and then sell the stolen narcotics for cash. His most recent stay in jail came after he was arrested in April 2020. On that occasion, he impersonated a police officer using badges and a police radio before approaching a man who was driving an SUV in Brooklyn and fled with $340 in cash alongside a stash of marijuana. The victim realized afterwards that the men who had stopped him were not cops and followed them in his car. The South Bronx prison ship is not well known among New Yorkers which was towed from Mississippi to New York in 1992. The boat was ordered in 1988 when the city's jail population was about 22,000 and fast-rising from the crack epidemic. Currently, there is just 5,400 inmates remaining in the city's jails, but Bain is still in use. Even for a man in the throes of newly wedded bliss, she seemed almost too good to be true. Beautiful and accomplished, Hanna Jaff had a wall of university degree certificates, headed her own globally recognised charitable foundation and was practically royalty, descended from an ancient line of Kurdish kings. So when love-struck aristocrat Henry Harry Roper-Curzon, distant cousin to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and heir to Pylewell Park in Hampshire, flew into his new brides hometown of Mexico City last summer, he was in high spirits. Yet within minutes of arriving, he was left scratching his head. A well-dressed Mexican lady and boy appeared out of nowhere, thanking Hanna for teaching them how to read English, he today recalls in an exclusive interview. When love-struck aristocrat Henry Harry Roper-Curzon, distant cousin to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and heir to Pylewell Park in Hampshire, flew into his new brides hometown of Mexico City last summer, he was in high spirits. (Henry Roper Curzon with Hanna Jaff) Harry claims that Hanna, also 34, duped him with claims about her royal heritage and fabulous wealth. (Henry Roper Curzon proposes to Hanna Jaff in Switzerland) I remember saying to Hanna, Its a bit random that in a city with millions and millions of people these people happen to be here at the exact time we got out of the car. And she said to me, Well, Harry, I have a lot of fans. Today, a woman once described by the media as the Mother Teresa of Mexico has one less fan namely her soon-to-be ex-husband. As The Mail on Sunday revealed last week, the 18-month whirlwind marriage of the 34-year-old aristocrat and the reality TV star has broken down amid bitter recriminations. Harry claims that Hanna, also 34, duped him with claims about her royal heritage and fabulous wealth which, perhaps he naively believed might even help save his stricken family home from a crippling debt. The trust which runs the family estate is millions of pounds in the red. Hanna has hit back, accusing her husband of being abusive towards her during a row when their marriage imploded. Both sides vehemently deny the others claims. Harry says he was completely taken in by the ambitious Mexican-American a consummate networker with undoubted talent for self-promotion and was only rescued when his suspicious mother turned Poirot to investigate her daughter-in-law and raised concerns with her son. The incident in Mexico City was so weird, he says. I said to Hanna, You surely didnt pay them just to turn up? I would tease her about the fact she was constantly self-promoting. My mother was the one who started spotting a lot of things that didnt add up. She started digging and was shocked. Then my brother and sister started digging and then a family friend who lives in Mexico helped a lot. They were all genuinely concerned. Harry says his family found discrepancies in her story of fabulous wealth. My family staged an intervention and told me everything they had found out. I couldnt ignore it, he says. While her Wikipedia page has been frozen amid claims that it has been embellished, Hanna denies any deceit and insists she can prove every claim, many of which are detailed on her own expansive, eponymous website. There, she is described as a passionate philanthropist whose Jaff Foundation for Education has donated thousands of books to children in refugee camps and orphanages around the globe. It also provides details of her charitable clothing brand We Are One, which, it says, raises money to promote world peace by selling T-shirts and mugs emblazoned with her inspirational sayings such as The best day of your life is made by you. Her CV boasts a brilliant list of accomplishments that number several degrees (including a masters), 77 speaking engagements, 185 individually listed acts of charity, 19 awards including being named Person of the Year in Mexico, a star billing in the Netflix reality show Made In Mexico and a series of minor political roles. And while Hanna claims to be a Unesco Kindness Ambassador, the prestigious organisation this week disputed that. A spokesman referred this newspaper to its official list of ambassadors which does not include Hannas name saying: We dont know why this person is listed as an ambassador [on her website]. Unesco only recognises as ambassadors its Goodwill Ambassadors and the representatives of its member states which are listed in this page. Photographs show her with world leaders, philanthropists and celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, and much is made of her noble heritage from the 900-year-old Jaff tribe of Kurdistan. Little wonder then that Harry whose eccentric sculptor father David Roper-Curzon, Lord Teynham, was forced by debts to move out of Pylewell Park so it could be used as venue for weddings was enthusiastic when a mutual friend, the socialite Martha Sitwell, arranged a blind date for Harry and Hanna at a pop-up art show at a private house in Belgravia in the summer of 2019. Reassured by Hannas social credentials she was a member of Annabels and knew everyone the romance moved at lightning speed. Everyone in the beginning was taken in, saying shes so amazing and impressive, telling me to go for it, says Harry. She gave me this big spiel that she was from Kurdish nobility, that her dad was the leader of the Jaff tribe which has five million members. I knew it wasnt normal royalty because its a tribe but Im interested in other cultures and I thought it was intriguing. By Christmas, Harry was on his way to San Diego to ask Hannas father for her hand in marriage. Perhaps Harry naively believed might even help save his stricken family home from a crippling debt. (Pictured, Pylewell Park House) A month later on the slopes of the exclusive Swiss ski resort Gstaad, he proposed, slipping a diamond ring belonging to his mother which Hanna claimed had been passed down from Mary, Queen of Scots, on her finger. They wed in secret at Chelsea Town Hall in London on February 17 last year, with no family present. Harry had his business partner there, while Hanna was supported by her best friend. We always get married in the church [on the estate] but she told me that in Mexico you have the civil wedding first and then you do the religious ceremony later, Harry says. They moved to a pretty thatched cottage just outside Salisbury but Harry quickly became confused by his new brides unusual lifestyle. She used to go off on these weekends to help her political career or help her get a foot in the UN or something like Davos, he says. She met a sheikh and said he paid for her time to come out and go meet his guests and have a dinner because he was very into himself and wanted to look important. She didnt want me there because I would get in the way. Publicly-available records show Hanna was born in San Diego to father Saryas, 67, a carpet salesman of Kurdish descent, and Mexican mother Lilia, 65. The five-bedroom family home in the citys suburbs is worth 2.3 million. Its a nice home by any standards, but nothing like what Harry was expecting, a friend said. He grew up in a stately home and he absolutely believed he was marrying into Kurdish royalty. In London, Hanna was impeccably connected and dined with Middle Eastern and Silicon Valley billionaires. Even before meeting Harry, she was a regular in the glossy magazines, often described as a Kurdish Princess and listed by the society magazine Quien as one of the ten prettiest girls in Mexico. On her LinkedIn page, Hanna claimed to have studied at Columbia University and the Sorbonne in Paris but later clarified that these were only summer courses. Hanna also clarified her Masters degree in Arts from Harvard University, was in fact from a degree in Liberal Arts in International Studies from Harvard Extension School. Was Harry in love with her? I was at one point, because she was doing all these incredible things, he says. I must have been a mug. I thought she was a good person. I feel completely and utterly duped.I found it embarrassing when she would go on about herself and talk about money. I put that down to her being Californian. He said he was embarrassed by her obsession with royal status. At one point, she claimed in a press release she was set to have tea with the Queen: That wasnt true, Harry says. Her obsession with royalty and status was highly embarrassing to me. What Harry insists he did not know was that when Hanna arrived in the UK, she was nursing the heartbreak of a failed engagement. In May 2016, Mexican papers breathlessly reported her engagement to Jorge Ancira, the son of business tycoon, with photographs of the 42-year-olds proposal on bended knee during a trip to St Barts in the Caribbean widely published in Latin America. It has never been explained why the relationship foundered but it did not dampen Hannas growing profile in Mexico. It culminated in 2018 with her signing up for Made In Mexico, a show that followed the lives of nine young socialites in Mexico City. Hanna enthusiastically detailed her achievements and claimed to have turned down four marriage proposals. The media were transfixed and eagerly dug into her background, raising the first claims of apparent flaws in her life story. Other cast members on the show even accused her directly of being a fake. One member of a Mexican aristocratic family who appeared on the programme said: None of us have ever heard of Hanna. If you are from high society in Mexico, you grow up knowing everyone. Its not a big world. My mother is a philanthropist and shes never heard of Hanna or her foundation. A tearful Hanna was later shown confiding in her mother about the bullying that she had been subjected to on the show. Im Mexican, Im a Muslim and Im a woman. I have been a victim of bullying, racism, she said. Its hard when all your friends are getting married. I can only introduce a man to my dad if I am going to marry him. In my fathers culture, you are not allowed to have a boyfriend. Harry knew of Hannas appearance on Made In Mexico but, perhaps catastrophically with hindsight, did not watch it. I thought it was going to be like [the British E4 series] Made In Chelsea, I couldnt bear it, he says. Photographs show her with world leaders, philanthropists and celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, pictured right, and much is made of her noble heritage from the 900-year-old Jaff tribe of Kurdistan But the information provided by his family earlier this year was different, prompting him to confront Hanna on the phone about the inconsistencies in her story. She was very calm in a weird way, he recalls. I thought Id do the gentlemanly thing so I flew to Mexico and said it to her face but she refused to take it in and was saying, Look Harry, well work it out. Dont listen to the haters. Matters came to a head when they had both returned to Britain in February. According to recent news reports in Mexico, Hanna claimed Harry became physically abusive towards her. He is just as insistent that those claims are false as Hanna is insistent she never lied to her estranged husband. Its a horrendous thing shes trying to accuse me of, he says. Ive never laid a finger on her. Hampshire Police said: We did receive a call relating to a civil dispute. For now, the only communication between the couple is through their lawyers. Despite that, Harry says a sense of relief outweighs regret. I have trouble sleeping some nights, Im tossing and turning but otherwise Im fine, he says. The reason Im telling my story now is to warn others. Im relieved she is out of my life. Power shut off at a conservative political conference in Dallas for about 10 minutes as Glenn Beck's speech continued uninterrupted, it has been reported. The main exhibition hall at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) went dark around 4.40pm local time Saturday and the outage lasted about 10 minutes, Fox News reported. The conference is being hosted at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas. The outage was isolated to the exhibition hall, which was cleared out, with the power remaining on in the rest of the hotel. The CPAC conference lost power for about 10 minutes on Saturday afternoon Donald Trump Jr. is pictured speaking at the CPAC conference in Dallas on Friday Fox News reporter Tyler Olson tweeted about the outage on Saturday Beck, a conservative pundit, continued his speech on the conference's main stage uninterrupted, Fox News reported. The outlet reported that the outage 'had to do with the Hilton Anatole's HVAC system'. Former President Donald Trump is expected to be in Dallas to speak at the conference on Sunday. On Friday, his son Don Trump Jr took the stage and delivered a passionate speech. The speech came amid reports that a conference attendee was handing out cards touting a 'seven-point plan' to return Trump to the presidency 'within days'. The so-called 'Trump Cards' outlining the improbable plan were first spotted by Forbes political reporter Andrew Solender, who said that an attendee at CPAC Dallas on Friday sent him a photo of the card. In short, the plan calls for exposing the Democrats for monstrous crimes, electing Trump as House speaker, and impeaching and removing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The plan includes a link to a website that elaborates on the proposal, describing the seven 'dominoes' that must fall to reinstall Trump in the White House. Each step seems unlikely, if not impossible. Other notable speakers included South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott, Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, and Former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on Friday A record number of migrants, more than 6,600, have arrived in the UK this year MP said it was 'hitting support' in constituencies gained from Labour in election Boris Johnson has been warned that the failure to tackle the migrant boats crisis is hitting Tory support in Red Wall seats won by the Conservatives at the last Election. An MP representing one of the constituencies gained from Labour by the Tories told The Mail on Sunday that the issue was 'starting to hit support'. A record number of migrants more than 6,600 so far this year has arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats. In the whole of 2020, there were 8,420, up from 1,835 the previous year. Yesterday, between 30 and 40 migrants, including at least one toddler, arrived in Kent in three boats. Boris Johnson has been warned that the failure to tackle the migrant boats crisis is hitting Tory support in Red Wall seats. Pictured: Migrants arriving at Dover in August 2020 In response to the crisis, the Government proposed a Nationality and Borders Bill in Parliament last week that will allow Border Force officials to use 'reasonable force' to detain would-be asylum seekers at sea and return vessels in the Channel back to safe countries. But the power to send boats back to France where most migrant boats are launched will require an agreement with the French, and talks on a deal have broken down. After the Bill was unveiled, the Crown Prosecution Service created a further headache by advising its lawyers not to prosecute migrants entering the country illegally. It told prosecutors to stop charging passengers arriving in small boats or lorries, claiming they were typically victims of exploitation or had no choice in how they travelled. It caused consternation among some Tory MPs who warned it represented a 'new low' for the CPS as the issue of illegal immigration continued to dent party support. The MP said: 'In the past few weeks it has become noticeable how much it is coming up on the doorstep, and Boris is being personally associated with it. That and Matt Hancock's resignation are the issues which are really cutting through with voters.' A record number of migrants (pictured in September 2020) more than 6,600 so far this year has arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats The warning comes in the wake of the party's failure to take the Batley and Spen seat from Labour this month. The Tories' working majority of 83 MPs was built on the Red Wall of former Labour seats in the North and Midlands seized by the Tories on the back of Mr Johnson's promise to deliver Brexit. But party strategists have warned that support in the areas is 'soft', with voters sensitive to the perception that the Tories have not been sufficiently tough on issues such as crime and immigration. Last month, it was claimed that the Prime Minister had privately lashed out at the failure of Home Secretary Priti Patel to get to grips with the problem of migrants crossing the Channel. He was reported to have told a Minister: 'What the f*** is the Home Office doing? When is she going to sort this out?' Hospital waiting lists could soar to 13million in the coming months after more than a year of lockdowns and warnings not to burden the NHS, Sajid Javid has warned. The new Health Secretary said internal modelling showed the current record number of 5.3million patients awaiting treatment could more than double this summer. He believes the pandemic has had a huge impact on other health problems as well as affecting those who decided not to seek treatment for fear of catching the virus in hospital. The new Health Secretary said internal modelling showed the current record number of 5.3million patients awaiting treatment could more than double this summer Javid told The Telegraph the 'very British' attitude of trying to protect the NHS has worsened the problem. He said: 'What shocked me the most is when I was told that the waiting list is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. 'It's gone up from 3.5million to 5.3million as of today, and I said to the officials: "So what do you mean [by] a lot worse", thinking maybe it goes from 5.3 to six million, seven million. 'They said no, it's going to go up by millions... it could go as high as 13million. 'Hearing that figure of 13million, it has absolutely totally focused my mind, and it's going to be one of my top priorities to deal with because we can't have that.' Yesterday, the UK recorded 32,367 new Covid cases and 34 deaths after the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges warned that the number of cases was 'rising dramatically Modelling shown to the Health Secretary showed seven million people who would have normally sought medical treatment did not during the pandemic. This includes tens of thousands of people who are believed to have missed out on checks for cancer and heart disease treatment, on top of untreated mental health issues. Javid said clearing the backlog is one of his top priorities and current proposals include more virtual appointments and relying on private hospitals to provide care. It comes as NHS trusts are facing the combined hit of Covid cases rising again, the backlog for other treatments including cancer checks and heart disease, and staff shortages due to workers having to self-isolate if they are 'pinged' by the Covid app. NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, warned that up to a fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust in just three weeks from now, potentially leading to the cancellation of as many as 900 operations. Mr Javid confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph that there was 'every reason to think that we can take a more proportionate and balanced approach to the isolation policy' for NHS staff after No 10 suggested they could be exempt from having to stay at home if they had two jabs. He also discussed NHS pay and that raising taxes to fund social care could be a 'practical and obvious' solution. Earlier, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said deaths were beginning to rise again too. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We've only just heard in this bulletin about the rising numbers of cases, the rising numbers of people requiring hospital treatment, in intensive care and sadly deaths are starting to rise again, too. 'There seems to be a misapprehension that life will return to normal from then (July 19), and that we can throw away all the precautions, and frankly, that would be dangerous.' PHE's weekly update also revealed that every local authority in England saw a rise in Covid infections last week except three, as the third wave of infections continues to surge Warnings over July 19, which is being called freedom day, were echoed by Greater Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham, who told the Observer it was more like 'anxiety day'. He told the newspaper: 'The Government is simply wrong to frame everything from here as a matter of pure personal choice. It is not. 'Many people who are vulnerable to the virus have to use public transport and do their food shopping in person. That is why the wearing of face coverings in these settings should have remained mandatory. I will be strongly encouraging the people of Greater Manchester to continue to wear masks on public transport out of respect for others.' In fresh documents it emerged that modelling produced by the government's SAGE modelling committee Spi-M underestimated hospital admissions by over a third In his Sunday Telegraph interview, Mr Javid said anyone who would not wear a mask in an enclosed space was 'just being irresponsible' despite it becoming guidance rather than the law in Step 4 of restrictions lifting. Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: 'Given Sajid Javid now considers it irresponsible to not wear masks then it would be equally irresponsible for his government to carry on with the plan to lift mask requirements while infections are heading to 100,000 a day.' The rate of new cases of coronavirus in most areas of England is now back at levels last seen during the winter. Patient numbers have risen to levels last seen around three months ago. England's Covid R rate may now be as high as 1.5 the highest it has been since the second wave spiralled out of control in October, Government scientists have announced And there has been a very slight increase in the average number of deaths reported each day of people in England who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. But this is still far below the sort of numbers seen in January and February of this year. The Sunday Times reported that No 10 had asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to look at whether the wait between the two doses of the vaccine could be cut to four weeks in light of the rise in cases. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said in a statement: 'There is little doubt that things will get worse before they get better.' Homes near the beach are all the rage as people seek life away from urban areas amid the pandemic and Britons flock to holiday spots in the UK. If you did fancy a luxury bolthole overlooking the British coast and had plenty of money to spare - something that popular seaside locations often require - what could you get? We take a look at two flats: one costs 695,000 in the desirable area of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, and the other costs 550,000 in Cornwall's Carbis Bay, which was the destination of the recent G7 summit. Which of the two homes for sale, listed on property on property website Zoopla, would you choose? Which would you choose: A two-bed in Cornwall (left) or a three-bed in Pembrokeshire (right) The Tenby flat Pembrokeshire has become a a desirable destination among holidaymakers who are shunning more crowded areas in Cornwall The flat in Pembrokeshire's Tenby is on the market for 695,000 via estate agents Birt & Co Priceless views? The flat boasts sea views of sandy stretches of South Beach and Caldey Island The first property is a three-bedroom flat in a seafront development in Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire has become a popular destination this year among holidaymakers, as they shun traditionally more crowded streets in Cornwall amid the pandemic. The flat is on the outskirts of the harbour town of Tenby, a resort in south west Wales. It boasts sea views of sandy stretches of South Beach and Caldey Island. It is on the market via estate agents Birt & Co with an asking price of 695,000. The bumper price tag reflects its size, being in what is described as an 'exclusive development' and seafront location. North London estate agent Jeremy Leaf said: 'We are hearing that Pembrokeshire is one of the favoured destinations for Londoners looking to move out of the capital for good, or as a destination for a second home to complement city living. 'After living in such a built-up environment, views of the open sea could not be more different and are certainly up there on the wish list for aspirational Londoners.' The apartment is on the outskirts of the harbour town of Tenby, a resort in south west Wales The spacious three-bedroom property is in a sea front development called South Beach Court The Carbis Bay flat The second property is a two-bedroom luxury flat in Carbis Bay, which is a village neighbouring the popular harbour town of St Ives an recently hit the headlines when it hosted the G7 meeting of international leaders. Carbis Bay was developed around Carbis Bay beach, which has views from St Ives harbour to Godrevy Lighthouse and Hayle Towans. The flat has an open-plan living area and a spacious patio style terrace with sea views. It is being sold by Bradleys estate agents for 550,000. Tom Parker, of Zoopla, enthused: 'This apartment is located in one of the most stunning coastal locations in Britain, with miles of golden beaches and easy access to popular towns including St Ives right on its doorstep. 'To make the most of its enviable location, the property boasts sea views and a large patio terrace, perfect for soaking up the summer sun.' The luxury flat is in Carbis Bay, which is a village neighbouring the harbour town of St Ives The flat has an open-plan living area and a spacious patio style terrace that offers some sea views The property is on the market for 550,000 and is being sold by Bradleys estate agents The modern property has two bedrooms - and this one also enjoys an en suite bathroom Conor McGregor was involved in a verbal altercation with fellow UFC star Rafael dos Anjos, with the Brazilian branding him a 'snake' afterwards. Dos Anjos, 36, weighed in on Friday as an insurance policy against McGregor or Dustin Poirier in the event either had suffered an injury ahead of their trilogy fight on Saturday night at UFC 264. All three lightweights weighed in at 156lb and Dos Anjos' services are therefore extremely unlikely to be required, but that did not stop him from exchanging words backstage with McGregor. Conor McGregor (right_ was involved in a verbal altercation with UFC rival Rafael dos Anjos Dos Anjos weighed in as an insurance policy against McGregor or Dustin Poirier (left) ahead of their trilogy fight "You bottled it!" The UFC embedded cameras captured the altercation between RDA and Conor McGregor at the #UFC264 weigh-ins. ( via UFC) pic.twitter.com/Iagl5qQKOm UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) July 10, 2021 After a number of expletives - where both appear to say 'f*** you' - McGregor can be heard telling dos Anjos in footage released by BT Sport: 'You bottled it mate. Don't ever forget it, you little rat.' After security staff had separated the duo and taken them into different rooms, dos Anjos tells the camera: 'Whenever he wants, we can fight here. I don't f****** care. 'The guy just nipped behind me and you know... sized me up, and [said] "f*** you."' Dos Anjos then later tweeted: 'Conor, you're such a snake, sneaking from behind and playing tough. Soon (sic) or later, we will finish business. I'm not like the guys you play around with. Dos Anjos and McGregor were meant to fight at UFC 196 before the former was forced to withdraw Dos Anjos and McGregor were meant to fight at UFC 196 before the former was forced to withdraw from the fight. McGregor instead faced and lost to Nate Diaz, who stepped in at the last moment for the injured Dos Anjos. And while 'The Notorious' claimed his revenge on Diaz five months later, the fight against Dos Anjos never took place because of his defeat by Eddie Alvarez, leading him to surrender his belt and meaning there was no way of then facing McGregor. The war of words has continued ever since, with McGregor saying before he fought Diaz for a second time: 'Realistically I should be a two-weight UFC world champion. 'If I fought Rafael dos Anjos, if he didn't p**** out of that last one and showed up, the shots I cracked Nate with in the first eight minutes would have KO'd Rafael dos Anjos stiff. McGregor instead faced and lost to Nate Diaz, who stepped in at the last moment 'That's no question. I would be sitting here right now as a two-weight world champion, but I don't dwell on that.' Dos Anjos hit back, stating: 'If you had fought me you wouldn't be two-division champ, you would be dead. Look what a out-of-shape Diaz did to you.' The pair then traded insults again this week when it had emerged that Dos Anjos would be the replacement opponent as McGregor bids to avenge his defeat by Poirier in January. 'Put Dos Anjos in at the same time,' McGregor tweeted. Dos Anjos then replied by asking why he was tweeting so early in the morning, saying: 'Alcoholic [sic] hallucinosis from drinking cheap whiskey until 3:39am.' It has been 22-years since Renee Taylor last played Fran Drescher's mother, Sylvia Fine, on the hit sitcom The Nanny, which ran for six seasons from 1993-1999. And on Thursday the two ladies recaptured a bit of the onscreen magic between Fran and Sylvia Fine when they reunited for fun video that they both posted on Instagram. 'Everyone's enjoying watching The Nanny on HBO Max,' the now 63-year-old Drescher asked Taylor in the clip. 'Do you realize that there are people watching it now that weren't even alive when we were shooting it?' Reunited! Fran Drescher and teamed back up with her onscreen mother from The Nanny, Renee Taylor, for a funny promo video for the hit sitcom that they both posted on Instagram Dressed loudly in animal print blazers, much like their characters of yesteryear, the duo both flashed big beaming smiles off the top of the video. And as they also showed off their familiar and flamboyant personalities, Taylor shot back and answered her former co-star's question with a question. 'And do you realize you're older now than I was when I started playing your mother?' Taylor, now 88, in keeping with the age reference. 'Cut,' Drescher said as her beaming smile quickly faded to a frown when she turned to face the camera. New Yorkers: Dressed loudly in animal print blazers, much like their characters of yesteryear, the duo both flashed big beaming smiles off the top of the video Slipping into character: Referencing how new fans of The Nanny are watching on HBO Max, Drescher asked her former co-star, 'Do you realize that there are people watching it now that weren't even alive when we were shooting it?' Drescher, a Queens, New York native, simply wrote, 'GO!' in the caption of her Instagram post, along with the hashtags '#hbomax #thenanny #franjam2021 #detoxyourhome #loveislove' and red heart, peace sign, prayer and rainbow emojis. With the help of its lasting legacy and reruns, The Nanny remains popular with viewers, in part, by garnering new fans from the younger generations that weren't alive or old enough to watch during its original broadcast on CBS. 'I feel very grateful that the show continues to be so beloved,' Drescher told Today host Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager last year. 'There are tons of millennials that are obsessed with the show today, and they were either young children while it was originally airing or not even born yet. It's the gift that keeps on giving.' 'Time flies: And do you realize you're older now than I was when I started playing your mother?' Taylor, 88 responded, in keeping with the age reference Funny ladies: After Taylor's age joke, Drescher turned to the camera and shot back, 'Cut,' as her beaming smile quickly faded to a frown Drescher received a pair of Emmy nominations for her role as Fran, while Taylor notched one nomination playing Sylvia. The Nanny was created and produced by Drescher and her then husband Peter Marc Jacobson, who had come out as gay. They divorced the same year the sitcom ended, but would go on and remain good friends and business partners. She went on to see more success on television with leading roles in Living With Fran (2005-2006) and Happily Divorced (2011-2013). Most recently Drescher starred in the NBC sitcom Indebted, which was created by Dan Levy but lasted just one season in 2020 before it was canceled. During her more than 70-year career in show business, Taylor, a Bronx, New York native, also scored an Academy Award nomination in 1971 for co-writing the screenplay for the romantic comedy film Lovers and Other Strangers. Their historic female-centric show always made sure to put women front and center, in the best of lights. And now Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon are embracing their natural beauty as they begin shooting And Just Like That the reboot of HBO classic Sex And The City. The star actresses, who were seen Friday on the streets of New York City filming on the first day of production, both rocked silvery grey tresses as part of their fashionable ensembles. Graceful gals: Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon are embracing their natural beauty as they begin shooting And Just Like That the reboot of HBO classic Sex And The City Nixon, 55, sported a chic grey pixie cut in her update of her iconic once-redheaded character, high-powered lawyer Miranda Hobbs. And lead actress Parker, 56, wore her hair in highlighted ombre sections that allowed for strands of her gray roots to show through the blonde and brown. SJP, who plays central character Carrie Bradshaw, also posted a selfie from the And Just Like That hair and makeup trailer on the morning of filming, which put a particular spotlight on her roots. Gorgeous: The star actresses, who were seen Friday on the streets of New York filming on the first day of production, both rocked silvery grey tresses as part of their fashionable ensembles Stunner: Lead actress Parker, 56, wore her hair in highlighted ombre sections that allowed for strands of her gray roots to show through Front and center: SJP, who plays Carrie Bradshaw, also posted a selfie from the hair and makeup trailer on the morning of filming, which put a particular spotlight on her roots The pair of stars were photographed along with costar Kristin Davis in the first promotional shots for the new series on Friday, each rocking a fabulous monotone look as they strutted down the sidewalk in inimitable SATC style. Running from 1998 to 2004, Sex And The City was an immensely popular series focusing on the love and sex lives of four 30-something New York City women. The show went on to spawn two big-budget feature films and has been in syndication on various platforms for the last 15 years. Red no more: Nixon, 55, sported a chic grey pixie cut in her update of her iconic once-redheaded character, high-powered lawyer Miranda Hobbs They're back: The pair of stars were photographed along with costar Kristin Davis in the first promotional shots for the new series on Friday, each rocking a fabulous monotone look as they strutted down the sidewalk in inimitable SATC style The new series promises to provide an update on three of the characters from that posse, now that they are in their mid-50s and navigating their relationships, families and careers. Absent from the proceedings, sadly, is Kim Cattrall, the actress who played promiscuous PR agent Samantha Jones. Cattrall, 64, made it clear that she had no intention of coming back to any new iteration of the franchise, after a highly publicized and long-standing feud between herself and Sarah Jessica. Absent from the proceedings: Kim Cattrall, second from left, the actress who played promiscuous PR agent Samantha Jones. Cattrall, now 64, made it clear that she had no intention of coming back to any new iteration of the franchise after a feud with SJP Nonetheless, And Just Like That promises to delight fans everywhere who are craving more time with this particular group of girlfriends. And it is a welcome development to see that the show will not try to hide the fact that these women have aged, and will in fact show off how they remain vibrant, beautiful and sexy. After all, gray is great, as seen across the pond this month at the Cannes Film Festival, where timeless beauty Andie McDowell modeled her own silvery mane for photographers on the Croisette. Jennifer Lopez and her 'true love' Ben Affleck were seen grabbing lunch at the Brentwood Country Mart with their kids on Friday afternoon. The loved up couple beamed at each other in a black Escalade before tenderly embracing after stepping out with Ben's son Sam, nine, and and JLo's daughter, Emme, 13. The blended family sighting comes amid reports that the pair are set to move in together 'very soon,' and that both want to be 'involved' in each other's children's lives. Getting serious: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck grab lunch with their kids at the Brentwood Country Mart amid reports they are set to move in together 'very soon' The Hustlers star, 51, looked effortlessly stylish in a summery white jumpsuit which she accessorized with a yellow Louis Vuitton bag and a pair of neon accented sneakers. Beating the LA heat her hair was tied up in a top knot and she was seen emerging out of a white SUV with Emme, while Ben and Samuel arrived in his black SUV. The Good Will Hunting actor, 48, donned his usual casual display as he rocked jeans and sneakers and he showed off his bulging muscles in a fitted grey T-shirt. Pack mentality: The kids looked to get on swimmingly and it had been reported that both wanted to be 'involved' in the other's kids' lives Tender touch: She couldn't keep her hands off her hunky man during the outing PDA: Ben was seen wrapping his arm over his former fiancee while she put her hand around his waist Ben was seen ordering for the group at a food window while sharing a chat with Emme who stood next to he and Garner's son Samuel. And Lopez couldn't keep her hands off her man as she tenderly rested her hand on his back before they enjoyed lunch. He was also seen tenderly wrapping his arm around her while she clutched his waist. Despite arriving separate the pair were seen leaving sans-kids in Ben's ride and he proved to be the ultimate gentleman as he opened the door for her before they shared a laugh. The family outing comes after the pair spent a romantic weekend together in The Hamptons for July 4, before they jetted back to Los Angeles together. Arriving solo leaving together! Despite arriving in different vehicles they left together after lunch Doting mom: She spent quality one-on-one time with Emme Radiant: The JLo beauty founder showed off an expert tan and her usual flawless skin Amid the fizzling of her two-year engagement to Alex Rodriguez and her blossoming love with her new-old flame, Lopez seems to have ditched her Miami life to spend more time in Los Angeles. Additionally she was photographed touring ritzy private schools on the westside for her twins in recent months. And though it had been said they didn't want to 'rush' anything, according to a July 8 Us Weekly report the pair have plans to move in together 'very soon.' 'Ben and Jen are spending almost every night together when they're not working,' an insider said. 'They plan on moving in together very soon.' Inseparable: The duo reportedly spent every night together and Lopez was seen touring ritzy private schools in LA for her kids after ditching her Miami life Ripped! The Good Will Hunting actor showed off his bulging muscles in a grey shirt By his side: 'They're fully committed to taking the next steps and spending the rest of their lives together,' according to Us Weekly Doting: He was seen opening the door to his SUV for the superstar as they drove off together And on July 7 the publication reported that the formerly engaged pair are 'committed' to 'spending the rest of their lives together,' after realizing they've found 'true love.' 'They're fully committed to taking the next steps and spending the rest of their lives together...As far as they're both concerned, they're just blessed to have found each other and discovered true love, which most people can only ever dream about.' As she and Affleck continue to blend families (he shares children Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Samuel with ex Jennifer Garner) it has also been said that she 'intends to be an involved stepmom who's there for Ben in that area.' On Thursday another source told People that Ben is 'bonding,' with both kids swimmingly and that the couple continue to be 'beyond happy.' 'Happy': Sources have reported that Bennifer are 'beyond happy' and feel 'blessed' to have rekindled after their failed 2002 engagement Step dad? He looked to be the ultimate doting stepdad-to-be as he spent quality time with both he and Lopez's kids Step-siblings? Emme and Samuel were seen walking together after lunch Advertisement Penelope Cruz continued to enjoy her family holiday to Sardinia on Friday as she visited the beach with her husband Javier Bardem and their two children Leo, 10, and Luna, seven. The Spanish actress, 47, sizzled in a pink swimsuit, with an eye-catching blue and green pattern and one black strap, as she cooled off in the ocean. Looking glamorous in a pair of large dark sunglasses, Penelope enjoyed her time off as she paddled in the sea with her children and her actor husband, 52. Vacation: Penelope Cruz continued to enjoy her family holiday to Sardinia on Friday as she visited the beach with her husband Javier Bardem and their two children Leo, 10, and Luna, seven Penelope's fitted swimwear showcased her toned figure as she joined her husband for a dip. She wore her raven tresses in a carefree windswept style as she used her sunglasses to keep her tresses off of her face. Meanwhile, Javier went shirtless at the beach with a pair of black swimming trunks as he lifted his hands in the air and enjoyed the sunshine. Stunning: Penelope's fitted swimwear showcased her toned figure as she joined her husband for a dip Overjoyed: Javier went shirtless at the beach with a pair of black swimming trunks as he lifted his hands in the air and enjoyed the sunshine The Spanish actor is in Sardinia to shoot the new The Little Mermaid film, which will be directed by Rob Marshall. He will undertake the role of King Triton in the re-make alongside Halle Bailey who is set to star as Ariel. The No Country For Old Men star appeared to enjoy frolicking in the sea with his bombshell wife, who affectionately touched him on the arm. Latest project: The Spanish actor is in Sardinia to shoot the new The Little Mermaid film, which will be directed by Rob Marshall Penelope stayed close to her children as they headed into the water to cool off in the hot summer sun. Keeping an eye out for her family, Penelope was seen looking out to sea with a striped towel around her shoulders and denim hot pants over her swimsuit. When she returned to the beach, Penelope spent some quality time with her husband by the edge of the water. The doting parents looked out to sea to keep a watchful eye on the children, who Penelope sweetly applauded as they played. Mum duties: Penelope stayed close to her children as they headed into the water to cool off in the hot summer sun On the move: Keeping an eye out for her family, Penelope was seen looking out to sea with a striped towel around her shoulders and denim hot pants over her swimsuit Together: When she returned to the beach, Penelope spent some quality time with her husband by the edge of the water Mum and dad: The doting parents looked out to sea to keep a watchful eye on the children, who Penelope sweetly applauded as they played Penelope, who married Javier in 2010, recently spoke about her family life and approach to motherhood in an interview with Marie Claire Greece. The actress said that she and her husband are careful not to let their careers seep into their family life. 'Like any couple, we talk about our jobs, and consequently about our characters, about the way we handle this or that scene,' she clarified. 'Sometimes we exchange ideas, but when it comes to our jobs generally, we're not obsessed with work, we try to leave it at the door of the house. 'We're not obsessed with work': The outing comes after Penelope, who married Javier in 2010, recently spoke about her family life and approach to motherhood in an interview with Marie Claire Greece Important: 'Sometimes we exchange ideas, but when it comes to our jobs generally, we're not obsessed with work, we try to leave it at the door of the house,' she clarified Penelope also revealed that motherhood made her less worried about other people's opinions, confessing: 'When I was young, the way others saw me, be it positive or negative, had an enormous importance.' She continued: 'But becoming a mother made me aware that this was the most important mission of my life and that I wanted to accomplish it as best I could.' As she has grown older she has also adopted a different attitude to her work life, allowing herself more time to recharge. 'In my 20s, I was a total workaholic, I would even wake myself up in the middle of the night to respond to emails and things like that, and then I had to learn patience, rest, silence. The things that I appreciate a lot now,' she explained. Looking back: Penelope also revealed that motherhood made her less worried about other people's opinions, confessing: 'When I was young, the way others saw me, be it positive or negative, had an enormous importance.' Fresh off the news that The Witcher will make it's much-anticipated return in December, Netflix dropped the first trailer for season two on Friday. Picking up where the first season left off, Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a monster hunter for hire who was mutated and trained from an early age to slay deadly beasts, has finally met up with the exiled Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) in the two-minute teaser. Their relationship is expected to be the main focus of the fantasy drama's upcoming season, according to IndieWire. Teaser: Netflix dropped the first trailer for season two of The Witcher, which focuses on the relationship between Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) Season one, which jumped across several timelines, ended with Geralt and Ciri battling an army from the villainous Nilfgaardian Empire. Fast forward to the first teaser for season two, Geralt has a homecoming of sorts, when he heads back to his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, where he begins training sessions with Ciri, the crown princess of Cintra who possesses magical powers, to help her be better suited to 'a world that is changing.' 'Facing your fear is not easy but I am here for you,' he tells his protege, while he hands her a large sword. 'When I say run, you run. And when I say hide, you hide,' he tells her during their training. Grwoing relationship: Geralt tells Ciri she's 'much more' than his destiny in the opening Fearing danger: The pair take a journey to Geralt's childhood home of Kaer Morhen Home sweet home: Geralt announces 'we're home, finally' when they arrive at Kaer Morhen But the seemingly more tranquil home life would be short-lived when Geralt warns Ciri to 'run' when real danger arrives. While Yennefer was largely absent for much of the trailer, she did finally make an appearance in the final few moments. In its synopsis, Netflix described season two: 'Convinced Yennefer's life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen.' It adds, 'While the Continent's kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.' Greetings! Geralt gets a homecoming welcome moments after he and Ciri arrive Intense: Much of the trailer focuses on Geralt training Cirilla for battle 'Facing your fear is not easy but I am here for you,' Geralt tells his protege, while he hands her a large sword. Training: 'When I say run, you run. And when I say hide, you hide,' Geralt tells Ciri Characters like Phillipa, Lambert, and Vesemir will appear in the second season along with new monsters like the Leshy, according to IGN. The Witcher is an adaptation of the bestselling medieval fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski that was later adapted into a popular video game and comic book franchise of the same name. The first season was released in December of 2019 and received primarily positive critical attention, with much praise going towards Cavill's performance. A second season, consisting of eight episodes, is scheduled to be released on December 17, 2021 Making its mark: The first season was released in December of 2019 and received primarily positive critical attention, with much praise going towards Cavill's performance Ray Hadley has come to the defence of his fellow 2GB radio host, Ben Fordham, after the station took a hit in their ratings this week. The 66-year-old broadcaster backed up Fordham, 44, who has been the focus of the station's ratings plummet after he had the 'herculean' task of replacing Alan Jones in May of last year. 'Make no mistake, Ben is not Alan Jones, he never will be,' Hadley stated on Friday, according to the Herald Sun. 'Ben is not Alan Jones, he never will be': 2GB host Ray Hadley, 66, has defended his colleague Ben Fordham, 44 (pictured), as the radio station takes a hit in ratings and loses thousands of listeners 'He is Ben Fordham, doing a program that suits his style, his personality and if anyone thought that Ben Fordham was going to merely replicate the views of Alan Jones, they would be sadly mistaken,' he continued. The radio host went on to say that Ben has an 'entirely different view' on a 'range of matters' compared to himself and Alan Jones. 'That is the beauty of talkback radio,' Hadley added. 'We dont all just paddle the same canoe.' Different voices: Hadley went on to say that Ben has an 'entirely different view' on a 'range of matters' compared to himself and Alan Jones Since Ben's take over, the station has reportedly lost more than 90,000 listeners. In the latest ratings survey, the 2GB host's spot suffered a historic lost to the Kyle and Jackie O' show for the very first time. It was also the first time the station dropped from the top spot in Sydney's breakfast radio lineup since 2003, with critics blaming Fordham's more moderate political leanings. Many listeners also pointed fingers at the station for deliberately turning down on-air conservative voices and opinions. Brutal: Since Ben's take over, the station has reportedly lost more than 90,000 listeners. In the latest ratings survey, the 2GB host's spot suffered a historic lost to the Kyle and Jackie O' show for the very first time, with critics blaming Fordham's more moderate political leanings According to The Australian, citing several unnamed senior sources, the talkback network is concerned that 'woke' mobs on social media could lead to advertisers withdrawing. Before the latest ratings survey, Alan Jones, who has since been hosting his own program on Sky News Australia, indicated he'd be open to coming back to radio. The veteran broadcaster, 80, who retired last year after claiming the workload was 'detrimental' to his health, said he was pondering a 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,' he said. Too Hot To Handle's Francesca Farago put on a very affectionate display with Jesse Sullivan after enjoying dinner at Olivetta in West Hollywood. Months after her tumultuous split with ex-girlfriend Demi Sims, the 27-year-old reality star was seen sharing a passionate kiss with Sullivan, 31, as they waited for the valet to bring their car. While packing on the PDA, the Canada-based Instagram influencer was seen rocking a cropped black tank and matching high-waisted jeans. Packing on the PDA: Too Hot To Handle's Francesca Farago put on a very affectionate display with Jesse Sullivan after enjoying dinner at Olivetta in West Hollywood She styled her highlighted light brown hair in a trendy half-up, half-down hairstyle with loose bouncy curls. Meanwhile, Sullivan, who works as a social media influencer with more than 1.7 million TikTok followers, matched in an all-black ensemble. Farago's date also sported electric blue hair and drop earrings on their fun night out. Moving on: Months after her tumultuous split with ex-girlfriend Demi Sims, the 27-year-old reality star was seen sharing a passionate kiss with Sullivan, 31, as they waited for the valet to bring their car Chic: While packing on the PDA, the Canada-based Instagram influencer was seen rocking a cropped black tank and matching high-waisted jeans In April, Farago split with Sims after their four-month romance, which was documented on the British reality series TOWIE. During the whirlwind four-month relationship, the couple talked about marriage, moved in together within weeks of dating and got matching tattoos. A month after their breakup, Farago claimed Sims 'blocked her, deleted her and told her to leave London' in a lengthy YouTube video posted to her channel. Bold: Farago's date also sported electric blue hair and drop earrings on their night out Farago first announced they called it quits on her Instagram Story by posting a picture of roses with a lengthy caption. 'I really didn't want to have to address this today, but I am already getting attacked on social media so I might as well bite the bullet since I have no choice,' she began. The star continued: 'Demi and I are no longer together. We decided to go our separate ways this morning. Nothing bad happened. We were both loyal to one another and still love each other.' Prior to their relationship, Francesca dated Too Hot To Handle co-star Harry Jowsey, who broke off their engagement after one year together. Messy split: In April, Farago split with Sims after their four-month romance, which was documented on the British reality series TOWIE On the heels of a recent arrest following the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in Texas, Marry Millions star Bill Hutchinson is facing more allegations. The 63-year-old real estate developer has now been hit with new charges from two 16-year-old girls in California, one of which claimed he 'raped' her while she was 'unconscious,' during an April vacation in Laguna Beach. There is now an active arrest warrant for Hutchinson in Orange County, but his lawyer Dan Hagood called the teen's story 'fantastical,' and claim it was monetarily motivated, per TMZ. More assault charges: Marrying Millions star Bill Hutchinson, 63, hit with more sexual assault charges from two 16-year-old girls in Orange County, following his arrest for incident with 17-year-old girl in Texas; pictured 2019 Two 16-year-old girls claim that over the span of two Laguna Beach vacations with him in April, Hutchinson took advantage of them. Prosecutors from the Orange County D.A.'s office say Bill raped one of the girls while she was unconscious and committed four acts of sexual battery against her. When that female was said to have refused to return for a second vacation, he reportedly returned to his vacation home with the other girl where he allegedly committed sexual battery against her. He now has been charged with 1 felony count of rape of an unconscious person, and 5 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. Texas mugshot: On Tuesday July 6, Bill was arrested in Texas for the assault of a 17-year-old girl in May who said the real estate developer molested her after she passed out on the couch at his home If convicted he will face a maximum sentence of 8 years in state prison and 2.5 years in Orange County jail. His legal team say that they will fight the charges in court, and they additionally claim that the alleged victim's story is motivated by greed as he boasts a multi-million dollar fortune. On Tuesday July 6, Hutchinson was arrested in Texas for reportedly molesting a 17-year-old girl who was passed out on the couch at his home in Highland Park in May. She said he plied her with alcohol and marijuana and in the morning she woke up in a daze to find him sexually assaulting her. That victim also claimed he gave both substances to a number of other younger women. Bill's camp claim the 17-year-old is the same accuser as one of the Laguna Beach accusers, and called the story 'fantastical' as she would have been assaulted twice while unconscious in the span of consecutive months. 'Fantastical': Bill's camp claim the 17-year-old is the same accuser as one of the Laguna Beach accusers, and called the story 'fantastical' as she would have been assaulted twice while unconscious in the span of consecutive months; pictured 2019 Younger women: Bill - who got engaged to Brianna 'Bri' Ramirez (R, pictured May 15) during season two of the Lifetime show has now been hit with assault charges from three teens in two different states Following his Texas arrest, he was released on $30K bond and will not face charges for assaulting a minor because the age of consent is 17 in Texas. Prior to the California charges Bill had also maintained his innocence. 'Anyone who knows me in this city knows that I am not capable of assault, sexual or otherwise,' he said, according to the Morning News. Bill shot to fame on the Lifetime show Marrying Millions, which chronicled his relationship with Brianna 'Bri' Ramirez a hostess at a Dallas restaurant who he met when she was 21. They got engaged on season two of the show and his now 23-year-old fiancee gushed as recently as April 14: 'Thank you for being there for me when life takes unexpected turns. Thank you for giving me a chance to regroup.' As recent as April 14, Hutchinson's 23-year-old fiancee gushed: 'Thank you for being there for me when life takes unexpected turns. Thank you for giving me a chance to regroup' Father-of-five: Bri is younger than the Detroit-born businessman's three daughters - Holly, 32; Rachel, 30; and Tess, 28 - from his first marriage to Kathleen (pictured October 25) Yikes: Bill also has two younger children - Annebelle, 16; and King, 11 - from his second marriage to Kandis (pictured November 27) Bri is younger than the Detroit-born businessman's three daughters - Holly, 32; Rachel, 30; and Tess, 28 - from his first marriage to Kathleen. He also has two younger children - Annebelle, 16; and King, 11 - from his second marriage to a woman named Kandis. On June 11, his commercial real estate investment firm, Dunhill Partners, announced that Andy Crosland would take over as president of his real estate company with Hutchinson remaining on as chairman of the board. 'I am happy to pass the torch to Andy, who is a born leader with the talent to back it up,' the Southern Methodist University grad said in a statement. 'He and I have talked about making this move for the past couple of years, and now is the perfect time.' Former Below Deck Mediterranean star Hannah Ferrier has slammed Real Housewives of Orange County alum Kelly Dodd. After Kelly admitted that she and husband Rick Leventhal caught COVID-19 at a packed New Year's Eve party over the holidays, Hannah branded the 45-year-old a 'f**king moron'. 'If you went to a NYE party with 30+ people then you gave yourself covid you f**king moron,' Hannah, 34, wrote according to Reality Blurb. Outspoken: Former Below Deck Mediterranean star Hannah Ferrier (pictured) has slammed Real Housewives of Orange County alum Kelly Dodd The comment was left on a video of Kelly publicly apologising for claiming that she and Rick had contracted the virus from fellow reality star Heather Dubrow's son Nicholas, 16. Kelly posted the video on Instagram on Tuesday after receiving a legal letter from the Dubrow family's attorney. 'So I got this letter from an attorney for the Dubrow family reminding me I made a statement that may sound like truth, when in fact it was a joke and for that, I am offering my sincere apology,' the 45-year-old Dodd explained. Slammed: After Kelly admitted that she and husband Rick Leventhal caught COVID-19 at a packed New Year's Eve party over the holidays, Hannah branded the 45-year-old a 'f**king moron' 'If you went to a NYE party with 30+ people then you gave yourself covid you f**king moron,' Hannah, 34, wrote on the Best of Bravo account, according to Reality Blurb Kelly and Rick, who married in October 2020, got the coronavirus in January after ringing in the New Year in Aspen, Colorado. Holding up the legal letter she had received , the reality star shared: 'I did get COVID at a party New Year's Eve, and Heather Dubrow's son and his friends were all there. 'And while I had information leading us all to believe we could've gotten COVID from them, because we all, like 24 of us, got COVID that night, we obviously have no way of proving or knowing for sure he or his friends were the source of our infection.' Sorry: Kelly posted a video to Instagram Tuesday in which she publicly apologized for claiming she and husband Rick Leventhal contracted COVID-19 from fellow reality star Heather Dubrow's son Nicholas, 16 Legal warning: 'So I got this letter from an attorney for the Dubrow family reminding me I made a statement that may sound like truth, when in fact it was a joke and for that, I am offering my sincere apology,' the 45-year-old Real Housewives of Orange County alum explained. Kelly added: 'And for that, I apologize. I'm going on the record right now to be very clear, Rick and I don't know how we caught the virus, and we're both very very sorry for any trouble we caused the Dubrow family.' Meanwhile, in late June, Dodd's daughter Jolie, 15 also got COVID-19. Dodd had faced intense backlash last year for her controversial COVID-19 opinions and later toasted to being a 'super-spreader' while at a bar with friends amid strict lockdown and social distancing measures in California. Couple: Kelly and Rick, who married in October 2020, got the coronavirus in January after ringing in the New Year in Aspen, Colorado, and attending a party Public mea cupla: 'I'm going on the record right now to be very clear, Rick and I don't know how we caught the virus, and we're both very very sorry for any trouble we caused the Dubrow family,' Dodd said (Heather Dubrow pictured in 2018) And on June 16, Variety confirmed that Kelly, along with Braunwyn Windham-Burke and Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, would not be appearing in season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. At the time, Kelly tweeted: 'The last five years have been an amazing experience. The next five years will be even better. I am so grateful for all the love and support and so excited about the future.' Ironically, Dubrow was invited back to the Bravo reality show after taking four seasons off following season 11. The ugly split between the Oldfields is still ongoing as Lisa's mother takes David to court. Christine Johnston, whose daughter is most known for her appearance on The Real Housewives of Sydney, is seeking to bankrupt her former son-in-law and father to her two grandchildren over an unpaid loan. David, 63, a politician and co-founder of One Nation, was reportedly loaned 'hundreds of thousands' of dollars from his former mother-in-law in 2014. Legal battle: The mother of Real Housewives of Sydney star, Lisa Oldfield (right), 46, has taken her former son-in-law and One Nation founder, David Oldfield (left), 63, to court over an 'unpaid loan' According to The Sydney Morning Herald, David confirmed there was 'bankruptcy proceedings in the Federal Court' undertaken by Christine. The politician stated that he is unable to repay the loan as all of his assets were tied up in other court cases. The hearing for the matter has been scheduled for July 27. Messy: David confirmed there was 'bankruptcy proceedings in the Federal Court' undertaken by his former mother-in-law, Christine. The politician said that he is unable to repay the loan as all of his assets were tied up in other court cases David and Lisa, 46, were previously married for 19 years and have two sons together. The relationship of the high-profile couple came to a head when they split in 2019 after their appearance on reality program, I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here. In 2017, Lisa opened up about the couple's sexual relationship on her show, The Real Housewives of Sydney, after her ex-husband publicly revealed they hadn't had sex in a year and slept in separate beds. Airing their dirty laundry: The relationship of the high-profile couple came to a head when they split in 2019. Lisa also opened up about the couple's sexual relationship after her ex-husband revealed they hadn't had sex in a year and slept in separate beds in 2017 Lisa more recently had a messy breakup with her ex-boyfriend, James Laws, in September of 2020. The couple were together for 18 months and engaged. But after their breakup, Lisa posted a video of herself flushing her engagement ring down the toilet. She then uploaded a cryptic meme to her Instagram page three months later. The meme, which was taken from the HBO TV series True Detective, captured a scene where the character of Rust Cohle - a homicide detective played by Matthew McConaughey - tells a woman who murdered her children to kill herself. Australian broadcaster Jonathan Coleman died, aged 65, following a four-year battle with prostate cancer. According to his family, the Studio 10 presenter passed away peacefully on Friday night. 'Jono and I have been soulmates for close to 40 years,' his wife Margot said in a statement. Australian broadcaster Jonathan Coleman died on Friday night following a four-year battle with prostate cancer 'We have been fortunate to live a rich and wonderful life and I have been lucky enough to watch up-close someone with enormous talent and the special gift to make people laugh,' she continued. 'I will miss him beyond words and with the support of our gorgeous children, Oscar and Emily, and their partners, we will continue to live in the manner he wanted. 'When I asked Jono recently how he wanted to be remembered, he said, "For doing a good deed every day." Such was the generosity and caring nature of the love of my life.' His son Oscar, also opened up about the loss by sharing a photo of himself and his late father smiling with their arms around each other. 'Love you dad. Rest in peace,' he captioned it. 'Love you dad': His son Oscar, also opened up about the loss by sharing a photo of himself and his late father smiling with their arms around each other Tributes from celebrities have also poured in, including one from Jono's former Studio 10 co-star Jessica Rowe. 'My heart breaks today remembering the joyful Jono Coleman,' she wrote on Instagram. 'He spread love & laughter wherever he went. The most Ive ever laughed was when he covered himself in sausages to lead a dachshund race on Melbourne Cup day. Im sending all my love to Margot & Oscar & Emily. Vale Jono.' Tributes: Tributes from celebrities have also poured in, including one from Jono's former Studio 10 co-star Jessica Rowe 'My heart breaks today remembering the joyful Jono Coleman,' Jessica wrote on Instagram. 'He spread love & laughter wherever he went' Coleman had an illustrious career in the UK and Australia spanning both television and radio. He got his start as a presenter in 1979 on the afternoon children's program Simon Townsend's Wonder World. After stints at Triple J and Triple M, Coleman headed over to the UK to continue his radio career. In recent years, he's been best known for his work on Channel 10's morning show, Studio 10. In recent years, Coleman's become best known for his work on Channel 10's morning show, Studio 10 He was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in June 2017. During a segment on 2GB in 2018, Jono said: 'I don't know if I'll ever be clear of [the cancer]... it's virtually gone, but I don't believe that.' He went on to claim that his former GP failed to detect his cancer early, alleging that they only performed a blood test and insisted a digital examination wasn't necessary. Health battle: In 2018, Jono revealed to Studio 10 that he had been secretly battling prostate cancer since June 2017. (Pictured: Jono with wife Margot, right, and Sarah Harris) 'My message, I guess, to people and men all over Australia is "get yourself checked". If you're not happy with just the PSA test or the blood test, say, "I want a digital examination",' Jonathan told radio host Steve Price. In an interview with Sydney Confidential back in 2019, Jonathan revealed that his cancer had spread. 'It has gone from the prostate and there's some spots in my lower back and upper shoulders... but it is treatable,' he said at the time. Joshua Jackson became a first-time dad when he and wife Jodie Turner-Smith welcomed daughter Janie in April 2020. And the Canadian actor recently opened up to UsWeekly about how the experience of being a parent has reshaped his perspective on acting. 'A whole new world of things has just opened up to me in experiencing fatherhood and this magical, joyful, chaotic, stressful anxiety-inducing love that you did not know you had the capacity for,' the Dawson's Creek alum shared, before adding, 'It just expands every single day.' "A whole new world': Joshua Jackson, 43, opened up about how fatherhood is reshaping his acting career in a new interview with Us Weekly First-time dad: The Dawson's Creek alum described his fatherhood experience as 'magical, joyful, chaotic, stressful anxiety-inducing love that you did not know you had the capacity for' Jackson went on to note that 'an actors life informs everything they do and the choices that they make for a given scene, project, and career as a whole.' The 43-year-old gave fans rare insight on life at home with his one-year-old daughter while promoting his new Peacock crime drama series, Dr. Death, which is based on a podcast of the same name. Jackson, who was cast as the sinister, Dr. Christopher Duntsch, went on to reveal that his daughter's birth was a key factor in whether he would be able to take the leading role in the show. Growing family; The couple have been married since December 2019, and welcomed their daughter, Janie, to the world in April 2020; they are pictured in February 2020 'If it had been six months earlier, I wouldn't have taken the job because Jodie was still pregnant and I really wanted to obviously be there for all of that,' he explained to Us Weekly. 'This job was, like, cosmically the right job because it came at exactly the moment where it worked for me and I felt like I had the emotional bandwidth.' It turns out 50 Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan was originally cast as Dr. Christopher Duntsch, but he had to drop out of the project when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the shooting schedule. Lasting affect: Jackson noted that 'an actors life informs everything they do and the choices' that they make for a given scene, project, and career as a whole; the couple is pictured in the Soho neighborhood of New York City in April 2021 The Affair star gushed about his family and home home, and that he was grateful he had a 'beautiful wife [and] beautiful baby' to return to while shooting such a 'heavy' project. 'My life is very warm and supportive,' he happily admitted. Dr. Death also stars Alec Baldwin, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, Dominic Burgess, Grace Gummer. Molly Griggs, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Maryann Plunkett, and Carrie Preston. On Thursday, Jackson was among the cast and crew who attended a pre-screening reception of the premiere of at NeueHouse in Los Angeles. Dr. Death makes its debut on Peacock on July 15, 2021. Meshel Laurie is one of Australia's funniest comedians and most popular podcasters. And on Friday night, she surprised fans by sharing a picture of her slimmed-down self after a live show in Melbourne. It was one of the first photos of herself that the 47-year-old had posted on social media all year, so fans were shocked by her new appearance. Before and after: Meshel Laurie is one of Australia's funniest comedians and most popular podcasters. And on Friday night, she surprised fans by sharing a picture of her slimmed-down self after a live show in Melbourne Posting to Instagram, Meshel shared a photo alongside her podcast co-host Emily, donning an all-black ensemble and showing off her svelte new figure. 'Great show last night in Ringwood. Emily and I will be talking True Crime again on September 10 at the Yarraville Club. 'Link for tix in my bio. As you can see, we are two ladies who are quite pleased to be dressed up and out of the house,' she captioned the shot. Trim: Posting to Instagram, Meshel (right) shared a photo alongside her podcast co-host Emily (left), donning an all-black ensemble and showing off her svelte new figure SUPPORT: Meanwhile, fans flocked to the post to share kind words in celebration of her healthy new look. 'Meshel, you are looking incredible - love your whole look and you are absolutely glowing,' one wrote Meanwhile, fans flocked to the post to share kind words in celebration of her healthy new look. 'Meshel, you are looking incredible - love your whole look and you are absolutely glowing,' one wrote. 'Regardless of what body size you are, you always look happiest doing what you love and its GREAT to see,' a second added. One fan went as far as to say the star was almost unrecognisable, commenting 'I dont mean to come across as anything but endearing but is that you on the right?' Meshel is pictured during an interview on YouTube back in 2015 Earlier this year, Meshel left her role at Wollongong radio station. She is best known for appearing on The Project over the years, voicing radio and selling out comedy shows. She now hosts the popular podcast, Australian True Crime. In 2017, she called out AFL WAG Rebecca Judd during an on-air chat with co-host Matt Tilley. Flashback: Meshel was larger during her time on The Project years ago (pictured) At the time she quipped: 'There's no photos of me holding my newborn twins in a bikini' before stating: 'God her body makes me mad.' Bec, who is married to AFL star Chris Judd, posted a snap of her slender post-baby body in a bikini five weeks after welcoming her twin boys in September 2016. The image appeared to leave Meshel fuming. 'You know I love Bec Judd as a person, but Im furious with her body. Shes so funny and kooky and great, but god her body makes me mad,' Meshel laughed. 'Shes so funny and weird she should really be a fat chick. Shes got the personality of a fantastic fat chick. She should be an honorary fat chick.' Chandler Powell has called Australia home after finding love with wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin eight years ago. Not only is he part of the Irwin family, but also part of their Australia Zoo team, taking part in their famed croc show on Thursday. The 24-year-old was centre stage at the zoo's Crocoseum - in Beerwah, Queensland - alongside is brother-in-law Robert Irwin. Making Steve proud! Chandler Powell (pictured) took centre stage at Australia Zoo's Crocoseum alongside his brother-in-law Robert Irwin on Thursday He and Robert, 17, waved to audiences in the grandstands as they ran through a smoke machine, making for a dramatic entrance into the arena. Chandler dressed in Australia Zoo's classic khaki uniform - a button up shirt with his name embroidered across - and sneakers, along with a microphone headset. He looked ecstatic as he greeted the crowd on the last day of school holidays. Big welcome: The 24-year-old and Robert, 17, (pictured) wave to audiences in the grandstands as ran through a smoke machine for a dramatic entrance into the arena Dressed to impress: Chandler dressed in Australia Zoo's classic khaki uniform, along with a microphone headset. He looked ecstatic as he greeted the crowd Introduction: At one point Robert knelt down and spoke earnestly - likely about the crocodile they were about to introduce to the crowd - as Chandler followed suit behind him Dangerous work: The former pro wakeboarder tried to coax out the croc from the water by waving a carcass above the water, as Robert stood behind him in support At one point Robert knelt down and spoke earnestly - likely about the crocodile they were about to introduce to the crowd - as Chandler followed suit behind him. The former pro wakeboarder tried to coax out the croc from the water by waving a carcass above the water, as Robert stood behind him in support. The teen Wildlife Warrior then took over from his in-law and encouraged the croc to slither out of the pool. Coaxing: He made his way closer to the edge of the croc's pool wit the carcass in hand He's a big guy! The teen Wildlife Warrior then took over from his in-law and encouraged the croc to slither out of the pool Putting on a show! The reptile made its way out onto the grass as it followed Robert with the carcass. It was almost a close call for Steve Irwin's look-a-like son, but he dropped the carcass into the croc's jaws Presenting: Chandler was seen animatedly talking to the audience The reptile made its way out onto the grass as it followed Robert with the carcass. It was almost a close call for Steve Irwin's look-a-like son, but he dropped the carcass into the croc's jaws. Chandler was seen animatedly talking to the audience as Robert coaxed the animal back into the water. Jumping in! Robert then coaxed the animal back into the water and quickly jumped into the pool All in a day's work: He splashed about in the water to entice the crocodile Soaked: As he got the creature back in, Robert quickly made his way out of the water looking drenched He quickly jumped into the pool and splashed about in the water to entice the crocodile to back in the pool. After getting the creature back in, Robert quickly made his way out of the water looking drenched. Notably missing from the show was Bindi and Terri Irwin. Its likely they were taking time out to take care of Bindi's four-month-old daughter, Grace, and keeping out of the spotlight following a family feud. Old wounds: Last month, Bindi Irwin (pictured) made headlines when she spoke about her strained relationship with Bob, 82, in a scathing Facebook post. She claimed he has shown 'no interest in spending time with me or my family' Last month, Bindi made headlines when she spoke about her strained relationship with Bob, 82, in a scathing Facebook post. She claimed he has shown 'no interest in spending time with me or my family'. While Bob has yet to publicly respond to the accusations, members of his inner circle did fire back at Bindi. Feud: Bob (pictured in October 2016) has yet to publicly respond to the accusations, but members of his inner circle fired back. Bethany Wheeler, another granddaughter of Bob's by marriage, said on Facebook: 'I read some absolutely appalling comments by Bindi today!' Bethany Wheeler, another granddaughter of Bob's by marriage, declared on Facebook: 'The time has come to speak up.' 'I read some absolutely appalling comments by Bindi today! Feel free to share this post (I will make it public) as we have all been silent... for too long,' she wrote. On June 21, Bindi shared a photo on Instagram of herself cuddling Grace and said she was 'working hard' to protect her mental health. Taking time out: On June 21, Bindi shared a photo on Instagram of herself cuddling Grace and said she was 'taking a break from social media' and 'working hard' to protect her mental health She wrote: 'Hi guys, Just a note to say thank you for your support. I'm taking a break from social media and most of my work in the public eye for a month to be with my beautiful daughter and my wonderful family. 'I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal). You can keep up with our adventures by following my family and Australia Zoo on social media,' as part of her statement. Bindi and husband Chandler announced their daughter's birth on March 26, just one day after she was born on their first wedding anniversary. Ita Buttrose's niece Lizzie revealed she is engaged, for the ninth time. According to The Daily Telegraph, the former Sydney socialite is head over heels with fiance number nine, yacht builder Allen Mitchell, who is based in Key West, Florida. Over the past several months, Lizzie has shared glimpses of their romance and engagement on her Instagram. Ninth time lucky? Ita Buttrose's niece Lizzie (left) is engaged for the ninth time to American yacht builder Allen Mitchell (ight) according to The Daily Telegraph on Saturday On February 17, she posted a photo of what appeared to be a gold band - possibly her engagement ring - from H.Stern Jewellers. She wrote in the caption: 'And just like that... even in an alleged 'pandemic' I am still good at something. #love I love you. @ocean_mitch. Multiple friends congratulated her on the happy news, further pointing to an engagement. He put a ring on her! On February 17, she posted a photo of what appeared to be a gold band - possibly her engagement ring. She wrote in the caption: 'And just like that... even in an alleged 'pandemic' I am still good at something' Allen also shared a post in the hours following Lizzie's announcement, posting a candid photo of her. He wrote in the caption: 'Not sure how this happen but this beautiful Australian has stolen my heart. Now if they would just open the travel restrictions. I can wrap her up I my arms,' he wrote, adding '#covidsucksass' and '#luckyman'. Following the engagement announcement, Lizzie shared another photo of Allen with the loved up caption that read: 'This man! I actually smiled today! I know! I don't smile. BUT, @ocean_mitch my forever!' Romance: Allen also shared a post in the hours following Lizzie's announcement, posting a candid photo of her He wrote the caption: 'Not sure how this happen but this beautiful Australian has stolen my heart. Now if they would just open the travel restrictions. I can wrap her up I my arms' Just days before her engagement announcement, she posted a photo of Allen on with the caption: 'Happy Valentine's Day baby. I love you. @ocean_mitch.' The romance comes after her past failed engagement with Queensland farmer Lee Dilkes in March 2020, which was called off some time after. Prior to Dilkes she was engaged to cage-fighter Zoran Stopar in 2019, who was the seventh man she has been engaged to. Former flame: The romance comes after her past failed engagement with Queensland farmer Lee Dilkes (left) in March 2020, which was called off some time after Vanessa Paradis slipped into a beautiful floral dress when she attended the photocall for her upcoming flick Cette Musique Ne Joue Pour Personne (This Music Does Not Play For Anyone) at the Cannes Film Festival 2021 on Saturday. Stamped with multi-coloured flowers and boasting chic wraparound detailing, Vanessa, 48, layered a white lace top beneath her shin-grazing gown and added height to her frame in a pair of open-toe red heels. The French star was joined at the event by her husband Samuel Benchetrit - who directed the forthcoming film - and appeared in high spirits, giggling away while posing for photographers. Wow: Vanessa Paradis, 48, slipped into a beautiful floral dress when she attended the photocall for her upcoming flick at the Cannes Film Festival 2021 on Saturday Vanessa wore her blonde hair loose and kept the sunshine at bay behind a chic pair of aviator sunglasses. She accessorised with layers of pendant necklaces and was also sporting a bright red manicure and matching pedicure. The mother-of-two stars in the comedy alongside actors including Gustave Kervern, Francois Damiens and Bouli Lanners, with the plot following the residents of a port city in the north of France who discover the beauty of art and love. Vanessa - who shares children Lily-Rose and Jack - with ex Johnny Depp - wed her French director beau in 2018 after a two-year romance. Layers: Stamped with multi-coloured flowers and boasting chic wraparound detailing, Vanessa layered a white lace top beneath her shin-grazing gown Standing tall: Vanessa added height to her frame in a pair of open-toe red heels Working relationship: The French star was joined at the event by her husband Samuel Benchetrit - who directed the forthcoming film All in the details: She accessorised with layers of pendant necklaces and was also sporting a bright red manicure and matching pedicure She and actor Johnny, 58, were together for 14 years and the pair parted ways in 2012. The Hollywood actor discussed their split with Rolling Stone magazine at the time, explaining: 'Relationships are very difficult. Especially in the racket that I'm in because you're constantly away or they're away and so it's hard. It wasn't easy on her. 'It wasn't easy on me. It wasn't easy on the kids. So, yeah. The trajectory of that relationship - you play it out until it goes, one thing leads to another. ' Sunshine at bay: Vanessa wore her blonde hair loose and kept the sunshine at bay behind a chic pair of aviator sunglasses Happy to be there: Vanessa appeared in high spirits, giggling away while posing for photographers Working her best angles: The mother-of-two worked her best angles when attending the photocall over the weekend Samuel, a director and screenwriter, was previously married to late actress Marie Trintignant, with whom he shared son Jules, 21. He also has daughter Saul, 12, from his relationship with ex Anna Mouglalis. Meanwhile, Johnny remains entangled in a hostile court battle against ex-wife Amber Heard four years after their divorce was finalized. The couple's split has drawn significant media attention due to the domestic abuse allegations against Johnny, who later launched defamation cases against British tabloid The Sun and his former wife. Giggling away: The French star could barely stop smiling when she stepped out on Saturday Sophie Monk has revealed that she plans to sing at her own wedding. The TV host, 41, who is engaged to Joshua Gross, told News Corp on Saturday that she just couldn't help herself if the occasion arose. 'If I've got a crowd there, I can't help but perform as well. I just will. I'm a bit of a show pony like that. And I've realised it's about him as well, it's not all about me!' she said. Ready to sing: Sophie Monk (right) has revealed that she plans to sing at her own wedding. The TV host, 41, who is engaged to Joshua Gross (left) told News Corp on Saturday that she just couldn't help herself if the occasion arose Sophie added that the pair will keep their big day 'low key' and casual. 'I'm very low-key, unless it's for work, when I'm always dressing up. I think we're just going to keep it quiet, low-key, and no drama for anyone,' she told the paper. 'I just want it to be an amazing day between us,' Sophie added. Wedding bells! Sophie added that the pair will keep their big day 'low key' and casual. It comes after Sophie confirmed her engaged to Joshua on January 15, after months of speculation It comes after Sophie confirmed her engaged to Joshua on January 15, after months of speculation. The couple first met on a flight from Europe to Australia in August 2018, and shared a kiss after enjoying 'three champagnes' in business class. They grew closer when Joshua helped Sophie recover after endometriosis surgery in November. Around this time, she also began the process of freezing her eggs. Sweet: The couple held an intimate engagement party at their home in April with just a handful of guests She also revealed the couple would consider adopting a child if they struggled to fall pregnant. The couple held an intimate engagement party at their home in April with just a handful of guests. Flanked by a sign bearing their names, the pair kissed as they stood beside silver and white balloons. Gabi Grecko has sensationally claimed that despite his flashy lifestyle, her former husband Geoffrey Edelsten was broke during their marriage. Appearing on A Current Affair on Saturday, the rapper, 32, said that the late doctor had to 'save up' to buy her new clothes and sold off his expensive cars. She told the program: 'What people don't know is I lived the lifestyle for probably a month. I arrived in Australia and he had all his cars, he had the penthouse. Money matters: Gabi Grecko has sensationally claimed that despite his flashy lifestyle, her former husband Geoffrey Edelsten was broke during their marriage. Pictured together in 2015 'But I had to go to New York, because every three months I had to go back to New York. And then I came back, and all the cars were gone. 'When I wanted to dress or something, he would be like, "You know, we have to save for it". Gabi went on to say that she would not be contesting the will - because there's no money to be had. Dollars: Appearing on A Current Affair on Saturday, the rapper, 32, said that the late doctor had to 'save up' to buy her new clothes and sold off his expensive cars. 'When I wanted to dress or something, he would be like, "You know, we have to save for it"' Gabi said Drama: 'I lived the lifestyle for probably a month... Every three months I had to go back to New York. And then I came back, and all the cars were gone,' she said 'It's very like comedy, when people like talk about, like, me inheriting money. I'm like, no. More like I'm inheriting millions of dollars of debt. 'I was still married to him when he died, and I'm his widow. And I'll produce documents if needed, but I don't want anything, and I've made that clear.' The Allied Medical Group founder was found dead at the age of 78 by a cleaner at his Melbourne apartment on Friday, June 11 - which coincidentally was the anniversary of his wedding to Grecko. Claims: Gabi went on to say that she would not be contesting the will - because there's no money to be had. 'It's very like comedy, when people like talk about, like, me inheriting money. I'm like, no. More like I'm inheriting millions of dollars of debt.' Pictured in 2014 For the last three years of Edelsten's life, the couple - who were separated but, according to Grecko, not legally divorced - lived in different countries, with Edelsten based in Australia while Grecko resided in New York City. The death of Edelsten, who had been declared bankrupt in Australia and the U.S., revealed a messy financial and personal situation, with multiple parties expected to make a claim on his estate. Whether the former doctor had a fortune upon his death is unknown, but in 2011 he claimed to have made $100 million by selling his medical group. Natalie Bassingthwaighte has shared candid details of her battle with depression. In an interview with Stellar this week, the pop star and actress says she quit taking anti-depressants without medical help and experienced 'hell' as a result. 'I didn't get the proper help. I didn't slowly go off it, as you should. Note to people: don't ever do this because it doesn't work,' the 45-year-old said. Recovery: Natalie Bassingthwaighte (pictured) has shared candid details of her battle with depression. In an interview with Stellar this week, the pop star and actress says she quit taking anti-depressants without medical help and experienced 'hell' as a result 'It is like you are in a vortex. I couldn't get out of bed. I was frightened of talking to anybody or of people seeing me. 'I could hardly put a sentence together. It was about six weeks of hell' she added. Natalie went on to say that she sometimes worries that her daughter Harper, 10, has inherited her struggles with anxiety. Lessons: 'I didn't get the proper help. I didn't slowly go off it, as you should. Note to people: don't ever do this because it doesn't work,' the 45-year-old said. 'It is like you are in a vortex. I couldn't get out of bed. I was frightened of talking to anybody or of people seeing me' 'I see my daughter have anxiety sometimes and I'm like, 'Damn, that better not be from me.'' But of course, it is going to be from me and my ancestry,' she said. 'It gives me an appreciation of how to be able to support her through what she's going through and to give her the tools'. Natalie added that she is doing better and 'feels amazing' these days, but still has 'highs and lows'. Concerns: Natalie went on to say that she sometimes worries that her daughter Harper, 10, (right) has inherited her struggles with anxiety Help: 'I see my daughter have anxiety sometimes and I'm like, 'Damn, that better not be from me.'' But of course, it is going to be from me and my ancestry,' she said. 'It gives me an appreciation of how to be able to support her through what she's going through and to give her the tools' 'It just doesn't stop, and it doesn't stop just because you take a tablet, either Years ago, I was terrified to talk about it. Now I'm not at all,' she said. 'I thought no-one will employ me or everyone will judge me. But now I'm like, you know what, I'm a very hard worker, I'm a nice person and this is one of the things that I have that I work on a lot. I'm OK with that'. The former Neighbours star moved to Byron Bay last year after wanting a change from her hectic life in Melbourne and wanting a more laid-back lifestyle. Better: Natalie added that she is doing better and 'feels amazing' these days, but still has 'highs and lows'. 'It just doesn't stop, and it doesn't stop just because you take a tablet, either Years ago, I was terrified to talk about it. Now I'm not at all,' she said Speaking to WHO magazine in March, she said she had an overwhelming feeling her family needed to move there. 'I'd done a retreat up here four years ago and just had this overwhelming feeling that we needed to move here. Then, six months before Covid-19 hit, we did it,' she said. Natalie is married to her Rogue Traders bandmate Cameron McGlinchey and they share two children, daughter Harper, 10, and son Hendrix, seven. For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 Hugh Grant and his wife Anna Eberstein took a trip down memory lane on Saturday as they enjoyed a meal at the Colbert Restaurant in Chelsea. After dining at the restaurant following their 2018 wedding ceremony, Hugh, 60, and Anna, 41, were feeling nostalgic as they dressed up for their date night. The actor cut a smart figure in a blue shirt, which he kept slightly unbuttoned, and a pair of dark trousers while his wife went for a similar crisp shirt yet paired her look with a thigh-skimming mini and chic espadrilles. Memory lane: Hugh Grant and his wife Anna Eberstein cut smart figures as they enjoyed a meal at the Colbert Restaurant in Chelsea - where they dined on their wedding day Topping off the look, Hugh opted for a pair of brown suede shoes - and he was later seen wearing a black jumper over his shirt. His Swedish wife put on a leggy display, donning a three-quarter sleeved white shirt and a dark blue buttoned denim skirt. She added to her height with wedged leg-tie sandals that were colour-matched with her skirt. Anna carried with her a small clutch bag and styled her caramel hair loose. Dinner date: The actor cut a smart figure in a blue shirt and his Swedish wife put on a leggy display, donning a three-quarter sleeved white shirt The pair wed in 2018 at Chelsea register office near their 10m west London home. Their trip down memory lane comes after Hugh hit back at an internet claim he only married Anna 'for passport reasons'. The star came across the claim listed as part of a Google search last month and, taking issue with it, set the record straight on Twitter. Firing back, Hugh insisted that the reason why he and his wife tied the knot was because of 'love'. Smart pair: Hugh topped off his look with a pair of brown suede shoes and Anna accentuated her height with wedged leg-tie sandals He shared a screenshot of the search results for his wife Anna's full name, which brought up an online article, published by site Nicki Swift in December 2020, claiming he married Anna for 'passport reasons'. The Bridget Jones's Diary actor married for the first time three years ago and the article quotes him stating in an interview with USA Today that he and Anna believe marriage is a 'pretty preposterous social construct', before discussing their different names on their passports. Happy couple: The pair wed in 2018 at Chelsea register office near their 10million West London home Hugh, who shares three children with TV producer Anna, said while discussing getting married: 'I didn't like going through immigration into countries where they'd say, "Everyone with a Grant passport over here, and all the others through there." '[Anna] went through with the nannies. That seemed all wrong.' However, Hugh - who previously dated Elizabeth Hurley - has now insisted that he actually didn't marry for practical reasons and married for love. Having his say: The couple's trip down memory lane comes after husband Hugh hit back at an internet claim he only married her 'for passport reasons' After coming across the search screengrab, Hugh shared it via Twitter and fired back: 'No I didnt, @internet. I married her because I love her.' Not stopping there, Hugh was then seen hitting back at a person who joked he had 'forgotten' his wife and needed to Google her. They had tweeted in response to Hugh: 'Did Hugh Grant forget who his wife is and have to Google it?' Again, clearing up any confusion, Hugh firmly responded: 'No. A friend sent it to me.' Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough) has shared a rare look at her private life at home. In a series Instagram Stories posted on Saturday, the 37-year-old revealed she had been filling up the family album while in lockdown. In one image, the shoe designer shared a series of photos of her daughter Harper, one, and husband Karl Stefanovic, 47. Lockdown: Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough) has shared a rare look at her private life at home. In a series Instagram Stories posted on Saturday, the 37-year-old revealed she was being driven mad by Harper watching The Wiggles She also had some fun with filters, posting images of herself, Karl and Harper wearing elf ears. 'Wiggles on repeat making me crazy,' she joked in one caption, while she said she was doing some 'lockdown arts and crafts' in another. Jasmine welcomed her first child, daughter Harper, last year. Sweet: In one image, the shoe designer shared a series of photos of her daughter Harper, one, and husband Karl Stefanovic, 47 Aww! She also had some fun with filters, posting images of herself, Karl and Harper wearing elf ears. Karl is pictured Baby love: Jasmine welcomed her first child, daughter Harper (pictured), last year On Friday, the new mother revealed how she winds down after her little one, who she shares with husband Karl, goes to bed. In photos shared to Instagram, the fashion designer posed alongside her bath in her robe and filled the tub with warm water and lit a candle. In her Instagram Stories, Jasmine shared a look at her chill space, which included a scented candle and one of her wedding photos. She wrote in the caption: 'With the baby fast asleep, it's time to enjoy some self-love time (while it lasts).' Me time! On Friday, the new mother revealed how she winds down after her little one, who she shares with husband Karl, goes to bed. In photos shared to Instagram, the fashion designer posed alongside her bath in her robe and filled the tub with warm water and lit a candle Chill: In her Instagram Stories, Jasmine shared a look at her chill space, which included a scented candle and one of her wedding photos Jasmine and her husband Karl finally moved into their new home in Castlecrag, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, in June. The couple took ownership of the property just two days before Sydney was forced into lockdown on Saturday, reports Realestate.com.au. The Today host and his shoe designer wife purchased the home in March for $3.2million after the house they'd been renting nearby was sold for more than $8million. Jessica Rowe has paid tribute to Australian broadcaster Jonathan Coleman after his death aged 65, following a four-year battle with prostate cancer. The Studio 10 presenter shared two Instagram posts on Saturday, after family revealed the TV presenter passed away peacefully on Friday night. Alongside a photo of Jonathan, Jessica wrote: 'My heart breaks today remembering the joyful Jono Coleman. He spread love and laughter wherever he went. Tribute: Jessica Rowe (left) has paid tribute to Australian broadcaster Jonathan Coleman (right) after his death aged 65, following a four-year battle with prostate cancer 'The most I've ever laughed was when he covered himself in sausages to lead a dachshund race on Melbourne Cup day. I'm sending all my love to Margot and Oscar and Emily. Vale Jono.' Jessica also shared a photo of the pair together on her Instagram Stories, which she captioned: 'Remembering the joyful, generous and hilarious Jono Coleman'. in a statement on Saturday, Jonothan's wife Margot said: 'Jono and I have been soulmates for close to 40 years'. Alongside a photo of Jonathan, Jessica wrote: 'My heart breaks today remembering the joyful Jono Coleman. He spread love and laughter wherever he went.' Jonathan is pictured Jessica added: 'The most I've ever laughed was when he covered himself in sausages to lead a dachshund race on Melbourne Cup day. I'm sending all my love to Margot and Oscar and Emily. Vale Jono' 'We have been fortunate to live a rich and wonderful life and I have been lucky enough to watch up-close someone with enormous talent and the special gift to make people laugh,' she continued. 'I will miss him beyond words and with the support of our gorgeous children, Oscar and Emily, and their partners, we will continue to live in the manner he wanted. 'When I asked Jono recently how he wanted to be remembered, he said, 'For doing a good deed every day.' Such was the generosity and caring nature of the love of my life.' Loss: Australian broadcaster Jonathan Coleman died on Friday night following a four-year battle with prostate cancer 'Love you dad': His son Oscar, also opened up about the loss by sharing a photo of himself and his late father smiling with their arms around each other His son Oscar, also opened up about the loss by sharing a photo of himself and his late father smiling with their arms around each other. 'Love you dad. Rest in peace,' he captioned it. Coleman had an illustrious career in the UK and Australia spanning both television and radio. He got his start as a presenter in 1979 on the afternoon children's program Simon Townsend's Wonder World. After stints at Triple J and Triple M, Coleman headed over to the UK to continue his radio career. In recent years, Coleman's become best known for his work on Channel 10's morning show, Studio 10 In recent years, he's been best known for his work on Channel 10's morning show, Studio 10. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in June 2017. During a segment on 2GB in 2018, Jono said: 'I don't know if I'll ever be clear of [the cancer]... it's virtually gone, but I don't believe that.' He went on to claim that his former GP failed to detect his cancer early, alleging that they only performed a blood test and insisted a digital examination wasn't necessary. Health battle: In 2018, Jono revealed to Studio 10 that he had been secretly battling prostate cancer since June 2017. (Pictured: Jono with wife Margot, right, and Sarah Harris) 'My message, I guess, to people and men all over Australia is 'get yourself checked'. If you're not happy with just the PSA test or the blood test, say, 'I want a digital examination',' Jonathan told radio host Steve Price. In an interview with Sydney Confidential back in 2019, Jonathan revealed that his cancer had spread. 'It has gone from the prostate and there's some spots in my lower back and upper shoulders... but it is treatable,' he said at the time. She's recently returned from a sun-soaked holiday in Marbella with her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 29. And Lottie Tomlinson looked sensational in a throwback from the trip in which she showcased her figure in a tiny pale yellow bikini on Instagram on Saturday. The star, 22, flaunted her toned abs and ample assets while posing up a storm. Throwback snap: Lottie Tomlinson looked sensational in a throwback from her trip to Marbella, in which she showcased her figure in a tiny pale yellow bikini on Instagram on Saturday Lottie flashes a sultry expression as she looked away from the camera, before placing her hand on her face in the next shot - a close up of her tanned visage. Lottie showed her healthy glow, feathered brows and fluffy eyelashes in the close-up, as well as her full pout. The Tanologist founder looked gorgeous as she posed with her wet blonde locks pushed back off her face. Sultry: The star, 22, flaunted her toned abs and ample assets while posing up a storm She wore a few subtle accessories, including a thin double chain necklace - one of which appeared to have a backwards letter L. Her miniscule tattoos were also on show in the insta pics, including a delicate heart outline on her right shoulder. Lottie took to her Instagram story on Saturday, asking her 4.1m followers their plans for the weekend. Holiday romance: She's recently returned from a sun-soaked holiday in Marbella with her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 29 (pictured) One follower posed the question to Lottie, to which she responded: 'Just got my negative covid result for my day 5 test and release so I'll be out for dinner tonight & watching it come home tomorrow'. The blonde beauty first headed up the Spanish city two weeks ago with Lewis for a romantic getaway. Lewis, who previously dated the late Caroline Flack, and Lottie, who is the sister of One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, have been dating since July 2020. Taste of freedom: Lottie took to her Instagram story on Saturday, asking her 4.1M followers their plans for the weekend They started dating five months after Lewis' ex Caroline tragically took her life. Lottie and Lewis were in Dubai earlier this year despite the UK's national lockdown with strict instructions to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic. During their trip to the UAE the couple were pictured during a heated exchange while in the smoking section of high-end restaurant Nammos on January 31. Tragic: Lewis previously dated the late Caroline Flack (Lewis and Caroline pictured in 2019) A source told MailOnline: 'It's no surprise that neither Lottie or Lewis have posted anything on their social media accounts about being in Dubai. 'But why they would go to such a well-known, crowded restaurant for Sunday lunch and then have a stand-up row in front of other customers we were in disbelief.' Lottie and Lewis were also pictured having a similar heated exchange last August in Ibiza, where they appeared to argue on the beach. Fearne Cotton and Oti Mabuse both put on stylish displays as they attended the British Podcast Awards at Brockwell Park in London on Saturday. Fearne, 39, arrived at the event looking glowing as she wore scarlet red flares with split hems. She paired the look with a red and white gingham blouse which had white sleeves and ribbon detailing. Fashionable: Fearne Cotton, 39, in a red and white gingham blouse as she and Oti Mabuse led the stars in attendance for the British Podcast Awards at Brockwell Park in London on Saturday She showed off her cool-girl look by opting for black converse and wore her blonde hair in soft waves on her shoulders. Oti, 30, also looked stunning as she showed off her toned pins in a black and cream lace mini dress which she paired with a diamante clutch bag. Her brunette locks were swept back into a chic low ponytail and she elevated her height by wearing cream stilettos. Elegant: Oti, 30, also looked stunning as she showed off her toned pins in a black and cream lace mini dress which she paired with a diamante clutch bag Nominated: Fearne's Happy Place podcast has been nominated in two categories at the event, Acast Moment of the Year and Best Arts & Culture Podcast supported by Create Podcasts Fearne's Happy Place podcast has been nominated in two categories at the event, Acast Moment of the Year and Best Arts & Culture Podcast supported by Create Podcasts. Oti's podcast, The Rhythm of Life, in which she chats to her celebrity friends about what makes them tick, was not nominated in any segment at the awards. Other podcast hosts in attendance included Jay Rayner of his Out to Lunch show, and Gemma Styles, sister of Harry, who hosts the podcast Good Influence. Food podcast: Other podcast hosts in attendance included Jay Rayner who hosts his Out to Lunch show Chic: Gemma Styles, who hosts Good Influence, cut a stylish figure in blue jeans and a double breasted blazer. Health podcast: TV medic Dr Rangan Chatterjee, who hosts the podcast Feel Better Live More also attended the affair Stylish: Journalist Grace Dent attended the event in black skinny jeans and a black top with a bohemian shawl over the top Gemma cut a stylish figure in blue jeans and a double breasted blazer. She paired the look with loafer mules and her long brunette locks were worn over her shoulders. TV medic Dr Rangan Chatterjee, who hosts the podcast Feel Better Live More also attended the affair. The doctor's podcast has featured England manager Gareth Southgate in the past in which he chats about his book Anything is Possible. Dynamic duo: Radio hosts Jordan North and Vick Hope also looked stylish in a cream suit and loud floral dress respectively Gorgeous: Vick highlighted her toned figure in an orange frilled floral dress Standing out: She teamed the look with chunky black leather heeled boots as she arrived to host the event Journalist Grace Dent looked stylish as she attended the event in black skinny jeans and a black top with a bohemian shawl over the top. She hosts the podcast Comfort Eating, and has recently brought out a book of the same name. Radio hosts Jordan North and Vick Hope also looked stylish in a cream suit and loud floral dress respectively. Advertisement She has been showing off her sensational figure at every turn since touching down in Cannes. And Kimberley Garner was up to her old tricks once again on Saturday afternoon as she took to the high seas in the south of France while sporting a duo of sizzling swimsuits. The former Made In Chelsea star looked sensational in a miniscule yellow two-piece which perfectly off-set her dazzling tan having earlier sported a navy swimwear style. Hot stuff: Kimberley Garner was up to her old tricks once again on Saturday afternoon as she took to the high seas in the south of France while sporting a duo of sizzling swimsuits Kimberley was making the most of the sunshine as she launched herself into the waters in her yellow bikini. Her trip on the rocks came after she soaked up the sun poolside while sporting an incredibly glamorous navy one-piece with elaborate straps which drew the eye to her physique. She wore her blonde locks loose and decided against getting in the cooling waters. The outing comes after Kimberley and her rumoured beau put on an affectionate display in Chelsea last month. Kimberley's mystery man massaged her shoulders as they enjoyed a bite, before leaning in to lock lips. Sizzling: She has been showing off her sensational figure at every turn since touching down in Cannes Going, going, gone! She was using a diving board to jump into the ocean Cheeky! Her self-designed swimwear helped draw attention to her peachy bottom Standing out: Kimberley looked sensational in the skimpy yellow two-piece as she plunged into the water below during her sunny getaway The pair were last linked in December, with Kimberly yet to reveal his identity. The couple spent the last few months travelling, ringing in Christmas in Barbados and spending the new year in Florida after flying to out Miami in late December. It wasn't all carefree partying, however, as she took to Instagram to defend herself from backlash over her international travel. The former Made In Chelsea star said she jetted out of the UK on December 14 a week before London moved into Tier 4 to 'check on my apartment'. What a sight! She was clearly enjoying the French sunshine as she topped up her tan on the beach in her revealing bikini which highlighted her amazing figure Geronimo! The star showed off every inch of her figure in the skimpy thong bikini as she jumped into the water before emerging from the waves Say cheese! She continued to document her holiday by posing for a selfie with a male pale Having a good time? She appeared to be having a whale of a time with her pals on the break Sizzling: Her trip on the rocks came after she soaked up the sun poolside while sporting an incredibly glamorous navy one-piece with elaborate straps which drew the eye to her physique In the sun again: The couple spent the last few months travelling, ringing in Christmas in Barbados and spending the new year in Florida after flying to out Miami in late December The London native said at the time: 'I bought my place here this time two years ago. 'It was a massive achievement, still really can't believe it sometimes. I run a business - I'm not an influencer. 'I am here, but I am very very strict still. I see people in Tulum and all over going to parties and it doesn't feel right to me.' The influencer recently surprised fans when she revealed she cancelled a secret wedding and ended a long-term relationship last summer. Speaking to MailOnline in September 2019, Kimberley confirmed she had called it quits with her former boyfriend. The businesswoman said: 'I ended the relationship recently. It was a really wonderful three years and we are still good friends today.' Living the dream! She was making the most of the idyllic location Anna Richardson is reportedly set to receive a pay rise from Channel 4 in a new deal following her shock split from Sue Perkins. The Naked Attraction presenter, 50, has reportedly been offered the new salary in an effort to keep her away from the TV channel's competitors. An insider told The Sun, 'Off screen Anna has had a tough few months, but on screen things couldnt be going better. New salary: Anna Richardson, 50, is reportedly set to receive a pay rise from Channel 4 bosses following her shock split from Sue Perkins 'And now C4 are keen to tie her down to a longer deal. Naked Attraction is one of their most watched programmes and Anna is a big part of that success' the source added. 'Anna is one of the top presenters in the country and C4 don't want to lose her.' MailOnline have contacted Anna and Channel 4's representatives for comment. This comes after it's been announced that she is set to start presenting the new series of Changing Rooms on the channel. Going through it: The Naked Attraction presenter has reportedly been offered the new salary in an effort, following her split from long-term partner Sue Perkins (pictured) Laurence Llwellyn Bowen, one of the original members of the Changing Rooms cast, has said of the presenter, 'Whats really nice with Anna is she has a sort of Peter Panishness, a puckishness, a naughtiness that shes very much bringing to this.' 'I think everyone whos watched Naked Attraction knows shes very clever with words, shes very good at getting information out of people and thats definitely something shes using very well.' The show, first broadcast on the BBC has swapped for Channel 4, and Anna has taken over from the original host Carol Smilie. Amicable: The TV personality recently split from her long-term girlfriend Sue, with MailOnline revealed that nobody else is involved in the decision (pictured in 2014) The TV personality has recently split from her long-term girlfriend Sue Perkins. MailOnline revealed that nobody else is involved in the decision which the couple made several weeks ago with 'a heavy heart'. Anna and Sue have been living apart since last Autumn and only see each other when exchanging custody of their beloved dog. Friends close to the couple, who dated for eight years, say the pair were on different pages about wanting to start a family, with Anna 'keen to become a mother' and Sue unsure it was the 'right time' to think about kids. MailOnline revealed that Anna moved out of their shared 2million North London home to live in Staffordshire to be close to her mum, who is caring for her father who is suffering from dementia. She is quite the showbiz star, with many presenting roles under her belt. And Emma Willis has revealed to The Mirror that despite their loving marriage, she doesn't want to work with her husband Matt, as she prefers presenting with her Cooking With The Stars co-host Tom Allen. The television star, 45, married Matt back in 2008 - and the pair are very much used to being apart due to their individual work commitments. Not the next Richard and Judy: Emma Willis has revealed that despite their loving marriage, she doesn't want to work with her husband Matt on TV projects With Matt busy filming the new Second World War movie Wolves Of War, the couple have spent the last three weeks away from each other. Emma wasn't afraid to admit that she misses him but was firm in the belief that showbiz doesn't put a strain on their relationship. 'That separation from each other makes you realise just how much you care', she said. New TV husband: The presenter joked that she prefers working with her 'telly spouse' Tom Allen as they prepare to co-host the upcoming ITV series Cooking With The Stars Emma and Matt are parents to three children, Isabelle, 12, Ace, nine and five-year-old Trixie. And they even managed to juggle their busy schedules - filming, presenting and parenting - to become voluntary COVID vaccinators during the pandemic. However, one thing was clear in Emma's mind: they are not cut out to be the next Richard and Judy. Although it hasn't been disputed they would make a great presenting duo - they have, after all, presented I'm A Celebrity together before - the former model would rather it not be forced. 'It would have to be something that made sense for us to do, rather than just going, 'Oh, let's go find a show to do together,'' she admitted. Candid: She said: 'It would have to be something that made sense for us to do, rather than just going, 'Oh, let's go find a show to do together'' Cooking With The Stars: Viewers will watch on as a range of famous faces are trained by professional cooks to whip up a dish within an hour Emma's comments come as Matt is reportedly looking to venture into TV hosting. Matt - who found fame with pop group Busted, has appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and has dabbled in acting - is 'preparing to make the move into TV presenting after two decades in music' according to The Sun. A source said: 'He is totally overhauling his image and sees his future on the box. 'Matt is so serious about this new step he has signed up to Emma's management company, who helped curate her career to make her a huge star. Together, the pair are being touted as TV's new power couple. 'Matt and Emma have great chemistry together and are both perfect for wholesome, family television. Matt has already been going to castings for new TV shows and was in the final selection for BBC2's new series Rock Of Ages.' This differs from Emma's thoughts, who joked that she already has a television husband anyway - comedian Tom Allen who is joining her to co-host upcoming ITV series Cooking With The Stars. The mother-of-three described him as being a 'total gem' and although they only met two weeks prior to filming, there was no doubt the dynamic would work. Career options: Matt is reportedly looking to venture into TV hosting and souces say ' he sees his future on the box' Tom won't be a stranger to the kitchen setting, as he's presented on Bake Off: The Professionals and has been a regular on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. Emma said: 'I don't think I've ever worked with a comedian before and I kind of get a little bit like .. "ooh they're really funny and I'm just going to look really boring and sh**"'. The hosting duo have achieved the perfect balance for the show, combining Tom's wit with Emma's reassuring nature to guide the celebrities through the heat and pressure of the kitchen. Viewers will watch on as a range of famous faces are trained by professional cooks to whip up a dish within an hour. Balance: Tom's wit and Emma's reassuring nature to guide the celebrities through the heat and pressure of the kitchen Stars appearing in the upcoming show, which airs on Tuesday, include Harry Judd, Shirley Ballas, DJ Naughty Boy, Rosemary Shrager and Griff Rhys Jones. Emma's latest venture comes as she claimed to always 'follow her gut' when it comes to her career. The Voice and Big Brother were two of the shoes the presenter gushed about but interestingly said that there are others she's loved, but have never seen the light of day again. Cooking With The Stars starts Tuesday July 13 at 9pm on ITV. She's been a fixture at the star-studded festival. And Tilda Swinton put on another stylish display in a bold pink camouflage suit as she attended a BFI Classics screening for Friendship's Death at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The actress, 60, opted for the eye-catching ensemble by Schiaparelli as she arrived to view the film in southern France. Looking good! Tilda Swinton, 60, put on a stylish display in a bold pink camouflage suit as she attended a screening for Friendship's Death at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on Saturday Tilda sported the eye-catching blazer with a fuchsia pink and red camouflage print as she arrived for the screening. The star famously appeared in Friendship's Death back in 1987 as an android transported to Jordan in 1970, quickly becoming embroiled in conversations about life with a British war journalist. It comes after Tilda and her daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, 23, oozed elegance on Thursday as they attended The Souvenir- Part II premiere. Superstar: The actress opted for the eye-catching ensemble as she arrived to view the film in southern France Standing out: Tilda sported the eye-catching blazer with a fuchsia pink and red camouflage print as she arrived for the screening They appeared in high spirits as they took to the blue carpet in the South of France. The We Need To Talk About Kevin star looked effortlessly chic in a sequin and lace full-length gown. Tilda cut a slim figure in the black, blue and pink dress which she paired with some bedazzled black stilettos. Wow: It comes after Tilda and her daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, 23, oozed elegance on Thursday as they attended The Souvenir- Part II premiere She wore her signature short blonde locks in a sleek side swept style and added a slick of bright pink lipstick to her look. The star added a selection of chunky rings to her ensemble and couldn't help but grin as she attended the star studded event alongside her daughter. Tilda showed off her dark red manicure as she sweetly held hands with Honor on the blue carpet. Elegant: The We Need To Talk About Kevin star looked effortlessly chic in a sequin and lace full-length gown All smiles: The award-winning actress, 60, and her daughter, 23 appeared in high spirits as they took to the blue carpet in the South of France The mother daughter duo put on a glamorous display at the prestigious french film festival. Honor turned heads in a strapless black mini dress with a sheer mesh full length train. The up and coming actress carried her essentials in an eye-catching Chanel micro mini bag, which was attached to her leg like a garter. She added a selection of gold chain necklaces and a pair of matching hoop earrings to the ensemble. Stylish: She cut a slim figure in the black, blue and pink dress which she paired with some bedazzled black stilettos Stunning: She wore her signature short blonde locks in a sleek side swept style and added a slick of bright pink lipstick to her look Honor accentuated her toned legs with a pair of black and silver heels and topped off the look with some chunky gold bracelets. The 23-year-old beamed as she joined her mother on the blue carpet and pushed her lightly curled blonde tresses away from her face. She accentuated her natural beauty with some dark kohl liner and completed the makeup look with some nude lipstick. Laughs: The star added a selection of chunky rings to her ensemble and couldn't help but grin as she attended the star studded event alongside her daughter Mother-daughter-duo: Tilda showed off her dark red manicure as she sweetly held hands with Honor on the blue carpet Family photoshoot: The mother daughter duo put on a glamorous display at the prestigious french film festival Honor is one of two twins who Tilda had with the Scottish artist and playwright John Byrne, 81. The couple split up after 14 years in 2005 but continued to live together while Tilda worked on various blockbusters. An unconventional living arrangement, the pair even co-habited while Tilda moved onto her next lover, Sandro Kopp, who was 18 years her junior. Gorgeous: Honour turned heads in a strapless black mini dress with a sheer mesh full length train Accessories: The up and coming actress carried her essentials in an eye-catching Chanel micro mini bag, which was attached to her leg like a garter Speaking about her living arrangements at the time, Tilda said: 'The father of my children and I are good friends and Im now in a very happy other relationship.' 'And were all really good friends. Its a very happy situation. 'Life doesnt have to be complicated. You just have to have compassion with yourself and stop blaming yourself when things do get complicated." She has been a Victoria's Secret Angel since 2015. And Taylor Hill was sure to turn heads when she arrived on the red carpet for the premiere of Peaceful at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The American model, 25, made sure all eyes were on her as she stepped out in a semi-sheer black lace gown. Wow! Victoria's Secret Angel Taylor Hill set pulses soaring as she slipped into a sheer black lace gown at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Peaceful on Saturday Taylor showcased her incredible physique in the skintight lace ensemble. The gown featured cross-back straps and also had an intricate pattern stitched into the fabric that helped cover her modesty as she posed for photos. The Victoria's Secret Angel pulled her ombre locks into a slick high bun, and she completed her look by accessorising with silver star earrings. The beauty oozed with confidence as she strutted down the red carpet and into the venue. Stunning: The American model made sure all eyes were on her as she stepped out in a semi-sheer black lace gown Pose: The gown featured cross-back straps and also had an intricate pattern stitched into the fabric that helped cover her modesty as she posed for photos Peaceful, also known as De Son Vivant in French, is directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, and stars Catherine Deneuve, Cecile de France, and Benoit Magimel in the leading roles. The film follows three characters, a son (Magimel) who is diagnosed with cancer, his mother (Deneuve) and her struggle with being unable to help him, and the nurse (de France) trying to do her job. Peaceful marks the third time that director Bercot has worked with Deneuve and Magimel on a production. Cannes Film Festival is now on its fifth day after been cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Movie: Peaceful, also known as De Son Vivant in French, is directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, and stars Catherine Deneuve (Left) , Cecile de France, and Benoit Magimel (Right) in the leading roles Picture perfect: Taylor's dress showcased her incredible physique in the skintight lace ensemble Chic: The Victoria's Secret Angel pulled her ombre locks into a slick high bun, and she completed her look by accessorising with silver star earrings Last month, Taylor got engaged to her boyfriend Daniel Fryer on a romantic holiday in Italy. The beauty shared the happy news to Instagram with a sweet photo of her businessman fiance getting down on one knee on Friday. The happy couple have been spending some time in the gorgeous Italian town of Sorrento in recent days. Taylor looked overwhelmed in her proposal photo, as she covered her face with her hands as she was swept up by a wave of emotion. Fierce: The star left little to the imagination and gave a glimpse of her black underwear through her sheer gown It's back! Cannes Film Festival is now on its fifth day after been cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic She showed off her elegant emerald-cut diamond ring in closeup snap shared to her Instagram. The band also had two smaller triangular diamonds on either side. The model and her fiance were first linked back in February of 2020, when they were spotted holding hands around Los Angeles. Daniel is a cannabis entrepreneur who runs the research company Arcadia Analitica and is a principal in the London-based firm Cannatlantic. Congratulations! Last month, Taylor got engaged to her boyfriend Daniel Fryer on a romantic holiday in Italy Advertisement Katie Price looked proud as she took son Harvey to get a haircut on Saturday. The former glamour model, 43, arrived at the Wrigglers Children's Hair Salon in Hornchurch, Essex, while holding onto her eldest son's hand, alongside fiance Carl Woods and daughter Princess. Katie recently showed off the results of her recent cosmetic surgery after she jetted to Turkey for more cosmetic work, which included a Brazilian butt lift and liposuction as well as the procedures on her face. Outing: Katie Price looked proud as she watched son Harvey get a haircut at a salon in Essex on Saturday - after unveiling the results of her latest surgery Katie was seen taking a video of Harvey while he sat and had his hair washed at the salon, and she looked at him proudly. The TV personality kept things casual for the outing as she slipped into a white hooded crop top and matching tracksuit bottoms. She stepped out in a pair of monochrome shoes and kept her personal items in a large black handbag. Her brunette locks were brushed into a sleek, straight style and she wore a glamorous palette of make-up for the outing. Altogether: Katie and Harvey stepped out with her fiance Carl Woods and daughter Princess New look: Katie recently showed off the results of her recent cosmetic surgery after she jetted to Turkey for more cosmetic work, which included a Brazilian butt lift and liposuction as well as the procedures on her face Doting: Katie arrived at the Wrigglers Children's Hair Salon in Hornchurch, Essex, while holding onto her eldest son's hand Sweet: Katie was seen chatting away with Harvey as they walked to the hair salon Patient: Harvey, who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism, was seen patiently having his beard trimmed Close: Katie held on tightly to Harvey's hand as they walked through Essex Katie recently opted for eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and fat injected into her bum. She recently revealed the results of her face surgery on Instagram as she posed with new puppy Buddy and sporting a full face of glamorous make-up. Katie told fans that she is still 'swollen' from the procedures she's had done, but was pleased with how they had gone as she modelled her new look. Katie had undergone lifting surgery on her eyes, chin and lips to create a more contoured look. Adorable: Katie was seen giving Harvey a tap on the nose to distract him as his hair was cut Mother-son bond: Katie and Harvey enjoyed their stroll together to and from the hairdressers Attentive: Carl was seen spending time with both of Katie's children during the outing Keeping him company: Katie was seen reassuring Harvey as he had his hair trimmed and beard shaved Altogether: Katie was seen walking along with Princess, Harvey and Carl Taking care of him: Katie made sure Harvey felt at ease while having the pampering session Doing well: Harvey had his hair washed and cut during the visit to the hair salon Comfy: Carl stepped out in a light blue T-shirt and dark jogging bottoms Like family: Carl walked alongside Katie and her children 'Omg Im soo happy with my face surgery,' Katie said while tagging in her hair stylist and make-up artist. She revealed: 'Im still swollen but its been 2 weeks since surgery.' While some fans commented telling Katie they 'love' her new look, others shared their concerns. Some of Katie's followers questioned whether she is 'addicted' to cosmetic surgery, as others urged her not to get anything else done. Katie has always spoken openly of the cosmetic work she has had done over the years and was seen addressing such concerns during her appearance on Good Morning Britain on Friday. Pet duties: Princess was seen sitting in a hair salon chair with the family's newest pet pooch on her lap Strong: Carl was seen carrying around one of the family's dogs in his arms Protective: Carl made sure their pet pooch didn't leave his sight as he held him on his shoulders Keeping herself entertained: Princess was seen checking her phone and doting on their puppy Easy does it: Harvey closed his eyes as he had his hair dried and while his beard was trimmed Insisting she is not 'addicted' to surgery, Katie said: 'Its like a car - you have an MOT. If you get a scratch or a dent, you fix it, and thats how I feel with my body. Im not trying to look younger and I definitely dont want that alien look - when people go over the top and look like freaks. 'Having surgery isnt fun and games, it is painful and its irreversible Everyones got imperfections, I could go over the top but I dont want to look like a freak.' She said: 'Im not addicted, but if people want to say Ive got body dysmorphia, just say it, even my mum says it, "You need to see somebody, youre not normal in the head, are you?" 'I said, "Mum, if you could have your face done again, you would but you cant because youre terminally ill at the moment, you used to have Botox, this and that."' All done: Harvey was seen stepping out with Carl after the pampering session Reassuring: Katie was seen giving Harvey a pat on the tummy as she spoke to him about the haircut Casual chic: Katie stepped out in a white cropped hoodie Helping hand: Princess was seen carrying the dog carrier for their pet pooches There: Katie made sure to remain close by as Harvey had his locks tended to by the hairdresser Katie explained that she had wanted to 'transform' herself after being left 'frustrated' over the way she looks, after breaking both of her feet in a freak accident last year. The mum-of-five sustained life-changing injuries after jumping off a wall while at a theme park during a holiday to Turkey. She was left in a wheelchair for eight months and was forced to endure a six-hour surgery on her feet and ankles. Doctors warned Katie that it could take two years for her to completely recover. She explained: 'I broke my feet last year and before that I used to go running to keep fit and ride the horses. I can never run again, so it changed my life. 'I was in a wheelchair for eight months, I had to learn to walk again. From being in a wheelchair, Ive put on loads of weight and Im not used to that unless Im pregnant. So I was getting frustrated. It wasnt me, I hated it, my clothes didnt fit.' Altogether: Katie and her loved ones walked together to the hair salon Sibling: Princess was also seen holding onto Harvey's hand as they headed to the salon Stylish: Katie's ombre locks were brushed into a sleek, straight style for the outing Let's go! The quartet were seen strolling along the streets of Essex Heading out: Katie, Carl, Harvey and Princess were seen departing the store after a short time Katie confirmed that she had undergone full body liposuction and a Brazilian bum lift that works by injecting her own fat into her behind. She explained that she decided to have a surgical lip lift after trying lip fillers and not liking them. Katie said she hated the way they made her look like a 'duck' so had them dissolved. When GMB presenter Kate Garraway pointed out to Katie that there were other ways to lose weight than turning to liposuction, she responded: 'I tried healthy eating, it just wasnt shifting.' She also touched on her plans to have a baby with fiance Carl, adding: 'I do want a baby, people normally have surgery after theyve had a baby. Ill be getting married again and I do want more children, but the weight does make a difference.' Katie also addressed having her surgery done in Turkey during the pandemic. Turkey is currently on the government's list of red countries when it comes to travel and requires those returning to the UK to test prior to flying, quarantine for 10 days in a managed hotel on arrival and to take two Covid-19 tests while isolating. PICTURED: Katie Price displayed the results of her latest cosmetic surgery on Friday Surgery: Katie also flashed her flat stomach following her liposuction as she opted for a black crop top teamed with a pair of pink leggings Snap happy: Katie recently shared a picture of her new look on Instagram (right) Insistant: Katie has Insisting she is not 'addicted' to surgery, Katie said, 'Its like a car - you have an MOT. If you get a scratch or a dent, you fix it, and thats how I feel with my body' She continued: 'Having surgery isnt fun and games, it is painful and its irreversible Katie said of her trip: 'I went to a red country, but Im working, Im doing my YouTube, had two jabs, done all my tests. 'I knew it would be being at the hospital, then flying to an amber country and staying in a villa away from everyone.' Current restrictions list that on return to the UK from amber countries, people must quarantine at home or the place they are staying for 10 days and complete two tests before or on day two and on or after day eight. At the time following her surgeries, Katie was pictured looking swollen and bruised and sporting several bandages all over her face and body. An insider revealed: 'Katie is in horrendous pain after undergoing a BBL where they put fat into your bum, eye lift to give her a slight cat eye look, lip lift for a fuller pout, liposuction on her thighs and legs, under her rib cage and back, and scarring from her previous facelift fixed. Frustrations: Katie explained that she had wanted to 'transform' herself after being left 'frustrated' over the way she looks, after breaking both of her feet in a freak accident last year New look: Katie confirmed that she had undergone full body liposuction and a Brazilian bum lift that works by injecting her own fat into her behind 'Despite the pain, Katie's thrilled the operation went to plan. She saw a top doctor in Turkey at the Comfort Zone Clinic and has been looked after extremely well. 'Katie is very swollen and bruised but says she is really happy and feels like the old Katie again.' It was claimed she was forced to spend her recovery lying on her back with her legs in the air as they were 'so swollen' due to the liposuction. Katie has previously dubbed herself a 'surgery veteran' after countless operations including three facelifts and three bouts of liposuction. She admitted she can't remember how many boob jobs she's had, but believes it is 12, while insisting that Botox no longer works on her after having it so many times since the age of 30. Sheridan Smith has returned to social media for the first time since announcing she's split from her fiance Jamie Horn. The actress, 40, showed off her new blonde hairstyle in a flawless Instagram snap, while revealing she was getting back to work on a new job. It came after Sheridan revealed last week that she had split from her husband-to-be Jamie 'with great sadness', just over a year after they welcomed their first child together. Stunning: Sheridan Smith, 40, has returned to social media for the first time since announcing she's split from her fiance Jamie Horn Sheridan wore a black tank top, large hoop earring and her neutral make-up enhanced her natural beauty. She captioned the post: '#backtoblonde by @carlbowes_ & @lesleybrennan5 new job begins.' Fans were blown away by her beauty, with many flocking to the comments section to compliment her. Honest Mum wrote: 'Beaut. You look like Britney in the 90s here x' Sad news: The actress confirmed last week she had split from her fiance Jamie Horn after three years together (pictured March 2020) Last week Sheridan announced that with 'great sadness' she has split from Jamie after three years together. The star and former insurance broker Jamie, 31, welcomed their first child, a son Billy, last May. The couple met on the dating app Tinder in 2018 and reportedly got engaged just three months later. The couple told The Sun: 'It is with great sadness that we have decided to have some time apart. 'We both remain completely committed to raising our beautiful boy Billy together. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.' New parents: The actress and former insurance broker Jamie, 31, welcomed their first son Billy, in May 2020 Loved-up: Jamie reportedly proposed to Sheridan in May 2018 with a 10,000 ring, and the couple have been residing in a rented property in North London The pair appeared in a one-off ITV documentary last year called Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum which followed her pregnancy. Jamie reportedly proposed to Sheridan in May 2018 with a 10,000 ring, and the couple have been residing in a rented property in North London together since. A representative for Sheridan has been contacted by MailOnline for a comment. The couple were first spotted together in March 2018, and Sheridan revealed she had a new man in her life during her country-wide tour soon after. Crooning out Rufus Wainwright's Dinner at Eight on stage in Cardiff, she told the crowds: 'Right that song that was my fella's favourite. Oh, did I not tell you? I've got a fella. Family: The pair appeared in a one-off ITV documentary last year called Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum which followed her pregnancy (both pictured with Billy) 'Don't act so f***ing surprised, thank you. I know, you think it won't last it probably won't. Anyway, that was his favourite song.' The couple then reportedly got engaged in May 2018, with a source telling The Sun at the time that she was 'head over heels in love.' The insider said: 'Jamie is very serious about her. He has introduced Sheridan to his mum already. 'She doesn't wear the ring on her finger, she's got a necklace. She wears it there because she doesn't want people to see that she's got a ring.' MailOnline contacted a representative for Sheridan for comment at the time. The source continued: 'Sheridan wants to be with him whenever possible, including at work. They've even bought a dog together, which shows how serious she is about marrying him.' The couple were first seen together leaving London restaurant The Ivy Club on March 23. Sheridan was last linked to model Graham Nation in August 2019, but remained single after splitting with tattooed hunk only three months later. A source told The Sun at the time: 'She really fell for Graham... so when they decided to end things recently, it hit her very hard. Sweet: The couple reportedly got engaged in May 2018, with a source telling The Sun at the time that she was 'head over heels in love' 'There is no animosity and Graham is still there for her, but she feels quite lonely at the moment.' Yet, the blonde appeared to hit back at split claims just one day after they emerged, by sharing a playful selfie of the pair to Instagram. She wrote defiantly in the caption: '4 days till I see my man @grahamnation can't f**king wait!' In an interview with Vogue in March 2016, Sheridan lamented her failed pursuit at finding love, admitting she doesn't pick men well. Close: The couple were first spotted together in March 2018, and Sheridan revealed she had a new man in her life during her country-wide tour soon after (pictured in 2019) Speaking to Emily Sheffield for the monthly glossy about her chequered romantic experiences with men, the blonde starlet is quoted: 'What can I say? I don't pick them very well.' That confession came weeks after her split from Hollyoaks bad boy Greg Wood. Greg and Sheridan met via social networking website Twitter in November 2014, but many considered it problematic from the start. Not least because, at the time, 36-year-old Greg was with his wife of 10 years Catherine Milburn. The actress, who was appointed an OBE in the 2015 New Year Honours, previously dated The Late Late Show host James Corden, 42. James first met Sheridan on the set of Fat Friends in 2002 but it wasn't until November 2007 that he confirmed they were an item. They split the following spring and James briefly dated Lily Allen soon after the breakup from Sheridan, who he also starred in Gavin and Stacey with. Sheridan pulled out of West End production Funny Girl in 2016, following the devastating death of her father Colin from cancer, but returned to screens on Christmas Eve in the TV adaptation of David Walliams' book Ratburger. Speaking on the Jonathan Ross show of the tough time, she recalled: 'I hate it and I always think 'The show must go on' and I hate letting anyone down but I think the public understood in a way that you can't choose when these things happen. Milestone: The couple recently celebrated their son Billy's 1st birthday 'It was a gradual build up when my dad got diagnosed and I just couldn't continue, I lost my mind, I completely did to the point where people were stopping me in the street and cuddling me because people understand that, it's just life.' It comes after Sheridan recently revealed that her and Jamie were 'in a daze' following the birth of their boy last year as they struggled with a lack of sleep. The actress also told how a shortage of outside help due to the restrictions of the pandemic made things slightly harder as new parents, as she joked that the pair were 'walking around like zombies.' Speaking to the i newspaper about parenthood, she said: 'It's surreal. You're kind of walking around in a bit of a daze. If it hadn't been a pandemic we would have had more people to rely on so we could both go and get some rest; but thank goodness we had each other.' She went on to saw that her insurance broker beau Jamie, 31, 'took a lot of time' to care for their little one too, meaning she got to sleep in between breastfeeding. But she noted that despite their teamwork, they were still extremely tired, stating: 'We were walking around like zombies and we didn't really know what day it was. When there's this bundle of joy, though, the good times make up for the bad.' She added that at the time, it was just the three of them together and they didn't have others to 'rely on', so they simply 'got on with it'. The Two Pints Of Lager favourite, who has recently started filming for The Railway Children remake, also told how partner Jamie had taken over night duties so that she can head back to work. Sheridan said: 'I've been working, so Billy's dad does the nights at the minute. When I was gradually going back to work I was finding that not sleeping and then heading into work was hard.' The star added that she's been 'lucky' and has been attempting to get a 'good night's sleep' while caring for her 13-month-old boy. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. DARIEN New York illustrator, textile designer and author Heather Ross will be hold an embroidery workshop at The Mather Homstead near the end of the month. Adults and children ages 6 and older are invited to attend the event, set for 4 p.m. July 28 at the Homestead, 19 Mather Road. HOUSTON (AP) The father of a 17-year-old boy who died after a road rage shooting on Friday asked for the publics help in finding the man who opened fire as he and his family were driving home from a Houston Astros game. Im asking for your help in bringing him to justice, and Im not angry at him. Im angry at what he did. I dont know who he is ... But I know he killed my son, said Paul Castro, whose son David died two days after being shot on Tuesday. Houston police say the driver of a white, four-door Buick LaCrosse with a sunroof exchanged hand gestures with Davids father as they were stuck in slow-moving traffic following an Astros game at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Police allege the driver followed the Castro family for several miles on Interstate 10 before shooting at their truck shortly after both vehicles exited the freeway. David was shot in the head. He was taken to a hospital, where he died on Thursday. Paul Castro and Davids brother, who was also in the truck, were not injured. During a news conference, Paul Castro, recalled how a non-threatening hand gesture he made as the Buicks driver tried to merge in his lane ended up triggering the shooting. Justin Brown, a detective with the Houston police homicide division, said the Buicks driver had been driving aggressively, swerving around vehicles when he got stuck in traffic. When the driver unsuccessfully tried to merge into the same lane as Castros truck, he opened his door and yelled at Castro, Brown said. Castro said the Buick got so close to me he was like almost chipping the paint on my truck. He pointed his hands in a downward direction to signal to the driver that he had already let in several other vehicles into his lane and was just trying to keep traffic moving, Castro said. So that hand gesture got my son executed and thats not fair, he said. Brown said the driver of the Buick was a black or Hispanic male in his 20s to early 30s. Police have released a composite sketch of the suspect. The vehicle had a temporary paper license plate on the back and no plate on the front. The vehicles tires had distinctive rims with seven holes and the headlights had an unusual yellowish color, police said. Thats why were putting out this information to see if anyone has seen anything. Anything would help at this point, Brown said. A $10,000 reward is also being offered in the case. Police say its possible the driver does not live in the Houston area. Castro said his son had wanted to attend either Texas A&M University or Purdue University and study chemical engineering. He also was interested in politics and public policy. He was worried about global warming, the environment, gun violence, Paul Castro said. He wanted to do something with his life that would make the world better. Davids family hoped they would be able to donate his organs following his death. Were hoping that his last physical gift is going to be one where other families, who are suffering in some way, shape or form, will find solace, said Castro, who has worked over 26 years in education as a teacher and principal. He also asked for people to perform random acts of kindness in his sons memory. If the world were better, maybe this man who was obviously angry at something, maybe he would not have made that decision or someone else who has a weapon available in that moment of rage thats 10 seconds long, make a decision that they cant take back and affects another family, a community in an irreparable way like this one did, Castro said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the delivery of humanitarian aid from Turkey to rebel-held northwest Syria for six months with another six months virtually guaranteed after a U.S.-Russia deal, an agreement the U.N. said will provide lifesaving aid to over 3.4 million people in desperate need of food and other assistance. The issue of aid to northwest Idlib has been a top priority for the U.S. administration and President Joe Biden raised it at his summit last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield traveled to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in Turkey in early June to spotlight the importance of keeping it open. Russia U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the vote a historic moment saying Moscow expects it to become a turning point for Syria, the Middle East, the world and hopes that it might be a turning point that is indeed in line with what Putin and Biden discussed in Geneva." Thomas-Greenfield responded calling it an important moment in our relationship that shows what can be achieved if we work with them diplomatically on common goals. The key issue during final negotiations had been whether the council should authorize deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing to northwest Idlib for another year, which the West, U.N. and humanitarian groups said was critical or for six months as Russia, Syrias closest ally, had insisted on. The current one-year mandate for aid through Bab al-Hawa expires on Saturday. The resolution authorizes aid deliveries through Bab al-Hawa for six months until Jan. 10, 2022, with an automatic extension for another six months until July 10, 2022, subject to the issuance of a substantive report by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres -- which is all but certain -- on the transparency of the aid operation and progress on delivering aid across conflict lines within Syria as Russia wanted. Thomas-Greenfield said the resolution assures that food, clean water, vaccines and medicines, which now enter Idlib on about 1,000 trucks every month through Bab al-Hawa, will continue for a year. Thanks to this resolution, millions of Syrians can breathe a sigh of relief tonight knowing that vital humanitarian aid will continue to flow into Idlib through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing after tomorrow, and parents can sleep tonight knowing that for the next 12 months their children will be fed, she said. The humanitarian agreement weve reached here will literally save lives. Nebenzia called the resolution a milestone on the path to resolving the Syrian crisis and overcoming its consequences and said he was grateful to the Americans and all council members for reaching agreement in spite of all the difficulties and problems. The members of the council have given the green light for the cross-border mechanism to be enhanced gradually and then eventually be replaced by cross-line deliveries, he said. For the first time it addresses the need to improve cross-line deliveries. But humanitarian and human rights organizations including Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights criticized the Security Council for allowing Russia to only allow aid through a single crossing for six months, with a six-month extension subject to conditions. Russia and some council members said a second resolution might be needed in January though the U.S., U.K. and others said another resolution isn''t necessary. The Security Council approved four border crossings when aid deliveries began in 2014, three years after the start of the Syrian conflict. But in January 2020, Russia used its veto threat in the council first to limit aid deliveries to two border crossings in the northwest, and then last July to cut the crossings to just Bab al-Hawa. Ireland and Norway initially proposed reopening the Al-Yaroubiya border crossing from Iraq to Syrias mainly Kurdish-controlled northeast. But last week, Nebenzia called that idea a non-starter, so they revised their proposal to just keeping the Bab al-Hawa crossing open for a year. Russia countered Thursday with a rival resolution to keep Bab al-Hawa open for just six months, with the anticipation of renewal subject to a report from Guterres on transparency in aid deliveries and progress on sending aid directly across conflict lines within Syria. It would have required another Security Council vote when the six-month extension expired on Jan. 10. Oxfams Georges Ghali said, one crossing point for such a short period of time is woefully insufficient for the scale of humanitarian need. International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband accused the council of again failing to address life-saving challenges in Syrias northeast where needs have increased up to 40 percent. Human Rights Watchs U.N. Director Louis Charbonneau accused Russia of once again successfully blackmailing the council and allowing only a single crossing. Amnestys U.N. head Sherine Tadros accused Russia of playing political games and ignoring the humanitarian needs of Syrians. Physicians for Human Rights policy director Susannah Sirkin called the compromise resolution shameful, saying Syrian civilians deserve better. But there was relief among the 15 council members that after months of negotiations and not knowing whether Russia would use its veto to close Bab al-Hawa and end all cross-border aid deliveries not only was a compromise reached but it was unanimously agreed. Norways U.N. Ambassador Mona Juul told the council after the vote that it is, in fact, the first time since 2016 that we have unanimously adopted this life-saving cross-border resolution. Irelands U.N. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said many in the West would have preferred to authorize three border crossings. But we recognize at all times that this is a political process that involved very sensitive, complex negotiations and Ireland believes keeping Bab al-Hawa open for another 12 months is a very good outcome for the people of Syria today, she said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the decision to maintain the Bab al-Hawa crossing which will ensure humanitarian assistance continues for over 3.4 million people in need, including 1 million children, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Tuesday that Beijing wanted the council to not only extend humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria from neighboring countries, but to tackle the impact of Western sanctions by the U.S. and European Union and the need to expand deliveries across conflict lines -- issues he again raised after the vote. It should be stressed here that unilateral sanctions are the main obstacle in improving the humanitarian situation in the country, Zhang said. - This story corrects the date of the second extension to July 10, 2022 Daytona Beach, FL (32114) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low near 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. 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. 60 per cent of government teachers aged above 45 years were given the vaccine while the remaining would be given the jabs shortly. Representational Image (PTI) Vijayavada: The state government has informed the High Court that nearly 60 per cent of government teachers aged above 45 years were given the Covid19 vaccine while the remaining would be given the jabs shortly. A division bench of Chief Justice Goswami and Justice Jayasurya heard a petition filed by Srikakulam based teacher Uma Sankar, seeking a direction to the state government to vaccinate all government teachers before the reopening of schools in the state on Friday. Special government pleader Sumon submitted that since the state government had decided to reopen schools from August 16, it would also take steps to vaccinate the remaining teachers by that time. The court directed the state to file a counter affidavit with details and posted the case for its next hearing to August 11. Hyderabad: Even as the deep wound caused by the Coronavirus pandemic yet to heal, the historic city of Hyderabad is all set to celebrate its annual festival of Bonalu, a thanksgiving ritual to the Goddess Mahakali for fulfilling devotees vows. Prayers, devotion, animal sacrifices to the deity, Potharaju processions, oracles predictions and teen-maar beats and dances will mark the traditional festivities at the Golkonda Fort on Sunday, followed by other parts of the city in the coming Sundays till the end of the month of Ashadam The state government officially takes part in this festival. All arrangements have been looked after by the government officials of water works, electricity department, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the police. Sarvesh, the chief priest of Jagadambika Yellamma Thalli temple at Golkonda, explained the historic significance of the temple. From the time of Kakatiya period, the deity has been offered with Bonam at the temple which is on the top of the Golkonda Fort. Those who are unable to climb the steps to reach the temple, offer Bonam at Yellamma Putta. Which is at the entrance of the fort, he said. Madhavi Poretti, a resident of Golkonda, said, I am very excited for this years Bonalu as we missed the festival last year because of the pandemic situation. After visiting the temple and performing regular rituals, our relatives in other parts of the city will visit us, and the feast will go on till late at night. The main Bonalu will be celebrated on August 1 at Simhavahini Sri Mahankali Devalayam, Lal Darwaza. The temple holds celebrations for eleven days, starting from July 23. K. Venkatesh, chairman of the temple committee, said, All the preparations including painting of the temple, decorative lights works and patch works on roads are going on. This year, we have an additional arrangement of sanitisation of the temple and its surroundings. Marking for queues to maintain social distancing is also being done. The GHMC authorities are supervising the works. At present, the WHO has approved vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna and Sinopharm for emergency use. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) is likely to take a decision on including Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in the emergency use list (EUL) within four to six weeks, Soumya Swaminathan, the global health body's chief scientist has said. Speaking at a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Friday, Swaminathan said the WHO is reviewing Covaxin as its manufacturer Bharat Biotech is now uploading its entire data on the health body's portal. According to WHO guidelines, EUL is a procedure to streamline the process by which new or unlicensed products can be used during public health emergencies. There is a process to be followed for EUL and pre-qualification of vaccines under which a company has to complete phase 3 trials and submit the whole data to the regulatory department of WHO which is examined by an expert advisory group, Swaminathan said. The completeness of the data, which includes safety and efficacy and also the manufacturing quality, standard is provided. So, I expect that Bharat Biotech has already submitted data and in four to six weeks there will be a decision on its inclusion, Swaminathan added. At present, the WHO has approved vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna and Sinopharm for emergency use. We currently have six vaccines approved with EUL and have recommendations from our Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE). We continue to look at Covaxin. Bharat Biotech has now started uploading their data on our portal and that is the next vaccine that will be reviewed by our experts committee, the chief scientist said. She also mentioned the WHO Research and Development Blueprint prepared in 2016, shortly after the Ebola outbreak, in which a research roadmap for diseases with pandemic potential was laid out. I want to mention the Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint. I think we need to think about how we can do better in the future in terms of development of not just vaccines but drugs, diagnostics and ensuring equitable access. This blueprint was developed after the Ebola outbreak and essentially it laid out a research roadmap for diseases which have pandemic potential, she said. So, when the roadmap was developed in 2016, it mentioned 'Pathogen X' in it which showed that we were anticipating a pandemic, which is now COVID-19, she added. Swaminathan also said the roadmap essentially laid out the steps in terms of developing target product profiles like standards for vaccines, diagnostics regulatory standards, trial designs, and trial simulators. This pre-thinking helped because WHO was able to bring together scientists, researchers, academics and companies at the beginning of last year to develop a research roadmap for COVID, she said. At present, there are 105 candidate vaccines in clinical evaluation out of which 27 are in phase three or four, she said. There are another 184 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation. Most of the vaccines are designed for a two-dose schedule, she added. The WHO chief scientist also said the Delta variant of the coronavirus is very transmissible. Two complete doses are required for protection against the Delta variant but you can still get the infection and can transmit it. This is why masking and other precautions are important to continue, she said. Talking about some companies stressing on the need to develop a booster dose after two vaccine shots doses to protect people, Swaminathan said, at this point there is no data to indicate if a booster dose is required. Science is evolving. At this point we don't have data to indicate that everyone will need a booster and is it going to be after one year or two years. But data from follow up studies of vaccinated people are very encouraging and is showing that immune responses are lasting up to 8, 10 or even 12 months, she said. A few studies that have looked at giving booster dose after six months have shown that it can increase the antibody levels so high that they can protect against all variants. What we know is you need a high level of antibodies, whether it's through a booster or the first course. We need more studies and see which vaccines will require a booster and when. It could be possible that a combination of two different vaccines is administered in future but these are all being looked into through research and so we have to wait, she said. The creation of a new ministry, the ministry of cooperation, which is mandated to strengthen the countrys cooperative movement, has led to considerable speculation about the real purpose behind this move. The fact that it is headed by home minister Amit Shah, the second-most important leader in the Narendra Modi government, is a sure sign that the new ministry is politically important for this dispensation. It is said the new ministry is aimed at checkmating state leaders like Sharad Pawar, who derive political clout from these cash-rich cooperatives. Mr Shah is not new to this game. He has had a long association with the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank which was embroiled in a controversy post-demonetisation when RTI replies revealed it had received the highest deposits of banned old currency notes. Mr Shah has been a director with the bank and also served as its chairman in 2000. He even fought a bitter court battle to gain control of the bank. Tushar Mehta, the present solicitor general of India, was his lawyer. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has already sounded alarm bells, saying cooperative societies are a state subject that the new ministry will be encroaching on their rights. It clearly pays to be visible on social media. The newly-promoted petroleum and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri can testify to that. Mr Puri was hyperactive on Twitter in the run-up to the Cabinet reshuffle. While he took care to amplify Prime Minister Narendra Modis messages, speeches and articles, describing him as Karmayogi PM and his writings as brilliant, Mr Puri was equally busy trolling his opponents, especially those who dared to criticise the Central Vista redevelopment project. Mr Puri even persuaded friendly media-persons and former bureaucrats to pen articles praising the project and castigating those who dared to quiz the government on the need to line the three-kilometre stretch on Rajpath with aesthetically questionable concrete structures. Mr Puris efforts clearly paid off as he was rewarded with an upgrade as a Cabinet rank. While health minister Harsh Vardhans exit from the Cabinet did not come as a surprise given how the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was mismanaged, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekars resignation was a bolt from the blue. Mr Prasad, who was heading the law and information technology ministries, assumed it would be business as usual for him. He believed he had successfully filled the vacuum created by Arun Jaitleys death as he was often called upon to take on the Opposition and defend the government and the party. It was, therefore, a shock for Mr Prasad when he received a phone call on Wednesday morning asking him to put in his papers. No one, not even Mr Prasad, knows why he was shown the door. It is being assumed that his running battle with Twitter cost Mr Prasad his job but it is well known that in this government, a minister cannot go so far without permission from top bosses. Stung by criticism that there is a talent deficit in the Modi government, its media managers were at pains to point to the educational qualifications of the Prime Ministers ministerial team, including the foreign universities they attended. But a study of the list of ministers shows the talent deficit persists as Mr Modi has entrusted key ministries to leaders who are not from the BJP ranks. The all-important civil aviation ministry is headed by Jyotiraditya Scindia, a recent entrant to the BJP. Ashwini Vaishnaw , a former career civil servant , is in charge of the ministries of railways as well as information technology. Kiren Rijiju, now promoted as law minister, is originally from the Congress and Maratha strongman Narayan Rane, the new MSME minister, was with the Shiv Sena and had a brief stint in the Congress before he joined the BJP. Not to forget S.Jaishankar, Hardeep Puri and Raj Kumar Singh, all former bureaucrats, who head the important ministries of foreign affairs, petroleum and power, respectively. Even the Janata Dal (United) nominee RCP Singh, the new steel minister, is a former bureaucrat. The inclusion of Uttarakhands Ajay Bhatt in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet and the appointment of Pushkar Singh Dhami as chief minister of the hill state has baffled many people. Both Mr Bhatt and Mr Dhami hail from the Kumaon region while the BJP has its base in the Thakur-dominated Garhwal region which has shown a marked preference for the saffron party. It was expected that leaders from Garhwal would be accommodated to send out the right message before next years crucial Assembly election. But the BJP leadership in Delhi apparently believes the Thakurs are loyal to the party and will not desert the saffron camp. It, therefore, decided to focus on the Kumaon region to take on Congress leader and former chief minister Harish Rawat who, in BJPs reckoning, needs to be countered as he is the Oppositions only tall leader in Uttarakhand. Time will tell if the BJPs change of tactics will pay electoral dividends. Beating the merciless heat is hard in the Indian desert city of Sri Ganganagar, a reality facing millions across the vast country as the climate changes in the coming decades. While people in richer nations can find some respite from a warming planet with air conditioners and other modern luxuries, many here and elsewhere in India don't even have running water. Sri Ganganagar, in Rajasthan near the Pakistan border, is regularly India's hottest place and temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) are nothing out of the ordinary. So the district's 20 lakh people equivalent to the population of Slovenia get up early during the long summer months. By late morning the sun is already ferocious and the temperature a brutal 42 degrees Celsius, and everyone soon retreats to their homes until early evening. "By noon only those who can't avoid it are outside. We just sit under this," said fruit vendor Dinesh Kumar Shah, gesturing to his large black umbrella. Read | Heat wave sears north India, rains likely by July 10 Only a lucky few have air conditioning, with most people using fans and cheaper air coolers in between power cuts and thick green curtains called tarpals to block out the sun. "Us poor are hit the hardest," said local resident Kuldeep Kaur. "The ceiling fans at our homes just circulate the hot air." "It is particularly difficult for young children at home in summers. But I guess there isn't much ordinary citizens can do about it. We just have to bear it." Along the city's irrigation canals, boys and men young and old but not women in socially conservative Rajasthan cool off in the muddy water. Locals know the water-release schedules. It helps them with irrigating their crops, and tells them where they need to be for a dip. "This is better than any fan or air-cooler," said Arjun Sarsar, 16, who has already spent four hours chilling, literally, with his friends. Also Read | Heatwave conditions in Rajasthan; Sriganganagar sizzles at 45.4 deg C India's average temperature rose around 0.7 degrees Celsius between the beginning of the 20th century and 2018. It is set to rise another 4.4 degrees by 2100, according to a recent government report. The study also forecasts the frequency of heatwaves by then to be three to four times higher than in 1976-2005, and they will last twice as long. According to a draft report by the UN's climate science advisory panel seen by AFP last month, hundreds of millions of people will likely be afflicted by at least 30 deadly heat days every year by 2080, even if the world meets the Paris climate deal goal of capping warming well below two degrees Celsius. Sustained heatwaves can be mortally dangerous, especially when combined with high levels of humidity. Together, high humidity and heat can create so-called "wet-bulb temperatures" so vicious that sweating no longer cools people down, potentially killing a healthy adult within hours. "Both temperatures and humidity are increasing in India and all over the world," Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the India Institute of Tropical Meteorology, told AFP. Also Read | Tourists throng Himachal as heatwave hits plains, Covid wave slows down "It is not just about the heatwaves but the accompanying rise in humidity too, which makes you feel the temperature is much higher (than it is)," Koll added. Indian cities are implementing "heat action plans", planting trees in urban areas and painting roofs with reflective paint, but these are no substitute for global action to reduce emissions. Back in Sri Ganganagar, the locals keep cool drinking plastic cups of sugarcane juice with mint leaves and lemon, sold by Mathura Choudhary for Rs 10 each. "This is the time when we do our best business," Choudhary told AFP at his roadside stall. "Who wouldn't like a glass or two of this in the summer? It's cold, sweet and fresh." Filling up plastic water containers that his company distributes to homes without running water, Sitaram Sevta said the city's inhabitants were used to the summer heat. "People live their lives around it," he told AFP. "It isn't too hot. It isn't a Sri Ganganagar summer yet... (The temperature) is only 41 or 42." The offer by India this week to the world to utilise its open-source technology platform in keeping track of vaccination drive is a move through which New Delhi should be able to wrest back, through the digital route, the initiative in the global fight against Covid-19. As countries around the globe embarked upon the inoculation drive or getting ready to launch one to protect their people from the scourge, India on Monday hosted a global conference to showcase CoWIN. The indigenously developed software platform helps people in the country get the jab. Signalling recalibration of India's contribution to the worldwide effort mounted in the fight against the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the conclave: "Technology is integral to our fight against Covid-19. Luckily, the software is one area in which there are no resource constraints. That's why we made our Covid tracking and tracing App open source as soon as it was technically feasible. With nearly 200 million users, this 'Aarogya Setu' app is a readily available package for developers. Having been used in India, you can be sure that it has been tested in the real world for speed and scale". The development is a subtle shift in the strategy to be among the nations working shoulder to shoulder, cooperating with health authorities and contributing according to its ability after putting on hold "Vaccine Maitri". Read | India offering Co-WIN to world as tech tool that can be used for greater public good: Vardhan The Ministry of External Affairs website shows that before calling a halt to Vaccine Maitri, India supplied slightly over 66 million doses to 93 countries besides UN Health Workers and Peacekeepers between January and April this year. These were under grants, contributions under the WHO-mandated Covax and some 35 million under commercial obligations of the vaccine manufacturers. As the intensity of the second wave of Covid19 started to overwhelm, the scenario altered with India having to depend on other countries for supplies, including life-saving oxygen and medicines. At one time, India took the lead in offering life-saving medicines, medical supplies, personal protection kits and most essential vaccines to countries during the first wave. This scenario altered dramatically when the second wave hit with unprecedented intensity. Meanwhile, China, whose role in the pandemic continues to be a subject of discussion in several world capitals, stepped up to augment vaccines along with other supplies. Towards the end of June, China contributed 450 million vaccines produced by Sinopharm and Sinovac, with Beijing stating that to date, over 100 countries approved Chinese vaccines and the WHO including these into its Emergency Use Listing. China said over 30 foreign leaders took the lead in getting administered the Chinese vaccine jab while discounting doubts over its efficacy. New Delhi's initiative is an effort to recreate space and regenerate goodwill when many countries, especially the lesser-developed economies and neighbouring countries, are exploring supplies to vaccinate their people. Also Read | No vaccine to spare now, but India ready to share Co-WIN app with world Around two decades ago, when the world was worried about computer systems crashes due to the Y2K bug, Indian software developers were among the pioneers who showed the way to tide over the anticipated crisis. Now offering the open-source application for all the countries in the world, India takes a march in providing a technology-driven solution for countries to keep a record of the vaccination drive and eliminate physical documentation. Once again, this should demonstrate that India, known for its prowess to develop software and a leading supplier in the world, occupies a high perch in this field. With the world preparing to re-open places for people to travel for work or leisure, countries are discussing methods to verify those vaccinated. The Green Pass plan of the European Union is one such case in point. It created a controversy in India over the non-recognition of the Covishield vaccine, which most Indians are taking. Some countries have come out with amendments while discussions to deal with the situation on a diplomatic plane are on. Appraising the virtual conclave of the features, PM Modi underscored that the digital approach is needed if the globalised world has to return to normalcy in the post-pandemic period. To prove they are vaccinated, people would have to carry safe, secure, and trustworthy proof with relevant details of when, where, and who gave the required dosages. Representatives of 142 countries, the European Union Commission and the UN, including Ministers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guyana and the Maldives, attended the July 5 conclave where India offered countries a customisable software. (The writer is a Delhi-based journalist) The word clove is derived from the Latin word clavus meaning nail, owing to its distinct shape. Interestingly, other cultures and languages too make note of its nail-like appearance it is Clau in French, Nagel in Dutch, Clavo in Spanish and Cravo in Portuguese. Indians have been using the dried woody brown flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum as a highly aromatic spice for centuries. In India, the Sanskrit Lavagna derives from Malay Lawang or Javanese Lavan, which in turn spawned similar names in regional languages laung in Hindi and Punjabi, lavinga in Gujarati and ilavankam in Tamil. It finds mention in ancient Puranas, epic poetry, Ayurveda and the Kathasaritasagara a tome of legends written by the 11th-century court poet Somadeva. In nature, the clove tree grows 25-40 feet, bears large leaves with crimson clustered blossoms and tips. The buds are initially pale before gaining a green hue that changes to bright red when it is typically harvested. The bud of four closed petals sits like a bead between its four sepals in a 4-pronged diamond-like setting which gives it a nail-like appearance. Perfect accompaniment Seated humbly on the kitchen shelf, this tiny spice has been enhancing the cuisines of the world be it Asian, Mediterranean, African, Middle Eastern or even Central and South American fare, with its distinct warm woody spicy-sweet flavour. Cloves are used to prepare ketchup and sauces by studding onions (onion pique method using a peeled onion cloute or onion studded with cloves and bay leaf) as a flavour booster to sauces like Worcestershire sauce, Bechamel sauce etc., imbuing a strong pungent warmth and flavour. Cloves feature liberally in spice mixes like ras el hanout, curry powders and masalas, mulling spices (used in drinks) and pickling spices. Being strong flavoured, it is used in moderation to enhance the flavour and aroma of biryanis, pulaos and other rice preparations. Whole cloves are often used in ham and meats by simply jabbing them into the flesh for extra flavour. Historically, cloves were studded to game meats like venison, wild boar and hare to enhance the taste. In India, the clove is used similarly to pin together the sweet Lavang Lata, studded on to laddus or used to staple a paan (betel leaf). Besides flavouring and scenting Indian cuisine in unique ways, its numerous hidden benefits make cloves a regular feature in homemade remedies. Invariably, every grandma recommends clove oil or chewing on a clove for a nasty toothache or dental caries. It acts as a painkiller with its gently numbing comfort providing relief. Ayurvedic healers use cloves to treat respiratory and digestive issues. A panacea for toothache, throat pain, tummy ailments, fighting cholesterol, treating tremors in Parkinsons disease, aiding weight reduction, blood sugar control, cloves play a vital role in aromatherapy and wellness. While cloves have been used in India and China for more than 2000 years, the tree is native to the Spice Islands or the five Maluku Islands Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate and Tidor, collectively called the Moluccas archipelago in East Indonesia. Here it grew naturally along with nutmeg and mace for thousands of years. The islanders would plant clove trees to mark the birth of a child and tended to it believing that the tree was linked to the childs well-being. Spice wars It is believed that the oldest clove tree grew in Ternate and was called Afo. During the Middle Ages, the Arabs held sway over trade in the Indian Ocean followed by the Portuguese and Spanish during the 15th century. The discovery of cloves and nutmeg and the lure of lucre launched the Spice Wars of the colonial powers. People widely planted cloves in the 16-17th century and the Dutch East India Company gained a monopoly over the crop. The ambition for absolute control made the Dutch run clove tree burning campaigns to destroy cultivation in zones outside their command, thereby incurring the wrath of the natives as the trees were intrinsic to their culture. In 1770, the French managed to secretly sneak the clove tree into Mauritius via horticulturist Pierre Poivre, dubbed Peter Pepper, robber of clove and nutmeg. He smuggled five sprouts of the ancient Afo clove tree from the Moluccas; the only sapling that survived initiated the spice plantations in Madagascar and Reunion and the rest of the world and overthrew Dutch supremacy over clove trade! Subsequently, cultivation was introduced in Guinea, Brazil, the West Indies and Zanzibar. During the 17th and 18th centuries, clove was worth its weight in gold in Britain. It is rather ironic how a tiny flower bud with extraordinary qualities and value could spark off so many wars and bloodshed and ultimately redraw the power map of the world. Sri Lanka became one of the major suppliers of clove to Europe and recently, remains of a rare sample of clove dating to 900-1100 AD besides black pepper, was unearthed at the ancient port of Mantai revealing the existence of a thriving age-old shipping trade route from the Moluccas to Sri Lanka nearly 7000 km away via Southeast Asia from where it was transported to India, Rome and Arabia! Another archaeological dig in Syria uncovered spices including cloves that date back to nearly 4000 years, approximately 1721 BC! How they got there would retrace the story of trade. Divine flower In India, clove has been a treasured spice celebrated as the divine flower in the early texts dating to 800 AD. In Hinduism, clove is regarded as sacred and features in some texts and astrology as a remedy against negativity or money, and prosperity related problems. Often offering cloves, burning cloves in oil or according to Tantra Shashtra worshipping Goddess Lakshmi with rose petals and cloves is believed to attract good luck and fortune. In Medieval Europe, cloves were in huge demand for medicine and culinary use and also during Christmas to prepare treats and mulled wine. German herbalists used it to treat gout. In China and Japan, apart from its use in medicine to tackle indigestion, diarrhoea, hernia, ringworm and fungal infections, cloves were used as air perfumers and in the incense industry. Eugenol, the star component found in clove essential oil is responsible for its prized value owing to its unique properties. It has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anaesthetic and anti-cancer and chemopreventive properties. Dentistry too has adopted clove and its extracts for dental care and dental preparations from mouthwashes, and toothpaste to dressings, fillings and cavity liners! Eugenol is used extensively in pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, fragrance, flavour and cosmetic industries. Its a safe pesticide and fumigant in agriculture too! Farmers use it to prevent microbial or fungal growth in fruits and vegetables. It is used to flavour whiskey and in making spiced rum besides baking and ice cream making. However, one of the most fascinating uses of cloves is as a fruit pomander, a modern adaptation of an ancient jewelled accessory. Originally, popular during the Middle Ages, pomander (from the French term pomme dambre literally apple of amber) was a perforated perfume ball carried in a vase or hung from a chain or girdle, as a religious keepsake to ward off pestilence, infections and bad odours. Today, spiced orange pomanders are riveting natural air fresheners made by sticking cloves in myriad designs into oranges often dusted with cinnamon. Placed in a bowl or tied on ribbons and left to dry and dangle for a few days, orange pomanders are especially widespread during festivals like Christmas, Halloween or Thanksgiving and a delightful way to scent your home or closet! (The authors are travel and food writers loosely based in Bengaluru. Theyve authored guides and coffee table books including a cookbook for the USDA called Southern Comfort: Southern American Soul Food, set up an award-winning restaurant and curated the India episode of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Season 2. Follow their adventures on Instagram: @red_scarab) This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. This content is for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Chris Davis is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: cdavis@nerdwallet.com. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: What Is a Roth IRA? How Roth IRAs Work, Contribution Rules & Where to Start https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-roth-ira ProPublica: Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank https://www.propublica.org/article/lord-of-the-roths-how-tech-mogul-peter-thiel-turned-a-retirement-account-for-the-middle-class-into-a-5-billion-dollar-tax-free-piggy-bank featured CORONAVIRUS CDC: Students can skip masks in school for the fall Just a few days ago, we reported that Samsung could be launching three new folding phones on August 11. Notable leakster Evan Blass has stated that August 11 seems to be the likely date for the Galaxy Unpacked event. From what we know, 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. #GalaxyUnpacked 11 August 2021 Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 10, 2021 It also seems that Samsung is looking at launching the Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch Active4, and Galaxy Buds2 at the event as well. The Galaxy S21 FE will not be making an appearance at the event. We also reported that 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. Australias Covid-free waltz recently missed a step. A Bondi limousine driver got The Spicy Cough and from there Sydney and some other cities around the country were recently slammed into lockdown. The New Zealand travel bubble was put on pause too. Now the bubble, which was paused on June the 26th, has re-opened to some Australian states (Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT) but with a new proviso you must now take a mandatory $150 Covid test before departure. Travel from Western Australia and the Northern Territory will resume at 11:59pm (NZT) on July the 9th. The halt on allowing travellers from New South Wales and Queensland, at the time of writing, remains in place, with no certain date yet announced for when authorities will hit play again. What we do know is that all travellers from the eligible states will have to take a pre-departure PCR or RT-PCR test within 72 hours of their departure and return a negative result before they board their flight. There is no exemption to this rule. Even if youve been vaccinated you must get the PCR test. The reason for the test is to reduce the risk of infected travellers infecting other passengers. You need to have both your COVID-19 sample taken and your result returned no more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure time of your first international departure, the New Zealand governments Unite Against Covid-19 website explains. Free community testing stations dont qualify for the necessary tests, so passengers will need to stump up $150 and get their test privately. As the comments beneath a recent Facebook post by frequent flyer and points hacker Immanuel Debeer shows, the news that you now have to pay to get a PCR test to go to New Zealand has not gone down well with some Australians. It also shows how sheltered we have been from many of the realities of Covid-19, with paid PCR testing pre-departure having been standard practice all over the world for some time now. RELATED: Yet Another Video Has America Up In Arms About Life In Australia Mr Debeer posted a video showing the wild (and in some cases, dangerously misinformed) comments he received on his Facebook post, to his Instagram story on Tuesday. My post on Facebook got all the nut jobs out of the woodwork! Mr Debeer captioned the video. His post was explaining how to get your PCR test. But many misunderstood it. How can you charge anyone for freedom of movement, one Facebook user wrote. Mr Debeer replied: Im just sharing information. Im not charging anything. The same Facebook user hit back: No but your [sic] getting paid to advertise this dont you realise that the PCR tests are flawed and produce 95% false test. Reuters Fact Check has shown this line of conspiratorial thinking to be wrong (and explains how the WHOs words have been twisted by some social media users here). PCR tests are accurate when the correct procedure is followed. Another user, hopefully joking (but who knows), wrote: Can I get the one that gives me blood clots, to which Mr Debeer wrote: Never heard that a stick up your nose gives blood clots, and to which another Facebook user wrote: The ignorance is staggering. Another Facebook user asked: Why cant we do the same for all overseas flights? Test and let people fly. Mr Debeer also took the chance to clear up some confusion, clarifying that the free government Covid test text results are not currently being accepted if you want to fly to New Zealand you will need to do a private test at your own expense. New Zealands COVID Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday travellers must not have been in NSW since June 22 or Queensland, the Northern Territory or Western Australia from June 26, even if they are flying from one of the other states. When travellers from NSW will be able to resume flying to New Zealand depends on how effective the current lockdown proves to be at reducing Australias community transmission of the virus. The Sydney lockdown was just extended by another week, and 27 new local Covid-19 cases were recorded today. Watch how top airlines are cleaning aircraft during the pandemic Read Next Harrisonburg, VA (22801) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 83F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Douglasville, GA (30134) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. ADA [ndash] Services for Patsy Ruth Blansett, 85, of Ada are 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Criswell Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Tony Folger will officiate. Burial will follow at East Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Blansett died Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at a local assisted living center. She was born June 24, 1936 Ten years on from when the Irish Government pulled out of the cross border Narrow Water Bridge project, it appears to be back on track after years of uncertainty. Plans for funding the tumultuous project were first unveiled in January 2007, with the Irish Development plan seeking to improve connectivity between Louth and Down. Route options were then published in May 2008, with final bridge designs and the final route being published later that year. Three years on, ground investigation works begin at the sites in Louth and Down but the Irish Government soon pull out of the scheme. Transport Minister at the time, Leo Varadkar said that due to the financial circumstances and competing demands from other local authorities, the Department of Transport would not be in a position to continue the project. This Department is not in a position to proceed any further with the Narrow Water Bridge project, and beyond 2011 no further funding will be made available for it, said Minister Varadkar. However, later on that year, Louth County Council seek to proceed by themselves and in 2012, they apply for planning permission and issue a Compulsive Purchase Order to buy the land for the bridge. Planning permission for the site is approved in both the North and South, with EU funding secured to proceed with plans for the bridge. The project hits a snag in 2013 however, with Louth County Council suspending the project due to escalating costs that the council could not afford. In a statement at the time, LCC said that the cost was estimated to be higher than what they had worked with previously Having examined all of the tenders received from contractors competing to build the bridge, it is clear that their estimates of the cost of construction are considerably higher than the figures we have been working with to date. While our ambition remains to see this socially and economically desirable project through to completion, the reality is that it is now effectively on hold. A further snag is hit as the EU withdraws their funding from the project, as LCC was unable to drum up extra funding for the bridge. This was essentially the end of the project, until the Stormont Executive was reinstated with the New Decade, New Approach agreement between parties that used the Narrow Water Bridge as an example of potential cooperation between governments North and South. A total of 3 million has now been allocated to the Narrow Water Bridge project by the Irish government through the Shared Island Fund, with expectations from the government that construction on the project will begin at some point in 2023. The message arrived last Tuesday evening. I was to get myself and my arm to the Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) beside Moneymore for 3.50pm the following Friday vaccination time! While the idea of having to travel to the Enemy to source a Covid-19 vaccine smarted a little, I was filled with an enormous sense of relief at finally getting the opportunity to get pricked. Im safely within the 35 to 39 year-old cohort, so I felt it wouldnt take too long after registering to get the call up; and in all it took about seven days from registration to receiving an appointment not too bad, all things considered. Ive been on the receiving end of a needle before countless times, for many different types of inoculations mostly when I was younger though. But theres something about heading en masse as a nation to a vaccination centre in the middle of a pandemic that will always set this one aside in the memory. I felt a great sense of civic responsibility and pride at doing what I was doing; but also at seeing the many other people that day doing it also. Many families have lost loved ones and suffered dreadfully over the past 18 months, and Friday was a chance to show some solidarity in some small way we are all in this together. Yes, there is plenty of noise and dissent about whether, given differing restrictions, we are actually all in this together, but from the feeling of expectation and actual excitement in Drogheda last Friday, it couldnt help but swell the collective heart with satisfaction and a little bit of emotion too. Friday truly felt like the beginning of the end personally. That I was beginning a short journey to protect myself and others from Covid-19. I was doing my little bit for all of us. The car park at DIFE was packed when I arrived at 3.45pm (not earlier than five minutes before my appointment, as the confirmation text message read). Having exited the car, I made my way towards two official-looking gentlemen in hi-viz jackets holding the all-important clipboard and highlighter marker. Having given them my name they struck me off the list and I proceeded inside the institute towards a door on the left-hand side. There was a gentleman in front of me roughly the same age as myself, I guessed, waiting outside. The queuing had begun. Once across the threshold of the door, the about-to-be-inoculated line of people snaked up and down a section of what would, in its normal life, have been an indoor gym. The queue eventually ended at three desks, protected by perspex, behind which three people sat at computer screens, taking the important personal details. To my right, as I waited in line, was a fenced-off section in which people sat, in rows, waiting most of them on their phones. It reminded me of the scene during a Leaving Cert exam. Everybody quietly in rows facing towards a big clock at the top of the class. An official stood at a desk towards the top directing those entering towards a seat and ushering them onwards quickly. My attention was diverted back towards the masked-faces of those in the queue with me. I begin recognising old (older) faces I would have known from my childhood school days. Folks I would not have seen in probably close to two decades. I started to interrogate the part of their face I could see over the mask; checking to see if the years had been good or bad, and also, rather vainly, comparing how the aging process had impacted us. The result? Some looked the same, others, not so much. But we were all here today to do some good. Having given my details to the official at the desk; PPS number seemed to be the most important piece of information, for which I could not remember. But, after some kind help from the lady at the desk, I was able to eventually remember it. Then it was on towards the vaccination pods, which were lined up along wall opposite the entrance. I sat down briefly and struck up a conversation with an old friend John who was one of those that the years had been relatively kind to, in fairness. We joked a bit about the whole thing, assuaging any slight nerves ahead of the prick-ing, with silly humour. I said that if he had a bad reaction to the vaccine and collapsed, Id heroically point at him on the ground until an orderly arrived. He snorted and then it was my turn to take my place behind the curtain. There a nurse, slightly older than myself and male, welcomed me in as if I were coming in for a spa or a massage treatment. He gestured me towards the seat and asked me the basic medical history questions. Then, sensing that I seemed very calm, he asked me if I was a teacher. Nope, I said. You seem very relaxed, if you dont mind me saying, like a man on holidays, he proffered by way of an explanation for his initial query. Well, Im off to Killarney in a couple of days for nearly two weeks, so youre not far off, sort of. He laughed and then drew the vaccine from a vial, asked me to prop my hand on my hip like a little teapot and then jabbed me in the upper arm. As I rolled back down my sleeve, he, noticing my name, started a conversation about the Hollywood director David Lynch. He was a fan. As am I. We riffed about a couple of our favourite movies of his. I could have sat and chatted for another hour. When I told him I had worked for the Democrat, his eyes lit up. My father always bought the Demo great paper, he said with a joyful hint of genuine nostalgia. His father had passed about seven years ago he offered. But he said he knew Arthur Kinahan. A great man, he added. Couldnt agree more, I retorted. We bid our goodbyes shortly afterwards another arm was waiting for a precious vaccine and this most important work would continue. I never got that nurses name, unfortunately. I was out from behind the curtain and waiting with the other old Leaving Cert students before I knew it. I waited my regulation fifteen minutes no reaction and then headed for the exit. I spotted John on the way out the door. Looks like we made it, he said as we passed each other. Well, were nearly there, I thought to myself. Claremont, NH (03743) Today Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. North Andover, MA (01845) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning followed by occasional showers this afternoon. High 71F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 63F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Oregon wasnt prepared for the heat wave. Experts say the state can do better J.D. Smith is an accomplished writer and jack-of-all-trades. He lives in Athena. Our view: A tip of the hat, a kick in the pants Gordon Hardy, 5, had been hospitalized since November with bone cancer and as his treatment neared the end, the youngster got a surprise visit from Riley, one of Banner Healths many volunteer pet therapy dogs. A woman who identified her ex-husband on CCTV outside the door of her home in breach of a barring order was challenged in court that she had the wrong man but she insisted she would know him because she was married to him for 26 years. The matter arose at an in camera hearing of Cork District Court. The accused mans solicitor, Daithi O Donnabhain, said the man shown on the video was bald and that his client was not bald. The accused man did not turn up at Cork District Court for the case against him. Judge Olann Kelleher said the case was listed for hearing and he would proceed in the absence of the accused. Sergeant Gearoid Davis called the middle-aged woman to give evidence. She testified, We are divorced and I obtained a barring order in February 2019. On July 6 2020 there were two bags left outside the front door. Judge Olann Kelleher was told that it was alleged that the defendant was delivering two bags as presents for his daughter. However, the conditions of the barring order prevented him from coming to the house. The complainant said, I am so afraid of him. "He slashed the tyres on the van before. CCTV footage shown in court CCTV from the house was shown in court a man walks up to the door, leaves two bags down, turns around and walks away. Mr O Donnabhain said, That is not him. He is not bald. The complainant said, I was married to him for 26 years, that is my husband. Judge Kelleher convicted the accused and issued a warrant for his arrest to be brought to court for sentencing. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the matter had been listed for hearing. The defence solicitor asked what would happen if the accused came to court and said that was not him in the CCTV. Judge Kelleher said the accused man was convicted in Cork District Court where he would be sentenced. He said that thereafter the accused could appeal the case to Cork Circuit Appeals Court. A Lithuanian national living in Cork was caught cultivating a small amount of cannabis for his own use and now he has been convicted and fined for the offence. Amandas Lukosevicius who lives at an apartment at Jacobs Island, Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge at Cork District Court. Sergeant Pat Lyons said the apartment was searched on June 12 2020. During the search, three cannabis plants were found growing under LED lights. They had an approximate value of 500. The accused co-operated with the investigation and had no previous convictions. Frank Buttimer solicitor said, He was growing this for the purpose of using the material himself. "This was a very limited operation. Judge Olann Kelleher convicted and fined the accused man 750 for cultivating the drug. Matthew Cortland on Twitter: @mattbc Use ResistBot to make your voice heard on the issue of overhauling and improving SSI HERE. Or text PSLOAE to 50409! Or text SSINOW to 50409! Or call 202-224-3121! Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt) writes about the critical need to improve SSI at Voxs Future Perfect newsletter HERE. I texted PSLOAE to 50409 last week it only took 5 minutes please consider supporting the increased quality of life for disabled people https://t.co/HRM633wfcx Rossi The Jeweler (@RossiSongo) July 6, 2021 Jordan Zakarin on Twitter: @JordanZakarin Jordan Zakarin at Progressives Everywhere: The voting rights battle enters its third act Jordan Zakarin at Progressives Everywhere: All Eyes on the Suppression Session Progressives Everywheres website: ProgressiveseEerywhere.substack.com Sign up for the Progressives Everywhere newsletter HERE. Support Progressives Everywhere by becoming a Patreon donor HERE. Give us a five-star review at iTunes! The GOTMFV Show Facebook page is HERE! Music clips Intro and transition music: You Dress Like an Asshole by Not The 1s Progressives Everywhere intro/outro: Theyre Everywhere by Jims Big Ego Outro music: Complain (from the movie Bob Roberts) by David Robbins & Tim Robbins Evelyn Hughes Evans, 90, of Athens passed away Thursday, July 15, 2021, at Athens-Limestone Hospital. Mrs. Evans was born December 18, 1930, in Mississippi. She was a bookkeeper for Sharp and Killen for many years as well as her real estate house business. Mrs. Evans was a charter member of The giant ransomware attack against Kaseya might have been entirely avoidable. Former staff talking to Bloomberg claim they warned executives of "critical" security flaws in Kaseya's products several times between 2017 and 2020, but that the company didn't truly address them. Multiple staff either quit or said they were fired over inaction. Employees reportedly complained that Kaseya was using old code, implemented poor encryption and even failed to routinely patch software. The company's Virtual System Administrator (VSA), the remote maintenance tool that fell prey to ransomware, was supposedly rife with enough problems that workers wanted the software replaced. One employee claimed he was fired two weeks after sending executives a 40-page briefing on security problems. Others simply left in frustration with a seeming focus on new features and releases instead of fixing basic issues. Kaseya also laid off some employees in 2018 in favor of outsourcing work to Belarus, which some staff considered a security risk given local leaders' partnerships with the Russian government. Kaseya has declined to comment. The company has showed signs of wanting to mend issues. It fixed some problems after Dutch researchers pointed out vulnerabilities. It didn't fix everything, however, and it didn't take long before analyst firms like Truesec found glaring flaws in Kaseya's platform. This wasn't the first time Kaseya faced security issues, either. The company's software was reportedly used to launch ransomware at least twice between 2018 and 2019, and it didn't significantly rethink its security strategy. However accurate the reports may be, Kaseya's situation wouldn't be unique. Staff at SolarWinds, Twitter and others have described security lapses that weren't fixed in time. That just makes the situation worse, mind you. It suggests that key parts of American online infrastructure have been vulnerable due to neglect, and that these basic missteps are all too common. Even people who don't own Samsung devices can now enjoy its ad-supported streaming service. According to Protocol, the tech giant launched TV Plus something that used to be exclusively available on the the brand's TVs and mobile devices for the web in May. It was likely a soft launch, as the publication called it, seeing as Samsung has yet to formally announce its web version and has yet to include it in any marketing material for the streaming service. While there was zero fanfare surrounding TV Plus' web expansion, a company rep confirmed to Protocol that Samsung did indeed roll out a web version of the service in the second quarter. Samsung launched TV Plus back in 2016, and it has since evolved into its current cable-like free ad-supported form. It's accessible in 23 countries, and in the US, it gives viewers access to 140 channels that include ABC News Live and Vice. Samsung Electronics SVP Sang Kim told Protocol that the company streams "billions of minutes every month," so it's clearly pretty popular with users. Its reach has been limited to Samsung customers up until now, though, and it remains to be seen whether the web version's availability can add a substantial number of new users to the service. Enid, OK (73701) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Enid, OK (73701) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds with an isolated thunderstorm possible after midnight. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want to hear people's stories of compassion to share positivity with the world. On the official website of Archewell, Meghan and Prince Harry asked their followers to share their stories on how they "activate compassion" in the world. "Our mission at Archewell is to drive systemic, cultural change - one act of compassion at a time. We believe that compassion is at the core of all culture and connection in this world," they said. The royal couple added that when a person performs an act of compassion, it makes the whole world a better place for all. So to build a better world, they believe that sharing people's stories would inspire everyone to have one act of compassion at a time. Their fans and followers can click the "Share Your Story" tab on the website. A new page will pop out that asks the question "How Do You Activate Compassion in the World?" Everyone can share their story and leave their name, email, and location to be included on the website. Sussexes Working on Compassion For Years Before asking the world to do it, Meghan and Prince Harry made sure that they already accomplished it themselves. According to the organization, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex set compassion as the center of their work. "At Archewell, we unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change," the description read. Even Meghan's bio in her book "The Bench" also has the same thought. As for Prince Harry, he delivered the same message to the young winners of the Diana Awards, thanking them for inspiring everyone with their "determination and compassion." The news came after a royal commentator revealed how they played a huge role in saving the royal family's finances amid the pandemic. READ ALSO: Prince Harry Can Return to the UK Soon, If He Makes This Difficult Choice According to royal expert Omid Scobie, the couple's payment on the Frogmore Cottage's renovation helped the finances of Buckingham Palace. The Firm's recent financial accounts also showed how this thing became possible despite the health crisis. Meanwhile, the Queen's Treasurer, Michael Stevens knew that the sum covered the humiliating financial crisis which could have crippled the monarchy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle repaid the amount while they are still in pursuit of becoming financially independent. READ MORE: Prince Harry Regrets Saying Damaging Statements Against Royal Family, Tries Hard to 'Build Bridges' [REPORT] Changing electoral dynamics drives the JD(U)s latest promise of reservations for women students. The recent announcement of the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) (JD[U]) government to table the Bihar Engineering University Act (sic), 2021 and the Bihar University of Health Sciences Bill in the upcoming assembly session has been hailed by the chief minister as a unique measure for its provision of 33% reservation of seats for women students in engineering and medical colleges run by the state. However, the governments press note does not spell out the provisions of the proposed bill in detail, and this, by implication, avoids addressing important legal and political questions such as the provision of subcategorisation within womens reservation. Even the governments ability to pass the bill in the legislature and withstand judicial scrutiny remains unaddressed. Although a section of the media welcomed the announcement as a pioneering step, or a political masterstroke towards consolidating a caste-neutral constituency, a critical examination of the bill requires us to situate it within the changing dynamics of state politics in Bihar. First, the JD(U)s intensified efforts to gain the support of women voters comes at a time when the partys ability to engineer political majorities on the basis of state-constituted categories, such as the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) and Most Backward Class (MBC) has been exhausted of any electoral potential. While these categories signified the legacy of Lohiaite politics in Bihar, and encapsulated a long history of struggle against the monopoly of upper castes in educational institutions, their significance has since been reduced to electoral arithmetic, and situated within a realpolitik of making or unmaking governments. They do not allow for a critical questioning of state policies, but only for a negotiation with the state. Second, the proposed bill, seen in continuity with the JD(U)s promise of Sasakth Mahila, Saksham Mahila in its manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections in 2020, reflects the partys official discourse of enhancing womens empowerment and capabilities. However, assumptions about womens political and economic behaviour underlying this political discourse need to be critically examined and interrogated. The proposed bill has been presented as increasing the participation of women students and preventing outmigration for education. Seen together with promises made in the JD(U) manifesto, such as financial incentives for completing higher education and for women entrepreneurs, the bill consolidates a shift in the imagination of womens role in the economy, as questions of loan waivers for self-help groups, mostly run by women, or land redistribution and ownership by women are further marginalised from political discourse. While women are ostensibly at the centre of political discourse in Bihar, their demands have been misrepresented or selectively represented to align with the good governance agenda of the government, or the projection of Nitish Kumars image as a non-corrupt leader. A political discourse centred on the image and agenda of the leader has constrained and reshaped womens demands in new ways outside their control. "Topological defects" are formed when the symmetry of a magnetic material is disrupted. Domain walls (DWs) are a type of topological defect that separates regions of different magnetic orientations. A widely studied phenomenon, the manipulation of these defects has potential applications in high-performance memory storage devices, energy processing devices, and quantum computing. Recently, the possibility of other topological defects embedded in or combined with DWs has gained attention for their potential applications in different fields of physics. Some examples of these "defects within defects" called DW skyrmions and DW bimerons. While theoretical models have supported the existence of these defects, they have not been experimentally observed--not before now. In a new study published in Nature Communications, Associate Professor Masahiro Nagao from Nagoya University, Japan, and his colleagues used Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) to visualize these defects. They were able to do so by passing electrons and observing their deflections through a thin magnetic film. The topological defects were observed as contrasting pairs of bright and dark areas. Using this technique, the team imaged topological defects in a chiral magnetic thin film made of cobalt, zinc, and manganese. Initially, the researchers observed a single DW defect when the film was not magnetized. On magnetizing the film by passing a magnetic field perpendicular to the film, they could observe the development of two types of DWs. The conventional DWs were seen as black lines, while chains of DW bimerons were seen as bright elliptical dots on the LTEM images. These two types of DWs appeared alternatively and in pairs. The researchers noted that these DWs increased as the strength of the magnetic field was increased and finally disappeared after a certain threshold was reached. To confirm their discovery, the researchers used the transport of intensity equation to obtain the magnetic distributions which revealed opposite magnetizations on both sides of the chain of DWs, confirming them to be DW bimerons. The researchers could finally propose an explanation of these defects and their mechanism of formation. As Prof Nagao explains: "In our chiral magnet thin films, we show chained and isolated bimerons playing the role of and bound to DWs respectively, which are realized by not only in-plane magnetic anisotropy component but also the combination of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy, dipolar interaction, and Zeeman effect." The team's findings shed light on topological defects in chiral magnets and have implications in fields of physics related to topology, ranging from cosmological length scales to condensed matter. ### The paper, "Observation of domain wall bimerons in chiral magnets," was published in the journal Nature Communications on June 9, 2021, at DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23845-y. About Nagoya University, Japan Nagoya University has a history of about 150 years, with its roots in a temporary medical school and hospital established in 1871, and was formally instituted as the last Imperial University of Japan in 1939. Although modest in size compared to the largest universities in Japan, Nagoya University has been pursuing excellence since its founding. Six of the 18 Japanese Nobel Prize-winners since 2000 did all or part of their Nobel Prize-winning work at Nagoya University: four in Physics - Toshihide Maskawa and Makoto Kobayashi in 2008, and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 2014; and two in Chemistry - Ryoji Noyori in 2001 and Osamu Shimomura in 2008. In mathematics, Shigefumi Mori did his Fields Medal-winning work at the University. A number of other important discoveries have also been made at the University, including the Okazaki DNA Fragments by Reiji and Tsuneko Okazaki in the 1960s; and depletion forces by Sho Asakura and Fumio Oosawa in 1954. From: Expert Click Radio -- Radio Interview Service For Immediate Release: Dateline: Georgetown , DC Friday, July 9, 2021 published on 2021-07-09T22:52:32Z Dr. Christopher Gilbert, Author of 'The Noble Edge: Reclaiming an Ethical World One Choice at a Time,' on Talk with Audrey Radio Show: Every moment of our lives, we make choices. Some of our choices can change the world, and some of our choices only change one moment of the day, but each choice we make has the potential to change the world for the better. What would happen if you could trust yourself to make good, moral choices all the time? What would happen if you could trust those around you to make good, moral choices all the time? How much happier and fulfilled would we be as a society?These are the questions that Christopher Gilbert, PhD, tackles in his new book, The Noble Edge: Reclaiming an Ethical World One Choice at a Time. In this increasingly toxic moral era, trust and authenticity grow more precious by the minute. The truth is that our most rewarding business, personal, and family relationships are founded on honesty. The Noble Edge invites readers into an inspirational conversation about building trust that is spiced with personal stories, humorous anecdotes, and invaluable guidance. -----------------------------------------TALK! with AUDREY a diversified media brand that includes a syndicated radio and television show produced in New York City and airs across the U.S.Every week TALK! with AUDREY hosted by skilled interviewer, Audrey Adams, provides insightful, intelligent and inspiring and meaningful conversations and information to help viewers and listeners improve the quality of their life. Audreys guests include experts in travel, tech, health, finance, business, fitness, education and other lifestyle themes. License: cc-by-nc-sa Listen Now! Open the Expert Radio SoundCloud Channel Here: https://soundcloud.com/expertclickradio Saturday, July 10, 2021 Here is an article from the Biloxi Daily Herald from April 29, 1967: The article says that "In accordance with the Louisiana Bar's wishes, Lane was forced not to comment on the current Garrison investigation." but he had no problem telling the Biloxi Daily Herald that "David Ferrie, Clay Shaw, and Oswald were together at meetings in New Orleans to plan the assassination." He is just plain wrong about David Ferrie - he was not found with a sheet over his head. I n 1992 Mark Lane wrote a new introduction to Rush to Judgment in which he wrote: "I never saw credible evidence which convinced me that he [Clay Shaw] had ever used the alias. [of Bertrand]" Mark Lane also wrote this: "In the film David Ferrie is questioned by Jim Garrison. Garrison is suspicious, but Ferrie denies any complicity in the murder. In the film Ferrie has a second meeting with Garrison at which members of his staff are also present. In an unforgettable scene, which becomes the linchpin of the film and establishes Shaw's guilt, the actor portraying Ferrie has a nervous breakdown before the eyes of the audience, confesses his own guilt and implicates Shaw in the murder as well. If you are not as yet convinced, Stone, in a rather heavy-handed scene, resorts to a flashback in which we actually see Shaw and Ferrie plotting the crime. It is impressive. It is conclusive. It is a fabrication." Why was Lane so certain in 1967 that Shaw was guilty? Previous Relevant Posts on Mark Lane Mark Lane Offers to Introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy" Reverend Raymond Broshears Tells All to Stephen Jaffe and Mark Lane "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Two We launched SA Inc. a year ago, at the worst possible time. As we were planning it defining its mission, its tone and how it would look I kept expecting a call from the Express-News editor or publisher conveying this message: Never mind. Recessions are hard. I even had my response ready: Devastating news. Reality so mean sometimes. Well, Ill just get back to what I was doing before. Obviously, that message never arrived from our higher-ups, and Im grateful it didnt. Looking back on 52 issues of SA Inc., its been an accurate barometer of the chaos the pandemic unleashed on San Antonios economy on the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of San Antonians and businesses of all sizes and of the citys ongoing recovery. Every week, in print and on ExpressNews.com, SA Inc. has been home to the most insightful business reporting and commentary in South Texas. OK, I do have some shreds of modesty. So lets say most weeks. Not all of our work has been directly related to the pandemic. We shined a light on the toxic workplace at military-themed apparel maker Grunt Style under its founder. We published the most thorough and engaging profile to date of Sardar Biglari, the wily and controversial investment manager. We took deep dives into the state of Whataburger a year after a Chicago private equity firm acquired a majority stake in the famed burger chain and the frenzy of property acquisitions around the transformed San Pedro Creek downtown. Weve also been lucky to have personal-finance columnist Michael Taylor gently and humorously steering us away from the craziness of picking individual stocks and from investing in Tesla or b itcoin. (What do I think is the right price for bitcoin? Id say, roughly, zero.) SA Inc. readers have benefited as well from the expertise of real-estate reporter Madison Iszler and tech reporter Brandon Lingle. I challenged these talented writers to produce weekly columns that would both entertain and elucidate. Skyline and Accelerator were the results, and theyve beaten my expectations. I do some column-writing, too. But the feature Im proudest of is Flux, our weekly profile of a small or midsize business. Each Flux has been an opportunity to listen in as an owner tries to figure out how to respond when a virus tears a hole in his or her industry. These business people arent shy. Theyve talked with us openly about the anguish of having to lay off employees, their struggles to keep the doors open and how they adjusted to the COVID-19 cataclysm. And in recent Fluxes, business owners have begun expressing sure-footed optimism, something we didnt hear last year. As I said, SA Inc. is a reliable marker of where we are today. Its also a good guide to where were headed. To celebrate our first anniversary this week and in the spirit of Flux we asked business owners, CEOs and managers to tell us how they weathered the pandemic, how theyre doing now and what their near-term future looks like. You should read what they have to say, in their own words, but Ill sum it up: They panicked at first, suffered, made the changes needed to survive and are now incorporating some of what they learned in their operations going forward. Youll also hear in their accounts a big sigh of relief. As the economy continues to reawaken, we are busy making our own adjustments to how SA Inc. does its thing. Were putting the finishes touches on a revamp of ENdex, our weekly set of data points that illuminate the gyrations of our local economy. Weve redesigned the feature to pack in a broader array of information. Think of it as your weekly check-in on the health of San Antonios major industries, labor force and overall economy. More importantly, well be sharpening our focus on women- and minority-owned businesses and diversity or lack of it in the corporate ranks. Youll see it in many of SA Inc.s news stories, features and profiles. And we plan to introduce a weekly column this fall focused squarely on diversity and inclusion issues. In addition, well continue our in-depth coverage of the industries and the people behind them that make San Antonio tick: automotive manufacturing, tourism, real-estate development, banking and finance, insurance, health care and technology. Among the stories were devoting reporting firepower to: the shakeout of the local cybersecurity sector with the acquisitions over the past year of several of our oldest and most-recognized companies. San Antonio has never been synonymous with space travel. Never. But the Southwest Research Institute is deeply involved in the exploration of our solar-system neighbors, and a number of low-profile industry contractors operate out of this city, including Exploration Architecture, or XArc. Weve paid close attention in the past 12 months to these players, both here in SA Inc. and our daily coverage, and will build on that foundation of coverage. Well also keep a close eye on what SpaceX is up to at its Brownsville-area spaceport. Because who doesnt love rocket launches? And whose interest isnt piqued by Elon Musk? So thats what we have coming up in SA Inc.s second year. Thank you for reading us and please continue to do so. greg.jefferson@express-news.net PARIS (AP) France will withdraw more than 2,000 troops from an anti-extremism force in Africas Sahel region by early next year and pivot its military presence to specialized regional forces instead, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. Macron announced last month a future reduction of Frances military presence, arguing that its no longer adapted to the needs in the area. The French Barkhane force, operating in Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, had also met opposition from some Africans. After discussions Friday with leaders of the African countries involved, Macron announced that France would reduce its force to 2,500 to 3,000 troops over the long term. The country currently has 5,000 troops in the region. The French leader insisted that his country is not abandoning African partners, and would keep helping them fight groups linked to Al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. France doesnt have the vocation or the will to stay eternally in the Sahel, Macron said. We are there because were asked to be. French troops have been present in Mali since 2013, when they intervened to force Islamic extremist rebels from power in towns across the countrys north. Operation Serval was later replaced by Barkhane and was expanded to include other countries in an effort to help stabilize the broader Sahel region. Islamic militants, though, have continued to launch devastating attacks against the militaries fighting them as well as increasingly against civilians. Hundreds have died since January in a series of massacres targeting villages on the border of Niger and Mali. While governments in the Sahel have embraced Frances military help, some critics have likened their presence to a vestige of French colonial rule. France will focus over the next six months on dismantling the Barkhane operation and reorganizing the troops, Macron said. The French military will shut down Barkhane bases in Timbuktu, Tessalit and Kidal in northern Mali over the next six months, and start to reconfigure its presence in the coming weeks to focus particularly on the restive border area where Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet. Nigers President Mohamed Bazoum, speaking at Macrons side, welcomed the French military support and training, but on African terms. The main thing is that France maintains the principle of its support, its cooperation and support for the armed forces of our different countries. We need France to give us what we dont have. We dont need France to give us what we already have, he said, without elaborating. He acknowledged failings of local armed forces but also praised their courage in fighting extremists. Frances military presence in the future will focus on neutralizing extremist operations and strengthening and training local armies, Macron said. There will also a dimension of reassurance ... to remain permanently ready to intervene rapidly in support of partner forces, notably via military aviation from Niger and Chad. This new structure seems to us to respond better to the evolution of the threat, he said. Once the reorganization is complete, he said, the Barkhane operation will close down. Some experts say that Frances decision may be linked to growing political instability in Mali. Macrons June announcement came days after Mali coup leader Col. Assimi Goita was sworn as president of a transitional government, solidifying his grip on power in the West African nation after carrying out his second coup in nine months. Late in June, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending the U.N. peacekeeping mission in crisis-wracked Mali and said its imperative that the military government holds presidential and legislative elections on schedule next February. The council maintained the ceilings in the U.N. force at 13,289 military troops and 1,920 international police, but it asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to make a recommendation on the force level given growing levels of insecurity and physical violence against the civilian populations in central Mali. ___ Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal. Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed. All around Lourdes Flores there are signs that her border town of Mission is returning to pre-pandemic life: More restrictions have been lifted; shes no longer working strictly from home; and most people in her household have been vaccinated. However, theres one sign Flores is slow to embrace: Her daughter, Jazmin, will return to in-person learning for her sophomore year this fall in the La Joya Independent School District. If a choice is given, then Ill keep her at home for as long as I can until I know that its really safe to be out there, Flores said, adding that she worries current COVID-19 infection rates dont paint an accurate picture of the viruss spread, as her daughters district plans to move ahead with a full return to campus. Remote learning soon wont be an option for many parents in the fall, as the Texas Education Agency pushes districts toward returning to in-person learning, citing data showing that it leads to better learning outcomes compared with remote instruction. The agency has announced that state funding for remote-only options wont be available for the upcoming school year, prompting many districts to announce a return to 100 percent in-person instruction. Despite this, the return to in-person learning is not a simple transition for some parents particularly parents of students of color after a year in which they say their children reaped some benefits from remote-only learning. On ExpressNews.com: CDC recommends masks in schools for unvaccinated students and teachers When districts gave parents a choice between in-person and remote classes during the past year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency, students of color in Texas returned to in-person learning at lower rates than their white counterparts. As of January, about 56 percent percent of Texas students on average returned to on-campus instruction during the school year, including 75 percent of white students, about 53 percent of Black students, 49 percent of Hispanic students and 31 percent of Asian students. In an emailed statement, the TEA cited Covid-19s disproportionate economic and public health effect on communities of color as a reason for the lower in-person attendance and engagement rates among students of color. Experts say its necessary to consider the intersection of circumstances that could lead to such rates: Students may live in a multigenerational household and worry about infecting family members, or they could be tasked with extra responsibilities during the pandemic such as taking care of siblings or supplementing family income that make remote learning more conducive to their needs. Theres mostly quite a bit of fear and economic uncertainty. All of those things play a role in wanting to continue remote learning, said Hector Bojorquez, director of operations and educational practice at the Intercultural Development Research Association, a nonprofit that seeks to ensure equal opportunities for children in public education. Everybodys lives (were) thrown into chaos during the past year. People whose lives are already precarious economically are even more frightened of taking certain risks. The disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on communities of color can also present a challenge for parents in deciding to let their child return to in-person learning, said Leann Smith, an assistant professor at Texas A&M Universitys Department of Educational Psychology. We know that there were higher rates of COVID-related illnesses and death in those communities, so we are then putting the burden on parents for the most part to decide whether or not they want to risk further exposing their own community or their family to this virus, Smith said. Throughout the pandemic, a majority of coronavirus-related deaths in the state have been among Hispanic and Black Texans, who together comprise a little over 50 percent of the states population. As of late June, about 26 percent of Black Texans and about 32 percent of Hispanic Texans have been fully vaccinated, compared with about 38 percent of white Texans, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. For Stacey Smith, whose daughter is pregnant and contracted COVID-19 this past year while attending school in-person and participating in sports, an option for her child to learn remotely would put her more at ease. I feel like there should be options for parents that have kids that are at high risk instead of just saying This is what it is, said Smith, whos Hispanic and lives in Austin. In June, Austin ISD announced it would no longer be providing a virtual learning option for students. Catering to social needs For some parents, the desire to keep their children at home during the school year stemmed from some of the social challenges students may face in a school setting that can be unique to their race or identity. Lisa Krantz /Staff photographer Tonya Reyes-Dickerson, who lives in Springtown outside of Fort Worth, said that before the pandemic, going to class in person was a challenge for her 10-year-old transgender son, who in the past has been the target of bullying at school. Springtown ISD has announced its returning to full in-person learning this fall. Being in virtual (school), we dont have to worry about that, Reyes-Dickerson said. Our child is protected from any of those types of dangers. During a school year that started on the heels of George Floyds death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and a summer of protests against racial injustice and police brutality, Smith said that because they were home, many children of color were also able to have more substantial conversations with their families that acknowledged their cultural perspective. That doesnt often happen in school, she said. The socialization that we would hope would happen in school but that research shows does not happen in school the parents were able to create that space at home, which is good, Smith said. So there are some mental health benefits of (students) being protected from what we know is very negative, discrimination and microaggressive experiences. On ExpressNews.com: Some Texas students with disabilities thrived on remote learning, but have few options this fall Lashonda Chavers said virtual learning has given her two daughters a much-needed reprieve from some difficult interactions in the public school system. For example, her youngest daughter told her that during a dissection of a sheeps heart in science class, her teacher commented that it was Black peoples heritage to eat chitlins and Hispanic peoples heritage to eat menudo both dishes made with animal organs. I think we did better, my children, my girls, did better learning from home, said Chavers, 46, who is Black and Hispanic and whose daughters, a rising freshman and a rising senior, attend school in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD outside of Dallas. Their grades were just as good, and they were well adjusted, and they were happy, and they felt liberated. Her daughters school district has already announced that it will be returning to in-person learning with no online options for the upcoming school year. Chavers said she and her daughters arent vaccinated against COVID-19 because of her distrust in Western medicine. And shes nervous about them returning to the classroom in the fall. I think that all schools should provide hybrid courses for every child until this is over, or until we have such a good handle on it we havent even heard of any COVID cases, Chavers said. The return to in-person learning Learning loss during the pandemic has surpassed the usual decline associated with the summer months, according to the TEA. Between March 2020 and September 2020, students have lost an average of almost six months of learning, according to the TEA, with virtual learning students being disproportionately affected. Newly released standardized test results also show the percentage of remote learning students who met grade level expectations dropped significantly this past year, especially in math and reading. For example, districts in which a quarter or more of the students were learning virtually saw a 32 percent drop in mathematics performance from 2019 to 2021. However, in districts where less than a quarter learned virtually, performance only dropped by 9 percent. Thankfully, from early on, Texas prioritized the availability of in-person instruction during this tremendously difficult year, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. When students come into Texas public schools, they are well-served by Texas educators a fact that these scores confirm. In the plan that TEA submitted to the U.S. Department of Education that details how it intends to use federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan, the agency said that African American and Hispanic students in Texas have experienced, in general, more lost instructional time due to absenteeism, lower student engagement, and have engaged more in remote learning than their peers of other races/ethnicities. The TEA said it is actively working to address pandemic-induced learning loss, and is overseeing the distribution of $18 billion in federal stimulus funds for public schools. In April, the state released $11.2 billion of the federal stimulus funds for public schools that were allocated to the state through the American Rescue Plan. On ExpressNews.com: Pandemic damage - especially in math - makes summer school in San Antonio busier than ever The recently released money requires that districts reserve 20 percent of their funds to address learning loss through strategies such as summer programs, after-school programs or extending the school year. Kathy Rollo, superintendent of Lubbock ISD, said steps like those have helped students get back on track in her district, particularly through summer school programming to get children reacclimated to learning in person. Some districts, such as Lubbock ISD, San Antonio ISD and Austin ISD, have said they opted to return to full in-person instruction for the upcoming school year because the Texas Legislature failed to pass a bill that would have helped to fund virtual school programs. House Bill 1468 died as a result of House Democrats walkout to stop the passage of a GOP priority voting bill. In a joint letter sent to Gov. Greg Abbott on June 16, 30 school districts, including San Antonio ISD and Austin ISD, called for virtual school funding to be added to the agenda for the Legislatures special session, which starts this month. Rollo said even if the bill had passed, Lubbock ISD would not have offered virtual instruction for pre-K through eighth grade. We were interested in investigating the potential of having an online virtual school for our high school students who are older, are able to more self-navigate through their learning opportunities, but when that bill did not pass that really is not an option for our district at this point, she said. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. A San Antonio man charged in the fatal shooting of another man in November has been indicted on a murder charge. The case involving Clyde Poindexter, 42, was among the 130 felony indictments handed down this week by two newly impaneled Bexar County grand juries, the Bexar County District Attorneys Office said in a statement. Poindexter is accused of fatally shooting Michael Lane on Nov. 9. He is awaiting a trial setting, court records indicate. If convicted of the first-degree felony offense, Poindexter faces up to life in prison. Bexar County Sheriff's Office In another case, Daniel John Baladez, 35, was charged in a 12-count indictment alleging promotion of and possession of child pornography. Six counts in the indictment allege that on Aug. 20, Baladez intentionally or knowingly promoted child pornography by sending visual materials that depicted a child younger than 18 engaging in sexual conduct to another individual through the KiK Messenger application, according to the statement. The other six counts in the indictment charge Baladez with possession of child pornography, alleging that he intentionally or knowingly possessed visual material that depicted a child younger than 18 years of age engaging in sexual conduct. Baladez is out on bond and is awaiting a trial setting, court records indicate. If convicted of the second-degree felony, Baladez faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000. Bexar County Sheriff's Office Also indicted this week was Jean Marie Bugoma, 24. He is charged with multiple felony offenses, including cruelty to livestock and bestiality. Two indictments charge Bugoma with burglary of a building with the intent to commit another felony, on Jan. 8. He is accused of entering a building on two occasions with the intent to commit bestiality, a felony offense. He also is charged in the same indictments with cruelty to animals, accused of tripping three horses, or roping the front or hind legs, causing the animal to trip and fall. A third indictment accuses Bugoma of two counts of bestiality, intentionally and knowingly engaging in sexual conduct with horses. All of Bugomas cases are state jail felonies punishable by 180 days to two years in jail and a possible fine up to $10,000. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 21 Pro Video A San Antonio man who told police he was stabbed for no reason was arrested Saturday on assault charges after the man who stabbed him said it was self-defense, according to police. Pete Carrion, 33, was arrested on an aggravated assault charge and an outstanding felony warrant, according to a police report. A 24-year-old San Antonio man charged in the beating of an elderly man outside an East Side convenience store in August has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Damian Kay Kay Jimenez was charged with murder Sept. 20, the day Guadalupe Andrew Martinez, 93, died from injuries sustained in the August attack. On Friday, Jimenez pleaded guilty to the offense in state District Court and was sentenced. He will have to serve at least half of the 40-year sentence before he will be eligible for parole. Jimenez was already in jail on charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon, injury to the elderly, and evading arrest or detention when he was linked to the attack on Martinez. An arrest affidavit stated that on Aug. 16, Martinez was using a walker outside an East Side convenience store when he was confronted, punched and kicked in the face and head and knocked unconscious. Authorities said he suffered a severe head laceration. The incident was captured by a security camera. The store owner identified the assailant as Jimenez and told San Antonio police that Jimenez was a former employee. Martinez died Sept. 20 at Las Colinas of Westover Hills Rehabilitation Center. The Bexar County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide as the result of blunt force trauma. Jimenez was indicted by a Bexar County grand jury on a murder charge in February. As part of a plea agreement negotiated by prosecutor Jason Wolff and defense attorney Daniel J. Rodriguez, Jimenez pleaded guilty Friday before Judge Melisa Skinner in the 437th District Court. The judge also ordered Jimenez to pay a $1,500 fine. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Back in the spring, while local voters were mulling over a ballot proposition that would take collective-bargaining power away from San Antonio police officers, Adam Serwer was writing an essay that called for police unions to be abolished altogether. That essay is one of the final pieces in Serwers acclaimed new book, The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present and Future of Trumps America. Serwer, a staff writer for The Atlantic, has lived in San Antonio since 2018, when his wife, an Army surgeon, was stationed at Brooke Army Medical Center. Although he generally writes about national issues, Serwers experiences in Texas occasionally find their way into his work. In February, he wrote a piece for The Atlantic about this states devastating winter freeze, opening with an account of his family huddling in front of the stove the morning after the power went out in their house. He also couldnt help but take notice of Fix SAPDs grassroots campaign to pass Proposition B, a ballot measure that would have repealed Chapter 174 of the Texas Local Government Code, thereby stripping the police union of its right to collective bargaining. Robin Jerstad /Contributor Union reps falsely decried the proposition as an attempt to defund the police, while Prop B supporters insisted it was merely an attempt to achieve officer accountability. Ultimately, Fix SAPD came within an eyelash of passing its reform measure, losing the vote by 2.3 percentage points. The closeness of the race surprised many observers, who thought the political power and fundraising muscle of the police union would overwhelm the efforts of activists with no campaign experience. I wasnt surprised because I had no expectations, Serwer said during an appearance on the July 6 episode of the Express-News Puro Politics podcast. On ExpressNews.com: Podcast: Adam Serwer explains why 'The Cruelty is the Point' of Trump's platform Its a little complicated because that referendum would have been more symbolic than substantive. The city already said that they were going to do meet and confer, which is basically the same thing. Its not bound by collective bargaining, but its the same process that occurs in Houston and Austin. Collective bargaining obligates city management to bargain with a police association. Under a meet-and-confer system, bargaining is optional for the city. That gives the city additional leverage; but, in real-world terms, it doesnt necessarily produce hugely different results. San Antonio is the only one of the states five most populous cities that uses collective bargaining. Early this year, when I spoke to Ken Casaday, president of the Austin Police Association, he described meet and confer and collective bargaining as very similar processes. For Serwer, tinkering with the bargaining process isnt enough when were dealing with public servants who have the power to use lethal force at any time. This is not a system ruined by a few bad apples, he writes in his book. This is a system that creates and protects bad apples by design. While some may disagree with Serwers prescription, its hard to dispute his diagnosis: that police unions are in the business of protecting their dues-paying rank and file from punishment. When the officers being protected are individuals who have abused their authority, that means the union is consciously undermining the interests of the people who pay their salaries. If the police are the force that transcends law to protect society, unions are the force that protects the police, by whatever means they deem necessary, Serwer writes. The Prop B debate in San Antonio was complicated by the fact that many old-school labor activists, while supportive of the social-justice goals of Fix SAPD, couldnt bring themselves to back a ballot measure that would weaken the power of a union. There was understandable fear that other public-sector associations such as teachers unions could be targeted next. There is one big difference between police unions and every other type of union, public or private, Serwer writes. The police can kill you. Serwer is uniquely adept at drawing connections between the behavior of politicians and the coalitions upon which they depend. He argues, for example, that a combination of gerrymandering, the Electoral College and a favorable distribution of voters across the country has enabled the Republican Party to wield considerable power even with a narrow base that is smaller in number than that of the Democrats. The problem with a narrow base, as he sees it, is that when politicians arent accountable to a particular constituency, they tend to treat that constituency with contempt. Police unions arent really accountable to anyone but their own members. Its a systemic problem that cant be smoothed out at the bargaining table. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 The same week Gov. Greg Abbott signed bills establishing an 1836 Project advisory committee to promote patriotic education and bar public school teachers from linking racism or slavery to the founding authentic principles of the United States, a new book, Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth, a take-no-prisoners attack on what the authors called the 1836s battles Heroic Anglo Narrative, became available for sale. In a state rapidly becoming majority-minority, the legislation seemed like a last stand, turning back the clock to a heroes-only understanding of Texas break from Mexico. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, not one to avoid an ideological battle, then forced the staff at the Bullock Texas State History Museum to cancel a discussion of the book with its authors, tweeting that this fact-free rewriting of TX history has no place. The authors tweeted back that Penguin Press was already printing a second edition as sales mounted. Who knew wed still be fighting the battle of the Alamo 185 years later? Forget that the Alamos authors are all Texans. Bryan Burrough writes for Vanity Fair and is the author of six books, including Barbarians at the Gate. Chris Tomlinson is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and the Express-News, and is the author of Tomlinson Hill. Jason Stanford is a longtime political communications strategist and co-author of a Rick Perry appreciation, Adios Mofo. Their book, meant for both Lone Star residents who sat through state history classes in high school and non-Texans, covers the wider context of the Alamo, especially the events leading up to the famous defeat of the missions defenders against the overwhelming forces of Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas Mexican army. Even more valuable is its focus on everything that came afterward in building the mythology and the current conflict over the future of the Alamo site. Its also a page-turner. So underwhelming I am not a Texan. Im from New Jersey, best known for hazardous waste dumps, Bruce Springsteen, indicted state officials, The Sopranos and for being in between New York City and Philadelphia. They did not teach New Jersey state history in my high school. So when I moved to Texas 25 years ago, I was excited on my first visit to the Alamo, the crown jewel origin story of Lone Star history. And, boy, was it underwhelming. A barely filled old church, an old-style monument and rows of cheap commercial establishments nearby. There was basically nothing of substance to learn about the history there. No matter where you stand on the Alamos importance, does anyone think whats there now is not kind of sad? Why little has been done to improve the Alamo site is covered in great detail in Forget the Alamo. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, longtime stewards of the grounds, were barely competent to run a gift store. When the state finally intervened with a new master plan, embarrassing questions about the authenticity of some of British rock star Phil Collins Alamo artifacts, which were supposed to be the centerpiece of a new Alamo museum, began to appear. And then theres Land Commissioner George P. Bushs political future, which may depend on people forgetting the Alamo, or at least his role in advocating the new plan and then opposing it in the face of Republican base opposition. Whats not up for any serious historical debate, if you care about actual facts, is that the Alamo, the 1836 battle and everything that came before and after, was a lot more complex than John Waynes 1960 movie version, a poster of which hangs in Patricks Capitol office. As Forget the Alamo and most of recent Texas historical research document, the American Texians fought for freedom, but in large part, that was the freedom to own slaves, on which their cotton-producing economy depended. And what of the most famous heroes of the Alamo? Jim Bowie of knife fame started out as a trader of illegal slaves, arrived in Texas one step in front of a grand jury investigating a huge land fraud in Louisiana, and likely was killed in his bed, too sick with typhus to fight. William Travis, the young commander of the missions defenders, wrote great letters asking for reinforcements, but he also deserted his teenage wife and kids in Alabama, and bragged in his diary about his many sexual conquests and theres no evidence he drew any lines in the sand at the Alamo. As for Davy Crockett of the wild frontier, I had a Disney-inspired coonskin cap as a kid, but Crockett, who disliked being called Davy and was famous for writing his own mythmaking biography, was a defeated and broke politician when he left Tennessee for Texas. Unless you really want to discount early period reporting and the many eyewitness accounts, just because theyre written in Spanish, he didnt go down fighting with his trusty rifle, Old Betsy, but was captured and executed with a few last survivors. History anew To put any controversy over the Alamo in a wider context, we have the current firestorm over numerous states passing bills banning the teaching of critical race education in schools and fighting over the New York Times 1619 Project. Race is not the easiest thing to teach about in a country where I suspect few people realize that slaves helped build the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the original wall that Wall Street is named after. Read the 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas, which made it not only illegal to free a slave, but barred free people of color from living in the state. Sure, todays controversies work both ways ideologically, as in the recent desire of San Franciscos school board to remove Abraham Lincolns name from schools. But its pretty clear that trying to reconstruct any ideas like the Civil War being over states rights and not the Southern states rights to preserve slavery, is a fight thats likely to end in Alamo-like defeat. So why is fighting over our history so important? Well, its the way we remember our past and how that informs who we are, as a country and a people. But history is not set in stone. Over time, people discover previously unread diaries and documents. Or rediscover previously forgotten events. Such is the case with the burning and massacre of Black Tulsa in 1921, long not spoken of. My historian friend Dan Carter rediscovered the sordid railroading of African American teenagers on false rape charges in the Scottsboro Boys trial when he began talking to elderly participants in those events in Alabama back in the 1930s. Historical revisionism is also not cancel culture or some plot against American values. Its what happens when a new generation of historians deals with those newly discovered facts. And when society changes enough to demand that history include more than dime-store mythological figures. History is also always a debate. On the one hand, you can only write about the things you know. On the other hand, we are all products of our time, including the mythmaking that serves politics and societal needs more than unbiased truths. But facts are facts. Or as the intellectual lion of the U.S. Senate, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once put it You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts. Truth already out Our legislators can pass all the bills they want, but the revisionist train has already left the station. Were several decades past the rise of seminal Western revisionist histories like Patricia Limericks The Legacy of Conquest, Richard Whites Its Your Misfortune and None of My Own, Richard Slotkins The Fatal Environment, Michael Cronins essay, A Place for Stories: Nature, History, and Narrative and others, who thought it prudent to re-include the Native and Spanish-speaking folks who were here before the Pilgrims landed, and to focus on some of the less romantic aspects of Manifest Destiny. As Limerick wrote: If Hollywood wanted to capture the emotional center of Western history, its movies would have been about real estate. John Wayne would have been neither a gunfighter nor a sheriff, but a surveyor, speculator, or claims lawyer. More recent work about Texas, books such as The Injustice Never Leaves You, by Monica Munoz Martinez, Forgotten Dead by William Carrigan and Clive Webb, and Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers by Doug J. Swanson, paint a different side of the states history than T.R. Fehrenbachs outdated classic, Lone Star. There is also both Stephen Harrigans giant history of Texas, Big Wonderful Thing, and his wonderful novel, The Gates of the Alamo. And if all that isnt enough, theres Andre J. Torgets, Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850, an entire book documenting the central role of slavery in the Texas cotton economy that thousands of Anglos brought with them to the far northeast of Mexico in the early 19th century. My favorite film growing up was They Died with Their Boots On, a movie about Custers Last Stand, once the most written about and event depicted in film in American history. Its the mythic story of the long-haired, charismatic general, played by the dashing (and Australian) Errol Flynn, cut down by Crazy Horse himself (played by the Mexican American Anthony Quinn). Many years later, when I made a documentary about it, Last Stand at Little Bighorn, seeing it from both white and Native sides in collaborating with Native American novelist James Welch, the reaction from Custer buffs mirrored the craziness of the online reaction against Forget the Alamo. Go to the Amazon reviews and see for yourself. The book, which I suspect many of the critics never bought or read, clearly touched a nerve. Better than cliches Listen, we all love heroes. Theres the oft-quoted line from John Fords The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, where John Wayne, ironically, has been forgotten as the real man who killed the villain. As the editor of a newspaper tells a young reporter who wants to write about what actually happened: This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Our history is richer when our heroes become more than cardboard cliches. Travis, Bowie and Crockett are actually much more interesting the more we know about them, warts and all. The history of the Alamo is more interesting when we know something of the Native peoples who once lived there, the priests who built the missions and the early Tejano settlers, the broad context of the war in 1836 that includes the primacy of slavery, the sordid treatment of non-Anglos that followed, and why and how the myth of the battle of the Alamo rose from the long-neglected, falling-apart remains in San Antonio. This is the beauty of books like Forget the Alamo they make us to want to know more, not less, about what really happened when we remember the Alamo. Paul Stekler, whose documentary films are about American history and politics, teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. His film, Last Stand at Little Bighorn can be found at https://vimeo.com/228699685. Our militarys tradition of keeping sexual assault and harassment cases within the chain of command is beyond dishonorable. Its anti-American, perpetuates future victims and must end. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and two pending bills in Congress could finally change a system in which commanders decide which criminal cases to prosecute. Congress must enact legislation to reform this appalling part of our countrys military justice system. Continued failure means sharing in the responsibility for horrific sexual assaults and harassment of Americas service members. Endorsed by President Joe Biden, Austins decision to work with Congress to remove the investigation and prosecution of sexual assaults and related crimes from the military chain of command were part of his acceptance of the 82 recommendations from the panel he created the Independent Review Commission, or IRC, on Sexual Assault in the Military. The IRCs recommendations are a bold road map of how to handle military sexual assaults in a more just way. Among the recommendations is a call for independent special victim prosecutors and to add sexual harassment to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. On my first full day as secretary of defense, I committed that we must do more as a department to counter the scourge of sexual assault and sexual harassment in our military, Austin wrote in a memorandum published July 2. As I stated then this is a leadership issue and we will lead. Congress and the military have long resisted these changes, but there is hope for reform. We applaud the IRC and Austin, a retired U.S. Army four-star general who was confirmed in January, for their actions and transparency. But most importantly, we urge Congress to enact legislation to usher in a new climate of human dignity and respect in our military. The 299-page IRC report, Hard Truths and the Duty to Change: Recommendations from the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, provides a sense of scale for the problem: More than 20,000 service members experience sexual assault every year. The IRC chair, Lynn Rosenthal, said a senior enlisted member described a 100 percent tolerance of sexual assault. She shared this disturbing data: Less than 8,000 report those sexual assaults. Less than 5,000 of those are unrestricted reports meaning the victim has said that he or she wants a full investigation and only a tiny fraction of those end up with any kind of action at all in the military justice system. So thats the chasm that were talking about. In April, Express-News reporter Sig Christenson wrote about a study that found women at Texas Fort Hood and Fort Bliss face the highest sexual assault risk in the Army. After hearing from hundreds of survivors, the IRC shared this stunning conclusion: Many commanders simply do not treat sexual harassment and sexual assault with the same level of time or attention that they treat a broken vehicle. After decades of applying Band-Aids to fix a gaping wound, efforts-to-date have done little but maintain the status quo because too many leaders at all echelons of the enterprise continue to believe that sexual violence is a distraction from the militarys core war fighting mission, and therefore not something it must take seriously. All of this comes too late for Pfc. Vanessa Guillen a national symbol of the militarys horrific handling of sexual harassment and assault in a climate that too easily accepts it. On April 22, 2020, Guillen was murdered at Fort Hood by another 20-year-old specialist, Aaron Robinson, after twice reporting sexual harassment by another man, her platoon sergeant. Shortly after Guillens remains were found on June 30 of that year, Army investigators detained Robinson, but he escaped and then shot and killed himself. Robinson also was the subject of complaints of sexual harassment. For Congress, dismantling our militarys dysfunctional system of injustice and replacing it with a new system of expertise, support and prevention should be an easy decision. Texas House and Senate committees advanced the latest Republican-drafted elections bills after late-night hearings attended by more than 200 people that stretched all night and into the early morning hours. The legislation, which in many ways resembles a bill that failed to pass in May, is the majority partys top priority for a special session of the Legislature after Democrats stomped out their previous attempt. Lawmakers said the bills are likely to reach the full House and Senate floors this week, underscoring Republicans desire to move aggressively through Gov. Greg Abbotts 11-point agenda. Its an about-face from the regular session, when lawmakers were working up until the final hours on the elections legislation. The two chambers also advanced another top Republican priority on Saturday tighter requirements for defendants to be bonded out of jail without cash which also drew a high volume of people lining up to testify. Overlapping hearings on the elections bill led to an all-nighter in the House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies and nearly so in the Senate State Affairs Committee. The meetings began at 11 a.m. and 8 a.m. respectively. What's in the elections bill? Both chambers' bills, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3, would: Ban drive-thru voting Ban 24-hour voting by setting time constraints Prevent county election officials from sending absentee ballot applications to any voter who has not requested one Require partisan poll watchers to be allowed "free movement" to observe election activities at polling sites and central vote counting areas Ban absentee ballot drop boxes, requiring voters to mail in completed absentee ballots or deliver them to an election official Require a person requesting an absentee ballot to provide a driver's license number or Social Security number to get one Create a process for a voter to correct or verify a signature on an absentee ballot that might otherwise be tossed for a nonmatching signature Ban vote harvesting, defined as a third-party group helping a voter fill out absentee ballots in order to benefit a specific candidate Only SB 1 contains the following: Authorizes state election officials to compare Department of Public Safety driving records with voter rolls to find potential noncitizen voters Requires any person who transports three or more voters other than family members to the polls to fill out a form See More Collapse Though many arrived early in the morning to secure their spot in the queue, the Senate recessed after more than 10 hours of public testimony at 1:41 a.m. The public testimony in the House was just starting. The Senate panel passed the elections legislation on a 6-3 party line vote when they reconvened on Sunday. The Democrats on the House committee had spent hours asking questions of the bill author, state Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction. They wrapped up public testimony about 7 a.m. and, after voting down several Democratic amendments, the committee passed the bill on a party line vote of 9-5. Round 2 of elections debates begins The entire country is watching, Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, told the crowd that gathered Saturday as it began pouring into the Senate hearing. Miles office organized sending a busload of people to Austin to oppose the legislation. Both chambers new bills, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3, drop several of the most divisive provisions from the legislation proposed in May, including one that would have made it easier for judges to overturn elections and another that limited early voting hours on Sundays. Those had been the final provocation for Democrats in the regular session, but even with them removed, the party and civil rights groups are fighting just as hard against the latest bills, arguing that remaining provisions will still make it more difficult for Black and brown Texans to vote. Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, author of SB 1, said it was unfortunate that the debate over the matter remains bitterly partisan, alluding to how his bill is often associated with the larger Republican push nationwide to tighten voting laws after the 2020 election. That election led a majority of Republicans, polls show, to believe former President Donald Trumps false claim that his loss could be attributed to widespread voter fraud. Hughes pointed out hes been filing similar legislation to SB 1 for over a decade. This is important right now, but its always been important, Hughes said. Ive been filing bills about, for example, paper backups for electronic voting and security and accessibility for our elections since 2005. On Saturday morning, dozens of people formed a line that wrapped around the Capitol extension to get into the room where the House hearing was held. Capitol staff had to open multiple overflow rooms to fit everyone, with every other seat left empty for social distancing. The majority of the testifiers were against the bill. Many were wearing shirts with the names of civil rights groups and unions written across the fronts and holding signs that urged the Legislature to Say no to Jim Crow 2.0. Birdie Kelley, a Fort Bend County Democratic Party precinct chair and a former election judge, said many of the voters she encountered at her polling place were older Black people whose parents had told them stories of having to count jelly beans or recite portions of the U.S. Constitution in order to vote. They were proud to vote, she said, but they often didnt know they could vote by mail or how to request an application to do so. She and others played an essential role in giving them an application something that could open them up to consequences under Republican proposals to make it a criminal offense for an election official to distribute an unsolicited mail ballot application. So what happens now? she said. Now we have all these restrictions on the ballot. Im just requesting that we not make it harder we make it easier for them. On the flip side, some Republicans testified that they had originally registered against the bill because it didnt go far enough in punishing election judges who do not accept poll watchers. But an amendment offered by Hughes raised the penalty from a Class B misdemeanor to a more severe Class A, punishable with up to a year in jail, and they changed their stances on the bill. Andrew Eller was one of them. Eller said he has served as an election judge for 25 years, and a harsher punishment doesnt worry him because he would never purposely shut out a watcher. Hed like to see the offense become a felony. Those who are worried about that are probably the ones doing the wrong thing, Eller said. Jonathan White, chief of the Texas attorney generals election integrity division, testified that SB 1 seems to create additional tools that could potentially help us be more successful in what were doing. Miles and Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, questioned whether the office was rooting out the kind of fraud that politicians say concerns them. Both noted an analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union that found that since Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took office in 2015, at least 72 percent of individuals his office has prosecuted for voter fraud are people of color and primarily women. They brought attention to the case of Hervis Rogers, a 62-year old Black man accused by the AGs office of illegally voting before his parole ended. Rogers had attracted national media attention for having waited in line for six hours to vote in the 2020 primary election. He has said that he did not know he was ineligible to vote. His bail was set at $100,000; he was released Saturday. State attorneys are prosecuting the case in the more conservative Montgomery County, though Rogers lives, works and went to a polling place in the more liberal Harris County. The law allows the AG to prosecute cases in adjoining counties. Thats the kind of biases that we have to deal with each and every day, Miles said. Thats what the citizens, Black, white, brown mostly Black and brown have to deal with in the great state of Texas. Miles added that Rogers may have broken the law but not the spirit of the law as the the law is meant to stop bad actors, not people who make mistakes. Asked why the case is being prosecuted in Montgomery County, White said the AGs office has relationships with attorneys in that county but not Harris County. He rejected criticism of the decision to take the case there as forum shopping, a term that refers to prosecutors choosing the court or jurisdiction based on where they expect to have an edge. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com Both chambers of the Texas Legislature on Saturday advanced a new version of Republicans priority bail reform bill, despite objections from Democratic lawmakers who opposed the measures constraints on the use of cashless personal bonds. Republicans who support the bail bill, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, argue that state law does not go far enough in keeping defendants accused of violent or sexual crimes behind bars as they await trial. Democratic lawmakers oppose the proposal, saying it would disproportionately incarcerate Blacks and Latinos and lead to further overcrowding in jails. After a House committee hearing Saturday that lasted roughly nine hours, lawmakers on a party-line vote sent House Bill 2 to the full chamber. The Senate Jurisprudence Committee held an overlapping and much shorter hearing on Senate Bill 6, the upper chambers identical version of the bail reform package authored by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston. The committee advanced the bill on a 3-0 vote. Some of the bills main sticking points are a provision that bars charitable organizations from posting bond for defendants accused or previously convicted of a violent crime; an expanded list of offenses for which defendants may not be released on cashless personal bonds; and a statewide risk assessment tool that Democrats said would unfairly punish minority defendants by allowing judges to consider their criminal histories, among other factors, when setting bail. During the House committee hearing, state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said Texas criminal justice system has a disparate racial impact, mostly for Black men, raising issues with the risk assessments use of a defendants criminal background. It is my concern that this, added onto a system that already treats those folks in a different way, is going to give another opportunity for bias to play a role and to exacerbate the systemic racism that exists in our criminal justice system, Moody said. And what frustrates me the most is we have done an immense amount of work in this body to try and turn the corner on those things. This is going to take us backwards. State Rep. Reggie Smith, a Sherman Republican who authored the bill, said the so-called public safety reports, which judges may use to determine the risk of releasing a defendant, would provide wider discretion for setting bail by allowing judges to consider a range of factors beyond the defendants ability to pay. Smith also said the bill is intended to address situations like in Harris County, where he said an egregious number of homicides are being committed by offenders out on some type of insufficient bond. INVESTIGATION: As killings tied to defendants released on bail rise in Houston, crime data reveals a crisis in courts A Houston Chronicle investigation published Friday found that in 2020, more than 18,000 Harris County defendants were charged with new felonies and misdemeanors while out on bond, three times as many as in 2015. We have to protect the public. We balance the need to do that against our American constitutional rights and the presumption of innocence, the right to a jury trial, et cetera, Smith said. And were striking that balance. I think what this bill is designed to do is both try and protect the community, and also to do our best to make individualized assessments to comport with federal law and do the least restrictive set of conditions on bail so that were able to get folks out of jail if they need to be. The bail legislation is a priority of Abbott, who cited it as a key reason for calling lawmakers back to Austin for the 30-day special session. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Protecting a business Democrats particularly assailed the bills proposed limits on charities that seek to bail defendants out of jail. Groups that have paid bail for three or fewer defendants within the last six months would be exempt from the rule, as would religious groups and family members of the defendant. That measure comes after charitable organizations frequently bailed out protesters who were arrested during demonstrations over police brutality following the murder of George Floyd last year. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, said that feature seemed designed to cater to the bail bond industry. You dont want to really cut into the bail bond business, so youre going to make sure that those cash bonds, those big fat cash bonds, are going to have to be made by bail bond people, said Thompson, who serves as vice chair of the committee. It looks like were protecting a business. State Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston, questioned Smiths decision to include a provision that denies no-cost personal bonds to defendants who commit assault a Class A misdemeanor that would include someone charged in a bar fight, she noted while out on bond or community supervision for a violent offense. Room for amendment Johnson, a former chief human trafficking prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorneys Office, also pressed Smith on a measure to deny no-cost personal bonds to those accused of aggravated promotion of prostitution. She had worked with a previous author to remove that from the bill during the regular session. For decades, we have prosecuted women who were victims as offenders, because they can technically be charged with prostitution, Johnson said. Aggravated promotion of prostitution probably has a significantly higher rate of trapping women as opposed to their exploiters and perpetrators who are making a profit off their sexual exploitation. In response, Smith noted that the list of crimes applies only to personal bonds, meaning defendants could still post bail using surety bonds financed by a bail bondsman. He also said he was open to amending the bill. Well, to be completely candid with you, I did not develop this list, Smith said. I know Im responsible for the bill. But, what I will tell you is, if you want to have some conversations about this list, I would be glad to have them. jasper.scherer@chron.com PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Haitis interim government said Friday that it asked the U.S. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare the way for elections in the aftermath of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. We definitely need assistance and weve asked our international partners for help, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told The Associated Press in an interview, declining to provide further details. We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. Joseph said that he was dismayed by opponents whove tried to take advantage of Moises murder to seize political power an indirect reference to a group of lawmakers that have declared their loyalty and recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haitis dismantled senate, as provisional president and Ariel Henry, whom Moise designated as prime minister a day before he was killed, as prime minister. "Im not interested in a power struggle, Joseph said in the brief phone interview, without mentioning Lambert by name. Theres only one way people can become president in Haiti. And thats through elections. Joseph spoke just hours after the head of Colombia's police said that the Colombians implicated in Moise's assassination were recruited by four companies and traveled to the Caribbean nation in two groups via the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, the U.S. said it would send senior FBI and Homeland Security officials to help in the investigation. Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles said 17 suspects have been detained in the brazen killing of Moise that stunned a nation already reeling from poverty, widespread violence and political instability. As the investigation moved forward, the killing took on the air of a complicated international conspiracy. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian Americans, who have been described as translators for the attackers. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwans Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. At a news conference in Colombias capital of Bogota, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said four companies had been involved in the recruitment, the gathering of these people implicated in the assassination, although he did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified. Two of the suspects traveled to Haiti via Panama and the Dominican Republic, Vargas said, while a second group of 11 arrived in Haiti on July 4 from the Dominican Republic. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials will be sent to Haiti as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist. The United States remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president, Psaki said. Following Haiti's request for U.S. troops, a senior administration official reiterated Psakis earlier comments that the administration is sending officials to assess how it can be most helpful, but added there are no plans to provide military assistance at this time. The U.S. sent troops to Haiti following the last presidential assassination in the country, the murder of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915 at the hands of an angry mob that had raided the French Embassy where he had sought refuge. In Haiti, National Police Chief Leon Charles said another eight suspects were still at large and being sought for Investigative Judge Clement Noel told the French-language newspaper Le Nouvelliste that the Haitian Americans arrested, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers originally planned only to arrest Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers. The same newspaper quoted Port-au-Prince prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude as saying he ordered an investigative unit of the National Police Force to interrogate all the security agents close to Moise. These include Moises security coordinator Jean Laguel Civil and Dimitri Herard, head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace. If you are responsible for the presidents security, where have you been? What did you do to avoid this fate for the president? Claude said. The attack, which took place at Moises home before dawn Wednesday, also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to Miami for treatment. Joseph assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military and declared a two-week state of siege. Port-au-Prince already has been on edge amid the growing power of gangs that displaced more than 14,700 people last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory. The killing brought the usually bustling capital to a standstill, but Joseph urged the public to return to work. Vargas has pledged Colombias full cooperation, and authorities there identified 13 of the 15 Colombians implicated in the attack as retired members of the military, 11 captured and two killed. They range in rank from lieutenant colonel to soldier. The commander of Colombias Armed Forces, Gen. Luis Fernando Navarro, said they had left the institution between 2018 and 2020. In the criminal world, there is the concept of murder for hire and this is what happened: they hired some members of the (army) reserve for this purpose and they have to respond criminally for the acts they committed, said retired Colombian army general Jaime Ruiz Barrera. Senior officials from Colombias security forces will travel to Haiti to help with the investigation. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are heavily recruited by private security firms in global conflict zones because of their experience in a decades-long war against leftist rebels and powerful drug cartels. The wife of one former Colombian soldier in custody said he was recruited by a security firm to travel to the Dominican Republic last month. The woman, who identified herself only as Yuli, told Colombias W Radio that her husband, Francisco Uribe, was hired for $2,700 a month by a company named CTU to travel to the Dominican Republic, where he was told he would provide protection to some powerful families. She says she last spoke to him at 10 p.m. Wednesday almost a day after Moises killing and said he was on guard duty at a house where he and others were staying. The next day he wrote me a message that sounded like a farewell, the woman said. They were running, they had been attacked. ... That was the last contact I had. The woman said she knew little about her husbands activities and was unaware he had even traveled to Haiti. Uribe is under investigation for his alleged role in extrajudicial killings by Colombias U.S.-trained army more than a decade ago. Colombian court records show he and another soldier were accused of killing a civilian in 2008 who they later tried to present as a criminal killed in combat. The CTU in question may be CTU Security in Miami-Dade. The business has two listed addresses on its website. One was a shuttered warehouse with no sign indicating who it belonged to. The other is a simple office under a different companys name where the receptionist says the CTU owner comes once a week to collect meal and hold the occasional meeting. Solages, 35, described himself as a certified diplomatic agent, an advocate for children and budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in south Florida to assist resident of his home town of Jacmel, on Haitis southern coast. Solages also said he had worked as a bodyguard at the Canadian Embassy in Haiti, and on his Facebook page, which was also taken down after news of his arrest, he showcased photos of armored military vehicles and a shot of himself standing in front of an American flag. Canadas foreign relation department released a statement that did not refer to Solages by name but said one of the men detained for his alleged role in the killing had been briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard at its embassy by a private contractor. Calls to the charity and Solages associates went unanswered. However, a relative in south Florida said Solages doesnt have any military training and doesnt believe he was involved in the killing. I feel like my son killed my brother because I love my president and I love James Solages, Schubert Dorisme, whose wife is Solages aunt, told WPLG in Miami. Taiwans Embassy in Port-au-Prince said police had arrested 11 individuals who tried to break into the compound early Thursday. It gave no details of their identities or a reason for the break-in but in a statement referred to the men as mercenaries and strongly condemned the cruel and barbaric assassination of Moise. As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the president of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou told The Associated Press in Taipei. Police were alerted by embassy security while Taiwanese diplomats were working from home. Haiti is one of a handful of countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan. ___ Suarez reported from Bucaramanga, Colombia. Goodman reported from Miami. AP videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince and Johnson Lai in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Shenora Staten-Jordan felt lost when her father, Gary Lee Staten, died of COVID-19 in May. She hadnt expected to lose him so soon at age 61 or for a contagious disease to hinder her goodbye. All of that only strengthened her Milwaukee familys wishes to give Staten a beloved father and grandfather who spent 30-plus years serving Milwaukee Public Schools the type of homegoing service he deserved, she said. We look at the news every day and we are seeing numbers of COVID-19 cases, and people that have lost their lives to COVID-19, Staten-Jordan said. And who he was as a person is minimized. But the service, burial and extra expenses set the family back $21,000. ___ The nonprofit news outlet Wisconsin Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News. ___ A relative told Staten-Jordan about a Biden administration program that might help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency in April began accepting applications to help cover funeral and burial costs for those who have died of COVID-19 since Jan. 20, 2020. The program, created and expanded through two stimulus bills enacted by Congress, aims to ease the burden of memorializing hundreds of thousands of Americans lost to the coronavirus. Applicants are eligible for up to $9,000 per funeral through the FEMA program and up to $35,500 for people who pay for multiple COVID-19-related funerals. Thats just below the $9,135 national median cost of an adult funeral with burial, according to a 2019 National Funeral Directors Association estimate. The median adult funeral with cremation was $6,645. Staten-Jordan hoped the application process would be straightforward, allowing her family to move on with their lives. It was anything but, she said. I began to call (FEMA) to see if those funds could be available to me, how it worked, what I needed to submit. I was just kind of really confused, she said. And thats when I started the journey of not being able to speak to anyone. Concerns have echoed nationwide about confusing bureaucracy and waits as the agency wades through thousands of applications. After all, as of July 1, the pandemic had killed more than 602,000 people in the United States, including 7,300-plus in Wisconsin. FEMA is initiating applications only over the phone, and Staten-Jordan struggled for weeks to reach an operator. She recalls making about eight calls in May and June before reaching an employee who estimated that it would take three to five days for FEMA to approve the receipts she uploaded and as many as 90 additional days to deliver the reimbursement. It wasnt a readily available resource for me during a very traumatic time of my life and my familys life. And my heart goes out to those families who are absolutely depending on this resource, Staten-Jordan said, adding that she was blessed she could afford her fathers service without too much financial hardship. Dan Shulman, a FEMA Region 5 spokesperson, acknowledges hiccups early as the agency which had never previously run a call-in-only operation, let alone on such a big scale struggled to handle a crush of calls. But the agency has since added employees and improved the process, he said. In the first day or two, Im sure you heard from people that tried to call in. We received more than a million phone calls that first day, he said. We quickly were able to work with our technical partners to address the technical problems, and since then, from a technical standpoint, weve been able to accommodate people with very, very minimal delays. As of June 28, FEMA has delivered $447 million in assistance to 66,800 people nationwide, agency data show. It distributed about $6 million to 872 applicants in Wisconsin, about 23% of the 3,734 who have called to start the application process. Fewer than 10 applicants in the state were ruled ineligible as of mid-June, Shulman said. He said processing times range from two weeks to 30 days after an applicant submits receipts and other required documentation including evidence that COVID-19 caused the death. But some applications are more complicated than others, Shulman said, making individual wait times hard to predict. Callers now wait less than a minute on average to connect with an operator, he said. Staten-Jordan had a much different experience beginning in May. During her first two calls, she waited for almost 50 minutes before the calls ended abruptly, she said. In one case, the phone just rang. In the other, she recalled hearing no sound. She tried again on a Monday morning, she said, and waited more than an hour on hold before getting disconnected. A handful of additional disconnected calls later, Staten-Jordan finally reached a staffer whom she called very professional and patient. The operator showed her how to upload receipts and other documents. Im used to using technology to get things done. My dad, or my mom or my grandmother or other people that are not as technologically savvy, they would have struggled with that process, Staten-Jordan said. Its already a traumatic experience, an abrupt experience, and to be greeted with so many hurdles to receive this resource, its unfortunate. Why does FEMA initiate applications only over the phone? Shulman offered several reasons. It allows operators to approach applicants with compassion and prevent confusion, particularly since the format of death certificates varies from state to state. Employees manually process each application including those with handwritten documents that an automated system might fail to recognize, Shulman said. When someone calls, Shulman said, an operator walks them through the process, including what documents are needed. The agency follows up with a letter formally requesting that information, which can be mailed, faxed or uploaded to a government web portal. When FEMA launched the program, it required all applicants to submit a death certificate listing COVID-19 as a cause of death. The agency announced on June 29 that it eased rules for applicants who lost loved ones between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020 an early stretch of the pandemic that predated widespread COVID-19 testing and federal guidance for documenting the disease as a cause on death certificates. Those applicants now may qualify by submitting a signed letter from a coroner, medical examiner or official who certified the death certificate that links COVID-19 to the death. Shulman said the agency needs help in its goal to reach everyone who is eligible. Congress did not cap total payouts from the program, so applicants are not competing for funds. We dont just reimburse family. We will reimburse anybody that incurred funeral expenses as a result of COVID-19, he said. So it could have been your neighbor, it could have been a long-time friend, it could have been somebody that you didn know that you just felt the generosity to help cover the cost of their funeral. The agency, however, can only reimburse a single applicant the person who paid the bill for each funeral, Shulman added. We cant bring back your loved one, but we can help ease the financial burden of the loss, he said. Ellen McBrayer, executive vice president of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and a spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association, said she hopes that more will apply for funeral aid, but grief may be preventing some people from doing so. When people see that and theyve suffered a loss, emotionally, it would have to be hard to take another step, she said. Families have just been devastated. Sheila Reid-Johnson, who operates Reids New Golden Gate Funeral Home in Milwaukee and Racine and owns another funeral home in Chicago, said some clients are aware of the aid program but arrive with misperceptions. Some incorrectly think that FEMA will pay their bill upfront rather than later reimburse costs or they incorrectly assume that multiple family members can recoup costs for the same funeral, she said. Reid-Johnson tries to clear up confusion help that Staten-Jordan said she hopes funeral homes will continue to offer grieving families as they navigate FEMAs bureaucracy. We were blessed that we had the means to lay my father to rest and to give him a wonderful homegoing experience for myself, for my children, for my brother and the rest of our family, she said. For those that (depend on this money for a funeral), my prayers and my thoughts are with them, and I hope that they keep the faith. Three Forks NRA Rodeo organizers are expecting a record turnout for next weekends annual event after the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation a year ago. People are ready to go out and do the things they didnt get to do last year, said Christina Kamps of the Three Forks Rodeo Board. For those folks, there will be plenty to do in Three Forks this weekend. In addition to the NRA events, visitors will be able to kick off festivities at the Farmers Market on Thursday, July 15, between 4 and 7 p.m.; the Stick Horse Derby Thursday at 5; and a kick-off concert by Levi Blom and Kailey Marie at the Rodeo Arena Thursday evening at 7. Kamps said concert tickets are only $10 so that families can enjoy an inexpensive fun night of live music. Saturday events include a firemans breakfast, parade, Rodeo Dayz Street Fair, food truck rodeo, and a magic show. (For a complete and detailed schedule of events, please see page 18.) The projected turnout for this weekends events is especially welcome news for the board and the city of Three Forks, which decided early in 2020 to replace the old and unsafe bleachers at the rodeo grounds, a project that had been identified as a priority need years before. At the time, city officials expected to pay for the $595,935 improvement with money the rodeo board had saved for that purpose, along with private donations and proceeds from the 2020 rodeo. But that was before the pandemic threw a monkey wrench into best-laid plans. After the board was forced to cancel last summers event because of the pandemic, the city took out a $310,000, 15-year INTERCAP loan requiring bi-annual payments. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the city was able to make a $17,700 payment in February and has the money in hand to make its $16,400 payment due in August, according to city Treasurer Kelly Smith. Proceeds from this weekends rodeo are expected to cover next Februarys payment, Kamps said. Advance rodeo tickets ($12 for adults and $7 for kids ages 6-12) are available at Murdochs, Three Forks Saddlery, and Belgrades Rocky Mountain Supply. Tickets at the gate are $3 more. The United States and India are vibrant democracies with diverse populations and a commitment to the free market. Faced with a rising China and an increasingly aggressive Iran, we also share common adversaries. Strengthening ties between the United States and India would greatly benefit the two countries economically and geopolitically. This alliance is also crucial for ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. Yet, there is a threat to this future partnership: India's relationship with Russia. This hurdle must be overcome if there is hope for a strong partnership between the United States and India. The relationship between the U.S. and India has grown closer over the last several years. At a 2019 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, both nations reaffirmed Indias status as a major defense partner and agreed to deepen cooperation on maritime security, interoperability, and information sharing. In 2021, the United States supported Indias bid to join the UN Security Council for a two-year term and has supported a reform that would allow India to join the Security Council as a permanent member. Economically, India and the U.S. also enjoy a strong trading relationship. Currently, India is the United States' 9th largest goods trading partner. Our two countries exchanged $92.0 billion worth of goods in 2019 alone. Yet Russia remains a threat to this burgeoning defense relationship. Indias decision to purchase the defense system known as S-400 from the Russian military threatens U.S.-India relations, given that Russia is still under U.S. sanctions due to its continued military aggression and its invasion of Ukraine back in 2014. The purchase of a missile defense system from a NATO adversary is a nonstarter. Allowing countries who have access to our F-35 equipment to work with the Russian military could compromise our military technology. As the United States continues to unveil its F-35 fighter jet to foreign allies, there are legitimate concerns that the Indian government may test their newly purchased defense system on American fighter jets, potentially exposing the S-400s capabilities against the American military to Russian military intelligence. This puts our national security secrets at risk. If India insists on entering into a defensive partnership with Russia, this will force our hand. The United States will have to consider foregoing our intelligence sharing partnership with India and scrap plans for a strong defensive partnership. After multiple cyber attacks perpetrated by Russia, including one that recently shut down an entire pipeline, we cannot afford to give Russia any more ammunition against our country. There are also legal questions. As per the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, signed by President Trump in 2017, any nation that buys military equipment from Russia is liable to economic sanctions by the U.S. government. This isnt the first time the U.S. has had to forego what could have been a great partnership with another nation because of that countrys relationship with Russia. The U.S. was poised to strengthen ties with Turkey when they decided to purchase four S-400 batteries from Russia in July 2019. The United States responded by removing Ankara from the F-35 program and freezing assets belonging to the Turkish president and several senior officers. In keeping with our policy, the U.S. would be likely to adopt a similar response to India should it go through with the purchase of such weapons systems from Russia. The United States and India have a tremendous opportunity to develop a mutually beneficial defense relationship. But at minimum, India will have to agree not to purchase military equipment from Russia. This is non-negotiable. If India is thinking strategically, they will prioritize building a defense relationship with the United States instead of maintaining military ties with Russiaa nation that continues to act as an adversary toward the United States and NATO. Developing a stronger defensive partnership with India is a worthy ambition, but not at the expense of allowing Russia to undermine American military capabilitiescapabilities the U.S. freely shares with nations that act as friends. Congressman Mark Green is a physician and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. He interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. When you say bermuda shorts, your mind will immediately redirect you to the kind of shorts the men in your family or friend circle usually wear. Yes, we do have many styles in short pants for women but bermudas haven't really been the most popular celeb-approved fashion trend up until now. These comfy babies are being spotted on some of our favourite Bollywood and Hollywood stars and we have to admit, we would like this trend to stay. Shraddha Kapoor Of course when a celeb decides to wear bermuda shorts, she's got to make it fashionable, but really this trend is one of the easiest to incorporate. Have some pre-loved jeans? You can cut them just a few inches above the knee, and there, you have it. While hotpants still might be dominating, this fashion trend is fresh and is gaining momentum quicker than you can imagine. And, why wouldn't it? We have nothing against looking hot in those cute super cute short pants, but as we move closer to the fall months, bermuda shorts make sense as transitional pieces for hot yet cooler weather. And if celebs are making these casual and comfortable pants cool again, you too might be feeling like something of a fashionista yourself while lounging at home in your own home pair. Emily Ratajkowski We love how supermodel Emily Ratjkowski pairs her distressed bermuda-style denim shorts with a crop top, a chic shoulder bag, sunglasses and gold and silver jewellery. Again, this celeb outfit prompts you to recycle your fashion by opting to cut up your old jeans and we are all for it. Hailey Beiber Hailey Beiber also kills it in some super comfy printed bermudas that actually is a part of a set. It is definitely a nod to androgynous fashion, and if you are in for the comfort then a little unisex shopping wouldn't hurt either. Also read: Chic Mini Skirts To Twirl Your Way Through Quarantine Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon have been shooting for Bhediya since March this year. After shooting for a huge chunk of the film in Arunachal Pradesh, they returned to Mumbai with the crew of the film in April end. However, a part of the film was still left to be shot in Mumbai. As soon as the lockdown opened recently and restrictions on shooting were eased out, the makers of the film shot for the part that was left. Varun took to Instagram to share that now the films shooting is fully complete. Sharing the news with a live poster of the film, she wrote, It's a film wrap for team #Bhediya! What an extraordinary journey this has been working with some amazing people and teaming up with Dino after Badlapur and super talented @amarkaushik . @kritisanon u ma boo and @nowitsabhi will misss our chats in the van before every scene love u @paalinkabak suprise package thank u.Releasing in theatres on 14th April, 2022. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the film also stars Abhishek Banerjee and has been produced by Maddock Films. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - General Motors (GM) on Friday said it is calling back 410,019 units of 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pick up trucks as the side airbags installed in the cars are not safe for the passengers. While the incident does bear semblance to the Takata airbags incidents, the part in question was not built by Takata, but was built by a Mexican company named Joyson Safety Systems. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, the airbag inflator end cap installed in the cars can detach and shoot inside the vehicle from both directions. The models in contention are 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks. According to documents, three such incidents happened last month in 2015 Silverados where the airbags ruptured, sending the parts flying inside the cabin. While there have been no casualties in any of the cases, according to NHTSA, this can easily lead to a crash. The company has reported that manufacturing defects has lead to the parts getting damp which has lead to the corrosion of the parts. The company says that due to a shortage of parts, the company will notify owners about the details of changing their parts starting from August 16. There has been no notice from the NHTSA to stop driving the cars. The owners can check if their car is in the bracket by heading over to the NHTSA website and entering their VIN number. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX GENERAL MOTORS-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de dMed-Clinipace, a Shangai, China- and Morrisville, NC-based global full-service Clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO), closed a US$50m Series C+ financing. The round was led by Springhill Fund, with participation from funds managed by Rock Springs Capital and Superstring Capital. They joined Series C lead investor Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC as well as other new series C participants Sequoia Capital China, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and E Fund. dMeds angel, A and B rounds were led by Qiming Venture Partners, Lilly Asia Ventures, and Vivo Capital, who have taken opportunities to increase their contributions to dMeds capital since the companys inception in 2016. The Series C+ financing proceeds have helped finance the recent merger between dMed Global and Clinipace Incorporated. Announced in April 2021, the combination of dMed and Clinipace has established a global full service CRO with dMed Global, based in Shanghai, China, and Clinipace Inc., a headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Led by Global Chairman and CEO Dr. Lingshi Tan, dMed-Clinipace is now an oncology and rare disease mid-size CRO, with expertise in clinical development, regulatory, pharmacovigilance and clinical analytics, and additional therapeutic focus in gastroenterology, nephrology, and womens health. The CRO has more than 1,700 staff in 22 offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, including more than 700 staff in China. FinSMEs 10/07/2021 DN Capital, a London, UK- and Berlin, Germany-based venture capital firm, has launched its latest $350m fund (approx. 220m and 300m). Under the leadership of Nenad Marovac and Steve Schlenker, Fund V will back early stage entrepreneurs across Europe, the UK and the US, who are developing tech to boost global recovery. Fund V will invest in the firms core fields of: software, fintech, marketplaces, and consumer internet. Founded in 2000, DN Capital now manages $950m across five funds. The firm has backed Shazam, Auto1, MrSpex and Endeca, among other successes. Its current portfolio includes unicorns such as US remittance business Remitly, digital staffing company Jobandtalent and the online education company GoStudent. It also has offices in Menlo Park, CA. FinSMEs 10/07/2021 NewStore, a Boston MA-based omnichannel store solution provider, raised $45M in Series B-1 funding. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its commercial efforts, expand globally, speed up product development, and increase employee headcount. Led by Founder and CEO Stephan Schambach, NewStore provides SaaS, cloud-based omnichannel store solutions combining POS, order management, inventory, and clienteling. The company serves by global DTC brands including Burton Snowboards, Decathlon, GANNI, Goorin Bros, Marine Layer, Outdoor Voices, and UNTUCKit. It is backed by General Catalyst, Activant Capital, and Salesforce Ventures. FinSMEs 09/07/2021 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. 6.0 Overheat scenario Well fellas, I've owned Da Beast for a couple of years now. It is a 2006 F450 cab-n-chassis with an LWB, commercial flatbed, CC, DRW, 4x4, stock 6.0. I've done all of the usual stuff, changed the air filter, new tires, changed the fluids on schedule, etc. However I don't recall having a radiator flush done on this rig. Did one on my 7.3 prior to selling it, but not on Da Beast. That may have come back to bite me in the tail yesterday, 'cause ...We were driving in traffic, usual hot TEXAS afternoon, A/C engaged, making the rounds to pick up scrap metal. I'm trying to teach the son the value of work and how to manage money dontchaknow. So we were approaching a traffic light when I heard a chirp. I looked at the instrument cluster and noticed the message "CHECK GAUGES". After a quick scan I noticed that the ECT was approaching the top of the range. And for a brief second I chided myself internally for not noticing that without the idiot sound, but then re-focused on the issue at hand. I switched off the A/C, turned on the heater with maximum fan speed and rolled down the windows. 'Switched lanes into the left-turn one (fortunate to be able to pull that off traffic wise, but I digress) and pulled into a fuel station. Shut it down as soon as I could. Briefed the son as to what had happened and what we were doing. Answered the litany of questions that then ensued, 'cause why not? I needed to wait anyway. So I let it cool for a while, opened the hood and cracked the DeGauss bottle cap. Emphasis on CRACKED, as in I barely turned it at all. It hissed a bit, so ok, take your time, cool down. Waited. Repeated. Eventually I was able to open and remove the cap with no hissing. I saw liquid inside the bottle, but it had the usual crap at the bottom, so it was difficult to tell what was really going on. And we weren't in a place that was convenient to a pseudo-tear down. So we waited a while longer and I dropped in some water, then closed the bottle. Checked the oil, it was fine, ergo black and not chocolate milk looking. Tranny fluid was ok and that indicator of course never left the middle of the gauge. 'Checked anyway because again, why not, I needed to kill time. So what to do...Towing it home would have been a chore and a half. Not even sure if the local towing companies would accept the job request. So I decided to load the lil 'un up and see if we could make it home on our own. Wasn't my first choice, but I decided that if there was any hint of a repeat that we'd pull over and that would be it. I briefed the son to that effect and told him to prepare for what could be an interesting trip home. Turned over the key, waited to see what would happen. ECT was pegged in the middle of the gauge, as it has always been since I've owned it (to be clear, I've not experienced this issue with this truck in the past). Hmmmmmm....ok well that must mean that the fan is working. A quick check confirmed that. And so off we went, my eyes leaving the gauge only when necessary. Heater on, fan max, windows down. We make it down the road a fair ways, no speed above 45-50 MPH due to the type of road we were on, and we hit the occasional traffic light. All seems normal. Wha-? Being an engineer, I just *had* to test it. So I turned off the heater. Drove a bit. ECT gauge pegged in the middle of the range. Hmmmmm....what is going on here? Alright then, let's turn the A/C back on. This was for the purpose of testing BTW, not comfort. The ECT seemed to rise just a tad, but never came close to rising to the top of the displayed range. Made it all the way home, no issues. Well, nothing making itself known, which I was half-expecting. Left it running, handed the son over to the wife-eee and took a closer look. Nothing out of the ordinary, no leaks, fan running, ECT indicator right in the middle. Sheesh. Ok enough for the day. I turned it off. Decided to just let it cool down completely by deferring any further work until today (Sunday). And now it is raining cats-n-dogs dontchaknow.Anyway I thought I'd post to see if anyone has experienced this scenario in their travels. If it'll stop raining I plan on attempting the following:1) Check the oil filter to see if the heat has disintegrated it and/or the stand pipe (that *is* the name of it isn't it?).2) Check again for leaks underneath (which I routinely do anyway and haven't seen any).3) Open the DeGauss bottle and take a closer look inside to see if there are any clues there.4) Drain the coolant and do a flush.5) Replace the thermostat and possibly the temp sensor, though it seemed like the latter was doing its job.6) Check serp belt condition.7) Check water pump.All that said, I should note that I don't have any type of digital temp device on the truck. Thus I didn't have any indication of what the EOT was doing, but based on what I read back-in-the-day about deltas, it seems obvious to me that the EOT was right up there with the ECT, as it is rarely lower. And with that in mind, I am hoping that it's not the oil cooler just becoming sludged up like they tend to do, thus blocking a passage (or more). I didn't see any floaties in the DeGauss bottle, but that doesn't mean that they aren't there. Just gonna have to take a look.As a side note, I've noticed that the A/C has become weaker recently. At idle you might have cold air but generally not so much. After you get moving it improves and you're fine.Anyway I'm gonna go watch the rain.Any feedback is appreciated. And yes, I realize that towing would have been the best option. Picture as an FYI-only of what Da Beast looks like: Paxton, IL (60957) Today Cloudy early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Courtesy photo Pictured are the new Kentland Rotary Club Officers. From left to right are Greg Hall, secretary; Henry Senefelder, president-elect and treasurer; Kirby Drey, president; and John Frischie, past district governor. PRICHARD, Ala. --At approximately 10 p.m. last night, Prichard police units responded to the 100 block of E. Azan Street in reference to shots fired call. Upon arrival, it was found that 2 male subjects had been shot multiple times inside a vehicle. EMS was requested and arrived on scene, but both victims were pronounced deceased from their injuries. At this time, there is no clear motive for the shooting, but the case is actively being investigated by Prichard Major Crimes Division, assisted by the MCSO CSI. GREENVILLE, SC (FOX CAROLINA) - Two Upstate cities--Greenville and Spartanburg-- have been named to the "Best Places to Live in the U.S." list by U.S. News & World Report. We welcome your letters and columns! Use the button below to send us your thoughts. Remember: Letters must include your real name, town of residence and daytime phone number, which we use for verification. We do not accept anonymous letters or letters written under a pseudonym. Letters should be no more than about 400 words. Those of no more than 200 to 300 words are more likely to be published. Submit Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below. Rubert Ray Marsh, 89, formally of Ralls, Texas left this earth to be with the Lord July 14, 2021. Ray was born May 4, 1932, in Crosby County Texas to James Rubert and Lillian Vaile Porter Marsh. He graduated from Ralls High School and from Texas Tech University with a degree in Business Admi Galveston, TX (77553) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 82F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Gettysburg, PA (17325) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 83F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 65F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. About the Series The city of Grand Junction and Colorado Department of Transportation are planning major upgrades to road and transit infrastructure around the city. From resurfacing North Avenue to expansion of 24 Road and a proposed multimillion dollar, federally funded transit hub near downtown, these projects, if seen to fruition, would transform the citys transportation systems for years to come. The Daily Sentinel is looking at each of these projects in a three part series that will discuss the plans and potential impacts to businesses and the public. Today: 24 Road to be part of city's $70 million road expansion project Sunday: Proposed transit hub in downtown a game changer for city Online: North Avenue to get facelift in 2022. https://tinyurl.com/35rt9hc7 Gurugram, India, June 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Government in KSA has heavily invested SAR 327.9 Billion on Economic Projects under its 10th Development Plan (2015-2019) and is trying to uplift its Non Oil manufacturing sectors by launch of National Industrial Development and Logistics Program expected to increase the volume of non-oil exports to over SAR 1.0 Tn and generate 1.6 million new jobs by 2030. Launch of Digital Platforms by Saudi Custom Authority has streamlined 80% of the freight to be cleared within an average time of 24 hours and reduced the Clearance time by 60% resulting in Logistics Companies to focus on their Automation Process and Core competencies such as Freight handled, Network, Fleets, Employee Strength, Warehousing capacity, Certifications and more. The logistics space is quite fragmented with more than 1600 players with Top players contributing only 12-15% of the logistics market Revenues in KSA. Online Freight Aggregators such as Trukker and Trukkin are providing an online marketplace for carriers to search & book loads with a single click solving the Issue of Empty Returns in KSA. Logistics Companies such as Al Karsf, Hellman logistics are working with WMS, RFID tags, GPS Enabled Trucks, Real Time tracking and Own EDI Platform to record the transactions as mandated by Custom Authorities. For more information on the research report, refer to below link: Competition Benchmarking of Top 40 Players Across Automotive Value Chain (Freight Forwarding, Auto Spare Parts and Auto Service) in KSA Import Driven Automotive Spare Parts Market in KSA: Saudi Arabia is heavily dependent upon Imports for spare parts from UAE, Japan, South Korea, Germany, China & US, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% during 2014-19 and accounted for ~76.3% of the total spare imports into the Kingdom in 2019. Wiper blades, water & oil pumps, brake disc, brake shoe, compressors, evaporators, radiators etc. are the major spare parts imported into the country. Riyadh and Jeddah provides highest proportion of sales in spare parts market with Presence of ~5500 Retailers in both the Hubs and ~1 Mn Vehicles sold in 2019 in the North & East Region. Introduction of Online platforms such as SABER, SALEEM under SASO has improved product regulation with aim of meeting international standards and removing the issue of Counterfeit Products in KSA. Out of ~7000 Offline Multi-brand parts Suppliers in KSA, Only Few Companies such as Babatin Auto Parts, Rezayat Automotive & more are manufacturing spare parts and can obtain Numerous Incentives such as Low corporate income tax of 20% on profits, Low Cost Land in Economic Cities, SIDF loan with for up to 20 years and up to 75% of the capital, Lower Utility Cost and more Online Start Ups such as Atlobha, Oddigo and Speero are working as an aggregator working with Dealers to provide complete range of spare parts from brake pads to suspensions of many well-known Brands such as Peugot, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, Toyota, BMW, Cadillac and more. KSA Auto Repairs and Maintenance Market in KSA: The Market is dominated by 30+ Multi Brand Service Providers, 40+ Agency workshops with spare parts Dealership, ~5 Car Wash Aggregators along with Multiple Unorganized Workshops in almost all cities of Saudi Arabia. Multi Brand Dealers such as Petromin Autocare, SAC Motors, and SKBMW has already established strong Recognition in the Market and provide Strong Network Coverage with At least 3 Branches in all prime cities of KSA. Use of Advanced Technology such as Computerized Estimation System to prepare comprehensive damage estimates for a vehicle is being extensively used by the company to maintain Good Client retention along with Stable Revenues. The Concept of Mobile Workshops is being extensively used to provide services such as Changing Oil, Changing Battery, Checking computer and more providing utmost ease and support to the Customer at their Location along with lesser Initial Capital investment to the Company. Online Service providers such as Ezhalha and Morni are providing aggregator digital platform to provide Emergency Services including Battery, Towing, Car Wash & more and are expected to grow in the coming years with many New Funding Series in Pipeline. The report titled "Potential Companies for Strategic Partnership in Saudi Arabia Across Automotive Value Chain Segments- Logistics, Auto Car Repairs/Maintenance and Auto Spare Parts" by Ken Research suggested that All above Segments are further expected to grow in the near future with Rising competition, Online Aggregators in the space, Updated Technology with the support of the Government. Many New companies are expected to come in near Future providing Ease and Accessibility to the Customer. The Auto Repair Segment is expected to rise with Facility of Mobile Services in the Country. Key Target Audience: 3PL Logistics Companies Integrated Logistics Companies Automotive Companies Auto Spare Parts Provider Auto care companies Automotive Dealers Companies Mentioned: Freight Forwarding Companies Bahri logistics Saudi Post NAQEL Express Kuehne Nagel Almajdouie logistics DHL Express Fedex Express Al Ayed Transport SMSA Express Tamer logistics BAFCO shipping and Logistics DB Schenker Agility JAS Worldwide Kanoo Terminal Services LSC warehousing and logistics Hala Supply Chain Namma Cargo Wared logistics Al Rashed transport UPS Kerry logistics Mubarrad transport Hellman logistics OCSCL Shipping and Logistics Al karsf SMT logistics Saudi Lana logistics Fourwinds logistics Takhzeen NTF cargo Alpha Cargo GAC Platinum Shipping and Logistics Al Seham logistics Gulf System Defaf Logistics Wolf logistics Abdui Global Globus Durar logistics Glaube logistics Multi Brand Auto Spare Parts Providers Saudi Parts Center Company Ltd (Al Khorayef Group ) Babatin Auto Parts M S Almeshri & Bros Co. Barik International Rezayat Automotive Al-Oliah Auto Spare Parts Samir Odeh Arabian Parts Company (ARSAMCO) Badil Spare Parts Atlobha Speero Odiggo Multi Brand Auto Cars Repairs and Maintenance Market SAC Motor Sheikh Centre (SKBMW) Petromin Auto Care Abu Jihad Car Maintenance Centre Ziebart Best Engine Centre Auto Fix Ezhalha Morni Key Topics Covered in the Report Competition Analysis of Major Logistics Players in KSA ( including Volume, Average warehousing Space, Fleets, Average Occupancy rate, Network, Client Retention, Industries catered, Services offered, Technology, Certifications, Strength) Competition Analysis of Major Multi Brand Auto Spare parts Providers in KSA ( including Number of Orders, Branches Network, Clients, Services offered, Digitalization, Strength) Competition Analysis of Multi brand Auto Repairs and Car maintenance Players in KSA ( including Number of cars handled annually, Average Ticket Size, Branches Network, Clients, Services offered, Digitalization, Strength) Saudi Arabia Logistics Market Saudi Arabia Freight Transportation Market COVID Impact on Saudi Logistics Market Automotive Dealers KSA KSA Agency workshops KSA Auto care KSA Auto Detailing KSA Car Washing Companies Saudi Arabia Multi brand Repair Shops Saudi Arabia Automotive Market Saudi Arabia Spare parts Saudi Arabia Refurbished Spares Saudi Arabia White label Spares Saudi Arabia OEM Saudi Arabia OES Saudi Arabia After market spares Saudi Arabia Branded Spares Saudi Arabia Sea Freight Volume Saudi Arabia Road freight Companies Saudi Arabia Freight forwarders Saudi Arabia Carriers Saudi Arabia Sea Freight Companies Saudi Arabia Road Freight Companies Saudi Arabia Air freight Companies For more information on the research report, refer to below link: Competition Benchmarking of Top 40 Players Across Automotive Value Chain (Freight Forwarding, Auto Spare Parts and Auto Service) in KSA Related Reports KSA Automotive Industry Outlook To 2025 Focus On Technology Adoption & Trends For Dealers, Distributors, Spare Parts Suppliers, Fleet And Leasing Companies And Car Service Providers The report further analyze each segment in detail, providing a brief overview along with market size, segmentation, competition analysis, trends, developments & future analysis of various segments, focusing keenly on entity relationships & business models. These segments are then further analyzed to gain a better understanding of the ERP & CRM modules required to pave the way for digitization amidst the industry, across KSA. UAE Logistics and Warehousing Market Outlook to 2025 By Road , Sea and Air Freight Forwarding; Domestic and International Freight, Major Flow Corridors, Integrated and Contract Freight Forwarding; By Warehousing (Industrial / Retail, CFS / Inland Container Depot & Cold Storage, Agriculture), End Users (Manufacturing, Retail, Food and Beverage, Automotive, Oil and Gas, Healthcare), Type of Warehouses; By Courier Express & Parcel Market , and, E-commerce Logistics The report covers the overall size and future outlook of UAE Freight Forwarding, Warehousing, Courier Express and Parcel, 3PL and E Commerce Logistics market in terms of value, segmentation on the basis of service mix, by geography, by ownership and by type of industries. The report also covers the competitive landscape and company profiles of major Freight Forwarding, Warehousing and Express Logistics Companies in UAE. The report concludes with market projections for future and analyst recommendations highlighting the major opportunities and challenges. Saudi Arabia Automotive & Spare Parts Logistics Market Outlook To 2025: Lifting Of Ban On Female Drivers And Growing Aftermarket For Spare Parts To Influence Market Growth The report focuses on overall market size in terms of revenue generated by automotive & spare part logistics companies; Saudi Arabia automotive & spare parts logistics market segmentation by service mix (freight forwarding, warehousing and value added services); automotive & spare parts freight forwarding market segmentation by freight mode (road freight, sea freight and air freight); by type of transport (domestic freight and international freight); by 3PL Logistics and Integrated logistics; by Cost split (last mile and first mile); by automotive segment (vehicles and spare parts); by sea flow corridors (Sudan, GCC, Egypt and others); by air flow corridors (Sudan, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Oman. Contact Us: Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. High 71F. W winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Rain showers early becoming more intermittent overnight. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. This Aug. 21, 2016 photo shows John Thompson, now a state representative, at a fundraiser at Central High School in St. Paul, Minn. Thompson, who was ticketed for a drivers license violation is alleging he was racially profiled. The citation says State Rep. John Thompson of St. Paul, who is Black, presented a Wisconsin license during a traffic stop in St. Paul Sunday, July 4, 2021 . (Scott Takushi/Pioneer Press via AP) CASSOPOLIS [mdash] Lorraine Miller, 78, of Cassopolis, Michigan, formerly of Goshen, passed away at 3:45 p.m, on Thursday, July 15, at Spectrum Health Lakeland, St. Joseph, Michigan, with her family by her side. She had been in declining health with a brief illness. She was born on March 28, On the night before he faced his brutal execution at the hands of the Roman Empire, Jesus of Ballard Power Systems has received a purchase order for 15 70 kW FCmove-HD fuel cell modules from Tata Motors to power 15 of Tatas zero-emission Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs). Ballard plans to complete delivery of all modules by 2022. The buses are planned for deployment in Faridabad, the largest city in the National Capital Region of Delhi. The 15 buses will be supplied by Tata to the Research & Development Centre of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). Tata and IOCL will jointly study the potential of fuel cell technology for commercial vehicles, including testing, maintenance and operation of the FCEBs in real-world public transport conditions in Indias National Capital Region. IOCL will also generate and dispense the hydrogen fuel to be used by the Ballard modules in these buses. CaetanoBus, the Portuguese bus manufacturing company, and Toyota announced the co-branding of the battery electric city bus, the e.City Gold, and the fuel cell electric bus, the H2.City Gold. CaetanoBus e.City Gold and H2.City Gold Since 2019, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has integrated Toyotas fuel cell technology, including fuel cell stacks, hydrogen tanks and other key components, into the hydrogen city buses manufactured by CaetanoBus. The Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the main public transport operator in Barcelonas metropolitan area, recently awarded CaetanoBus the delivery of eight 12m hydrogen buses by the end of 2021. This acquisition of eight 12m hydrogen vehicles by TMB is supported by the European JIVE 2 program. More recently, in December 2020, Toyota Caetano Portugal (TCAP) became the direct shareholder of CaetanoBus to support rapid expansion from its core bus business into the development and sales of zero-emission buses. Over the past year, the Portuguese bus company has reinforced its international presence with increased sales of its zero emission buses throughout Europe. The H2.City Gold is the CaetanoBus hydrogen powered electric bus using Toyotas fuel cell system. The city bus has a range of 400 km and can be refueled in less than 9 minutes. This vehicle showcases both companies complementary technologies and engineering capabilities. It represents the first step in the co-branding strategy, which also includes the e.City Gold 100% electric bus. At the heart of the co-branding is a change of the vehicle badging to include both Caetano and Toyota logos, acknowledging Toyotas strong visual recognition amongst European customers. CaetanoBus, part of Toyota Caetano Portugal and Mitsui & Co, is a bus and chassis manufacturer in Portugal. The company has a consolidated offer in vehicles for cities and airports which is a result of its technical capacity in developing unique, customer-oriented mobility solutions. CaetanoBus is also the manufacturer of COBUS, the worlds market leader in airport bus transportation. CaetanoBus has been focusing on electric mobility since 1980. Rolls-Royce and Cavendish Nuclear have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to deepen the relationship between the parties through cooperation on the Rolls-Royce SMR program. Under this agreement Rolls-Royce and Cavendish Nuclear commit to working together to develop the roles that Cavendish Nuclear can perform in the design, licensing, manufacturing and delivery aspects of the Rolls-Royce factory-fabricated small modular nuclear power plant. Among the opportunities to explore will be Cavendish Nuclears capabilities in engineering design; validation and verification; and the provision of manufacturing facilities and capability for aspects of the SMR plant manufacture. This will involve exercising the broad set of technical and manufacturing capabilities and facilities that UK-owned Cavendish Nuclear has within its portfolio. The agreement has been signed by Rolls-Royce in its role as consortium leader on the program that has been working on the design of the power station for the last two years with support from the UK Government through UK Research and Innovation. The consortium already includes many well-established UK nuclear industry brands including Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Laing ORourke, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), Rolls-Royce, Jacobs, The Welding Institute (TWI) and Nuclear AMRC. The MoU with Cavendish Nuclear brings additional capabilities to the UK SMR program and adds world-class manufacturing and design capabilities to strengthen and complement those already within the current supply chain partners. The Rolls-Royce SMR takes advantage of factory-built modularization techniques to reduce the amount of on-site construction significantly, and can deliver a low cost nuclear solution that is competitive with renewable alternatives. Rolls-Royce believes its SMR design will deliver 220MW to 440MW of power, depending on the configuration, and be so compact it can be transported by truck, train or barge. The SMR unit is envisioned to sit within a power station that is roughly one-tenth the size of a typical large scale reactor (40,000 m2 vs. 400,000 m2). The Rolls-Royce SMR will provide long-term, guaranteed, low-carbon power to support both on-grid electricity as well as a range of off-grid clean energy solutions to support the decarbonization of industry and the production of clean fuels to support the energy transition in the wider heat and transportation sectors. Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), one of the largest listed integrated utilities in the region, and Abu Dhabi Ports, are discussing the development of an industrial-scale green hydrogen to ammonia export project in Abu Dhabi. A partnership on a green hydrogen to ammonia project on this scale between TAQA and Abu Dhabi Ports, would be a significant step towards placing Abu Dhabi at the heart of a new emerging global market for green energy. The companies will work together on developing proposals for a green ammonia export facility to be based in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). The new plant would be fuelled by hydrogen produced by an electrolyzer facility paired with a 2 GW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant. The green hydrogen would be turned into liquid ammonia to supply ships converted to use ammonia as a bunker fuel and for export from Abu Dhabi Ports via specialized gas carriers. Ammonia, which is relatively easier to transport than pure hydrogen, has a number of industrial uses and can also be turned back into hydrogen. The TAQA-Abu Dhabi Ports project will also feature a storage facility at Khalifa Port, opening the opportunity for it to become a hub for exporting green ammonia to international markets including Europe and the East Asia. The solar farm, electrolyzer and the ammonia production plant will be situated in KIZAD. The ammonia plant will have pipeline connectivity to the Khalifa Port storage facility enabling large volumes of ammonia to be directly delivered to the port Less than one year after its launch, the French battery company Verkor has raised 100 million (US$119 million) in funding. Co-led by EQT Ventures and Renault Group, with participation from the French Government and Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region, the funding will support the companys expansion, and trigger the construction of the Verkor Innovation Centre (VIC) where the company will design advanced battery cells and modules. The news follows the recent signing of a partnership between Verkor and Renault Group under which Verkor will supply an initial capacity of at least 10 GWh per year for the C and higher segments of the Renault range, as well as for the Alpine models. (Earlier post.) Also participating in the funding round were EIT InnoEnergy, Groupe IDEC, Schneider Electric, Capgemini, Arkema, Tokai COBEX and the Fund for Ecologic Modernisation of Transport (FMET) managed by Demeter. Verkor will deliver battery cell manufacturing capacity of 16 GWh in 2024, scaling to +50 GWh by 2030. The VIC, which will be located in Grenoble and operational in 2022, is a major milestone in achieving this. It will accommodate a pilot line for battery cell manufacturing, a R&D center, testing facilities, module prototyping, and provide training for a new generation of engineers and technicians. Verkor plans to produce two types of battery cells in its Gigafactory: large pouch cells and smaller cylindrical cells (2170 and up). Verkor will benefit from the industrial expertise of new shareholders Arkema, a leader in high-performance specialty materials; and Tokai COBEX, a speciality manufacturer of low-carbon, ultra-efficient battery anode materials. Demeter, a major energy transition private equity fund also steps in with its Fund for Ecological Modernisation of transport (FMET), while the French Government, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region and Bpifrance will provide financial support for the R&D program. Barber Hauler Capital Advisers, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking acted as financial advisors to the company, and De Gaulle and Fleurance & Associes as legal advisors. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. GREENWICH Ryan Fazio has won the GOP nod to run in the Aug. 17 special election for the state Senates 36th District seat. Of 29 delegates present, Fazio, a member of Greenwichs Representative Town Meeting, earned 20 votes at the nominating convention that Republicans held virtually Saturday. Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee for Connecticut, received nine votes. Hours before the convention, state Rep. Harry Arora, R-151, withdrew from the race to become the Republican candidate, telling supporters in an email blast that he didnt have the support of enough delegates to secure the party endorsement. During Saturdays convention, which the public could watch live on Facebook, Fazio said Hartford needed a change in leadership. Lets build consensus across this state to solve the biggest challenges we face, Fazio said. Lets reduce taxes, the cost of electricity and health care, and create economic opportunity for all. Lets make our neighborhoods safe and support our local police. Lets create the greatest school system of any state in the country. Lets protect our environment, and lets bring people together from every walk of life. Delegates who spoke in support of Fazio noted he narrowly lost to then-Sen. Alex Kasser when he ran for the 36th District seat last year. Kasser was elected in 2018, becoming the first Democrat in decades to represent the district that covers Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan, beating Republican L. Scott Frantz, who held the seat from 2009 to 2019. She resigned unexpectedly in June, citing the strain from her ongoing divorce. There are less than 40 days (until) the special election. Lets not mess this up, said Whitney Williams, a delegate from New Canaan. Ryans campaign is prepped and ready to go. And I believe that we owe it to our fellow Republican voters that we allow him to pursue his desire to once again be our state senator a desire that will be fulfilled when he wins on Aug. 17. Icy Frantz, whose husband had held the seat Kasser won and who nominated Fazio, had praise for the Republican choice. A delegate from Greenwich and fellow member of the RTM, she said that after his loss to Kasser, Fazio didnt just walk away but rather re-assembled his team and provided a full analysis. Lets give him the chance to finish what he started and return the district to the capable hands of a wonderful Republican, Frantz said. On July 6, Democrats officially endorsed Alexis Gevanter, who formerly led the Connecticut chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Gevanter was endorsed by Kasser. The candidate the Democrats have put up is far worse than Alex Kasser, if thats possible, said Ed Dadakis, the chairman of the Republican nominating convention. She is a San Francisco progressive, a left-winger, who has left San Francisco because those left-wing policies ruined the city, and now shes coming to Connecticut to do it here. John Blankley, a former Democratic member of the RTM and the Board of Estimate and Taxation, is gathering signatures to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate. Levy congratulated Fazio in a statement after losing to him Saturday, saying she is committed to joining with everyone to elect a Republican for our next state senator of the 36th district. Greenwich delegate Tom Michaud called Levy the definition of the American dream, noting that her family fled from Cuba in 1960 when she was a child. Two years ago, Levy was nominated by then-President Donald Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Chile, but she wasnt confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Includes prior reporting by staff writers Ken Borsuk and Ken Dixon. The St. Rochs Feast will return in full force this summer, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the church community to scale down the beloved annual event in 2020. The annual event is set to take place Aug. 11 through Aug. 14. On Thursday, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to allow the closure of St. Roch Avenue from Alexander Street to Hamilton Avenue from 6 to 11 p.m. during the feast to accommodate the festivities. The feast is a beloved event in the Chickahominy neighborhood and beyond, with residents from across Greenwich attending. The feast is tied to the Italian heritage of many of the immigrants who settled in Chickahominy and the later generations of their families. In the Italian town of Mora de Sanctis, St. Roch, a French man who made a pilgrimage to Rome to care for those stricken by a plague, was the patron saint of the church Italian immigrants who came to Chickahominy, Byram and Port Chester, N.Y,. founded the Societa Morresa di San Rocco, a mutual aid society more commonly known in town as The Morese Society. They began gathering in August to celebrate St. Roch, and the feast sprang from there. Paul Cappiali, one of the organizers, noted that St. Roch is the patron saint of infectious diseases. People have been praying to St. Roch for thousands of years to ease their suffering and the pain from the losses of pandemics, he said. Although it was cut back because of the pandemic, the feast was one of the few major town events held in 2020. I think you were the only parish that was able to do that and you did it successfully, so hats off to you, First Selectmen Fred Camillo said. Camillo, one of Greenwichs most visible dog owners, said St. Roch is also the patron saint of dogs. He also vowed to attend the feast and enjoy a serving of its popular pizza fritta. Downtown With much fanfare, the Department of Public Works recently unveiled its intersection improvements at Greenwich Avenue and Elm Street. The project includes bumpouts to make it safer for pedestrians to cross while slowing cars and adding green space to the area. Now, more intersection work is planned and the DPW is seeking public input. Residents can check out the DPWs plans and offer feedback by visiting greenwichstreetscape.com/#summary. Visitors to the website can click on photos of intersections and give their ideas and opinions. First Selectman Fred Camillo said he was very, very excited about the website and the opportunity to get feedback. Also, DPW staff will seek input by walking up and down Greenwich Avenue, handing out information on the improvement plans and getting comments from residents, visitors and merchants. The DPW also set up a stand at the Sidewalk Sales Days on Greenwich Avenue through Sunday to get comments. Funds for more work on Greenwich Avenue was planned, but the Representative Town Meeting cut the money out of the municipal budget for 2021-22. Some RTM members said they wanted to see the completed Elm Street intersection before authorizing any more work. Central Greenwich Residents are invited to take part in a special event to enjoy the outdoors, gather as a community and support the LGBTQ+ community. Christ Church Greenwich is holding a picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. July 18 at 254 E. Putnam Ave. behind the Tomes Higgins House and next to the church. The event is open to anyone in the community who wants to take part for the LGBTQ+ community and the people who love and support them. The church will grill burgers and hot dogs and serve up salads and other picnic items. The church has previously hosted the event, but plans last year were canceled due to COVID-19. Christ Church is a community of people committed to living the way of Gods unconditional, unselfish love for every human being regardless of gender, sexual identity or orientation. We believe that God loves us all, no exceptions. the church said in a statement. For more information about the event or to volunteer, visit christchurchgreenwich.org/picnic-for-lgbtq-and-allies/. Greenwich Do you have a tree on your property that is near and dear to you? Does it deserve special recognition? Then the Greenwich Tree Conservancy wants to hear from you. The conservancy is looking for specimens that can be declared treasured trees. It can be a tree treasured because of a special memory, its impressive size, its unique shape, how it looks in the fall or how it flowers in spring or even because it is fun to climb, the tree conservancy said. To nominate a tree, visit www.greenwichtreeconservancy.org and fill out the form by July 23. The recognition is for trees on private property in Greenwich, not on public or town-owned land. After the submission are made, the conservancys tree experts will evaluate the applications and select the trees to honor. Nameplates will be installed on the selected trees, and those who made the nominations will be given framed pictures at the nameplate installation ceremony in the fall. All of the honored trees will be enrolled in the conservancys roster of treasured trees. The program aims to create respect for unique trees, to encourage forethought for any removal of nameplated trees and finally to inspire future nominations. the tree conservancy said. Executive Director JoAnn Messina said the group selects about six trees a year in an effort to keep it small. People are very enthusiastic about this, Messina said. Both ceremonies that weve had, the owners of the trees have come and talked about why their trees are so important and why they want their trees recognized and want the plaque. They want future owners of their property to know. Its very heartening to see that. Road Closure Alert Starting Monday, July 12, there will be a temporary daytime road closure on South Stanwich Road so the fence installation can be completed, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo. The fence work is associated with the causeway repair project completed earlier this year, Camillo said. The road will reopen to the public each evening, he said. Weather permitting, the project is projected to be completed in four days. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) Ethiopias ruling Prosperity Party on Saturday was declared the winner of last months national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The National Election Board of Ethiopia said the ruling party won 410 seats out of 436 contested in the federal parliament, which will see dozens of other seats remain vacant after one-fifth of constituencies didn't vote due to unrest or logistical reasons. Ethiopia's new government is expected to be formed in October. The vote was a major test for Abiy, who came to power in 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms that led in part to a Nobel Peace Prize the following year, but critics say he is backtracking on political and media freedoms. Abiy also has drawn massive international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead. Junes vote, which had been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical issues, was largely peaceful but opposition parties decried harassment and intimidation. No voting was held in the Tigray region. Abiy has hailed the election as the nations first attempt at a free and fair vote, but the United States has called it significantly flawed, citing the detention of some opposition figures and insecurity in parts of Africas second most populous country. The leader of the main opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, Birhanu Nega, lost while opposition parties won just 11 seats. The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party has filed 207 complaints with the electoral body over the vote. Popular opposition parties in the Oromia region, the largest of Ethiopia's federal states, boycotted the election. The ruling party ran alone in several dozen constituencies. In a social media post late Saturday, Abiy called the election historic in that it was conducted by an electoral body free from any influences. He promised to include some opposition figures who took part in the election in his new government. The head of the electoral board, Birtukan Mideksa, said during Saturday's announcement that the vote was held at a time when Ethiopia was experiencing challenges, but this voting process has guaranteed that people will be governed through their votes. She added: "I want to confirm that we have managed to conduct a credible election. Voter turnout was just over 90% among the more than 37 million people who had been registered to vote. The Prosperity Party was formed after the dismantling of Ethiopias former ruling coalition, which had been dominated by Tigray politicians. Disagreements over that decision signaled the first tensions between Abiy and Tigray leaders that finally led to the conflict in the region in November. Though Abiy hinted in 2018 that Ethiopia will limit a prime minister's terms to two, it is not clear whether he will act on that. Desalegn Chanie, a member of the opposition National Movement of Amhara who won a parliament seat, told The Associated Press the election board performed well overall but has failed in its main duty of being impartial and giving fair judgements for complaints. Local election officials, armed men and cadres were snatching the badges of election observers and even beating them, he said. The naming schemes that different phone makers use have been getting more and more convoluted recently, with multiple names for the same phone in different markets, the same name being used for different phones in different markets, and even the same phone being sold under two or more names in the same market (hi, Xiaomi). Samsung, however, wants to take the (madness) cake with the Galaxy M21 2021 Edition. We've already seen this appear in the Google Play Console, which only revealed its model number. At the time we didn't have any specs that we could compare to the Galaxy M21 that launched last year. Today a new leak brings us the full spec list, and get ready for this - the Galaxy M21 2021 Edition is 100% identical to the Galaxy M21. We really hope the source of this leak is wrong, because otherwise - what's the point? Oh, wait, there is one difference, not that it actually matters. The Galaxy M21 launched running Android 10. The Galaxy M21 2021 Edition will launch running Android 11. But - fun fact - the Galaxy M21 has already received the update to Android 11. So for all intents and purposes, these are the same phone, they just have two different names. For some reason. We're assuming Samsung wanted the M21 to feel fresh again, and the usual way to do that is come up with a minor spec update and label it something like M21s or even M22 or perhaps M21 2021 Edition (although how many 21s in a name is too many?). This time around, there's none of that. You're getting the same phone with a new name. Yay for progress. We can't wait for the launch press release, if there even will be one. Like the M21 before it, the M21 2021 Edition is expected to make its debut in India. The release date is still elusive, but honestly, who cares? If you want the same phone, just buy an M21. Source We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit This story has been updated with comments from Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee, made available to CNN after publication. CNN's Jenni Marsh and Jessie Yeung contributed to this report How to get help: In Hong Kong, call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. Haiti - FLASH : The Government requests the sending of American soldiers to the country Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, fearing that strategic infrastructures in Haiti (ports, airports, power plants, oil terminals etc.) may be the target of attacks or sabotage, and chaos the Haitian Government Friday 9 July 2021, asked Washington and the United Nations to send military aid to ensure, among other things, the security of these sites. Regarding this request, Mathias Pierre, the Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister, in charge of electoral questions and relations with political parties declared "After the assassination of the President, we thought that mercenaries could destroy some infrastructures in order to create chaos in the country. During a conversation with the US Secretary of State and the UN, we made this request." At the UN, a diplomatic source confirmed Haiti's request, stressing that for military support a Security Council resolution was essential. For their part, the State Department and the Pentagon confirm having received such a request from Haiti and indicated that they were in contact with Port-au-Prince, without specifying whether military staff would be deployed in Haiti. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - USA : Uncle Sam will send FBI agents, millions of dollars and vaccines to Haiti Friday in Washington DC Jen Psaki, the spokesperson for the White House declared in a press conference that the United States, at the request of the Haitian Government, will send to Haiti agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help in the investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html According to Psaki, the arrival in Port-au-Prince of the FBI and DHS agents will take place "as soon as possible" and their mission will be "to assess the situation and see how they can help" the Haitian authorities. "We are also giving $5 million to strengthen the capacity of the Haitian National Police to work with communities and to resist gangs," said the spokesperson. She also explained that the United States is preparing to send vaccines against Covid-19 to Haiti "as early as next week"... Read also on the assassination of President Moise : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34189-haiti-justicehunt-for-latin-americans-in-haiti-the-opc-calls-on-the-population-to-calm.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34188-icihaiti-flash-11-mercenaries-arrested-in-the-taiwanese-embassy.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34183-haiti-flash-the-commando-that-killed-the-president-included-26-colombians-and-2-haitian-americans-official-video.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34182-icihaiti-assassination-of-president-moise-15-days-of-national-mourning-text-of-the-decree.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34180-haiti-politic-assassination-of-president-moiserain-of-reactions-part-2.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34178-haiti-politic-what-measures-contains-the-state-of-siege-text-of-the-decree.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34177-icihaiti-usa-the-pm-met-with-secretary-of-state-anthony-blinken.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34176-haiti-un-the-security-council-condemns-the-assassination-of-president-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34175-haiti-assassination-of-president-moise-international-reactions-part-1.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34174-icihaiti-diplomacythe-assassins-of-moise-were-professional-mercenaries-dixit-bocchit-edmond.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34173-haiti-flash-the-police-intercepts-the-presumed-assassins-of-president-moise-official-video.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34172-haiti-flash-martine-moise-in-florida-for-treatment.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34170-haiti-flash-the-first-lady-martine-moise-would-still-be-alive-but.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34169-haiti-flash-rain-of-reactions-on-the-assassination-of-president-moise-part-1.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34168-haiti-flash-the-state-of-siege-is-declared-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34165-haiti-assassination-of-jovenel-moise-what-says-the-constitution.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34164-haiti-dr-luis-abinader-closes-the-border-with-haiti-and-convenes-the-military-commanders.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34163-haiti-flash-closure-of-the-airport.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : The Senate and the opposition appoint Senator Lambert as Provisional President of Haiti 3 days after the cowardly assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the Senate and the opposition wereted no time in uniting in the hope of occupying the empty post of our late President. Friday July 9, 2021, the Senate adopted a resolution (8 votes for, 2 abstentions) designating the President of the Upper House, Senator Joseph Lambert as Provisional President of Haiti until the entry into office of Parliament, the second Monday of January 2022, of a new President elected on February 7, 2022. Reacting to this designation on his official twitter account, Senator Lambert wrote] "I understand the Senators' resolution. I express my humble gratitude to the political institutions that support me. I sincerely say thank you. I hope to meet many others to reopen the path of alternation essential to democracy." Note that the same day, a mire of the opposition including INITE, DIRPOD, FUSION and PHTK and allies signed an agreement, confirming that they have chosen Joseph Lambert as provisional President of Haiti "in the spirit of article 149 of the Constitution". Except that in article 149 of the amended Constitution of 1987 there is no mention of this possibility https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34165-haiti-assassination-of-jovenel-moise-what-says-the-constitution.html For their part, Fanmi Lavalas and "Pitit Dessalin", who have not signed this agreement, intend to present their own initiative to fill the presidential void... and try to occupy a coveted chair ... to be continued... Download the full Senate resolution (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/resolution-senat-president-07-2021.pdf Read also on the assassination of President Moise : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34195-haiti-usa-uncle-sam-will-send-fbi-agents-millions-of-dollars-and-vaccines-to-haiti.html Haiti - USA : Uncle Sam will send FBI agents, millions of dollars and vaccines to Haiti 10/07/2021 09:38:30 Haiti - USA : Uncle Sam will send FBI agents, millions of dollars and vaccines to Haiti Friday in Washington DC Jen Psaki, the spokesperson for the White House declared in a press conference that the United States, at the request of the Haitian Government, will send to Haiti agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help in the investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html According to Psaki, the arrival in Port-au-Prince of the FBI and DHS agents will take place "as soon as possible" and their mission will be "to assess the situation and see how they can help" the Haitian authorities. "We are also giving $5 million to strengthen the capacity of the Haitian National Police to work with communities and to resist gangs," said the spokesperson. She also explained that the United States is preparing to send vaccines against Covid-19 to Haiti "as early as next week"... Read also on the assassination of President Moise : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34189-haiti-justicehunt-for-latin-americans-in-haiti-the-opc-calls-on-the-population-to-calm.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34188-icihaiti-flash-11-mercenaries-arrested-in-the-taiwanese-embassy.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34183-haiti-flash-the-commando-that-killed-the-president-included-26-colombians-and-2-haitian-americans-official-video.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34182-icihaiti-assassination-of-president-moise-15-days-of-national-mourning-text-of-the-decree.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34180-haiti-politic-assassination-of-president-moiserain-of-reactions-part-2.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34178-haiti-politic-what-measures-contains-the-state-of-siege-text-of-the-decree.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34177-icihaiti-usa-the-pm-met-with-secretary-of-state-anthony-blinken.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34176-haiti-un-the-security-council-condemns-the-assassination-of-president-jovenel-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34175-haiti-assassination-of-president-moise-international-reactions-part-1.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34174-icihaiti-diplomacythe-assassins-of-moise-were-professional-mercenaries-dixit-bocchit-edmond.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34173-haiti-flash-the-police-intercepts-the-presumed-assassins-of-president-moise-official-video.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34172-haiti-flash-martine-moise-in-florida-for-treatment.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34170-haiti-flash-the-first-lady-martine-moise-would-still-be-alive-but.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34169-haiti-flash-rain-of-reactions-on-the-assassination-of-president-moise-part-1.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34168-haiti-flash-the-state-of-siege-is-declared-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34165-haiti-assassination-of-jovenel-moise-what-says-the-constitution.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34164-haiti-dr-luis-abinader-closes-the-border-with-haiti-and-convenes-the-military-commanders.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34163-haiti-flash-closure-of-the-airport.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Jovenel Moise had many enemies "It is currently very difficult to designate [the sponsor] a person or a group, but it is certain that President Moise had many political enemies. I also think that with its policy, its economic reform, its political program that really did not please many people, also its fight against corruption, that many people did not like [] declared Haitian Ambassador to Washington Bocchit Edmond reacting to the assassination of President Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html Washington : Condolence book open at the Embassy of Haiti From July 8 to 22, 2021, a book of condolences will be opened at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington DC from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in order to salute the memory of the Head of State Jovenel Moise and also allow members of the Haitian diaspora to express their feelings. Haiti's electrification will continue "Mr. President, you did not have time to inaugurate the new 60 MW power plant originally planned for July 9 as discussed over the phone a few hours before your assassination. You can rest in peace because the fight for the electrification of Haiti will continue," Dr. Evenson Calixte Director General of the National Regulatory Authority for the Energy Sector (ANARSE). Sympathies from Jude Celestin "[...] I learned with the greatest dismay the odious crime perpetrated at dawn on Wednesday July 7, 2021 on the person of Mr. Jovenel Moise as well as the attempted assassination on the person of his wife Mrs. Martine Moise, in their private residence at Pelerin 5. To the parents and allies of all the victims of this criminal madness, I extend my sympathies, inviting them to share with me the common hope of a speedy rebirth of our democratic and republican institutions [...]" Jude Celestin. Denial of the PNH The National Police would like to formally deny the false information relayed by certain media suggesting that two police officers were arrested by the Dominican authorities Thursday, July 8, 2021 on the Haitian-Dominican border, at Dajabon. Indeed, these police officers who crossed by an unofficial crossing point to visit as usual relatives in Dajabon, were intercepted. After phone exchange between CESFRONT of the Dominican Republic and POLIFRONT, they returned to their post and are currently in service at the POLIFRONT base in Morne Casse. Reminder : The days of national mourning are not non-working The General Secretariat of the Prime Minister reminds the general public that public administration and commerce are not idle during the 15 days of national mourning https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34182-icihaiti-assassination-of-president-moise-15-days-of-national-mourning-text-of-the-decree.html and the state of siege https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34168-haiti-flash-the-state-of-siege-is-declared-in-haiti.html, from July 7 to 22, 2021, decreed by the Government following the assassination of the President of Jovenel Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34183-haiti-flash-the-commando-that-killed-the-president-included-26-colombians-and-2-haitian-americans-official-video.html. Therefore, public officials of all levels and ranks are instructed to return to their posts and the public is encouraged to go about their business as usual. HL/ HaitiLibre By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2021/07/09 One of the latest releases by the Korean Film Archive, "Country Bumpkin O-bok" was restored in 4K in 2021, but unfortunately, 4 of the 11 reels of the full film are missing. To fill in the gaps, descriptions based on the script and audio track were added. This somewhat faults its viewability, but there is still enough present for a full review to be generated. Advertisement The story, which unfolds into two different timelines and settings, revolves around the titular O-bok, a simpleton working as a servant, with very little prospects in life. O-bok is in love with Soon-i, the daughter of a gambler, who retains, though, a relationship with his boss's son. O-bok's boss, however, is set on not allowing his son to marry such a lowly girl, and to do so, forces Soon-i and O-bok to get married, despite the protests of his son. The marriage is awkward from the beginning, and things take an expected turn towards the worst, with Soon-i abandoning O-bok and her daughter, Sook-hee. Eventually, however, O-bok manages to send his daughter to Seoul to study. The second part takes place about a decade later, when a grown up Sook-hee is lodging in In-gyeong's house, where she tutors his children. Another lodger, Mr. Kim, has feelings for Sook-hee, but In-gyeong's daughter, Hye-yeong, a rather spoiled girl, flirts with him non-stop, despite the fact that she suspects his feelings. A sick O-bok eventually also lodges in the house, but things soon take a turn towards the rather worse. Im Won-jik directs a genuine melodrama, where the situation of all the protagonists goes from bad to worse, and the happy moments are few and rather brief. At the same time, however, through this approach, he also makes a socio-philosophical comment, regarding the ways the rich dominated the poor, essentially dictating the ways they live their lives, with disastrous consequences, occasionally even for both parties. Particularly for O-bok, who finds himself constantly dependent on an aristocrat, despite the initial events, and that this history seems to be repeated even for his daughter, emerges as particularly tragic while also cementing this particular comment. Kim Seung-ho-I gives another great performance in the part, particularly in the way he portrays his character's naive nature, which does not even allow him to realize his blights and their repetitive nature. Im Won-jik's own script, despite the intense melodramatic premises, emerges as one of the most distinct traits of the movie, with the story being captivating from beginning to end, assisted the most by the change from the rural, almost Joseon setting of the first part, to the urban modern one of the second. The two romantic stories that dominate the story are also well-written and quite intriguing, with the villains in the two cases (O-bok's boss in the first and Hye-yeong in the second) working excellently as catalysts of the story. Yang Mi-hee in the latter role is impressive as the rather beautiful, rather spoilt and spiteful woman-child. Seo Jeong-min-I's cinematography is also excellent, with the ways he has captured the radically different settings being particularly realistic and, at the same time, artful. The scene where Hye-yeong spies from the balcony especially is excellently framed, in one of the most memorable moments of the film, with the same applying to the marriage one. Truth be told, the more than 40 minutes missing make the watching of "Country Bumpkin O-bok" somewhat tiresome, particularly since the viewer has to sit through the black screens with just sound in order to realize what is going on with the story. What is saved, though, is quite good, both contextually and technically, essentially deeming the movie one worth watching. Review by Panos Kotzathanasis ___________ "Country Bumpkin O-bok" is directed by Im Won-jik, and features Kim Seung-ho-I, Um Aing-ran, Moon Jung-suk, Choi Moo-ryong, Kim Seok-hun, Kim Hee-kap. Release date in Korea: 1961/11/11. Korean Movie | 2013 Drama Directed by Jinsung Park () Lee Jin-woo () Lee Sang-woo-IV () Park Jin-seok-I () 104min | Release date in South Korea: 2013/11/21 Synopsis Woo-hyeon is a youth in his 20s who wander around the Sinchon model area with no particular job and his girlfriend sells herself for a living. Woo-hyeon feels interest in his girlfriend's private area with a tattoo of an arrow and calls it the 'exit'. Then one day, she is abused by a client because of the 'exit'. One end-of-the-year evening with Christmas carols ringing out from the background at art director Jeong-soo and Yeong's house, a dummy of a school girl lies in the corner. Jeong-soo and Yeong-seon waits for someone with the creepy dummy laying in the corner. A movie director arrives late at night and heads straight for the dummy... Mi-jeong, the head of department of an acting academy, feels the desire to urine everytime she looks at her watch. She got this queer symptom when she was struck by lightning when she was young. One day she comes across a group called Adad which is full of people who have been struck by lightning. The members all have a story of their own and Mi-jeong doesn't get along with them well. Then one day, leader of the team Dong-gyu suggests they leave on a lightning exploration adventure. Source Mary Lou Montgomery, retired as editor of the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post in 2014. She researches and writes narrative-style stories about the people who served as building blocks for this regions foundation. Books available on Amazon.com by this author: The Notorious Madam Shaw, Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri, and The Historic Murphy House, Hannibal, Mo., Circa 1870. She can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com The Mo. 79 viaduct, which has crossed Bear Creek in Hannibal for approximately 55 years, is showing its age which is why the Missouri Department of Transportation is planning on replacing it in the not-too-distant future. Theres a bounty of new benefits available to the tourism industry in Arizona and Henderson, NC (27536) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Henderson, NC (27536) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Features featured popular urgent Historic Shingleroof Campmeeting is like 'family and friends' reunion on top of church' Staff Photo: Heather Middleton Henry Countys Bicentennial Campmeeting, will begin Friday, July 16 and end Thursday, July 22, with services at 7:45 each evening and at 11 a.m. on Saturday through Thursday. Staff Photo: Heather Middleton A view of the Shingleroof Tabernacle from the dining halls front porch. The dining hall will not be open this year, but various food trucks will be on the campgrounds during the weeklong camp meeting. Special Photo Doug Stroup will serve as worship leader at Shingleroof Campmeeting. Special Photo Amy Stroup will be the pianist for the week of Shingleroof Campmeeting. Special Photo The Rev. Nate Keeler will the message Friday evening through Sunday evening at Shingleroof Campmeeting. McDONOUGH In just a few days, children will again run and dip their toes into the cold water spring flowing through this hallowed piece of land in McDonough. Many children will be playing in that same natural spring where their ancestors once drew water for drinking and cooking during what became, for some, the highlight of the year. And like those generations before them, children and their families this year will hear preachers talk about Gods love, forgiveness and salvation during camp meeting at the historic Shingleroof. As Henry County celebrates its 200th anniversary, 2021s Shingleroof is being called by organizers the Henry County Bicentennial Campmeeting. Shingleroof started at least as early as 1830, maybe earlier, so we have been there for most of the 200 years, according to county historian and author Gene Morris. We were not able to gather in 2020, due to pandemic restrictions, so people are chomping at the bit to get back on the old campgrounds. Greg Moss has attended camp meeting each of his 56 years on Earth, and he can count on one hand how many days his 24-year-old daughter, Hannah has missed. This will be the first time his 22-year-old son Haydon will not be able to attend. But Moss and his wife Mary Jane will be there among the worshipers and family, many of whom are the same people. My aunt has a tent, and we all stay as a family, he said. My brother and I, we have a house full. Id have to stop and count to see how manys in there. Some families have cabins on the property, which they call tents in homage to their ancestors who actually stayed in tents on the same property during camp meeting time. It was such a special place for me growing up, I wanted my kids to have that same experience, Moss said. Both of them love it so much... It doesnt matter what part of the year you go out there, there is that presence and its got to be the presence of God... Its one of the most peaceful places Ive ever been in my life. Moss, who does remodeling work, attends Rock Springs Congregational Methodist Church in Milner. He tells about recently stopping to talk to a man who was surveying the Shingleroof property for stormwater drainage for the state of Georgia and the man told him he could sense something there. I told him its the same hope, the same feeling I get when I come out there, Moss said. Its just a peaceful place. I hope when we get to heaven, its like it is there. Moss loves the history and talking about the days when folks worked to get their crops in, then loaded up their horse and wagon, pulled their cows behind them and brought their chickens along as they pitched tents to spend time worshiping at Shingleroof. Families still pack up and head off to camp meeting, and Moss looks forward to again being with relatives and friends. Usually, my mama and aunt are on the front porch, he says about the cabin. My dad died when I was 10, but he loved that place tremendously. He was James Moss and my mama is Dianne Moss. My mamas sister is my Aunt Sylvia Crumbley... My uncle, Richard Crumbley was a big influence on us staying out there. He died awhile back. Ginger Irby, who has been on the Shingleroof Board of Trustees for nine years, is also looking forward to camp meeting next week. She doesnt know how many generations of her family have worshiped at the campground, but said her grandparents, Paul and Laura Cates built the family tent in 1960. Her parents are Paul and Jinny Cates. We always have a big Sunday lunch with lots of family, Irby said. We sit on the porch and talk with friends you dont get to see a lot. Its kind of like a family reunion on top of a friends reunion on top of church with a lot of things combined. Irby, who works for the McDonough CPA firm Hargrave, Freeman & Leto, attends McDonough First Presbyterian Church and said she looks forward to the music and preaching. Theres a lot of good music good old revival hymns and even the youth love to sing, she added. Its different from the contemporary services. Its back to the old gospel hymns. ...Ive been going to it all my life and my parents and grandparents have gone there and my kids love it. Its tradition. Its just an exciting time. Irby said her husband Robert and their children Rollins and Candler will join other relatives, including her Uncle Charlie Cates and Chase and Darian Cates, for a time of family worship and togetherness. Its hard to explain to people, but you kind of get back to simple living, Irby said. There are sawdust floors, no air conditioning... but its a great place to worship and get closer to God, your family and friends. Its important because for me, Im passing it along to my children. My grandparents passed it along to me. Sophe Pope has also been attending camp meeting all her life. (I am) following in the footsteps of generations past, she said. I cherish the singing of old hymns, front porch time with family and friends from near and far and an opportunity to totally unplug. Watching my four little girls run around and experience the joy of camp meeting is so special and heartwarming and is always a sweet reminder of Gods grace. Pope said her husband, Dusty also grew up going to camp meeting, which holds a special place for him. The Popes are the parents of four daughters ages 8, 6, 4 and 2. Many families will carry on those old traditions while other families new to Shingleroof Campmeeting will start making traditions of their own. Shingleroof, Henry Countys Bicentennial Campmeeting, will begin Friday, July 16 and end Thursday, July 22, with services at 7:45 each evening and at 11 a.m. on Saturday through Thursday. Shingleroof Campmeeting is interdenominational. The evening community revival services will include preaching and special music, with the Rev. Nate Keeler bringing the message Friday evening through Sunday evening. Rev. Jason Minter will preach Monday morning and the Rev. Dr. John Ed Mathison will preach Monday evening. Doug Stroup will serve as worship leader with Amy Stroup as pianist for the week. Mark Miller will serve as worship leader Sunday morning, and Chris Harris will lead worship on Friday evening. Other special music includes Revelation United from Fairview Baptist, The Jonesmen, Elizabeth Johnson, McDonough Presbyterian, Wanda Joy and Danny Howell, and other soloists and groups. Keeler is the lead pastor at Wilmingtons Brandywine Valley Baptist Church in Delaware. He and his wife, Shannan, met while at Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn University). They have two children, Nathan and Aidan. Before being called as the senior pastor of BVBC, Keeler was an investment adviser in Washington, D.C., for two years and on staff at McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia for eight years. He received his masters in Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary. Minter has been serving at Faith Presbyterian Church since May 2016. He received his bachelor of arts degree in Theology from the Baptist College of Florida and his master in divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. He is currently working on his doctorate degree from Reformed Theological seminary in the area of reformed expository preaching. He has 15 years of ministry experience both in student and pastoral ministry. He and his wife of 16 years have five daughters. Mathison has become a regular at Shingleroof, and retired in 2008, after 36 years of serving as the senior minister of Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church. He is currently leading a non-profit ministry designated as the John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries and speaks at churches, conferences, and leadership training programs on a local, national and global scale. Stroup, the song leader for the week, is the assistant pastor at Crossroad Bible Church in Fort Valley, where he also serves as worship leader, teaches young adults and works with senior adults. He is a filmmaker and serves as the senior director of Make It Clear Studio where he produces faith-based films. He and his wife and seven children perform as The Stroup Family. The worship leader has also been part of the Peach State Quartet. The dining hall will not be open this year, but food trucks will be on site some evenings from 5-7 p.m., including Gezzos, Waffle House, Sweet Auburn BBQ and The Varsity. Located on the corner of Ga. Highway 155 and Campground Road in McDonough, Shingleroof Campground is situated on 100 acres of land, which historical records show were purchased in 1831. However, it is believed campmeeting was organized several years before that. Surrounded by woods, Shingleroof also offers The Ten Commandments Trail, a 1.5-mile nature trail that circles the campground. Along the way, walkers and hikers can follow a study of the Ten Commandments, as well as sit and meditate. The trails are open to the public during daylight hours, For more information and a detailed list of campmeeting events, visit www.shingleroof.org. ATLANTA Georgia energy regulators have authorized Georgia Power Co. to move forward with plans to buy 970 megawatts of solar power from five other utilities. The state Public Service Commission voted unanimously in favor of five power-purchasing agreements Georgia Power intends to pursue during the next couple of years. The 30-year PPAs are among Georgia Powers renewable energy programs the PSC signed off on when it approved the utilitys 2019 Integrated Resource Plan. Georgia Power is required to submit an IRP to the commission every three years showing what sources of electrical generation it intends to rely on to meet customer needs during the next 20 years. Here is a breakdown of the new PPAs: Utility Megawatts to be purchased CED Timberland Solar 140 Decatur Solar Energy Center 200 Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Double Run Solar 220 Wadley Solar 260 Washington County Solar 150 TOTAL: 970 Georgia Powers purchase of 970 megawatts of solar power is enough to serve roughly 165,000 homes. Georgia Power has one of the largest voluntary renewable portfolios in the country and expects to continue as a leader in solar energy production by continuing to grow its renewable generation resources, Georgia Power spokesman John Kraft said. The company plans to have about 5,400 megawatts of renewable energy resources in its portfolio by the end of 2025, accounting for about 22% of its power generation mix. EATONTON Philip Lee Williams, noted author and a member of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, will speak live at the Georgia Writers Museum on Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. as part of the Meet the Author series. Admission is free, and interested persons can contact www.georgiawritersmuseum.org to register for the event. Williams will talk about his writing career and his 2020 novel, Far Beyond the Gates, as well as his upcoming collection of eco-poetry, Edens Last Horizon. He is the author of 20 published books, including 13 novels, three volumes of poetry, and four works of creative nonfiction. Williams retired in 2010 as a science writer and teacher of creative writing at the University of Georgia. In addition to his work in literature, he is a musician and composer of 20 symphonies and many concerti, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a painter, and an occasional sculptor. In 2007 he received the Georgia Governors Award in the Humanities and has been named Georgia Author of the Year four times in three different categories. He is also a winner of the Townsend Prize for Fiction and the Michael Shaara Prize for the best Civil War novel published in the U.S. in 2004, an award he received in Boston. His book The Flower Seeker: An Epic Poem of William Bartram was named National Book of the Year by Books & Culture magazine in 2010. A number of his books have been optioned for film by such people as producer Richard Zanuck, director Ron Howard, and actress Meg Ryan. Williams was hired by MGM to write the screenplay for a movie adaptation of one of his novels, All the Western Stars. A film has not yet been made of the book. In Far Beyond the Gates, Lucy McKay, a high school English teacher from Mississippi, is estranged from her divorced parents. Her father, who is ill with multiple sclerosis, invites Lucy to spend her summer vacation with him at his second home in an expensive gated community. Shortly after she arrives, he reveals he fathered a child born out of wedlock in college. Her life changes when she begins to date a landscape contractor working in the neighborhood. As the days pass, Lucy realizes how desperately she needs the anchor of lasting love to understand what has happened to her. Told in a double journal form by Lucy and her father, Far Beyond the Gates is a story of loves cost and necessity. Former poet laureate of Georgia, Judson Mitcham says of the novel, Williams is a master storyteller. Here, writing with characteristic style and humor, he summons the presiding genius of Faulkner and delivers a moving story of the human heart in conflict with itself. This is a welcome addition to this writers remarkable body of work. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email customercare@heraldandnews.com for help creating one. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then partly cloudy during the afternoon hours. High 94F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Recommended for you Things take a worse turn as Russian ballistic nuclear submarines are seen in the Baltic Sea running on top of the waves, with conning towers exposed. Normally, these subs would be hidden underwater but the presence of NATO has prompted a reminder from Vladimir Putin that his nation is prepared. Of all modern weapons, the modern submarine is deadly, especially the Russian underwater force which should not be taken lightly by the US and NATO. Past events have pushed fears of a Third World War as Russia's military machine from the Black Sea fleet, and super-secret subs which are supposed to be armed with hypersonic weapons. The US taking part in the war games will raise the stakes. A show of force does not mean an intent to engage, but Putin's warning to Biden and the Group of Seven (G7) is the Russian Federation is not afraid of waging war. Moscow's ace in the hole To impress that Russia is deadly serious, its naval force has deployed three Russian Oscar-II Class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines that made themselves seen. One was very detectable when sailing into the Baltic Seal, cited the Telegraph in reports. It was detected under the Great Belt Bridge that is found in the Baltic entry point at 8:50. As if on cue, the two other Oscar nuke subs were seen as well, which is rare for the Russian forces US commanders reported the US vessel Yuma has just passed into the Black Sea. They will practice with NATO allies in the area, until July 10, reported the Sun. The media source RT added that American vessels will practice wargames and drill as part of Sea Breeze which is held with 32 nations in the maneuvers. Participants are from Europe; some are from Asia like Japan and Pakistan in this multi-national exercise. Russian ballistic nuclear submarines are seen in the Baltic Sea while they do their drills. Read also: Russia Launches Secret Missile, Military Jets in Test Flight as NATO Allies Practice Drills in Black Sea Other details According to US military officials, the exercises will be amphibious warfare, land warfare, counter-submarine operation, last is search and rescue ops for personnel support. The Kremlin is not pleased and said the risk was considerable for conflict, with combatants of many nations are crammed in the Black Sea which increases tension more. The Russian subs are sailing in the Baltic to take part in a naval ceremony on July 25, in St. Petersburg. A defense analyst said that the subs have always been part of the naval parade the past few years, but three Oscar missile subs are the first time. Everyone will be looking at what the Kremlin does. Is this for real? Two weeks ago, the Russian Coast Guard warns an intruding HMS Defender to claimed waters or they will engage. The UK denied any shots were fired, despite claims the smaller ship fired warning shots, this incident never happened. When the British warship went ahead, Russian planes were buzzing and dropping four bombs, claimed Moscow. But, the Type-45 destroyer sailed until it left the area. At least 20 Russian planes were engaging in the fray with two coastguard cutters as far as 100 meters from the destroyers. Claims of a Boeing P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft from the US Navy were seen and Su-30s were sent to shoo it away. Later Russian ballistic nuclear submarines are seen in the Baltic Sea as a response to the past tensions recently, which raises the specter of war. Related article: Allies Provoking Russia? Vladimir Putin Says He Could Sink HMS Defender While US Recon Plane Monitors Its Progress @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a Friday phone conversation, President Joe Biden reminded Russian President Vladimir Putin that he must "take action" against cyber criminals operating in his country and that the US should maintain the right to protect its people and key infrastructure, according to the White House. The discussion took place less than a month after the two leaders met in Geneva when Biden warned of further Russian cyberattacks. Biden understood the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia, according to a White House statement. He reiterated that the United States will take any necessary actions to defend its people and critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge. The White House noted that Biden stressed his commitment to continuing engagement on the wider threat posed by ransomware. The president told reporters that the US and Russia have set up a system to communicate when one of the two countries notices something peculiar. Biden is 'optimistic' with the latest phone call with Putin He stated, "It went well, I'm optimistic," during a Friday call which highlighted how the ransomware threat from criminal hacker gangs has grown into a major national security concern for the White House and hinted at a possible concession by the administration that earlier warnings to Putin had failed to deter a criminal activity that has targeted businesses all over the world. The Kremlin, on the other hand, avoided the topic, maintaining after Friday's phone conversation that Washington had not even requested help. When informed of the Kremlin's claim, a senior Biden administration official stated that many detailed demands for action were already made, AFP via MSN reported. Ransomware cyberattacks against the US and other nations have risen dramatically in the last year, including a high-profile operation that shut down a major gasoline pipeline in the eastern US. City police departments, hospitals, and private businesses have all been affected by ransomware. According to US officials, Russia is the primary source of these cyberattacks, in which criminals force victims to pay a ransom in return for the removal of harmful or even crippling cyber incursions. Russian intelligence services are already being blamed by the US government for orchestrating previous massive cyberattacks and interference in the heated last two presidential elections. According to the readout, the two presidents praised their respective teams' collaborative efforts during the US-Russia summit, which resulted in the UN Security Council unanimously renewing cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria today. The call was an example of Biden's willingness to engage with Russia on areas of agreement while being open, frank, and upfront when there is disagreement, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Read Also: Donald Trump Sues Facebook, Twitter, Google For "Breach of Freedom of Speech" to Recover Accounts US-Russia tensions risen amid several cyberattacks Per The Hill, tensions between the United States and Russia have risen in recent months as a result of multiple cybersecurity incidents connected to either the Russian government or Russian-based cybercriminal groups. Nine US federal agencies and 100 private sector organizations were hacked as a result of the SolarWinds cyber attack, which was initially detected in December. The cyber attack was blamed on hackers sponsored by the Russian government, according to US intelligence services. Joe Biden told reporters after the call that he was "optimistic" after speaking with Putin and that the two countries strengthened contacts to counter such attacks. However, it is unclear what the Biden administration is planning as a response. A senior administration official told reporters on the phone that "we're not going to telegraph what those actions will be precise," but that they will happen in the coming weeks, as per the NBC News. When questioned by a reporter if attacking the actual servers used to carry out ransomware operations made sense, Biden said yes. He also stated that he believes Putin would eventually cooperate. After a ransomware attack by the Russian-speaking group, REvil, which is believed to operate inside Russia, hacked Kaseya, an international company that remotely controls programs for companies. This attack affected at least 200 US companies over the Fourth of July weekend. The victims of the attack pressured Biden to respond more aggressively to Putin. The REvil breach has been dubbed as the world's biggest ransomware attack. Related Article: Joe Biden Announces US Military Troops to Pull Out Sooner Than Planned, Vows Not to Send Another Generation of Americans in Afghanistan @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a sudden turn of events, North Korea's Kim Jong-Un has refused assistance from other nations who are willing to provide coronavirus vaccines, with the country's leader saying there have not yet been any confirmed cases of the COVID-19 infection in the region. The controversy comes amid the continued spread of the covid-19 throughout all nations and the rise of more transmissible and highly dangerous variants. North Korean authorities have also closed their borders for nearly a year and a half to prevent travelers from coming into the country and potentially bringing the infection into the area. Refusing Coronavirus Vaccines Several countries have also tried to donate coronavirus vaccines to the Asian country, much to the refusal of its government officials. Nations such as Russia are offering their aid to the North Korean nation that continues to ensure a world that it is able to take care of itself. The sealed border has also affected North Korea's trade relations with China, which is its key supplier of food, fertilizers, and fuel. Last month, Kim addressed the nation, warning his citizens to be prepared for "serious consequences" and admitting that the country is facing a devastating food shortage, News Track Live reported. The global COVAX distribution prepared nearly two million AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine doses to donate to North Korea under its distribution scheme. Authorities said the refusal of the gesture was mainly due to concerns of side effects of the treatment. Read Also: Joe Biden Announces US Military Troops to Pull Out Sooner Than Planned, Vows Not to Send Another Generation of Americans in Afghanistan South Korea said last month that the distribution of the vaccine could have had its first batch delivered in late May but was postponed due to protracted consultations. It comes amid North Korean officials' assertain that the COVID-19 virus has not yet entered the country, a claim that other countries have previously questioned and doubted. The Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) that is affiliated with South Korea's spy agency said that Pyongyang is currently looking for other vaccine options to protect its citizens. One of the organizations that co-leads COVAX, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization alliance, said they continued to work towards assisting countries against the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korea's Issues The INSS said that North Korea was not particularly fond of Chinese vaccines due to the high possibility that it would not be effective. However, officials have shown interest in vaccines made by Russia, but they wanted the vaccines to be given out for free, Reuters reported. The issue comes amid North Korea's ongoing struggle with shortage that officials expect to worsen in the next few months. Kim previously warned the country of multiple issues, including food shortage, extensive floodingm and international sanctions after a devastating storm hit the region. Last month, Kim convened the Central Committee of his ruling Workers Party to analyze the country's state of affairs and take necessary precautions. During the meeting, Kim emphasized the scarcity of food in the country and that the whole nation should focus on farming to replenish their food supply. Many experts have noted that while North Korea's economy is obviously in tatters. It was a rare sight for the Asian leader to admit that the nation he is leading is facing a shortage of food as publicly and clearly as he did, the New York Times reported. Related Article: Illinois Vaccine Lottery $1M Prize Granted to Chicago Resident; Those Who Had At Least One Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Are Eligible @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Multiple witnesses reported hearing a huge explosion in Tehran. Iranian news outlets said that officials are examining a park area in the capital where an unknown object went off. An "unknown object" exploded, according to a state television reporter on the scene in Park Mellat in northern Tehran, although no casualties have been recorded. The Fars News Agency was one of the first to report the occurrence, however, no information on the cause of the explosion or any damage it may have caused have been provided. Fars and Tasnim afterward uploaded photos of the explosion site, which did not appear to indicate any serious damage. An unidentified object exploded in Tehran While unconfirmed video of the blast's aftermath began circulating on social media immediately after the original claims, journalists and witnesses on the ground have denied witnessing any similar fires. Hamidreza Goudarzi, the deputy security chief for Tehran Province, said in a statement, "There was only one explosion," NY Times reported. Inside Mellat Park, a large and popular green space in the capital next to the offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, an unexplained object exploded. According to Iranian media, there were no injuries, and it remained unclear if the bomb was caused by an accident or an attack. When asked if the explosion was the result of a terrorist act, Goudarzi stated that investigators were on the site looking into the scope and specifics of the blast. Multiple fire trucks rushed to the area, and bystanders were heard asking if it was a bomb or an accident, according to videos shared on social media. Israel has attacked sensitive locations in Iran in a series of covert operations over the last year, including two assaults on the Natanz nuclear plant, the killing of the country's top nuclear scientist, and a drone attack on a state centrifuge production firm last month. "We are investigating the dimensions and causes of the incident and we will provide information after we are sure," Goudarzi said when asked if the incident was an attack. Several sensitive military and nuclear sites have been the target of the attackers in recent years despite being a rare incident in Iran. Iran has accused Israel of attacking nuclear-related sites and scientists on many occasions. The claims have not been confirmed or refuted by Israel, as per AlaRabiya. Read Also: Joe Biden Announces US Military Troops to Pull Out Sooner Than Planned, Vows Not to Send Another Generation of Americans in Afghanistan Iran previously offered help to the Taliban and the Afghan government Meanwhile, Iran informed Taliban and Afghan government leaders on Wednesday that it was ready to help in ending the situation in Afghanistan, encouraging Afghan citizens and politicians to make "tough decisions" about the country's future. "Committing to political solutions is the best choice," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a meeting of Afghan government representatives and a high-level Taliban political council. For decades, Shi'ite Muslim Iran has been an adversary of the hardline Sunni Muslim Taliban; but in recent years, it has met with Taliban officials publicly. Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar have so far failed to yield results. Per Reuters via MSN, Iran has previously been accused by the US of giving furtivehelp to Taliban insurgents fighting against US soldiers. Tehran has disputed it, claiming that it favors an inclusive Afghan administration that includes all ethnic groups and sects. The deputy head of the Taliban's political office, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, and Afghan government representatives attended the Tehran meeting, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA. On July 3, US soldiers left Bagram Air Base, thereby ending the longest war in American history. The move was made as part of a deal with the Taliban, whom the US has been fighting since removing them from power following the al Qaeda attacks on the US on Sept. 11, 2001. The withdrawal came as the Taliban intensified their attack across the country, gaining ground quickly. Related Article: Dubai Authorities Investigate Massive Container Ship Explosion That Rocked Jebel Ali Port @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing schools more flexibility to decide how to safely keep children from kindergarten to 12th grade in their classrooms while shielding them against the further spread of COVID-19. The CDC issued guidance on Friday, emphasizing that vaccinated teachers, students, teachers, and staff need not wear face masks in school this autumn, although with a number of exceptions. Face masks will remain to be required on all public transportation, including school buses; this will be applied to drivers and passengers. The agency updated its guidance for US schools reopening in the autumn. It advised masking indoors for all people who are not fully inoculated against the novel coronavirus and three feet of distance within classrooms. According to the CDC, depending on the community's needs, school administrators could require indoor mask use among vaccinated students and teachers, reported Saltwire. The agency is considering schools to open for in-person learning this autumn. It announced that fully inoculated students and teachers do not have to wear masks indoors, reported The Hill. The changes were made amid a nationwide inoculation campaign in which children as young as 12 are qualified to get vaccinated. Based on reports, there has been a general decline in coronavirus hospitalizations and fatalities. Erin Sauber-Schatz, who spearheads the CDC task force that prepares recommendations designated to keep Americans safe from the virus, said, "We're at a new point in the pandemic that we're all really excited about," and so it is time to update the guidance, reported Chicago Tribune. Read Also: Illinois Vaccine Lottery $1M Prize Granted to Chicago Resident; Those Who Had At Least One Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Are Eligible COVID-19 cases are climbing throughout most regions of the globe as the Delta variant becomes prevalent, according to the WHO chief scientist. Since October, the reproduction rate in England has climbed to the highest levels. Ontario residents in Canada could witness the vast majority of limitations lifted in August. This will allow them to finish the summer in near pre-pandemic conditions. Globally, cases top 185.9 million; and fatalities exceed four million. The new guidelines provide leeway to school administrators who could choose to necessitate universal masking. According to the CDC, uninoculated students and educators, including those who are not yet age-qualified, must continue to wear face masks in school buildings. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University, stated that the advisory conveys that inoculation makes the conduct of in-person schooling more manageable. He noted that in-person schooling should be the "default." The updated CDC advisory comes as COVID-19 vaccines have become widely available for any individual over the age of 12. The agency remarked that students benefit from in-person education. Safely returning to in-person instruction in autumn this year is a priority. The US' top public health agency is not offering guidance on how teachers could know which students are inoculated or how parents will know which educators are vaccinated. Related Article: Pfizer Developing COVID-19 Booster Shot Against Delta Variant; Delta Variant Expected to Cause Surge in Cases in Fall @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Myanmar's military general on Friday said that Russia has agreed to provide two million doses of the coronavirus vaccine within the month as the country struggles amid a surge of infections and deaths as well as political unrest due to the February coup. On February 1, Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's Chairman of the State Administration Council, was the head of a military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government. He said that the coronavirus pandemic was quickly spreading throughout the country. He also announced that Russian officials have sent assistance in the form of vaccine distributions to the country. Donation of Coronavirus Vaccines The army-owned Myawaddy television reported Min's announcement where he said he told the Russian government that Myanmar needed two million vaccines. The European nation responded to the request. On Friday, the country reported 4,320 new cases of COVID-19 infections, a record for a second successive day, along with 63 deaths. The announcement comes as Myanmar struggles with what seems to be the most severe coronavirus infection wave it has ever experienced. Efforts to control the spread of the virus have been hampered by the chaos and ongoing political unrest after the military coup, Reuters reported. The vaccine shortage in Myanmar has caused its vaccination program to come to a halt. The situation has forced the military to look for suppliers of treatment for the disease. Since May, the country has not received any supply of the coronavirus vaccine despite having only 1.75 million people vaccinated among its 55 million citizens. Read Also: Joe Biden Urges Russia's Vladimir Putin to Act as US Defends People, Infrastructure Against Cyberattacks Suu Kyi was responsible for starting the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines in the country before she and her elected government were ousted out of their positions by the military coup. However, that program has since deteriorated after Indian officials opted to restrict exports of the vaccines by the Serum Institute of India, which was set to deliver about 30 million doses. Additionally, vaccine doses from the global COVAX facility never succeeded in reaching Myanmar; and with the new variants of the infection, the situation in the country is only worsening. This week, the country has recorded more fatalities that have pushed the total death toll to nearly 3,600, Bloomberg reported. Military Coup Alessandra Dentice, the head of Myanmar's UNICEF office, said that before the military junta arrested Suu Kyi and her elected officials, the country was moving forward with testing and monitoring the COVID-19 infection. But with the coup, the army quickly brushed aside the coronavirus containment program that was placed to control the virus' spread. Daily reports of COVID-19 infections in Myanmar have spiked by nearly 22 percent on Thursday and health experts expect more cases are on their way. There are three communities in the country that are among the largest and are near the border with India. These areas are the most worrisome because of the highly contagious Delta variant spreading throughout India in recent weeks. Across six states, 20 towns have been put under pandemic-related stay-at-home orders by the military as of Thursday. The country's largest city, Yangon, has also reported an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, the New York Times reported. Related Article: Fourth Stimulus Check Petition Gains 2.5M Signatures; Are Monthly Relief Payments of $2000 for Adults, $1000 for Children Possible? @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Within a week, the next set of stimulus checks will be distributed. In many ways, the forthcoming payouts will differ from the regular stimulus payments. The most significant distinction is that the payment may not be requested by the persons who will be receiving it. This reason for this is that the IRS department may require the recipient to refund the money. The stimulus checks that were previously distributed were classified as "one-time checks." Distribution of monthly stimulus checks will start on July 15 The most recent relief aid was a measure signed by President Joe Biden in March. The money that will be given beginning July 15 is part of a larger stimulus package. Another significant distinction is that the eligible parents are subject to recurring payments. Starting this month, qualified families will receive a stimulus check on the 15th of every month. This will be the case until the year ends. All of the payments are covered by the Child Tax Credit, which was approved for the fiscal year 2021. Currently, the payment is $3,600. People should understand that this is a temporary figure. The advanced payment that is a part of the previously mentioned tax credit is included in this round of the stimulus check. The amount citizens receive varies depending on their eligibility. Parents with children under the age of six will get a monthly payment of $300. Parents with children aged 6 to 17 years old will receive $250 each month. Approximately half of the 3,600 will be distributed during the next six months. This year, the remaining half will be distributed as a tax return. Need help with your stimulus check? This weekend, the IRS will host live events in 12 locations to assist people and families who do not normally file tax returns in getting the money they are owed. On Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10, the activities will be held in collaboration with non-profit organizations, community groups, churches, and other organizations. Per CNBC, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C./Maryland are among the cities that will host them. Click here to find more information about specific places and times. Third stimulus checks of up to $1,400 per person were included in the American Rescue Plan Act, which was enacted by Congress in March, as well as advance monthly payments of the child tax credit of up to $300 per month per kid. Individuals and families must fulfill specific conditions to be eligible for either the stimulus checks or the child tax credit payments. Attendees should bring their Social Security or Tax Identification Numbers for themselves and their spouses, as well as their children's Social Security numbers, mailing and email addresses, and bank account information to receive payments via direct deposit. Additional live events are planned by the IRS to assist people in signing up for the child tax credit and stimulus check payments. If you are unable to attend such events, you can still get assistance online. Read Also: Fourth Stimulus Check Status: How to Get Money While Waiting for Congress to Pass New Legislation IRS tool aims to reach non-tax filers According to The Sun, families who are qualified for the increased child tax credit received a letter from the White House. The IRS also created an app for people who don't typically submit tax returns ahead of the release. If you make less than $12,200 as a single taxpayer or $24,400 as a married couple filing jointly, you don't have to submit a tax return. Those who qualify can use the app to give their name, address, and social security number to the IRS. Americans should also provide their bank details so that the agency may deposit the child tax credit payment on schedule. The child tax credit extension isn't indefinite; it will expire next year. However, Joe Biden stated earlier this week that he wanted the child tax credit to be extended until 2025. He also demanded that the school system be expanded from 12 to 14 years, as well as the childcare be made free. Related Article: $1.77 Billion Unclaimed Stimulus Checks: There Might Be Payments Waiting For You @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Angelina Jolie has filed a lawsuit against Brad Pitt over the sale of their French chateau and winery. On July 6, the 46-year-old actress filed documents in court to have the automatic temporary restraining order (ATRO) against Brad lifted. An ATRO is a court order that prevents one spouse from selling, transferring, or borrowing against the other's property. Angelina Jolie wants the ATRO removed so she may sell Chateau Miraval, the French estate she shares with Brad and which includes a castle and a winery. Angelina Jolie requests to cut ties with Brad Pitt on their joint businesses Angelina Jolie has found a buyer for the massive estate, according to documents filed by her legal team; but Brad Pitt has refused to release the ATRO that would allow her to sell it. Angelina Jolie's attorneys submitted an emergency motion to lift the ATRO late last month, fearing the buyer might lose interest and move on. However, a judge dismissed her claim, ruling that there was no "immediate harm or instant loss/damage to property." Her legal team is also attempting to prove that the Miraval is fully hers because she owned it before their marriage in 2014. The "Maleficent" actress has been keen to sell her part in the exes' Miraval Chateau Winery, according to court documents obtained by Fox News. Jolie's team claims to have identified a third party interested in purchasing Nouvel, LLC, after two years; but she is unable to sign off on the sale due to Automatic Temporary Restraining Orders (ATROs) that went into force immediately following the former couple's divorce procedures. Jolie's lawyer, Joseph Mannis, has asked the court to lift the ATROs so she may seal the transaction before the buyer pulls out, according to a document seen by Fox News. Mannis claims Jolie bought Nouvel, LLC, before she married Pitt and that she is the sole member. A hearing on the case is scheduled for September 22, but time is of the essence since the third-party buyer might back out of the deal. The request was made, according to Jolie's legal team, since Pitt's attorney, Lance Spiegel, has yet to respond on why he opposes removing the ATROs. Meanwhile, it appears that Angelina Jolie has been trying to sell her stake in the winery for some time. Laurent Schummer, a Luxembourg-based attorney, was hired by the director to help in the sale of Nouvel, LLC to a third party. Jolie is "very eager" to close the pending sale transaction, according to Schummer in a report to the court. Jolie does not wish to jointly own separate property assets with her ex-husband or be his unwilling and disregarded business partner, the court documents stated. Read Also: Royal Expert: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Enraged by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles' Control Over Money, Public Image Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt custody battle Per USA Today, Pitt's lawyer claims Jolie is stalling because she doesn't like Judge John Ouderkirk's previous rulings in the case, including giving Pitt interim shared custody of their children. If Ouderkirk is dismissed, his previous rulings in the case could be overturned, a new judge appointed, and the case would be slowed, even more, allowing more of the couple's six children to reach adulthood, when they will be able to make their own decisions about their father's relationship. Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12, are their children. Boutrous claimed that Jolie, who is a clever lady with skilled attorneys, was aware of things necessitating Ouderkirk's disclosure all along but did not protest until she started losing in his court. Pitt and Jolie's children were given shared custody in May. Judge John Ouderkirk issued a detailed judgment at the time, finding that Jolie's evidence lacked credibility in several key areas and that the prior custody arrangement needed to be changed in the children's best interests. Jolie, who divorced Pitt in 2016, wanted primary custody at first, but Pitt wanted shared custody. The actress supports shared custody, according to Peter Harvey, a lawyer for Jolie who is connected to the issue but not directly involved, but noted that the situation is difficult and he can't go into detail because the court proceedings are under seal. Angelina Jolie stated in a second court document obtained by ET that same month that she will appeal Judge Ouderkirk's ruling, claiming that he denied her "a fair trial, unjustly barring her evidence related to the children's health, safety, and welfare, evidence crucial to establishing her case." In court documents, the actress also claimed that the judge failed to fully examine a part of the California courts law that states that awarding custody to someone with a history of domestic violence is detrimental to the best interests of the child. Jolie claimed to have evidence of alleged domestic abuse against Brad Pitt in a March court filing. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Child and Family Services cleared the actor of charges of child abuse in 2016, ET via MSN reported. Related Article: How Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt's Custody Battle Affects Their Children @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The abrasive fallout from the assassination of Haitiian President Jovenel Moise was evident on Friday. It was witnessed near his private residence in Port-au-Prince's capital. Spent bullet casings, burned-out cars, bullet-pocked walls, and bloodstains were what remained after a shootout between the police and a number of the suspected assassins on Route de Kenscoff. People made efforts to recover usable materials from a burned-out car during a demonstration one day following the murder of Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday. The president was assassinated following a group of armed men attacking his private residence. His wife, First Lady Martine Moise, was severely injured. A crowd was protesting against his assassination near the police station of Petion Ville in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday. Officials vowed to find people responsible for the pre-dawn raid at the president's home on Wednesday. Police searched the Petion Ville, a Morne Calvaire district, for suspects. American citizen identified as one of the suspects James Solages was one of the two American citizens embroiled in the assassination of Moise. One family member described him as a hardworking, funny, and family-loving man. The news of his alleged involvement in the incident stunned the family. According to the relative, who opted to stay anonymous, he or she is seeing all of this on the television and has never thought anything like this would happen. He or she does not know what is going on, aside from the information provided by the news. The family is gobsmacked and is trying to figure out what is transpiring, reported The Daily Beast. Read Also: Hillary Clinton Hanged at Guantanamo Bay for Crimes Like Murder, Child Trafficking NOT True Asking the US for Help Haiti authorities have appealed to the United States to send troops to the nation to help protect critical infrastructure after Moise's assassination, reported the New York Times. According to The Pentagon on Friday evening, "The Haitian government has requested security and investigative assistance, and we remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist," reported Military. "Professional Killers" Haitian authorities reported that three burned-out cars were owned by members of the armed group who killed Moise on Wednesday morning. The armed group were labeled as "professional killers." They are comprised of over two dozens of people, including two American citizens and retired members of the Colombian military. Solages and another American citizen, Joseph Vincent, 55, have been taken into custody in association with the assassination. They have reportedly stated that they were not in the room when Moise was killed and merely served as translators for the hit squad. When authorities presented 17 handcuffed suspects, the pair was brought before journalists at a press conference on Thursday. Haitian officials reached out to the UN regarding sending peacekeeping forces. On Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the US will transport federal law enforcement officers to help in the probing. Related Article: South Carolina High Court Blocks Two Electric Chair Executions, Convicts Must Have Choice of Death by Firing Squad @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Absolutely it needs to be known if hes even eligible to be a state rep. No, the Legislature should let it play out in the legal system I hope at least theres a thorough investigation and isnt just let go. Vote View Results Multimedia Video Journalist Buffalo native trying to get her news on! Im a Multimedia Journalist here at Your Hometown Stations and I love what I do. Have a cool story idea? Im in! Just email me at ashelton@wlio.com or message my Facebook page. Metro Video A man was shot and killed early Saturday in north Houston following a dispute over money, police said. Officers were dispatched shortly after 3 a.m. to the 11300 block of O'Donnell Drive in the Northside neighborhood, said Lt. R. Willkens of the Houston Police Department. A call for art for a juried exhibition of Latino art drew more than 200 pieces from more than 70 artists. The number of submissions did not surprise the curators of Withstand: LatinX Art in Times of Conflict, but the quality of the art overwhelmed them. My goodness, it was mind-blowing, said Rosa Ana Orlando, co-curator of the exhibition at the Holocaust Museum Houston. We knew there were Latinx artists producing wonderful work in Houston, but we didnt expect a collective level of quality of this caliber. That such a wide range of styles, vibrancy and avant-garde visual art created by Latinos had to be shown at the Holocaust museum where 100 of the selected pieces are on display until Oct. 17 instead of at a Hispanic arts museum did not escape the attention of the art community. Unlike other cities in the U.S., Houston where almost half the population is Hispanic doesnt have a first-class institution dedicated to or capitalizing on the rich and untapped artistic talent in the region. A new initiative is trying to change that as its organizers champion a project to build a state-of-the-art Latino culture and arts center. The effort just received $40,000 in seed money from Houston City Councilwoman Karla Cisneros. Cisneros told the Chronicle that the funding is intended for a matching grant that will be used to assemble a diverse group of advisers whose input will help guide the planning process. I am so excited about this project and am thrilled to see all the enthusiasm around it, Cisneros said. Although there have been similar efforts in the past that didnt materialize, Cisneros said the conditions have changed as the Latino population has grown and become more diverse and educated while the city is more aware of the value of their contributions. Times have changed, and today there is clearly much more of a groundswell of both interest and support due in large part to the changing demographics of Houston, said Cisneros. Building a world-class, state-of-the-art Latino arts and cultural center helps tell the story of Houston and acknowledges the profound influence of how the Latino culture is shaping Houstons identity. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Enthusiastic grassroots The initiative is led by a new nonprofit called Advocates for a Latino Museum of Visual and Cultural Arts and Archives in Houston and Harris County. The organizations first phase of the project is advocating and raising funds to pay for the workstreams and expertise needed to create the critical paths to realize this vision, said Geraldina Interiano Wise, the nonprofits chairwoman. Interiano Wise said the organization will guide what she called a grassroots effort to build a Class-A complex. The shape of the center and its programs will be defined with stakeholders, she said. But an initial concept includes a museum, performing arts center and facilities that would serve as educational, incubator and lab spaces to support creators of diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Latino or Hispanic culture would be a common denominator for art forms. Another idea is to include a marketplace to serve as an outlet for creators to sell their products, said Interiano Wise, a Salvadorian American artist herself who is among those exhibiting in the Holocaust Museum. Dorothy Caram, a member of the cultural center advocates group, founded the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston in 1965. She said she is proud of the work done by the institute and other small organizations supporting Hispanic culture in Houston. But, she added, our city doesnt have a wonderful, elegant building for Latino centers like those you see in Dallas and so many other cities but not in Houston, and we are the largest population group in Houston, she said. Sofia Adrogue, a long-time cultural and arts advocate in Houston and a board member for the new nonprofit, says the construction of a Latino cultural complex is a perfect fit for Houston. The city, she said, is egalitarian, with an entrepreneur can-do and will-do spirit the nations demographic future (and) a rich cultural center where the arts thrive. Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Untapped vibrancy There are more than 30 Latino museums and cultural centers in the United States, several of which are housed in contemporary facilities built specifically for the purpose. Among them is the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, a 27,500 square-foot multipurpose facility that recently received $4.8 million from the city for an expansion project. The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, N.M., is another example and one of the models the Houston nonprofit is looking at, said David Contreras, another founder and vice chair of the Harris County Hispanic Culture and Heritage Committee. It is a 20-plus-acre campus that includes three theaters, an art museum, education center, library, genealogy center, a restaurant and a plaza that serves also as an amphitheater. Many of the Hispanic cultural and history centers in the country are significantly funded by local and state governments, said Contreras who is researching the working models and budgets of dozens of Latino institutions in the U.S. as part of the first phase for the Houston project. A recent example is the new Mexican American Civil Rights Institute in San Antonio, which received $500,000 in seed money from the citys government. Opinion: Making Mexican American civil rights history part of a national conversation In Houston, studies show that Latino cultural organizations have survived despite the limited and significantly inequitable public funds they have historically received. For example, data from the 2020 Equity report from the Mayors Office of Cultural Affairs shows that Latinos have the worst representation in the Civic Art collection administered by the city. Only 5.2 percent of artwork in the collection is from Hispanic artists compared to Hispanics being 45.5 percent of the citys population. The largest Latino cultural organization in Houston, the Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts, or MECA, still exists after 43 years thanks to the work of its founder Alice Valdez. The MECA facility was falling apart and without air conditioning until after it received Hurricane Harvey relief funding in 2019. That same year, Valdez stepped up to temporarily run the city-owned facility that housed Talento Bilingue de Houston in the East End while the city decides on a new purpose for the building. The visions MECA, the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston and Talento Bilingue are all centers that have kept Latino culture alive in Houston at the community or neighborhood level. However, there isnt a Latino cultural center serving the Greater Houston area and its extensive pool of local talent, Caram said. We still have a strong influence from the Mexican culture, but we are now more like a micro-world of all Latin American cultures, she added. We have all kinds of cultural manifestations, from the Argentinean and South American with strong European influences to the Caribbean with Afro Latino mixtures or the Central American with indigenous influences. Interiano Wise said the nonprofit wants to locate and support that talent and bring together artists and organizations as partners for the new cultural center. The center could become a tourist attraction and economic driver for the city, she said. The organizations provisional website, www.almaahh.org, includes information on volunteering, supporting and donating to the effort. An initial fundraising goal of $350,000 has been set by the group. The founders said they have already presented the project to several elected officials, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia and the office of U.S. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston. They have applauded the idea in those first meetings and we hope it will translate into concrete support at some point, including financial, Interiano Wise said. City Councilman Robert Gallegos, who helped secure funds for the Houston Public Librarys Hispanic research and archive center, is a strong supporter of the project and has pledged to contribute financially without providing details. On HoustonChronicle.com: Why is there no major Latino cultural center in Houston? Gallegos said some people would like such a cultural campus to be built in the Museum District. But he is among many others who think the East End area would be more advantageous. A lot of money would be needed just to purchase property in the Museum District, where real estates very expensive, he said. Cisneros said there are many possibilities, but identifying the location should come after other priorities are met, such as determining the projects program needs and space requirements. I do have a personal favorite preference, she said though, and would love to see it located at the former TBH site, at the intersection of Jensen Road and Navigation Drive, adjacent to Guadalupe Plaza. Gallegos also likes the TBH-Guadalupe Plaza spot, on a strictly personal level, he said. Can you imagine, say, the backside of this new Hispanic cultural arts center to have balconies or a rooftop, and youre there overlooking the downtown skyline, which is just blocks away? said Gallegos. It would be awesome. The nonprofits leadership team envisions a project worthy of the cosmopolitan, business-oriented, and visionary fourth largest city in the United States. It could be in that spot, but that space alone could be small for a large campus, Interiano Wise said. A challenge would be linking that spot to nearby spaces, perhaps along Buffalo Bayou, which is about a block away from the plaza. Can you imagine, say, people coming and going to the buildings of the center, this beautiful campus, by boat? said Interiano Wise. Wouldnt Houstonians be proud of something like that in their city? olivia.tallet@chron.com A Houston man who made headlines last year for standing in line six hours to vote at Texas Southern University was charged this week by Attorney General Ken Paxton with casting that ballot illegally while on parole. Just a day before Republicans forced a special session of the Texas Legislature to tighten voting restrictions, Hervis Rogers, 62, was jailed on $100,000 bail in Montgomery County on two counts of illegal voting, court records show, even though he lives and voted in Harris County. Rogers is due back in court on July 20 in what a legal expert called a symbolic prosecution. The argument of voter fraud is very hot right now, the statistics dont seem to bear out that it is widepsread but this case will certainly stick, I suspect, in peoples memories as a cautionary tale of why you should never consider doing it, according to criminal defense attorney Christopher Downey, who is not affiliated with this case. An indictment filed last month with the Montgomery County District Court claims Rogers was still on parole for a 1995 burglary conviction when he voted in both the March 2020 Democratic primary and November 2018 general election. He had been released from prison in May 2004 after serving nine years of a 25-year sentence, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He voted in the March elections less than four months before his parole was set to expire on July 1, 2020. Texas Election Code states that someone on parole for a felony conviction is ineligible to register as a voter, and that violations of election law may be prosecuted in the county where the alleged crime was committed, or an adjoining county. Because Rogers has three prior convictions between 1986 and 1995 all for burglary or robbery he is potentially facing between 25 years to life in prison, Downey said. The charges against Rogers are "extremely unusual" to Downey, who said in his nearly 30 years in criminal law hes never come across a voter fraud case. The choice to prosecute in more conservative Montgomery County instead of Harris County, where the alleged fraud occurred, also reeks of forum shopping and strengthens the argument that its a symbolic prosecution, even if the move is legally sound. If Rogers was indeed ineligible, his only point of contention could be that he was unaware of the restrictions on his eligibility, Downey said, though he noted that ignorance of a law does not amount to much of a legal defense. The Hervis case demonstrates why we need to make sure people who have been disenfranchised fully know their rights when it comes to voting, but we also need to change the laws to fully restore voting rights. said Stephanie Gomez, associate director at Common Cause Texas, a self-described pro-democracy group. There is already a lack of clarity around voting rights restoration for people who have been disenfranchised by the criminal justice system. A House bill introduced by Rep. John Bucy III, D-Austin, to notify convicted felons about restrictions on their eligibility to vote is currently in committee in the Texas Legislature. The Harris County Elections Commission said the Harris County Attorneys Office informed the voter registrars office of the allegations against Rogers after the March election, and sent a letter to Rogers giving him 30 days to respond to the charge of ineligibility. He was removed from the voter rolls on April 5 after they did not receive a response, the commission said. The Office of the Attorney General said more information on Rogers arrest was forthcoming, but declined to immediately provide comment. Hervis is right now being held in jail because he cant pay the extraordinarily high bail, and its all for trying to exercise his civic duty, and that is not justice, said Thomas Buser-Clancy, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Texas representing Rogers. Buser-Clancy did not offer details on Rogers defense, but Rogers has said that he believed he was eligible to vote at the time. Rogers was the last person to vote in the March primary at Texas Southern University, waiting over six hours to cast his vote just after 1 a.m. When I first came up, I started turning around. It was a long line, Rogers said at the time. Everywhere I went it was a madhouse. His arrest comes as the Texas Legislature debates a controversial voting bill during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott, who says the proposed restrictions which include bans on 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting, prohibiting elections officials from sending out absentee ballot applications to all voters and increasing liberties for partisan poll watchers are necessary to guard against voter fraud. Critics of the bill have likened it to voter suppression, and question the timing of Rogers arrest. When you push forward bills that criminalize our elections, that hurts Texans and people like Hervis, Gomez said. Its not lost on me that the governor has called a special session where they are chasing these claims of widespread voter fraud across Texas the timing is not lost on me at all. The arrest is part of a broader push on Paxtons part to make preventing voter fraud one of his offices top priorities. A Houston Chronicle investigation in December found that the attorney generals office spent more than 22,000 staff hours tracking voter fraud cases in 2020, yet resolved just 16 prosecutions, and an analysis by the ACLU shows the vast majority of people prosecuted since 2015 were Black and Latino. Rogers is African-American. In one notable case, Crystal Mason, a 45-year-old Black woman from Fort Worth, was sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 presidential election one that was never counted while on supervised release for a federal conviction. She has said she did not know she was ineligible to vote. As of March, the Texas AGs office had 43 voter fraud cases pending and had resolved 155, the majority of which did not end in jail time. Meanwhile, Paxton has been under indictment on felony securities fraud charges since 2015, and is facing an FBI investigation into allegations that he illegally helped a wealthy donor. Paxton has denied the accusations. Taylor Goldenstein, Zach Despart and Michael Morris contributed to this report. Dont restrict voting access Regarding Fear and pandering Gov. Abbott's agenda for Texas' special legislative session. (July 7): I spent over 20 years serving in the United States Navy, including three Vietnam combat tours, to give our people in the United States the freedom to live in a democracy where they could participate in the election of those entrusted to lead the state and country. Anything that restricts access to the voting booth for anyone is a travesty and should be repudiated by everyone claiming to be a patriot. It is time to get over the big lie about voter fraud and a stolen election. I encourage our Texas legislators to please vote against any legislation attempting to restrict voting access for Texas citizens. There is nothing wrong with voting 24 hours, drive-thru voting, voting on Sunday or expanding mail-in voting. R. D. Barber, Cypress Input from voters with disabilities and elderly voters needs to be included if any changes are made to election law that impacts their freedom to vote. Voting laws often have unintended and negative effects on voters with disabilities ability to participate in the electoral process. Like every other Texan, voters with disabilities want to exercise their right to vote and should be able to do so with the same ease as Texans who do not have disabilities. Legislators should not add additional hurdles for voters with disabilities to vote in our democracy such as threatening folks who assist voters in nursing homes and care centers with criminal penalties if they help voters incorrectly or forcing the driver or other occupants in the car to leave the vehicle when a voter with a disability is voting. Kay Smith, Houston Gov. Greg Abbott is spending a lot of time trying to make voting more difficult for Texans. I find that appalling, since he knows firsthand about dealing with difficulties. He has mobility issues, and for most of his life has benefited from legislation that has provided wheel chair ramps and designated parking spaces for people who need them. Try making life easier for us, not harder. You'll be an average citizen one day, and will have to cope with the mess you've made. Greg Garrett, Baytown Learn from Indianas lead In keeping with the lack of empathy of Gov. Greg Abbott, the expansion of Medicaid to the working poor is not on the agenda for the special session. I am still at a loss on why Texas has been one of the few states that has not acted on the above, while other conservative states such as my native Indiana have. The purpose of the state government and our elected officials is to represent all of us and having the highest uninsured rate of any state should embarrass our elected officials. Deborah Zygmunt, MD, Houston Increase use of firearm databases Regarding Sutherland Springs ruling highlights bipartisan gun control efforts, (July 9): I agree with your editorial that even small victories for common sense gun laws are to be celebrated. But what the Fix NICS Act did not address is the fact that, as the Gifford Law Center reminds us, Federal law cannot require states to make information identifying people ineligible to possess firearms available to the federal or state agencies that perform background checks, and many states fail to voluntarily report the necessary records to the proper databases. As impressive as the increases in usage of databases are, they hide the very real remaining deficiencies in the law. Hopefully the next collaboration between these senators can address them. Murvin Auzenne, Houston We need to save our battleship Regarding Battleship Texas draws large crowds as it reopens briefly for July 4 weekend, (June 28): What the Battleship Texas suffers from is the ravages of salt water and no PR. There arent enough tourists, because no one knows its there. When was the last time you heard a TV or radio spot urging people to come see the historic Battleship Texas? How about just a billboard or two on I-10? The Last Dreadnought! Next exit. We can save the Battleship Texas! Rusty Knight, Missouri City The Houston Chronicles Unfair Burden, series exposed how Texas companies cut their tax bills by more than $1 billion per year through just one corporate subsidy program. Chapter 313, known for its place in the state tax code, costs more than $200,000 per job, mostly benefiting the oil and gas industry. But theres more to the story: That burdensome cost falls hardest on school districts with high populations of Black and Latino students. Because of the racialized nature of poverty in Texas, the subsidies enjoyed by huge corporations fall heaviest on students of color. The Texas Legislature was wise when it recently decided to end Chapter 313 by 2022. But bad ideas die hard: a proposal to extend the giveaway to 2024 has just appeared as Senate Bill 26. Chapter 313 gives businesses a 10-year property tax break on new or expanding operations. School districts approve the deals because the state treasury sometimes makes up the difference, using money from the general fund. That is: Texas taxpayers are paying $1 billion a year to cover corporate property taxes to mostly large corporations. But even when local districts budgets are made whole by the general fund, the rest of the state loses, as theres less revenue to pay for services that benefit all employers and workers. We recently issued a national study on this issue, and Texas stands out negatively. We found that even with the state offset, school districts in Texas lost $290 million in fiscal year 2019 as part of the Chapter 313 program a 54 percent increase from just two years earlier. This figure puts Texas near the top (along with big-giveaway states like South Carolina, New York, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania) in the amount of school tax revenue lost to corporate tax breaks. Those are just aggregate state figures, though. On a per-student basis, Texas had the highest foregone revenue of all the states. Some Texas school districts are losing staggering amounts. Eighteen abated more than $6,000 per student per year. Another 34 districts lost between $1,000 and $6,000 per student, according to the districts self-reported data included in their annual spending reports. Thats money that could go to staff special education, add before- and after-school enrichment, expand pre-K or equip rural schools with badly needed high-speed internet. NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here. After accounting for district size, the data reveal that districts with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students tend to abate more taxes overall: A one percentage-point increase in Black and Hispanic student population is linked to $17,170 more in abated taxes. Gregory-Portland Independent School District, where 60 percent of the students are Black or Hispanic, lost $29 million in foregone revenue, even after accounting for state and corporate offset payments the second highest in the state. According to the Texas State Comptroller, in that same year, Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC had its property tax liabilities reduced from $68.3 million to $9.1 million in that school district alone. La Porte, Ingleside, Brazos, Webb Consolidated and Floydada school districts also have majority Black and Hispanic student bodies and exceedingly high total and per-pupil tax abatements. All five, plus Gregory-Portland ISD, are underfunded, according to data from Rutgers University. In fact, 84 percent of Texas school districts remain underfunded, with an average gap between required and actual funding of $4,000 to $5,000 per student. Chapter 313 was always a losing proposition for Texas. It is inequitable by design, unfairly advantages the oil and gas industry, and diverts money from vital public services. Instead of any extension, Texas should reinvest that $1 billion per year to aid small businesses, improve infrastructure and invest in education and training for the jobs of tomorrow. No longer forcing Texas children to boost corporate profits, the state can strengthen its future workforce. Wen is fiscal policy coordinator and Martinez is communications director for Good Jobs First, a nonprofit resource center that promotes equitable economic development and corporate accountability. Joel Martinez, MBI / Associated Press Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday met with sheriffs from the state's border counties to discuss strategies for addressing what he called an "unprecedented magnitude" of migrants entering Texas. The governor's agenda for the special legislative session that began Thursday includes a request for lawmakers to fund more border security efforts amid a rise in migrants crossing the border. State officials are trying to help local authorities grapple with these growing numbers, Abbott said. Houston, MO (65483) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Volvo's engine plant in Skovde, Sweden, will continue to produce low-emission powertrains, transmissions, and hybrid solutions for the automaker for the next half decade or so as the company moves toward full electrification. (Volvo) Hudson, NY (12534) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 72F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 63F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Rehearsals are conducted earlier this week on the outdoor stage set up on Main Street in Williamstown by the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Williamstown Theatre Festival Playwright Explores Theme of Loss Ngozi Anyanwu returns to the Berkshires with a new play as part of WTF's 'Celebrating the Black Radical Imagination: Nine Solo Plays.' WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Ngozi Anyanwu has been part of Berkshire County theater history before, and she returns this month to make some more. In 2005, Anyanwu helped Barrington Stage Company make the transition from South County to the former Berkshire Music Hall in Pittsfield. Sixteen years later, she is helping break in a new stage for the Williamstown Theatre Festival, which this week kicked off its all outdoor 2021 season with a collection called "Celebrating the Black Radical Imagination: Nine Solo Plays." It is the first time Anyanwu has worked in the region since '05, but she has fond memories of the experience. "My first acting job as an undergrad was 'Hair' at Barrington Stage," the Nigerian-born, New York-based artist said this week. "It was great. I came in, last minute. Bill Catellino was the director. There was something about doing 'Hair' that was a very lovely, hippy experience. "The theater company was in transition. This was the first show done at the space in Pittsfield." Earlier that summer, Barrington Stage purchased the Union Street venue now known as the Boyd-Quinson Stage. BSC staged "Hair" both at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington and in Pittsfield that August before holding its first full season in Pittsfield a year later. An actor in Barrington Stage's revival of the '60s-era musical, Anyanwu is a playwright this time around, one of nine whose works will be performed under a covered outdoor stage on Main Street, in front of Williams College's '62 Center for Theatre and Dance, through July 25. Although the WTF has staged outdoor performances in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield to plan an entire outdoor season , starting with the Black Radical Imagination series, which offers three 30-minute world premieres each night. Anyanwu's contribution, "The Last ... (A Work in Progress)," runs July 20-25. Anyanwu won a Humanitas Prize for her play "Good Grief" in 2016 and was a winner of New York Stage and Film's Founders Award in 2017. Currently, her short play "Gluttony" is part of an experimental outdoor theatrical experience, "Seven Deadly Sins," being staged in storefronts in New York City's Meatpacking District. As an actor, she has worked on stage and in front of a camera, including on television shows like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "The Deuce" on HBO. This week, Anyanwu shared her thoughts about "The Last ...," working during a global pandemic and staging plays in the great outdoors. Question: I saw that you have a show titled 'The Last of the Love Letters' scheduled to premiere in late August at [Chelsea's] Atlantic Theater Company. Is 'The Last ......' related to that? Anyanwu: It's part of it. It's the beginning of that piece. It's pretty common to workshop things and eventually get to full production. For this particular piece, I already have worked on a longer version of it. For this particular season, the Williamstown Theatre Festival came in as friend and longtime collaborator. I sort of took what I was working on and truncated it. I actually started it during the quarantine. Q: I was going to ask about that because I would think, at some level, it could be a very productive period for a writer to have that isolation. Anyanwu: At the very beginning of it, because no one knew what was going to come out of it, I looked at it as not even an artistic time. I looked at it as: I have a break. And that break did not end. The depression set in, and I thought I didn't want to work at all. As a writer, I was getting a lot of offers for meetings, a lot of offers for new projects, and I wasn't taking any of them. Sometimes I'd feel like writing. Sometimes I felt like I never want to do this again in my life. What's the point of any of this? Q: That's the flip side, I guess. For anyone in the industry, it must have been a period of incredible uncertainty now knowing when the work would be there again. Anyanwu: Honestly, even as an actor, I had opportunities to audition. I just was not taking them. For me, it was having the perspective of what's really important. Chasing new jobs at the moment didn't seem important. I was working pretty steadily as a writer. I had the privilege to take my time. Q: So you started this play during that time. Were you working on other projects, too? Anyanwu: It was definitely a period of ups and downs. The 24 Hour Plays is something that is on Broadway and they moved it online. I was approached to do a 24 Hour Play where you basically video each other back and forth and write a piece for an actor over a 24-hour period. I worked with Pedro Pascal ["Game of Thrones"]. I wrote a two-page piece for him, and that was kind of hitting me early in the moment in the quarantine. I basically came back to that piece every couple of weeks and kept writing it and writing it and writing it. It took me six to seven months to get into this piece. Q: So is 'The Last ' a preview of 'The Last of the Love Letters' or ? Anyanwu: They are connected, but I'm treating them as two different works. This is shorter and focuses on one person. This piece is more about looking at art as a lost love what you would have to say to your lost love if art was your lost love. What is it to lose your inspiration? What is it to no longer have your love for something? As a practitioner, sometimes what you do loves you back and sometimes not. This is an artist being tortured by something intangible, which is inspiration. Q: Are you in Williamstown now or will you be coming up to work on 'The Last '? Anyanwu: I haven't been on campus because we've been in rehearsal at the moment. I get in on the 12th. Q: Are you performing in 'Seven Deadly Sins?' Anyanwu: I wrote one of the pieces. It's seven different playwrights with their own take on the seven deadly sins. I'm acting in the show at the Atlantic Theater Company in the fall. Q: Have you performed in many of the plays you've written? Anyanwu: It's been pretty half and half. My first play, "Good Grief," which we did in Los Angeles and at the Vineyard off-Broadway, I wrote about myself. "Homecoming Queen" [Atlantic Theater 2018], I wrote but haven't been in. It depends on how far along the piece is and my availability. I don't need to take up that much space. Q: Do you see yourself as a writer who acts or an actor who writes? Anyanwu: I see myself as a maker of stuff. However I can get it made, however I get to feel good about making it. Right now, people will see me as a writer who acts because I'm in demand for that. But all my training is in acting. I went to grad school for acting. I may be paid attention to more as a writer, but I see myself more as someone who says, "How will this get made? If I direct it, will it get made faster yet?" Luckily, I'm at a place where I'm known enough in my small circles that people will say, "Will you be acting in this?" and it's not a passive aggressive question. Q: Do you have any reservations at all about staging a play outdoors? Anyanwu: I don't think there's anything wrong with mixing up how we're trained to do theater indoor or outdoor. I hope they'll try to do something hybrid. If the weather is nice, why not have something outdoors? I hope it's not a one-time only thing so we're not in this stuffy way we've been doing things. This is how I've always thought theater could be inside, outside, site specific. There is something beautiful about being indoors and a closed space, but I've always enjoyed other venues. As an undergraduate in Pittsburgh, there was a company that did site-specific work called Quantum Theatre. I think it's important that institutions look to that and take this as an opportunity. Being outdoors doesn't mean we can spend less money. It's not that, it's that we're really trying to get people different experiences. Your support is needed now more than ever Help support your local news Local news sources need your help. Stay in the know on Coronavirus, local updates, and more. We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@idahopress.com for help creating one. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one. Making a splash: Local group says 'thank you' with free admission to Ephrata waterpark on July 18 Pedro Lucas (left), nephew of farm worker Sebastian Francisco Perez who died last weekend while working in an extreme heat wave, break up earth on Thursday, July, 1, 2021 near St. Paul, Ore. (Nathan Howard/AP Photo) Imperial Valley News Center AAR Corporation Agrees to Pay $11 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations on Aircraft Maintenance Contract Washington, DC - AAR Corp., located in Wood Dale, Illinois, and its subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group Inc. (Airlift), located in Melbourne, Florida, have agreed to pay the United States $11,088,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with aircraft maintenance services performed by Airlift on two U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) contracts. The allegations involve helicopters that Airlift owned and maintained for use in transporting Department of Defense (DoD) cargo and personnel in support of DoD missions in Afghanistan and Africa. The settlement resolves allegations that Airlift knowingly failed to maintain nine aircrafts in accordance with contract requirements, and that because of this failure, the helicopters were not airworthy and should not have been certified by Airlift as fully mission capable. AAR and Airlift have also agreed to pay $429,273.69 to resolve a separate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) matter citing deficiencies in Airlifts helicopter maintenance. The knowing failure to comply with contractual obligations is unacceptable, particularly when such violations raise safety concerns, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for the Justice Departments Civil Division. Todays settlement reaffirms that the government will hold contractors to the quality and safety standards in their contracts that are intended to protect our men and women in uniform. Defense contracting is a special trust because it supports the servicemembers who protect our nations interests around the world, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. Whenever a military contractor cuts corners, it presents not only a possible fraud against taxpayers but also a potential safety hazard to our soldiers. The settlement announced today addresses both of those concerns. I am especially grateful to my staff, the many dedicated agents who worked on this matter and the witnesses who came forward. Our military is entitled to rely on high level contractor performance when it procures essential services like those at issue here, said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida. We are grateful for the diligent and collaborative work put into this investigation by the Southern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and all of the investigative agencies who supported these cases. Failure to properly maintain aircraft is unacceptable under any circumstances, but its especially egregious in a war zone, where the lives of Americas warfighters are on the line, said John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Im proud of the work of SIGARs special agents in Afghanistan and the United States whose collaboration brought this case to a successful conclusion. The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) commends the complainant for coming forward, which allowed us and our joint investigative partners to vigorously protect the DoDs procurement process, preserve the militarys ability to carry out its warfighting mission and ensure the wrongdoers were held accountable, said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck of the OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. This case demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our partner agencies, to aggressively go after those who disregard and ignore critical safety and contractual specifications on Department of Defense contracts, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. Todays resolution highlights the culmination of investigative efforts to hold those who supply the Department of Defense accountable for their product and actions. It is unacceptable that anyone would bypass contractual agreements and most importantly safety guidelines meant to ensure the wellbeing of our American service men and women, said Christopher Grey, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations such as this and work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring a successful resolution. The failure to perform critical maintenance to Department of Defense aircraft poses a grave and unnecessary threat to our nations military readiness, said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Central Field Office. NCIS and our federal law enforcement partners remain committed to fully investigating any and all allegations of contract fraud that compromise the safety of our service members and waste American taxpayer money. Those certified to perform critical safety aircraft inspections and maintenance work are expected to adhere to aviation regulations in order to ensure that safety is not compromised, said Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. The settlement reached today clearly demonstrates that we will vigorously pursue those who choose profits over the quality and integrity of the work they are contracted to perform. Improperly maintaining aircraft creates a safety risk that we absolutely will not tolerate, said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. Todays agreement makes clear that disregard for maintenance requirements is unacceptable. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Harvey, a former Airlift employee. The act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Harvey v. AAR Corp., et al., No. 3:15-cv-00390 (S.D. Ill.). Mr. Harvey will receive $2,162,160 of the False Claims Act settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Divisions Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Illinois; and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the U.S. Transportation Command, the FAA, Air Force OSI, DCIS, NCIS, Army CID, Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and SIGAR. The case was investigated by Trial Attorney Elspeth A. England of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan D. Stump and Laura J. Barke of the Southern District of Illinois and Randy Harwell of the Middle District of Florida. Imperial Valley News Center Avanos Medical Inc. to Pay $22 Million to Resolve Criminal Charge Related to the Fraudulent Misbranding of Its MicroCool Surgical Gowns Dallas, Texas - Avanos Medical Inc., a U.S.-based multinational medical device corporation, has agreed to pay more than $22 million to resolve a criminal charge relating to the companys fraudulent misbranding of its MicroCool surgical gowns. A criminal information filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas charges Avanos with one count of introducing misbranded surgical gowns into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. According to court filings, Avanos falsely labeled the gowns as providing the highest level of protection against fluid and virus penetration. Under the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement filed with the criminal information, Avanos will pay $22,228,000, composed of a victim compensation payment of $8,939,000, a criminal monetary penalty in the amount of $12,600,000 and a disgorgement payment of $689,000. The deferred prosecution agreement resolves a criminal investigation into Avanoss misbranding of its MicroCool surgical gowns under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the companys obstruction of a 2016 for-cause inspection conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into Avanoss surgical gown business. Companies that sell medical products put their customers at risk when they misrepresent the quality of those products, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Departments Civil Division. The Department of Justice will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute companies that put profits over safety, especially when they provide products meant to protect medical professionals in potentially high-risk situations involving infectious diseases. Customers of Avanos trusted the company to deliver on the promises it made about the safety of its surgical gowns, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Avanos betrayed that trust. This resolution emphasizes that the department will hold companies in the medical device industry accountable and shows the Criminal Divisions dedication to partnering with the Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch to root out fraud. The last thing health care workers should have to worry about is whether their personal protective equipment lives up to manufacturers claims, said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah for the Northern District of Texas. Misbranded PPE can pose serious risks to medical professionals and patients alike. All companies that do business in Texas, health care or otherwise, will be held accountable for the promises they make about their products. Medical devices, such as surgical gowns, must have truthful and accurate labeling, said Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations Catherine A. Hermsen of the FDA. Surgical gowns with false or misleading labeling can put health care practitioners and patients at risk. The FDAs Office of Criminal Investigations protects the American public by aggressively investigating allegations involving FDA-regulated products and violations of the FDCA. In this case, OCI worked with the Department of Justice to ensure a just resolution, and we applaud the exceptional work done by the team. According to court documents, surgical gowns sold in the United States are subject to regulation by the FDA, which recognizes a system of classification set forth by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) known as the ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard. The ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard was first established in 2003 and revised to be more rigorous in 2012. Under the standard, the highest protection level for surgical gowns AAMI Level 4 is reserved for gowns intended to be used in surgeries and other high-risk medical procedures on patients suspected of having infectious diseases. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Avanos admitted that between late 2014 and early 2015, it sold hundreds of thousands of MicroCool surgical gowns that were labeled as AAMI Level 4 under the 2012 ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard but did not actually meet that standard. In addition, Avanos made direct misrepresentations to customers about the MicroCool gowns compliance with the 2012 ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard. For example, in November 2014, Avanos sent letters to certain hospitals and other potential purchasers that falsely claimed that the MicroCool gowns met the revised and more rigorous 2012 ANSI/AAMI PB70 standard for classification as AAMI Level 4 a standard that Avanoss employees knew the gowns had never met. At least one of these letters was sent in response to a request for assurances made by a health care provider seeking to obtain surgical gowns for use in responding to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. In total, Avanos sold approximately $8,939,000 worth of misbranded MicroCool gowns to customers in the United States and abroad. In addition, according to court documents, an employee and an agent of Avanos obstructed a July 2016 FDA for-cause inspection of the companys surgical gown business by making numerous false entries in four documents requested by FDA investigators. As part of the criminal resolution, Avanos has agreed to continue to cooperate with the Justice Department and to report any evidence or allegation of a violation of the FDCA or U.S. obstruction or fraud laws committed by Avanoss employees or agents upon any domestic government agency (including the FDA), regulator or any of Avanoss customers. Avanos has further agreed to strengthen its compliance program and abide by specific reporting requirements, which require the company to submit yearly reports to the government regarding the status of Avanoss enhancements to its compliance program and internal controls, policies and procedures aimed at deterring and detecting violations of the FDCA and U.S. obstruction and fraud laws, and the status of its remediation efforts. The government reached this resolution with Avanos based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct and Avanoss failure to timely and voluntarily selfdisclose the offense conduct to the department. In addition, Avanos fully cooperated with the investigation conducted by the government, including conducting a thorough internal investigation, meeting requests from the government promptly, making factual presentations to the government, assisting in making a key foreign-based employee available for interview, and producing extensive documentation to the government, including documents located in a foreign jurisdiction. The government also considered that Avanos engaged in remedial measures after the offense conduct, including: (i) changing the manufacturing process for the MicroCool surgical gowns to improve the quality of their sleeve seams; (ii) reorganizing its quality and regulatory departments so that they report directly to the CEO; (iii) substantially increasing the budget and headcount of its compliance and quality departments; (iv) creating a stand-alone Compliance Committee of the Board of Directors; (v) enhancing the independence, autonomy and resources of its compliance function by creating a stand-alone compliance department and appointing a full-time Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer who reports directly to the CEO and presents compliance reports to the Compliance Committee at least five times per year; (vi) enhancing compliance training for its employees; and (vii) implementing revised procedures for the review and approval of all medical device marketing material. The criminal case was investigated by the FDAs Office of Criminal Investigations. Senior Litigation Counsel Allan Gordus and Trial Attorneys David Gunn and Max Goldman of the Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch, Trial Attorney John Fritz Scanlon of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case. Last month, Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, faced criticism over his leadership style in the form of a New York Times piece. The report relies on 15 current and former executives who have expressed discontent over--among other things--the amount of time Pichai takes to make decisions. According to the Times, employees expressed frustration that "Google did not move quickly on key business and personnel moves because he chewed over decisions and delayed action." For example, the sources complained that Pichai took a year to fill an important position, even when there were qualified candidates. They also pointed to the fact that Google didn't buy Shopify as an example of Pichai's flawed decision-making process. It's worth mentioning that had Google (or most accurately, Google's parent company Alphabet) tried to acquire Shopify, it would have certainly drawn even greater antitrust scrutiny than the company faces already. Never mind that it would have put itself in direct competition with Amazon. The article points out that the company has lost 36 vice presidents in the past year. That seems bad until you dig a little deeper. And by dig a little deeper, I mean read the next paragraph, which mentions that Google has 400 VPs. It's certainly fair to critique leaders at the top of any organization, but that's hardly a brain drain. Besides, it isn't as though Google under Pichai has made a series of missteps or fallen behind. Perhaps it hasn't moved forward as quickly as some would like but it's still one of the most dominant American businesses. With the exception of what appears to be a rising current of discontent among some employees, the business itself appears to be hitting on all cylinders. That isn't to say that the discontent itself isn't an issue, but it's not a problem with the business model, per se. It's something entirely different, which we'll get to in a minute. Meanwhile, Google is one of the most valuable, most profitable companies on Earth. It has billions of users that are generally happy with the services it provides, often for free. I think you could argue that the experience of using Google Search has deteriorated as the company continues to add more advertising, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the default place people go to answer questions. It's still the most profitable advertising platform ever built. There is, however, something striking about the entire story to me. Pichai did not provide a response for the New York Times piece, which contains the standard, "The company declined to make Mr. Pichai, 49, available for comment." It did, however, make some employees available for interviews. I read a few dozen follow-up stories that covered the Times report, and I did not find a single story with a quote from Pichai. I even contacted Google, which had nothing to add. Not to make too much out of the silence, but I actually think it's a powerful lesson for every leader. First, when you face criticism, it's OK to let it go. It's smart to resist the urge to respond publicly. At a time where it's not uncommon for people with a platform to use it to undermine their critics, there's something to be said for saying nothing at all. There's also something to be said for allowing people to criticize you, even in the New York Times, and letting the opportunity to respond publicly pass you by. That's especially true when there's almost nothing to be gained by lashing out other than assuaging a sore ego--something that doesn't seem to be in character for the famously laid-back Pichai. Second, when you face criticism internally, ask yourself what you can learn. If the critics are right, then change. If they aren't, ignore it and continue doing what you think is the right thing for all stakeholders. Finally, moving slowly and deliberately isn't necessarily a bad thing. Google isn't a "move fast and break things" kind of company. It's one of the largest, most influential companies on Earth. It affects the daily lives of billions of people, many of which use its products and services as the primary way they communicate and interact with the world around them. Apple stood its ground last week in the face of employee protest against its new requirement that they work from home only two days a week. Both the policy--which came directly from CEO Tim Cook--and Apple's comments about it betray a striking lack of emotional intelligence. That's a bad idea in today's tight labor market. The approach is one no small company or startup can afford to take. Our story began about a month ago, when Apple announced its new return-to-the-office policy in light of widespread vaccinations and falling Covid-19 infections. In an internal email, Cook announced that, beginning in early September, employees would be required to work in the office at least three days a week. Specifically, those days would be Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. At the time, my colleague Jason Aten praised Apple for making an early decision about its policy and putting the word out well in advance so employees knew what to expect. That's true as far as it goes. But a large number of employees have made their displeasure about the policy known. Meanwhile, Apple has made no public statements about its remote work policy, so it's hard to know exactly what its leadership is thinking. But at least from the outside, the company has shown a striking lack of empathy, and perhaps even common sense. Here are a few reasons why. 1. People may quit. Lots of them. In fact, according to 80 employees who collaborated on a letter to Cook and Apple's leadership published in the Verge, it's already happening. In the letter, the employees say they are concerned that "Apple's remote/location-flexible work policy, and the communication around it, have already forced some of our colleagues to quit." Eighty employees at a company the size of Apple may not sound like that many. But they aren't the only ones. Apple employees posted a survey in Apple's Slack channel devoted to remote work and got 1,749 responses. Given the venue, it's no surprise that almost 90 percent checked "strongly agree" with the statement, "location-flexible working options are a very important issue to me." But 58 percent also said they were worried that some of their colleagues would quit because of Apple's lack of remote-work options, and 37 percent said they might have to leave themselves. 2. Employees won't be able to practice social distancing. Apple's new policy might make more sense if the pandemic was over and done with. But it isn't. Millions of people remain unvaccinated, including children. That leaves them vulnerable to vaccinated adults who may be able to transmit the virus even if they don't get sick themselves. Meanwhile, the more contagious Delta variant is now the dominant strain of the disease in the U.S., and is already causing infections to climb in some places. Given all of that, it's probably a good idea for employees of large companies to practice social distancing a while longer, and many companies are deliberately staggering the days different teams are in the workplace to make this possible. But it likely won't be possible at Apple, where the entire company will be required to show up on the same days of the week. 3. Apple seems like it's not listening. If Apple were deliberately trying to convince its employees that it's paying no attention to their preferences and concerns, its new policy, and its messaging about it, would be a great way to achieve that goal. Let's begin with the choice of days for remote working. A team of Stanford researchers has interviewed 30,000 working-age Americans about their remote work preferences since May 2020. Among other things, researchers asked which days of the week respondents would prefer to work at home. Not surprisingly, Friday topped the list, followed by Monday, and then Tuesday. Wednesday was dead last, with only 18 percent saying they wanted to stay home that day. Yet Wednesday--the day most employees want to be in the office--is one of the two days that Apple is allowing them to work from home. Then there have been Apple's consistently upbeat communications about bringing people back to the office, which took no notice of any negative sentiments employees may have had about no longer working from home most days. For example, in Cook's email announcing that employees would be required to work in the office, he wrote: "I look forward to seeing your faces. I know I'm not alone in missing the hum of activity, the energy, creativity, and collaboration of our in-person meetings and the sense of community we've all built." In their letter, employees who want to work remotely pointed to statements like these and said they felt like there was a "disconnect" between how Apple's top executives viewed remote work and how many employees experienced it. They said that they felt "not just unheard, but at times actively ignored." Even for a company as large and powerful as Apple, having employees say they feel actively ignored can't be a good thing. A more empathetic approach might be to acknowledge that employees have done a great job working from home, and that some may not want to return to the office now, and then explain why it's necessary for them to do so anyway. Black Widow star David Harbour has revealed that it was his idea to play the song American Pie during one of the films most emotional moments. *Major spoilers ahead you have been warned* Released this week, the Marvel adventure is set in the years before Avengers: Endgame and focuses on Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and her family. Harbour stars as Alexei Shostakov aka the Red Guardian, an undercover Russian agent who served as a father figure to Natasha and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) while they were posing as a family in Ohio. Natasha and Yelena later break Alexei out of jail, but Yelena harbours resentment towards him and in one scene confronts the Red Guardian, telling him that she used to idolise him but is now disgusted by the knowledge that he saw her as a burden. Alexei is only able to get through to Yelena by singing the Don McLean song American Pie, which has featured at the top of the film as a young Yelena asks it to be played when the family flee the United States. Speaking to Insider, Harbour revealed that the film originally didnt feature the song at all. My character is fumbling trying to be a father and in the end he fails. She tells him to get out. In the script, he says something and leaves, the Stranger Things star said. I felt, theres gotta be something a little more profound. Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow' (Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios 2021) I said, Wouldnt it be interesting if back in America when [Yelena] was little and was terrified having been taken from her family the Red Guardian would put her in the car and drive around and play American Pie? So from then on she tells daddy to put in the tape. The moment was brought forward to the confrontation scene, with Harbour explaining: [Alexeis] a failure as a father, what can he do at the end of this scene? [Hes] this narcissist who also has a big heart and so he brings up the song, basically as him saying, I tried. In a recent interview, Johansson revealed details of a costume idea that was quickly killed for her character. Meanwhile, viewers were shocked to find out that the actor playing young Natasha is actually Milla Jovovichs daughter. Black Widow is available in cinemas and on Disney Plus now. As investigations into a fire that destroyed almost an entire village in Canadas British Columbia continue, authorities believe humans are to blame for the devastating blaze. A fire razed 90 per cent of the village of Lytton on June 30, just days after it broke the record for Canadas all-time highest temperature for three days in a row, reaching 121.1F (49.5C). At least two people died in the fire and more than 1,000 people were evacuated. Meteorologists say the unprecedented conditions are being caused by a heat dome over western Canada and parts of the US Pacific northwest. A heat dome is an unofficial term given to an area of hot air high up in the atmosphere that lingers over an area for a prolonged period of time, trapping in heat below. About 200 wildfires are currently raging across British Columbia, due to the extreme heat. While a wildfire is currently burning in the area, at Lytton Creek, this is not believed to have been responsible for the blaze that destroyed the town. Now, investigators are working through social media rumours and witness reports to determine what exactly did cause it. Several social media users reported seeing sparks flying from train brakes before the fire broke out on Wednesday, near Canadian National (CN) Railways main line through Lytton. One video being circulated on social media shows a smoking train travelling through the area. However, authorities are attempting to tamp down the social media rumours, saying that investigations into the cause of the Lytton village fire are still ongoing. Thompson-Nicola Regional District chief administrative officer Scott Hildebrand said the train being the origin of the fire was certainly not our view. That information is unconfirmed and we are investigating, Mr Hildebrand said. I do know for a fact though, that the fire in Lytton had nothing to do with the wildfire that was in that area. The BC Wildfire Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who are working together on the investigation into the fire, both say it was likely caused by human activity. At this time, its suspected to be human-caused, but that investigation is still ongoing, BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Forrest Tower says. He would not be drawn on social rumours pointing to the train as the cause of the fire, saying investigators remain tight lipped on that. He could not give a definite time frame on when the investigation would be concluded, but expected it to take weeks to months. This has almost never happened in BC before, where an entire village has been affected the bank, the supermarket, the post office, everything. So its really important to get this one right. Staff sergeant Janelle Shoihet, senior media relations officer at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, says the investigation is a priority and remains active and ongoing. We have no timeline on how long it will take, but it will be thorough. The RCMP is urging witnesses who were in the area of Lytton at the time of the fire to contact police, and is working to determine if the train fire had caused the fire or not. We are aware of the witnesses related to the train however we will not speculate as to whether this is a cause or effect, i.e. was the train on fire before the wildfire began or did it catch on fire as a result of the fire? We will allow the evidence to guide our investigation as it progresses. Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway and Canadian National Railway both operate train services through Lytton. The route is a critical transportation route for the movement of goods across Western Canada and the rest of the continent. It wouldnt be the first time CN was responsible for a fire in the area; last year, the company was fined $16.6 million in damages for causing a wildfire 10 kilometres south of Lytton in 2015. The Cisco Road wildfire destroyed 2,200 hectares of land. An investigation concluded that rail workers cutting a line near the tracks sparked the blaze, which burned for four months and resulted in several evacuations. CN says they are providing full assistance to investigators into the cause of the fire. In a statement, the company said: The tragic events in Lytton are deeply distressing and we are very concerned for the safety of residents. CN representatives will work closely with the community and Lytton First Nation in the recovery from this devastating event. CP resumed operations through the area on Monday, following safety inspections of the tracks and infrastructure. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said they had not received a report from CN or CP on the incident so it was not investigating the matter at this time. The TSB is monitoring the current situation and is ready to follow up if an occurrence report is received. As firefighters across Canadas British Columbia battle almost 200 blazes across the province, authorities are bracing for one of the most severe fire seasons in years. Currently, 172 fires of varying sizes are burning across BC, with 60 situated in the Kamloops Fire Centre, where the town of Lytton was all but destroyed by a fire on Wednesday evening. Thick smoke envelops huge swathes of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, a mountainous region in BCs interior, as wildfires rage out of control and threaten homes and communities nearby. Many managers would not recommend working at Walmart, an internal survey at the US-based retailer has found. The survey, seen by Bloomberg, asked 56 Black employees in senior positions to score the company from -100 to 100 on how likely they are to encourage friends and family to work there. Answers from 24 supervisors, 24 directors and eight senior managers, gave Walmart an average score of -86. Positive sentiment decreases at higher levels, it concluded. As per Walmarts latest Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDEI) report, Black people make up 20.7 per cent of its workforce. Less than 10 per cent (8.4) of the companys corporate officers are black. While supervisors gave the retailer an average score of 72, indicating that they would recommend working there, all senior managers gave the company a score of -100. I have been here 10 years and I have never recommended Walmart to a person of color. I have recommended others to leave, one Black director said. Pay, benefits, not bad but recommend? NEVER. EVER. The survey highlighted five key reasons why Black staff members would not recommend Walmart to a friend. The employees said a lack of diversity in leadership positions deters Black employees from progressing, and that the company focuses more on external recruitment, rather than developing existing talent. They also said there is unequal access to career opportunities, making it difficult for Black people to thrive. As per Walmarts CDEI report, Black workers make up 28% of new hires at the company, but only accounted for 12.65 per cent of promotions from hourly-paid positions to management roles. Most alarmingly, the survey found that Black staff feel they must outperform their peers and take on more complex workloads to maintain their positions, and that favouritism and internal politics at the company negatively impact Black employees. Walmart told Bloomberg the survey was early research with a limited sample size. Hiring, developing and retaining diverse talent is a top priority for Walmart. While we are proud of the progress we have made, we are always looking at our own systems and processes with a critical eye for ways we can do even more, the statement said. Black employees account for 12 per cent of the 125 million US private-sector workforce, according to research from McKinsey & Company. The consulting firm estimates that 45 per cent of Black private-sector employees work in lower-paying service industries; healthcare, retail and food services. The Independent has contacted Walmart for comment. British model Pixie Geldof has announced her pregnancy in a sweet post on social media. Taking to her Instagram on Saturday, the daughter of Bob Geldof posted a photograph of her pregnant silhouette and her husband, George Barnett. The post, captioned with a simple red heart emoji, shows Barnetts head poking out from behind a bush-covered wall and lit archway. Pixie, 30, is seen standing in the archway behind a sheer cloth, her backlit silhouette displaying a burgeoning baby bump. The announcement comes four years after she married the These New Puritans drummer in June 2017. Messages of congratulations for the couple have poured in from friends, with model Daisy Lowe calling Pixie a magic mumma, while Project Zero, an environmental charity, commented, Such a great shot! Sending love Pixie & George. Pixie, the third daughter of Bob and the late television presenter Paula Yates, began modelling in 2008 when she appeared on the cover of Tatler magazine. Since then, she has featured in advertising campaigns for a range of fashion brands, including Levis, Diesel, Vivienne Westwood, Loewe and lingerie maker Agent Provocateur. Aside from modelling, Pixie also advocates against animal testing in the cosmetics industry and marine wildlife conservation, telling Elle in 2016 that sharks are her spirit animal. She is one of the ambassadors for the #PassOnPlastic campaign against the pollution of water by single-use plastic, led by Project Zero and Sky Ocean Rescue. In 2018, she was among a crowd of people who marched on the United Nations in New York to present a petition launched by The Body Shop to end cosmetic animal testing worldwide. The petition reached more than 8.3 million signatures, however testing on animals is still legal in many countries across the world including China and most of the US. Paula died from a heroin overdose at her home in Notting Hill on Pixies 10th birthday. In 2014, Pixies elder sister, Peaches, was found dead at her home in Kent. An inquest found that she had died from opioid intoxication. In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, Pixie said her sister had made such an impact during her life. Things stop for a second with people like her. She changed worlds, both when she was alive and when she wasnt, the model said. The Covid-19 pandemic will get worse before it gets better and throwing away all precautions on 19 July would be dangerous, medical leaders have warned. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) said cases in the third wave of the virus were rising dramatically and the NHS was under unprecedented pressure, with hospitals experiencing what is like the worst of a bad winter in July. The body called on the public and organisations to remain cautious and continue wearing face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. There is little doubt that things will get worse before they get better, the academy said in a statement. Boris Johnson is expected on Monday to confirm plans for the easing of restrictions in England on 19 July. But he is reportedly set to sound a note of caution amid purported jitters within Downing Street over the removal of all restrictions as infections surge. Helen Stokes-Lampard, the chair of the AoMRC, said she has been profoundly concerned about the idea of removing all measures and that returning to normal in July would be dangerous. We all want to make sure the public is fully aware that this pandemic is far from over, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. When the 19th comes, what we need is a responsible approach and a very cautious approach to relaxing restrictions. In a statement, the AoMRC said routine care continued to be postponed because of the number of health service staff having to isolate amid rising caseloads. Ministers are considering plans to free fully vaccinated NHS staff of the obligation to self-isolate if pinged by the Covid app. Prof Stokes-Lampard said this would be a sensible next step but people would need to be ultra vigilant with infection prevention and control measures. Government figures on Friday showed an increase of 35,707 Covid cases in the UK, the highest daily increase since 22 January. The AoMRC said: There is no doubt that we will get to a position when this dangerous and erratic disease is largely under control for the population as a whole and we can learn to live with Covid-19. However, we are not in that position yet and sadly, we have to expect things to get worse again. The warning came after NHS staff told The Independent emergency services were in borderline meltdown and braced for demand to soar. Patients have been forced to queue for up to an hour outside one A&E department, with some waiting up to 20 hours for a bed earlier this week, while rising pressure has been piled on Englands NHS 111 system after a dedicated Covid telephone assessment service was scrapped as cases began rising. Close Neil Ferguson predicts 100,000 Covid cases a day The current wave of coronavirus infections could see up to 200,000 new cases a day, Imperial College London epidemiologist Neil Ferguson has warned. Prof Ferguson told BBC1s Andrew Marr Show that it was almost inevitable that daily infection rates would hit a record 100,000 within a week, and that cases could spike at more than double that figure. His frightening announcement comes just hours ahead of Englands freedom day, where all remaining coronavirus restrictions are set to be lifted on Monday. All adults in the UK have been offered a Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the planned lifting of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, the government says. The latest figures show that 46.2 million adults (87.8 per cent of the population) have had a first dose of a vaccine, and 35.7 million (67.8 per cent) are fully vaccinated. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the vaccination target had been met, and called it an extraordinary achievement. Police have urged England fans not to travel to London without tickets or bookings to watch the Euro 2020 final on Sunday. Large crowds of supporters are expected to gather in the capital on Sunday as Gareth Southgates side goes up against Italy for a historic chance at the European cup. Metropolitan Police warned fans against gathering in large numbers and said it has visited venues around London to ensure social distancing will be maintained. A "significantly enhanced policing operation" will be in place, the force said. The Met said their approach would "adapt as necessary to increased numbers of fans" and warned those without tickets that they could end up missing the match if they head into London. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: "We want people to be able to enjoy the Euros 2020 final safely and securely, behave responsibly and consider the safety and welfare of others. "London still remains in a public health crisis. There are government guidelines in place and we ask people to follow these and remain socially distanced. "We will enforce legislation proportionately and as appropriate and engage with crowds. "But I urge people not to gather in large numbers. If you don't have a ticket to the matches, fan zone or officially booked into a pub, bar or club, my message is clear: please do not come to London - you could end up missing the game." Mr Taylor said a "particular focus" was being placed on tackling domestic abuse, while he warned the terror threat remains "substantial", meaning an attack is likely. England fans have been taking to London's streets to celebrate the team's wins with increasing fervour. Huge numbers gathered around Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday after the win against Denmark, with dozens of fans climbing on top of double decker buses as crowds blocked the roads. Celebrations have in some cases given way to shocking behaviour and violence. The force made 23 arrests on Wednesday for common assault, public order offences and assaulting police. The force said it was investigating an allegation of assault in south London after a family of Denmark supporters said they were attacked on the bus home after the match on Wednesday night. Solace Womens Aid, one of Britains largest domestic abuse charities for women, has been branded as institutionally racist by its own staff members, The Independent can reveal. Dozens of complainants have signed an open letter condemning the consistent failings, racism and persecution of staff by some of the organisations leaders. They also call for the removal of the chief executive, senior leadership team and board of trustees. One signatory, who spoke anonymously to The Independent, claims the stress and alleged bullying had made her consistently nervous and sleep deprived: The racism at Solace is all about power and keeping women of colour under control. A number of staff say their personal data was mishandled during what should have been a confidential Black Lives Matter survey, and that some managers saw responses which would easily identify those answering the questionnaire. Despite an ongoing complaint to human resources, Solaces leadership has exhibited wilful ignorance towards anti-black racism, the open letter alleges. It also claims there is a lack of interest in the complaints raised. Solace strongly refutes the allegations, but the strongly worded letter published on Twitter on Saturday afternoon backed by 30 signatories calls for complete change within the 280-strong organisation. Fiona Dwyer (Solace Womens Aid) As the largest VAWG [Violence Against Women and Girls] charity in London, supporting a multicultural, multi-faith and ethnically diverse city, we believe that all staff, volunteers and trustees have a responsibility to champion the rights of black people, particularly the service users who we support, the document reads. Until recently we believed that Solace leadership also supported this, as well as the other Solace values of anti-discrimination, continuous improvement and a commitment to social justice. The letter claims that some executives carried out direct acts of racism against some staff and alleges that institutional racism and gaslighting took place throughout the organisation. Solace says the first formal complaint to the board about racism and bullying was made in December 2020 and that an external investigation was conducted, but the grievance was not upheld. As an intersectional feminist organisation, complaints of discrimination in any form are taken seriously by Solace and thoroughly investigated, a spokesperson says. The allegations appear to come from a very small number of disgruntled employees or former employees, only one of whom might properly be described as a whistle-blower. All the allegations have been investigated in depth, and are strongly refuted. They add that over half of the charitys trustee board and senior management team are from a black or other ethnic minority background. Solaces leadership has exhibited wilful ignorance towards anti-black racism Solaces CEO, Fiona Dwyer, was featured on the cover of British Vogue in September and hailed as one of the UKs leading activists. Among the accusations levelled is that she made a disparaging remark about women of colour, using slurs such as f***ing lazy bitch, mad and difficult. Ms Dwyer does swear on occasion only in executive and SMT [senior management team] meetings, about herself or a situation and never at people, the charitys spokesperson says. In any event she suspects that none of The Independents sources have been anywhere near her since March 2020, and prior to that she had her own office with the directors. Staff have been working remotely since last spring but some of the complainants say they came into regular contact with her beforehand and also witnessed her "hostile behaviour" during virtual meetings, too. Since November, five out of six service heads have left Solace due to racism and bullying, an inside source told The Independent. That figure now stands at six following a further senior staff members resignation. The racism at Solace is all about power and keeping women of colour under control, one complainant says. (PA) One complainant says they were conflicted about speaking out: I worry about the implications for the organisation which does vital and lifesaving work, but this issue needs to be highlighted. The vast majority of the organisation is the staff members and the staff do fantastic work; I would really hate for the organisation to collapse as a result of this, she says. That being said, the way staff women of colour are being treated, is a problem. Another adds: Its not a sector that has funding or you get paid well in - but we accept that, because we care about the moral value of the work we do. But ultimately what ends up happening is that goodwill gets exploited and burnout is a regular problem. Its a lot to deal with. In one alleged incident, it is claimed that a staff member started to cry at a Black Lives Matter-themed coffee morning held by the charity, saying that her life felt unbearable and she wanted to leave the organisation. The CEO and directors, who were all present, failed to respond or contact her to follow up, another source claims. Ms Dwyer joined Solace as CEO in September 2019, following 17 years working on human rights and international development, most recently in the London boroughs of Haringey and Tower Hamlets. During this time, no complaints of racism or bullying were made against her, a Solace spokesperson says. In October 2020, a workplace equality consultation was conducted by an external company, Kasmi Consulting Ltd., following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer. However, whistle-blowers say that little information was provided to them about who these consultants were or what previous experience they had to be conducting such work. The following April, concerns were raised that the initial report sent to Solace was not properly anonymised, which may have led to the identification of specific staff members. A whistle-blower reported Solace to the Charity Commission and the Information Commissioners Office for further investigation. A charity spokesperson confirmed that it received a whistle-blowing complaint in April 2021 by an employee in relation to a breach of data protection law and a breach of trust and confidence, which was investigated by another external consultant and found to be not upheld although communications on data issues could have been better handled. In addition to this, a complaint about shortcomings in HR support was also partially upheld. Whilst there were suggestions to help Solace to improve, further there were no issues uncovered which were not known to the leadership of the organisation. The independent consultants did not find Solace to have systemic racism or any of Solaces leadership to be racist, a charity spokesperson says. Responding to the racism allegations surrounding Solace, Alexia Pepper de Caires, co-founder of NGO Safe Space and campaigner for womens rights, say the VAWG sector must do better. Racism, narcissism and entitled, defensive behaviours are rife across those with power in the Ending Violence Against Women sector in the UK, she tells The Independent. In my 16 years working in and alongside this sector, I have not seen any evidence of work to actively address the toxic workplaces these leaders and governance structures create. Accountability to women at the intersections of power systems, including race, class and transgender status, is absent and voices are so often marginalised rather than heard. Those who speak up and demand better are frequently made to feel like they are the problem, and advised to better adapt to white, middle-class organisational norms. BBC bosses are facing calls to sack a board member with links to Downing Street after allegations emerged that he attempted to block a senior editorial appointment on political grounds. Sir Robbie Gibb, a former adviser to Theresa May who was recently appointed a non-executive director at the corporation, was reported to have tried to stop a former Newsnight deputy editor and HuffPost UK editor from being selected to oversee the BBCs news channels. According to the Financial Times, Sir Robbie, who joined the former PMs turbulent administration after the ill-fated 2017 election and remained until she resigned in 2019, claimed the appointment of Jess Brammar would damage the governments trust in the broadcaster. Sir Robbie sent a text message to Fran Unsworth, BBC director for news and current affairs, telling her she cannot make this appointment, sources told the newspaper. He added that the government's fragile trust in the BBC would be shattered by giving Ms Brammar the newly-created role of executive news editor. Sir Robbie referred The Independent to the BBC for a response when asked for comment on the intervention which reportedly took place on 22 June. A BBC spokesperson said no recruitment process has been blocked, adding: People should wait for the outcome which will be announced in due course. The corporation defended Sir Robbies intervention, saying he had adhered to a general principle that board members are able to discuss issues with other board members or senior executives. Labour seized on the allegations, however, saying they raised very serious questions about Conservative cronyism at the heart of the BBC. Shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens added that Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, must join calls from him to resign or the BBC must sack him immediately for the sake of its own integrity. Sir Robbie joined the BBC in April as a board member, reportedly on the insistence of key Conservative adviser Douglas Smith. He had spent 20 years at the BBC, including as head of the organisations political team at Westminster, before joining Ms May in Downing Street as director of communications a political appointee. He had been vocal about his concerns over bias at the organisation and said in 2020 that it had been culturally captured by the woke-dominated group think of some of its own staff. He also praised the appointment of Tim Davie as director general as demonstrative of plans to tackle bias. Ms Brammar challenged the government during her time as editor of HuffPost UK a role she left in April this year when minister Kemi Badenoch launched a public attack on Twitter against then-Huff Post journalist Nadine White for asking her a series of questions about the vaccination rollout. As her editor, Ms Brammar filed a complaint to the cabinet office, which declined to investigate. Ms Badenoch remains in her role as minister for equalities, along with responsibilities in the treasury. The episode was also highlighted earlier this year by Samuel Kasumu, a former No 10 adviser who resigned in April. He raised concerns about Ms Badenochs conduct over her tirade against Ms White, who is race correspondent at The Independent, suggesting the ministerial code was breached. The BBC is currently undergoing sensitive negotiations with the government over a future financial settlement for the broadcaster. The Johnson government has repeatedly questioned the BBCs impartiality and funding model. Angela Rayner, deputy Labour leader, added that Sir Robbies alleged intervention was Tory cronyism at work. He was trying to influence the BBC to suit the government, she said on Twitter. Terrifying footage shows the moment bystanders were forced to intervene to stop a carnival ride from toppling over with people on it. The foundation of the Magic Carpet Ride at the 95th Annual National Cherry Festival in Traverse City in northern Michigan began to come loose from the ground, seemingly about to fall, on Thursday night. About 10 passengers were on the ride when it became clear that it wasnt safe. As the ride started to sway dangerously, more than a dozen bystanders rushed towards the foundation of the structure and climbed onto it to stabilise it until it could come to a halt. The crowd cheered as the ride finally came to a stop and passengers could safely disembark. UpNorthLive News reported that no one was injured and that the ride had been taken down by Friday morning. Kat Paye, the festivals executive director, told the New York Daily News in a statement that the ride had been sent to its manufacturer for inspection. Inspections of the rides happen daily and written reports are filled out and completed on each ride every morning prior to operation, she said. She added that she was in contact with the operator of the ride, Arnold Amusements, Inc. I am grateful for the quick response of staff and community members and very thankful that there were no injuries, Ms Paye said. A representative for Arnold Amusements, Inc. told the outlet that the cause for the malfunction remained unclear. It was a scary situation and were very fortunate all of the patrons as well as the operator and the other customers that were around the ride are all safe, office manager Joey Even told the paper. The number of those confirmed dead after the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida has risen to 86, with 43 people still unaccounted for. Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the new death toll during a press conference on Saturday morning. Of the 86 confirmed victims, 62 have been identified. Florida fire marshall and chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis said on Friday that victims can now be recovered faster because the building is no longer a threat to search crews, and because heavy machinery can access the site more easily. One thing I can assure you is the dogs are still on the site. The infrared equipment is still being used. The cameras are still being used. The task forces that are here ... are the same level of skills that were here with Fema (Federal Emergency Management Agency) task forces, Mr Patronis said, according to CNN. Theyre all still working. Whats happening right now is no different than five days ago. The families of the victims and those still missing are helping one another cope as they wait for news of what happened to their loved ones. They have been gathering twice a day for over two weeks in a ballroom, to comfort and support each other as they process the after-effects of the disaster. Many have started arriving early and staying after the meetings are over, talking to each other, and at times hugging. Members of the rescue crews from the US and abroad walk around the room on days when there isnt much information to announce, to share small details. While it was announced on Wednesday that the search mission would change from rescue to recovery, the private family briefings wont cease. Ms Levine Cava said earlier this week that it was heartbreaking to announce that rescue crews had found 15 victims in one day, but confirmed that the work is moving forward with great urgency. All those who have passed are leaving behind loved ones. Theyre leaving behind devastated families. The magnitude of this tragedy is growing each and every day, Ms Levine Cava said at a press conference. We know that there will be long-term impacts for the teams on the front line, she added. They have given so much of themselves in these first two weeks. Miami-Dade firefighter Maggie Castro told reporters: Obviously this is a huge tragedy, but if I can find some kind of bright spot in this whole thing, its to be with these families, watching their emotions come and go and ... watching them evolve through their stages and then also watching them bond. Soriya Cohens husband, Brad Cohen, has still not been found. Gary Cohen, her brother-in-law, was found on Thursday. The community outpours so much love, she said. In the days after the collapse, volunteers wrapped her in a blanket and brought her food and coffee. She said they surrounded me with so much emotional support. The briefings are heavily protected, with careful security measures to ensure privacy. Tables have been set up in the ballroom to offer housing, clothing, food and counselling. Millions of dollars have been raised to support the families. While some relatives appeared to give up hope as the rescue mission was redesignated a recovery operation, others say they wont feel different until their family members are found. Rachel Spiegels mother Judy is still unaccounted for. Its hard to digest, Ms Spiegel said. Many people did say they feel the shift. For us, we just want to find my mom and be reunited with her. Were still hoping for the best. Were going to have this shift once we find her and are reunited with her. I dont think the terminology of rescue versus recovery matters. Its semantics, Ms Cohen said. They will find people in whatever state they are in, however its termed. Ms Castro said that, among some families, there has been a sort of shift I think towards acceptance, but also obviously with that comes some sadness. She said the relatives are emotionally and physically drained. Its a lot, a lot of emotional roller coasters that theyve been on, just trying to stay positive and hold out the wait, she said. A grizzly bear that pulled a woman from her tent and killed her has been fatally shot by wildlife officials, who used night-vision goggles to stake out a chicken coop the animal raided near a small Montana town. The bear was shot shortly after midnight on Friday when it approached a trap set near the coop about two miles from Ovando, where Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, California, was killed on Tuesday. Local authorities said campsites in the town would stay closed until DNA evidence from the animal came back, but they were confident they had caught the offending bear. Greg Lemon, spokesperson for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said tracks found at the coop matched those near the fatal attack. Ms Lokan, a registered nurse who had worked at a hospital in Chico, was an experienced outdoors enthusiast and cyclist who was on a mountain-biking trip. She and two companions were camping behind the Ovando post office when she was attacked. Friends described Ms Lokan as a free spirit, but said she was aware of the dangers she faced on the trip. The bear, estimated to have weighed 400lb, awakened Ms Lokan along with her companions in a nearby tent at about 3am on Tuesday, officials said. After the bear ran away, the campers removed food from their tents, secured it and went back to sleep. About 15 minutes later, the bear was seen on a video camera at a business about a block away from the post office, wildlife officials said. But the sheriffs office received a 911 call at about 4.15am after two people in a tent close to the victims were awakened by sounds of the attack, Powell County sheriff Gavin Roselles said. They used bear spray, and the animal ran away. The bear is also believed to have entered a chicken coop in the town that night, killing and eating several chickens. Ms Lokan was on a mountain-biking trip (AP) Authorities hunted for the animal over three days, using helicopters and searchers on the ground, and set out five large traps made from steel culverts and baited with roadkill to attract the bear. Bears that attack people are not always killed if the mauling resulted from a surprise encounter or the bear was defending its young. But the bear involved in Ms Lokans death was considered a public safety threat. Bear attacks on people are relatively rare, particularly in inhabited areas, and Ovando businesses cater to adventure-seeking tourists, including cyclists like Ms Lokan, who are allowed to pitch their tents in town. Locals said the bears death would bring relief to the community. Dona Aitken, an artist who lives about seven miles east of the town, said: Everybody recognises this as really abnormal behaviour, to actually attack somebody sleeping in a tent in town. I think we still dont have a good answer for why the bear did that. In neighbouring Idaho, a female bear with her cub attacked and injured a man running on a trail on Friday. The bear charged him, and he lay down to try to protect himself. The grizzly struck him several times and ran off, Idaho wildlife officials said. The mans injuries were not life-threatening, and he was able to make it back to his cabin to call 911. He was taken to hospital. Additional reporting by Associated Press Joe Biden has fired the Donald Trump-appointed chief of the Social Security Administration, an independent agency where his role was set to expire through January 2025. The president has named Kilolo Kijakazi, the current deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy, to serve as acting commissioner, to replace Andrew Saul. However, in an interview with The Washington Post, Mr Saul challenged the legality of administrations move to oust him from the agency. I consider myself the term-protected commissioner of Social Security, he told the newspaper, adding that he called his firing a Friday Night Massacre. He said he received notice from the White House Personnel Office on 9 July. It was a bolt of lightning no one expected, he told The Post. And right now its left the agency in complete turmoil. Although the position was a holdover from the Trump administration carrying a six-year term, Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups for disabled and elderly people have urged the president to fire Mr Saul for his anti-union position and after accusations that he delayed coronavirus stimulus cheques and sought to delay disability benefits. A White House official told Politico that Mr Saul has undermined and politicised Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agencys telework policy that was utilised by up to 25 per cent of the agencys workforce and has not repaired the agencys relationships with relevant federal employee unions including in the context of Covid-19 workplace safety planning. He also reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the presidents policy agenda, according to the administration official speaking to Politico. Good riddance to bad rubbish, said Democratic US Rep Bill Pascrell, who joined lawmakers pressing the president for Mr Sauls removal. In a letter to the White House in March, Rep Pascrell who also chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight and is a member of the Subcommittee on Social Security accused Mr Saul and deputy commissioner David Black of a stunning streak of disregard, callousness, and destruction of the agency. The White House has pointed to a recent ruling at the US Supreme Court and guidance from the US Department of Justice that authorises Mr Sauls removal. Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, which advocates for the programme and other federal safety nets for at-risk Americans, praised the presidents move to boot Mr Saul, who helped carry out a despicable mission under Mr Trump that includes waging a war on people with disabilities, demoralising the agencys workforce, and delaying President Bidens stimulus cheques. Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, the U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said.. Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will "help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated, Sandu, a former World Bank official, wrote online. The announcement came days ahead of an early) parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. This donation could not come at a more important time, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova said in a statement. The U.S. remains Moldovas steadfast partner in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and saving Moldovan lives. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. The embassy said the U.S. has so far donated more than $4 million (3.3 million) of COVID-19 related assistance to Moldova, including equipment and staff training. Neighboring Romania has also donated more than 400,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to Moldova. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 coronavirus infections and 6,207 deaths. ___ Follow all AP stories on the global pandemic at h ttps://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. The British and Irish Lions received their toughest test of the tour to South Africa but still emerged overwhelming 71-31 winners as the Sharks fell away once Jaden Hendrikse was shown a red card for elbowing. It was the workout Warren Gatlands team needed after opening their expedition with three routine victories, including in the first meeting with the Sharks at Emirates Airline Park on Wednesday that ended in a 54-7 rout. The side from Natal, deputising for the Bulls who fell victim to an outbreak of coronavirus, were a different proposition three days later in the new surroundings of Loftus Versfeld. They were ruthless at punishing the abundance of mistakes committed by the Lions conjuring dazzling tries in the blink of an eye and were rewarded with a 26-26 half-time score. But they were also exposed too easily and they suffered a grave setback in the 45th minute when scrum-half Hendrikse was dismissed for a brainless elbow on Liam Williams as the Wales full-back lay on the floor. The score was still tied when Hendrikse departed and inevitably the pendulum swung dramatically in the Lions favour, who piled on the points against opposition full of endeavour but organisationally poor. Jamie George, Tadhg Beirne and Anthony Watson scored two tries each and Chris Harris, Duhan Van Der Merwe, Jack Conan, Elliot Daly and Tom Curry also touched down. The Lions were forced into making two late changes when Maro Itoje was ruled out because of a mild gastric bug and Finn Russell could not overcome an achilles injury, resulting in Courtney Lawes, Beirne and Bundee Aki coming into the 23. Another easy win appeared on the cards when the tourists crossed in the fifth minute, passes from Anthony Watson and Williams launching an attack that was given momentum by Van Der Merwes footwork until Harris arrived to touch down. An error by Daly was ruthlessly punished, however, as the Sharks pounced on his unforced knock-on and threaded the ball to full-back Anthony Volmink who had the gas to score. Despite the early setback of Harris try, the hosts were playing with greater conviction than in the first meeting and they seized the lead when two big carries made a dent before Lionel Cronje slid the ball behind the defence for Thaakir Abrahams to score. The high-octane opening continued as George finished a line-out drive before Hendrikse picked off a poor pass by Gareth Davies to run in a long-range intercept. Slick handling and poor Sharks structure allowed Van Der Merwe to stroll over in the 26th minute to tie the score 19-19, but the Lions knew they were in a game as South Africans attacked from all parts of the pitch. Once again an error was pounced upon as Van Der Merwe dropped an unkind pass by Dan Biggar and Thaakir Abrahams reacted in a flash, scooping up the ball and sucking in defenders for Hendrikse to score. For all their brilliance at exploiting mistakes, their shaky foundations made them vulnerable and to underline the point Beirne picked up and charged over from close range for an easy try. Disaster struck for the Sharks when Hendrikse was sent off for elbowing Williams on the floor and when Conan surged over the Lions were also back in front. Daly picked a superb line to run on to Williams pass and score, but the Sharks would not go away as Werner Kok charged down Conor Murrays clearance and was first to the ball. Hamish Watson sent George over and then the procession began as Anthony Watson (2), Beirne and Tom Curry scored, although the end was marred by a yellow card shown to tour captain Murray for cynical play. Bulgaria has banned travellers from the UK just days after being added to the governments green list in the latest traffic light reshuffle. The UK joins Cyprus, Spain, Fiji and Kuwait, along with 35 other destinations, on the Balkan nations red zone list. Travellers from red zone countries are not allowed into Bulgaria, barring for a handful of exemptions, such as medical professionals and seasonal workers. The UK was previously on Bulgarias amber list, but goes red as of 19 July - the same day that Bulgaria officially joins the UKs green list. Elsewhere, there are tentative hopes that travel to the US could soon be possible again after Joe Biden said that an end date for the European travel ban could be revealed within days. The President said that his Covid-19 team is actively assessing the situation throughout Europe and that his administration will announce when the ban on travel from Europe will be lifted in the days ahead. We brought in the head of our Covid team, because the chancellor brought that subject up, Mr Biden said, referring to a conversation hed had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Its in the process of [seeing] how soon we can lift the ban. Its in process now. And Ill be able to answer that question to you within the next several days, what is likely to happen. Im waiting to hear from our folks, from our Covid team, as to when that should be done. The USs borders have long been shut to most international travellers. The Foreign Office advice states: It is not possible for most British nationals to enter the USA if they have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil, China, South Africa or India within the previous 14 days. Follow below for the latest travel updates: Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. 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. After Assam, the Uttar Pradesh government is now mulling a two-child policy and the law could make those following it, eligible for government jobs and welfare schemes. The UP State Law Commission on Friday released the first draft of the bill aimed at population control. The draft bill has provisions to debar people who have more than two children from the benefits of government schemes and perks to those who follow the two-child policy. There are additional incentives proposed for those who have or will have only one child. Shutterstock Policy will be "voluntary" The commission has also sought recommendations for changes to be made in the draft -- which can be sent via e-mail or post by July 19. The UP law commission said that the policy will be voluntary it will not be enforced upon anyone. However, if any person decides to "voluntarily" keep the number of their family members limited, they will be eligible for government schemes. On the other hand, if someone doesn't follow the policy, they will face restrictions in government jobs, availing ration, and other benefits, reports HT. EPS The draft bill which has now been uploaded to the Law commission's website, lists incentives for government employees, general public and couples below poverty line for adopting two-child or one-child policy via voluntary sterilisation. The bill also lists many disincentives for all such as debarring from benefit of govt-sponsored welfare schemes, ration card limits, contesting local body elections etc. The bill will not be applicable to those already having more than two children before the passage of the bill. Let's take a look at the proposed incentives in detail. Incentives 1. For govt employees (Two-child policy): Two additional increments during the entire service Subsidy towards purchase of plot or house site or built house from Housing Board Soft loan for construction or purchasing a house on nominal rates of interest Rebate on charges for utilities such as water, electricity, water, house tax Maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances Three per cent increase in the employers contribution Fund under national pension scheme Free health care facility and insurance coverage to spouse Shutterstock 2. For govt employees (One-child policy): Additional incentives like - two more increments during the entire services, free health care facility and insurance coverage to the single child till it turns 20, preference to single child in admission in all educational institutions and govt jobs, free education up-to graduation level, and scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child. 3. For general public (Two-child policy): Similar incentives such as govt employees comprising - house purchase or construction soft loan, rebate in utilities, 12-month maternity & paternity paid leave, and free health care to spouse. 4. For general public (One-child policy): Similar incentives such as govt employees comprising - free health care to child, preference in education admissions and govt jobs, free education upto graduation and scholarships for single girl child for higher studies. BCCL Disincentives Debarring from benefit of state govt welfare schemes Limit of ration card Units upto Four Bar on contesting election to Local Body - existing members must give an undertaking to adhere to this Law and violation will result in dismissal and debarrment Bar on applying to government jobs - existing members must give an undertaking to adhere to this Law and violation will result in dismissal and debarrment Bar on Promotion in government services Bar on receiving any kind of government subsidy AFP Exceptions to the law Multiple births out of second pregnancy Adoption of a third child after having two children out of marriage or adoption of two children after having a child out of marriage. All other combinations of adoption resulting in a couple having more than two children will violate the law Disability of the first or second child Death of the child Married couple expecting a third child at the commencement of this Law In case of polygamous/Polyandrous marriages A husband in a polygamous marriage violating this law will not receive any benefits and incentives under provided under this Act and will be liable to face the disincentives, however, his wife and children will be eligible for the benefits Similarly, a wife in a polyandrous marriage violating this law will not receive any benefits and incentives under provided under this Act and will be liable to face the disincentives Getty Images Experts cite risks to women According to Family planning 2020, though India is projected to overtake Chinas population in less than a decade, the organisation states that India is on course to achieve population stabilisation with a national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.2, which is close to the replacement level fertility of 2.1. Referring to the sharp decline in Indias population growth rates over 10 years from 2001 to 2011 from 21.5% to 17.7%, the organisation states that 24 of the Indian states and union territories have already reached the replacement level TFR of 2.1 with the desired Fertility Rate at 1.8. BCCL The organisation also highlights that currently there is a high unmet need for family planning at 13% amid married women of 15-49 years as of 2015-16. This, reportedly placed these women at grave risk of death or disability during pregnancy and childbirth due to lack of access to contraceptives. For the past few days, social media has been abuzz as huge crowds have been thronging many tourist destinations across northern India, amid the fear of the third COVID wave. As Indian hills to the likes of Manali, Mussoorie and Shimla relaxed COVID-induced restrictions, photos of massive footfall of maskless tourists and hours-long traffic jams began to go viral on the internet. Here's a list of some of the hills that could turn into COVID hotspot even as authorities are scrambling to keep a check on rampant violation of COVID norms. 1. Shimla Among the first tourist hubs to have witnessed massive footfall of people in the first week of July was, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. Though the state did not explicitly say that it is open for tourism, Himachal Pradesh lifted Section 144 in the state and tweaked its COVID-19 guidelines, and said that a negative RT-PCR test is no longer required to cross the state borders. Anyone with an e-pass is now allowed to enter the state. BCCL Himachal became the first state to open up for outsiders, as it was emerging out of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by a mad rush of thousands of cars, mostly from neighbouring states trying to enter Himachal on the weekend. 2. Manali Soon after Manali followed and opened its gates to tourists after the second wave. This led to thousands of Indians rushing to the destination even as the threat of third wave loomed over us. Pictures of the same surfaced on the internet where the streets of Manali were heavily crowded by Indian tourists. Hotel and Restaurant Association president Sanjay Sood said the withdrawal of the condition of negative RTPCR report and e-covid pass to enter Himachal Pradesh had given a boost to the tourism industry of the state. Twitter However, the pictures of the mad rush in Manali caused a lot of critisism and concern among people. Soon reports of no availability of beds in hotels also started doing the rounds. 3. Mussoorie To escape the heat of the plains, tourists flocked to the queen of Hills, Mussoorie, starting July. Hotels were full and cars filled up the roads. Even a video of hundreds of maskless tourists having a good time at Kempty Falls, went viral. Needless to say, social distancing went for a toss and watching the video one would wonder if there really was a pandemic. Instagram 4. Gangtok On July 9, Gangtok in Sikkim reported a huge tourist influx. "Tourists have started visiting the state in good numbers. If everything goes fine, in coming weeks, government will give more relaxation for revival of tourism & economy," said Kapil Meena, Additional Secretary, Tourism & Civil Aviation. This came after the state government of Sikkim lifted temporary ban on the entry of visitors from other parts of the country, stating people who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can visit the state. ANI However, Sikkim is currently one of the eight states that has the maximum number of districts with above 10 per cent positivity. 5. Leh Many tourists have now even made it to Leh as Ladakh has eased COVID restrictions. "I am very happy. I wanted to visit Ladakh on a bike. The dream come true today, says a tourist from Maharashtra's Nasik. Tourists throng Leh as Ladakh eases #COVID19 restrictions "I am very happy. I wanted to visit Ladakh on a bike. The dream come true today, says a tourist from Maharashtra's Nasik pic.twitter.com/mZ0yUXIoyF ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2021 This comes after Tourist Information Centre (TIC), situated in the heart of Leh town, tweeted on Thursday that it is open for tourists for any tourist-related information. Ladakh reported 12 COVID cases, 15 discharges, and one death on Friday. The total number of COVID-19 active cases in Ladakh has gone up to 131; 93 in Leh district and 38 in Kargil district. A woman bodybuilder was allegedly barred from boarding an American Airlines flight on Thursday because her clothing was deemed offensive. Deniz Saypinar, who moved to the US to avoid the conservative surroundings in her homeland Turkey, claimed she was banned from boarding her flight to Miami after the authorities found her outfit of denim shorts and a small brown tank top to be too skimpy for the cabin. Instagram/Reuters The fitness model and social media influencer was the first woman in Turkey to receive an IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) status, Daily Mail reported. American Airlines rules state: Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing arent allowed. Representational Image/Reuters A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the incident in a statement. As stated in the conditions of carriage, all customers must dress appropriately and offensive clothing isnt permitted on board our flights, the spokesperson said. The customer was advised of our policy and was rebooked on a subsequent flight. The customer has since arrived in Miami. Instagram/dnzsypnr According to the Daily Mail, Saypinar claimed flight crew said her clothing disturbed other families at the airport. Saypinar posted an image of the outfit on Instagram, a brown tank top, denim shorts and a white jacket tied around her waist that got her removed from the flight. I dont deserve to be treated like the worst person in the world for wearing denim shorts, she said. What separates us from animals if humans cant control even their most primitive impulses. By keeping the current visa regulations, students on F and J visas would be able to keep their visas in the U.S. as long as they are continuing their studies, and journalists on I visas while keeping their jobs. Trumps proposal would have limited student visas to a four-year term for scholars from India and most other countries. Above: Indian students pose for photographs with their medals during the 16th convocation ceremony of King George's Medical University, in Lucknow July 5. (ANI photo) GOPIOs Indian American president Sunny Kulathakal said, GOPIO International advocates for the peoples rights, fights on their behalf and assists the Indian diaspora around the globe on issues such as immigration and visa, PIO card matters, social services for the diaspora, inheritance and legacy issues and to facilitate the often stranded diaspora travelers to their home country, and scores of other issues related to family and property matters. (Facebook photo) Woodbridge, VA (22192) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 84F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 66F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. The EU Commission will propose to end the use of cages on farms for laying hens, sows, calves, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks and geese. The proposal is expected by the end of 2023, with a view to the proposed legislation entering into force from 2027. According to Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), over 300 million farmed animals are kept in cages across Europe. Moving to cage-free systems will be a major challenge for farmers. The Commissions plans to end cages includes financial support and incentives in the new 2023 Common Agricultural Policy to help farmers upgrade to more animal-friendly facilities. Member States can also draw from EU Just Transition and Recovery and Resilience funds to help farmers adapt to cage-free systems. The new eco-schemes for which 25% of direct payments to farmers are ring-fenced from 2023 will also include facilities for cage-free farming. According to CIWF, there are 2,017,304 animals in cages in Ireland (53% of farm animals). A CIWF league table ranks Austria best, with only 3% of farm animals caged. Europe In the Netherlands, the biggest exporter of meat in the EU, CIWF says there are 5,529,652 farm animals in cages (17%). But a new law initiated by the pro-animal Partij voor de Dieren political party will come into effect in 2023, stipulating that animals can no longer suffer pain or discomfort when kept in cages or stables, and must be able to display natural behaviour. Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten has said the new rules are unworkable. Germany, one of the EUs farming powerhouses, has 8,260,637 farm animals (14%) in cages, says CIWF. Of the other big farming member states, Spain has 86,688,972 (89% of farm animals) in cages; Poland has 41,874,314 (82%); and France has 79,740,289 (75%), says CIWF. While all farm animals benefit from current EU animal welfare legislation, only laying hens, broilers, sows and calves are covered by rules on caging. Legislation for the rearing of laying hens adopted 22 years ago prohibited the use of battery cages. EU laws also prohibited veal crates, and sow gestation crates. Some Member States have adopted stricter rules than those in the EU's directives. As a result, farming practices in Europe differ markedly, with Austria and Luxembourg almost completely eradicating use of cages, while others such as Spain and Portugal still use them frequently. Animals and poultry Laying hens and sows account for a large proportion of caged animals in Europe. For laying hens, the EU in 2012 banned battery cages, but allowed farmers use "furnished" cages, which are larger and typically include perches and nests. Furnished cages are likely to banned in the upcoming legislative proposals. Some countries, such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland, already banned all cage systems for laying hens. Furnished cages have lower mortality rates, parasitic disease, bone fractures, feather pecking, and cannibalism. Free-range further reduces risks of feather pecking and cannibalism, but the risk of parasitic disease and predation by birds of prey is higher. The risk of avian influenza and other diseases being introduced by wild birds is also increased. Gestation sow crates have been banned in the EU except during the first four weeks of pregnancy. Farrowing crates during birth are permitted. It is expected the time in gestation crates may be reduced to a few days, along with other changes to allow pigs roam more freely. Removing pigs from cages increases the risk of them harming one another, farmers, and their own piglets. Keeping animals in unconfined systems will require new farming and veterinary skills, as well as increased farming costs. Support The EU Commissions latest cages commitment follows a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) supported by 1.4 million citizens across the EU. Within one year, the ECI organiser (Compassion in World Farming) in collaboration with 170 NGOs across Europe, collected signatures from supporters in 28 member states. There has been overwhelming support in the European Parliament for a resolution calling on the Commission to phase out cages for farmed animals and to ensure that all imported products comply with these cage-free standards. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides together with Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova made the announcement at a press conference of the Commissions response to the End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative. By the end of next year, the Commission will evaluate how the ban will roll out, with the aim to revise the relevant legislation by the end of 2023. A public consultation will be carried out at the latest by early 2022. The legislative proposal will also be based on scientific opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), already requested by the Commission, the last of which is expected in the first quarter of 2023. The Commission commitment will also address imported products, introducing rules or standards for imported products that are equivalent to the EUs. Animal welfare As a major food importer, the EU can contribute to improving animal welfare conditions also in non-EU countries. The EU's marketing standards, for example, already apply to imported eggs. The Commission will explore options such as enhanced co-operation with trade partners, additional rules on imported products, labelling, training, to ensure coherent rules for domestically produced and imported food. "We need to make sure that imported animal products have been produced according to the same animal welfare standards applied by EU farmers and accepted by our citizens," said EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. The extent to which cages can be used in food production varies dramatically around the world. In the United States, 13 states have some bans on battery cages for laying hens, gestation crates for sows, or veal crates for calves, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Grand Teton National Park has reissued its appeal to the public for information following the disappearance of Dublin man Cian McLaughlin. The 27-year-old was last seen on a hiking trail in Grand Teton National Park on Tuesday, June 8. Mr McLaughlin was reported missing on Saturday, June 12 after he did not show up for work on June 10 in Jackson, Wyoming. His car was later discovered near the Lupine Meadows trailhead at the National Park. In a tweet, the Park appealed to the public for more information and issued an updated flyer with more information on the items Mr McLaughlin had in his possession when he was last seen. An updated flyer with more information on the items Mr McLaughlin had in his possession when he went missing These include a red Apple watch, a red iPhone 12 mini, a white short sleeve t-shirt, and round, wire-rimmed sunglasses. He is also believed to have been wearing a hat, shorts and hiking boots. It is the first update the Park has shared since June 23 when officials revealed that an individual had come forward to say they saw the young man on the south side of the Bradley/Taggart moraine on the day he went missing. The witness said they chatted with Mr McLaughlin, who told them he was Irish and currently living in Jackson, and told police he was heading south towards Taggart Lake when they met him early in the evening of June 8. The Dublin man is described as being six feet tall, of slim build, with dark brown, collar-length hair, facial hair and brown eyes. He also has a tattoo on his left forearm. He was last seen wearing round, wire-rimmed sunglasses, a bucket hat, a white short sleeve t-shirt and shorts. He was not carrying a backpack. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the McLaughlin family. Picture: GoFundMe A GoFundMe campaign set up to help the McLaughlin family with the cost of travel, accommodation and any contingencies, has raised more than 48,00 of its 50,000 goal to date. Anyone with information who may have seen Mr McLaughlin is asked to contact Teton County at 888-653-000, submit a tip or email nps_isb@nps.gov. Northern Irelands deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said she wanted her attendance at a Battle of the Somme wreath-laying ceremony in Dublin to send a clear message that she respects all traditions. Ms ONeill laid a laurel wreath as she joined First Minister Paul Givan at the Irish National War Memorial at Islandbridge in a special ceremony of commemoration to remember those who lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme 105 years ago. It is the first time the Sinn Fein politician has attended a Royal British Legion wreath-laying ceremony. Ms ONeill said: The Battle of the Somme was a hugely significant event in our shared history and it is right that we commemorate it in a respectful and inclusive way. First Minister Paul Givan, deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Irish Minister of State Jack Chambers attending a special Somme Ceremony of Commemoration in Dublin, to remember those who lost their lives in the battle. Thousands of people from across this island died at the Somme and it had a profound impact on their families and society over generations. In laying a laurel wreath today, I was paying my respects to all those who lost their lives and remembering the enormous loss felt by so many. I hope my attendance here demonstrates my commitment to the principles of equality and parity of esteem for all identities and traditions on this island. Ms O'Neill said while we have different narratives in terms of the past, what we share in common is how we can build into the future. Mr Givan said it was "a privilege" to lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland in honour of all those who gave their lives for our freedom. So many brave young people, soldiers, airmen, doctors, nurses and clergy were lost over the course of the five months of the Battle of the Somme, causing devastation to families and communities back home. Today we recognise their unity of purpose and spirit of sacrifice and renew our pledge never to forget. The event was addressed by representatives from the Royal British Legion districts in Dublin and Northern Ireland. Sinn Feins former Stormont Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin attended the same commemoration in 2015. The Battle of the Somme was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War. Ms ONeill will attend the National Day of Commemoration in the National Museum of Ireland on Sunday along with Taoiseach Micheal Martin. In 2013, then-taoiseach Enda Kenny received as he called it a "wallop" from the Irish people when they rejected his attempt to abolish the Seanad. He and his government were left humiliated just two years into office. Similarly, it is often said that governments dont win by-elections, and the result in Dublin Bay South has certainly continued that trend. The stunning win by Labours Ivana Bacik, confounding her own partys poor national opinion poll rating of just 3%, is in itself a story worth telling, but the fallout for the three government parties cannot be ignored. On one level, the result can be taken as a clear rejection of the Governments performance and a clear and decisive demand for a change given the poorer than expected performance of all three government party candidates. However, the failure of Fine Gaels James Geoghegan to win the seat vacated by former Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy represents the latest in what is now a long line of electoral failures for Leo Varadkar. The lack of a Fine Gael standard-bearer in the constituency of Garret FitzGerald is a remarkable position to be in, even after a long stint in Government. Having been elevated to the position of Fine Gael leader in 2017 on the promise that he would lead the party to electoral nirvana, there are now significant questions to be asked over his leadership style, decision making and, more fundamentally, his authority over his troops. The obvious question is the decision to eschew Kate OConnell, a well-known former TD as the candidate given her high profile. The falling out between Varadkar, his team and OConnell dates back to the leadership race when she backed Simon Coveney and branded Varadkars supporters as choirboys who were singing for their suppers. Varadkars refusal to name OConnell in his Seanad nominees spoke volumes and showed to everyone just how out in the wilderness she was. Back in April when Murphy announced his resignation, the position of OConnell immediately came into focus. While, to many, she was the obvious candidate to challenge the male-only line up in Dublin Bay South, the internal politics of Fine Gael were not so straightforward. Geoghegans name was quickly being proffered up by party sources as the most likely choice of the party to contest. On paper, he appeared to be the perfect candidate. With his incredible pedigree in terms of his legal background and lineage, Geoghegan is also a polished media performer and was able to cope with intense scrutiny from the media without any major disasters. However, in reality, he struggled to define himself as a voice for the locked out generation and certainly failed to convince anyone beyond the core Fine Gael voters that after 10 years in government, he was an agent for change. If the disastrous 2020 general election shattered the myth of Varadkars supposed X-factor, this loss compounds his misfortune. This defeat means his record as leader is now five by-election defeats, a general election reversal and a poor 2019 local elections which saw Fianna Fail remain the largest party at local level, all of which means he is now in a defensive position in a way he has never been before. Examining the campaign, it was clear that in the wake of the Irish Times poll which gave first confirmation of the Bacik surge, Fine Gaels strategy to attack Sinn Fein and pitch the contest as a two-horse race appeared to have been a mistake. The party was forced to pivot its message to one of Fine Gael versus Sinn Fein to one of Government versus the Opposition. From being the frontrunner in the race, the party appeared to now be in defensive mode. The party knew that if Bacik was to run Geoghegan close, within seven points, then he was vulnerable to be overtaken on transfers. The constituency has seen a never-ending stream of party heavyweights like Varadkar, Simon Harris, who was the campaign director, ministers Paschal Donohoe, Simon Coveney and Heather Humphreys in recent weeks in a bid to secure the seat. A handwritten note from Varadkar, distributed last weekend, pleading to voters to elect Geoghegan, as he needs him on my team came off as panicky and desperate. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar looks on as Fine Gael candidate James Geoghegan speaks to the media as he arrives at the count centre for the Dublin Bay South by-election at Simmonscourt, RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire A 4am leaflet drop on the morning of polling and an eleventh-hour social media ad warning of a Sinn Fein surge at the polls on Thursday did little to ease those impressions of a campaign that was slipping away. While Simon Harris, as director of elections, may come in for some uncomfortable questions, it could be argued he did what he could with the hand he was dealt. Had he been dealing with OConnell as a candidate, one suspects it would have been a very different campaign. For one thing, had OConnell stood, Lynn Boylan would not have. Varadkar will have to face an increasingly tetchy parliamentary party next week and while his authority is not in direct threat, it is clear those who are not happy will feel emboldened and less shy in giving him and his core team a good kicking. Varadkar, for all his promise, ability, and image of decisive leadership, has precious little to look to by way of electoral success. The Fine Gael leader has often been compared to Bertie Ahern in terms of being Teflon and immune to criticism, but the big difference is that Ahern was an electoral asset for his party, leading them to three successive election wins. While Fine Gael party figures were essentially conceding even before the first count was announced, they were seeking to point out that as bad a day it was for them, it was much, much worse for Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Fianna Fail. That is true. The poor showing by councillor Deirdre Conroy was incredible in the context of the dominance of Fianna Fail over Irish politics since its foundation in 1926. Conroys 4.6% first preference vote is simply a disaster for the party which had shown signs in 2019 of reasserting itself in the capital. Not only does this result leave Martin under fresh pressure, with his leadership again in question, but it also begs the question what now for Jim OCallaghan? The clear heir apparent in Fianna Fail, he was selected as director of election by Martin as a means of blunting his threat internally in the case of the result not being good. Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets with Deirdre Conroy, the Fianna Fail by-election candidate for Dublin Bay South. Picture:Conor McCabe Photography. He has certainly done that, but the size and scale of Baciks victory means OCallaghans hold on his seat is now in serious jeopardy. On this result, Bacik would be assured of a seat in the next election and it will be at OCallaghans expense. Like Enda Kenny, both Varadkar and Martin have been given a fair old wallop by the good citizens of Dublin Bay South. They will have to steady their respective ships in the coming days and we can expect plenty of talk about needing to listen to the voters. Fine Gael will seek to explain the loss away but, in truth, this is a seat they could and should have held. They ultimately paid a price for picking the wrong candidate on this occasion and Varadkar alone must assume the blame for that. He allowed personal animus to trump what was in the best interests of the party victory. For Martin, he is facing a more existential question. Just what is his partys relevance to Dubliners anymore? That is a far more difficult question to answer. Burma Myanmars Third Wave of COVID-19 Spreads to Almost 90% of Townships A charity organizing funerals for COVID-19 patients at a cemetery in Kale, Sagaing Region. / CJ Nearly 90 percent of the country has been affected by Myanmars third wave of coronavirus infections, with 296 of 330 townships nationwide reporting COVID-19 cases since May. Addressing a meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control measures on Friday, coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing admitted that the current infection [outbreak] in Myanmar is serious and was spreading faster than the first and second waves of the coronavirus epidemic in Myanmar. If necessary, restrictions should be tightened so the people strictly follow the orders related to COVID-19, he said. The juntas Health Ministry said in mid-June that three mutant strains of the coronavirus have been detected in Myanmar, including the Delta strain, which was first detected in India. On Friday, Myanmar reported 64 fatalitiesthe highest death toll since the military coup in Februaryand 4,320 new COVID-19 cases, after testing 15,747 swab samples, according to the ministry. As of Friday, Myanmar had reported a total of 184,375 COVID-19 cases with 3,685 deaths. On Thursday, regime-controlled television announced that all schools, including private and monastic schools, will be closed until July 23. The regime reopened schools on June 1 after they had been shuttered for more than a year under the ousted civilian government due to the pandemic. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing added that the regime had an agreement with China to buy 5 million doses of vaccines, while Russia was planning to deliver the first batch of 2 million doses purchased from the country. Additionally, the junta leader said the regime would arrange for Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industry to manufacture the vaccines with support from Russia, which has promised to provide technical help on vaccine production. Myanmar reported its first cases of COVID-19 in March last year, and a second wave followed in August. In both outbreaks, public participation was huge, with healthcare professionals and volunteers at the forefront of measures to prevent and contain the disease. After Myanmar experienced a second wave of COVID-19 in August last year, the National League for Democracy government began to implement a nationwide vaccination program on Jan. 27, days before the military coup on Feb. 1. Health-care staff and volunteer medical workers were the first to receive shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by India. In defiance of military rule, thousands of healthcare professionals are taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and refusing to work for the military regime. COVID-19 testing declined from between about 16,000 and 18,000 swab tests a day in January under the ousted NLD civilian government to fewer than 2,000 per day between February and early June. Swab testing increased again in late June, with over 8,000 tests conducted. The military regime has imposed stay-at-home orders in 45 townships: three in Sagaing Region; five in Chin State; seven in Bago Region; eight in Mandalay Region; three in Shan State; three in Ayeyarwady Region; two in Naypyitaw; Gangaw in Magwe Region; three in Mon State; and 10 in Yangon Region. You may also like these stories: Nearly 1,200 Coronavirus-Positive Myanmar Workers in Thailands Tak Need Help, Groups Say Myanmar Border Town Locked Down by KIA as New COVID-19 Infections Emerge The Coup China Saw Coming in Myanmarand Failed to Stop Burma Nearly 1,200 Coronavirus-Positive Myanmar Workers in Thailands Tak Need Help, Groups Say Guards at the entrance of a factory in Mae Sot under lockdown. Around 1,180 Myanmar migrant workers in Mae Sot in western Thailands Tak Province have caught coronavirus and are in need of help, according to labor rights organizations based in the town. There are not many health and welfare benefits for migrant workers suffering from COVID-19. They have to spend from their own pockets to pay medical costs, and it is not easy for them to go to hospitals and clinics, said Ma Thuzar from the Mae Sot-based labor rights organization Yaung Chi Oo. Some five factories that employed Myanmar migrant workers have closed since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in March last year. Some of the workers have managed to find new jobs, and some have sued their employers as they were not given compensation. Civil society organizations engaged in promoting the labor rights of Myanmar migrant workers have been helping them obtain redundancy payments and providing aid for those in need with the help of donors. Most of the workers rent apartments outside their factories. Many are struggling to pay rent and buy food, Ma Thuzar said. Thai health authorities do not provide proper healthcare for infected Myanmar migrant workers, simply setting up quarantine centers inside their factories, labor rights organizations say. The Thai Health Ministry reportedly announced on June 28 that it would not provide free medical care for Myanmar migrant workers. Tak provincial authorities imposed a curfew on Thursday amid increasing COVID-19 infections in Mae Sot, a town on the Myanmar-Thai border. The curfew is from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. for migrant workers and from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. for Thai citizens. Large numbers of COVID-19 cases have also been reported among Myanmar migrant workers in other parts of Thailand, including the capital Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Phang Nga, Samut Prakan and Samut Songkhram. Thailand recorded more than 9,300 new COVID-19 infections with 91 deaths on Saturday. You may also like these stories: China Closes Myanmar Border Amid COVID-19 Spike Myanmar Border Town Locked Down by KIA as New COVID-19 Infections Emerge The Coup China Saw Coming in Myanmarand Failed to Stop Florida and Iowa are among at least 36 states suing Google over allegations the tech firm is operating a monopoly with its app store and Google Billing. In the Midwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Minnesota and South Dakota also are involved with the lawsuit, Utah v. Google. The states claim Google paid off competitors and used contracts to create a monopoly for its app store on Android phones and Google Biling. Millions of consumers rely on the Google Play Store to discover and download frequently used apps on their smart devices, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a statement. Through the use of restrictive contracts and agreements, Google has used this reliance to thwart competition and create a monopoly in app distribution. Whats more, Google has knowingly passed higher than average fees along to customers, often costing consumers hundreds if not thousands of dollars they wouldnt have spent except for Googles dominant market position. In Florida, Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a news release: Time and time again, we have seen Google use its power in the tech industry to unscrupulously exploit the marketplace. Googles manipulation of app distribution on Android devices forces consumers into using Googles services to purchase appsresulting in a 30% commission charge on in-app payments. The tech giants monopoly on Android app purchases significantly hinders other in-app payment processors from entering the marketplace, leaving consumers with no other options when seeking to download apps. We will not allow Google to continue to monopolize an entire sectoreliminating competition and harming consumers. The suit came out of a massive investigation that began in September 2019 and involved Iowa and most other states. In a news release, Miller noted that Googles system shuts out competing app distribution channels and forced app consumers to pay Googles 30% commission by going through Google Billing. In response to the lawsuit, Google said in a blog post that the challenge comes from a few major app developers that want preferential treatment. Android and Google Play provide openness and choice that platforms simply dont, Google wrote, according to Reuters. The latest legal challenge is led by Utah, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee. Among the other states involved in the lawsuit are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. This story was originally published by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, an affiliate of the nonprofit States Newsroom, which includes the Florida Phoenix. After the Dogecoin price fell to a steep 10 percent on Thursday, guess who would come to the rescue? Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted about the meme-based cryptocurrency edging out Bitcoin and Ethereum with a propsed protocol change, and the Dogecoin value sprung up once more, Fortune reported. As of writing, Dogecoin is up 5.47 percent in the last 24 hours to $0.22 a coin, according to Coindesk. Dogecoin Value: Elon Musk Warns BTC, ETH Pursuing Costly Multilayer Transaction System In a response to a tweet of popular YouTuber and crypto investor Matt Wallace, Musk warned that Bitcoin and Ethereum are "pursuing a multilayer transaction system," which he said has a "base transaction rate (that) is slow and transaction cost is high." BTC & ETH are pursuing a multilayer transaction system, but base layer transaction rate is slow & transaction cost is high. There is merit imo to Doge maximizing base layer transaction rate & minimizing transaction cost with exchanges acting as the de facto secondary layer. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2021 Dogecoin, Musk added, stands out better than Bitcoin and Ethereum in terms of transactions. He tweeted that there is "merit (in my opinion) to maximizing base transaction rate and minimizing transaction cost," as exchanges would serve as the "de facto secondary layer." Dogecoin fell to 19 cents Thursday after Wallace, who has about a quarter of a million subscribers, expressed his support for the Tiger King cryptocurrency, $tking, which has skyrocketed 1,000 percent the past week, Forbes reported. Read Also: Tiger King Crypto the Next Dogecoin? Price, Total Supply, and 3-Phase Plan of Joe Exotic Meme Coin Wallace tweeted that he's "buying ($tking) up fast" because he felt like it would "go crazy when season two of Tiger King comes." $tking was introduced in May by Joe Exotic, the viral ex-zoo keeper serving a 22-year jail sentence over wildlife violations and the murder attempt on Carol Baskin. Exotic has been the subject of the hit Netflix documentary "Tiger King." The coin was traded on the decentralized Uniswap exchange, with a trading volume of $7 million--which is not significant enough to have a established market capitalization on such sites as CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko, per Forbes. 'Dogecoin, Future Cryptocurrency of the Earth' Wallace then reiterated his support for Dogecoin after his earlier tweet about his interest in $tking, saying he would still hold "Dogecoin and Bitcoin despite the recent drops." He added that "Dogecoin is the future cryptocurrency of the Earth," echoing Musk's previous pronouncements. He then tweeted that the update to Dogecoin is coming soon and it will "position Doge perfectly to become one of the most used currencies in the world." This tweet prompted Musk's Doge value soaring reply. After soaring to about 74 cents in May, Dogecoin had lost most of its value in the succeeding months, hitting a low of $0.17 in June after China reaffirmed its ban on cryptocurrencies, Fortune said in its report. Musk's tweets and the staunch supporters of the coin have buoyed Dogecoin value since then. In recent weeks, Dogecoin and the other top cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum slid as China's central bank expressed its concerns over the global financial risks involving cryptocurrencies. In the Fortune report, US Senator Elizabeth Warren has sought information from Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Gary Gensler on possible SEC regulatory control over cryptocurrency exchanges. Related Article: Dogecoin Value, Investments Get Major Positive Forecast: Will It Break Through $1 Price? NASA will take "risky" steps in fixing the troubled Hubble Space Telescope. This comes after several attempts at restarting a malfunctioning payload computer, which failed to communicate with the telescope's main computer that had since placed all the science instruments into safe mode. The engineers from the space station had attempted to restart the computer with backup memory modules several times, but it all failed. NASA, however, tweeted that it is looking at a procedure--which it had successfully tested--that could reengage Hubble's instruments for its breathtaking space imagery, New Scientist posted. This payload computer is "a NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer-1 (NSSC-1) system" that was manufactured four decades ago. It is part of the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling module, which was replaced in 2009 during an astronaut service mission. The computer has various levels of redundancy that can be switched on when necessary. Read Also: NASA Hubble Telescope Pictures and Videos: Computer Glitch Shuts Down Operations, But Not Before Capturing Carina Nebula NASA Hubble Space Telescope: 'Risky' Procedure to Start Next Week NASA will execute the said procedure by next week after additional tests and preparations, Business Insider reported. The telescope itself and other scientific instruments remain in good health and working condition, the US space agency added. However, the procedure was described by NASA astrophysics division director Paul Hertz as "risky." He said the "challenging" task was mainly due to the inability to "actually put your hands on and change hardware or take a voltage." Last June 30, NASA said it has found out that the cause of the payload computer's malfunction is some erring hardware pieces found in Hubble's Science Instrument Command and Data Handling unit (SI C&DH), where the computer is located. In case these hardware are proven to be defective, back-ups are pre-installed on the Hubble, which means the task would entail switching to those redundant pieces. But before trying this risky maneuver remotely from Earth, engineers should practice through a simulator, NASA said. According to the Business Insider report, NASA has made such reboots in the past. A similar computer glitch took the Hubble offline for two weeks in 2008, and engineers then switched over to the redundant system. By the next year, astronauts fixed two faulty instruments while in orbit, which was the Hubble's last servicing operation. Hubble remains as a critical space observatory for NASA, being one of the US space agency's "most important astrophysics missions (that's) been operating for over 31 years," a spokesperson told Business Insider. Hopefully after a successful reboot, the Hubble, "will last for many more years." It has spotted the most distant galaxy ever observed, formed 400 million years after the Big Bang, and hundreds of thousands of ancient galaxies. James Webb Space Telescope to Expand Hubble's Legacy For what it's worth, amid the Hubble problems, another space telescope might as well stretch Hubble's legacy further. The massive James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to launch in November, is expected to explore further into the universe than Hubble could ever reach, a report from Al Jazeera noted. Using infrared sensors, scientists could probe stellar nurseries, heart of galaxies, and other faraway celestial bodies. Related Article: NASA Hubble Telescope Malfunction Continues, But Discovers New Type of Supernova Ithaca, NY (14850) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 70F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Today Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 84F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 106F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Extend the moratorium past the current one, scheduled to end Oct. 2021. Lower the student loan rates. Cancel a portion of borrowers' student loan debt. Cancel all borrowers' student loan debt. Do nothing. Borrowers need to get back to paying their student loan debt. I don't know. I have another idea that's not listed here. Vote View Results Jacksonville, TX (75766) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 93F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. Teton County Reporter Previously the Scene editor, Billy Arnold made the switch to the county beat where he's interested in exploring Teton County as a model for the rest of the West. When he can, he still writes about art, music and whatever else suits his fancy. Jonesboro, AR (72401) Today Thunderstorms likely. High near 80F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Two high-ranking Trump political appointees at the EPA engaged in fraudulent payroll activities, including payments to employees after they were fired and to one of the officials when he was absent from work, that cost the agency more than $130,000, a report by an internal watchdog says. (June 21, 1952-July 7, 2021) Paula Marlene Woods of Crestline, Kansas, passed away peacefully at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at the Via Christi hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas, following a period of ill health. Paula was born June 21, 1952 in Oswego, Kansas, to Adrian and Margaret (Wa Opinion Columnist Chris Powell has worked for the Journal Inquirer since 1967, first as a reporter, then as an editor, and now as a columnist. He was managing editor from 1974 until retiring from that position in 2018. A leading Iranian exiled opposition group on Saturday held a hybrid physical and virtual meeting it said was unprecedented in scope, lambasting incoming president Ebrahim Raisi as a henchman of the regime whose election showed its weakness. The event linked thousands of members of the Peoples Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK/PMOI) at their camp in Albania with supporters across the world online including US senators, British MPs and French lawmakers as well as protests in cities including Berlin. The MEK, whose political wing is the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is proscribed in Iran and seeks the overthrow of Irans clerical leadership. It accuses Raisi of being responsible for the mass executions of thousands of its members in 1988. The mullahs regime is at an impasse the Iranian people are nearing victory and will liberate Iran, the NCRIs president Maryam Rajavi told the event from its Ashraf 3 camp in Albania. We are standing at a watershed moment when everything is possible, she added, referring to the coronavirus pandemic and Irans economic crisis. She denounced the June election won in a landslide by the hardline Raisi formerly judiciary chief as a sham and predicted his victory would haunt supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The elevation of Raisi showed the leadership wanted to close ranks and preserve power as threats mount, said Rajavi. But they have dug their own grave. They are like a scorpion that stings itself when surrounded by flames. The expiry date for this religious dictatorship has arrived. She compared the election of Raisi to the declaration of martial law in 1978 by deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi which had an outcome contrary to his expectations leading to the Islamic revolution. Squad of cannibals Raisi, who takes office in early August, is accused by the NCRI and international rights groups of playing a key part in the executions of thousands of opposition prisoners mostly suspected members of the MEK. He is accused of being part of a four-man Death Committee that sent convicts to their death without a shred of due process. Most rights groups and historians say between 4,000 and 5,000 were killed, but the NCRI puts the figure at closer to 30,000. Last year, seven special UN rapporteurs told the Iranian government that the situation may amount to crimes against humanity and urged an international probe if Tehran did not show full accountability. Rajavi described Raisi, Khamenei and new judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei as as a squad of cannibals who should face charges of crimes against humanity. She added Raisi should never be allowed to address the UN in New York due to the events in 1988. Let us plant flowers in this wounded motherland again, Rajavi added. The MEK backed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the 1979 revolution that ousted the shah but rapidly fell out with the new Islamic authorities and embarked on a campaign to overthrow the regime. The MEK then sided with Iraq under Saddam Hussein in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Its fighters based in Iraq had by 2016 relocated elsewhere in an accord with the US and UN, notably to Albania where they are based at Camp Ashraf. As Rajavi spoke, those present chanted the name of her husband Massoud who was long the leader of the group and has not been seen for decades. The group has never confirmed his death. According to several reports, after the assassination of Haitian President Giovenel Moise, the country fell into political turmoil. Haiti has asked the United Nations and the United States to send troops to help ensure the safety of critical infrastructure. A letter from the Prime Ministers Office to the United Nations Office on July 7 (the day Moiz was shot in his home) stated that its purpose was to support the national polices efforts to rebuild security and public order throughout the territory. Reuters The letter was reviewed. The 15-member UN Security Council needs to authorize the deployment of UN peacekeepers or police to Haiti. In an interview with Agence France-Presse, election minister Matthias Pierre also confirmed this report. We think that mercenaries may destroy some infrastructure and create chaos in the country. In our dialogue with the US Secretary of State and the United Nations, we made this request, Pierre said. The news website Military.com also reported that the United States has confirmed the request. Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Hoffman told the website in an email: The Haitian government has requested security and investigation assistance. We are in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can help. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a team of gunmen assassinated Mois at his home in Port-au-Prince, which plunged Haiti into a deeper political crisis, which could exacerbate hunger, gang violence and the outbreak of COVID-19. The White House said that so far, the United States has indicated that it is dispatching senior officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as soon as possible to assess the situation and see what best they can provide. Two sources from the US law enforcement agency who requested anonymity to discuss the active investigation told Reuters that various agencies are investigating the links between the United States and the killing. A State Department spokesperson said: We are aware of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and are closely monitoring the situation. For privacy reasons, we have no further comment. Full of bullets Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday that the director of Colombias National Intelligence Agency and National Police Intelligence Agency will also travel to Haiti with Interpol to assist in the investigation. Duke wrote on Twitter: We provide all possible help to find out the truth about the material and intellectual perpetrators of the assassination, he said he had just spoken with Haitis interim prime minister, Claude Joseph. Haitian police stated that the assassination was carried out by a commando composed of 26 Colombians and 2 Haitian American mercenaries. The two Haitian Americans are identified as 35-year-old James Solach and 55-year-old Joseph Vincent, both of whom are from Florida. After a gun battle with the Haitian authorities in Petionville, a hillside suburb of Port-au-Prince, the capital where Mois lived, 17 people were arrested, including Soraki and Vincent. A judge investigating the case told Reuters that Moise was found lying on his back on the bedroom floor with 12 gunshot wounds on his body and his left eye pushed in. [File: Dieu Nalio Chery/AP] According to Haitian police, three others were killed and eight are still at large. They said that the authorities are looking for the mastermind of the operation. A judge investigating the case told Reuters that Moise was found lying on his back on the bedroom floor, with 12 gunshot wounds on his body and having his left eye pushed in. The front door of the house was full of bullet holes and was forcibly opened, while the other rooms were looted. He was full of bullets, Petionville Court Judge Carl Henry Destein said. There is a lot of blood around the body and on the stairs. Who was behind the attack? A few days after the attack, the question of who killed the president and why he killed the country continued. Foreigners come to this country to commit such crimes. We Haitians are shocked, a resident of the capital told AFP. He added: We need to know who is behind this incident, their names, and their backgrounds so that justice can be done. Port-au-Prince Government Commissioner Bedford Crowder said that the senior police officer who is directly responsible for the safety of the President of Haiti is in danger and has been summoned to appear in court. If you are responsible for the presidents safety, where are you? What have you done to avoid the presidents fate? Claude said. The Pentagon confirms that Haiti requested safety assistance after the assassination https://t.co/1OsyH65fWc -Oriana Pawlyk (@ Oriana0214) July 9, 2021 Others speculated that security personnel might have been involved in the killing, which added to the confusion. The President of the Republic, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated by his security personnel, former Haitian Senator Steven Benoit said on Radio Magik9 on Friday. It was not a Colombian who killed him. They signed a contract with the Haitian government. Since taking office in 2017, Moyes has faced massive protests against his rule-first against allegations of corruption and his management of the economy, and then against his increasing control of power. Moise himself has spoken of the dark forces behind the unrest: other politicians and corrupt oligarchs believe that his attempts to clean up government contracts and reform Haitian politics are against their interests. General Luis Fernando Navarro, commander of the Colombian armed forces, told reporters on Friday that Colombian investigators found that between 2018 and 2020, 17 suspects had retired from the Colombian army. Colombian National Police Chief Jorge Luis Vargas said that preliminary investigations revealed that 11 Colombian suspects passed through the Dominican Republics resort city of Punta Cana, which shares Hispaniola Island with Haiti. Go to Haiti. Vargas said that the other two flew to Panama by plane, and then flew to the Dominican capital Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince. The Haitian government declared a 15-day state of emergency on Wednesday to help the authorities arrest the killer, but has since urged companies to reopen. The murder of Moise caused confusion about who is now the legal leader of this country of 11 million people, the poorest country in the Americas. Andre Michel, a Haitian opposition politician, said: The assassination has created a political and institutional vacuum at the highest level of the country. There is no constitutional provision for this particular situation. The 1987 Constitution stipulated that the President of the Supreme Court should take over. But no one currently holds this role. After the postponement of elections in 2019, there is also no parliament. Just this week, Moise appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to succeed Joseph, even though he had not been sworn in when the president was killed. Joseph seems to be in control of the situation, but Henry, who is more optimistic by the opposition, told the Haitian newspaper Xinpao that he does not think Joseph is a legitimate prime minister. Kamala Harris hosted a party for her team at her Naval Observatory home, after her staff anonymously claimed that they were treated as sexual harassment. Harris party on Thursday is after 22 oclock Unnamed source Leaked from within her team political In a blockbuster article about the abusive environment in her office. 6 Harris and husband Doug Enhof have a party at their residence Credit: Twitter 6 Anonymous members of the Harris team said they were treated as s**t Credit: Twitter A source said: People are thrown under the bus from the highest point. The fuse is short. This is an abusive environment. This is not a healthy environment and people often feel abused. This is not a place where people feel supported, but a place where people feel abused. Harris and the first gentleman, Doug Emhoff, hosted a party at their official residence near the Naval Observatory in Washington. The event took place in the week after July 4 and was themed around the United States, including red checkered tablecloths, burgers and barbecues. Simon Sanders, Harris senior consultant, wrote on Twitter after the event: Let me tell you about these burgers at the vice presidents residence! The food is good, and the people are great. Sanders defended Harris in an anonymous article, branding employees who criticized her for cowards. 6 Simon Sanders calls anonymous employees cowards Credit: Twitter 6 A friend of Harris reached out his hand, but there was no answer for weeks Credit: Twitter We are not making rainbows and rabbits all day long. Whoever wants to propose should directly raise it, she said. Vice President Harris focuses on work, not chattering in front of the drinking fountain. An anonymous friend of Harris complained after contacting her chief of staff, Tina Flournoy, on behalf of a senior Democratic donor, and did not receive a response for several weeks. This person raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for your boss-even millions of dollars-and you are just bragging about them? the friend said. 6 Other staff members called Harris the most insightful man on earth Credit: Twitter 6 The party is a barbecue featuring red checkered tablecloths and burgers Credit: Twitter Next time Camara wants [them] For some things, its like,Hey, I cant even get a call back from your chief of staff! Some staff members stood behind Harris, calling her the most insightful person on the planet. She may not have first-hand knowledge, but it is hard to imagine that she knows nothing about what is happening. Last week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also ignored troublesome stories in the vice presidents office. What I want to say is that the vice president is a very important partner. America president, Psaki said. She has a challenging job, a hard job, and there are people around her who are very supportive of her. But other than that, I will not comment further on these reports. Buena Park, California (CNS) On Friday night, police are investigating a possible driving shooting in Buena Park near Knotts Berry Farm, which led to the evacuations of the park and one person to the hospital. According to a report by the California Highway Patrol, the shooting occurred at about 8:40 pm on the beach boulevard near the park. A victim was assisted by park staff outside the park gate and taken to a local hospital, Knotts Berry Farm said in a tweet. The incident is currently under investigation. According to KCAL9, dozens of guests evacuated the park after the shooting, and employees took refuge on the spot. As officials from the Health Protection Center and Buena Park Police Department investigated the scene, the Beach Boulevard near Knotts Berry Farm was completely closed. No description of the suspicious vehicle was provided. Officials are currently responding to the shooting outside the Knott Berry Farm. There are no active shooters. For more information, please pay attention. -Buena Park Police (@BuenaParkPD) July 10, 2021 Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc. As the anti-coup protests continued, Myanmar reported 4,320 cases on Friday, setting a new record for the second day in a row, with 63 deaths. The military ruler of Myanmar announced that Russia will send 2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from this month as the Southeast Asian country has reported new COVID-19 cases and death records. General Min Aung Lai led the coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. He said that the virus was spreading rapidly in Myanmar, and senior Russian defense officials told him that he was being provided with vaccines. I told them I wanted 2 million, and they would give it, he said in a speech on the Myawaddy TV station owned by the army. Myanmar reported 4,320 cases on Friday, setting a record for the second day in a row, with 63 deaths. Min Aung Hlaing said last month that he was seeking 7 million doses of Russian vaccine. Myanmar is in the midst of the worst wave of infections to date. After the military seized power, the nations political chaos hindered efforts to control the epidemic. There are also reports of a COVID outbreak in its prisons, including the notorious Yongsheng Prison. According to reports, at least 40 prisoners tested positive on Thursday. At the beginning of the pandemic, many prisoners in Yongsheng Prison became ill and some died, but few prisoners were tested for COVID-19. In general, some health experts say that the actual infection rate in Myanmar may be much higher because of the decline in testing since the coup and health workers participated in strike protests. Hugs of moscow Russia is one of the few countries that openly accept the military government, which has been condemned globally for its coup and its fatal suppression of democratic groups. The military government stated that most of those killed or arrested were terrorists who incited violence. Min Aung Hlaing said that Myanmar is eager to manufacture its own COVID-19 vaccine, and Russia hopes to cooperate and send a delegation to inspect its production plants this month. He did not elaborate. As the COVID pandemic rages, protests against the military government continue to occur in many areas of the country. Protesters in Pakan, Kachin State, marched against the Burmese military government this afternoon (July 9). Photo: CJ#Myanmar what happened pic.twitter.com/P5Lg4rjIPc -Myanmar Now (@Myanmar_Now_Eng) July 9, 2021 According to social media posts, masked protesters staged a dawn strike on Saturday in Langlong Township in Tanintharyi District, condemning Min Aung Hlaing and calling for the restoration of civil rule. In Pyikyi Takon in Mandalay, Kachin State, several protesters, including a monk, staged a candlelight strike on Friday night, calling for the abolition of the military dictatorship. The photo also shows women in Winto Township, Sagaing County praying for peace in Myanmar and protesting against the military leadership. According to social media reports, the arrests are continuing. According to reports, security forces raided a house in Thaketa and arrested five civilians without a warrant, including the mother of a protester and his two. Brothers. Duvalash, acting president of the opposition National Unity Government, said in a statement on Friday that the military has always used the virus outbreak as an opportunity to suppress the opposition and has no sympathy for the suffering of the public. According to the Political Prisoners Aid Association, a human rights organization, 898 people have been killed by the military government since the start of the coup. At least 5,127 people are currently detained or sentenced, while 1,963 people evaded arrest. San Diego-This week, the San Diego Unified School District launched a new initiative by local civil rights activist Shane Harris to help people who want to attend school board meetings at home. The plan is called Promoting Democracy and is an open government campaign. It has established a short message notification system that will remind people when issues of concern arise at meetings. Its purpose is to avoid people spending hours watching the conference while waiting for the opportunity to speak. The San Diego Unified was the first government agency in the county to implement the system. It will be used at the next school district board meeting on July 13. Harris, the designer behind the event, is advocating that other government agencies also adopt the policy, including the City of San Diego, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, and the County Board of Education. It stems from the lessons learned during the pandemic, which Harris believes makes it easier to convene government meetings, but not necessarily more effective. In this county, there will be controversial or challenging issues, Harris, president of the Peoples Justice Advocate Association, said at a joint press conference on Thursday. Everyones voice should be heard, which is why this is important. Harris said this is not the only part of the campaign. He also called on government agencies to allow people to pre-record public comments for broadcast during the meeting. Several other local civic groups are advocating the policy, such as the Mothers Needs Action, the California Charter School Association, and the Latin American Political Association. Harris said: We can innovate public meetings in the post-COVID-19 world. Richard Barrera, chairman of the San Diego Union School Board of Trustees, said that the past year has made people more likely to participate in key school district decisions. For this reason, the school district intends to continue to hold board meetings through Zoom, even if San Diego uniformly welcomes students, teachers and staff back to school, Barrera said. He called Harris campaign increased peoples ability to participate. School district officials plan to ask those who have signed up to speak on the agenda item if they want to be notified before the agenda item appears. The reason why it is so important is because we know that our board meetings are usually very busy and there are many different topics, he said. We can have two or three hours or more in board meetings. People register to speak on a topic, they just dont know when an item will appear, and usually have to wait an hour or two before an item can be placed on the agenda. The court heard that a young boy watched in horror as his mother and her boyfriend used gasoline cans to engage in a tug of war on the night when his five-year-old brother was killed in a fire. Aaron Medcraft, 23, is accused of causing a fatal fire on November 15, 2018 after arguing with the boys mother on Wentworth Way in Rugby. 3 A boy was injured and killed in a fire on Wentworth Way in football in 2018 Credit: SWNS The brother of the helpless boy was taken to the hospital with severe burns, but died four months later from his injuries. The Warwick Criminal Court today heard about how the other two children and their mother managed to escape safely when Medcraft escaped the fire. Prosecutor Kevin Hegarty QC said Medcraft threatened to kill his girlfriend and her children before pouring gasoline in the kitchen. He said: Then he took out the lighter and lit it, lit the gasoline, and then fled the house. Mom and the two eldest children got out of the car, and then she rushed back to the burning house and carried the youngest son outside. Deadly flame In a distressing recording, the boys brother told the police how he watched Medcraft and his mother fighting shortly before the fire broke out. The boy said: I quarreled, I went downstairs. They were fighting. Aaron took some gasoline and poured it on the floor, and then his mother threw the lighter on it. We went out the window, and then she went back to get [his brother], And then the fire brigade. The court heard that the boy and another child climbed out of the window, climbed through a door, and knocked on the neighbors door to sound the alarm. When asked about the relationship between his mother and Medcraft, the boy confirmed that the couple had been dating five months before the fire broke out, and pointed out the mans nasty tendency. He was dealing in drugs and robberies. He just did nasty things to people. He started fighting or something, and he sold drugs to minors in the park. There is a box on the kitchen shelf, the cup is there, the drugs are in that box. Things like cocaine and weeds. He had a green container of gasoline in his car. He took one of them the night before the fire. Describes that when he saw his mother and Medcraft fighting in the kitchen on the night of the fire, he said: Aaron threw gasoline on the floor, mother threw the lighter down, and it caught fire. 3 The fire allegedly started after the boys mother and boyfriend engaged in a tug of war for a gasoline tank Credit: SWNS 3 After the house was set ablaze, boyfriend Aaron Medcraft fled the scene Credit: SWNS He took out the bottle, unscrewed the lid, dumped everything, and then his mother threw the lighter away. She threw it to the ground hard, and it broke. She flicked it and dropped it from its true height. It broke and started a fire. The lighter is a bit broken, so its stuck, and the flame continues. Medcraft told the jury that before the fire broke out, he and the boys mother had been engaged in a tug of war for the gasoline tank. He claimed that she had caused the fire, and he had tried to rush back to the house to save the child, but heat hits. Medcraft said: I really want to get help, because I should do it. I should go to the neighbor or the fire brigade, I should do something. The man denied murder, attempted murder, and life-threatening arson. The trial is still going on. The Addis Ababa government described the Ethiopian armys seizure of the Tigray capital Merkel in late November as the final blow to troops loyal to the former government in the northern region. But on June 29, seven months after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed declared victory, after the Tigray army launched a large-scale counterattack, his troops withdrew from Merkler due to their defeat on the battlefield. A few hours after the city was evacuated, Ethiopia announced a unilateral ceasefire, ostensibly for humanitarian reasons. The main goal of the ceasefire is to facilitate the delivery of aid and allow farmers to grow crops peacefully, Abraham Belle, the leader of the now overthrown Tigray Interim Government, explained in a speech on national television shortly after the takeover. The announcement comes as Ethiopia is facing increasing international pressure because of credible reports of extrajudicial executions, widespread rapes, and famine-like situations in Tigray. The United Nations estimates More than 90% Six million of its 6 million inhabitants need emergency food assistance. It gives people some hope that after eight months of brutal warfare, the fighting in the area may stop. But on the day the Ethiopian army withdrew from Merkel, the entire Tigray telephone line and the limited Internet access used by aid organizations for their operations were cut off. Then, there were reports that a bridge on the Tekeze River was destroyed, which was a key crossing point for the delivery of aid to Tigray. Both warring factions blame each other. These developments continue to hinder assistance to the affected population, including some of the 2 million people who have been internally displaced by the war. Neven Crvenkovi? said: We are very worried about the restrictions on entering and exiting Tigray, because Shire and Mekel airports are closed, and some roads connecting Tigray are blocked, especially the Shire where we have an operating base in the Amhara region. The road between De Bakker and the spokesperson of the United Nations Ethiopian Refugee Agency. The bridge across the Tekeze River was destroyed and the road was impassable-this severely affected our ability to transport employees, aid supplies, and basic supplies such as food, fuel and cash. In addition to the sabotage, since Mekelle was captured by troops loyal to the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) Regional Party, the statements of the warring factions have hardly reconciled, and they have recently been renamed the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF). TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda has since publicly threatened to send Tigrays troops to Eritrea. Eritrean troops have entered Tigray to support Abis troops. Our main focus is to reduce the enemys combat capabilities, he told Reuters. After evacuating from Merkel, Eritrean soldiers also evacuated some towns in Tigray, including Aksum and Hilaro, which they had controlled for several months. However, the Ethiopian Army Lieutenant General Bacha De Belle warned at a press conference in Addis Ababa last week: If provoked, [the army] It is possible to advance to Meckler even today. But if we go back, the loss will be much more serious than before. Uncompromising position For months, Tigray officials have expressed their willingness to negotiate an end to the war.After initially treating the federal governments unilateral statement as a joking, the TPLF on Sunday formulated Condition list Ceasefire negotiations. But some of these requests, including the request for Addis Ababa to recognize TPLFs rule of the region, will almost certainly be rejected. Neither the Ethiopian government nor TPLF has made meaningful commitments to achieve this openness, Judd De Vermont, director of the U.S. Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Al Jazeera. There are still considerable obstacles in providing humanitarian access, and there are always concerns about violations of human rights by all parties. Despite the seemingly uncompromising position and the Ethiopian governments previous refusal to negotiate with TPLF members, this is Designated as a terrorist organization The Ethiopian Parliament stated in May that potential third-party mediators have at least one possible way to focus: prisoners. On July 2, thousands of apparently captured Ethiopian soldiers passed Merkel on their way to a detention facility in the city. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael tell The New York Times stated that junior soldiers will be released, but officers and other commanders will still be detained. The number of prisoners of war [prisoners of war] We currently have more than 8,000 people, and it may increase, TPLF consultant and former Ethiopian diplomat Fesseha Tessema told Al Jazeera. The International Red Cross visited them and we are asking aid organizations to assist us for all of them. provide food. In an email statement sent to Al Jazeera, an ICRC spokesperson declined to comment on this issue. According to Fesseha, the Ethiopian government has not yet contacted the TPLF regarding the reportedly captured army. Billene Seyoum, Abiys press secretary, did not immediately respond to e-mail inquiries about prisoners of war. Ethiopian officials and official media have not issued any statements on this issue. For its part, the Ethiopian government is said to hold hundreds-and possibly more-Tigray members of the Ethiopian army, In custody At the beginning of the war, they suspected that they would launch a mutiny. The release of prisoners through negotiations between the two parties can open the door to preliminary negotiations to establish a concrete ceasefire. Another factor that may ease the tough stance is war fatigue. U.S. Senator Chris Kuhns said that at the end of last year, Prime Minister Abiy told him that the war would end in six weeks. But the fighting became long and protracted, eventually leading to the US imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Ethiopia and Eritrea. Abiy said last week that his government has spent more than 100 billion birr (US$2.3 billion) on rehabilitation and food aid in the region, excluding the cost of military operations at the time, national instability and coronavirus pandemic The epidemic has had a serious impact. A blow to the countrys finances. Ayele Gelan, a research economist at the Kuwait Institute of Science, predicted: It will take several years, perhaps more than ten years, for Ethiopias economy to recover and return to its pre-war state. Even the content of the official report seriously underestimates the actual monetary cost of the war. We should not only calculate the funds spent in the past eight months, but also the funds used to build destroyed assets for decades. Tigrays capital cost is not only Including military assets, but also destroyed roads, bridges, houses, and farms. Analysts said that if conventional war breaks out again, TDF may have to retreat from big cities to mountainous areas. The outbreak of new hostilities will first prove disastrous for hundreds of thousands of people who are said to be on the verge of starvation and further destroy the region. With the advent of the rainy season in Ethiopia, whether or not there is a ceasefire, the ceasefire is of strategic significance to the two warring parties. Once the situation dries out again, the army may use this time to rest, rearm and redeploy. The 1998-2000 Ethiopia-Eritrea border war killed tens of thousands of people. The rainy season in Ethiopia started in June and ended in late August or early September. Before fighting resumed, both sides used these periods to train fighters or dig trenches. The Ethiopian government itself stated that its unilateral ceasefire will Expires in September, Intensifying peoples concerns that the Allied forces are using the rainy season as a recovery period before planning to relaunch the offensive. In theory, this may mean that the international community only has about two months to reach a final ceasefire. The International Crisis Organization said in a statement: The top priority for all parties now is to facilitate the entry of rescue convoys, increase food assistance to millions of Tigray people, and ensure that farmers can cultivate and plant when the rainy season approaches. statement on Friday. They should also seek political reconciliation in due course. As another heat wave hit the western United States this weekend, firefighters worked hard to contain the wildfires in Northern California that exploded in blazing temperatures, prompting overheating warnings in inland and desert areas. On Friday, the temperature in Death Valley National Park in California reached an astonishing 54 degrees Celsius, and Saturday may reach the same high temperature. If confirmed, the temperature reading will be the hottest temperature recorded there since July 1913, when the same Luxi desert area reached 57 degrees Celsius, which is considered to be the highest temperature reliably measured on earth. The Bakerworth complex-formed by the merger of two fires caused by lightning-after doubling in size a few days ago, entering Saturday, the spread from the Sierra Nevada forested area to the northeast showed no signs of slowing down . There have been several fires in the mountains of northern California, destroying more than ten houses. Although there were no confirmed reports of damage to the building, the fire prompted approximately 2,800 people in California to issue evacuation orders or warnings and also closed nearly 518 square kilometers of Pramas National Forest. On Friday, the ridge winds reached up to 32 km/h, and with the intense heat, the fire spread to dry pine trees, firs and bushes. As the fire raged near the California-Nevada border, the Huashu County Sheriffs Office asked people to evacuate some areas in the rural communities of Ranch Haven and Flanagan Flats north of Reno. On Friday, as the sugar fire in Doyle, California burned, embers blew across the fields. (Noah Berger/Associated Press) Evacuate now, a tweet from the sheriffs office said. Fiery Information Officer Lisa Cox said the hot rising air formed a huge, smoky cumulus cloud thousands of feet high and produced its own lightning. A local fire caused by embers jumped 1.6 kilometers ahead of the northeast wingtoo far for firefighters to fight safely, and the wind gathered the fire into dry fuel-filled trenches and canyons, where it actually You can speed it up, Cox said. Cox said firefighters usually use cool, wet nights to extinguish fires, but the daytime conditions still exist. More than 1,200 firefighters were assisted by the aircraft, but due to the high temperature and low humidity drying the vegetation, the fire is expected to continue to spread. She added that the air is very dry, and some of the water dropped by the plane evaporates before it reaches the ground. On Friday, an aerial tanker dropped flame retardants to prevent the sugar fire from spreading to the Bakerworth community in the unincorporated community in Plumas County, California. (Noah Berger/Associated Press) We expect more of the same things to happen the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, Cox said. After the fire officials made better observations, the fire was only controlled by 9%, and the fire increased sharply to 223 square kilometers. This is one of several threatening homes in the western states. As the high-pressure zone covers the area, triple-digit high temperatures are expected throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service warned that dangerous conditions could lead to heat-related diseases, and Californias grid operator issued a statewide Flex alert between 4pm and 9pm on Saturday to avoid interruptions and Power outages in turns. Flex Alerts calls on consumers to voluntarily save electricity by reducing electrical appliances and keeping the thermostat at a high level at night when solar energy is reduced or no longer available. More states are fighting the fire At the same time, other fires in Oregon, Arizona, and Idaho are burning. In Oregon, driven by strong winds, a wildfire in Klamath County increased from nearly 67 square kilometers on Thursday to nearly 158 square kilometers on Friday on Fremont-Venema National Forest and private land. Evacuation orders were issued for people in certain areas north of Bettie and near the Sprague River. The fire threatened transmission lines that deliver electricity to California, and the expected heat-related demand prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue an emergency announcement on Friday, suspending some Rules to allow increased power capacity. This is the fireman #BootlegFire An overview of the fire situation on the front. The weather conditions in the past few days have been challenging.We ask you#WildfireAware And make every effort to prevent fires. #Wildfire #Oregon pic.twitter.com/FkUxh7ndIF @OSFM In north-central Arizona, increased humidity slowed a fire that threatened the rural community of Crown King. As of Friday, 29% of the 64 square kilometers of lightning fires in Yavapai County have been contained. The recent rains caused five national forest and state land managers to lift the closure of public passages. In Idaho, Governor Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency on Friday and mobilized the states National Guard to help extinguish fires caused by thunderstorms that swept through dry areas. Firefighters in north-central Idaho are facing extreme conditions and gusts as they exchanged fire with two wildfires covering a total area of ??50.5 square kilometers. In the small remote community of Dixie, about 64 kilometers southeast of Grangeville, fires threatened houses and forced people to evacuate. A senior police officer said that the Bangladeshi police arrested 8 people on Saturday for murder and they were connected to a factory fire that killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped in illegally locked doors. The fire started on Thursday night At the Hashem Foods Ltd. plant in Rupganj, Outside the capital Dhaka, huge black smoke billowed into the sky. After the fire was extinguished on Friday afternoon, police found piles of bodies. We arrested them on charges of murder, Narayanganj District Police Chief Jayedur Alam told The Associated Press by phone. They are now under our supervision. Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the detainees included the managing director of the Sajeeb Group, which owns the factory. The minister did not provide further details, but said that the perpetrators will be severely punished. This is a murder, Khan told reporters when he visited the factory site on Saturday. Watch | At least 52 people died in a factory fire: Fire officials said a fire engulfed a food and beverage factory on the outskirts of the capital of Bangladesh, killing at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped in illegally locked doors. 2:45 Suspect detained By Saturday night, a court in Dhaka allowed all eight suspects to be detained by the police for four days for interrogation. The tragic history of industrial disasters in Bangladesh, including factories on fire, and workers locked in. Large international brands that employ tens of thousands of low-paid workers in Bangladesh are under tremendous pressure to improve factory conditions. In a similar situation, the factory owner faces charges of homicide due to negligence. It is illegal for the factory to lock the exit while the worker is inside during production hours. Family seeks to identify loved ones A fire and civil defense official said the main exit of the factory that caught fire on Thursday was locked from the inside. Many of the dead are trapped. One of them was Rima Akter, 23, who called her family in despair when the fire engulfed the factory. Her mother and other family members struggled to find the body of the young woman in the hospital morgue on Saturday. The Bangladesh police reported that eight people were arrested in connection with the fatal fire at the Hashem Foods Ltd. factory in Rupuganj, Bangladesh. (Mahmoud Hussain Opp/Associated Press) We have checked 36 body bags, but it is difficult to determine her identity, said her brother-in-law Arafat Rahman. Akters mother Josna Begum cried because officials tried to assure several families waiting outside the hospital that once the DNA test was completed, the bodies of their loved ones would be returned. My daughter works to pay for her education. She is taking online courses and exams. I have no one else in the world What else can I do now? Begum said. On Saturday, Kompa Rani Barmans father, Prova Barman, who was killed in the fire, was interviewed by reporters in front of the factory. My daughters body was found here. She is on the third floor. During the fire, the supervisor locked many girls there, including my daughter, he said. After the door was locked, many girls couldnt escape. According to a report by the Bangladesh Union News Agency on Friday, other workers jumped from the stairs and at least 26 people were injured. Caitlin disclosed her career path a month ago Caitlin talked about her career path with TasWeekend magazine during Agfest in Tasmania last month. According to the Daily Mail report, there, she was in charge of supervising the livestock judge. In 2018, I realized that the school did not give me the skills and experience I needed, so I applied for the Sunday Creek Cattle Station in the Northern Territory so that I could gain experience and learn more, Loane said at the time. The property there is huge, and they are carried by helicopters and horses. She added: This is the process of character building. I must adopt a good professional ethics and apply it to my home business. San Diego (CNS)-California Independent System Operator announced that it has extended its Resilient alert By the second day of Saturday, as the extreme heat and wildfires in southern Oregon threatened transmission lines and strained the grid, residents were urged to continue to save energy. The announcement is in Flex Alert effective Friday. On Saturday, Flex Alert will start at 4pm and end at 9pm The National Weather Service said that it is expected that the temperature in the inland areas of San Diego County will be too high from Saturday to Monday, while the coastal areas are still affected by the ocean layer, with sporadic low clouds and fog every night and morning. Forecasters say there may be isolated light showers or thunderstorms on the higher peaks this weekend, and there is a better chance early next week. As the high-rise highs in the southwest weaken, the heat is expected to begin to weaken on Tuesday. The high temperature in the coastal area on Saturday is expected to be 73-78 degrees, and the lowest temperature at night is 61-66 degrees. The high point in the western valley is 83-88, the high point near the foothills is 91-96, and the overnight low is 62-67. The highest point in the mountains is expected to be 92-102, and the lowest overnight point is 64-74. The highest point in the desert is 115-120, and the lowest overnight is 88-93. On Saturdays and Sundays, the weather near and below the desert passage is very hot. Gusts from southwest to west winds and a minimum of about 15% daytime humidity are expected to increase fire weather conditions. By the beginning of next week, moderately unstable conditions may increase the likelihood of fires dominated by plumes in mountainous areas. The chance of dry thunder on the mountain this weekend is 10%. It is expected that by Sunday, with the development of vortices, low clouds and fog in the ocean layer at night and in the morning will become more common in coastal areas and gradually extend inland within a week. Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc. The worlds largest economy has strongly supported a global tax reform agreement that will impose minimum taxes on multinational companies, thereby increasing pressure on a few countries that adhere to the agreement. The G20 meeting of economic ministers and central bank governors held in Venice on Saturday issued a joint communique in support of the tax agreement. G7 countries agreed last month Earlier this month, the OECD received support from 130 countries in the talks held in Paris. The communique stated that the agreement is a historic agreement on a more stable and fairer international taxation structure and the G20 invited all members of the OECD. .. Countries that have not yet joined the agreement do so. It called on all countries participating in the negotiations to swiftly resolve remaining issues and finalize design elements before the next G20 meeting in October. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that the G20 will try to get small countries including Ireland and Hungary to accept the agreement, but this is not important for moving forward. Not every country is involved, she said. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called the tax agreement a tax revolution once in a century. International tax reform has been agreed and there is no turning back, he said. The next step in the October G20 meeting will be to determine the minimum tax rate agreed globally and determine how to distribute the share of tax profits among countries. Eight countries, including Ireland, Barbados, Hungary and Estonia, have postponed agreeing to a 15% minimum tax, which is supported by the United States, China, India and most EU countries. Other adherents include Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Kenya and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Some low-tax jurisdictions and investment centers, such as the Bahamas and Switzerland, have signed contracts. Peru did not initially sign the agreement because it did not have a government in place when it was signed, but it has now been signed, with 131 signatories. Although the political support of the G20 will provide impetus to efforts to reach a final agreement, which is expected to be implemented in 2023, important technical issues still exist and are unlikely to be resolved this weekend. These include various so-called divestiture agreements, which will allow some countries to use exit agreements to encourage investment. Another obstacle is expected to be opposition from the Republican Party in the U.S. Congress. President Joe Biden may need Congress to approve at least certain elements of the proposal. Kevin Brady, the top Republican of the House Ways and Means Committee, described the deal as a dangerous economic surrender that transfers American jobs overseas. As the investigation into the cause of the collapse of Champlain Tann continues, dozens of people are still missing. The official death toll from the partial collapse of a 12-story building in southern Florida continued to climb, and authorities said on Saturday that emergency workers had recovered seven more bodies from the rubble. The death toll from the Champlain Tannan collapse in Surfside, Florida last month has now reached 86, while 43 people are still listed as missing. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (Daniella Levine Cava) said: This is a shocking and heartbreaking number, and the impact on all of us is very, very deep. Levin Kava told reporters that so far, 62 bodies have been found as part of the largest non-hurricane emergency response in the history of Florida. After two weeks of hope after the crash on June 24, the authorities finally ended the rescue work on Wednesday, focusing on finding the remains. Rescue workers and emergency support teams from Florida and several other states worked 24 hours a day in shifts 24 hours a day for 16 days, under intense heat and dangerous conditions, doing physically and emotionally heavy work. After the workers demolished the rest of the building on July 4, the hope of finding the survivors rekindled briefly, allowing access to the new debris area. The voids where some survivors might be trapped do exist, mainly in basements and parking lots. As workers continue to sift through the rubble, questions about what caused the tower to collapse continue to exist. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of Champlain Tanants collapse without warning, but attention has been focused on a 2018 engineering report that warned of structural defects. At the same time, members of the affected community began to debate how to deal with the place where Champlain Tanant once was. Some lawyers for the victims families suggested that it should be a memorial to the dead. On Saturday, the widow of the murdered Haitian President Giovenel Moys accused a shady enemy organization of assassinating him to prevent democratic change as the power struggle in the Caribbean countries intensified. Since Moise Was shot and killed early Wednesday At his home in Port-au-Prince. The Haitian authorities stated that a trained foreign assassin composed of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans carried out the assassination. Colombian media hinted that Colombians may be hired as security guards for the president. Martine Moise, who was injured in the attack, said her husband was targeted for political reasons. You know who the president is against, she said in a recording posted on Twitter, without revealing anyones name. Because of roads, water, electricity, and referendums, and the elections at the end of the year, they sent mercenaries to kill the president at the president and his familys home so that there is no transition in the country. The late president talked about the dark forces behind years of turmoil hostile politicians and oligarchs angry at his attempts to clean up government contracts and politics have proposed a referendum to change Haitis constitution. The referendum and presidential and legislative elections scheduled for September 26 may eliminate the position of prime minister, reshape the legislative branch and strengthen the presidency. On Saturday, three days after Moise was assassinated at his home, the Haitian flag was lowered at half-mast at the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Fernando Rano/Associated Press) The murder of Moise cast a shadow over these plans and caused political chaos in the Haitian government. It calls on the U.S. military And the United Nations. The United States has stated that it has no plan to provide military assistance to Haiti, and its request to the United Nations needs to be authorized by the Security Council. Later on Friday, Moise was appointed prime minister before the assassination, claiming the right to lead Haiti. But as governments scramble to maintain order and provide the public with answers about the killings, the competition between political opponents has increased uncertainty. A news vendor sells local newspapers covering the Haitian president who was assassinated in Port-au-Prince on Saturday. (Ricardo Aduengo/Reuters) Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon appointed as prime minister by the late president on Monday, told Reuters that he is now the highest authority in Haiti, not interim prime minister Claude Joseph, and he is forming a government. After the president was assassinated, I became the highest, legal and regular authority because there was a decree nominating me, he said in a telephone interview on Friday. Henry said that his government will set up a new election committee-given that the previous committee was deemed too partial-this will determine the new election date. I dont know what day they will be, I just know that we cant spend too long on these elections. We need to do it as soon as possible, he said. But Henry has not been sworn in, and Joseph, who was appointed interim prime minister in April, has stayed in place to take the lead in responding to the assassination, calling on the United States to support and declare a 15-day state of emergency. The power struggle has created confusion as to who the legal leader is. With the delta coronavirus variant spreading throughout the European Union, EU President Ursula von der Lein urged member states to increase vaccination. European Commission President Ursula von der Lein said that the EU has provided member states with sufficient doses of coronavirus vaccine to achieve the goal of providing at least 70% of EU adults with comprehensive vaccination. Von der Lein said on Twitter on May 9 that the EU is expected to achieve its goal of vaccinating 70% of adults before the summer. He urged EU countries to increase vaccination and said that by Sunday, the EU will distribute the vaccination throughout the Union. 500 million doses of vaccine. The EU keeps its promise. This weekend, we have provided enough vaccines to member states, and this month at least 70% of EU adults can be fully vaccinated, Von der Lein said in a video statement on Saturday. But COVID-19 has not been defeated. We are ready to provide more vaccines, including vaccines for new variants, said Von der Lein, who was severely criticized in early 2021 for failing to ensure the companys delivery of contract vaccines. reach the goal! We have provided enough vaccines to EU countries, and at least 70% of EU adults are still fully vaccinated this month. COVID-19 has not been defeated. But we are ready to provide more vaccines. We will only get out of this crisis together. #Safe vaccine pic.twitter.com/5yYCtbqBxc -Ursula von der Lein (@vonderleyen) July 10, 2021 The EU Joint Vaccine Procurement Plan managed by the European Commission has delivered 330 million BioNTech-Pfizer vaccines, 100 million AstraZeneca, 50 million vaccines from Moderna, and 20 million Johnson & Johnson. The EUs long-term goal is to have enough vaccines to vaccinate all eligible people by the end of September. In her latest statement, Von der Lein added that the EU is prepared to provide more doses, including vaccines for new variants. Sonia Gallegos of Al Jazeera from London said that despite the successful launch of the vaccine in the European Union, people still express real concerns about the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, which first appeared in India. There is a very contagious variant of Delta that may sweep the entire African continent, which is why they urge member states to really start and really promote their own vaccination programs, Gallegos said. EU is Initial criticism Some companies received some criticism for the delay in negotiating contracts with drug suppliers, and later the plan was hampered by insufficient delivery by some companies, particularly AstraZeneca based in the United Kingdom. However, as the industry raced to increase the production of newly developed vaccines, purchases began to flow in. The European Commission said last week that EU countries had ordered nearly 40 million additional doses of vaccines produced by Johnson & Johnson. The European Commission has previously warned that it has cited estimates from the European Unions Disease Prevention Agency that the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is expected to dominate Europe this summer. Escondido, California-The heat wave that lasted into the weekend prompted state officials to call on residents to reduce electricity use when temperatures soar. In San Diego County, firefighters are watching the temperature rise and preparing for what may happen. We have a year-round fire season in San Diego because we do, said Thomas Tells, Captain of California Fire San Diego. But certain periods of the year are more critical, and this is one of them. The local desert area will issue an overheating warning from 9 am on Saturday to 8 pm on Monday night, and the less urgent high temperature warning in the mountains will continue until 8 pm on Monday night. According to the National Meteorological Administration, the highest temperature in the desert may reach 120 degrees on Saturday and 118 degrees on Sunday, while the temperature in the mountains is expected to reach 102 degrees and 101 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Forecasters suggest that during the hot peak period, the low temperature in the desert may not exceed 80 to 90 years, and it can be reduced to a minimum even at night. Authorities warn that extreme heat will significantly increase the possibility of high-temperature-related diseases, especially for those who work or participate in outdoor activities. As the hot summer heat and dry conditions merge, firefighters are preparing to take quick action when needed. In the hot days of the past few days, Shoots said that the call of the fire alarm has become lower and lower, and they believe that this situation will not continue as the next major bushfire is always around the corner. However, according to Shoots, its not just the fire hazard that worries them. Provide air-conditioning for our rural residents, who live at a temperature of more than 100 degrees, all of which may pose challenges for our dishes, he said. When the firefighters are ready for everything to come, restaurants like BAPS! Escondido also ushered in high temperatures. A lot of people dont want to go out in hot weather, said restaurant owner Brad Solley. We have adapted and put the gentlemen outside, just to help cool down. When the temperature rises, Solley has another trick to get people in. We make bottomless mimosa for $7.99 seven days a week, he said, so its definitely a tie. In order to help residents withstand the heat, San Diego County has opened public buildings in the Alps, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Potrero, Ramona, San Isabel, Spring Valley, and Valley Center. Cool Zone place. You can find a list of locations Here. Kansas Citys emergency 90-day program to house nearly 400 people in hotels will end on July 15th after an extension. A city spokesperson says caseworkers have been working to get everyone placed in other housing programs by then. The much-awaited comeback of actress Jeon So Min is finally coming. After three years of hiatus in the drama scene, this 2021, she is expected to star in a new romantic one-act play drama "Hee Soo." Jeon So Min to Star in a New KBS Drama Special Hee Soo According to Star News on July 10, Jeon So Min was cast to play the female lead role in one of the forthcoming KBS 2TV's "Drama Special 2021-TV Cinema," which is scheduled to premiere in the second half of 2021. The "Something About 1%" actress will be working with actor Park Seong Hoon in the series "Hee Soo" and they are said to play the role of a married couple. Thriller drama "Hee Soo" tells the story of a couple who have a daughter. It is a one-act play to be presented by KBS in the form of a movie. For this year, KBS is planning to produce four "TV Cinema" and is still finalizing whether to name it as "Drama Special 2021." Meanwhile, Jeon So Min is given the role of Joo Eun, who is a loving wife and a caring mother. Opposite to her is "Rich Man, Poor Man" actor Park Sung Hoon, who'll play as Jeong Tae Joon, her husband. "Hee Soo" is Jeon So Min's first one-act play comeback after three years of hiatus. The "Running Man" member also starred in multiple drama specials such as "My Black History Wrong Note" in 2018, "Birthday Letter" in 2019, and "Big Data Romance" in 2019. Her latest regular series was "Top Star Yoo Baek" which aired in 2018. Jeon So Min is expected to show another version of her acting for this upcoming drama stage. From being a comical host in variety shows, she is about to show a serious side of herself, which is very different from her bubbly and sweet character. Jeon So Min's Running Man Co-Star Song Ji Hyo is Also Making Her Drama Comeback with The Witch's Diner Meanwhile, TV personality Jeon So Min is loved by viewers through her previous variety show projects such as SBS "Running Man" and tvN's "Sixth Sense 2." Her "Running Man" co-member, Song Ji Hyo is also returning on the small screen with "The Witch's Diner" which is scheduled to air on July 16. This horror-fantasy series is about a witch restaurant that sells food that grants someone's wishes but with the exchange for their souls. In Case You Missed It: 'Running Man' to Break a New Record in the History of Korean Variety Shows What can you say about Jeon So Min's comeback on the small screen after three years of hiatus? Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Written by Shai Collins. WHITE CITY, Ore--- Southern Oregon Speedway race director Bob Valencia has suffered a stroke according to officials within Southern Oregon Motorsports. Valencia's condition is still unknown as he waits for an MRI. Southern Oregon Motorsports is raising funds to help with the expenses involved. The track says its goal is to raise 60,000 dollars for Valencia and his family. If you feel inclined to make a donation, you can donate on PayPal to @jasonvalencia10. If you are headed to the races on Saturday night, the track will also be honoring Valencia through the evening and there will be more information on how to donate. A few customers watch a movie at a Cineplex movie theatre in Laval, Ont., Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Ontario movie theatres will be showing movies again starting next Friday as the province moves into Step 3 five days earlier than planned. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, speaks during a technical briefing on the COVID pandemic, in Ottawa, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. Dr. Tam says she is concerned that vaccination rates among younger Canadians aren't high enough. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld MADISON The Village of Somers received approval Friday for a $5.65 million water supply pipeline and pumping station project that the state Public Service Commission halted last month after it learned that construction had begun without its authorization. The PSC issued the village a cease-and-desist letter on June 7, about a week after a project consultant informed PSC staff that construction on the Water Mains West of the Divide project had not only begun but was about 25 percent completed. The percentage of the water mains portion of the project was later revised to approximately 40 percent complete. A construction application had been filed with the PSC in January but it was still under consideration in late May. The PSC has initiated an investigation into the unauthorized construction of the water supply pipeline portion of the project but considers that to be a separate matter from the decision to approve the project. The village informed the PSC that it began construction of the pipeline portion of the project based on recommendation of a project consultant and the threat of material shortages. Village Administrator Jason Peters said that he was confident that the PSC would authorize the project. Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Ketchikan, AK (99901) Today Chance of a shower or two during the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High around 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. If you're planning to travel to New York City, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. The basics Almost all pandemic restrictions have been lifted in New York state (including New York City) as 70% of New Yorkers 18 or older had received the first dose of their Covid-19 vaccination series. Safety guidelines for restaurants and other businesses are now optional. The state's restrictions remain in effect for large-scale indoor event venues, defined as indoor places that hold more than 5,000 attendees. Mask requirements are still in effect for the unvaccinated. New York City was the US epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, with hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of patients. But in 2021, it's shown a strong recovery. What's on offer This is the ultimate city break. New York has the greatest city skyline in the world; culture from the Guggenheim to MoMA; spectacular food from Chinese delicacies in Flushing to Italian delights in the Bronx; and the green sweep of Central Park to the busy Lower East Side. Who can go New York is subject to US government rules, meaning travel from Brazil, China, the European Schengen Area, India, Iran, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom is not permitted. Exemptions are available for US citizens, family members or permanent residents. Travel from all other countries is allowed. All air travelers entering the United States are now required to have a negative Covid-19 test result. What are the restrictions? Asymptomatic travelers entering New York from another country, US state or territory are not required to test or quarantine. New York officials still recommend quarantine for all travelers who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from Covid-19 during the previous three months. Testing three to five days after arriving in New York is also recommended for these travelers. Every air traveler entering the United States needs a negative Covid-19 test result. Passengers are required to get a viral test within three days before their flight to the US departs and to provide documentation of their lab results or documentation of having recovered from Covid-19. What's the Covid situation? As of July 15, 33,471 total confirmed and probable deaths and more than 960,000 total confirmed or probable cases were registered. There's been a test positivity rate of about 0.95% in the past 28 days. What can visitors expect? New York's busy streets fell quiet at the start of the pandemic, but they are now picking up again. And summer is looking to be even better. Restaurants, movie theaters and other venues that appeal to tourists can now operate at full capacity if they choose. Broadway remains set to fully reopen in September, and tickets are now on sale. You can see a listing of shows at Broadway.com. The Empire State Building's 86th floor Observatory is open. Cautions do remain in place though. and you'll need to remain flexible. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art still requires visitors to wear a mask as of July 15, even if you're fully vaccinated. A trip to NYC could cost you less now, too. Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order eliminating the 5.875% hotel room occupancy tax rate through August 31. Getting in and out of the often-dreaded LaGuardia Airport might be easier this summer with the early completion of Terminal C's new outer roadway system, part of a massive overhaul of the airport that will eventually include a mass transit link to Manhattan. The state of New York has launched the Excelsior Pass, which allows people who have received a negative test or a vaccination in New York state to provide proof of their status. The digital pass is not a requirement for venues or events that require testing or vaccinations to enter, so a traveler from another state could use their own vaccination card or lab test result to enter. Useful links New York State Covid-19 microsite Nycgo.com CDC Travel Health Our recent coverage There are two new attractions added to the NYC roster. Read about Little Island, which sits in Hudson River, and a spectacular elevator at One Vanderbilt tower. Check out our New Yorker's guide to eating out safely during the pandemic, or read about the bar Dante, which was named the second best in the world this year. Consider a post-pandemic stay at the first hotel on Roosevelt Island, a sliver of an island in the East River with a notorious past. Want to eat great Indian food? You'll find it across the water in New Jersey. Or salivate over New York cheesecake in our list of the world's best desserts. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. If you're planning to travel to Mexico, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. The basics Mexico is open to travelers. There is no need to provide a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival, though most resorts ask guests to fill out health questionnaires. The land border between Mexico and the United States is closed for nonessential travel through at least July 21. However, air travel is allowed. American travelers should remember they will need a negative Covid-19 test result taken 72 hours or less before travel to return to the US. The US Embassy says results for PCR and antigen tests are reliably available within 72 hours in Mexico. As of July 14, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintained Mexico's advisory rating at level 3 -- "high" risk. Level 4 is "very high" risk. The CDC advises travelers to be fully vaccinated before traveling to Mexico. What's on offer You'll find incredible food, sensational beaches, quaint towns and historical remains. While the beach resorts around Cancun attract the bulk of visitors, those who want more than a fly and flop go for Mexico City's cultural heft, the coastline of Baja California and traditional towns such as Oaxaca. Who can go Mexico has some of the world's loosest border restrictions with anyone allowed to travel by air for business or leisure. What are the restrictions? Travelers to the country must complete a health declaration form and scan the QR code it generates on arrival. There is no need to take a test before departure or undertake any form of quarantine. Those concerned they may have symptoms should ask for the Sanidad Internacional health organization. The land border with the United States remains shut to all but essential travel. People trying to enter through the southern border with Guatemala and Belize may also be denied entry for nonessential travel. What's the Covid situation? Mexico has had about 2.6 million cases of Covid-19 and about 235,270 deaths as of July 14 (although some believe the actual numbers are higher). President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has come under fire for taking a laissez-faire approach to the virus. Restrictions have not been far reaching and life has gone on as normal for many, which critics say has led to high death and infection rates. As of July 14, Mexico had administered almost 51.3 million doses of vaccine, or about 40 doses per 100 people. Cases have been shooting back up in recently. What can visitors expect? Mexico has a four-tier traffic light system of restrictions, with red signifying maximum restrictions, orange limiting capacity in public spaces and at work to 30%, yellow allowing for all work to resume and public gatherings to take place, and green meaning there are no restrictions in place. See a color-coded map here. As of July 14, most states were categorized as yellow and green. No states were listed as red. Quintana Roo, where popular tourist destinations Cancun and Playa del Carmen are located, was listed as orange. Baja California Sur, home to Cabo San Lucas, was also listed as orange. Mexico City was listed as yellow. The state of Oaxaca was green. Visitors are likely to find situations differ depending on where in the country they travel, with local restrictions and curfews varying. See the Local Resources section of the US Embassy website for specific information. Useful links Sanidad Internacional Covid-19 government page US Embassy in Mexico Our latest coverage Find out how Mexico is trying to balance its health needs vs. an economy heavily dependent on tourism by clicking here. Ever wondered what it was like to move to Mexico in a pandemic? Kim Kessler did. So did this adventurous couple, who booked an Airbnb together for several months despite being virtual strangers. If you're not ready yet to take the plunge, you'll find inspiration with the prettiest towns in the country and an insider's guide to tequila. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. SPRINGFIELD, Ore.--A woman who was injured in a North Bend killing spree died in RiverBend hospital Friday evening, according to Coos County district attorney Paul Frasier. She is the fourth victim to die. Oyster's husband, Anthony, was also killed on June 18 at the RV park at Mill Casino. They were both run over by a pickup truck, allegedly driven by Oen Nicholson. Nicholson remains in a Milwaukee jail, awaiting extradition. Frasier said he intends to file additional criminal charges against Nicholson once he's been returned to Coos County for prosecution. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- The Oregon Birth and Wellness Center is soon to be located in Springfield just off Gateway street. The change is expected to be made by the end of the year. This news comes after years without a birthing center in the area. The executive director of the board of directors for OBWC, Crystal Massey, said a new birthing center has been a hot topic since the previous center, Peace Health Birth Center, closed in 2019. "It's been a big subject in the women in our community for the past few years," said Massey. Since then, Massey has been operating out of her current practice, "Eden Midwifery". Massey said the new location, down the road from the Shoppes at Gateway, is a good spot for birthing mom's to take a breather. "We just really liked the surrounding area around here, nice places you can walk, the river is close by," said Massey. Massey also said they chose the location in Springfield because of low travel time to the hospital in case of an emergency. Other employees are also excited to open the center. Bryan Normann, the Vice President of the board of directors for OBWC wasn't always on the board. Before he joined the board of directors, he started out as a paramedic. When his wife was pregnant with his now 3-month-old child she was seeing an OB and he had his doubts about a home birth. "Working in the ER you can see a lot of the worst things that can happen, and you know I could only imagine what would happen to my kid," said Normann. Massey did more than convince Normann's wife to do a homebirth. He's now the Vice President of the Board of Directors at the OBWC, and he'll be a birthing assistant at the new Springfield location. The new birthing center will include two large birthing suites with birthing tubs, private bathrooms, a kitchen, a teaching space, two offices, and a family waiting area. According to childbirth expert and midwifery student Victoria Kelson, the teaching space is to help ease soon-to-be parents into their new roles. "Bringing people together who are all along the same journey can share their fears, and their hopes and their desires with one another and really feel supported and feel like they're like cultivating community," said Kelson. If you want to learn more about the central opening or how to support efforts for the Oregon Birth and wellness center, you can visit their website. LANE COUNTY, Ore. --- Since COVID restrictions were lifted in Oregon, the vaccination rates in certain counties appear to have hit a complete stop. KEZI 9 News spoke with several people who refuse to roll up their sleeves despite growing pressure from health professionals. Judy Vaughn says her main concern is the impact of the shot down the line. "I don't think it has been worked out the long term effects," Vaughn said. She also says she's concerned about being able to catch the virus after getting a shot. While that's technically true, Lane County public health officials say the vaccine is 95% effective in keeping people from being hospitalized or dying from COVID. Statistics show that virtually everyone who's catching COVID and dying now are people who haven't gotten their shot. When Vaughn was asked if there was anything that could happen for her to get the shot. "There is no way that I would take that shot," Vaughn. Alicia Damarin is a Springfield resident. She says her main reason for not getting the shot is the fact that she has a young child that she's still breastfeeding. "I feel like it isn't in my best interest to rush and get it right this second," Damarin said. She said if more studies were done on pregnant women and women who've recently given birth she would be the first in line, but for now she's unsure. It's important to note the CDC said they did not identify any safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated or for their babies. For her, and likely many other people, she said her urgency has been impacted by the fact she hasn't been devastated by the virus firsthand. "It kinda put it into perspective for me, maybe it's kind of naive of me but I haven't seen any really horrendous COVID cases that are talked about," Damarin said. For 23-year old Eugene resident Bailey Elkins, she said the general consensus among her peers is, they're young so they don't need the shots. "I'm young and healthy and don't have any underlying conditions," Elkins said, when paraphrasing her friend's mentality. Public health experts KEZI 9 News spoke with today said we should focus on education at this time, so everyone can make the decision that's best for them. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. -- The Jack Fire, currently burning around 5,500 acres on Highway 138 east of Glide, is causing a lot of concern among community members. Dogwood Motel, located around 15 miles west of where the flames are currently blazing, is just recovering from the Archie Creek Fires last year. Owner Norman Call said hes anxious. The fire we had last year burned quite a bit of the motel, said Call. Going through the insurance companies and figuring everything out, it takes a lot out of you. Dogwood Motel is located on milepost 26, not given any evacuation warning yet. But they said during the Archie Creek Fires, they had to evacuate and the fires burned the forest behind their motel as well as several of their buildings. Year after year, weve had fires almost every year or every other year, Call said. It takes a lot out of the residents here. Meanwhile, Steamboat Inn located on milepost 39 has been given a level 2 get set warning. KEZI attempted to talk with Steamboat Inn but they declined to comment. Over 600 personnel from multiple fire agencies across the state and out-of-state are currently battling the Jack Fire. Bonnie Bolser, a supervisory lead with the fire aviation crew, came to Oregon with her team in Sante Fe, New Mexico. She said the smoke creates low visibility in the aircrafts. The smoke is definitely an issue with the aircraft, said Bolser. It really affects how we can fly. Stay with KEZI for the latest. EUGENE, Ore.The suspect in a market robbery on Highway 58 was arrested today. Houston Toney was taken into custody in Albany. The Lane County Sheriffs Office said the crime happened just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lees Highway 58 Market, near Odell Lake. Toney reportedly threatened an employee with pepper spray and demanded cash from the till. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash. HAYWARD TOWNSHIP, Minn. A motorcycle rider suffered life-threatening injuries after a crash Friday morning in Freeborn County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just after 9 am on Interstate 90. Michael Paul Langstaff, 57 of Austin, was riding west when he entered the median at the Hayward exit and struck a guard rail. The State Patrol says Langstaff was not wearing a helmet and was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for treatment. The Freeborn County Sheriffs Office, Hayward First Responders, Mayo Clinic Ambulance, and Minnesota Department of Transportation all assisted at the scene. CHARLES CITY, Iowa - She was a key figure in securing women's right to vote. Decades later, her legacy has been felt across the country and around the world. Carrie Chapman Catt, who grew up near Charles City, dedicated her life to women's suffrage, and was instrumental in campaigning for the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which ensured the right for women to vote. She also founded the League of Women Voters and the then-International Woman Suffrage Alliance (now the International Alliance of Women). Now, her childhood home has been listed on the National Votes for Women Trail, which commemorates the people, places and events of the suffrage struggle. Growing up, Catt's great great nephew Tim Lane admitted that he did not know much about the legacy his aunt established. "There was an article in the Waterloo Courier about the Sullivan Brothers, and it made history more real for me. My family said, 'if you're impressed by that, you should know that your aunt was quite the historical figure as well.'" Since then, he's been discovering more and more of his famous relative's work. "There isn't a week that I spend looking at her history that something new doesn't come up. Opposing the sale of scrap iron to Japan prior to World War II, a speech she gave in Rome where Mussolini welcomed this international suffrage group, and said, 'we don't need suffrage here in Italy. We put our women on a pedastal.' She spoke up to facist leaders and time and time again, there were instances where she did remarkable things." Speaking at Friday's trail marker dedication, he notes of Catt's important part in American history, and would go on to have worldwide recognition. "Turkey had a stamp in her honor. The King of Norway was aware of her, Parliament was aware of her. There were banner headlines in London when she arrived on a steamship. It was just that global of an impact." Now, current generations can carry on what she started, including being an active participation in civics. "She was always encouraging graduating classes to get involved and be active and believe in a better future." The National Votes for Women Trail features nearly 2,200 sites. HARMONY, Minn. - Are you looking for a way to cool of this summer? How about heading underground for an adventure to check out a part of nature you don't see from above ground. We're taking a look at the beauty of Niagara Cave. There's something about being hundreds of feet under the ground; the cool air, the sound of running water, and history preserved in stone. It leaves you awestruck as you pass through carved limestone walls that are millions of years old. The history of this underground treasure was first discovered in 1924. "It was just a farmer's pasture and many people know the story about how the pigs fell into a sinkhole in the property and the farmer went to rescue his pigs that fell in the sinkhole and discovered the cave system down below," explained Niagara Cave's Owner, Mark Bishop. At its deepest, Niagara Cave is 200-feet below the surface. The destructive forces of nature carved the paths for you to follow today, winding half a mile. Owner Mark Bishop shares how the cave was constructed. "The cave was formed by an underground stream. The stream still flows through the cave today. The cave has many stalactites, stalagmites, and fossils in the cave - an underground waterfall in the system as well," said Bishop. Standing atop the 50-foot waterfall you quickly realize how fortunate you are to have something so magnificent so close to home. "Most people are really impressed. They are surprised they come out to this little tiny town out in the middle of nowhere and they go down there and it is way more impressive than they ever expected," exclaimed Bishop. Unlike most caves, Niagara Cave isn't home to any bats. Along your damp, dark hike through the cave you'll encounter narrow passageways, an echo chamber, and remains of snails, squids, and ancient algae. Niagara Cave has been rated as one of the top caves in the world. In 2024, the cave will be the site of the National Cave Association Convention. You can make your trip to the cave all the more memorable over 400 weddings have been underground. Reservations can be made online if you're interested in touring the cave. Jasper, TX (75951) Today Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 91F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. The head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Task Force is expressing concern as the Delta variant of COVID-19 is ravaging southwest Missouri. MOUNT VERNON The man who allegedly pointed a gun at a Fredericktown police officer in June was indicted by a grand jury this week on four felony charges. Now, local law enforcement officials are searching for his counterpart the woman who allegedly rode shotgun during the incident. Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville said Thursday that detectives from the Knox County Sheriff's Office have identified the woman who rode in the passenger's seat on June 17, when Darren Price, 38, of Howard, was pulled over by Fredericktown Patrolman Josh Jones for an apparent registration violation. The traffic stop turned into Knox County's first police shooting since 2014, as Price appeared to pull a gun on Jones and the officer fired. Price then sped off, and Jones followed. The chase lasted nearly 10 minutes and reached 100 miles per hour, as Jones followed Price through Knox County's northern backroads. Price eventually lost Jones near the Richland County line and the pursuit was terminated. The suspect's vehicle a maroon Pontiac sedan was found less than two hours later near Butler. Price remained at-large for a week. Local and state authorities worked to locate and apprehend him in a North Liberty residence on June 24. He has since been held at the Knox County Jail. The female passenger, however, has eluded authorities and remains at-large. While McConville would not disclose her identity Thursday, he did say she "has multiple outstanding felony warrants," which are tied to pending drug charges. "Knox County Sheriffs detectives and others are very busy looking for that person right now," McConville said. It's unknown whether she will face any additional charges upon her arrest. Grand jury clears Jones, indicts Price A Knox County grand jury met in special session Tuesday to consider the evidence in this case. Grand juries are made up of nine members of the voting public (plus five alternates), randomly selected by the Knox County Court of Common Pleas. Prospective jurors with personal ties to the individual (or individuals) being investigated are dismissed, as is the case with jury selection in a criminal trial. The grand jury is an accusatory body it does not determine guilt or innocence. Its role is simply to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to make a person face criminal charges. In this case, the grand jury Tuesday heard evidence that was gathered by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation following the shooting, with assistance from the Knox County Sheriff's Office and Fredericktown Police Department. The evidence was presented by the Knox County Prosecutor's Office. McConville declined to comment on the specific evidence presented Tuesday. Grand jury sessions are held privately, behind closed doors, to protect the reputation of individuals being investigated who are not yet indicted. He did note that "all of the things that are available as public records were presented to the grand jury, in addition to other evidence that was collected as part of the Knox County Sheriffs Office investigation." While McConville acknowledged that his office had the final say in what was shown to the grand jury Tuesday, and how it was presented, he claimed the process was thorough. Most grand jury presentations for complex criminal cases take 30 to 45 minutes, he said. This one took two hours. I will tell you, we did a very full presentation of pretty much all the evidence we had," McConville said. "I realize that police use-of-force is a very important and volatile topic these days, and I want to be able to talk to people in the community and say, Hey, we had a grand jury review this. Because, while ultimately the decision to charge someone rests with the prosecutor, having citizens review this builds trust in the system. After reviewing the evidence Tuesday, the grand jury found Jones' use of deadly force during the incident was justified as self-defense, McConville said, which cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. The legal standard for reasonable self-defense in this case was the same as it would be for any citizen, McConville explained police officer or not. The test for whether or not its reasonable self-defense for a police officer is no different than the test for self-defense for anybody else," he said. "Someone has to believe they are being confronted with lethal force, and it is about to be used on them, and the only means they have to escape that is to use lethal force themselves. Jones returned to work Friday, Fredericktown Police Chief Kyle Johnson said, after a FPD use-of-force review board determined Wednesday he had not committed any policy violations during the incident. Price, meanwhile, was indicted by the grand jury on four counts: having weapons under disability, a third-degree felony; failure to obey the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Price was convicted of a third-degree drug-related felony in Colorado in 2018, which prevented him from legally possessing a firearm, according to court documents. He also allegedly discarded the firearm the day after the shooting, although McConville could not comment on whether the .25-caliber pistol had been recovered. Price was arraigned Wednesday in the Knox County Court of Common Pleas, where he pleaded not guilty. Judge Richard Wetzel set his bond at $500,000. McConville said the investigation into Price, as well as his female counterpart that day, is ongoing. New evidence could mean additional charges down the road. As it stands right now, if Price is convicted, he could face up to three years in prison on the third-degree felony charges and up to 18 months on the fourth-degree charge. "By law, the fleeing-and-eluding must be run consecutive to any other sentence," McConville said. New details It remains unclear if Price fired any bullets that day, or if his weapon was loaded. McConville did confirm that Jones fired seven shots from his duty-issued pistol. Price was ultimately located through a joint effort between the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service's Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. According to McConville, the arrest "pretty much went peacefully." He was picked up at the house of a relative and he was taken into custody " McConville said. "The relatives did it in such a way that it did not go in a violent fashion, so I give them credit for that. Detectives reported that Price did not appear injured upon his arrest, McConville said. Jones also came away from the shooting incident unscathed, according to Johnson. It's unclear how long Price stayed at his relative's house leading up to the arrest. It's also unclear how he managed to remain at-large for nearly a week, given the proximity between Butler (where his vehicle was located) and North Liberty (where he was ultimately apprehended). While McConville couldn't say definitively whether or not charges would be pressed against Price's relatives, he implied the possibility was unlikely. I dont have a good feeling (charges will be pressed)," McConville said. "I havent read any reports on how long he was with them or that sort of thing, but it seems like there was not significant liability for them here in terms of obstructing justice for hiding a fleeing felon. Here's what you need to know: Saturday, July 10 Militiamen loyal to Ata Mohammad Noor, chief of Jamiat-e-Islami and a powerful northern warlord, stand guard at his office in Mazar-e-Sharif north of Kabul, Afghanistan, July 8. One of the most powerful warlords of northern Afghanistan and a key U.S. ally in the 2001 defeat of the Taliban blames a fractious Afghan government and an "irresponsible" American departure for a swift series of recent Taliban gains across the north. AP-Yonhap The Taliban claimed Friday to be in control of 85 percent of Afghanistan after seizing key border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan, part of a sweeping offensive launched as US troops pull out of the war-torn nation. Hours after President Joe Biden issued a staunch defense of the US withdrawal, the Taliban said its fighters had seized the two crossings in western Afghanistan completing an arc of territory from the Iranian border to the frontier with China. In Moscow, a delegation of Taliban officials said they controlled about 250 of Afghanistan's nearly 400 districts a claim impossible to independently verify, and disputed by the government. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid separately told AFP their fighters had captured the border town of Islam Qala on the Iranian frontier and the Torghundi crossing with Turkmenistan. Afghanistan's interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said efforts were under way to dislodge the insurgents from their latest positions. The Afghan government has repeatedly dismissed the Taliban's gains as having little strategic value, but the seizure of multiple border crossings along with mineral-rich areas will likely fill the group's coffers with several sources of new revenue. Hours earlier, Biden said the US military mission would end on August 31 nearly 20 years after it began having "achieved" its goals. But he admitted it was "highly unlikely" Kabul would be able to control the entire country. "The status quo is not an option," Biden said of staying in the country. "I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan." With the Taliban having routed much of northern Afghanistan in recent weeks, the government holds little more than a constellation of provincial capitals that must largely be reinforced and resupplied by air. The air force was under severe strain even before the Taliban's lightning offensive overwhelmed the government's northern and western positions, putting further pressure on the country's limited aircraft and pilots. Biden said the Afghan people alone should determine their future, but he acknowledged the uncertainty about what that would look like. Asked if a Taliban takeover was inevitable, the president said: "No, it is not." But, he admitted, "the likelihood there is going to be one unified government in Afghanistan controlling the whole country is highly unlikely". Afghan militia gather with their weapons to support Afghanistan security forces against the Taliban, in Afghan warlord and former Mujahideen Ismail Khan's house in Herat on July 9. AFP-Yonhap Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Less than 3,000 Arkansans have used the vaccine incentive program since its inception. (Photo: KATV) Allison Richter receives the COVID-19 vaccine from volunteer RN Maggie Baker during a vaccine event Tuesday, April 13, 2021, hosted by Nola Ready at The Howling Wolf, a music venue and bar in New Orleans. GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) A Wyoming rancher who was pinned by an all-terrain vehicle survived on beer and bottled water for two days. Frank Reynolds, 53, was trying to round up a cow and calf on a neighbor's pasture outside Gillette when the vehicle tipped over on him Sunday, Reynolds told the Gillette News Record. It was scary as hell is what it was, Reynolds said Wednesday from a hospital room. Family thought Reynolds had gone camping or was with friends, said Quentin Reynolds, the Campbell County undersheriff and Franks brother. Later Monday, they began to worry. Eventually, they learned Frank Reynolds had planned to do some work on the property, where he was laying with a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs. A search began. Reynolds, meanwhile, honked the ATVs horn so much he wore down the battery to no avail. He was able to ration a couple of bottles of water and Keystone Light beers from a cooler, Sheriff Scott Matheny said. Searching on horseback, neighbor Don Hamm found Reynolds around 8 a.m. Tuesday. By that point, Reynolds recalled he was pretty much out of it." Everything on the left side pretty much hurt, from the top of my head to my toes, he said. He was expected to remain in the hospital a few more days and eventually recover. HELENA, Mont. (AP) Gov. Greg Gianforte has discontinued Montana's membership in a coalition of two dozen states dedicated to fighting climate change. The U.S. Climate Alliance is a nonpartisan group committed to achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Democratic former Gov. Steve Bullock joined the alliance in 2019. The alliance is made up of nearby Western states, including Colorado, Washington and Oregon. Evan Westrup, of the U.S. Climate Alliance, said Gianforte did not respond to the organizations invitation to continue Montanas membership, Montana public radio reported. Gianforte spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said in a statement that the governor believes the solution to climate change is unleashing American innovation, not overbearing government mandates. She added that the Paris Agreement punishes the U.S., while letting countries like China off the hook. Stroyke didnt respond to requests to clarify Gianfortes climate goals, or what sort of innovation is necessary in Montana. Amy Cilimburg, executive director of Climate Smart Missoula, said the state needs more than innovation. The U.S. Climate Alliance was not some kind of a radical group, it was governors realizing that were stronger together, that energy transmission lines cross state boundaries, that watersheds cross state boundaries, that wildfire smoke crosses state boundaries, and were only gonna be resilient if we work together. And so were not at the table, and that is really frustrating, Cilimburg says. Cilimburg was part of a council under then-governor Bullock that produced a climate solutions plan released in 2020 that set goals for the state. A representative of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality said the Gianforte administration has not offered guidance yet on how to handle the climate solutions plan. The Lake Geneva area will soon have a new hibachi grill restaurant option with Zaab Corner Thai for yummy opening this summer. It will be run by the owners of Sabai, Sabai, the Lake Geneva Thai restaurant that opened in 2018 at 306 Center St. They are also bringing in two new partners, giving it a whole different taste and feel from Sabai, Sabai, which will also remain open and continue to offer traditional Thai dishes as well as sushi. The new restaurant will be run out of the former Medusas Grill at 501 Broad St., which before that was Hannys. The new restaurant will have an American twist, with the choice of soup, salad or potatoes with the meals, explained Jirapa Cox and Sumalee Brewer who own Sabai, Sabai. Customers will also be able to choose if their meat, including seafood and steaks, is cooked hibachi style with Asian sauces or cooked American style, which typically involves more butter. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} And there will be ribs. The ribs were Dawn Monroes specialty when she ran the Club House Inn in Lake Como from 2004 to 2010, and she is bringing them back. When the driver unsuccessfully tried to merge into the same lane as Castros truck, he opened his door and yelled at Castro, Brown said. Castro said the Buick got so close to me he was like almost chipping the paint on my truck. He pointed his hands in a downward direction to signal to the driver that he had already let in several other vehicles into his lane and was just trying to keep traffic moving, Castro said. So that hand gesture got my son executed and thats not fair, he said. Brown said the driver of the Buick was a black or Hispanic male in his 20s to early 30s. Police have released a composite sketch of the suspect. The vehicle had a temporary paper license plate on the back and no plate on the front. The vehicles tires had distinctive rims with seven holes and the headlights had an unusual yellowish color, police said. Thats why were putting out this information to see if anyone has seen anything. Anything would help at this point, Brown said. A $10,000 reward is also being offered in the case. Police say its possible the driver does not live in the Houston area. Despite vastly outnumbering large farms, small farms produce only a tiny fraction of Pennsylvania's total agricultural output. However, these small operations support billions of dollars worth of economic activity while helping to keep land in farming and adding to the diversity of the state's agriculture, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The researchers, affiliated with the college's Center for Economic and Community Development, analyzed data from USDA and summarized their findings in two reports: "Not Inconsequential: The Economic Effect of Small Farms in Pennsylvania, 2017" and "Understanding the Quiet Majority: Small Farms in Pennsylvania, 2017." The reports are part of a series, "Understanding Pennsylvania Agriculture: 2017 Update," that explores various facets of USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture. The ag census is compiled every five years, and the 2017 census results were released in 2019. "Small farms often are overlooked or even dismissed when people talk about agriculture in Pennsylvania," said Timothy Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics and co-director of the Center for Economic and Community Development. "Although they contribute relatively little to total agricultural production in the state, small farms far outnumber larger farms. Narrowly focusing on the value of their agricultural sales misses the important roles they play in the commonwealth." USDA defines small farms as those with less than $250,000 in annual agricultural product sales, a category that applied to 88% of Pennsylvania farms in 2017. Those farms' share of total agricultural product sales in 2017 was about 19%. Some 27,000 farms in the state, or about 51% of all farms, had sales of less than $10,000, collectively accounting for only 0.8% of total agricultural sales that year. By contrast, the 3,087 operations with more than $500,000 in annual sales represented just 5.8% of Pennsylvania farms but claimed almost two-thirds of agricultural sales. 'Important Stewards of Farmland' Kelsey said that most small farms in Pennsylvania lose money, largely because many are operated for lifestyle or recreational purposes, or to supplement a family's food supply not to provide the bulk of household income. Despite their relatively low output, Kelsey said, small farms still made important economic contributions through their purchases, spending about $1.5 billion on production costs and generating about $2.2 billion in direct, indirect and induced economic activity in 2017. "Small farms purchase a significant amount of supplies and services from the local farm-related businesses that larger farms also rely on, and thus help those businesses remain in operation," he said. "Many small farms also purchase agricultural products, such as hay or other feeds, from nearby larger farms, which helps to support those larger farms financially." The benefits of small farms go beyond economic considerations, said report co-author Emily Ciganik, undergraduate research associate in the Center for Economic and Community Development. "Small farms are important stewards of farmland in Pennsylvania, keeping land open and providing environmental benefits," she said. "In addition, small-farm owners can be important allies with larger farms in advocating for local farm-friendly policies, providing a stronger voice for the agricultural community." Besides differences in sales volume, small and large farms differ in the types of agricultural products they produce, the reports indicate. "Small farms are much more likely to have their primary venture revolve around the production of hay, beef cattle, and aquaculture and other animals, which may include bees, horses, rabbits and other species," said undergraduate research associate and co-author Jessica Shi. "On the other hand, a much greater percentage of larger farms are involved in dairy and poultry production as their primary focus." Small-farm operators also tend to skew older than those who run large farms, said co-author Alyssa Gurklis, project coordinator for the Center for Economic and Community Development. "The average age of operators of farms selling less than $1,000 of agricultural products a year was 59.1 in 2017, compared to an average age of only 49.6 years among operators of farms selling more than $1 million," Gurklis said. Compared to large-scale farmers, operators of small farms were more likely to have off-farm employment and spend more days, on average, working off the farm than those overseeing larger operations, she said. Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the legendary ocean liner Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, died Sunday. She was 97. She died at a nursing home near Southampton, England, the port where she and her family boarded the ship, according to Charles Haas, the president of the Titanic International Society. Her death came on the 98th anniversary of the launching of the Titanic, on May 31, 1911. She was a remarkable, sparkling lady, Haas told The Times on Sunday. She knew her place in history and was always willing to share her story with others, especially children. She was the last living link to the story. Dean was about 8 weeks old when she and her family set sail, third class, on the luxury ocean liner on April 10, 1912. Five days later, she was among about 700 passengers and crew who were rescued off the coast of Newfoundland. She and her mother, Georgetta, 32, and her brother Bertram, 23 months old, were put into lifeboats. Her father, Bertram, 27, stayed on board the ship and was among more than 1,500 passengers and crew members who went down with the Titanic. She had no memory of the disaster, but at age 8 her mother told her what had happened. It was so awful for her that she never wanted to speak about it, Dean said of her mother in a 2002 interview with the Irish News. Georgetta Dean suffered severe headaches every day for years after the ships sinking. Before the family left England, Bertram and Georgetta Dean sold the pub they owned in London. They planned to sail to New York City and continue on to Kansas City, Mo., where they were going to open a tobacco shop. They did not expect to travel on the Titanic but had booked on another ship that was also owned by White Star Line. A national coal strike led to a cancellation, and they were offered a place on the Titanic as an alternative. On their fourth night at sea, April 14, the family was awakened by a jolt when the ship sideswiped the iceberg that cut into the ship. Bertram Dean went to see what was wrong and returned to tell his wife to dress the children warmly and take them to the lifeboat deck. I think it was my father who saved us, Dean said in 2002. So many other people thought the Titanic would never sink, and they didnt bother. My father didnt take a chance. He reassured his wife, Ill be along later, Dean later learned. Bertram Dean died when the Titanic sank about 2:20 a.m. on April 15. In the confusion of the evacuation, Dean and her mother were separated from her brother, who was put in a different lifeboat. They were reunited on the Carpathia, the Cunard ocean liner that was the first to respond to the Titanics distress signals and took on all the lifeboat passengers. Dean, her mother and brother sailed to New York City on the rescue ship and spent several weeks in a hospital. Georgetta Dean then took her children home to England, sailing on the Adriatic. Passengers who knew what the family had been through lined up to hold baby Millvina, the youngest survivor of the Titanic. To keep the line moving, a ships officer ordered that no one could hold the baby for more than 10 minutes. Asked what difference the incident made in her life, Dean was never sentimental. It changed my life because I would have been American now instead of English, she told the Associated Press in 2002 without further comment. Georgetta Dean took her children to live with her parents in their home near Southampton. Millvina and her brother were educated with help from a Titanic Relief Fund established in England for the surviving family members of victims of the wreck. Dean attended secretarial school. During World War II, she moved to London and worked as a mapmaker for the British Army. She later returned to Southampton and was a secretary at an engineering firm. For many years, she lived in a house in nearby New Forest. She never married. Born on Feb. 12, 1912, Dean might easily have gone through life without telling anyone that she was a passenger on the Titanic. She ignored the books, movies, clubs, websites and submarine tours of the shipwreck after it was found in 1985, 12,500 feet under the surface of the North Atlantic. Her anonymity ended in 1987 when she attended a memorial service in Southampton on the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Titanic historian and author Don Lynch then invited her to speak at a Titanic Historical Society convention in Boston the following year. Suddenly everyone knew my name, Dean later recalled. She became a frequent guest at Titanic-related events, was interviewed on radio and television, and was inundated with letters from inquirers. The trouble is, they write me pages, she said of the letter writers in a 1998 interview with NBC News. In 1998, Dean finally completed the sea voyage from Southampton to New York City that she had set out to make 86 years earlier. She traveled on the Queen Elizabeth II, compliments of Michael Rudd, a Titanic enthusiast and travel agent in Missouri. He and Dean gave a presentation together during the voyage. She hadnt been on a ship since 1912, Rudd said in a 2007 interview with The Times. People crowded around her, they just wanted to touch her. As part of that same trip, Dean went to Missouri to see the house where her parents planned to begin their new life, an experience she described as eerie. She refused to watch Titanic, the Academy Award-winning 1997 movie, even though she was invited to a screening with Englands Prince Charles. Id wonder what my father was doing, what he did, she said, referring to the terrible last scenes of the film. Dean kept up her Titanic engagements into her 90s, often with her permanent escort, Bruno Nordmanis, about 10 years younger, to accompany her. They traveled together on the Queen Elizabeth II. In 2008, two years after breaking a hip, Dean arranged for a London auction house to sell some of her Titanic mementos to help pay her nursing home fees. The sale raised $53,906. Deans mother died in 1975, at 95. Her brother died in 1992 on the 80th anniversary of the ships sinking. He was 81. Dean is survived by two nephews and two nieces. Rourke is a former Times staff writer. Times staff writer Jon Thurber contributed to this report. President Joe Biden has fired Donald Trump-appointed head of Social Security Administration, Andrew Saul, after he refused to resign. The White House said the Social Security head "undermined and politicized" the department's benefits, among other factors that warranted his firing, CNBC reported. Another Donald Trump appointee in the agency, who was Andrew Saul's deputy, resigned on Friday, July 9, after the White House's request. Saul's deputy was David Black. The White House also cited other reasons for Saul's firing, such as terminating the agency's telework policy, which was used by up to 25 percent of the workforce, and reducing due process protections for benefits hearings, among others. The White House added that Andrew Saul had taken other actions that opposed the mission of the agency and the president's policy agenda. On the other hand, Andrew Saul argued that the White House did not have the power to fire him, according to The Hill report. Saul told The Washington Post that he considers himself the term-protected Commissioner of Social Security. He added that he intended to return to work on Monday remotely. Recent Supreme Court rulings backed up the White House's decision. It came a day after a Justice Department's opinion said that the president may remove the commissioner of the Social Security Administration at will. Andrew Saul aims to return to work on Monday remotely. He added that he was "very upset" about his sudden dismissal and cited the two years of progress in modernizing the agency's operations. Joe Biden has named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner as he searches for a permanent replacement for the post. The president's nominee will need to be confirmed by the Senate. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Slams Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Over Border Crisis, Hints at 2024 Run in Ohio Rally Opposition on The Decision of Joe Biden to Fire Social Security Head Andrew Saul Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers had criticized Joe Biden's move on removing Andrew Saul from the agency, saying that the administration is inserting politics into a typically apolitical agency, NBC News reported. Sen. Chuck Grassley took on Twitter and said that the decision was "outrageous." Grassley noted that Saul was appointed to a six-year term and was confirmed with a bipartisan vote in 2019. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to Grassley's sentiments in a tweet. McConnell said that the removal was unprecedented and dangerous politicization of the agency. House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Kevin Brady also said it was a "partisan decision." The Senate Finance Committee ranking member Mike Crapo shared the same comments with Brady on the matter. Brady and Crapo said they are concerned that this politicization is just the beginning of raising payroll taxes and undermining bipartisan efforts. On the other hand, Sen. Ron Wyden said that every president should be able to choose the personnel that will best carry out their vision for the country. The Hill reported that Wyden said he would work closely with Joe Biden to confirm a new commissioner and possibly lead the agency. Social Security Administration The agency started in 1935 and was later folded into Health and Human Services. It regained its status as an independent agency in the mid-1990s to shield it from politics, with a commissioner's six-year term designed to overlapping presidential administrations. According to The Washington Post, an incoming president can fire the commissioner only for a cause, as stated under the Social Security Act. Under Saul's leadership, the agency had improved outreach to vulnerable populations to help them access benefits after applications jumped during the pandemic. Many Democrats were alarmed during Andrew Saul's term, saying that the Donald Trump appointee was in the position to put the former president's name on one of the government's biggest agencies. READ MORE: Trump-Era VOICE Office That Highlighted Immigrant Crime Will Stay Under Biden's DHS: Report This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Hatch Opens Hearing to Consider Andrew Saul for Commissioner of the SSA - From GOPSenateFinance A health official in Russia said people should abstain from sex for at least three days after getting a COVID vaccine. Deputy health minister for the Saratov region, Dr. Denis Graifer, said people should avoid "increased physical stress" for three days after being vaccinated, including having sex, Daily Mail reported. In a press conference, Graifer noted that he believes that sex is a very energy-consuming act. He warned people that increased physical activity like sex is not recommended after COVID vaccination. Other than causing nausea or weakness, some experts said that any extra high-intensity activities after COVID vaccination might increase inflammation in the body because it could speed up blood flow and heart rate. They said the same holds true even if a person does not feel any side effects after receiving a COVID vaccine. Graifer's warning and advice came after Russians were told to avoid vodka, smoking, and visiting a sauna immediately after getting a COVID jab. But Graifer was criticized by a senior medical official, Oleg Kostin, who dismissed the health official as a young colleague who had gone over the top with the sex ban. Kostin noted that people could have sex but with caution. He said that people who had gotten a COVID vaccine should "have common sense and not overdo it." In India, volunteers who have participated in Phase III clinical trials of Covaxin have been warned by health experts to use a condom before having sex for three months, Zee News India reported. But the warning was issued for reproductive risks and not for possible adverse effects right after getting the vaccine. READ NEXT: Ohio Mom Details How Daughter Ended up in Wheelchair After Pfizer COVID Vaccine Trial COVID Vaccination The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday, July 9, that it is relaxing its COVID guidelines, including not needing to wear masks inside school buildings for vaccinated teachers and students. The CDC said the return to in-person learning is a priority, USA Today reported. Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, said the new guidance was grounded in common sense as it highlights the need that children should learn in classrooms, and vaccines are the best way to stop the spread of the disease. Weingarten noted that it also makes clear that wearing a face mask is vital in the absence of a COVID vaccination. In addition, U.S. health and drug officials said on Thursday, July 8, that people who are fully vaccinated do not need COVID vaccine boosters, NBC News reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the CDC said in a joint statement that they are prepared to use booster shots if and when the science proves that they are needed. The two health agencies noted that those who are vaccinated are protected from the variants, including from the highly transmissible Delta variant. Both agencies warned that people who are not vaccinated remain at risk, noting that all COVID hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated. COVID vaccine developer Pfizer had recently announced that it would seek U.S. authorization for its vaccine's third dose. Pfizer's study suggested that another shot within 12 months could dramatically increase immunity against infections. The FDA, the CDC, and the National Institutes of Health noted that they are engaged in a science-based process to consider if a booster shot is still needed. They said they would continue to review any new data once it becomes available and keep the public informed. READ MORE: Moderna Scientists Warn Against New COVID Variants That Could Drive a New Wave of Transmission This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: After COVID-19 Vaccination: CDC Guidelines Explained (3/8/21) - From UC Davis Health In a fight for their children's custody, Andrew Ashcroft had accused her former socialite partner, Jasmine Hartin, of having drug and alcohol addictions. Andrew Ashcroft, the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, stated these claims in court papers filed as part of their acrimonious custody battle. According to the documents, Andrew Ashcroft said that Jasmine Hartin could not take care of their children due to her "immoral" habits, which include taking illegal and non-prescribed drugs and being an alcoholic. The British billionaire's son added that Hartin's main occupation is attending and socializing as he filed for full custody of their two young children, The Daily Beast reported. Andrew Ashcroft also cited the socialite's ongoing case in light of a Belize cop's death in May. Hartin vehemently denied her former husband's allegations. She said that Andrew Ashcroft made up all of those accusations after she complained about him leaving Belize with the children without her approval. Since June 11, Hartin said she had not seen her two young twins because Andrew Ashcroft blocked her from seeing them without a court order or lawful authorization. She added that with the manslaughter charges against her, it was hard to fight the accusations thrown at her. To prove that she had no history of drug use, she had submitted a medical report, which she gave to Daily Mail. The July 5 report showed that she tested negative for illegal substances, which include meth, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. Jasmine Hartin said she has been trying to be around the children, but the British billionaire's son has been refusing her access to them, which could be seen in a video. RELATED ARTICLE: Jasmine Hartin Rearrested After Clash With Ex-Partner Andrew Ashcroft, Son of British Billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft Jasmine Hartin's Manslaughter Case Concerning a Belize Cop Superintendent Henry Jemmott was struck behind his ear by his own service pistol in the early hours of May 28. The Belize cop had been socializing and drinking alone with Jasmine Hartin on a secluded area of a hotel pier at the time. The socialite was covered in blood when the police arrived. Police also saw the Belize cop floating dead on his back some 30 feet away from the shore. An expended shell casing was still lodged inside the gun. Hartin said that it was an accident and that the Belize cop was her friend. She further noted that the first thing she did was call the police herself after the shooting incident. The socialite said that Jemmott was showing her how to handle his gun after telling him that someone had tried to rape her days before the fatal shooting. After spending eight days in Belize's central prison in connection with the shooting of the Belize cop, Hartin was freed. Part of her bail was to surrender her passport and personal documents. Jasmine Hartin cannot leave the country without any permission from the Supreme Court, The Guardian reported. Her bail was set at 30,000 Belize dollars. Jasmine Hartin Cannot See Her Children as the Son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft Blocks Her The socialite was earlier seen on a video accusing her former partner of denying her access to their children, New York Post reported. Jasmine Hartin can be heard telling Andrew Ashcroft that he lied to her whole family and asking him to let her see their children. A second video also showed the socialite being blocked by the guards as she tried to approach Andrew Ashcroft. Jasmine Hartin said in the video that security is stopping her from seeing her children at the time. READ MORE: Jasmine Hartin Accuses Andrew Ashcroft, Son of British Billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, of Denying Her Access to Their Kids This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Socialite Accused of Belize Killing Now in Custody Dispute - From Inside Edition Portland, TN (37148) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. When the original SEAT Ateca compact SUV was launched in September 2016, it was SEATs first entry into the lucrative SUV market. The Spanish car manufacturer knew that the Ateca had to be exceptionally good to make an impact in the crowded compact SUV segment, and thankfully the Ateca succeeded in achieving this. With a winning combination of style, space, quality, driving enjoyment and value, the new SEAT Ateca earned the title of Irelands Best Value SUV. Design Evolution The new SEAT Ateca for 2021 brings a design evolution to the compact SUV thanks to its more expressive exterior design language, and its updated interior. The revised Ateca benefits from a range of advanced combustion engines, including petrol (TSI) and diesel (TDI), in order to help reduce emissions while maintaining excellent driving dynamics. The Ateca now comes with fully integrated in-car connectivity, online-based functions and services, and intuitive connectivity with SEAT Connect, while a new Xperience trim level gives the Ateca a more robust driving experience. Latest Infotainment Tech The new SEAT Ateca gives customers the opportunity to take their digital lives with them into the vehicle, and also when out of the car. The Ateca offers connectivity powered by the latest infotainment technology, with Full Link wireless access to both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with online-based functions and services, with in-car apps available. Additionally, the Ateca now integrates some of the most advanced driver asistance systems available, including Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash Assist, Travel Assist and Side Assist. These technologies make the compact SUV safer and more convenient for all occupants. Muscular Stance The Ateca maintains its broad, muscular stance overall, while the length of the SUV has grown slightly as a result of redesigned front and rear bumpers, but remains as wide and tall as the previous model. The front gains a new face that introduces the new SEAT design language, formed in part with the inclusion of Full LED headlights. The distinctive SEAT signature design remains, and as you look along the side of the vehicle, its profile continues to convey confidence and dynamism with precise lines and flowing forms blending perfectly together. At the rear, the design is chiseled to emphasise the Atecas powerful shoulders and hide its impressive 510-litre load capacity. The introduction of full LED rear lights with dynamic indicators complements the look of the SUV and make it more attractive. Simulated exhaust pipes add an edge to the design and bring added intrigue to the rear, and the Atecas name is now embossed in a new brand handwriting style. Model & Engine Choices The new SEAT Ateca model line-up consists of SE, SE Plus, Xperience, Xperience Plus and FR. A generous equipment tally comes as standard across all models, with even entry-level SE trim coming with key items such as 17 alloy wheels, full LED lights, 9.2 navigation system, Bluetooth (media and phone), keyless start, roof rails, rear privacy glass, DAB radio, cruise control, 2-zone air-conditioning, front centre armrest, spacesaver spare wheel, multiple airbags, Front Assist, Tiredness Recognition, and an electronic parking brake. Petrol engine options available in the SEAT Ateca comprise of a three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit which produces 110bhp in manual transmission only, and a four-cylinder 1.5-litre with 148bhp, which is available with either manual or DSG dual-clutch (automatic) transmissions. Customers looking for a diesel engine are catered for by way of a 2.0-litre TDI unit with 115bhp (manual only) or 150bhp (manual or DSG). Test Car My SEAT Ateca test car was a 2.0-litre TDI (150bhp) DSG (auto) Xperience model finished in Rodium Grey metallic paint. Upgrading to the Xperience model brings with it 18 alloy wheels, wireless phone charger, keyless entry and start, Lane Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Front & Rear Parking Sensors, Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, illuminated scuff plates in door openings, black leather interior, and Auto High Beam (Light Assist). The new SEAT Atecas platform is shared with the new SEAT Leon, so theres good space inside. The Ateca handles magnificently on all types of road surface, while the low-set driving position means it feels sportier than some rival SUVs. The Atecas turbo-diesel engine produces 150bhp and 340Nm of torque, ensuring swift acceleration from a standing start. In fact, a 0-100km/h sprint can be completed in just 6.1-seconds, so the Ateca is capable of hot hatch-like performance when the need arises. A well-tuned chassis transforms the Ateca into one of the best handling compact SUVs in its class, while also proving that the Atecas beauty is not only skin deep. Verdict & Pricing For me, the new Ateca SUV ticks all the boxes. It is super-stylish, great to drive and with prices from just 31,910 (ex works) is great value for money. My test car specification is priced from 43,820, and all new SEAT passenger cars come with a 3-year/100,000km manufacturer warranty. The Atecas sharp looks, fun handling, practical body-style and solid build quality are the real icing on the cake. SUV buyers have never had it so good. Contact TP Waters on 045 257681. An outspoken judge has suggested that the legal minimum drinking age in Ireland should be higher than 18 to promote a more responsible attitude to alcohol. Judge Desmond Zaidan said in Naas District Court on July 1 that Ireland could consider copying US laws where people need to be 21 to have an alcoholic drink in bars. Judge Zaidan made his comments as he heard an application for a wine and beer licence for an online business being established in Co Kildare - which he later granted. The legal drinking age is 18 for most of Europe but it is 20 in Iceland and 19 in parts of Canada. Judge Zaidan added: I have concerns about the sale of alcohol in Ireland. People get addicted to it, it destroys families, it has a knock-on effect on loved ones. Did it ever cross the states mind to look at the minimum age for alcohol? In some countries it is 21." Addressing gardai he asked: "Don't you think 18 is a bit young? Judge Zaidan then referenced drunken and violent scenes in Dublin in recent weeks when large numbers of people gathered on streets to drink alcohol. He explained: We saw the scenes in Dublin city centre in recent weeks. We've all been locked down due to Covid-19 but we don't all behave in that way. Sgt Brian Jacob said that if gardai have any concerns about the sale of alcohol in relation to any premises, the issue will be raised at the annual licensing court when an application is made to renew a licence. Judge Zaidan added: We all have loved ones, especially young people and we want to protect them. If there is a breach of any licensing laws, I will not hesitate to revoke the licence. You have people out there who are vulnerable in relation to alcohol, they are struggling with addiction and they are alcoholics. The judge was speaking during an earlier case when he pointed to the dangers of abuse of alcohol. He said: "Sometimes all it takes is a push or a fall and you could hit your head and you could endanger your life." He heard how gardai spent several hours at the home of a woman and had to call an ambulance and a fire brigade because she was so highly intoxicated. A doctor was later called and the woman was deemed medically fit to stay in a garda station cell overnight. Judge Zaidan commented: "These type of garda resources should be channelled into the investigation of alleged organised crime." A young Tallaght man who is set to face several charges of burglary has been released on bail after he was arrested yesterday evening, Thursday, January 30. A young Tallaght man who is set to face several charges of burglary has been released on bail after he was arrested yesterday evening, Thursday, January 30. Dean Maguire with an address listed as 8 Tree Park Drive, Kilnamanagh, Tallaght, Dublin 24 appeared before Judge Patrick Clyne at Naas District Court today. Gardai objected to bail. They allege that throughout the course of yesterday evening, Mr. Maguire was driving a black Saab car which was spotted in Straffan, Mullingar and Celbridge and was linked to a number of alleged burglaries in those places. They also allege that Mr. Maguire was arrested following a lengthy high-speed chase which ended when he allegedly abandoned the car in the Monread area of Naas before running across the M7 motorway and into local fields. Garda Paddy OLeary said it would be alleged that Mr. Maguire was apprehended on foot by Gardai with the assistance of the Garda helicopter. Gardai objected to bail on the basis of the seriousness of the charges and the possibility that he would re-offend while on bail. Eventually Judge Clyne granted bail but with strict conditions. Mr. Maguire must sign on daily at Tallaght Garda Station, must observe a curfew between 8pm and 8am, must not enter the counties of Kildare, Wicklow, Meath or Westmeath save for any court appearance, must not drink or get into a car. A cash lodgement of 2,000 was required with a further bond of 2,000. The Department of Health has reported 581 new cases of Covid-19. There are 52 people in hospital with Covid-19, two more than yesterday. Of these, 16 are being treated in intensive care units - a rise of one since yesterday. There have been 445 new infections reported in Northern Ireland. More than 55% of the adult population are now fully vaccinated and 70% are partially vaccinated, the chief executive of the HSE has said. Paul Reid said more than 275,000 vaccinations have been administered this week so far. There are 50 Covid-19 patients in hospital, and 15 in ICU. "A big challenge but we all want to protect where we're at, for now," he said. Hyland wants to see Leitrim disrupt Mayo but warns there will be "no Charge of the Light Brigade" in Castlebar John Connolly finds Terry Hyland as determined as ever to see Leitrim perform but the manager stresses that the Green & Gold won't be headless in pursuit of a performance against last year's All-Ireland Finalists in Elvery's Mac Hale Park The Chair of the Irish Medical Organisation's GP Sub Committee said that Ireland could see cases rise to 3,000 a day if restrictions are eased later this month. Dr Denis McCauley, who is also a GP based in Donegal, said that the significant increase in Delta cases in Northern Ireland will be mirrored here if indoor hospitality resumes on 26 July. "It's very difficult to stop this variant in the area it's affecting... There is no border for the virus. In Northern Ireland, they have hospitality open which is much more open than us so if we have our hospitality open with the Delta variant then we would probably have a factor of six as well," he said. Dr McCauley said the virus does not recognise borders and that outbreaks would easily spread from county to county in the north. "There's something strange going on in Northern Ireland and I hope that strangeness doesn't spread to here and we make good political decisions... We have to decide what level of lifting restrictions is acceptable," he said. Netflix has released the details of all the new shows, documentaries and movies arriving to the streaming platform just in time for the weekend. Grab some popcorn and snacks and let the weekend begin! Fear Street Trilogy In 1994, a group of teenagers discover the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations may all be connected and they may be the next targets. Based on R.L. Stines best-selling horror series, Fear Street follows Shadysides sinister history through a nightmare 300 years in the making. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 After a series of brutal slayings, a teen and her friends take on an evil force that's plagued their notorious town for centuries. Welcome to Shadyside. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 In the cursed town of Shadyside, a killer's murder spree terrorizes Camp Nightwing and turns a summer of fun into a gruesome fight for survival. Virgin River: Season 3 In Virgin River season three, we've got even more drama in store for our beloved characters. Mel and her loved ones in Virgin River support each other while facing all sorts of troubles: death, a fire, custody arguments, breakups and a new romance. Season 3 is a twist-packed season that'll keep fans on the edge of their seats. Atypical: Season 4 Atypical is a coming of age story that follows Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), a 19-year-old on the autism spectrum as he searches for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny and emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives as they all struggle with the ongoing central theme of the series: what does it really mean to be normal? In season three, Sam starts his first year of college and is faced with the challenge of figuring out what success means for him, while adjusting to the changes that come with growing up. Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as his mother, Elsa, who continues her own journey of self-discovery as her children grow older and more independent, Michael Rapaport plays his father, Doug, and Brigette Lundy-Paine plays Sams sister, Casey. In Season 4 Casey and Sam are both on the cusp of leaving the nest, each member of the Gardner family faces big decisions about where life will go next. Cat People Dogs may get credit for being humanitys best friend, but to many people cats are just as much our loyal partners even though if you asked cats they might not admit it! Cat People explores our fascinating relationship with cats through the lens of some of the most remarkable and surprising "cat people" in the world, defying the negative stereotypes of what it means to be a cat person while revealing the fundamental truths of what it means to have deep bonds with these fiercely independent, mysterious creature. Dogs: Season 2 Our beloved best friends are back! Dogs returns to explore the powerful bond between humanity and dogs in four new intimate, heartwarming episodes. Whether it's the story of an astronaut, a priest, a military contractor, or the handler of a legendary university mascot, Dogs shows us how these beautiful animals occupy the same place in all of our hearts one reserved not just for pets, but for family. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Season 2 The critically acclaimed and hilariously absurdist sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson returns for a second season. Creators and writers Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin bring their distinct comedy style and observational humour to the forefront, continuing to poke fun at life's most bizarre and mundane situations. Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island) and Ali Bell for Party Over Here serve as executive producers alongside Alex Bach and Dan Powell for Irony Point. Alice Mathias serves as executive producer and directed most sketches alongside Zach Kanin. Chicken Run Award-winning DreamWorks animation from the Aardman team, telling the story of a band of chickens doomed to a life of egg-laying on a Yorkshire chicken farm. When a flamboyant American rooster arrives on the scene, the hens hope he can teach them to fly to freedom. However, when a chicken-pie making machine is installed, their need becomes urgent and they must devise other means of escape. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon A Time in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywoods golden age. Biohackers: Season 2 After being abducted, Mia finds herself with no recollection of what happened since. But when she discovers a message she has written to her future-self, she comes to understand that her life is in imminent danger if she doesnt solve the mystery of her disappearance. In order to do so, she has to team up with the woman she trusts the least, Prof Lorenz. RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness Years after the horrors of Raccoon City, Leon and Claire find themselves consumed by a dark conspiracy when a viral attack ravages the White House. A NEW craze is sweeping the internet and its all in a good cause. People are being asked to walk on Lego, with a donation then being made to the Childrens Grief Centre, which provides a listening ear to youngsters experiencing loss. A number of people have already set out the colourful blocks along their living room and traversed barefoot across with a donation then being made to the South Circular Road-based charity. One of those taking part was Mayor Daniel Butler, a long-time supporter of the well-loved charity. He said: Lego is used in the therapeutic setting as well, but it also symbolises resilience, strength and creativity. The tools young people need to progress. We all know the pain of walking on a piece of Lego barefoot, so we turned it into something to raise awareness and funding. Its fun, its engaging, and we want to see it grow and grow. A number of others have taken part most notably Olive Foley, a charity ambassador and the widow of Munster legend Anthony Foley, who died in 2016. Mayor Butler said the charity is hugely vital. In my own work, I know early intervention is key in preventing long-term impact of traumatic events in terms of suffering loss or separation. It can turn a young person's life around, help them live a healthy life and not have to suffer the complete impact of loss, he said. For more information and to donate to the Childrens Grief Centre, please call 061-224627. AN Bord Pleanala has rejected Limerick City and County Councils proposed acquisition of two mid-terraced houses in Bruff. The local authority had sought permission to CPO the adjoining properties which are located at Main Street in the town near the former dance hall where Sean ORiada performed his first concert in 1952. Both houses were placed on the register of derelict sites in June 2020 and CPO proceedings were initiated late last year as part of a council initiative to tackle dereliction in a number of towns and villages across Limerick. In his objection to the proposed acquisition, the owner, who lives in New York, said the properties have been in his familys ownership for 200 years and that he purchased the site from his brother in March 2017. He intends to use the main building as a family home and remainder of the property as a community space in line with its historic use as a cinema/theatre/dance hall, states a recently-published report from planning inspector Hugh D Morrison. According to the inspectors report, the owner of the houses did engage with the local authority to address some of the concerns which were expressed about the condition of the properties. In September 2020, the owner discussed with LCCC what works would be necessary to remove the site from the Derelict Sites Register. Thereafter, a contractor was hired to undertake the works identified. These were completed within a month. Nevertheless, a Section 15 notice was still served upon the owner, states Mr Morrison. In its submission, the local authority highlighted the presence of a significant amount of rubble at the rear of the buildings and said this has been the subject of complaints concerning vermin. While the council disputed that works have been carried out to address the concerns, Mr Morrisons report cites a number of invoices and letters from neighbouring businesses and Bruff Tidy Towns which suggest otherwise. While satisfied that the two houses could reasonably be described as derelict the planning inspector recommended to the board that the owner by given time to afford him the opportunity to address matters. The board agreed it would be premature to approve the proposed acquisitions. Global auto-making giant Stellantis NV said it plans to spend more than $35.5 billion through 2025 to release an array of new plug-in models, the companys boldest statement yet on how it plans to compete in the industrys intensifying electric-vehicle race. The car company, formed earlier this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Frances PSA Group, also plans to get more involved with battery development and sourcing, aiming to drive down costs on one of the most expensive components for an electric car. Executives said Thursday its strategy would support the establishment of five battery factories in North America and Europe and it aims to offer electrified options under all 14 of its brands, which include Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Citroen. Among the new models planned are an electric Ram truck, expected to arrive in 2024, and an electric Dodge muscle car to be released that same year. This electrification journey is possibly the most important brick in our long-term plan," said Chief Executive Carlos Tavares during a presentation to analysts and journalists. The companys rollout of its plans did little to excite investors. Stellantis shares slid 3.1% to $18.98 on Thursday. In recent months, other major car companies have upped their bets on electric vehicles as tougher tailpipe-emissions regulations globally are prodding manufacturers to pivot from their more-than-century-old model of selling gasoline-powered vehicles. The move is also being driven by rising enthusiasm on Wall Street for the technology as investors look to bet on the next Tesla Inc. Several weeks ago, General Motors Co. increased its planned spending on electric and autonomous vehiclesits second boost in less than a yearraising it to $35 billion through 2025. The increase reflects the addition of two more battery factories, on top of ones already planned for Ohio and Tennessee. Ford Motor Co. also has become more aggressive, unveiling in May an all-electric version of its bestselling vehicle, the F-150 truck. It plans to invest $30 billion in electric vehicles through 2025. Meanwhile, Volkswagen AG is spending about $40 billion through mid-decade on electric vehicles. Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said that while Stellantiss presentation provided some key details about its plans, it still felt similar to what others already have in the worksand in some areas, the company appeared behind. For instance, the electric Ram pickup truck isnt set to arrive until 2024, long after many key rivals, he said. Ford plans to release its electric F-150 Lightning next year. They have ambitions which are shared with everyone in the industry," he said. They claim they will do it more cheaply, which is great, but we are going to see." Mr. Tavares, who took the top job at Stellantis in January upon the mergers completion, has made providing a clear path forward on electric vehicles a priority for the newly formed company. Earlier this year, the company pledged to offer an electrified version of almost every model in its lineup by 2025. On Thursday, it said by 2030, 70% of its vehicle sales in Europe and more than 40% of its sales in the U.S. will be electric modelstargets that analysts say are among the industrys most ambitious. Still, Stellantis has been widely seen by analysts as lagging behind many of its competitors on electric vehicles, in part because Fiat Chrysler had been slower to invest in the technology before the tie-up and its lineup is more tilted toward muscle cars and heavier trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Executives have promoted the merger as giving both companies the scale and resources needed to compete in a sector where investment in costly new technologies, such as battery-powered cars, has become a necessity. Stellantis has said the merger is expected to deliver $6 billion in savings annually, much of which will be spent on efforts to add more plug-in models to its lineup. On Thursday, Stellantis executives outlined plans to electrify different sizes and types of vehicles, ranging from small cars to big trucks and SUVs sold under its Jeep brand. It also said it plans to offer two kinds of battery chemistries, a high-density option and a nickel cobalt-free alternative by 2024, as well as introduce solid-state battery technology by 2026. The company plans to establish the battery factories through supplier partnerships, and in some cases it expects to use its existing manufacturing facilities for the production. For instance, in Italy it is converting one engine factory to make electric-car batteries, Mr. Tavares said. The car company also previewed its financial results for the first half of the year Thursday. The company said its adjusted operating margins for the first six months of 2021 should be above its full-year guidance range of 5.5% to 7.5%, because of higher pricing and it selling a more profitable mix of models. Stellantis said it expects free cash flow in the same period to be negative, attributing the results to lower planned production volumes as the auto industry grapples with a computer-chip shortage that is curtailing factory output. Stellantiss two biggest car marketsEurope and the U.S.are expected to tighten regulations limiting tailpipe emissions in the coming years, putting pressure on the company to lessen its reliance on gasoline-powered vehicles. Governments are also offering more incentives to get auto makers to invest in electrics. In the U.S., President Biden has called for $174 billion in electric-vehicle-related spending, which includes fresh federal tax credits for purchasing plug-in cars and commercial trucks. Meanwhile, other car companies are moving quickly to put out electric vehicles and the marketplace is becoming more crowded, with startups such as Rivian Automotive and Lucid Motors Inc. moving closer to selling their first plug-in models. Tesla continues to expand globally and fortify its grip on the market with growing sales and new-model debuts. Stellantis needs to prove to investors the companys ambitions are backed up by models that will be ready in the near-term and on a timeline that is on par with industry rivals, Mr. Houchois said. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Chinas internet regulator moved Saturday toward requiring data-rich tech companies to undergo cybersecurity reviews ahead of any foreign listings, making explicit for the first time a data-security requirement that marred last weeks U.S. initial public offering by Didi Global Inc. Separately, Chinas main antitrust regulator on Saturday blocked Tencent Holding Ltd.s bid to combine the countrys two biggest game-streaming platforms, its first public intervention to halt a merger in Chinas technology sector. The moves come at the end of a week that was marked by a flurry of actions by Beijing aimed at reining in the nations tech giants. The two moves are the clearest signals yet that authorities are tightening the leash on overseas-listed Chinese companies amid concerns about data security. It also shows that regulators are rethinking the bigger-is-better mentality that allowed homegrown companies like Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to become global players. The security review revision, released Saturday by the Cyberspace Administration of China for public comment, said companies holding personal data on at least one million users must apply for a cybersecurity review. Previously, companies seeking overseas stock listings werent explicitly obligated to conduct such reviews, though they would typically do so if asked by officials. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Didi, the Chinese ride-hailing firm, pushed ahead with its $4.4 billion New York IPO late last month despite being urged by Chinas internet regulator to submit itself to a cybersecurity review. Meantime, Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation on Saturday ordered TencentChinas largest tech company by market valueto halt the merger of Huya and DouYu, two U.S.-listed Chinese counterparts of Amazon.com Inc.s videogame streaming platform Twitch. Tencent is the largest Huya shareholder and is a major shareholder of DouYu; together, the two services account for more than 70% of the countrys game-streaming market by revenue. The merger, which was unveiled last October, would have created a platform with more than 330 million monthly active users who watch top gamers play on their sites. In its Saturday statement, the market regulator said combining Huya and DouYu would hurt competition and hinder sustainable development of the online gaming and live-streaming industries. The regulator described antitrust operations as the Sword of Damocles" dangling over the heads of Chinas tech giants in a separate commentary carried on its official social media account. It said its actions were prompted by a desire to ensure tech companies could move from the stage of barbaric growth" to one of orderly development under the rule of law." In a statement Saturday, Tencent said it would abide by the regulators decision, comply with regulatory requirements, follow the law and fulfill its social responsibilities. Huya and DouYu didnt respond to requests for comment. The new cybersecurity review requirement and the merger blocking follow a string of high-profile actions by Chinas regulators, who used to keep a low profile. Late Friday, Chinas cyber watchdog ordered mobile app stores to remove 25 apps operated by Didis China arm and banned websites and platforms from providing access to Didi-linked services in the country. Last week, officials banned Didi from adding new users, launched a probe into the companys data practices and then removed its main app from the countrys mobile app stores. On Monday, a unit of Chinas cybersecurity regulator launched similar data-security reviews into popular mobile apps operated by Full Truck Alliance Co. and Kanzhun Ltd., two other Chinese tech companies that recently listed in the U.S. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Union Health Ministry warned that the second wave of Covid-19 still poses a threat and is far from over. During a press conference on the Covid situation in the country, health ministry officials noted that 66 districts in the country have reported over 10 per cent positivity for the week ending July 8. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, further added that 90 districts account for 80 per cent of new cases in the country, indicating the need for focussing on Covid-19 management in these regions. "In the first wave, a peak of 97,894 cases was observed on September 17. In the second wave, a peak of 4,14,188 cases was recorded on May 7. From May 1-7, 3,89,803 cases were reported on an average, it has been dropping since then and now from July 3-9, 42,100 were reported on an average," he said. "In the country, 53 per cent of cases are coming from Maharashtra and Kerala. Maharashtra (21 per cent) and Kerala (32 per cent). There are 86 districts with less than 100 daily cases. Eighty per cent of new cases are coming from 90 districts- indicating the need for focused attention in these areas. Sixty-six districts in India reported more than 10 per cent positivity for the week ending July 8," Agarwal added. "The second wave is not over yet. There is still danger. It is necessary to keep following COVID protocols in order to close the second wave fully," he asserted. During the briefing, a video from Kempty falls in Uttarakhand's Mussorie, was played in which a large crowd of people can be seen without masks and flouting social distancing protocols. "Is it not an open invitation to the virus to infect us?" Agarwal asked after the video was played. Agarwal highlighted that several countries including the United Kingdom, Russia and Bangladesh are witnessing a surge in COVID-19 infections. "In other countries, we are observing a surge in overall cases. In the United Kingdom, during Euro 2020 matches, a sudden surge in cases was observed. During the second wave peak, 59,000 cases were recorded in the UK. Now the surge has been observed there. The UK is reporting 20,000 cases daily on an average," he said. "Russia is seeing a 3rd peak in cases. During the second wave peak, around 28,000 were observed on an average daily and now 23,000 cases are being observed daily. Bangladesh witnessed more cases in the third peak than the second peak. It reported 7,000 cases average during the second wave and now 9,000 are being recorded every day," he added. The Health Ministry informed that India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 36.89 crore. More than 11.18 crore doses have been administered in the age group of 18-44 years. The ministry said over 40 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. (With PTI inputs) Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Europe has finally swung open its door to American tourists for the first time since March 2020. But how hard is it to get thereand once you have landed, how do you cross the Continents many borders? Is Californias digital vaccination record going to ease your way past Covid-19 checks in Paris? Will New Yorks Excelsior Pass get you preferential treatment in Rome? Before digging out the passport and springing for a ticket, here are some things to consider while planning a European trip this summer. With the coronavirus still circulating, traveling this year wont be like anything we have seen in the past. You will need to do more planning than normal, since rules can vary between countries, even within the European Union. If you dont usually buy travel insurance, you might want to reconsider this year. A last-minute positive Covid-19 test for an unvaccinated youngster, or even a vaccinated adult, could result in the loss of thousands of dollars on tickets and hotel reservations. Infection rates in most of continental Europe have remained relatively low in recent weeks, though the Delta variant is gaining ground and sowing uncertainty, countering what had until recently been rising optimism for both the summer tourism season and the economy more generally. All the unknowns have some Americans rejiggering their travel plans while still looking for a way to get to Europe this summer. Noah Mills, 18 and fully vaccinated, just graduated from high school in North Carolina. In December, he began plotting a trip of one-to-two months through several European countries. He ditched that idea as countries remained closed through the spring. Last month, as soon as he saw the EU open up to American tourists, he got a ticket. Im from Chapel Hill and Ill be going to university in Chapel Hill so I just wanted to get away during the summer to someplace different," said Mr. Mills, who leaves for a two-week trip to France later this month. I just got a ticket, worked out where Im going to sleep the first night in Paris and Ill work out the rest later when I get there." Moving among European countries can still be challenging. Germany, for example, has extra requirements for travelers arriving from Portugal even though both are EU members. The EU is trying to sort out the differences, and this month some countries began using a digital health certificate that allows vaccinated people to travel within the bloc as well as to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein without having to quarantine or test negative for Covid-19 once they arrive at their destination. For now, the certificates are only for EU citizens and noncitizens living legally in a member country. It isnt yet clear if tourists from outside the EU will be able to get a certificate to facilitate travel. There is no Europe-wide acceptance of the vaccine certificates being distributed by some US states. The EU has long been asking the U.S. to have a single federal vaccine card that could be easily accepted across Europe, but that hasnt happened. The situation is constantly evolving, so travelers should frequently check the rules and coronavirus situation where they plan to travel. They should also build flexibility into their trip so they can adjust their itinerary if a planned destination takes a sharp turn for the worse. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks most of Europe as Covid-19 level 3, the second highest on its scale, and discourages unvaccinated people from nonessential travel. A month ago, most of the Continent was level 4, the highest ranking on the CDCs scale. Some countries, including Belgium, Sweden and Croatia, are still ranked as level 4. Iceland is one of the few countries outside of Asia ranked level 1. As of July 1, Athens, Paris and Lisbon were the most-booked European destinations from New York City on Hopper, an app that collects about 30 billion airfare price quotes every day from searches on its app and across the internet. Athens has seen a big bump because it began accepting Americans before the general EU opening. In 2019, London was the top destination, followed by Madrid and Paris. A good deal over the past week for round-trip airfare this summer to Athens has been $822, according to Hoppers data. For Paris it is $910 and for Lisbon $546. The price to Lisbon is down more than 50% compared with the summer of 2019. The other best deals are to Porto, also in Portugal, Krakow in Poland and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Searches for European destinations have risen about 70% since the EU in spring first indicated it would soon be accepting Americans. Europe accounted for 40% of bookings on Hopper in 2019, but only 11% last year. Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean jumped from 32% to 76% last year. Travelers have been to the beach plenty thus far during the pandemic, so theres pent up demand for a change of scenery," said Adit Damodaran, an economist with Hopper. Mr. Mills, the recent graduate, said he might extend his solo trip beyond the initially planned two weeks if he is enjoying his own change of scenery and finds that traveling around France and maybe to other countries turns out to be easier than he expects. No friends, no parents, just me and a backpack," said Mr. Mills. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Chinese scientists are planning to fire more than 20 rockets into space to divert an asteroid impact that has a small chance of one day ending life on Earth . Their target is an asteroid named Bennu, a 85.5-million-ton (77.5 million metric ton) space rock that is on track to swoop within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth's orbit between 2175 and 2199. Although Bennu's chances of striking Earth are slim at just 1 in 2,700 the asteroid is as wide as the Empire State Building is tall, meaning that any collision with the Earth would be cataclysmic. The estimated kinetic energy of Bennu's impact with Earth is 1,200 megatons, which is roughly 80,000 times greater than the energy of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima . For comparison, the space rock that wiped out the dinosaurs delivered about 100 million megatons of energy, Live Science previously reported. Related: The 7 strangest asteroids: Weird space rocks in our solar system Scientists at China's National Space Science Center calculated that 23 Long March 5 rockets, each weighing 992 tons (900 metric tons), pushing against the rock simultaneously would be necessary to divert the asteroid away from a fatal course by nearly 6,000 miles (9,000 km) 1.4 times the Earth's radius. Their calculations are detailed in a new study published in the forthcoming Nov. 1 issue of the journal Icarus . A mosaic image of the asteroid Bennu, taken by NASAs OSIRIS-REX spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona) "Asteroid impacts pose a major threat to all life on Earth," Mingtao Li, space science engineer of the National Space Science Center in Beijing and lead author of the new study, wrote in the paper. "Deflecting an asteroid on an impact trajectory is critical to mitigating this threat." The Chinese scientists' plan would sidestep the need to stop the asteroid by more direct, yet riskier, means like the atomic bomb method popularized by Bruce Willis in the film "Armageddon." In reality, nuking the incoming space rock would break it into multiple smaller chunks that could still collide with Earth, leading to devastating consequences. The Chinese plan follows a similar, yet slightly more costly, past proposal made by the United States. The NASA plan, called Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER), would send a fleet of 30-foot-tall (9 meters) spacecraft with battering rams to bump the asteroid off course. NASA simulations suggest that 34-53 blows from HAMMER spacecraft, launched 10 years before Bennu collides with Earth, would be needed to shift the asteroid. NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency) will be the first to test a novel asteroid nudging method in two joint missions launching November 24 of this year. The DART mission (Double Asteroid Redirection) will send a spacecraft to arrive a year later at the 7 million mile (11 million kilometer) distant Didymos asteroid system. Once there, the NASA spacecraft will slam into Didymos's moonlet a rock in orbit around the asteroid. The ESA's mission, Hera, will then monitor how DART has budged the moonlet off-course. Bennu is a B-type asteroid, which means that it contains high amounts of carbon and, potentially, many of the primordial molecules present when life emerged on Earth. NASA already sent a spacecraft, called Osiris-Rex, in pursuit of samples from the asteroid. Osiris-Rex arrived above Bennu in October 2020, floating above it for long enough to collect loose pieces from its surface with its 10-foot (3 m) arm. Osiris-Rex is expected to return to Earth with its spoils in 2023. Long March 5 rockets are the workhorses of China's space program, completing most of the deliveries to China's space station and launching Chinese probes to Mars and the moon. The rockets have caused concern in the past due to their uncontrolled reentry to Earth. In May, the 22-ton (20 metric ton) section of a Long March 5 rocket fell to Earth, either burning up or landing in the sea near the Arabian peninsula. In May 2020, fragments from a previous March 5 rocket were believed to have crashed into two villages in the Ivory Coast. Originally published on Live Science Several strains of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the disease COVID-19, have emerged across the globe. Viruses mutate all the time, so these new variations were not surprising; however, when a modified version becomes a dominant strain in a region or one with worrisome features, public health experts name and follow those versions. Many of the so-called SARS-CoV-2 mutants show modifications to the virus's spike protein which the virus uses to latch onto and invade human cells. As such, the various genetic mutations have in some cases increased transmissibility and even possibly severity of illness associated with those particular variants. Here's a look at the science behind SARS-CoV-2 variants and which ones are the most concerning in different areas. Variants of concern Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) What is the variant? The alpha variant, formerly called B.1.1.7, was first seen in the United Kingdom in September 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). By December 2020, the variant had shown up in the United States. Where is it? The variant has spread to at least 114 countries, according to the Global Virus Network , and it is responsible for about 95% of new COVID-19 infections in the U.K. Between May 23 and June 5, 2021, about 60% of the total cases in the U.S. were linked to the alpha variant, the CDC reported . What are key mutations? The alpha variant has 23 mutations compared with the original Wuhan strain, with eight of those in the virus's spike protein, according to the American Society for Microbiology . (ASM) Three of the spike-protein mutations are thought to be responsible for the biggest impact on the virus's biology: The N501Y mutation seems to boost how tightly the spike protein attaches to the ACE2 receptors the main entry point into human cells; the 69-70del mutation could, in concert with N501Y, explain the variant's increased transmissibility, some scientists say; and the P681H mutation could also increase transmissibility, as it may be involved in how the virus merges its membrane with that of a human cell in order to deliver its genome into the cell, according to the ASM. Why is the variant concerning? The strain is about 50% more transmissible than the original form of the novel coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also possibly causes more severe cases of COVID-19, the CDC said. Do vaccines work? Research to date suggests that the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (also called the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, respectively) are effective at preventing symptomatic infections with the alpha variant of the coronavirus. For instance, a study published June 28 in the journal Nature Communications found that the blood of health care workers who had been vaccinated with the Pfizer shot was effective at neutralizing B.1.1.7. A single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also stimulates neutralizing antibodies that protect against the alpha variant, J&J recently reported . Beta variant (B.1.351) What is the variant? The beta variant, formerly called B.1.351, was first detected in South Africa in May 2020 and was designated a variant of concern in December 2020, according to WHO . Where is it? This variant has been detected in at least 48 countries and in 23 U.S. states, according to the Global Virus Network . What are key mutations? The beta variant has eight distinct mutations that may affect how the virus binds to cells, Live Science previously reported . The most notable are N501Y, K417N and E484K. The N501Y mutation, also seen in the alpha variant, may allow the novel coronavirus to bind more tightly to the ACE2 receptor. The K417N mutation may change the shape of the spike protein, making antibodies primed for earlier strains less likely to recognize the spike. The third notable mutation, E484K, also seems to help the virus evade antibodies from the immune system , according to a February study in the British Medical Journal . Why is the variant concerning? The beta variant is about 50% more transmissible than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in Wuhan, according to the CDC . Some monoclonal antibodies dont work as well against the strain, according to the CDC. Vaccines are also less effective against the variant. And the variant may lead to slightly more severe disease and slightly higher risk of death than the original coronavirus, according to a July study in The Lancet Global Health . Do vaccines work? Most vaccines work with lower efficacy against beta than was seen for earlier strains. For instance, the Pfizer vaccine has a 75% efficacy against the beta variant, which is lower than the 95% efficacy seen in clinical trials when earlier strains were dominant, according to a May 2021 study in The New England Journal of Medicine . The Johnson & Johnson and Novavax vaccines also showed lower efficacy against the beta variant. And the AstraZeneca vaccine did not prevent mild or moderate COVID-19 in trials in South Africa when beta was the dominant strain, according to the Global Virus Network . Data on how well the Moderna shot works against the beta variant is limited, but most experts suspect it will work similarly to Pfizer's mRNA vaccine. Gamma variant (P.1) What is the variant? The earliest documented samples of the gamma variant, also known as P.1, were collected in Brazil in November 2020, according to the WHO . Scientists first found the variant in Japan in early January 2021, when four travelers tested positive for the virus after a trip to Brazil; researchers then found evidence that the variant was already widespread in the South American country, The New York Times reported . Gamma was labeled as a variant of concern on Jan. 11, 2021. Where is it? Gamma has been reported in 74 countries worldwide, according to the United Nations new site . First detected in the U.S. in January 2021, the variant has now been reported in at least 30 U.S. states, according to the CDC . What are key mutations? Gamma is closely related to beta (B.1.351), and the two variants share some of the same mutations in their spike proteins, the Times reported. These spike protein mutations include N501Y, which helps the virus bind tightly to cells and is also found in the alpha (B.1.1.7) lineage. The spike mutation K417T may also help gamma latch onto cells, while the E484K mutation likely helps the variant dodge certain antibodies. And according to the CDC , in addition to these three mutations, the variant carries eight additional sequence changes in its spike: L18F, T20N, P26S, D138Y, R190S, D614G, H655Y and T1027I. Why is the variant concerning? Several studies suggest that gamma is about twofold more transmissible than its parent coronavirus lineage, B.1.1.28, and that gamma infections are associated with a significantly higher viral load than other variants. Compared with the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, Gamma shows less susceptibility to several monoclonal antibody treatments, including bamlanivimab and etesevimab, according to the CDC . And according to a recent study, published May 12 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe , the variant also appears relatively resistant to neutralization by convalescent plasma and antibodies drawn from vaccinated people. Do vaccines work? Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine produces neutralizing antibodies against gamma, although the shot is slightly less effective against the variant than it is against the original strain of the virus, the company announced on June 29. The Pfizer vaccine showed similar levels of protection against gamma in a recent study, Business Insider reported; and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine also produces neutralizing antibodies against the variant, according to a recent statement from the company. Delta variant (B.1.617.2) What is the variant? The delta variant, formerly called B.1.617.2, was first identified in India in October 2020 and labeled as a variant of concern in May 2021, according to the WHO . Where is it? The fast-spreading variant has been detected in more than 100 countries and is rapidly becoming the dominant strain around the world. Delta is currently displacing alpha in the U.S.; as of July 6, the CDC said the variant made up more than half of all cases in the country. What are key mutations? The delta variant has several important mutations in the spike protein, including T19R, del157/158, L452R, T478K, D614G, P681R, D950N mutations, according to outbreak.info . Two of these mutations L452R and D614G allow the variant to attach more firmly to ACE2 receptors, Live Science previously reported . Others, such as P681R, may allow delta to evade host immunity. Why is the variant concerning? The delta variant is thought to be the most transmissible version of the novel coronavirus to date potentially up to 60% more transmissible than the alpha variant and perhaps twice as transmissible as the original strain of coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China. In addition, some evidence suggests the variant can more easily evade existing vaccines than earlier variants of the coronavirus. Do vaccines work? All the vaccines approved in the U.S. likely work against the delta variant, although exactly how well still isn't clear. For instance, Public Health England found the Pfizer vaccine was 88% effective against the delta variant, while health officials in Israel announced the Pfizer vaccine was only 64% effective against delta, The New York Times reported. However, Israel didn't control for differences in people who did and did not get vaccinated, making its data hard to interpret, according to The New York Times . The Pfizer vaccine remained strongly protective against severe disease and hospitalization. In a statement , Moderna said its vaccine neutralized the delta variant, and though it has not yet provided real-world data on infection, it is likely to work similarly to the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. Johnson & Johnson said their vaccine produced a strong neutralizing antibody response against the delta variant, but did not report on how much it reduces the odds of symptomatic disease, Live Science previously reported . Variants of interest Eta variant (B.1.525) What is the variant? The eta variant, also known as B.1.525, was identified in the United Kingdom and Nigeria in December 2020, according to the CDC . It was labeled as a variant of interest on March 17, 2021, the WHO says. Where is it? As of July 9, eta has been reported in 68 countries worldwide, according to GISAID . What are key mutations? Eta carries some of the same mutations seen in the alpha (B.1.1.7) lineage, including E484K, which helps the virus evade certain antibodies, and the so-called H69V70 deletion, which changes the spike protein's shape and may also help the variant avoid antibodies, according to The New York Times . It also carries a mutation called Q677H, which alters the 677th amino acid of the spike protein. The location of the swap hints that the mutation may help the variant enter cells more easily; but as of yet, it's still unclear whether eta is more transmissible than earlier versions of the virus. Other mutations in the variant's spike protein include A67V, 144del, D614G and F888L, per the CDC . Why is the variant concerning? Due to the mutations present in eta, it's possible that monoclonal antibody treatments, convalescent plasma and antibodies from vaccinated people may not neutralize the variant as effectively as they neutralize earlier versions of the virus, according to the CDC. Do vaccines work? Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine produces neutralizing antibodies that target the eta variant, although their neutralizing effect is slightly less robust "relative to those against the ancestral strain," the company announced on June 29. Iota variant (B.1.526) What is the variant? The iota variant, also called B.1.526, was first detected in November 2020 in New York City and was designated a variant of interest on March 24, 2021. Where is it? The iota variant has been detected in at least 43 countries and all U.S. states. In the U.S., this variant accounts for 6% of all the SARS-CoV-2 samples sequenced since the variant was identified, according to Stanford University's dashboard . Worldwide, iota accounts for 2% of the coronavirus sequences. What are key mutations? The variant has two notable spike-protein mutations: D614G and T951. The D614G mutation, which is found in several other SARS-CoV-2 variants, is thought to help the virus attach more firmly to the ACE2 receptors on human cells. The third notable mutation, called E484K, which is also on the virus's spike protein, is concerning because it seems to help the variant evade the immune system's antibodies. Why is the variant concerning? Preliminary research, detailed in a May 16 CDC report , suggests the iota variant doesn't cause more severe COVID-19 and that it isn't linked to an increased risk for infection after a person is vaccinated, or for reinfection. However, the types of mutations found suggest the potential for the virus to be more transmissible and to evade some parts of the immune system. Do vaccines work? Research published March 24, 2021, in the preprint journal bioRxiv (meaning it hasn't been reviewed by scientist peers yet) suggests the mRNA vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer, respectively, are protective against the iota variant. Kappa variant (B.1.617.1) What is the variant? The kappa variant, also called B.1.617.1, was first detected in India in October 2020, and it was designated as a variant of interest on April 4. Where is it? The variant has been detected in at least 52 countries and 31 U.S. states, according to a Stanford University dashboard . As of June 24, kappa accounted for less than 0.5% of all sequences of SARS-CoV-2 analyzed since kappa emerged. What are key mutations? Kappa has seven to eight mutations on the spike protein, according to a May 12 report by the CDC . Two of those mutations, called L452R E484Q, are on the protein's receptor-binding domain. These two mutations help the virus latch on more tightly to the ACE2 receptors on human cells. Another spike-protein mutation D614G is thought to make the virus more transmissible, while the so-called P681R mutation on the spike protein could be responsible for the variant's resistance to antibodies, researchers reported June 17 in the preprint journal bioRxiv . Why is the variant concerning? This strain is potentially more transmissible and slightly less susceptible to mRNA vaccines compared with the original strain of the virus. Do vaccines work? The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (made by Moderna and Pfizer, respectively) are not as effective at neutralizing this variant, according to a correspondence published July 7 in The New England Journal of Medicine . How that translates to vaccine efficacy against mild, moderate or severe COVID-19 is still not clear. Lambda variant (C.37) What is the variant? The lambda variant, also known as C.37, was first detected in Peru in August 2020. On June 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated C.37 a global variant of interest, and dubbed it lambda. Where is it? So far, lambda has been detected in 29 countries, with high levels of spread in South American countries. In recent months, the lambda variant was detected in 81% of COVID-19 cases in Peru that underwent genetic sequencing, and 31% of cases in Chile that underwent genetic testing. What are key mutations? The variant has seven mutations in the virus's spike protein compared with the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Wuhan. Specifically, these mutations are known as G75V, T76I, del247/253, L452Q, F490S, D614G and T859N, according to the WHO. Why is the variant concerning? Some of these mutations have the potential to increase transmissibility of the virus or to reduce the ability of certain antibodies to neutralize, or inactivate, the virus. For example, lambda has a mutation known as F490S located in the spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD), where the virus first docks onto human cells. A paper published in the July issue of the journal Genomics identified F490S as a likely "vaccine escape mutation" that could both make the virus more infectious and disrupt the ability of vaccine-generated antibodies to recognize the variant. Do vaccines work? Right now, "there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease or renders the vaccines currently deployed any less effective," according to Public Health England . Originally published on Live Science. Death Valley is more than earning its morbid name this weekend, as temperatures in the California desert reached a near-record-breaking 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius), according to news reports That makes it a tie for the hottest temperature ever verified on Earth since the mercury hit 131 F (55 C) on July 7, 1931, in Kebili, Tunisia, The Washington Post reported . Though an even hotter temperature of 134 F (56.7 C) was recorded in Furnace Creek (then called Greenland Ranch) in Death Valley, on July 10, 1913, per Guinness World Records , some climate scientists say that reading was not verified, the Post said. Rewind to nearly a year ago, on Aug. 16, Death Valley also smashed heat records with a 130-F reading, Live Science reported at the time. Related: Hell on Earth: Take a photo tour of Death Valley No stranger to extremes, Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth due to the shape of the valley and its location relative to mountain ranges. For instance, as storms move inland from the Pacific Ocean, they pass over mountain ranges on the eastward trek; vapor-dense storm clouds hit the ranges, rise up and cool, leading to condensation and of course rain or snow. When the clouds reach the other side of the mountains, they have much less moisture, something called a dry rainshadow, according to the National Park Service (NPS). With four mountain ranges between Death Valley and the ocean, clouds tend to be parched by the time they reach the desert. These mountain ranges also act as walls around the narrow Death Valley basin, which sits below sea level. When sunlight heats up the valley's dry surface, the radiation gets trapped by these steep "walls," the NPS said. But Death Valley is not the only spot suffocating under a heat wave. Heat alerts will affect more than 30 million people in the western U.S. where triple-digit temperatures are forecast through the weekend, CNN reported. The National Weather Service has issued "very high" heat alerts meaning everyone in these areas faces health risk from the heat for much of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, CNN reported. The "oppressive heat wave" across the western U.S. is the result of a so-called heat dome, or a ridge of high pressure that's trapping hot air close to the surface while preventing any possible precipitation, the NWS said in an advisory. "Widespread high temperatures of 110 [F] and above are forecast for the Southwest deserts as well as the central California valleys," the NWS said. "Highs in the 100s are likely across the Great Basin and into the upper 90s for the interior Pacific Northwest." Some relief could be on the way, though. A cold front is moving south from Canada and could cool off Montana on Monday (July 12), the NWS said. And a pocket of cool air is moving east from the Pacific, and may provide a bit of relief to parts of northern California. Originally published on Live Science. Denham Springs, LA (70726) Today Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A few isolated thunderstorms developing overnight. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Click here to read the full article. It has been a rapid escalation on to the world stage for Abdullah Mohammad Saad, one of the brightest young filmmakers from Bangladesh, with his sophomore effort Rehana selected in the Un Certain Regard strand at the Cannes Film Festival. Saad debuted with the searing Live From Dhaka (2016), a portrayal of a man increasingly desperate to get out of Bangladeshs capital city, which won top prizes at the Singapore International Film Festival and played at Rotterdam and Locarno. Like that film, Rehana also takes a close look at contemporary Bangladeshi society, warts and all. The film follows the titular Rehana (Azmeri Haque Badhon), an assistant professor at a medical college whose life changes when she witnesses an incident. I dont know if I am actively trying to portray my society. I am very character-driven, so when I tried to examine Sazzad (in Live from Dhaka) and Rehana as deeper as I could, social context became obviously one of the most important aspects, Saad told Variety. I cannot say for sure where my interests in these themes and narratives originated perhaps it is because I have always felt a deep connection to complex people who are often judged for the difficult choices they made in their lives, added Saad. Saad is profoundly influenced by his three elder sisters and also seeing his young nieces and nephews growing up made him think about several questions which he raises in Rehana. And of course, I have always been very interested in the relationship between men and women, and how we treat each other, Saad said. In the very beginning, I did not have that many exciting ideas what stayed with me throughout was really this image of a stubborn woman, added Saad. I struggled a lot with writing the screenplay and it took me quite a few drafts to finally understand the true nature of my interest in Rehana and her story. The resulting film is at Cannes, which Saad described as a great inspiration. He is at the vanguard of a burgeoning independent cinema movement in Bangladesh, which is consistently punching above its weight. We have a growing number of independent filmmakers who keep making films despite all the obstacles and limited assistance from state bodies, said Saad. It is important to note that while Rehana may be the first Bangladeshi film in Cannes official selection, we have been present regularly in the international scene over the last decade. The last film from Bangladesh at Cannes was the late Tareque Masuds Directors Fortnight title The Clay Bird in 2002, which won the FIPRESCI award. In 2012, Mostofa Sarwar Farookis Television closed Busan and the countrys independent cinema has been consistently lauded internationally since. Saad is now thinking of a character and taking notes for his next film. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Cohen Media Group and Curzon have jointly acquired all U.S. and U.K. distribution rights to Everything Went Fine, Francois Ozons film with Sophie Marceau, which just world-premiered in competition at Cannes and earned a warm critical welcome. The deal was negotiated by CMG senior VP Robert Aaronson, Curzon Artificial Eyes managing director Louisa Dent and Sebasten Beffa and Nicolas Brigaud-Robert at Playtime. Everything Went Fine marks Marceaus first time working with Ozon, one of Frances most critically laureled helmers. The drama is based Emmanuele Bernheims novel Everything Went Well and centers on a woman as she is confronted with her fathers declining health following a stroke. Sick and half-paralyzed in his hospital bed, Andre asks Emmanuele to help him end his life. The film explores the father-daughter relationship. Written and directed by Ozon, Everything Went Fine also stars Geraldine Pailhas, Charlotte Rampling, Hanna Schygulla, Eric Caravaca and Gregory Gadebois. Everything Went Fine is a touching film that has captured the heartfelt attention of so many here in Cannes, said Aaronson at Cohen Media Group. Charles Cohen said the company has seen great success with Ozons films and our continued relationship has been deeply rewarding. We look forward to bringing another one of his films to U.S. audiences. Dent said the film moves audiences because it refuses sentimentality. The last moments of life are shown to contain the same mix of humor, resentment, love, jealousy and farce as all the days that preceded it. Ozon powerfully conveys that assisted dying is not a depressive rejection of life but a positive choice of dignity in death, said Dent. Sebastien Beffa at Playtime said, Both Curzon and Cohen Media Group are integrated independent companies and controlling both cinemas and distribution gives them a true competitive advantage. It guarantees the best exposure for our film aside from the fact that we have a longstanding relationship with both companies, added Beffa. Everything Went Fine marks the fourth film directed by Ozon to be released in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group, following Double Lover, The New Girlfriend and In the House. The film is produced by Mandarin Production, Playtime, FOZ, and France 2 Cinema. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Producer Jeremy Thomas, best picture Oscar winner for Bernardo Bertoluccis The Last Emperor is a Cannes veteran and was the talk of the Croisette for David Cronenbergs Crash (1996) Thomas is back in 2021 as the subject of Mark Cousins documentary The Storms of Jeremy Thomas that details his annual road trip from London to Cannes, while he reflects on a storied career. The film very early on discusses the abundant sex on display in several of Thomas films. I identified with what Paul Verhoeven said the other day about the neo-puritanism of the new world that we live in because its true, Thomas tells Variety. Thomas says that Arthur Millers 1953 play The Crucible, which details witch hunting in New England in the late 1600s, is a great text to read in todays age. He reflects that he probably wouldnt have had the career he has had today and get money for the films hes made. And the films being full of sex but then if ones truthful, life is full of sex, but people dont talk about it, its a private thing, says Thomas. But in movies you can talk about it. I chose to allow directors to express ideas that I also held and felt within the movies. And it includes sex, politics, death and all the big things that we deal with in life. And then later on, you look at it and you think, oh yeah, that was very involved in the cinema that I chose to do. Because thats the way I see life. Thats the way Ive experienced it, says Thomas. And therefore Im not shying away from what Ive seen, read and know to be true. And therefore Ive allowed that in the movies. After waiting out the pandemic, Thomas is all set to return to production in 2022. Wildlands is particularly close to being realized, says Thomas. To be directed by Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), the film is billed as a love story between two bomb disposal specialists. Thomas serves as executive producer with his HanWay Films handling worldwide sales. Also in the works is Julien Temples You Really Got Me, the story of how brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, formed the rock band, The Kinks, in London during the early 1960s. I could never make it during the pandemic because it involves with large audiences and you cant make a film about rock n roll and music without everything being completely open, says Thomas. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Dave Lampert, the inventor of the Sybian Sex Aid, has gone on his final ride, dying at the age of 90. A hulking, vibrating structure that resembles a balance beam, the Sybian was designed by Lampert in 1987 as a sexual stimulation device targeted specifically to women. Its vibrations are intended to simultaneously stimulate the users clitoris, perineum, and anus; it also comes with a dildo for internal stimulation. According to his website, Lampert, a professional dance instructor, initially came up with the idea for the device to enhance female orgasm during penetrative sex. In the beginning, Daves interest in developing the Sybian was purely seeing a need for something to help women experience orgasms, and many of them, his daughter, Bunny Lampert, tells Rolling Stone. He wanted women to be in control of their own sexuality and responsibility for their sexual health and orgasms. The idea was at first met with resistance by many engineers and product developers he encountered. We were concerned that what we were working on was possibly pornographic. Our own knowledge was lacking, he wrote on his website. This attitude obviously transferred to the people we were talking to. Once our attitude changed, our reception also changed. We realized it had nothing to with pornography but might be considered controversial because it dealt with sex. Although sex is part of everyones every day life, it is a subject avoided by many. Lampert developed a prototype for the Sybian in the mid 1980s by using a vibrator, a wooden frame, and sheet metal. The name for the product derived from Sybaris, an ancient Greek city that was known as the epicenter of luxury; Lampert later referred to Sybian owners as Sybarites. He added a male sexual device, the Venus for Men, to his product lineup in 1998. Though it never quite gained a foothold in the mass market due to its prohibitive price point (a classic black Sybian costs $1,245, according to its website), the Sybian gained popularity when it started being regularly featured on the Howard Stern Show in the early aughts, during which nubile female guests were invited to mount the machine as they had a shrieking orgasm on-air. On social media, many in the adult industry paid respects to Lamperts contributions to the sexual wellness industry. Do something that would have made him grin. Go have an orgasm, hell have 3, wrote the aptly named @Venus2000Milker, also known as Sybian employee Karen. My heart bursts with pride just for knowing him. Sign up for Rolling Stone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Just one month after announcing its 2021 lineup, Dierks Bentleys Seven Peaks Festival has been canceled. Returning for its third year after a 2020 hiatus, the country stars event was originally set for September 3rd to 5th in Buena Vista, Colorado. Seven Peaks Music Festival is being cancelled for 2021 due to current capacity restrictions in place by local health officials, the festival tweeted on Friday. We are already planning for 2022, and a new location will be announced in the coming months. Passes purchased for this years event will be refunded within 30 days. We tried everything to make it happen, but Chaffee County has decided against lifting capacity restrictions, Bentley tweeted from his own account on Friday. All 2021 passes purchased at https://t.co/OPHvHaGWyJ will automatically be fully refunded within 30 days back to the original form of payment. pic.twitter.com/ZohQyU6QrS Dierks Bentley (@DierksBentley) July 9, 2021 Chaffee County has set local guidelines for distancing and masking practices during the Covid era, and outdoor events are still capped at 5,000. Denver television reporter Marshall Zelinger notes that Seven Peaks organizers actually sold more than 6,000 tickets prior to acquiring the festivals permit from the county. Seven Peaks is NOT coming to Buena Vista. Chaffee County has a 5,000 outdoor event capacity limit through Aug. 31. This video is from June 23, when Live Nation revealed 6,000 tickets had already been sold for an event that did not yet have a permit to be held. It's must see! https://t.co/eD3hiDBjYp pic.twitter.com/HmvrptRDfg Marshall Zelinger (@Marshall9News) July 9, 2021 In addition to Bentley, performers at this years Seven Peaks were to include Keith Urban, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Kip Moore. While Chaffee County has thorough resources on how and where to get Covid-19 vaccines along with data supporting their efficacy on their website, some of Colorados elected Republican officials are working overtime to convince people not to get them. Rep. Lauren Boebert, whose district does not include Buena Vista, tweeted this week about President Biden sending Needle Nazis to her turf. More than 600,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Colorado is one of a growing number of states becoming a hotspot for the more transmissible delta variant. Over June 24th through 26th, the city of Grand Junction, Colorado, hosted thousands of country music fans at the Country Jam festival, which, according to a report by NPR, was in danger of being canceled by local health officials. Every week, we explore a different Texas ghost story or venture into the unknown. This week, we tackle San Antonio's famous haunted house, Gillespie Mansion. RELATED: A flying creature has spooked the South Texas area for decades The gruesome story surrounding the stately looking Gillespie Mansion, once a dwelling in San Antonio's North West side, is at its core a classic haunted house tale. Depending on where you zoom in, it also sets the scene of a cheesy '80s horror movie. In the years somewhere between John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Gillespie, popularly known by the folkloric and not so P.C. moniker "midget mansion," was a late-night destination for San Antonio teens looking to trespass, drink their parents Lone Stars and experience brushes with the paranormal. The site is said to be haunted, a result of the violent murders that happened there. Maybe this isn't the first time you've heard this San Antonio story, maybe you're one of the ones whose visited the site before. In the 1920's the grand house on a hill is said to have been purchased by a Navy Captain stationed in nearby Galveston, Texas. After a short time, he and his family jumped ship (nautical speak for moved out). The occupants that replaced the military family at the residence, the Gillespies, were said to be wealthy as a result of the father's earnings from a career in Hollywood. The husband and wife duo were distinct, and known throughout the community for their unconventionally short stature. Some sources say Mr. Gillespie even adapted the interiors of the massive home to have shorter ceilings, counters and door handles to accommodate their size. All was well, that is, until one dark evening. One night, the story goes, the father of the family returned home in a boiling rage. With his anger stemming from pitfalls in his business career approaching the depression, or mistreatment from the outside world, it is said he grabbed the nearest knife and violently slit the throats of his wife and two daughters. Other versions claim he shot his loved ones, one by one, each with a single bullet. He stuffed their bodies in the nearest closet and sealed it shut. After finishing, he quietly retired to the master bedroom, where he ended his own life with a bullet to the brain. Neighbors, noticing something was awry, eventually notified the authorities. Mr Gillespie of Gillespie manor was found laying in a pool of his own blood. In the years following the incident, new homeowners reported sounds of scratching and moaning, particularly from the house's second story. In the 70s, reports of satanic teen murders clung to Gillespie Mansions legacy. In a 2009 MySA story, spinning the greatest hits of various San Antonio Ghost Stories, the late UTSA folklorist Rhett Rushing says that no one can really tell if this story is true or not. "There's no documentation that this ever happened. What we do know is up through the 1970s, it was a place where teenagers would come and dare each other to go to the house," Rushing definitively states. Sifting through newspaper records from this era, I was unable to find any reports of the murder. On a whim, I reached out to the San Antonio Office of Preservation, to see if they had any information on the stately home. Still, nothing. As with all ghost stories, the lack of material evidence doesn't necessarily mean the horrific eve didn't happen, as archives are not fully complete. And sometimes, stories are stories for a reason. Even if fake, the horror of the incident has already burrowed itself in the city's collective memory. The legend of it all doesn't exactly beg to be disturbed. Facebook groups dedicated to the site are filled with writings of the fond and spooky memories of the Boomer generation that once poked around the ruins and crumbling pillars of the haunted Greek Revivalist home. Deborah Moore Wolff used to work at the Mama's Cafe off I-10. Sometimes, she would visit the ruinous mansion after she would get off a shift late at night. "I would go by myself. I felt it was special and I felt peace, even though it was burnt down," Wolff tells mySA. She would also often visit the site to explore the grounds with her younger brother. She alleges the grounds were spooky, but very inviting. As a young woman, she took the photo featured above. The exact address of the manor is disputed, though absolutely cemented in the city's North West side, near the Medical Center. The coordinates are said to be either off Callaghan and I-10, at the Preston Peak Apartments, which can be found at 4114 Medical Drive in San Antonio, Texas, or at 8139 Donore Place. Flickr/Chester Paul Sgroi In a Facebook post, one user reported paranormal occurrences at the Preston Peak Apartments, where they identified as a resident. All these years later, my guess is that this story is still in the San Antonio airwaves because of so many peoples shared histories exploring the grounds. However, something about the violent and grotesque nature of the tale, and the association with decrepit buildings with decrepit spirits, likely plays into a morbid curiosity. RELATED: Tales of Texas Ghosts: The spirits of the historic Menger Hotel "It's something we can't control. We can't control what happens after death, and we don't know. It gives us a teaser, a taste of the afterlife," says Rushing from the grave in the 2009 MySA story. "Human beings think in stories. That's how we order the world around us. Humans can't stand chaos. As long as there have been people, we make a story to explain the chaos, the things we don't understand." Click here to read the full article. Italian director Alice Rohrwacher, whose The Wonders and Happy as Lazzaro are both Cannes prizewinners, will direct her first TV series that, similarly to her fable-like films, will explore the world of Italian folk tales. The series, which is scheduled to start shooting next year, is titled Ci Sara Una Volta, which translates as There Will Be a Time. Casting and other details are still being decided. Rohrwacher is back in Cannes this year as co-director with Pietro Marcello and Francesco Munzi of the doc Futura, a portrait of how Italys adolescents look at the future which world premieres in Directors Fortnight on Monday. There Will Be a Time is being produced by Fremantle-owned Wildside, the shingle behind Elena Ferrante adaptation skein My Brilliant Friend of which Rohrwacher helmed two episodes of season two in tandem with the directors regular producer Carlo Cresto-Dinas Tempesta Film. The series is based on a project by Rohrwacher written by the director with Marco Pettenello, who this year won a David di Donatello Award, Italys top film prize, for co-penning Gianni Di Gregorios bittersweet drama Citizens of the World. Italy has a rich tradition of oral narratives handed down in the form of folk tale anthologies, the best known of which is the one published by prominent writer Italo Calvino who travelled through the country and gathered these tales in the mid-1950s. The fairy tale refers to an imaginary time: if today it seems normal to set these stories in an ancient medieval past, perhaps in the late 1950s the refuge of the imagination was not the past, but the future; things to come, the director said in a statement. And so every time our storytellers arrive in a square and put up their billboard, they will not start with once upon a time, but with the words there will be a time, she added. For several years now Ive been collecting impressions on the world of the storytellers who populated the streets, squares and festivals of Italy until the second half of the 20th century, Rohrwacher went on to note. Film footage, photographs, storyboards, fliers with song lyrics, fortune cards: from all this material came the desire to create an anthology of their journeys and storytelling. On the one hand to explore the vast world of the Italian fairy tale, and on the other to re-experience life on the streets of Italy in the late 1950s. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Shock rocker Iggy Pop has lent his voice to a new documentary on Ancient Egyptian child king Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun: The Last Exhibition simultaneously charts the history of the tombs discovery in 1922 and the preparation of the record-breaking touring Tutankhamun exhibition, which launched in Los Angeles in 2019. The doc was produced in Italy by acclaimed antiquities photographer Sandro Vanninis Laboratoriorosso Srl in partnership with Franco di Sarros Nexo Digital. Vannini also appears in the doc and serves as a producer and director of photography. The Italian version is narrated by musician Manuel Agnelli and the producers decided to go with a musician rather than an actor for the international version too. We were looking for somebody that could give a different appeal to the narration of the movie, said Nexus Digitals Rosella Gioffre. And we thought of [Pop] and he accepted. When we heard his voice for the first time we said this is the voice, Vannini chimed in from Egypt, where he is currently working. This is what we need for this film. The voice of Iggy Pop is simply incredible. When he read the story what he was going to narrate he was immediately keen to work with us. The tour contained over 150 artefacts from the boy kings grave, the largest number ever exhibited outside Egypt. The exhibition was due to tour until 2023 but was cut short due to the pandemic. The Egyptian government has since decreed Tut and his treasure will never again leave the country. The doc was also impacted by the pandemic. It was originally due to be released in 2020 but in the end the timing worked out. Were more than happy because were going to hit the centenary of the discovery, said Gioffre. Tutankhamuns grave was discovered in November 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (whose ancestral home, incidentally, is Highclere Castle, better known these days as the house in Downton Abbey). Nexo will distribute the doc in Italy and have sold it to Spain, New Zealand and Australia, among other territories. They are currently in negotiations with US and Japanese buyers. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Nothing says Cannes is back like the glitzy annual Chopard Trophee Dinner, where Jessica Chastain and Maggie Gyllenhaal on Friday saluted the return of the festival while celebrating this years award recipients, U.K. actors Kingsley Ben-Adir and Jessie Buckley. Chastain who doesnt have a movie in Cannes but came along for the ride played Master of Ceremonies for the presentation, joking that she was the unofficial godmother of the Chopard Trophee, which is given to both a male and female recipient every year. The dinner took place at the Majestic hotel in Cannes, where attendees included festival jury members Spike Lee, Melanie Laurent, Tahar Rahim and Song Kang-Ho, along with the likes of Andrea Arnold, Bella Hadid and Adrien Brody. It was 10 years ago that I came here with Take Shelter and The Tree of Life and I had no idea how much my life would change because it really was my introduction to the world as an actress, so, to me, this festival will always be my family, my friends, and one of the dear, fond memories of my life, said Chastain, who will next be seen (and virtually unrecognizable) in Michael Showalters The Eyes of Tammy Faye opposite Andrew Garfield. Chastain awarded a Chopard Trophee to One Night in Miami star Kingsley Ben-Adir, who also starred in the High Fidelity series as well as The Comey Rule, where he played former President Barack Obama. I saw Tahar Rahim and he reminded me that when I started drama school in 2008 there were so many films I used to go to the Curzon and watch so many independent films and Cannes always used to pop up on the DVDs. So many films that have come here mean so much to me, A Prophet being one of them, said Ben-Adir. The actor then thanked his One Night in Miami director Regina King, without whom I definitely wouldnt be standing here. I know it was a difficult choice for her because someone dropped out of playing [Malcolm X] at the very last minute, and she didnt have much time, said Ben-Adir. It came down to three of us and I just happened to be the most experienced and I put down the best tape. He added that it wasnt an easy decision because he was a British actor playing an iconic historical American figure, and the situation is a little bit sensitive right now a reference to the tensions among some Black U.S. actors around Black British actors portraying distinctly American characters in film. Later, Maggie Gyllenhaal took the stage with seemingly minutes notice from festival director Thierry Fremaux to introduce the second Chopard Trophee recipient, Jessie Buckley. Gyllenhaal directed Buckley in her forthcoming adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel, The Lost Daughter, which marks the actors directorial debut. Im picky about actresses, said Gyllenhaal. Its hard to get my total love. And Jessie is a beast. There are a few actors and actresses out there who are like that, but shes a wild, feral animal. I couldnt even get her to pick up the phone with the same [hand] on more than one take, and so I stopped trying and her work is incredible. Im beyond thrilled for her and I have a feeling the world is about to get blown away by Jessie Buckley. Buckley wasnt in attendance because shes in Toronto quarantining before starting a shoot next week; however, she sent through a video message. Thank you to all the incredible women whove come into my life through story, and to all the incredible women in my life, this is really for all the best bits that have yet to come out, said Buckley. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Its a curious quirk of the British calendar that Mothers Day or Mothering Sunday, if you want to be formal about it falls not in May, with all that months springy symbolism of new life, but the damp, unripe chill of mid-March, when no one feels much like celebrating anything at all. In Mothering Sunday, however, a number of upper-class English families meet to picnic on a day so unseasonably warm and bright that the weather is the one safe running topic of conversation: Its a gathering of more parents than children, where unspoken and unspeakable losses are politely talked around. If Graham Swifts 2016 novella was a guest at the same elegant, repressed garden party as L.P. Hartleys The Go-Between and Ian McEwans Atonement, Eva Husson and screenwriter Alice Birchs unusual, stimulating adaptation comes closer to the shattered experimentalism of Joseph Losey than the heritage-minded handsomeness of Joe Wright. And thats a good thing, even if French director Hussons attempt to reinvent the language of British period cinema in predominantly sensual terms is hit and miss, yielding some passages of vivid, tactile clarity and others of fussy affectation. Husson, who turned heads with her libidinous teen drama Bang Gang before stumbling with 2018s superficial war film Girls of the Sun, is an unexpected choice of helmer for this material, but succeeds in giving it some youthful, angular attitude: At every turn, its easy to imagine the less interesting BBC teleplay this might easily have been. In the U.S., Sony Pictures Classics will count on the films fresh approach plus the marketability of a cast including recent Crown-mates Josh OConnor and Olivia Colman to hook audiences, though not all will warm to its oblique literary flourishes. Its in the storytelling, rather than the stylization, that Husson and Birch come a little unstuck. Though Mothering Sunday ambitiously traces its female protagonists romantic trauma and creative awakening across three stages of her life, it only appears truly interested in the first of them: that balmy Sunday in March 1924, when quiet, bookish 22-year-old housemaid Jane (Odessa Young) experiences a tragedy that follows, or indeed propels, her through the rest of the century. An orphan without any family of her own, Jane works for the Nivens (Colman and Colin Firth), a terribly proper and terribly unhappy pair of upper-crusters whose marriage has been hollowed out since losing their sons to the First World War. But its the Givens neighbors the Sheringhams in whom Jane is more invested: Shes been having an affair with their surviving son Paul (Josh OConnor), a rakish law student reluctantly engaged to Emma (a cool, cutting Emma DArcy), the daughter of another neighboring household, despite neither party seeming especially keen on the arrangement. So the tryst that Paul arranges with Jane that Sunday, while all three families are out at a joyless Mothers Day lunch, should be their last: The class politics that prevent their long-term union are so entrenched that they have no need to talk about them. Perhaps Paul and Jane have never talked much about anything at all. The sex is the thing between them, and Husson presents it with loose, frank, in-broad-daylight carnality: Cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay (fresh from Oliver Hermanus Moffie, and further marking himself as one to watch) shoots bodies in tight, quivering close-up, flooded in sunlight that doesnt tastefully bleach everything out: We linger, too, on the emphatic stain of bodily fluids on fresh linens. This lushly filmed spell of afternoon delight is the films centerpiece, its brief sensual abandon reverberating through the films nonlinear meditations on what came before and after. Its salty-skinned impact is such that a secondary strand, depicting the middle-aged Janes differently curtailed romance with free-thinking philosophy student Donald (a wonderful, sold-short Sope Dirisu) in the 1950s, never takes flight by comparison, thus setting the film peculiarly off-balance. It feels more a distraction from Janes arc than an enrichment of it; that we miss OConnors wiry, softly seductive presence is at least apt. The barely aged-up Odessa Young, so luminous as the younger Jane, is less convincing as her 56-year-old self, no longer a maid but released into the very different servitude of a writing career. By the time we jump to the centurys close, Young is replaced by Glenda Jackson, making her first feature film appearance in over 30 years. That alone makes Mothering Sunday something of an event, and the film somewhat relies on that external pathos to lift the films sketchiest and most opaque segment, teased in flashing, cryptic cutaways throughout, but without much of a payoff. Birch, the on-the-rise scribe of 2017s Lady Macbeth, doesnt quite get her three timelines to converse with each other, though individual scenes are written with pointed, piercing intelligence: Colman, whose seemingly stock lady-of-the-manor role has been notably expanded from the book, gets the films most lacerating speech, as she muses on the burden of mourning and urges Jane to turn her orphanhood to her advantage: You have nothing to lose and never shall. Mothering Sunday is best when it trades in this kind of cruel, poignant precision, as opposed to gauzy interludes of less specific but gorgeously rendered atmosphere. Still, even at its most purely decorative, Hussons aesthetic decisions are rarely generic. The punchy blue-and-red palette of Sandy Powells perfectly cut-and-cinched costumes may lean a little too broadly into heart-on-literal-sleeve emotional expression, but you cant stop looking at them; likewise, the film leans heavily on Morgan Kibbys plangent score, but its strings-to-synths transitions are arresting. Telling a story that advocates living boldly over not living at all, Husson has followed suit, opening up exciting new possibilities for her career in the process. Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Premiere), July 9, 2021. Running time: 105 MIN. Running Time: Running time: 105 MIN. Production (U.K.) A Sony Pictures Classics (in U.S.)/Lionsgate (in U.K.) release of a Number 9 Films production in association with Film4, British Film Institute. (World sales: Rocket Science, London.) Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley. Crew Director: Eva Husson. Screenplay: Alice Birch, adapted from the novel by Graham Swift. Camera: Jamie D. Ramsay. Editor: Emilie Orsini. Music: Morgan Kibby. With Odessa Young, Josh OConnor, Some Dirisu, Colin Firth, Olivia Colman, Glenda Jackson, Emma DArcy, Patsy Ferran. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. CANNES, France (AP) The veteran provocateur Paul Verhoeven premiered his lesbian nun drama Benedetta at the Cannes Film Festival with a solemn vow to resurrect sexuality in movies. Benedetta predictably stirred the French Riviera festival over the weekend. In it, the Belgian actor Virginie Efira stars as Benedetta Carlini, a 17th-century French nun who communicates directly with Jesus and who falls in love with a farm girl saved by the convent (Daphne Patakia). An entertaining riot of eroticism, violence, Catholicism and plague, Verhoeven's movie has been both dismissed as nun-sploitation and hailed as a good old fashioned art-house costume shagathon." Cannes, where movies like Taxi Driver and Blue Is the Warmest Color" have made controversial premieres, loves a jolt of violence or a splash of sex. The arrival of Benedetta" has sent nun puns flying around the Croisette. When people have sex, they take their clothes off," Verhoeven said Saturday. "Im stunned, basically, how we dont want to look at the reality of life. This purity that has been introduced is, in my opinion, wrong. Verhoeven, the 82-year-old director of Basic Instinct" and Showgirls," found an art house comeback in the acclaimed 2016 French-language thriller Elle." He has long advocated for sexuality as part of nature, and thus of cinema too. People are interested in sexuality," said Efira. "There arent that many directors who know how to film it. But Paul Verhoeven, since the very beginning, is someone who has dealt with this major topic in an amazing way. Nudity is of no interest when its not depicted in a beautiful way. Thats not what Paul does. Everything was very joyful when we stripped off our clothes. Written by Verhoeven and Elle collaborator David Birke, Benedetta" is inspired by Judith C. Browns non-fiction book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy. Carlini was a real 17th-century abbess who was tried and imprisoned in the early 1600s for her claims of mystical visions. Verhoeven strongly disagreed that anything about his film could be labeled blasphemous." Its true, mostly. I mean, of course we changed a little bit, but its (a true story)," said Verhoeven. You can talk about what was wrong or not, but you cannot change history." So, he added," "I think the word blasphemy for me in this case is stupid. Instead, Verhoeven sees Benedetta, which IFC Films has acquired to release in North America, as a progressive film. We see whats happened in 1625, how people our people, the Western European people how they were thinking about a lesbian love story and where we are now, isnt it? said Verhoeven. "Were probably not completely there, but I think we have made a lot of progress. And I saw the differences between then and now was also a reason to do the movie. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP Click here to read the full article. Chilean director Domingo Sotomayor (Too Late to Die Young, Thursday Till Sunday) is re-teaming with Sao Paulo-based RT Features (Call Me by Your Name, The Lighthouse) to make her third feature, Niebla. CAA Media Finance arranged the financing and will represent sales rights. The cruise ship-set drama is currently in development and set to shoot in 2022. RT Features previously co-produced Sotomayors second feature, Too Late to Die Young, which saw her become the first woman to win a best director Leopard at Switzerlands Locarno Festival. Written by Sotomayor, Niebla reprises a scenario sketched in hugely different contexts in Thursday Till Sunday and Too Late to Die Young of characters on the brink of self-awareness at critical junctures in their lives. Here, however, the protagonist is an adult, not the children of Too Late to Die Young nor the lovelorn adolescent of Too Late, and most seem in denial. Niebla takes place on a cruise ship heading towards a distant nondescript coastline. In the middle of the ocean, the large and eclectic group of international passengers, all seem to be escaping their own realities, the synopsis runs. Julia, 35, who won the cruise at a raffle at work, embarks on a vacation, she imagines, but finds herself in physical and emotional purgatory, said the description of the film from a statement. The film is produced by RT Features Rodrigo Teixeira and Lourenco SantAnna with Alan Terpins. News of Sotomayors next feature comes as The Year of the Everlasting Storm, Neons anthology film from Sotomayor, Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, David Lowery and Apichatpong Weerasethakul world premieres Wednesday at a Cannes Special Screening at the Cannes Film Festival. The new movie extends an alliance between Sotomayor, an indie director-producer-exhibitor and RT Features. The latter has managed to produce movies from Luca Guadagnino, Karim Ainouz, Robert Eggers, Ira Sachs, James Schamus, James Gray, Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt and Gaspar Noe from its base in Sao Paulo, partly through head Rodrigo Teixeiras insistence with these directors that he wanted to work with them. Sotomayors Santiago de Chile label Cinestacion is teaming with Wood Productions to produce 1976, directed by Machuca star Manuela Martelli. Cinestacion will restart production on Penal Cordillera, a political horror drama from playwright-director Felipe Carmona from the end of this year. Sotomayor is also opening a new open air cinema, CCC, in Santiago. Last week, RT Features partnered with Censors Prano Bailey-Bond on Things We Lost in the Fire, inspired by Argentine novelist Mariana Enriquezs horror-laced vision of a grotesque Argentina. RT Features has two production selected for Cannes: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovics Murina, in Directors Fortnight, and Mia Hansen-Lves Competition player Bergman Island. Sotomayor is repped by CAA and Nina Soriano and Bard Dorros at Anonymous Content. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The latest developments in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise: MIAMI An American arrested in connection to the assassination of Haitis president worked alongside Sean Penn to rebuild the country from a devastating earthquake in 2010, according to three people familiar with the Hollywood actors decade-old relief drive. The two people said James Solages worked as a driver and in a security capacity for J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which was started by Penn following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 300,000 people in the impoverished Caribbean nation. One of the people said Solages had left the organization, now known as CORE, sometime in 2011. All three people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Penn laid down what he considers lifelong roots in Haiti following the earthquake, at one point even living in a tent city among some 40,000 Haitians left homeless by the natural disaster. For his multi-year efforts on behalf of the Haitian people, former President Michel Martelly the mentor of slain President Jovenel Moise named Penn ambassador at large, the first non-Haitian to receive that designation. Solages is one of two Haitian Americans arrested as part of the investigation into Moises murder. The 35-year-old studied in south Florida and in 2019 created a charity to help residents of his hometown of Jacmel, along Haitis southern coast. He worked as a bodyguard for Canadas Embassy in Haiti but a relative says he had no military training. By JOSHUA GOODMAN and TRENTON DANIEL ___ BOGOTA, Colombia The director of Colombias police, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, says that four companies had been involved in recruiting and gathering suspects implicated in the assassination of Haitis president, though he did not release the companies names, saying they were being verified. He said Friday that the Colombian suspects several of whom were earlier identified as military veterans travelled to the Caribbean nation in two groups by way of the Dominican Republic. Vargas said Duberney Capador Giraldo and Alejandro Rivera Garcia travelled from Colombia to Panama on May 6 and then to Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital. He said they then went to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on May. 10. A second group of 11 Colombians followed later. Police released a document indicating they had travelled on June 4 from Bogota to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and two days later crossed into Haiti. It was not yet clear who had sponsored the men's recruitment. ___ BOGOTA, Colombia The wife of a former Colombian soldier arrested in Haiti in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise says her husband was recruited by a security firm to travel to the Dominican Republic last month. The woman told Colombias W Radio on Friday that her husband, Francisco Uribe, was hired for $2,700 a month by a company named CTU to travel to the Dominican Republic, where he was told he would be providing protection to some powerful families. She says she last spoke to her husband Wednesday at 10 p.m. almost 24 hours after the raid on the presidents home and said he was on guard duty at a house where he and others were staying. The next day he wrote me a message that sounded like a farewell, the woman, who identified herself only as Yuli. They were running, they had been attacked. ... That was the last contact I had. The woman said she knew little about her husbands activities and was unaware he had even traveled to Haiti, where Colombians need a visa to enter. Another arrested Colombian suspect, Manuel Antonio Grosso, last month posted on Facebook snapshots of himself visiting tourist spots in the Dominican capital, including the presidential palace. Uribe has been under investigation for his alleged role in a spate of extrajudicial killings carried out by Colombias U.S.-trained army more than a decade ago. Colombian court records show that he and another soldier were accused of killing a civilian in 2008 who they later tried to present as a criminal killed in combat. ___ WASHINGTON White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the U.S. will be sending senior FBI and Homeland Security officials to Haiti as soon as possible in response to a Haitian government request following the killing of President Jovenel Moise. She said Friday that the U.S. remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination. She also said that Haiti will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. as soon as next week, depending on conditions at the airport. The country so far has been unable to get its vaccination program operating. ___ PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti A judge investigating the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise says two Haitian-Americans arrested in the case were acting as translators for a larger group of attackers that originally planned to arrest, not kill the leader, the Le Nouvelliste newspaper reported Friday. Speaking to the French-language newspaper, Judge Clement Noel didnt elaborate on what grounds the group sought to arrest Moise. Noel said one of the suspects, James Solages, told him he found this job on the internet. Solages had been in Haiti for only a month and the other U.S. citizen arrested, Joseph Vincent, for six months, Noel said. A separate judge, Fidelito Dieudonne, said four of the 15 Colombians arrested in the case entered Haiti on June 6 after passing through the Dominican Republic. Noel also told the newspaper that police confiscated weapons used by the attackers, including pistols, cartridges, the server of the surveillance camera at Moise's home, a checkbook for the president and his wife, axes, wire cutters, clothes, food, cell phones and cash. Haitian police say they have arrested 17 people in all in Wednesday's killing and are looking for more. They have not revealed a possible motive. ___ TAIPEI, Taiwan Taiwans foreign ministry says Haitian police have arrested 11 armed suspects who tried to break into the its embassy in Port-au-Prince. It gave no details of the suspects identities or a reason for the break-in. As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the President of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou told The Associated Press in Taipei. Officials said police were alerted by embassy security guards while Taiwanese diplomats were working from home. The ministry said some doors and windows were broken but there was no other damage to the embassy. Haiti is one of a handful of countries worldwide that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of the rival mainland Chinese government in Beijing. Seventeen suspects have been detained so far in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise and Haitian authorities say two are believed to hold dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship and Colombias government says at least six are former members of its army. Leon Charles, chief of Haitis National Police, said Thursday night that 15 of the detainees were from Colombia. zoranm/Getty Images A South Texas man has been ordered to federal prison for importing meth inside tacos he tried to pass off as "lunch," according to a news release from the Southern District of Texas. Laredo resident Nicolas Castro Jr., 31, attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo. Authorities inspected Castro's belongings and found a plastic bag with tacos and chips. Castro claimed the food was his lunch, the release noted. Lockport, NY (14094) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Gardai used an "extremely impressive" new method when tasked with identifying three of the men accused of abducting and assaulting businessman Kevin Lunney, a defence lawyer has told the Special Criminal Court. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC said the new method, whereby gardai were separated and shown CCTV footage and stills without any indication of what was being investigated, eliminates the possibility that identification evidence will be contaminated or that gardai will be influenced by their colleagues. Inspector Stephen Mullen told Mr O'Higgins that he developed the new process. He said a number of gardai, who might have knowledge of the people in the footage, were selected but were not told what they were viewing or the context for it. They were put in a "controlled environment", he said, with each garda viewing the footage independently. Everything was recorded on video and each member was asked to make a statement at the earliest practicable time. He agreed with Mr O'Higgins that he developed the new procedure after previous cases showed that there was room for improvement. Having heard evidence from several gardai, Mr O'Higgins and lawyers for the other accused withdrew their objections to the admissibility of identification evidence. A 40-year-old man known as YZ, Alan OBrien (40), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, Darren Redmond (27), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 and Luke OReilly (67), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan have all pleaded not (NOT) guilty to false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Mr Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings, has told the court that he was bundled into the boot of a car near his home and driven to a container where he was threatened and told to resign as a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings. His abductors cut him with a Stanley knife, stripped him to his boxer shorts, doused him in bleach, broke his leg with two blows of a wooden bat, beat him on the ground, cut his face and scored the letters QIH into his chest. They left him bloodied, beaten and shivering on a country road at Drumcoghill in Co Cavan where he was discovered by a man driving a tractor. Garda Eric Keogh of Store Street Garda Station told Sean Guerin SC for the prosecution that he is involved in "Small Area Policing", where certain gardai are assigned small neighbourhoods where they must have a high visibility, get to know the locals and "be aware of everything that goes on." He was assigned an area of Dublin 3 where he would regularly call into local shops and businesses and meet people face to face. On November 5, 2019 he received an email from a detective inspector asking him to come to Store Street Garda Station to look at CCTV. He said he was not told what was being investigated or who might be identified in the footage. He identified the accused man YZ at an apartment block in Dublin 3, at an Applegreen at Rahardrum, Virginia, Co Cavan and at a Spar Shop on Portland Row on various dates including the day Mr Lunney was abducted and the previous day. Under cross examination Garda Keogh said it was a "coincidence" that he inquired about YZ on the garda Pulse system earlier in the afternoon when he was asked to look at CCTV footage and about Alan O'Brien two days earlier. He said he might have been preparing for a meeting with his chief superintendent at which he would be expected to know everything that was happening in his area. He said he had no idea YZ and Alan O'Brien were, at that time, persons of interest in the investigation of the offences against Mr Lunney. Garda Conor Ward had a community policing role in the same area in 2019 and got to know the locals through attending meetings, festivals and taking part in a five-a-side league. On November 5, 2019 he was asked to go to Store Street station where he viewed the same CCTV footage. He identified YZ and Alan O'Brien, who he also knew as Alan 'Pegger' Rooney, at the Dublin 3 Apartments and at Rahardrum. He identified Darren Redmond with YZ at the apartment block in footage from the day Mr Lunney was abducted. Sgt Niall Leech of Clones Garda Station told Mr Guerin that he took part in searches of properties belonging to Luke O'Reilly. At Mr O'Reilly's home, he said, he found a bottle of bleach at the top of a wheelie bin that was against a gable wall. He found another bottle inside one of the bins. On September 23, 2019 he searched a yard at Drumbrade belonging to Mr O'Reilly where he saw a blue horse box among other trailers. He noted that one white trailer differed from the other units in that it had vegetation growing underneath. The others, he said, had no growth underneath because the area had no access to light. He formed the opinion that the white trailer had recently been placed there. When the trailer was removed by a crane, Sgt Leech noticed a fresh tyre mark underneath. The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Jefferson, GA (30549) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Jet2, TUI Fly, EasyJet and British Airways say reservations for package tours and trips have increased by 60% in the UK in the last 48 hours and Mallorca, Ibiza and Minorca are amongst the most sought after destinations. The quarantine requirements for British residents returning from Amber list countries will be lifted from July 19 and that has had a very positive effect, mainly because it guarantees travel to the Balearic Islands, said a spokesperson. British Airways has revealed that just hours after the announcement online searches increased by 96% compared to the previous day and that most searches were for Barbados, Palma, Ibiza, New York, Antigua, Malta and Malaga. The UK Travel Agents Association, or ABTA, has warned that demand for package tours could drive up prices. EasyJet says reservations for travel to Amber category countries went up 400% and holiday bookings by more than 440% in the hours after the announcement, compared to the previous week. Airlines are scrambling to meet demand and more than 145,000 additional seats have already been added to the schedule and 65,472 of them are for Spain. Hoteliers in Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza-Formentera that operate with the British market have welcomed the increase in reservations and are crossing their fingers that forecasts from Jet2, EasyJet and TUI UK will be fulfilled. At the moment everything is in limbo and waiting for the reactivation of the UK market, they said. The level of uncertainty this season exceeds all our forecasts because the news changes from one day to the next, but it is very positive that British tourists can come without any problems if theyve been fully vaccinated in the UK and wont have to quarantine when they return home from the Balearic Islands, said business owners in Mallorca. The lifting of the UK's quarantine for British travellers returning from the Balearics also means that airlines wont have to reschedule flights from the UK to the Islands if they revert to the Amber list. French people who want to travel to Spain and Portugal should get vaccinated first, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday, clarifying a government call not to travel to the two countries issued the prior day. "There is no tourism protectionism from France, there is a will to ensure health standards - tourism is fundamental for both our countries," Le Drian told a news conference in Madrid. "We all want to go on holidays but health protection is fundamental and that's why we must get vaccinated." Le Drian's junior minister Clement Beaune had told the French on Thursday to avoid travelling to the two Iberian countries where the number of COVID-19 cases is rising fast. Those comments angered the Spanish tourism industry which has been counting on the summer season to recover from the pandemic's disastrous economic impact. MANISTEE The Manistee Fire Department now has a new firefighter/paramedic who joined the team this summer. Matt Witkowski, of Free Soil, said he enjoys having no work day that is the same. Every day is something different. You can run on the same patient for the same call and its still a different (experience), Witkowski said of being a paramedic/firefighter at Manistee Fire Department. I like change, I like to be using my mind, I like to be active. At the June 15 Manistee City Council meeting, Manistee Fire Chief Mark Cameron introduced Witkowski to council. Hes got an extensive background in paramedicine, and I think hes going to be a great asset to our department, Cameron told council. Witkowski is a Manistee High School graduate from the class of 2000. After graduation, he went to college for teaching secondary education in Marquette. But Witkowski said he realized he wasnt going to be able to teach the way he would prefer. I like the subjects most people find boring and in order to make those kinds of things like history (fun), history to me is every day, were making some sort of history, he said. So I want that to be accessible, so Im very big on hands-on projects and field trips and going to actually bring the past and make it something tactile ... something you can actually see and be a part of to make it more than just a name and a date in a book. He said he realized that was not the way that most education systems were being conducted. After that I realized education wasnt quite where I was headed, Witkowski told council. Witkowski had also worked for the National Forest Service in the recreation department, had been part of the Youth Conservation Corps through the National Park Service. It got me out in the woods, he said. I primarily focused on the Pine River. That was kind of my duty area. Witkowski also responded to wildfires. I had gone out on three wildfire crews, I had gone out on two hand crews so theyre basically the ones you see in the movies or whatever that are actually digging the fire line and hiking up and down, he said. Then, I did one engine crew which we took a truck from Manistee out to Colorado. Witkowski learned that the structural fire side of things would have been a little bit more up my alley. He went to Lake Superior State University for several years and graduated with a degree in fire science and paramedic technology. From there, I began training in EMS I found that I took to it like a fish to water. I truly enjoy that aspect of things, providing service and aid to those who need it most and just being that comfort that people need at the time of crisis, he said at the meeting. The Manistee Fire Department is a dual department where responders are trained in both medical calls as well as for fires. Witkowski said that he has had about 14 years in EMS. He said the brotherhood or teamwork aspect of the job is one part he enjoys with his role. You can equate these kinds of jobs, whether its EMS, firefighter ... law enforcement that kind of (career) and its not to be insulting, but unless you do it, you dont really understand it, he said. When you go through situations when you need to lean on somebody to help you out and they lean on you to help them out, it really makes you close. He worked in Mason County for about seven years. He also volunteered with the Manistee Fire Department for a time and then most recently came to Manistee County where he previously worked for Northflight EMS that is now Mobile Medical Response. Witkowski noted that his wife is also a first responder working for Mobile Medical Response as a paramedic. Cameron said it was important to have Witkowskis family to be present and involved in the pinning ceremony held late last month. Witkowski noted that to get the job in Manistee he had a psychiatric evaluation, a medical evaluation, a physical agility test and interviews. He said he accepted the offer for the position right away. Members of council welcomed Witkowski at the meeting. Im looking forward to staying here. I enjoy the community. As I said, I grew up here, so I have a lot of ties to the area and Ive always enjoyed being by the lake, Witkowski said at the meeting. Ive been out West and nothing is quite the same as having Lake Michigan at your back door. Nothing comes close to being in Manistee. RELATED: VIDEO: Manistee Fire Department, WSCC EMT students pair up for training The Michigan Pheasant Hunting Initiative (MPHI) is a grassroots effort created by devoted small-game hunter Ken Dalton, of Lapeer, who has been dismayed by the steadily dropping numbers of small game hunters in Michigan and decided to do something about it. According to Dalton, something had to be created to instill in more people the true joy of small-game hunting, and he readily remembers when small-game hunters way outnumbered deer hunters. This was due in large part to the ring-neck pheasant, which would have scores of hunters and bird-dogs out in the fields seeking out this very unique (and quite delicious) gamebird. During Michigans pheasant hunting heyday, the multitudes of visiting hunters were truly a great boon to local economies. Although the ring-neck pheasant is a non-native bird species, it certainly has become naturalized in this country and in 1943 even became the state bird of South Dakota, where pheasants were first released in 1898. The first major pheasant releases in Michigan occurred in 1917, with the first pheasant season opening on Oct. 15, 1925 in southern Michigan. (In 1952, the opening date was changed to Oct. 20, which it has remained ever since.) Pheasant hunting quickly became a major outdoor pastime for hunters in the state for the next 40 years (with schools even being closed on the opening day). It was during the mid-1960s when the wild pheasant numbers began to plummet, primarily due to the steady changing of required habitat caused by new farming techniques (which included newly developed herbicides and insecticides), combined with a series of severe winter conditions. Almost overnight, it seemed, the wild ring-neck pheasant all but disappeared. It did, however, manage to survive wherever the habitat allowed, albeit in small pockets of cover. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that started in the 1980s which placed farmlands into grasslands, was, and still is, a great asset for wild pheasants. About the same time as CRP began, Pheasants Forever (PF) came into effect to greatly assist matters nationwide with a main focus on proper habitat, and certainly does a great and dedicated job. To also assist the pheasant, the Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative (MPRI) was created by the Michigan DNR in 2011 to have private landowners form cooperatives to create large blocks of cover, and this remains an ongoing and positive effort. Although Michigans wild pheasant has been able to hang on wherever proper habitat allows it to survive and propagate, it is primarily a private farmland game bird species. And gaining permission to hunt on private property, especially for large groups of hunters, is not as easy as it once was. For this reason, Ken Dalton created the Michigan Pheasant Hunting Initiative (MPHI), which provides pheasant hunting opportunities on public land for all hunters, to once again instill the love of small-game hunting and to recruit and retain new hunters. This effort is not to be confused with Michigans Put and Take pheasant program of the 1970s, when hunters were often waiting for the truck to arrive and release pen-reared pheasants. Dalton has arranged with the Michigan Gamebird Breeders Association to provide quality (roosters only) pheasants and to secretly release them after hours in set locations during an ongoing pheasant season. Thanks to funding provided by state lawmakers, Daltons dedicated efforts came to fruition during the 2019 pheasant seasons, with roosters being released in 11 State Game Areas in southern Michigan. All that was required for someone to participate was a free pheasant stamp, and by all accounts, it was a great success entailing a lot of folks enjoying the hunt, many of whom had never hunted pheasants before. However, the pandemic put a halt to matters in 2020, and no birds were released during that hunting season. When the 2021 Michigan hunting licenses became available this past spring, there was a bit of confusion, not only with purchasers, but also by those doing the license selling, about a new $25 Pheasant License. It is clear that the word hadnt gotten out about all that is entailed in the new license. To begin, the pheasant license is NOT required in order to hunt pheasants on private land or on hunting preserves, but it is required to hunt pheasants on any state-owned property and Hunter Access Program (HAP) grounds in the Lower Peninsula (it is not required in the Upper Peninsula). Also, youth hunters under the age of 18 are not required to purchase a pheasant license. The $25 license is necessary to pay for the birds being released in the hopes that the MPHI program will become self-supporting. As Dalton points out, 21 states (including South Dakota) release pheasants each fall for hunters, and most require participating hunters to purchase an earmarked pheasant license (or stamp) to assist in paying for the program. It is also Daltons hope to even attract out-of-state pheasant hunters to Michigan, with an overall goal of having pheasant hunting once again rejuvenate local economies. A prime example is South Dakota, which places a priority on pheasant hunting as economically important and attracts a lot of pheasant hunters from all over the country, including Michigan, to have a very unique outdoor experience. There is nothing quite like the sight of a raucous and gaudy rooster pheasant suddenly flushing up into an autumn sky, as well as sharing the warm camaraderie of fellow hunters and their bird dogs. It is definitely a world unto itself (having been a farm kid in the Thumb, it is the world I grew up in, and I cherished every moment). At present, not as many State Game Areas (SGA) will be involved in the MPHI program as were available in 2019, and thus far, none are in the Thumb. The MDNR Wildlife Division is reviewing matters, including pheasant license sales, and only time will tell if or when more public ground will become available. According to Dalton, HAP acres on private farmland are also being considered, which I believe is a fantastic option. He is hoping more public land becomes involved in the MPHI program to allow easier access for a lot of pheasant hunters. Dalton also hopes to bring back a rooster-tail contest, which was once quite a very popular commodity during a pheasant season. This often came down to the total number of black bars in the longest tail feather. For a fact, I know when there are 30 or more bars, you have quite a long tail feather from a dandy rooster! In regards to the wild pheasants in the Thumb (which was Michigans pheasant hunting hotspot during the heyday), birds have been experiencing ideal weather conditions this year wherever the habitat allows. There was a good carryover of birds during the winter, with plenty of rooster-crowing in May during the typical pheasant breeding period. The ongoing drought, while rough on farmers, offered fantastic conditions for nesting and chick-rearing hens. Ive recently seen s number of successful broods, with the chicks being able to already fly. Typically, about 90% of the wild roosters harvested during a given pheasant season (and only roosters can be legally harvested) were hatched during the summer. The average life expectancy of a wild pheasant is one year, and harvesting surplus roosters actually has no impact on the overall bird population from one year to the next. An important key is to have a good winter carryover of hens in proper habitat and to have great nesting/hatching weather with a high chick survivability. There are always enough roosters around to take care of matters during the breeding season. Needless to say, folks, I have already purchased a Michigan Pheasant License. Although I have access to private land pheasant hunting opportunities, I also frequently hunt public land, and thanks to preseason scouting, I do have some favorite spots. I also fully support the MPHI program and wish to do my part to allow others to enjoy the wonderful outdoor pastime of pheasant hunting in Michigan. Ken Dalton goes by Mr. Pheasident of MPHI. For more information, call him at 810-358-9372 or go to www.mphi.info. Email Tom Lounsbury at tlounsburyoutdoors@gmail.com TRAVERSE CITY Munson Regional EMS Education continues to accept applications for its paramedic program, which begins July 26. The nearly 15-month program includes 647 hours of classroom instruction with addition online time to supplement classroom learning, and 672 hours of clinical experience. Munson Regional EMS Education Senior Coordinator Robert Rudzki said seats remain available in the 24-slot class. Recent graduates have had good success on licensing exams. The paramedic course that finished in March has an 88% pass rate on the national written exam and a 100% pass rate on the practical exam, he said. We offer experienced instructors and a great learning environment that is able to take advantage of the high volume of clinical resources at Munson Medical Center. All classes are held in the EMS education classroom at Foster Family Community Healthcare Center, 550 Munson Ave. in Traverse City. Clinical training will occur at Munson Healthcare hospitals, area EMS agencies, and other clinical sites throughout the state of Michigan. Students who successfully complete the course and obtain their paramedic license will be able to apply for 43 credits of an Associate of Applied Science in Paramedicine at Northwestern Michigan College. Prerequisites include a copy of the applicants EMT-Basic license, a letter of recommendation for ones EMS agency or director, shot records and more. At least one year of experience with a transporting Advanced Life Support unit is recommended or two years of experience on a non-transporting basic life support unit. Cost of the program is $7,300 and includes the text. Deadline for registration is July 19 at 11 pm. MIAMI (AP) The last time Haiti was thrust into turmoil by assassination was 1915, when an angry group of rebels raided the French Embassy and beat to death President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, ushering in weeks of chaos that triggered a nearly two-decade U.S. military intervention. With the era of gunboat diplomacy long over, the U.S. is unlikely to deploy troops in the aftermath of the brazen slaying Wednesday of President Jovenel Moise in an overnight raid at his home. But the Biden administration may nonetheless find itself dragged into the country's increasingly violent political conflict, one that has been building if largely ignored by Washington for months and which is now expected to deepen further, with the immediate path forward blurred by intrigue. This will get the U.S.' full attention and that's already a big deal, said Amy Wilentz, the author of multiple books on Haiti. Up until now, no matter who went to the Americans about Haitian governance and its problems under Moise, they weren't interested in interfering in any way except to support him. Moise was a little-known banana exporter until former President Michel Martelly, barred by the constitution from seeking reelection, tapped him to run as his heir in 2015 elections marred by allegations of fraud. Seen by many as a stand-in for Martelly's eventual comeback, he had been ruling by decree for more than a year after repeatedly postponing elections in a bitter standoff with opponents while desperate Haitians suffered at the mercy of violent gangs whose power has proliferated in recent years. He nonetheless appeared to be on his way out, having set Sept. 26 to hold elections for president and parliament. The electoral timetable was backed by the Biden administration, though it rejected plans to hold a constitutional referendum currently scheduled for the same day that has been opposed by critics who say any vote organized by the government will be fundamentally flawed and lack credibility. The Biden administration gave no indication of its next policy moves in the aftermath of Moise's murder other than to say it will support an investigation to determine who was behind the slaying. So far, there are few clues. But Moise's allies say the president's recent decision to go after Haitian oligarchs who grew rich on state contracts in the electricity and other sectors earned him enemies who have the means to carry out such a well-organized attack, one that authorities say involved Spanish and English-speaking mercenaries posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents. Late Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, a protege of Moise, to offer his condolences. It is still the view of the United States that elections this year should proceed," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. The U.S. has influenced political events in Haiti throughout its history deploying troops, funding development projects and boosting would-be leaders. Its intervention following Sam's assassination in 1915 kicked off a ruinous, nearly two-decade U.S. occupation that saw the introduction of Jim Crow racial segregation laws in what was the first country in the world to ban slavery. The U.S. stood by anti-communist ally Francois Duvalier during his reign of terror during the Cold War. And Bill Clinton brokered a deal to restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide following his removal in a 1994 coup. In addition, members of the Haitian diaspora concentrated in the U.S. send home more than $3 billion in remittances yearly, or around a third of the nations gross domestic product. But despite $13 billion in international aid spent on state-building since the devastating 2010 earthquake, the country's democracy remains fragile, corruption rampant and inequality that has left millions struggling to eat is growing worse. The United States, for reasons that elude me, does not see that, said Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer and retired United Nations official from her home in the hills above the capital, not far from where the president was killed. Its to the point that I think I tweeted yesterday is it because we are Black? To underscore her criticism of the U.S.' frequent neglect, Clesca referred to a shooting rampage just last week in Haitis capital that was met with silence by Haitis international partners. Fifteen people, including a journalist and a well-known political activist, were among the dead. I didnt hear Joe Biden. I didnt hear Boris Johnson," she said. "Where were they? Biden said he was shocked and saddened by Moise's murder, condemning it as heinous act. But in a long Senate career focused on foreign policy, he showed little interest in getting bogged in Haiti's quagmire politics, taking distance from fellow Democrat Clinton's threats of an invasion to restore Aristide. If Haiti, a God-awful thing to say, if Haiti just quietly sunk into the Caribbean or rose up 300 feet, it wouldnt matter a whole lot in terms of our interest, he said in a 1994 interview with then PBS host Charlie Rose. Wilentz said that absent a migration crisis, the Biden White House is likely to limit any involvement. The Haiti turmoil comes as the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan and it would be hard if not impossible to get support for fresh US troops anywhere in the world right now, especially in a place like Haiti where theres little expectation that U.S. engagement would lead to political stability. Still, Wilentz said U.S. officials should keep an eye on Joseph to see if he has the wherewithal and interest in organizing a democratic transition that brings stability to average Haitians. If not, they should be pushing him pretty hard to name an interim government and get out of the way, she said. Her biggest fear, besides Martelly or another strongman stepping in to fill the void, is that the U.S. officials once again lose interest. The problem," she said, is you cant do it with the Americans and you cant do it without them. ___ Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman AP Writers Matt Lee in Washington and Trenton Daniel in New York contributed to this report. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. Mayfield, KY (42066) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. McAlester, OK (74501) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High near 90F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Marietta, GA (30060) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Atlanta, GA (30303) Today Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Atlanta, GA (30303) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Meadville, PA (16335) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Meadville, PA (16335) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. He visited India after whiffing a taste of Indian butter chicken in New Zealand, only to come here and fall in love - with both the country and a woman he ended up marrying here. Karl Rock, the famous YouTuber with almost 1.79 Million followers had always been in awe of India, its culture and the people up until recently, when he was denied entry back into the country, keeping him from his wife and family. On Friday, July 9, the YouTuber alleged that the Indian Government had conspired to 'blacklist' him from entering the country, without so much as an explanation or a chance for him to question their decision. The entire matter, which was highlighted in one of his vlogs on his channel on YouTube titled, Why I Haven't Seen My Wife in 269 Days #Blacklist, has already garnered over 5 lakh views and more than 25 thousand comments. Karl Rock claims in the video that the Indian government ended up cancelling his visa last year but refrained from telling him the reason behind this blacklisting. Highlighting how he hasnt seen his wife in all of 269 days and counting, he goes on to talk about the several attempts he and his wife made over the past few months to resolve the issue, but hit a dead end. The YouTuber has now decided to move to the High Court by filing a petition, and has even asked for public support on the matter. Karl Rock also tweeted about the matter, marking New Zealand president Jacinda Arden to call for her support. He even started an online petition to gather support and help resolve this matter. Almost 85K people have signed his online petition till now. Dear @jacindaardern, the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife & family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Please watch my struggle https://t.co/dq0Z98SCFw @NZinIndia @MukteshPardeshi pic.twitter.com/sLM2nk9lR3 Karl Rock (@iamkarlrock) July 9, 2021 Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has denied any claims of blacklisting Karl and stated how his entry being denied is in fact a matter of a visa violation. An official was quoted saying, He was on a tourist visa but engaging in business activities. Meanwhile, people on the internet are divided on the matter, for many are claiming it had to do with him participating in anti-CAA support protests. Even though the YouTuber has deleted any video he posted of attending an anti-CAA protest, a lot of evidence supporting his presence during the protests still lingers on the internet. Here is how people on Twitter are reacting to the development: Maybe GOI is worried you spent too much time in Pakistan and now you're coming back as their agent? Shivank Aggarwal (@lueroi453) July 9, 2021 First tell us what did u do for being on blacklist? I am pretty you mist have done something. Without reason GOI cant block you. We need hear both sides of story Ramesh sajjan and 976 others liked your reply (@CKMKBXi) July 9, 2021 It's sad but I guess it's because you visited our enemy country pakistan that didn't go well with the Indian government , anyone who comes from Pakistan or has a travel history of pakistan is viewed as a spy and vice versa same thing happens in pakistan too (@sarmah_avanish) July 9, 2021 Bjp must be Angry that you exposed so many scammers. nmn mj (@RashtraDad) July 9, 2021 Next time don't participate in protests on tourist visa, read the terms and conditions of visa carefully. Say hi to the real inhabitants of NZ - the Maori ,whom your ancestors ki#led and occupied their land. Rashy10 (@RashfordTen) July 9, 2021 Hum do humaare do, was a slogan introduced years ago by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as she urged the importance of population control while we still could. Of course, none of that worked since we currently stand at a gigantic population of 1,393,790,539 which is a few million too much. And as India is predicted to take over China at becoming the most populous country in the world with a projected population of 1.45 billion by 2030, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to take matters into his own hands, at least, in regard to his state. A draft bill on population control prepared by the UP State Law Commission proposes to make people with more than two children ineligible for govt jobs. (By Pawan Dixit) | #UttarPradesh https://t.co/0FE2Mfzrik Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 10, 2021 And by that, he means proposing a brand new bill, which if passed, shall imply that the benefits of various state government-sponsored welfare schemes will only be limited to those with two children or less. Planning to reveal the first draft of his bill on July 11 which is also World Population Day, the announcement of his intention has already irked a massive reaction on Twitter where people are expressing both their concerns and their relief. Reuters The bill, that is open to suggestions by the public until the 19th of July, will solely be looking at benefiting those who adopt the two-child policy that is being pitched. The draft mentions, "Public servants who adopt the two-child norm will get two additional increments during the entire service, maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months, with full salary and allowances and three per cent increase in the employer's contribution fund under national pension scheme." Meanwhile, Twitter is filling up with reactions as the news is getting around. One user wrote, disaster absolute disaster this will be- absolute lunacy, with literacy and economic progress population itself goes down- this bill will be the beginning of the end...my god the sheer stupidity, while another wrote, Very good, should be implemented across all India soon. As Twitter stands divided, here are some of the reactions from the public: Here is what UP population control bill draft says and how you can send feedback: Full details Frankly, quite a problematic bill https://t.co/2kZ9yBEuzA Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) July 10, 2021 Until 4 wives policy is stopped & monogamy is imposed on Samudaay Vishesh no population policy will do any good. Infact it will be counterproductive Anand Sanghvi (@andysanghvi) July 10, 2021 #UttarPradesh amazing stuff,this is what was long overdue.#YogiGovernment finally walking the talk. Somil Mathur (@SomilMathur) July 10, 2021 Merit is the universally accepted criteria for govt https://t.co/khn5Fzv3tO should not be altered by some tuglaki laws Esmail Nazeer (@esmail_nazeer) July 10, 2021 Good move... But... 2 children per husband ... Or 2 children per wife... Let us be clear about this first. Any JUMLA can be good for Election Ram Daryani (@Ramdaryani01) July 10, 2021 It is there wrt no of wives in govt Family advisor (@Mathtut33741288) July 10, 2021 The rapid rise of Delta variant cases and virus outbreaks combined with the states low vaccination rate led the Mississippi Department of Health to release a slew of new COVID-related guidelines on Friday. The new recommendations, which will stay in place through July 26, are: All Mississippi residents ages 65 and older, as well as anyone with a chronic underlying medical condition, should avoid all indoor mass gatherings regardless of their vaccination status. -All unvaccinated Mississippians wear a mask when indoors in public settings. -All Mississippians 12 years of age and older get vaccinated. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said that these recommendations were decided on because Mississippians collectively have not done what it takes to protect us all, and MSDH wants to give the most vulnerable individuals the best guidance so they can survive the Delta surge the state is facing. At this pace, and given the sort of external dynamics that are in play here, were going to remain vulnerable for a long time, Dobbs said. I dont think that were going to have some miraculous increase in our vaccination rate over the next few weeks, so people are going to die needlessly. And so when we look at who our most vulnerable people are, its going to be the people 65 and older, or who have chronic medical issues. While MSDH has made these new recommendations, they are just that. Mississippi has had next to no COVID-related restrictions at the state level since Gov. Tate Reeves repealed most of them in March. The Delta strain is currently circulating much more quickly than other variants in Mississippi. Over the past two weeks, the number of Delta cases in Mississippi has increased more than fivefold, up from 29 to 137. Delta is now also the dominant variant across the United States. Nationally, the average number of new cases has started to trend upwards due to localized Delta outbreaks in places, like Mississippi, that have low vaccination rates. The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 427 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the most for any one day since March 13. The Delta variant has considerably increased the already high risks posed by the virus to unvaccinated people. Between June 3 and July 1, 95% of all COVID infections in Mississippi were among the unvaccinated. During that period, the same group also accounted for 90% of hospitalizations and 89% of deaths. Meridian Alphas aim to bridge the gap For Dr. Cedric Ruffin, giving back means using his knowledge to help his community. The vaccines are nearly as effective against the Delta variant as the original strain, greatly minimizing the chance of infection and nearly eliminating the risks of developing a serious illness. Studies suggest, however, that being fully vaccinated is the only adequate protection against the Delta variant, as a single shot of either of the two-dose mRNA vaccines provides only weak protection against infection. The Delta variant, first identified in India, is believed to be about 60 percent more contagious than the Alpha variant and up to twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19. On Thursday, Pfizer announced that it will seek emergency FDA authorization for a third booster shot that better protects against the Delta variant. Dobbs is already recommending that immunocompromised Mississippians get tested to check their antibody levels after getting vaccinated, and ask their doctors about getting a third dose if their immune system did not respond strongly to the first two doses. Jim Craig, Director of Health Protection, added that the decision to receive a third dose right now will be on an individual basis and based on the physician/patient relationship. As far as an overall booster recommendation for a specific group, or for the total population, I think we are still not at that point yet, Craig said. Thats not a guarantee that we wont be at a booster point down the road, but I think that the vaccines that we have right now are still showing effective long-term immunity. Despite the wide availability of vaccines and the risks posed by variants, Mississippi continues to rank last in the nation in the share of its population that has been vaccinated. With over 2 million shots administered, only 31% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated. Meridian, MS (39302) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions. Last week I wrote a humorous (if I do say so myself) tongue-in-cheek column about the fun of fireworks, especially those you light off yourself. I joked about the danger of said fireworks being part of the fun, and even praised former Gov. Rick Snyder for legalizing fireworks that can leave the ground during his term. After this Fourth of July, I've had a change of heart. Fireworks are fine, but the firing of them should be left to the professionals. Over the weekend here in Michigan, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a fireworks accident while at a party in Novi. According to an article by CNBC, originally the local authorities speculated that Kivlenieks died from a head injury after falling while trying to evade an errant firework. However, an autopsy showed that he actually died from chest trauma after being struck by the mortar blast. And while this is a higher-profile example of the danger of fireworks, you are able to find numerous stories around holidays, especially the Fourth of July, that are very similar to this one. There are numerous injuries and even deaths every year because of fireworks accidents. At no other time is it legal to launch flaming balls of fire into the air, so why is it OK during the holidays? I'm not a prude by any means. Actually, I attended a backyard fireworks show this year, and it was enjoyable. There were no accidents, everyone was safe, and we enjoyed watching the fireworks explode over a pond. But one small mistake could have changed all of that. Had a firework tilted slightly as it did in Novi Sunday, our group would have been left scrambling away from a dangerous projectile. Professionals who set off fireworks displays have to have licenses to operate and have to be properly trained. And even then, accidents happen. Several years ago when I was working for a newspaper covering Mio, a malfunction caused the entire 25-minute show to launch in about 11 seconds. No one was hurt, but it could have been very bad. There are accidents at professional fireworks shows all the time, and you'll notice when you attend one you aren't allowed to get anywhere near where they are being launched. So how is it that anyone with enough money to walk into a fireworks store and buy a mortar can shoot it 300 feet into the sky in the middle of their neighborhood? Like I said in my column last week, I've always enjoyed fireworks. But especially this year, after hearing the story of Kivlenieks, after seeing my friends' posts on Facebook about having to clean fireworks debris out of their yards the the day after their neighbors put on a show, and after hearing explosions in my neighborhood all night for four straight nights, the amateur ones just don't feel very fun anymore. I get it, it's fun to watch fireworks, and that's great. But pack your family up in the car and take them out to one of the many professional fireworks displays that happen in almost every community. Make a day of it and enjoy the other festivities that are available. Leave the fireworks to the professionals. It's time for our legislators to step up and put an end to the madness. Let's go back to the way it used to be if it leaves the ground, it's not allowed. Fireworks in any capacity are dangerous, especially when it's super dry as it was this Fourth of July. But at least you don't need to dodge sparklers as they hurtle through the air. It was fun while it lasted, and I'm sure it will have an economic effect on the fireworks businesses in Michigan, as well as the Michigan government as a result. But in the interest of safety, let's keep the fireworks on the ground, and keep everyone a little bit safer next year. Eric Young is the editor of the Huron Daily Tribune. He can be reached at 989-623-3187 or eric.young@hearstnp.com. A construction victory of a medical complex in Tuscola County is expected to help with the development of a similar complex in Huron County. Bill Putman and his company, Putman Developing, are in the process of constructing a $7 million, 42,000-square foot medical complex on five acres at 1800 W. Caro Road (M-81), Caro. When that project is done, Putman Developing has its sights set on building an even larger state-of-the art medical complex in the Bad Axe area. Getting construction of the medical complex back on track in Caro was an uphill battle for Putman, but he is used to challenges. After losing his mother when he was eight years old and being placed in five different homes, Putman learned to be self-reliant, and that has worked out well for him with his project in Caro. After months of construction delays due to being at odds with South Central Michigan Construction Code Inspections, which is the company Tuscola County hired to handle building codes, Putman and his attorneys researched ways to end the loggerhead to move ahead with building the complex. Putman took matters into his own hands and contacted SAFEbuilt about doing inspections on his Caro complex. SAFEbuilt is a community development service company. After doing a lot of research with their legal counsel, Tuscola County Commissioners approved allowing SAFEbuilt to take over the Putman Developing project. Commissioners approved having their attorney Eric Morris work out an inspection agreement with SAFEbuilt on just the Putman project. SCMCCI will handle other building code matters until their contract ends Sept. 30. For about three years, commissioners have dealt with various complaints about SCMCCIs service, so they voted to terminate their contract with them, and do a request for proposal for another agency to take over code enforcement duties. If a deal had not been worked out, Putman, who already had millions of dollars invested in the Caro project, said he was ready to pull the plug. Well have to take this somewhere else," he said. "Im not threatening. Im just being blunt and honest." Before commissioners made the decision for SAFEbuilt to work with Putman Developing, Morris pointed out that moving forward with SAFEbuilt could leave the county liable if SCMCCI doesnt cooperate. Morris noted that going ahead without SCMCCIs signing off could result in their never signing such an agreement and the county could not make them. This needs to happen," Commissioner Kim Vaughan said. "Were going to do it whether SCMCCI gives us that release or not." It was the consensus of the commissioners for SAFEbuilt to handle inspections and code issues with Putman Developing, regardless if it created issues with SCMCCI because the county's contract with the company ends in about two months. Also, county Controller and Administrator Clayette Zechmeister said the state was contacted about the issues with building codes, and to get a list of potential firms to serve as inspectors for the Putman project. SAFEbuilt was one of the firms the states building codes department recommended, she said. During the many discussions on issues with Putman Developing, and SCMCCI officials, commissioners said they felt the blame for construction delays should be shouldered by both parties. With the countys decision to allow Putman Developing to move forward with SAFEbuilt, there has been a flurry of building activity because there are contracts signed for space in the medical center. The commissioners decision is exciting," Putman said. "Not just for our project but for what it will bring to the community. I feel in my heart of hearts this project is going to be one of the greatest things for our community. McLaren Caro Region signed a lease for about 20,000-square feet in the complex. Some of the other services the complex will offer are primary care professionals, laboratories, and imaging. And, some of the others who have leases for the facility include physical therapy, a pharmacy, urology, chiropractic care, and several other medical care services. A unique aspect of the medical center is that it will cater to veterans needs both physical and mental healthcare. We will pay for it," Putman said. "They dont have to worry about VA. We are going to give them the best care available, and the same with the elderly, and mentally and physically handicapped will have care. We will foot the bill for that, and we will also check into if there are ways to get them insurance and if necessary better insurance. It wont be a hospital, but rather a one-stop complex for medical services. Wrangling with building codes put the complex seven months behind on the completion date, and more than $1 million over budget. A target date of Oct. 21 has been set for a celebration of the complex. That date is to say thank you to all involved in making this happen," Putman said. "It may not be totally done then, but ready or not, there will be a celebration on that date. It needs to be 100% done to get a certificate of occupancy permit. Putman talked McLaren into selecting the Caro site from two other choices. Caro raised me and helped me make a living," he said. "This is an opportunity for me to give back to the area. This project is my last hurrah. Im going to retire when it is done. And, the Caro complex is not the only medical center Putman Developing plans to do. Putman will be turning the reins over to his son, Blake, who is in the process of negotiating a purchase of property in the Bad Axe area to build a one-stop medical complex like the one in Caro. The Bad Axe project will be larger at 55,000 square feet and offer even more services. At 4:21 p.m. Friday, July 9, officers from the Midland Police Department were dispatched to the area of Jefferson Avenue and Wanetah Drive for a report of a bicyclist who was struck by a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle involved fled the scene north on Jefferson Avenue after the crash. The bicyclist was identified as a 51-year-old female Midland resident and was transported to a Mid-Michigan Emergency room for her injuries. At this time, the injuries to the victim are serious. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Firefighters struggled to contain an exploding Northern California wildfire under blazing temperatures as another heat wave blanketed the West, prompting an excessive heat warning for inland and desert areas. Death Valley in southeastern California's Mojave Desert reached 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service's reading at Furnace Creek. The shockingly high temperature was actually lower than the previous day, when the location reached 130 F (54 C). If confirmed as accurate, the 130-degree reading would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when Furnace Creek desert hit 1,34 F (57 C), considered the highest measured temperature on Earth. About 300 miles (483 kilometers) northwest of the sizzling desert, the largest wildfire of the year in California was raging along the border with Nevada. The Beckwourth Complex Fire a combination of two lightning-caused fires burning 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Lake Tahoe showed no sign of slowing its rush northeast from the Sierra Nevada forest region after doubling in size between Friday and Saturday. Late Saturday, flames jumped Interstate 395 and was threatening properties in Nevada's Washoe County. Take immediate steps to protect large animals and livestock, the The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District tweeted. The blaze, which was only 8% contained, increased dramatically to 86 square miles (222 square kilometers) as firefighters sweltered in 100-degree temperatures. It was one of several threatening homes across Western states that were expected to see triple-digit heat through the weekend as a high-pressure zone blankets the region. Pushed by strong winds, a wildfire in southern Oregon doubled in size to 120 square miles (311 square kilometers) Saturday as it raced through heavy timber in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near the Klamath County town of Sprague River. The National Weather Service warned the dangerous conditions could cause heat-related illnesses, while Californias power grid operator issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday to avoid disruptions and rolling blackouts. The California Independent System Operator warned of potential power shortage, not only because of mounting heat, but because a wildfire in southern Oregon was threatening transmission lines that carry imported power to California. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Friday suspending rules to allow for more power capacity, and the ISO requested emergency assistance from other states. On Saturday, Newsom issued another proclamation allowing the emergency use of auxiliary ship engines to relieve pressure on the electric grid. Palm Springs in Southern California hit a record high temperature of 120 F (49 C) Saturday. It was the fourth time temperatures have reached 120 degrees so far this year, the Desert Sun reported. In California's agricultural Central Valley, 100-degree temperatures blanketed the region, with Fresno reaching 111 degrees F (44 C), just one degree short of the all-time high for the date, Las Vegas late Saturday afternoon tied the all-time record high of 117 F (47 C), the National Weather Service said. The city has recorded that record-high temperature four other times, most recently in June 2017. NV Energy, Nevadas largest power provider, also urged customers to conserve electricity Saturday and Sunday evenings because of the heat wave and wildfires affecting transmission lines throughout the region. In Southern California, a brush fire sparked by a burning big rig in eastern San Diego County forced evacuations of two Native American reservations Saturday. In north-central Arizona, Yavapai County on Saturday lifted an evacuation warning for Black Canyon City, an unincorporated town 43 miles (66 kilometers) north of Phoenix, after a fire in nearby mountains no longer posed a threat. In Mohave County, Arizona, two firefighters died Saturday after a aircraft they were in to respond to a small wildfire crashed, local media reported. A wildfire in southeast Washington grew to almost 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) as it blackened grass and timber while it moved into the Umatilla National Forest. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency Friday and mobilized the states National Guard to help fight fires sparked after lightning storms swept across the drought-stricken region. ___ Associated Press writers Bob Jablon in Los Angeles, Martha Bellisle in Seattle and Paul Davenport in Phoenix contributed to this story. DANBURY Some local leaders see the legalization of marijuana as an economic opportunity for the city, while others are less eager for recreational pot sales. Danbury is considering a temporary moratorium on cannabis establishments to give the city more time to determine how to regulate them, including where they should go. For me, the challenges are enormous, Mayor Joe Cavo said. Where is it going to be? How are you going to keep it away from children? Theres so much to it. Newtown has already temporarily banned cannabis establishments, while Ridgefield is expected to consider doing the same. Other towns have not figured out their plans. This could be an opportunity for the city, said Paul Rotello, the Democratic minority leader on City Council. We could be the go-to place for the marijuana industry in western Connecticut. He said he sees the economic benefit. Once retail pot sales begin in late 2022, municipalities where cannabis is sold will earn a 3 percent sales tax. But Rotellos not completely thrilled that the city could become the regions pot mecca. I would prefer it to be exercise equipment or fruits and vegetables, something we could be confident we could get behind and promote to surrounding communities, he said. Its not Cavos preferred method for tax dollars either. But its here now, and so now I have to deal with it, he said. Others would welcome recreational dispensaries. John Esposito III, a City Council member and Democratic candidate for mayor, said he would support incentives to bring dispensaries downtown, where the city is revitalizing with new sidewalks. We need to give people a reason to come downtown, he said. Retail sales Cavo said he wont prevent marijuana retailers from coming to Danbury. It is what it is, he said. Marijuana is now legal in the state of Connecticut. Were just going to do the best we can with it, make sure that peoples needs are served and we do the best job of managing it that we can. Dean Esposito, the mayors chief of staff and the Republican candidate for mayor, said the city needs to explore further whether dispensaries are right for Danbury. Were really at such an early stage and it needs to be evaluated for whats going to be best for Danbury citizens in the end, he said. Roberto Alves, a City Council member and Democratic candidate for mayor, said he would embrace cannabis establishments. We get 3 percent on the sales tax that stays in the community for something that is legal, for something that has been deemed safer than alcohol, he said. Marijuana has been known as a gateway drug, which worries Dean Esposito. He said the city would need to put the tax revenue from pot sales toward educating the community about the drug. Were going to have to make investments in our community with educating our youth here and everybody, he said. The west side of the city could be a good spot for dispensaries because its easy for New Yorkers to access, Alves said. Why not have the profits come in from the out-of-state market, as well? he said. Dispensaries shouldnt be in places where they could easily market to children, but the city should consider that with vape shops, too, Alves said. Those are like dandelions in my yard, he said. State law permits one recreational dispensary per 25,000 people, so the roughly 85,000-resident Danbury would be allowed three. This is going to create new businesses, John Esposito III said. This could potentially create jobs and certainly the nicest thing, the best thing I welcome the most, is the tax revenue this is going to generate. Moratorium proposed The lengthy bill legalizing recreational marijuana was signed just over a week before it went into effect and the city needs more time to digest it, Cavo said. I just need time to be proactive and be able to research how it affects us and give it some long-time thought and planning in order to make the right decisions, he said. The Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on July 27 to discuss a proposed moratorium on applications, petitions and issuance of permits related to cannabis establishments. This ban would last at most a year, less if the city develops regulations on marijuana use sooner, the planning director has said. The moratorium gives us a good opportunity to really evaluate where we are and where weve got to be and what kind of mandates there may be and what we have control of, Dean Esposito said. Alves said hes against the moratorium. It gives the city another excuse to do nothing, said Alves, adding a task force could develop regulations in a few months. Vinny DiGilio, the City Council president, said a pause would make sense because the bill was approved quickly. A very thoughtful process is necessary to determine whats best for Danbury and all of its business, he said. John Esposito III supports the moratorium, but doesnt think it should last a year. Around three months is reasonable, he said. I would really hate to see the city of Danbury lose out on the opportunity to allow business owners to set up shop here in Danbury, he said. Licenses to open a recreational dispensary are expensive, so Rotello said he doesnt think Danbury would miss its chance by waiting. Danbury implemented a moratorium after medical marijuana was legalized in the state, but these dispensaries are now permitted. One expects to move to Mill Plain Road by early August. Smoking spaces Some larger Connecticut cities, including Danbury, that opt to regulate public use of cannabis must designate outdoor smoking areas. Cavo is putting together a group of city department heads, led by the planning director, to explore this. The city may be able to use cigarette smoking rules as a blueprint for marijuana, DiGilio said. But its a unique aspect of the law, Dean Esposito said. We dont have a designated drinking area in the city, he said. Selecting where community members may smoke pot may be complicated, officials said. It has to be an area where the smell and second-hand smoke wouldnt bother children and others, for example. Driving safety must be considered, too, officials said. Towns surrounding Danbury are not required to create these spaces because of their population size, so people could come to the city not just to buy pot, but to smoke it, Rotello said. Wed be the smoking mecca of pot, so this needs to be considered, he said. John Esposito III said he would prefer people smoke pot in their own homes, while still obeying their landlords rules. Some renters are not permitted to smoke in their apartments or houses. We dont want to be smoking it on the playground where there are children around, he said. We want to be respectful of peoples personal space. HOUSTON (AP) A man who opened fire at a married couple, killing one of them and wounding the other before fatally shooting himself inside a popular Houston seafood restaurant, had a history of mental illness and did not know the people he shot, police said Friday. The couple was finishing dinner in the bar of the Downtown Aquarium Restaurant shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday when the man approached them, pulled out a gun and immediately started firing rounds at them, Houston police Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard said. According to witnesses and security video from the restaurant, the man had been sitting at the other end of the bar before the shooting, police said. The 28-year-old husband died at the scene while his 24-year-old wife was shot at least once in the leg. Police said Friday that the woman told investigators she and her husband did not know the man who shot them. Slinkard said it appeared the suspect had very little or even no interaction with the couple before the shooting occurred. This was a tragic, isolated incident, with no relationship between the victims and the suspect," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement Friday. Police identified the husband as Gabriel Moriones Vargas. The suspected shooter was identified as 39-year-old Danny Cazares. The name of Vargas' wife was not immediately released by authorities. She remained hospitalized in stable condition on Friday, Finner said. No other injuries were reported. Cazares had a long criminal record dating back to 2000, including arrests for theft, driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, according to court records. His most recent arrest was on April 19 on a charge of a felon in possession of a firearm. On Sept. 18, 2020, Cazares was accused of trespassing inside the residence quarters of a Houston area fire station. When he was found inside the station, Cazares stated he knew he shouldn't be there but was scared because someone was following him earlier in the day," according to court records. Just over a month later, Cazares was accused of damaging a motel room he was staying in because he was looking for a person he believed was also in his room and he had taken some medication to calm him down, according to court records. Court records also show that Cazares spent 30 days getting care at a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Beaumont, Texas, in January and February. Kevin Stryker, Cazares' attorney on his felon in possession of a firearm charge, declined to comment about his client. You know, this is a horribly tragic incident, and you know this is the type of situation that should make us all pause, send out as many prayers as we can for all the families and all the lives that would be affected, Slinkard said at a Thursday evening news conference. It was unclear how many patrons were at the restaurant, but Slinkard said it wasnt very crowded. A spokeswoman for the restaurant referred questions about the shooting to Houston police. The restaurant is popular with families, as it features a 150,000-gallon (567,811-liter) aquarium and amusement park rides, including a giant Ferris wheel. The dining complex is owned by billionaire Tilman Fertittas Landrys Inc. Elaine Khalil, who had been eating dinner with her two children, told KTRK-TV she heard two sets of gunshots, including a burst of four of five shots. She said there was panic and pandemonium as people inside ran away. The wait staff, they were very composed, they led us to a back staircase where everyone ran out, she said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Friday fired the commissioner of Social Security after the official refused to resign, and Biden accepted the deputy commissioner's resignation, the White House said. Biden asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated after he refused the Democratic president's request, a White House official said. Deputy Commissioner David Black agreed to resign, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Both officials had been put in place under President Donald Trump, a Republican. Biden named Kilolo Kijakazi as acting commissioner while the administration conducts a search for a permanent commissioner and deputy commissioner. Kijakazi currently is the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration. Saul's removal followed a Justice Department legal opinion that found he could be removed, despite a statute that says he could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance. The opinion researched at the request of the White House concluded that a reevaluation because of a recent Supreme Court ruling meant that Saul could be fired by the president at will. Bidens move got immediate support from the Democratic senator who would be in charge of confirming a successor to Saul. Republican lawmakers accused Biden of politicizing the agency and pointed to Saul's confirmation by a bipartisan Senate vote in 2019. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement that every president should chose the personnel that will best carry out their vision for the country. To fulfill President Bidens bold vision for improving and expanding Social Security, he needs his people in charge, Wyden added, pledging to work to confirm a new commissioner as swiftly as possible. Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., who several months ago began demanding the ouster of Saul and Black, celebrated their Friday firings. Social Security is in deep trouble, Pascrell said. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the top Republican on the finance committee, and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a joint statement calling Biden's decision disappointing." The pair claimed Social Security beneficiaries stand the most to lose from President Biden's partisan decision to remove Commissioner Andrew Saul. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the personnel move an unprecedented and dangerous politicization of the Social Security Administration. The agency, headquartered in Baltimore, pays benefits, funded by a tax on wages paid by employers and employees, to about 64 million people, including retirees, children, widows and widowers, according to its website. The agency has a staff of about 60,000 employees. Saul was confirmed by a Senate vote of 77-16 in 2019 to a six-year term that would have expired in January 2025, tweeted Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The labor union that represents Social Security employees also welcomed the firings. Ralph de Juliis, spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees SSA General Committee and Council 220 President, said employee morale and agency operations had suffered under Saul and Black's leadership. President Biden made the right call to send these Trump appointees packing, de Juliis said. - Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo contributed to this report. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) It took Caitlyn Jenner 77 days to hold her first press conference after announcing she would run for California governor, and the event Friday ended in less than 15 minutes, was light on policy specifics and she flubbed details about polling that showed her having tepid public support. Belying her celebrity as a reality TV personality and former Olympian, the brief meeting with about two dozen reporters took place in a nondescript hotel conference room with no visible security. After a two-minute opening statement in which she lamented the state's high taxes, she answered 10 questions in about 11 minutes, responding with brief answers before the exchange was cut off by an aide. Jenner said she is a serious candidate in the Sept. 14 recall election of first-term Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and claimed she is leading the field of Republican candidates, even though no independent polling has been done that shows that. I'm here to win it, she said. She also dismissed criticism of her spotty voting record I voted when I needed to said she would spend the final month of the campaign on a bus tour of the state and planned to release her tax returns next week. Jenner also suggested building desalination plants to produce more water for the drought-ridden state but provided no specifics about when or where such facilities could be built. Jenner, who won the Olympic decathlon in 1976 and decades later came out as a transgender woman, said she is better known than any other GOP candidate and even Newsom. The governor has been in office more than two years and earlier served as lieutenant governor and San Francisco mayor. I have a tremendous advantage, obviously, because of name recognition," she said. To be honest with you, I've been in a lot of races in my life, and I know how to win. I just keeping working hard." Jenner also shrugged off polling released last spring that showed she had little public support. However, in referring to the Berkeley IGS Poll issued May 11, she stated incorrectly that it came out in April and was conducted before she entered the race. The poll was conducted April 29 through May 5, after Jenner announced her candidacy on April 23. After an initial burst of publicity, Jenner has faded from the campaign spotlight while other GOP candidates have sought to raise their profiles. They include San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018. State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley also entered the race last week, and conservative radio host Larry Elder is considering a run. The 71-year-old Jenner has anchored her campaign to televised media interviews, which have included embarrassing stumbles that highlighted her inexperience, including recently acknowledging she wasnt deeply versed in Newsoms latest budget. She appeared to embrace the role of campaign neophyte. You got to prepare yourself, you got to get better with the issues, you got to understand the issues," Jenner said, comparing it to athletic training. Her candidacy has brought a hostile reaction from some members and groups within the LGBTQ community, which frequently cited her ties to former President Donald Trump. Jenner supported Trump in 2016 but later criticized his administrations reversal of a directive on transgender people's access to public school bathrooms. She also split with Trump after he said transgender people would not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military. She said Friday that she doesnt want Trumps endorsement and hadn't spoken to him about the campaign. Meanwhile Friday, attorneys for Newsom were in court seeking a ruling that would allow him to list his Democratic Party affiliation on the recall ballot. He sued the Democratic secretary of state he appointed, Shirley Weber, after Newsoms campaign failed to file the appropriate paperwork to list his party. Those opposing any change include Jenner. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge James Arguelles said he will issue a written ruling Monday after the Democratic officials argued that Newsom merely missed a harmless filing deadline in February 2020 and that it is in voters best interest to know his party affiliation. ___ Associated Press writer Don Thompson contributed. EAST HAMPTON A car driving down Old Middletown Road in the Cobalt section of town honked its horn as it rounded the bend and the sign came into view. That happens all the time, Barbara Hitchcock said. Hitchcock and her daughter, Amanda Amtmanis, said it makes them happy every time someone beeps at the sign on their front lawn. The duo frequently changes what the local landmark, dubbed A Sign of Hope, says, but it always aims to inspire hope, empathy and understanding. We become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another, read Thursdays sign, a quote from Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen, written in brightly colored chalk. Amtmanis, a physical education teacher at Macdonough and Spencer elementary schools in Middletown, said she and her mother came up with the idea shortly after the 2016 presidential election. Thats when East Haddam Selectwoman Theresa Govert put up a sign in the center of town about standing with marginalized people. It was vandalized, and I was like, We should put up a sign, she said. But, Amtmanis said, she did not want to put a static sign on her lawn, because it eventually stops drawing eyes. So, she and Hitchcock got some chalkboard and chalk and now change the messages periodically. We have joy looking for things that speak to us, Hitchcock said, adding the first quote the pair ever put on the sign was: In a world where you can be anything, be kind. Hitchcock, a retired teacher who worked at RHAM High School, said they have made a concerted effort to be apolitical. Thats the reason we put it up, she said, to counteract the wave of negativity that was going on. Amtmanis said it can be a challenge to be apolitical when picking quotes and sayings, because they are all open to interpretation. There was one time the sign was vandalized, and another, when a quote set a colleague on a rant because she did not like the person who said it. Where it sends your mind isnt necessarily where it sends my mind, she said. Hitchcock and her daughter look at what is going on in the world, and try to find a quote that matches or reflects that issue. I have found satisfaction searching for quotes and things that other people, who have been through adversity over the years, have had to say about such things, she said. It sort of feels like, Well, they survived that. We can get through this. Amtmanis especially enjoys coming up with sayings that inspire her to draw something along with it. Mother and daughter look for common themes of empathy and compassion. Its about how we treat each other, she said, and having quotes that are sort of food for thought. We are not all going to agree with each other. We try to make them thought-provoking, but not ... just talking to the people who agree with us. Its about building common ground. They frequently find good quotes, but recognize they may not be good for a sign, Amtmanis said, either because they are too wordy or too likely to cause arguments. Im coming at it from that perspective. Its forced I hope people to be more thoughtful. Through their Facebook page, the Sign of Hope has fans from all over the world, Hitchcock said, from New Zealand and Australia to Sweden and all across the United States. Amtmanis said the sign is also popular in their area. There is even a benefactor who drops off money for chalk every now and then. Its really heartwarming when people in our community come and talk to us, Amtmanis said. I was putting up the sign this morning, because it rained last night, and somebody slowed down enough to roll down his window and say something nice to me. Both Hitchcock and Amtmanis said being teachers is directly related to their desire to educate through the sign. Hitchcock said they both try to keep the focus on positive things. We have a second-grade teacher who drives by, and shell stop at the sign, Amtmanis said. She stopped to say shell sometimes use something as a prompt for the kids. Hitchcock said the teacher will put one of their quotes on her board, and the class will vote at the end of the week to see which student best demonstrated whatever trait or ideal it promotes. Its been gratifying to see that, for the most part, its been very well-received, she said. She enjoyed working on it with her daughter. I think, as with all joint ventures, I dont think it would be the same if it was either one of us alone. Amtmanis said she and her mother have no plans of stopping, because there are many problems in the world that are outside the ability of an average person to fix. This is something we can do, and doing your one thing does help you feel better, she said. For information, visit A Sign of Hope on Facebook. WESTPORT A new market opening in Westport this month aims to provide fresh, locally-produced food and beverages to the community. Local to Market, slated to open sometime in July at 177 Main St., is the brainchild of Westport resident Chris Marcocci, who is also president and CEO of the food marketing business Streetmarc. Marcocci said the new store aims to provide an outlet for small, Connecticut-based food providers to sell their wares, and for area foodies to get fresh, locally produced food. Its hard for a lot of start-up brands to (find) shelf space in big supermarkets, he said. And a lot of people arent comfortable with food that might have been sitting on a truck for six weeks. In addition to food, produce and beverage products, Local To Market will carry an assortment of non-food and craft artisan items. Marcocci said he wanted to put the market in Westport, not just because he lives in town, but because Westport has always had a reputation for innovation. Randy Herbertson, president of the Westport Downtown Association, said he was excited about Local to Market coming to town. We are thrilled to welcome another diverse offering to the Downtown Westport shopping scene, he said. Local to Market will also support many worthy CT specialty food companies, giving them exposure to the fertile Westport market. Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate brokers Penny Wickey and Laure Aubuchon helped secured the 177 Main St. space for Local to Market. Wickey, also the companys principal, said, in addition to providing an outlet for locally-produced items, Local to Market will provide a sort of community hub for Westport residents. There really is no quick, stop-in-and-schmooze grocery store around here, Wickey said. This is unique. State employee union leaders are suing to stop Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont's order to have workers return to the office now that much of the state has emerged from the pandemic, accusing him of violating prior telework agreements reached with the unions and ignoring the benefits of having people work from home. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, which filed the request for an injunction in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday, said in a statement that state workers proved throughout the COVID-19 crisis that a flexible teleworking agreement could be beneficial to the state of Connecticut. From increased productivity and quality performance to the positive environmental impacts like reduced emissions, improved air quality and public health, the benefits of telework are clear and something that the Administration should be taking a proud step in leading, SEBAC said in a statement posted on its website. In May, Lamont sent an email to state employees announcing they would be returning to their offices as of July 1 and that any telework would be limited to no more than 50% of their time, with manager approval. "Agency heads will work to stagger teleworking schedules to keep the number of people in the office reduced to support distancing, but with low levels of community spread and use of masks in common areas or where distancing is not possible, we are confident it is safe to return to the office," Lamont wrote in the email. He added how the state would continue discussions with the unions in an effort to finalize the telework guidelines that contemplates the considerable experience gained during this challenging period. In its lawsuit, SEBAC maintains that Lamont violated, ignored and effectively abrogated the administration's agreements with the unions by, among other things, forcing unionized employees to work an altered schedule while their application for telework was still pending and unilaterally denying telework applications for more than 50% without considering the merits of the request. SEBAC estimates Lamont's order affects about 10,000 state employees. Max Reiss, Lamont's communications director, said he could not comment on pending litigation. A SEBAC spokesperson said she also could not comment, referring reporters to the organization's written statement posted online. A judge on Thursday ordered a remote hearing be held Aug. 13 on the lawsuit. While the unions representing Connecticut state employees were working before the pandemic on ways to allow some of their members to have flexible work-from-home schedules, many private sector companies are now grappling with the issue as offices are reopening. Companies like Amazon and automakers Ford and General Motors have promised to adopt a hybrid approach permanently for their office staff, responding to internal and public surveys showing an overwhelming preference for work-from-home options. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The federal government promised Friday to spend $500 million to encourage the construction of smaller meat processing plants located closer to farmers who raise chickens, pigs and cows with the goal of diversifying an industry now largely run by a small number of large corporations. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the program in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in addition to another $150 million to be used for existing small processing facilities with unexpected costs. The goal is to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic and compete better in the marketplace. Vilsack said he wants to improve profitability for livestock farmers and better serve consumers who increasingly want to know where and how farm animals are raised. This is a once in a generation opportunity to transform the food system so it is more resilient to shocks, delivers greater value to growers and workers, and offers consumers an affordable selection of healthy food produced and sourced locally and regionally by farmers and processors from diverse backgrounds, he said. Last year, the coronavirus pandemic shut down significant portions of the nation's meat processing capacity when the virus spread quickly among workers at processing plants. The production bottleneck forced some pig farmers to euthanize animals when they couldn't find facilities to process them. It prompted a discussion about the dangers of a highly consolidated meat production industry in which processing takes place in a few large-scale plants owned by a handful of the largest meat producing corporations. Ranchers also have complained about a system that forces them to negotiate cattle sales with a few corporations that often don't pay them enough to make a profit, again raising issues of intense consolidation and the need to increase competition in the packing industry. Vilsack said COVID-19 exposed a food system that was rigid, consolidated, and fragile. He said President Joe Biden is determined to shift the balance of power back to the people by investing in building better and fairer markets for producers and consumers. The money, including the $500 million, comes from the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion aid package passed by Congress and signed by Biden in March. It will provide grants, loans, and technical assistance to help build new meat and poultry processing facilities. Vilsack said it is his hope to have projects in the works by early next year. Vilsack said the USDA also plans to initiate a new rule that will make it easier for farmers to sue companies they contract with over unfair, discriminatory or deceptive practices, and will tighten the definition of what it means for meat to be labeled a Product of USA to exclude animals that have been raised in other countries but processed in the United States. The North American Meat Institute, a trade group representing 95% of United States output of meat and poultry products, rejected some of the assertions made about industry consolidation. Mark Dopp, senior vice president and general counsel for the organization, said in a letter to USDA officials in June that the coronavirus pandemic sickened workers at meat processors of all sizes, not just the largest. Creating smaller, regional harvest facilities will not address this issue," he said. He added building more processing plants also will not address the labor shortage that is one of the biggest problems facing the meatpacking industry. He said before the government tries to fix the current system of meat production, it must acknowledge that its efficiencies are responsible for reducing the share of disposable personal income U.S. citizens spend on food from 17% in 1960 to less than 10% today. This remarkable drop is attributable largely to systemic efficiencies that allow food processors to offer food to consumers at lower prices," he said. Vilsack also pointed out that the farmers share of every dollar spent on food has declined consistently from 35 cents in the 1970s to around just 14 cents in recent years. Venice, FL (34285) Today Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 88F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable. MILFORD Mosquito Squad is coming to Milford. Thomas Luthy, a franchise owner of Mosquito Squad, purchased a 19,714-square-foot industrial condominium for $1,325,000 at 240 Depot Road. Mosquito Squad, a privately held company founded in 2005 in Richmond, Va., has about 250 franchise locations in the United States and international operations in Kenya and Indonesia. They have just one operation in Connecticut located in Norwalk, which would make the Milford location its second in the state. They specialize in eliminating mosquitoes and ticks from outdoor living spaces. The property is conveniently located less than one mile from I-95, said John Angel, president of Angel Commercial, LLC, a commercial real estate firm in Southport. with one loading dock and two drive-in doors, the industrial condominium is ideal for a company with service vehicles. Prior to this afternoons game against the Cardinals, the Cubs reinstated reliever Ryan Tepera from the 10-day injured list. Bullpen mate Brad Wieck was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 7, with an irregular heartbeat. Additionally, the Cubs recalled southpaw Kyle Ryan from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Cory Abbott. Tepera landed on the IL due to a calf strain in late April, interrupting what has been a quality season. The veteran right-hander has worked to a 3.35 ERA/3.32 SIERA over 37 2/3 innings, holding fourteen leads as a high-leverage option for manager David Ross. Tepera has backed that solid run prevention up with quality peripherals. Hes punched out an above-average 28.3% of batters faced while walking just 8.3% and inducing groundballs at a decent 47.7% clip. Its the second straight season of strong work for Tepera, who joined the Cubs entering 2020 after five years with the Blue Jays. Since signing with Chicago, hes tossed 58 1/3 frames of 3.55 ERA ball with a very strong 30.8% strikeout percentage. More impressively, Tepera has racked up swings and misses on 17.4% of his pitches over the past two seasons. Thats the eighth-highest swinging strike rate among the 282 hurlers with at least 50 innings pitched (behind only Jacob deGrom, Raisel Iglesias, Devin Williams, Josh Hader, Liam Hendriks, Edwin Diaz and Trevor May). That kind of bat-missing capability is sure to attract interest from bullpen-needy contenders. The Cubs now look like deadline sellers after a horrible two weeks of play. Teperas on a modest $800K guarantee and is scheduled to reach free agency at the end of the year. Few relievers on the trade market can match that combination of productivity and affordability, and his lack of long-term control means hes likely to wind up on the move in the coming weeks. It stands to reason that contenders would inquire about Wieck if he were healthy as well. Hes been unscored upon across 17 innings this year while punching batters out at a massive 39.4% clip. Wieck has been prone to walks (14.1%) but its still been a strong effort nonetheless. The Cubs didnt provide a timetable for his return, but the diagnosis of an abnormal heartbeat is especially concerning given Wiecks personal history. The left-hander underwent a cardiac ablation procedure in February 2020 after a routine physical turned up an atrial flutter. Given the sensitivity of the diagnosis, Wiecks personal health is obviously paramount to any on-field concerns. Fortunately, he did return from his surgery to make it back to the mound last year (before suffering an unrelated hamstring injury). Page Content June 14, 2020 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's utter condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attack at Diyala province, north-eastern Iraq which resulted in several deaths and injuries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms its solidarity with the brotherly Republic of Iraq against all kind of violence, terrorism and extremism. The Ministry expresses its condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, the government, and the brotherly Iraqi people, with wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded. Page Content June 11, 2020 King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to President Rodrigo Duterte of the Republic of the Philippines on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day. In his own name and on behalf of the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the King wished the President constant good health and happiness and the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines steady progress and prosperity. Also, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense has sent a cable of congratulations to President Rodrigo Duterte of the Republic of the Philippines on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day. In his cable, HRH the Crown Prince wished the President constant good health and happiness and the Government and people of the Republic of the Philippines steady progress and prosperity. Page Content Jun 11, 2020 The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of condolence to President Muhammadu Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the victims of the terrorist attack which took place in northern Nigeria. In his cable, King Salman strongly condemned in the strongest terms the criminal act, stressing that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its brotherly people. In his own name and on behalf of the people and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques offered condolences to the President, the families of the victims and the people of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Also, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, has sent a cable of condolence to President Muhammadu Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the victims of the terrorist attack which took place in northern Nigeria. In his cable, the Crown Prince condemned this cowardly criminal act, offering condolences to the President, the people of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the families of the victims. Weather Alert ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Hazardous heat, with afternoon highs of 95 to low 100s, and overnight lows in the mid-50s to mid-60s. * WHERE...Cascade, Judith Basin, Liberty, Toole, Broadwater and Central and Southern Lewis and Clark Counties. * WHEN...From Noon today to 9 PM MDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. && With the new year upon us and a legislative session (under way), let us resolve to be the bright light that shines through the darkest night for the smallest and most vulnerable of angels. Artist Daniel Panachyda, facing camera, donated three of his paintings of historic Lower Salford barns to the township. The Bergey Mill barn painting is the one in the background in this photo. The other two are of the Heckler Plains and Reiff barns. July 10, 2021 Ransomware: Stop Blaming Russia And Tackle The Real Villains - Cryptocurrencies Ransomware attacks continue to disrupt many businesses. Earlier this month an attack through Kaseya VSA, a remote managing software, disabled several managed service provider and some 1,500 of their customers. Their data was encrypted and will only be restored if they pay the demanded ransom. Such attacks are increasing because they are easy to do and carry little risk. The basic platforms for specific attacks can simply be rented from underground providers: "I think what most people think about when they think of a stereotypical hacker is somebody that's in-depth into coding," the officer said. "It has changed now in that it used to be that you had to be very technically adept to be a hacker, but the way the cyber market or cyber underground has evolved is a lot of those things have become services now." The industry has diversified, he said. "Those network attackers, instead of profiting themselves, are now renting out their services and their expertise to others and that's where we see this amplification," the officer said. "It's others renting out the services now. It unlocks another class of folks that can be opportunistic and take advantage of bad cyber hygiene." Some of the rentable ransomware services, like REvil, are run by Russian speaking groups. But that does not mean that the people who use it are from Russia or that the attacks take place from Russian grounds. The last big bust that hit the command and control severs of the alleged 'Russian' Emotet cyber crime service took place in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. While those criminals spoke Russian they neither were Russians nor was Russia involved at all. Despite that U.S. media blame all recent attacks on Russia and use them to incite the Biden administration to respond by attacking the Russian nation. Setting the tone in this is the New York Times and its warmongering White House and national security correspondent David Sanger. On Wednesday he wrote Biden Weighs a Response to Ransomware Attacks which he topped by Friday with Biden Warns Putin to Act Against Ransomware Groups, or U.S. Will Strike Back. Those headlines and pieces are misleading in that they set expectations which the Biden administration is for good reasons unwilling or unable to deliver on. The first piece, for example, says: Mr. Biden is under growing pressure to take some kind of visible action perhaps a strike on the Russian servers or banks that keep them running after delivering several stark warnings to Moscow that he would respond to cyberattacks on the United States with what he has called in-kind action against Russia. The 'growing pressure' are Sanger's writeups all by themselves. The piece then quotes a number of anti-Russian hawks who suggest some very unreasonable 'retaliation options': Dmitri Alperovitch, a founder of the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, and now the founder of the Silverado Policy Accelerator think tank, has argued that until Mr. Biden moves to cut significantly into Russias oil revenue, he will not get Mr. Putins attention. ... In recent days, however, a growing number of experts have argued that the United States is now facing such a barrage of attacks that it needs to strike back more forcefully, even if it cannot control the response. You dont want escalation to get out of control, but we cant be so afraid of that that we bind our own hands, Mr. Painter said. William Evanina, who recently left a top counterintelligence post in the U.S. government and now advises companies, said he would advise Mr. Biden to be bold. ... If Moscow wanted to stop Russias cybercriminals from hacking American targets, experts say, it would. That is why, some Russia experts argue, the United States needs take aim at Russias kleptocracy, either by leaking details of Mr. Putins financials or by freezing oligarchs bank accounts. The only language that Putin understands is power, and his power is his money, said Garry Kasparov, the Russian chess grandmaster and a Putin critic. Its not about tanks; its about banks. The U.S. should wipe out oligarchs accounts, one by one, until the message is delivered. Sure, lets blow up the international banking system by manipulating accounts of private Russian people even though we do not even know if the criminal cyberattacks are run by Russians or from Russia. The lede to Sanger's most recent piece is likewise dripping with belligerence: President Biden warned President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Friday that time was running out for him to rein in the ransomware groups striking the United States, telegraphing that this could be Mr. Putins final chance to take action on Russias harboring of cybercriminals before the United States moved to dismantle the threat. In Mr. Bidens starkest warning yet, he conveyed in a phone call to Mr. Putin that the attacks would no longer be treated only as criminal acts, but as national security threats and thus may provoke a far more severe response, administration officials said. It is a rationale that has echoes of the legal justification used by the United States and other nations when they cross inside another countrys borders to rout terrorist groups or drug cartels. Sure, U.S. special forces will parachute into Moscow to nab some cybercriminals who may or may not be there. The warning that Sanger implies Biden allegedly made was never given. Biden himself is quoted in the next paragraph (emph. add.): I made it very clear to him that the United States expects, when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil, even though its not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is, Mr. Biden told reporters. There is the crucial point. The U.S. does not know who made those attacks or where they were actually controlled from. It has not given Russia any names or evidence that Russia could act on. The Kremlin readout of Biden's call with Putin explicitly makes that point: In the context of recent reports on a series of cyberattacks ostensibly made from Russian territory, Vladimir Putin noted that despite Russias willingness to curb criminal manifestations in the information space through a concerted effort, no inquiries on these issues have been received from US agencies in the last month. At the same time, considering the scale and seriousness of the challenges in this area, Russia and the US must maintain permanent, professional and non-politicised cooperation. This must be conducted through specialised information exchange channels between the authorised government agencies, through bilateral judicial mechanisms and while observing the provisions of international law. The leaders emphasised the need for detailed and constructive cooperation in cybersecurity and for the continuation of such contacts. Russia has long suggested to set up deeper talks and a treaty about cybersecurity issues. In a short interlude with the media President Biden said that meetings about these will now take place: Q: Sir, what are the consequences for Putin if he does not step up against cyberattacks? THE PRESIDENT: Well, we set up a committee joint committee. Theyre meeting on, I think, the 16th. And I believe were going to get some cooperation. Thank you. Q: Mr. President, what do you expect President Putin (inaudible) what do you expect him to do? What are those actions? THE PRESIDENT: Its not appropriate for me to say what I expect him to do now. But well see. Those responses seemsfar from the belligerence the NYT's Sanger tries to convey. The problem of crippling ransomware attacks will only increase and blaming Russia for them will not change that fact. The most basic tool that enables such criminal cyberattacks is the exchange medium through which ransom payments are made: Let me paint a picture of a bleak future, that seems to be racing towards us much faster than the public may know about. Its a future in which ransomware and mass data theft are so ubiquitous theyve worked their way into our daily lives. ... [W]hat is new is that the level of these attacks has gone parabolic in the last few years because of one simple fact. With the addition of bitcoin to the problem its insanely profitable, low-risk, and almost the perfect crime. Its also a very real economic tool that nation states can use to disrupt each others infrastructure. The singular reason why these attacks are even possible is due entirely to rise of cryptocurrency. Consider the same situation on top of the existing international banking system. Go to your local bank branch and try to wire transfer $200,000 to an anonymous stranger in Russia and see how that works out. Modern ransomware could not exist without Bitcoin, it has poured gasoline on a fire we may not be able to put out. It is not only bitcoin but also a number of other cryptocurrencies which have no real justification to exist. But there are transition points from real money to cryptocurrencies and back where the problem can be tackled: Cryptocurrency exchanges are the channel by which all the illicit funds in this epidemic flow. And it is the one channel that the US government has complete power to rein in and regulate. The free flow of money from US banks to cryptocurrency exchanges is the root cause of this pandemic and needs to halt. Through sanctions, control of the SWIFT network, and our allies in NATO the federal government has all the tools to put a stop to these illicit flows. Nothing of value would be lost by shutting off the spigot of dark money and darknet trade. Cryptocurrencies are almost entirely used for illicit activity, gambling and investment frauds, and on the whole have no upside for society at large while also having unbounded downside and massive negative externalities. A shut down of cryptocurrencies would disable the safe payment media that criminal ransomware attackers currently use. All other payment methods require some physical interaction or in person verification. Using those would increase the risk for cyberattackers immensely. The good news is that the Biden administration has caught on to this. Last week the Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger remarked on it: Neuberger described the Administrations ransomware strategy which includes several lines of effort: disruption of ransomware infrastructure and actors by working closely with the private sector; international cooperation to hold countries who harbor ransom actors accountable; expanding cryptocurrency analysis to find and pursue criminal transactions; and the federal governments review to build a cohesive and consistent approach towards ransom payments. A background briefing about yesterday's Biden-Putin call also touched on this: This is more than just a conversation thats taking place between the two leaders, President Biden and President Putin. This is really about our own resilience, as a nation, in the face of these attacks, and strengthening that. Thats what the cybersecurity executive order was largely about. Its about addressing the challenges posed by cryptocurrency, which provides fuel for these sorts of transactions. A ransomware attacker may sit in Kyrgyzstan, use a Swiss proxy network to access rented servers in Canada from which a ransomware cyberattack is launched by using tools that were developed in Estonia but are managed from Spain. There are ways and means to hide such routes and to fake the involved nationalities. To then blame Russia or any other country for such attacks or to threaten a response against nation state assets is warmongering nonsense. The Kaseya VSA attack shut down 800 local food shop of the Swedish chain Coop for over a week. Millions of people were affected by that in their daily life. With more and more information technology involved in our daily lives we no longer have the ability to avoid ransomware attacks and their consequences. What can be done is to disable the cryptocurrency payment channel that is used by attackers with little to no risk. While this may not completely solve the problem of widespread ransomware attacks it will at least make it more manageable. Posted by b on July 10, 2021 at 16:54 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Dave Chmielewski, right, chief of community outpatient services of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, leads local veterans on a tour of the new Lorain County VA Outpatient Clinic on June 29 at 5329 N. Abbe Road in Sheffield Village. Moultrie, GA (31768) Today Some sunshine with a thunderstorm or two possible this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms this evening. Clouds lingering later. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Photos courtesy EnLink Midstream Pipeline operators recently received a bulletin from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation about the need to begin compliance with the PIPES Act. The PIPES Act, signed into law at the end of 2020, creates dozens of regulatory mandates for the PHMSA agency, including oversight of methane leaks by natural gas pipelines and transmission systems. The bulletin reminds operators they must have inspection and maintenance plans in place by the end of the year to minimize methane emissions and repair or replace outdated leaking pipes. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The largest of the Navajo Nation casinos is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials have planned a job fair Saturday ahead of the Monday reopening. The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level for now. Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation, paving the way for the casino to reopen. Casino patrons will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked. The tribe on Saturday reported 13 additional cases. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: New virus surge is sending younger patients to Spain's hospitals Indonesia short on oxygen, seeks help as virus cases soar Malta poised to become first EU member to require visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29% ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida health officials reported an increase in COVID-19 cases and a higher positive test rate over the past week. The number of virus cases in Florida rose by about 8,000 compared with the week before, for a total of 23,747 new cases, the state Department of Health reported Friday. New cases of the coronavirus have been on the rise in Florida over the past month. The rate of positive tests was 7.8% last week after trending at about 4% positivity in recent weeks. There were 172 deaths in Florida from COVID-19 last week, the health department reported. The state has recorded at least 2.4 million coronavirus cases and 38,901 deaths since the pandemic began. Officials also said about 11 million Floridians have been fully or partially vaccinated, or 58% of those 12 and older. ___ ALBANY, N.Y. New York is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as vaccination rates slowly rise, according to the states latest data released Saturday. About 525 people each day tested positive for COVID-19 in New York for the seven days through Friday. Thats up from 369 people for the prior week a 42% increase. Its unclear why more people in New York are testing positive at a time when fewer people are getting tested. The state Department of Health says a higher percentage of cases are linked to more contagious variants. It is urging more people to get vaccinated. New York City is driving much of the increase, though cases are also rising in parts of Long Island. Hospitals reported 342 COVID-19 patients as of Friday, similar to 340 patients from last Friday. About 55% of 20 million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated. Thats up from nearly 48% as of June 6. Vaccination rates are lowest in parts of western and central New York: about one-third of residents in Allegany County are fully vaccinated. Rates are also lower in parts of New York City: 43% of Bronx residents and 45.5% of Brooklyn residents are fully vaccinated. ___ NASHVILLE, Tenn. Health officials in Tennessee have linked a small coronavirus cluster to a meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last month. It was Nashvilles first large-scale conference after lifting restrictions on gatherings. The Tennessean reports that Metro Public Health Department epidemiologist Leslie Waller said eight to 10 infections have been detected among attendees, but the cluster is almost certainly larger. Waller said its difficult to know how many other cases there might be because most of the more than 18,000 attendees live out of state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert asking health officials in other states to contact Nashville health officials if they discover more infections that trace back to the annual meeting of the nations largest Protestant denomination. Jonathan Howe, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said the organization has not alerted attendees about the cluster and is working with city and state health officials to identify its next steps. ___ MOSCOW Coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit another daily record, with authorities reporting 752 more fatalities amid a continuing surge in infections. Russias coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 25,082 new coronavirus cases. The daily tally of confirmed infections has soared from around 9,000 in early June to over 23,000 in early July. Officials have attributed a steady rise in infections and an increase in mortality to the spread of the delta variant. Despite the surge, the Kremlin has said there are no plans to impose another lockdown. Russia had one nationwide lockdown in the spring of 2020 that lasted six weeks, and the government has resisted another one to avoid damaging the economy. The coronavirus task force has reported over 5.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 142,253 deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russias state statistical service Rosstat that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher numbers. ___ BRUSSELS The European Union says it now has enough doses to meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the regions adult population by the end of this month. With infections resurging in many European countries, the next challenge will be ensuring that the doses find takers, as demand wanes in some areas. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 44% of the adult EU population is fully vaccinated, and 64% have received at least one dose. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that by Sunday 500 million doses will have been delivered to all regions of the 27-nation EU. She urged member countries to do everything to increase vaccinations. So far EU countries have administered 386 million doses for the overall population of 447 million, according to the ECDC. ___ PARIS Music is pulsing from Paris nightclubs for the first time in 16 months as other European countries shut night life down again because of rising coronavirus cases. The reopening of Paris dance clubs Friday night was the final step in Frances process of lifting pandemic restrictions. The move was meant to mark victory over the virus, since night clubs were among the few venues that had remained closed since March 2020. But the delta variant is spreading faster than vaccinations in France, and infections are rising again after weeks of decline. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak to the nation Monday about the situation, and the government could opt for new restrictions. At the popular La Bellevilloise club, many people were eager to return to the dance floor. Parisian Laurent Queige called it a liberation, an immense happiness to rediscover the clubbing, the party, friends. La Bellevilloise owner Renaud Barillet said this weekend could serve as a useful test to see how the public, the organizers, all that reacts and manages to adopt new habits. ___ TOKYO Tokyo has reported 950 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number in two months, as infections steadily spread less than two weeks before the city hosts the Summer Olympics. Saturdays tally compared with 822 confirmed cases reported Friday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo starting Monday to keep the infections from becoming explosive during the Olympics, which open on July 23. His government initially planned to take less-stringent measures, but came under pressure to issue the emergency order as the more contagious delta strain spread in the Tokyo region. Experts warned that caseloads could surge to thousands within weeks as people travel on summer vacations and the Olympics draws foreign and domestic visitors to Tokyo. Despite the recent acceleration of Japans vaccination program, only 16.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. Japan has reported about 812,000 cases and nearly 15,000 deaths in the pandemic. ___ HELSINKI A passenger arriving in Finland may soon be fined hundreds of euros for refusing to take a coronavirus test. A new amendment to the Finnish infectious diseases act with regard to border security imposes a fine to a tourist who enters Finland and opposes a required COVID-19 test. The law takes effect July 12 and is valid until Oct. 15. It already was possible for the police to fine those refusing of COVID-19 tests, but authorities say the amendment will remarkably clarify the situation in judicial terms. Konsta Arvelin, an inspector at the National Police Board, told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that the change creates a completely new criminal offense in Finland, titled violation of the COVID-19 test." Finland has a population of 5.5 million and one of the lowest coronavirus figures in Europe. The Nordic country has maintained tight border control during the pandemic. ___ BEIJING A Chinese vice foreign minister claims the possibility that the COVID-19 virus leaked from a lab in China has been ruled out, and called on Washington to release more information about how the virus originated as well as how it spread in the U.S. Le Yucheng on Saturday cited a World Health Organization report saying the pandemic most likely began through the passing of the virus from animals to humans, not from Chinese laboratory. The vice foreign minister reiterated that the origin of the virus remains unknown. Le said that, "If the U.S. actually respects the truth and transparency, it should accept an international investigation to find the source of the U.S. epidemic, the cause of the U.S.s ineffective fight against the epidemic, and problems at U.S. biological laboratories. While similar to earlier official statements, Les comments come from a more senior official than in the past, indicating Beijing may be firming up its political stance in the dispute over the virus origins. Chinas outspoken Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, has thrown suspicion on the U.S. military biological laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, calling for an investigation into the possibility the virus originated there. No evidence has been produced to support that claim or that the virus emerged from any U.S. military-run biological lab. ___ BUCHAREST Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are set to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said in a statement. Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. The announcement came days ahead of an early parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have so far been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 infections and 6,207 deaths. ___ COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has launched a massive vaccination program aimed at inoculating tens of thousands of people in the countrys tourism industry. It's the latest attempt to contain the spread of the virus and to revive the lucrative tourism industry. The vaccine drive took place in the countrys southern coast which is famous among tourists for its white sandy beaches. On Saturday, more than 1000 hotel workers, tourist guides and safari drivers were inoculated, said the tourism ministry. The Ministry said it plans to inoculate 500,000 people who are directly employed in the tourism sector. COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the tourism, which is a vital economic sector for Sri Lanka. Workers and businesses linked to tourism are currently facing crippling employment losses. Sri Lanka has so far recorded 269,946 confirmed cases and 3,391 deaths. ___ MADRID Managers at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona are facing a sharp surge in infections by, once again, rearranging staff shifts and moving patients around in their sprawling facilities. The increase in Spain comes amid the advance of the delta variant that spreads far more easily. And its being driven mostly by younger, unvaccinated patients who require less ICU care but are turning in droves to health centers and emergency wards. If they reach the point of needing hospitalization, they typically spend longer in regular wards until they recover. At this facility, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from eight to 35 in just two weeks. That is far from the hundreds that the hospital nursed at the height of previous virus surges. But it comes as a warning of what could await unless drastic measures are taken against the spread of the virus, according to Juan Pablo Horcajada, who coordinates all the COVID-19 activity there. ___ VALLETTA, Malta Malta is now requiring proof of vaccination for visitors to the Mediterranean island nation in hopes of stemming the latest rise in coronavirus infections. Starting Wednesday, visitors must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate that is recognized by Maltese health authorities, meaning certificates issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom. The EUs green passport certifies people who are vaccinated, receive a negative PCR test result or have recovered from COVID-19. But Malta has decided to recognize only those who are fully vaccinated. Malta will be the first EU country taking this step, said Health Minister Chris Fearne. Children aged 5-12 can present a negative PCR test, while those under age 5 are exempt. Malta, which has a population of just over half a million, had 46 active cases on July 1 but the number rose to 252 on Friday. The government says 90% of new cases are among unvaccinated people. Currently 79% of Maltese adults are fully vaccinated. ___ SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has set a new high in daily coronavirus cases for the third straight day as officials prepare to enforce the strongest social distancing restrictions in the greater capital area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Saturday that more than 1,000 of the 1,378 new cases were from capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, a region where officials from Monday will clamp down on private social gatherings of three or more people from 6 p.m. Nightclubs and churches will close, visitors will be banned at nursing homes and hospitals and weddings and funerals will be limited to family-only gatherings. Dozens of new cases were each reported in major cities and regions across the country, including Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, South Chungcheong Provine and South Gyeongsang Province. After adding 9,700 cases in July alone, the countrys caseload is now at 166,722, including 2,038 deaths. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Haitis interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moises assassination. The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haitis last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation which lasted nearly two decades as a way to avert anarchy. Mathias Pierre, Haiti's elections minister, defended the government's request for military assistance, saying in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press that the local police force is weak and lacks resources. What do we do? Do we let the country fall into chaos? Private properties destroyed? People killed after the assassination of the president? Or, as a government, do we prevent?" he said. Were not asking for the occupation of the country. Were asking for small troops to assist and help us. ... As long as we are weak, I think we will need our neighbors." On Saturday, a senior Biden administration official said the U.S. has no plans to provide military assistance at this time. The administration will send senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Port-au-Prince on Sunday to assess the situation and how the U.S. may be able to assist, said the official, who wasnt authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Saturday. The letter asked for troops and security at key installations, according to a U.N. source speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the letter are private. We definitely need assistance and weve asked our international partners for help, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told the AP in a phone interview late Friday. We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. On Friday, a group of lawmakers announced they had recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haitis dismantled Senate, as provisional president in a direct challenge to the interim governments authority. They also recognized as prime minister Ariel Henry, whom Moise had selected to replace Joseph a day before he was killed but who had not yet taken office or formed a government. One of those lawmakers, Rosemond Pradel, told the AP that Joseph is neither qualified nor has the legal right to lead the country. Joseph, who assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military, said he was "not interested in a power struggle. Theres only one way people can become president in Haiti. And thats through elections, he said Meanwhile, more details emerged about what increasingly resembled a murky, international conspiracy: a shootout with gunmen holed up in a foreign embassy, a private security firm operating out of a warehouse in Miami and a cameo sighting of a Hollywood star. Among the arrested are two Haitian Americans, including one who worked alongside Sean Penn following the nations devastating 2010 earthquake. Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombias military. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwans Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. National Police Chief Leon Charles said another eight suspects were still at large and being sought. The attack at Moises home before dawn Wednesday also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to Miami for surgery. She issued a statement Saturday implying the president was killed for trying to develop the country. The mercenaries who assassinated the president are currently behind bars, she said in Creole, but other mercenaries currently want to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology. Colombian officials said the men were recruited by four companies and traveled to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are often recruited by security firms and mercenary armies in conflict zones because of their experience in a decades-long war against leftist rebels and drug cartels. The sister of one of the dead suspects, Duberney Capador, told the AP that she last spoke to her brother late Wednesday hours after Moises murder when the men, holed up in a home and surrounded, were desperately trying to negotiate their way out of a shootout. He told me not to tell our mother, so she wouldnt worry, said Yenny Capador, fighting back tears. Colombias government said theyre seeking to repatriate the bodies of those killed by police following the attack: they have the right to a dignified burial. We express our solidarity with the families of the ex-military personnel who died in confusing circumstances that should be clarified for the good of Haitian democracy, the foreign ministry said. Its not known who masterminded the attack. And questions remain about how the perpetrators were able to penetrate the presidents residence posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, meeting little resistance from those charged with protecting the president. Capador said her brother, who retired from the Colombian army in 2019 with the rank of sergeant, was hired by a private security firm with the understanding he would be providing protection for powerful individuals in Haiti. Capador said she knew almost nothing about the employer but shared a picture of her brother in a uniform emblazoned with the logo of CTU Security a company based in Doral, a Miami suburb popular with Colombian migrants. The wife of Francisco Uribe, who was among those arrested, told Colombias W Radio that CTU offered to pay the men about $2,700 a month a paltry sum for a dangerous international mission but far more than what most of the men, noncommissioned officers and professional soldiers, earned from their pensions. CTU Security was registered in 2008 and lists as its president Antonio Intriago, who is also affiliated with several other Florida-registered entities, some since dissolved, including the Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, the Venezuelan American National Council and Doral Food Corp. CTUs website lists two addresses, one of which is a gray-colored warehouse that was shuttered Friday with no sign indicating who it belonged to. The other is a small suite under a different companys name in a modern office building a few blocks away. A receptionist said Intriago stops by every few days to collect mail and hold meetings. Intriago, who is Venezuelan, did not return phone calls and an email seeking comment. Besides the Colombians, those detained by police included two Haitian Americans. Investigative Judge Clement Noel told Le Nouvelliste that the arrested Americans, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers planned only to arrest Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers, the newspaper reported Friday. Solages, 35, described himself as a certified diplomatic agent, an advocate for children and budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in south Florida to assist residents of his Haitian hometown of Jacmel. He worked briefly as a driver and bodyguard for a relief organization set up by Penn following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that killed 300,000 Haitians and left tens of thousands homeless. He also lists as past employers the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. Calls to the charity and Solages associates went unanswered. Joseph refused to specify who was behind the attack, but said that Moise had earned numerous enemies while attacking oligarchs who for years profited from overly generous state contracts. Some of those elite insiders are now the focus of investigators, with authorities asking that presidential candidate and businessman Reginald Boulos and former Senate President Youri Latortue meet prosecutors next week for questioning. No further details were provided and none of the men have been charged. Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished amid corruption and drug trafficking. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory. Hundreds of Haitians gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince Friday pleading for a way out of the country. This country has nothing to offer, said 36-year-old Thermidor Joam. If the president can be killed with his own security, I have no protection whatsoever if someone wants to kill me. ___ Goodman reported from Miami. AP Writers Evens Sanon and videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince, Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jonathan Lemire in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report. Much of the discussion when the Midland City Council addressed Animal Services spay/neuter voucher budget last month revolved around the trap, neuter and return (TNR) program taking place in the community. It gave a glimpse into a program that is as complicated as the issue of stray cats in the Midland community. Recently, Danielle Piatt of Permian Basin Animal Advocates sat down with the Reporter-Telegram to discuss TNR, the success it is having in Midland and the amount of work taking place to make sure money spent now will benefit the community later. The following is a question-and-answer that came from an interview with Piatt. Q: Why is trap-neuter-return necessary in Midland? A: It is a non-lethal alternative to the trap-and-kill method of controlling the cat population. Kennel statistics Piatt provided show the number of cats and kittens euthanized in Midland jumped from 1,554 in 2018 to 2,210 in 2019. Q: In 2018, the city was petitioned and then allowed the integration of a TNR program into the larger voucher program. What success have we seen with that program? A: Cat euthanasia (cats taken in versus those euthanized) has dropped from 57 percent in 2019 to 48 percent in 2020. So far, this year the percentage is down to 33 percent. In terms of total numbers of cats and kittens killed, the numbers are 2,210 in 2019, 1,299 in 2020 and 237 during the first four months of 2021. Q: Is there more to the effort to save cats and kitten than TNR? A: Yes. For instance, Permian Basin Animal Advocates reported participating in fostering and transporting animals to other areas where there is space available. Piatt said last month PBAA had about 16 cats being fostered (and 20 dogs). She also estimated the number of cats transported a month to other areas can range from 10 to 42. She estimated her organizations cat adoptions are between five and 10 a month. Q: What organizations participate in TNR? A (not a complete list): Permian Basin Animal Advocates is a 501(c)3 non-profit, no-kill organization that works with foster homes in the Permian Basin Area to rescue neglected animals from the streets and/or kill shelters and get them permanent, approved homes. It also reports to educate the community on the fundamentals of responsible pet ownership, TNR and the importance of spaying and neutering. Midland Cat Wranglers is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Its mission and vision are to reduce the overpopulation of unowned cats in the Midland area through a humane solution called trap-neuter-return. It aims to educate the public on the benefits of TNR and provide the resources needed to empower the community to join our efforts. It strives to improve the lives of unowned cats and their relationship with the community. Fix West Texas lists as its mission to make spay/neuter services and other preventative care both affordable and accessible to all pet owners in the West Texas area, thereby reducing local euthanasia and shelter intake rates. Piatt stated that the goal is not necessarily to return cats to a community. If theyre friendly, we will typically put them in a foster home. If they're friendly, we, of course, adopt them out if we have a foster open, so you will actually see a lot of adoptable cats here with their ears clipped tips (the ears clipped lets people know that the so-called community cat has been taken in before and neutered or spayed). Q: Why is the citys voucher program and the participation of TNR in that program so important in controlling the cat population and saving cats lives? A: Piatt said it is not cheap to fix a cat. Surgery prices at some vets offices can cost $110 (or more) and that doesnt include the cost of a rabies shot (maybe around $15). The voucher only pays for $70. What Fix West Texas did was create a lower cost and make it a more efficient process as vets are specifically trained in fast-paced, high-quality spay and neutering. Piatt said those organizations working in TNR can use Fix West Texas, which has lowered the cost to $70 for the alteration and $12 for the rabies. That lowers the out of pocket to $12, which can be covered easier by donation programs to Permian Basin Animal Advocates, Midland Cat Wranglers, Fix West Texas or other organizations. Q: What are other issues with TNR? A: First, this is a proactive not a reactive program, Piatt said. The goal is to control the cat population. No one can be certain what that population is, but advocates are confident it would be much higher without a TNR program. They are also certain costs would be higher to the city if the program would not be in place because of a greater need to collect cats, house the animals and ultimately kill them. A large part of the TNR program is volunteer-driven because of organizations like PBAA and Cat Wranglers. TNR advocates also hope money invested today will reduce costs down the line. -- Online https://pbanimaladvocates.com/ https://www.fixwesttexas.org/ https://www.midlandcatwranglers.org/ Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Election officials, those whose jobs are to administer elections in their communities, came under scrutiny during the regular session. Bills restricting these officials power to decide how best to serve the voters in their communities are likely to resurface during the July special session. Multiple bills were proposed in the 87th Legislature to restrict or remove the ability of elections officials to do the jobs for which they were hired, including taking away many discretionary decisions that a local official could make. The proposed bills would have removed or restricted elections officials authority to set the hours, locations and number of polling places for their county, as well as requiring the permission of the secretary of State to make any last-minute changes that might be needed due to an emergency. We vote in every election and are proud of the dedicated, professional election officials in Midland County. We always smile and say thank you to the patriotic folks who work tirelessly at the polling place in every election to support our democracy. In 2020, local election officials provided safe and secure elections during a massive presidential election and a pandemic. We need to maintain that level of flexibility to offer fair and accessible elections. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Contact us Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the morning. High 87F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading. Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation. Click here to get access Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ARENZVILLE For Isaac French, 22, growing up with Down syndrome has made life a little different, but hes about to realize a dream he shares with many the dream of owning his own business. French is opening a coffee trailer that will have an assortment of beverages, an extension of a job he had while attending Triopia High School. He is so excited, said Frenchs mother, Jill Roegge, adding that they just received a commercial sink for the trailer. For the last month he asks, Sink yet?, she said. Isaacs Coffee Shop will have a permanent site at 212 W. Frederick St. in Arenzville. Thats what he wanted to call it, Roegge said. Because French has Down syndrome and severe obsessive compulsive disorder, he was allowed to stay in high school until he turned 22. He graduated from Triopia in 2018, and Frenchs family approached the school with the proposal of starting a coffee stand. The school approved, introducing him to what is involved in being a barista and serving others. Isaac would receive orders of what (beverages) teachers wanted and he would have it all ready for them, Roegge said, adding that the school gave him space in a closet in which to build his stand. But when COVID-19 hit, schools closed and Isaac was home before he turned 22 something for which he and his family were not prepared. When COVID hit, he didnt return to school, Roegge said. Since the age of 14, French has been on the Illinois Department of Human Services Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services or PUNS list since he was 14. The database registers those who want or need developmental disability waiver services that help provide jobs at places such as Jacksonvilles Elm City Center. But, because French is in a safe environment at home, Roegge was told it would be at least two years before he was approved. We have to apply every year, she said, adding that they only pick 500 names each year and the list of applicants is over has more than 19,000. Thats when the idea for Frenchs own business came up. Isaacs Coffee Shop is slated to open the first week of August, pending a health inspectors July 19 visit. French does require constant supervision, so Roegges older sister, Sally Stock, and her daughter, Wendy DeBolt, will be working him. Shes going to open up the trailer every morning, Roegge said of her sister. The business will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The menu will include hot, iced and decaffeinated coffees; hot and iced teas, and an assortment of flavored lemonades. Were going to keep it simple, Roegge said. BEIJING (AP) China's regulator ordered the removal from app stores of 25 apps owned by Didi Global Inc., the country's largest ride-hailing service, citing severe violations of rules against collecting personal data. The Cyberspace Administration of China had already taken down the main Didi app last Sunday, pending a cybersecurity review, after it debuted on the U.S. stock market last week. The 25 additional apps include Didi Enterprises, as well as ones designed for Didi drivers. A spokesperson for Didi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes after Chinese authorities said earlier this week they would step up supervision of companies listed overseas. Under the new measures, regulation of data security and cross-border data flows, as well as the management of confidential data, will be improved. Didi is the latest company facing the scrutiny from the Chinese government. An investigation found serious violations in how Didi collected and used personal information, the internet regulator said earlier in the week. A statement said the company was told to rectify problems but gave no details. The internet regulator also said Didi was barred from accepting new customers until the investigations were completed. Didi was founded in 2012 as a taxi-hailing app and has expanded into other ride-hailing options including private cars and buses. It says it also is investing in electric cars, artificial intelligence and other technology development. Didi raised $4 billion from investors in its New York stock offering. The ruling Communist Party began tightening control over Chinas fast-changing internet industries last year, launching anti-monopoly and other investigations. Earlier this year, authorities fined Alibaba a record $2.8 billion over antitrust violations and launched an investigation into food delivery platform Meituan over suspected monopolistic behavior. On Saturday, China's market regulator blocked Tencent-backed videogame live-streaming platforms Huya and Douyu from merging following an anti-monopoly investigation. This weeks wanted The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated. Rebecca R. DeGroot, 39, of 142 N. Hall St., Virginia, is being sought on a warrant accusing her of violating probation on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. She is a white female standing 5 foot 4 and weighing 115 pounds. She has hazel eyes and brown hair. Michael J.G. Moeller, 33, of 5 Havendale Court is being sought on a warrant accusing him of violating probation on a charge of driving while license is revoked and failing to appear in court on a charge of criminal damage to property. He is a white male standing 5 foot 6 and weighing 175 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. . Submit tips anonymously at tipsubmit.com, by calling 217-243-7300 or by text messaging CRIMES (274637) with payout as the first word of the tip. Jacksonville Police THEFTS, BURGLARIES A truck was stolen about 8 a.m. Friday from the 200 block of Washington Street. It later was recovered in Springfield. A car reported stolen in Bloomington was abandoned after becoming stuck on railroad tracks on Johnson Street, according to a report filed at 7:06 a.m. Friday. About $400 worth of property was stolen from a vehicle parked in the 2200 block of West Morton Avenue, according to a report filed at 3:41 a.m. Friday. A bicycle worth $100 was stolen between 8 a.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday from the 800 block of Hoagland Boulevard. ACCIDENTS A 17-year-old girl was cited on a charge of failing to yield leaving a private road or drive after the car she was driving and one being driven by Brenda L. Murphy, 65, of Jacksonville collided at 1:40 p.m. Friday in the 2000 block of West Morton Avenue. Greene County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kimberly Ann Schutz, 50, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:23 p.m. Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and resisting a peace officer. Kiara R. Walton, 32, of Jacksonville was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:41 p.m. July 1 on a charge of driving while license is suspended. Carrollton Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS William P. Conway, 51, of Carrollton was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:23 p.m. Thursday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Marcus S. Knapp, 41, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 5:52 a.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Zachary S. Carter, 30, of Florissant, Missouri, was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:02 p.m. July 2 on acharge of criminal damage to property. Daniel L. Deverger, 35, of Eldred was booked into Greene County Jail at 2:06 p.m. July 2 on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jacob W. Mathenia, 25, of Waterloo was booked into Greene County Jail at 9:38 a.m. July 1 on charges of disorderly conduct and violating an order of protection. Greenfield Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jennifer Lee Miller, 47, of Roodhouse was booked into Greene County Jail at 1:46 a.m. Thursday on a charge of driving under the influence. Bradley D. Rulo, 19, of Greenfield was booked into Greene County Jail at 1:31 p.m. Sunday on charges of domestic battery and resisting a peace officer. White Hall Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Amber C. Herder, 33, of White Hall was booked into Greene County Jail at 8:46 p.m. Wednesday on charges of battery, assault and disorderly conduct. Scott County Winchester Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jordan E. Brown, 21, of Winchester was booked into Greene County Jail at 3:07 a.m. July 1 on a Greene County arrest warrant accusing him of theft. Meghan Hadden of Jacksonville and Luke Hubbert of Winchester are among 29 students recognized as Farm Credit agricultural scholars. Each scholar receives $2,000 from Farm Credit Illinois to pursue a degree in the field of agriculture. Payment to Mexican presidents brother raises hackles View Photo MEXICO CITY (AP) Video of a man giving a packet of cash to a brother of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had the president who has made the fight against corruption his signature issue on the defensive on Friday, vowing that there would be no coverup. The image first reported by journalist Carlos Loret de Mola shows David Leon handing the equivalent of $7,500 to Martin Jesus Lopez Obrador in 2015 some three years before the president was elected. Leon is heard saying on the video that the cash was from my savings and telling the presidents brother, Ill make a note of it, to which Martin Jesus Lopez Obrador replies No, buddy. Well write that off. Leon, who served as head of the federal civil defense office in 2018 and 2019, later wrote in his Twitter account that the money mentioned there was part of my personal savings and it was a loan. But the brothers comment on the video suggested he might not have intended to pay it back. It was not immediately clear if had, or what the loan was for. The president said he was told his was a personal loan, and said he hadnt seen Martin Jesus in several years. Lopez Obrador won office in 2018 on his pledge to fight corruption and live austerely, something he personally has done, but questions have been raised about his family. The report was reminiscent of another 2015 video that showed another of the presidents brothers, Pio Lopez Obrador, receiving a bundle of cash from Leon. That video was released last year by the same journalist, Loret de Mola, who unearthed this weeks video. Shady financial dealings by Mexican presidents and their relatives have dogged the country for decades, but they almost always involve huge amounts of money or property. If my brother has committed any crime, or anybody has, I wont cover up for them, the president said Friday. It s quite clear that if someone commits a crime, who it is, they should be punished. Lopez Obrador has long branded such revelations as part of a conspiracy by the media and conservatives against him. Lopez Obrador has claimed a certain degree of moral superiority, castigating the media each week in a contest he describes as the lie of the week. Senators from the opposition National Action Party wrote in a statement that Lopez Obradors family is full of corrupt individuals who should be standing before a judge, but who enjoy impunity given to them by the president. Napa, CAWhile in wine country, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an education package that will give Californias schooling system its biggest boost in state history. This 123.9 billion dollar will be used to restructure public schools, boost funding, and achieve free Pre-K for four-year-olds and create Community Schools with an expanded scope for those programs. Part of the funding will make sure that all schools offer full in-person physical classrooms for the upcoming school year. Governor Newsom explained This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in Californias future and expand opportunities for every child across the state The previously mentioned community schools would offer services that would go beyond traditional public schools with an emphasis on mental and social-emotional health. He signed the bill while visiting Shearer Elementary School which is part of the Napa Valley Unified School District. The full text of the bill, AB 130, can be seen here. Slovakias top court dismisses referendum on early election View Photo BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) Slovakias top court ruled Wednesday that a nationwide referendum cannot be held on whether to call an early parliamentary election. President Zuzana Caputova had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the matter after over 585,000 Slovak citizens signed petitions calling for the snap vote, which the political opposition proposed over the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. At least 350,000 signatures are needed to qualify a referendum in the country of 5.4 million. If a majority voted yes in the proposed election referendum, a new parliamentary ballot would have to be held in 180 days. Slovakias next regular general election is scheduled for 2024. Justice Minister Maria Kolikova and some leading law experts doubted that such a referendum would be in line with the rule of law and advised the president to turn to the Constitutional Court. The court agreed the proposed vote would not conform with the Constitution because it would violate the character of Slovakia as a democratic state with the rule of law, chief judge Ivan Fiacan said. Parliament would have to amend the Constitution to specifically allow such a referendum, the court said. Prime Minister Eduard Heger said he respected the ruling, which cannot be appealed, while opposition politicians condemned it. Ervin Erdelyi, the head of the petition committee that was gathering the signatures, said he would study the ruling before deciding on further steps. Slovakias last election in February 2020 resulted in the formation of a four-party coalition government led by populist Prime Minister Igor Matovic. A secret deal orchestrated by the prime minister for Slovakia to purchase 2 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine triggered a political crisis in March that resulted in Matovics government becoming the first in Europe to collapse due to its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A new Cabinet sworn in in April kept the same four-party coalition in power. Only one referendum in the countrys history, on European Union membership, produced a valid result. All others failed due to low turnout. DeSantis parts with Trump in response to Surfside tragedy View Photo SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) When the coronavirus ravaged Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis defiantly bucked mask mandates. He later cracked down on protesters advocating racial justice, blasted President Joe Biden on immigration, jumped into the fight over transgender athletes and signed sweeping legislation to toughen voting rules. But after a deadly building collapse, the Republican governor is largely hitting pause on the culture wars. In the two weeks since a 12-story condo tower in this coastal community suddenly crumbled, killing at least 78 people, DeSantis has stood somberly with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement when Biden visited and hailed their joint appearance as a sign that those with opposing political views can work together in a crisis. And he even skipped a rally in Sarasota headlined by former President Donald Trump, whose early endorsement was crucial in helping DeSantis win the governors race in 2018. Since that victory, DeSantis has often taken his cues from Trump. But as he prepares for a reelection bid next year that could propel him into a presidential campaign, the tragedy in Surfside is exposing voters to a different side of the governor. Hes still the conservative populist who rarely parts with Trump. But unlike the former president, DeSantis is showing that he can tone down some of his most extreme partisan rhetoric during a disaster. The governor has been decisive. Hes been constant. Hes been collaborative, Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava, a Democrat who has sparred with DeSantis in the past, said in an interview. Hats off to the governor for how he has supported us in this crisis. Charles Burkett, the nonpartisan mayor of Surfside, called the level of cooperation astounding, even surprising. DeSantis isnt ushering in a new era of bipartisanship or leading the election deniers in his party back to reality. The governor has dodged direct questions on whether Bidens victory in last years election was fair. A day after the collapse, DeSantis promoted an unusual plan to deploy officers from Florida to the southern border, a move Democrats dismiss as political theater. Still, DeSantis actions present a sharp contrast with Trump. The former president often threatened to withhold aid to Democratic officials who criticized him, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York. At other times, he appeared insensitive or clumsy in his response to peoples suffering. During a visit to hurricane damaged Puerto Rico, for instance, Trump tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd of residents. Mac Stipanovich, a former Republican campaign strategist, said DeSantis is less frightening than Trump to some voters even as he steadily courts the former presidents base. DeSantis has a finely tuned sense of what is the best red meat, on any given day, to throw to the MAGA base and he does it with some skill and no shame, Stipanovich said. Soon as were beyond the window of this tragedy, everybody will be at each others throats once again. Indeed, the debate could swiftly move to how the state and local governments manage aging infrastructure. Officials in Miami-Dade County are moving forward with a 30-day audit of buildings that are more than 40 years old. DeSantis has questioned the necessity of a statewide review of older buildings. While effective responses to catastrophes can help burnish a governors political reputation, the boost can sometimes prove fleeting. Former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Chris Christie of New Jersey were widely praised for their response to devastating storms. But Trump, who never held political office before running for president, defeated both men for the 2016 Republican nomination. DeSantis handling of the tragedy appears to have caught some Democrats off guard, leaving them with no unified response. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat hoping to challenge DeSantis next year, didnt respond to requests for comment on the governors response to the collapse. Nikki Fried, Floridas Democratic agriculture commissioner who has also announced a bid for governor, praised local officials, Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But she knocked DeSantis for wading into the politically charged immigration debate by sending Florida law enforcement to the border with Mexico. Although the Florida Division of Emergency Management has been working around the clock to support search and rescue efforts, it was unfortunate that Governor DeSantis diverted first responders to the southern border during this incredibly difficult time for the Miami community and our entire state, she said. Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat seeking to challenge GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, said she was glad to see productive partnership between local, state, and federal officials as we work to save lives. In times of crisis, she said, we need to set partisanship aside and do whats right for our communities. For his part, Rubio has also appeared at the scene of the condo collapse multiple times with local officials, including Democrats, and has worked with the Biden administration to expedite visas for family members of victims. DeSantis is gaining national attention at a critical juncture for Republicans. While Trump decides whether to run again in 2024, those with presidential ambitions are making aggressive moves to position themselves as his heir should he opt against a campaign. For now, Trump remains happy to be aligned with DeSantis. But several people in touch with the former president and his team said he has paid close attention as DeSantis has wooed donors at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida and gained traction in some conservative circles. If DeSantis popularity rises and he threatens Trumps status as the undisputed leader of the party, many Republicans privately expect Trump to turn on the governor. Friction between the two spilled into the public for the first time last week when Trump rebuffed DeSantis entreaties to postpone the rally in Sarasota. Trump, who opened his remarks with a moment of silence for the victims in Surfside and their families, told the conservative network Newsmax that he and DeSantis had mutually agreed that the governor should skip the rally. Trump has sought to keep the upper hand in the relationship, bringing up his early endorsement in several recent interviews. He has also said he would consider DeSantis as a potential running mate if he chose to run again for president. DeSantis has said he is focused more on winning reelection next year than the 2024 contest. He is one of the few leading Republicans who has not yet visited Iowa, home to the leadoff presidential caucuses and a state dominated by conservative evangelicals who can sway the GOPs direction. DeSantis has instead spent part of his summer traveling to political fundraisers in states including Pennsylvania and California. Tony Krvaric, who helped arrange an event on DeSantis behalf in San Diego, said the excitement surrounding the governor was sky high and his response to the collapse has further helped his reputation. Hes handled it professionally and with empathy, Krvaric said. ___ Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press PLACENTIA, Calif. (AP) A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a 6-year-old child in Southern California this week, authorities said. The boy was released when bystanders intervened. The child was standing outside a market with family friends Monday evening in the city of Placentia in Orange County while his mother shopped inside, police said. The man, later identified as Michael Foley, parked his vehicle across the street from the market and ran toward the boy, police said. He picked up the child and began carrying him toward the vehicle. Bystanders began yelling at Foley, who then kissed the childs cheek and said, I love you, baby, and put him down and drove off, police said. Surveillance video helped authorities identify Foley, who was arrested Tuesday. Foley is not related to the boy or his mother, police said. Foley remained in jail on Friday on $100,000 bail, according to inmate records. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Placentia is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. CHILOQUIN, Ore. (AP) A fast-growing wildfire on national forestland in south-central Oregon has prompted mandatory evacuations as it threatened about 3,000 homes, authorities said. Pushed by strong winds, the fire in Klamath County grew from about 26 square miles (65 square kilometers) Thursday to 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) Friday in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land. There was no containment, according to the update posted on Facebook by the incident management team. Klamath County Emergency Management issued an immediate evacuation order Friday for people in certain areas north of Beatty and near Sprague River. Fire officials said less than a quarter of the 3,000 homes under threat are under the mandatory evacuation orders. Most of those residents have been told to be ready to leave at a moments notice, KOIN-TV reported. Additional resources, including two teams from California, were being sent to help fight the blaze. The Fremont-Winema National Forest was partially closed Friday, and smoke was causing visibility issues for motorists in the town of Chiloquin and surrounding areas. Evacuation orders remain in place from a smaller fire about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Roseburg that was slowly growing, officials said. Forest service campgrounds were also under mandatory evacuations, including Apple Creek, Horseshoe Bend and Eagle Rock. That fire had burned about 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) as of Friday with no containment. MIAMI (AP) The Miami-Dade County Courthouse will begin undergoing repairs immediately because of safety concerns found during a review prompted by the deadly collapse of a nearby condominium building, officials said. An engineering firm that examined the 28-story courthouse recommended that it undergo immediate structural repairs and that floors 16 and above be closed. All courthouse employees, including those who work on lower floors, will return to working from home, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other leaders said in a joint statement late Friday. In its report, engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc. said that during its June 30 inspection, it found structural distress in various structural members such as support beams and joists, including steel columns that are in poor condition" and concrete columns that have numerous cracks. In general, we observed numerous members with visible signs of structural deterioration that have been documented and reported by this and other firms for quite some time now. Many of these members are in an advance state of deterioration, inspector Jose Toledo wrote in the firms Tuesday letter to Miami-Dade County officials. The announcement about the courthouse, which is in Miami, came during the third week of the search for victims of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in nearby Surfside. On Saturday, authorities raised the confirmed death toll to 86, with 43 people still missing. The courthouse, which was completed in 1928 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, is where most civil cases are heard and contains some administrative offices. Separate courthouses for criminal, children's and family cases are not affected. Workers only recently returned to the building after working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Court operations will go back to a remote format until the safety concerns are addressed. The court planned to notify people with upcoming court proceedings of the changes. They had only been back in that building about a week, Levine Cava said at a Saturday news conference. So they have everything they need to continue to operate remotely and also at other locations, so it should not disrupt substantially. Authorities didn't disclose details about the specific types of repairs that are needed, and they still plan to inspect its basement to determine if additional ones are required. In its report, the engineering firm warned that one column on the 25th floor needed immediate attention and urged that it be repaired within 30 days. It also found overhead beams and slabs that had cracks and spalling, which is when pieces of concrete break off and potentially allow water in. In addition, it advised officials to remove heavy items such as books, office supplies and sandbags that were stored on upper floors. Miami-Dade County is in the early stages of constructing a new civil courthouse and had been planning to sell the current one, which has been beset by leaks, mold and issues with its facade over the years. It's unclear how the new findings might affect those plans to sell the building. The building underwent a review following the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building, where efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies of those missing and presumed dead. Levine Cava said those efforts would continue throughout the day Saturday despite bad weather, though work was paused for about an hour Saturday morning due to a nearby lightning strike. She also said no asbestos has been found during the search of the rubble. Please pray for all those whove lost loved ones and for those whose hearts are broken by this unspeakable tragedy," she said. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were making good progress, especially in clearing debris from the section of the building that didnt collapse but was later demolished. That section will likely be cleared sooner than originally expected, he said. Its astounding the pace at which theyre working in getting that rubble out of there, he said. Several other buildings have been reviewed to search for any structural concerns, and some such as a condo building in North Miami Beach have been evacuated. ___ Associated Press writer Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report. American Medical Response (AMR) ambulances operating within Plainview city limits no longer have to have a paramedic on board for transfers at least temporarily. The Plainview City Council voted Thursday to approve the second reading of a six-month moratorium on the city ordinance that created that requirement. With the ordinance, each AMR ambulance must be staffed with at least one employee who has the highest level of certification (National Paramedic Certification) or the ambulance cant run. The service does not respond to 9-1-1 callouts. While the ordinance does not affect the City of Plainview Fire Department EMS services, Plainview Fire Departments interim chief Bobby Gipson requested the moratorium at the last work session on June 18. He said AMR is having difficulty staffing paramedics, forcing their ambulances to go out of service. The suspension of the ordinance will give AMR the flexibility to staff basic EMTS so they can be called to the scene if needed. The Council voted 6-0 in favor of the moratorium. Council members Norma Juarez and Nelda VanHoose were absent. Since this was the second reading, the moratorium passed and is now set in place. Members also discussed the purchase of a 2021 Braun Chief XL Type I Ambulance vehicle to replace the citys 2016 international Terra Star ambulance that was totaled in a collision in May. According to Gipson, the ambulance was making a left turn at an intersection when a driver entered the roadway and collided with a truck. The new ambulance is priced at $269,301, and TML valued the damage ambulance at $236,974 including the deductible. Gipson stressed the importance of yielding to emergency vehicles. We do train our staff on what to do in these situations, Gipson said, but sometimes the public doesnt see or hear us. Its something we have to be aware of. It seems that plans for turning the San Antonio street art studio space into a $150 million mixed-use development are moving forward with a new loan in the developer's pockets. New Jersey-based Kennedy Funding closed on a $3.5 million land loan Essex Modern City, LLC, according to a news release from the financing company. The loan will cover planning and engineering stage of the 8-acre site at 51 Essex Street, and completing quiet zone construction in partnership with the city of San Antonio and Union Pacific railroad. Essex Modern City's website describes the development as "a social experiment that believes that good design and technology can create a more enriching way to live." The website lists California-based investment firm Harris Bay as well as other architecture and engineering companies. "All Essex Modern City needed was the funding everything else was in place," said Kennedy Funding CEO Kevin Wolfer. "Seeing a clear plan for the site and the city's support, we were able to quickly process and approve their loan application." Courtesy illustration The project, which began when it was rezoned for mixed use in 2016, will bring 80,000 square feet of retail space, 80,000 square feet of commercial office space, and approximately 800 residential units of varying sizes, including parking spaces and an open park area. Construction was set for 2017, but never launched. Currently, the former manufacturing space continues to showcase local street art under its #EssexArt program and has hosted events outdoor events. Chavis Barron In August 2019, local developer Efraim Varga sold his share in the project to Harris Bay to focus on the launch of a solar company, the Express-News reported. At that time the project was held up as developers waited for quiet zone approval. It's unclear if plans have changed since the project was announced. MySA reached out to Harris Bay for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication. San Antonio viewers know KSAT 12 anchor Myra Arthur as the bubbly TV personality alongside co-anchor Steve Spriester and chief meteorologist Adam Caskey. When she's not anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast or KSAT Explains, Arthur stays busy by being mom. The mother of two spends her career telling the story of others. It's a little different when she has to tell her own story, which is something she did in 2018 when she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy. She said right before going on air she noticed she couldn't smile. Her aunt, who is a nurse, told her it could be Bell's palsy after Arthur described her symptoms. Following a doctor's diagnosis, Arthur took a month off from work to focus on her recovery. However, she also had an 18-month-old at the time. As any mother knows, focusing on yourself when you have a toddler isn't easy. But the TV anchor was resilient and with physical therapy was soon able to return back to work. In March 2020, Arthur gave birth to her second child. Months later, the new mama would face another challenge: COVID-19. In December, 2020, both Arthur's husband and son tested positive for COVID-19. She shared the news with viewers live in her home while quarantining. READ MORE: San Antonio anchor goes into quarantine following family's positive COVID-19 test "It took me a minute to get over the initial panic and then to realize we know what to do," she says. Bolstered by Arthur's positive attitude in the midst of the chaos, her family recovered. So how does the KSAT anchor and mom keep together? Here's what she tells MySA about her daily routine, decompressing at the end of the day, and what she loves the most about being a mom. MySA: Tell me about your morning routine. Myra Arthur: Goooood morning! I try to get up and exercise before the kids wake up. It helps me start the day off with some endorphins and makes me feel like Ive accomplished a thing on my to-do list I often dread all before my day really gets going. Once the kids are awake, we usually get dressed for the day, do breakfast, then play before I head to work. Sometimes thats going to the playground, playing in the backyard or my personal favorite playing puppets. (Gotta say, my puppet voices are really something. My husband says the puppets are more for me than the kids. He may not be wrong.) MySA: Describe your work day what does a typical day look like? MA: First thing I do when I get to the station is go through emails, do a news roundup on stories happening that day and check my list of things to work on. I keep tabs on messages among our team while Im at home to see what stories were working on that day and any developments in between play time/snack time/nap time, so I pick up where I left off once I get to the office. A lot of my day is spent working on KSAT Explains, our weekly streaming show. From brainstorming meetings, crafting story ideas, setting up interviews, researching, writing, and shooting. That show requires a true collaborative effort, so our team typically has conversations throughout the day about how each weeks episode is taking shape and changes we may need to make along the way. Later in the afternoon, I focus on our KSAT Q&A segment for the day and brainstorm topics to cover with our guest. Then it's time to go over the rundown for the 6 p.m. newscast. I do hair and makeup, shoot a daily news update for Instagram, and then its newscast time at 6 p.m. MySA: When you were diagnosed with Bell's palsy, did it affect how you were able to care for your child while youre trying to take care of yourself, too? MA: Goodness, yes. I had one eye taped shut for nearly a month, so that was a huge challenge. Navigating the grocery store was tough, so taking care of a then-18-month-old ranked right up there. But, thankfully, I had lots of help. My husband was there every step of the way in my recovery. I relied on a babysitter and family while my husband was at work. I was away from work for a month and much of that time was dedicated to doctors appointments, physical therapy, rest, and prayer to recover. While there were challenging points when I had to admit I was in pain or was limited, doing mama things as usual helped make things seem more normal during that stressful time. MySA: How do you decompress at the end of the day? MA: By the time I get home each day, my kids are usually asleep. I eat dinner with my husband who does bedtime with the kids like the pro that he is and I usually take care of a few things around the house. Laundry, go through mail, water the plants, wash dishes. Honestly? My biggest way to decompress at the end of the day? Take off all that TV makeup and put my hair up in a ponytail! Oh, man, is that glorious. Might sound bonkers, but I look forward to it at the end of every day. MySA: Take me through the time COVID hit your family. As a mom what went through your mind then? MA: My oldest son had a mild fever for a little over a day, but no other symptoms. It was in December when cases were surging, so we went to the doctor to have it checked out. I figured it was an ear infection. Turns out, it was an ear infection, but a quick nose swab for COVID came back positive. For months on end, I had told KSAT viewers about what to do when someone tests positive, how to quarantine, when other people exposed should get tested. But in the parking lot of the pediatricians office, my mind went blank. I was worried about the symptoms my son might develop. Would my 9-month-old get it? Would my husband and I get it? Had we already unknowingly exposed other people? I called my husband and then my boss to say I would be in quarantine for the next two weeks. My husband and I wore masks around the house. The whole family got tested the next day and waited for results. The first day or two, we tried to keep our kids separated. Me with one kiddo in one room, my husband with one kiddo in another part of the house. But we quickly found out that wasnt going to work with a toddler and a baby. Our test results came back in a few days and my husband was positive, too. Baby boy and I were negative. For two weeks, my husband worked from home and I did what I could, too. (My news director gave me tremendous grace during that time. So thankful!) I did live shots during our newscasts talking about our personal quarantine while standing in my bedroom. It was crazy, but very 2020. My son never developed any other symptoms. My husband didnt either. We felt incredibly lucky. At the end of our quarantine, me and baby boy took a second test to see whether wed been infected. We were negative. Truly thankful for that. MySA: What do you love the most about being a mom? MA: Brace yourself because this answer is full of cheese, but here it is: I love the love the most. The love I have for my kids makes my heart want to burst. Are there parenting moments when I feel like my head might be the thing to burst first? You bet. But the joy I get from being a mom to two little boys surpasses anything Ive ever experienced. I love their smiles when theyre excited to see me or proud to show me a new trick they learned. I love how their little hands feel holding mine. I love the squeals I hear around the house each morning. I love how Im continually amazed by the littlest things in ever new childhood phase. I feel like I hit the jackpot. And now I need a tissue SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) In dress shirts and pants, Chuck Grassley and Tom Cotton dropped to their knees on stage at a recent Iowa Republican Party fundraiser and began pumping out pushups. The 87-year-old Iowa senator's were slow and deliberate while his Arkansas colleague's were crisp and level, befitting the 44-year-old former Army captain. The 22 reps were part of a campaign to curb veteran suicides. But for Grassley, a senator considering a bid for an eighth term, it was also a moment to send another message to voters: I can still keep up. After 40 years in the Senate, serving under seven presidents, Grassley's resilience isn't just physical. Once proudly bipartisan, Grassley adapted deftly to the new hyperpartisanship of the Trump era. While some of his fellow longtimers in Washington are calling it quits, fed up with the rightward lurch of the GOP or the inertia in Congress, Grassley has set out to show he's thriving. He goes out and talks to Republicans, and sees the party still includes a number of people who are big-time Trump supporters," said longtime adviser Mike Schreurs. One way or another, you've got to accommodate them. And that's Grassley's astute politics. Grassley has said he will announce his plans this fall, later than usual for the senator, who typically has decided to run again immediately after each of his previous reelections. But the senator's campaign team is functioning as if hes running. Grassley and his pollster Brian Tringali met last month with leaders of the National Republican Senatorial Committee at their headquarters in Washington. Other advisers, including Grassleys longtime advertising consultant Fred Davis, participated in the meeting via Zoom. They reviewed Grassley's polling and fundraising head start, pleased with what they saw. The senator is raising money at a healthy clip. He reported having $2 million in his campaign account at the end of the first quarter. It's been enough to scare off any big-name challengers. Two little-known western Iowa prospects have announced their candidacy: Republican state Sen. Jim Carlin and Democratic farmer Dave Muhlbauer. Still, Grassley's age he would be 95 at the end of his term if he won inevitably raises questions about his future, and the senator isn't shying from them. Advisers say Grassley has said he wants to avoid a situation like the final months in office of Sens. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, and Strom Thurmond, a South Carolina Republican. Byrd was in and out of the hospital before he died in office at age 92 in 2010. Thurmond, frail and guided through the Capitol in a wheelchair before retiring in 2003, died six months later at age 100. Grassley would be the second-oldest member of the Senate and among the 10 oldest senators in history. With his signature gruffness, Grassley acknowledges his age is one of the reasons that Ive put off making the decision until later on. Who knows? I could die tomorrow, he told The Associated Press as he visited tiny Ida Grove in northwest Iowa last week. If I announce Im running, Im planning on living to be 95. But I might not live that long. His health habits suggest otherwise. The pushups aren't just for show, but part of his daily routine, he says. He also runs 12 miles (19 kilometers) per week, though he chuckles calling it a shuffle. He wakes up at 4 a.m. and is in his Washington office by 6 a.m. Despite the pace, and his activity on Twitter, there's no hiding Grassley has decades on most of his voters. At events, Grassley references his hearing aid, sometimes as a joke, but he also relies on a staffer to repeat what he misses. He often illustrates his points with creaky references and examples that predate his listeners. Meeting with a group of young professionals in Sioux City last week, Grassley fielded a question about same-sex marriage by noting that it reminded him of some constitutional research he did in college in 1953. When answering a question about the fuel tax and electric cars, he illustrated the improvement in fuel efficiency over time by recalling a billboard from the 1950s advertising a Chevrolet that got up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) per gallon. He referenced things long in the past," said Josiah Paulsrud, 35, of Sioux City, who is a Republican and undecided about Grassley. Whether it was him trying to educate people or rambling on, I can't say. Five Senate Republicans, including Richard Shelby of Alabama, who is also 87, are retiring after 2022. In announcing his retirement, two-term Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio expressed frustration with the dysfunction in Washington. Grassley, however, has adapted smoothly to changes in the party. He's consistently supported Donald Trump's agenda and often his political tactics. At times, he's even taken a lead role in satisfying the party's vocal right wing. Grassley helped spur Trump Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation days before the 2020 election even after effectively killing Democratic President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland, saying it came too close to the 2016 election. He partnered with the pro-Trump Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson on a high priority for the far right, investigating Hunter Biden's financial dealings last year as his father ran for president. And, having criticized him as president, he has been nearly silent on Trump's false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election. When pressed at a recent public meeting to call out Trump's falsehood, Grassley declined. Grassley replied curtly to retired anesthesiologist Phil Dokter: On December the 12th, after the electoral votes were cast, Biden is the president of the United States. Thats not enough. Youve used your soapbox over the decades," said Dokter, an independent who has voted for Grassley in the past. And were talking about a big deal here. Grassley moved on to the next question. But the senator hasn't always been a Trump acolyte. He voted to count Arizonas and Pennsylvanias Electoral College votes the day of the deadly Capitol riot in January. He also objected loudly to waivers the Trump administration gave petroleum companies from the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, a goal that helps Iowa farmers. The senator says he's doesn't consider Trump the de facto leader of the national Republican Party, despite the former president's continued effort to influence Republican primary contests. Right now, the Republican Party doesnt have a leader. Weve got people who have great influence within the party like Sen. Cotton, Sen. (Ted) Cruz, Sen. Lindsey Graham. People like that," he said in the AP interview. And Trump is one of them." Still, Grassley's appeals to the right appear to have hurt his approval in Iowa, once called stratospheric" by J. Ann Selzer, director of The Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll. In June, the poll showed Grassley's approval at 45%, down 30 percentage points from 2009, when he was a key figure in bipartisan negotiations over health care legislation. His approval remains healthy among Republicans, and more Iowans approve than disapprove of his performance. Grassley's numbers have dropped sharply among Democrats and fallen among independents, both of whom used to pad his high ratings. Democrats are no longer willing to give him the benefit," Selzer said. But it could also be that hes doing things, more things, that are ticking off Democrats. The two are conjoined." Grassley won't need the Democratic support to win. Iowa has drifted decidedly Republican in the past decade, electing and reelecting GOP governors, filling longtime liberal Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's seat with conservative Republican Joni Ernst. The state voted twice for Trump, a fact that appeared top of mind as Grassley visited a friendly crowd in Ida Grove. The senator railed against the Biden administration's U.S.-Mexico border policy, and when asked his opinion about Trump's recent visit to the border, Grassley gave the audience of 50 in the town's recreation center what they wanted. Nobody can tell him what to do," he said. And if you did tell him what to do, he wouldnt do it anyway." The gym burst into applause and laughter. WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) When grieving with those who lost loved ones in a building collapse, President Joe Biden invoked the car crash that claimed members of his own family decades ago. When explaining his decision to pull troops from Afghanistan, he remembered his veteran son. When discussing the importance of education, he recalled the teachers who helped him overcome his childhood stutter. And when he met with Queen Elizabeth and then Vladimir Putin on a recent trip abroad, he couldn't resist bringing up his mother with both of them. The personal has always been the political for Biden. Far more than his recent predecessors, the president publicly draws on his own experiences when he makes connections with voters and considers his decisions. Many politicians make their background a central component of their political identity, but Biden is particularly prone to draw links between his own life story and the day-to-day workings of his presidency. And the strongest connection is often the saddest one. Few public figures speak as powerfully on grief as Biden, who lost his first wife and baby daughter in a car crash and later his adult son Beau to brain cancer. In the first months of his term, he has drawn on that empathy to console those who have lost loved ones, including the more than 600,000 who have died in the COVID-19 pandemic. And it was on vivid display recently when he spent more than three hours in private with people mourning the loss of loved ones in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, going from family to family to hear the stories of those still missing in the debris. Biden spoke of wanting to switch places with a lost or missing loved one and lamented that the waiting, the waiting, is unbearable. The people you may have lost theyre going to be with you your whole life, he told the families. A part of your soul, a part of who you are. Biden carries with him an index card that lists the total number of Americans who have died from COVID-19 and in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been known to quietly send notes to people, including lawmakers and journalists, affected by cancer, referring to his own familys struggles with the affliction. Cynical people say, OK, this is a calculator, these are crocodile tears, this is something he turns on and off for the cameras. ... That is total balderdash, said Dick Harpootlian, a Democratic South Carolina state lawmaker whos known and advised Biden for 40 years. Harpootlian said that when his own mother died, Biden called with condolences. The lawmaker added: Empathy is sort of the wrong word. I mean, its not strong enough. It was just, he felt my loss. I could tell its sincere, genuine caring for people that are hurt or have lost loved ones, he continued. Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, looms large in the presidents life. He said that his dying son made him promise to keep going and, the day before he was sworn in as president, he tearfully told a crowd in Delaware that his only regret" was that Beau couldn't be there. Biden marked his first Memorial Day weekend as commander in chief by honoring the nations sacrifices in a deeply personal manner as he paid tribute to those lost while remembering his son. I know how much the loss hurts, said Biden. Though a tent was overhead, the cold wind whipped the rain onto guests as they watched a lone military trumpeter play taps at a memorial to Delawares fallen troops. Biden appeared to pay the chill no mind, remaining for the entirety of the 75-minute ceremony and mouthing the words to the closing rendition of God Bless America. For Joe Biden, this isnt something that he does this is who he is, said Anita Dunn, senior White House adviser. He makes sure that everyone who wants to talk to him got to talk to him, and not just a greeting but a conversation. He knows how important those conversations are because of the tragedy in his own life. Biden draws on more than just grief. This past week, at an event in Illinois to promote the family portion of his massive infrastructure bill, he extolled its benefits for child care and in particular for single parents. He evoked his own challenges as a single father in the aftermath of the car accident that killed his first wife and daughter and injured his two young sons. If I hadnt had the family I have, my younger sister, my best friend, and my brother, and my mom help out, I couldnt have done it, the president said. But not everybody has that kind of support. West Wing staffers and journalists alike know that nearly every event has a chance to be enhanced or sidetracked by a stroll down memory lane. In Brussels, during his first overseas trip, Biden took a detour about his father changing jobs and neglected to deliver news of an Airbus-Boeing trade deal as planned. At a recent education event in Washington, Biden evoked both his second wife, first lady Jill Biden, a teacher, and the educators who helped him manage a childhood stutter. They took a stuttering kid who couldnt speak very well in school, was scared to death to be called on to read out loud, Biden recalled. And they nurtured me: Joey youre a very smart boy, Joey. Just take your time. Dont let that get in your way, Joey, he told the gathering of teachers. Im serious. I think what you all underestimate, beyond the teaching of reading and writing, adding and subtracting: You give so many kids confidence. Many presidents draw from their own lives to guide their politics: George W. Bush fashioned a persona as a down-home Texas ranch owner; Bill Clinton frequently invoked his familys poverty; even Donald Trump told stories of a friend named Jim who no longer felt safe going to Paris as a means to explain his own hard-line immigration policies. But folksy remembrances often give Biden a more relatable identity than those of many of his predecessors, including Trump, who lived in a Manhattan skyscraper that bore his name in gold-plated letters, and Barack Obama, whose cool intellect and constitutional law background at times appeared to leave him detached. There are potential downsides to Bidens approach, as he risks suggesting to people that he cant identify with people whose life experiences are different than his own. But many observers believe that those connections to his own life which mirror how many voters relate to issues, through the prisms of their own family and experiences can be both genuine and politically effective. Starting with the Joe from Scranton moniker, to the horrific car crash, to the glory and tragedy of Beau to the foibles of Hunter, the President dons a soft tone and frames most of his worldview from his reminiscence, said Tobe Berkovitz, political ad consultant and professor at Boston Universitys College of Communication. No president has ever worn his heart on his sleeve like Joe Biden. ___ Jaffe reported from Washington. Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty Images ISLAND PARK, Idaho (AP) Idaho state wildlife officials say a man was injured after he was attacked by a grizzly bear in eastern Idaho on Friday morning. Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said in a prepared statement that the man was running on a trail in the Kilgore area near Island Park around 6:30 a.m. when he encountered the female grizzly with her cub. The female bear charged him, and the man laid down in an effort to protect himself. File photo Selena Quintanilla fans aren't happy with the possibility of her killer, Yolanda Saldivar, being released in 2025. On March 31, 1995, Saldivar murdered the beloved Tejano star in Corpus Christi. At the time of her death, Quintanilla was a 23-year-old rising queen who was changing the Tejano music industry. For more than 37 years, SJRC Texas has been caring for the children and families most affected by abuse, neglect, and trauma. Tara Roussett, the organizations CEO, recounted that the organization began in Bulverde, deep in the heart of rural Texas, when the local Hamilton family who had a heart for foster care began a residential foster care home that came to be known as St. Judes Home for Children. While the original home had ties to a Nevada child welfare organization, in 2016, SJRC Texas branched off to become its own independent entity serving Texas children. For the last five years weve been a Texas-only nonprofit caring for Texas kids, said Roussett. That was a very strategic decision at the time because we really wanted to focus on our local community needs. SJRC Texas offers foster care and adoption services for community foster homes as well as residential foster care, as well as housing and resources for pregnant and parenting teens, a prevention program, and housing and resources for survivors of child sex trafficking. Now, a new division of the organization, Belong, is soon to begin providing the lead placement services in the community. On April 1, SJRC Texas began its start-up period to become the single-source continuum contractor, or lead provider, of foster care services in region 8B which includes 27 counties surrounding Bexar County, although not Bexar County itself. SJRC Texas went through a competitive bidding process with the state to be selected for this contract, and the organization will also contract with other providers to oversee all placements. Were working towards a go-live date of October 1, said Roussett. When we go live, we will be the first in stage one responsible for the placement of all the children in these 27 counties. The goal is to keep them close to home in the least restrictive environment, and to build up a strong provider network to keep the children in local communities together. Statistics show kids do best in their home of origin, Roussett noted. So were hoping to really build off that network, bring needed support to the rural counties that dont have anything and we really want to strive for first placement is last placement that theyre not having to change placements all the time. Providing the resources and really building up the communities that is what were the most excited about. Lauren Sides, chief public relations officer for SJRC Texas, said that besides the Bulverde campus SJRC Texas also owns a New Braunfels campus. Meanwhile, in San Antonio, it operates a child-placing agency, begun in 2012. That office allows us to license foster homes in the community and to complete adoptions that provide forever families to people who are interested, said Sides. We train the families to open their homes and hearts and make sure that they go through all the necessary requirements that are required by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. As for residential housing for foster children on the Bulverde campus, SJRC Texas offers those in their care a specific therapeutic model the trust-based relational intervention model, known as TBRI. Roussett said she has been with the organization for 13 years and led the Texas programs up until 2016 when she assumed her current role as CEO. Our mission is to offer healing and hope to children and families affected by abuse, abandonment, or neglect, she said. And so today we have still the same Bulverde campus started it all, a 45-bed facility for boys and girls in the foster care system, mostly older teens, harder-to-place teens. SJRC Texas also offers an onsite school through the University of Texas charter system. In 2021, six SJRC Texas teens graduated from the on-campus school and one from the local public school. We have received support from the Office of the Governors Child Sex Trafficking Team, so we work with the highest level in the state to make sure these girls have all their needs met, that they are getting specific trauma training, specific tools to help them thrive and survive from the sex trafficking that they have been through, Roussett said. The survivors take classes on healthy boundaries and classes to better themselves, build confidence, and heal from trauma. Only about 12% of child welfare agencies in Texas are nationally accredited, and SJRC Texas is one of them. All staff is also trained in intensive trauma-informed care, making the program stand out. Roussett said the organization is always in need of volunteers and donations. Its very expensive to take care of the kids in the manner that we do, she said. Were essentially raising 250 kids every day at SJRC and we really need help. These young people that we care for did nothing wrong to be in the situations that theyre in, so if not us, then who? We have to step up for our community and our kids and give them the opportunity for a childhood that theyve never had before. Monetary donations can be made at their website, www.sjrctexas.org. Donations of toiletries and other gently used clothes are also accepted at the Bulverde location. Contact community outreach coordinator Laci Bird at lbird@sjrctexas.org to learn more about donating and volunteer opportunities. Really, it is its probably one of the most rewarding places to ever work for because we provide a safe haven and offer not only hope, healing but also a home to children and families, Sides said. We are the ones that help start and kick off the journey of healing for a lot of kids. So serving over 200 kids a day is really meaningful, and we want to see these future generations be empowered to become happy, productive, and caring adults. The Adorable Way That Baby Koalas Are Weighed Laughing Squid (Re Silc). The intoxicating garden: Michael Pollan on growing psychoactive plants FT Are Private Equity Firms to Blame For Rising Home Prices? Marker The Pandemic Opportunity Project Syndicate What the impending rubber apocalypse means for the U.S. economy CNBC (Re Silc). #COVID19 Coronavirus: Sinovac is worlds most used vaccine, but how good is its Delta protection? South China Morning Post Thai study finds 2 doses of Sinovac cant beat Delta variant, AstraZeneca can ThaiPBS (Furzy Mouse). I cannot, however, find the original study. CDC, FDA contradict Pfizer on COVID-19 vaccine booster CIDRAP Mix-and-Match COVID Vaccines: The Case Is Growing, but Questions Remain Scientific American Briefly Noted: For 2021-07-09 Fr Brad DeLong (nvl). Takedown of Slavitt on Delta. * * * Bay Area an emerging hot spot for COVID as delta cases jump San Francisco Chronicle COVID-19 outbreak shuts down in-person services at Apopka, Eustis churches Click Orlando. I have never understood why there are no reports of clusters in megachurches, given singing and close contact. Perhaps the high ceilings and mall-scale HVAC were mitigations. But if this story is Delta, that may be about to change. Study reveals children and youth had highest rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canada before third wave Covid Immunity Task Force. Canada. * * * As New Vaccinations Decrease, Efforts Turn Toward Wisconsin Farm Workers Up North News. Who knew, a workplace-focused effort (siloed by industry, naturally). California is diverging from the CDC on masks in schools San Francisco Chronicle Abbott begins laying off hundreds of workers as COVID test demand evaporates: report Fierce Biotech Yves here. Climate change reporting has had plenty of big stories to chase of late: baked Alaska, the superheated Pacific Northwest, oceans and Siberia burning, the odds of yet another bad fire season in California. But super heavy rains in New York City just produced severe subway flooding, and not with a hurricane Sandy storm surge as the proximate cause. The new normal of wilder weather puts even more stress on already creaky public transportation systems. By Jose Martinez. Originally published at The City on July 9, 2021 Even on a dry day, the MTA says it pumps 14 million gallons of water out of subway stations. But on Thursday, as a months worth of rain deluged the city inside of two hours, the vulnerability of the subway went on full display in videos of commuters wading waist-deep into pool-like stations. The Dyckman Street station on the A line in Inwood took on 28,000 gallons of water, the MTA said, while the B and D lines Tremont Avenue stop in The Bronx was flooded by 15,000 gallons. If the rain is coming down at 100 gallons a minute and the pumps are 50 gallons a minute, youve lost the battle, said Robert Paaswell, a distinguished professor of engineering at the City College of New York. The sudden soaking of stations in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx, which typically do not experience heavy flooding, underscored the exposure of a nearly 117-year-old subway system not built for the extreme weather wrought by climate change. The downpour also highlighted the resiliency challenges still facing the MTA and the city at large close to a decade after Superstorm Sandy swamped stations, tunnels and railyards. This is a teachable moment, said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. Unfortunately, teachable moments tend to come from other peoples misery. Transit officials said Thursdays flash flooding which led to service being suspended for hours along the A line overwhelmed the hundreds of pumps in the subway system, many in locations where workers had not been posted in advance. Flooding From Street to Tracks A transit source said the storm caused 110 scheduled trips to be canceled and 116 trains to arrive late. The rain also added to the mess at flooded stations as crews encountered obstacles while en route. They were trapped in traffic and because of closed roads, said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit. Because obviously, theyre trying to move pump trucks and equipment to those locations. Its not like they can just bail out and walk. That was on top of the citys drainage system already being pushed to its limits. If some of the gutters are not free of leaves or garbage, you have extensive flooding, Klaus Jacob, a geophysicist at Columbia Universitys Earth Institute, told THE CITY. And when street flooding occurred in this mini valley in Upper Manhattan, the subway system essentially became a default sewer system. Prior to Sandy, Jacob had warned that the transit system had been extremely lucky at avoiding crippling damage from a major storm. Im disappointed that the political process hasnt recognized that were playing Russian roulette, he said in a New York Times Magazine article one month before the 2012 superstorm. The MTA has since embarked on a federally funded $8 billion push to strengthen underwater tunnels that flooded during the storm, along with protecting railyards and stations in flood-prone sections of the city. Those efforts include installing floodwater protections at more than 150 station entrances and at 2,200 sidewalk grates, where water can pour into stations. Some stations in Lower Manhattan, where Sandy caused extensive damage, have vault-like doors that protect stations and rooms housing critical equipment. The section of the A line in the Rockaways, knocked out of service for months after the 2012 superstorm, has since undergone years of repairs. Part of a National Crisis Still, THE CITY reported in April that dozens of those projects designed to protect against future catastrophic weather events remain unfinished including erecting miles of protective walls around subway yards in Upper Manhattan and Coney Island. Jacob, who has done some pro bono work for the MTA on climate change resiliency, credited the agency for developing very comprehensive plans to protect transit infrastructure after the 2012 superstorm. But he said many of the gadgets come with a catch. Some subway system ya got there. This is the 157th St. 1 line right now. @NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/xyfTAUPPNu Paullee #TaxTheRich (@PaulleeWR) July 8, 2021 When they perform as designed and planned, then actually the reduction of inflow of water is fantastic, Jacob said. The problem is that many of those devices need crews to go there and activate them or install them. Paaswell, a former executive director of the Chicago Transit Authority, said that despite the MTAs efforts to stem flooding, there is no way to fully flood-proof the subway system. Theyre doing what they can, he said. But its like in California if theres an earthquake you cant get ahead of it. The MTAs 2015 to 2034 Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Councils Plan 2045 both cite the need to improve the transit systems resilience against major storms. In addition, a September 2007 MTA report highlighted soft spots in the subway system after an August storm earlier dumped 1.7 inches of rain in less than an hour, disrupting service on every line during the morning commute. Daglian said the lessons learned from earlier storms could have lessened the damage Thursday, but said transit systems face a national crisis when contending with extreme weather. There really needs to be a focus in the transportation legislation being developed now on proactive resiliency work to anticipate future problems, she said. Thats so as to not just respond to areas where there have been issues in the past. This story was originally published by THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York. Alan Duke the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Facebook and TikToks fact-checking partner Lead Stories admitted a stunning refusal to drop clients with ties to the Chinese Communist Party flagged by the U.S. government. (Natural News) (Article republished from TheNationalPulse.com) The admission came during a War Room: Pandemic interview [with] Duke, whose outlet has censored several National Pulse articles critical of Joe Biden and Facebook. While the outlet claims to be unbiased, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal that all donations from employees have gone to Democratic candidates and anti-Trump groups. In an effort to cover up the outlets left-wing bias, Duke alleges that co-founder Perry Sanders once donated to Republican mayoral candidate John Suthers, though no record exists of the donation. Suthers is also a hard line Never Trump politician who has admitted: I did not support Trump in the primary, no question about it. The president and I have a whole different view towards governance let me just put it that way in 2018. In addition to censoring stories for Facebook, Dukes outlet is also partnered with the parent company of TikTok: ByteDance. ByteDances founder has pledged to use his company to promote socialist core values and has set up an expert group on content supervision run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and includes former high-level party apparatchiks with military ties as executives. How much do you get paid by what the U.S. State Department called a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party? National Pulse Editor-In-Chief Raheem Kassam inquired before referencing ByteDance, which the U.S. government considers a propaganda mouthpiece for the CCP. We have a contract with ByteDance in order to consult them on misinformation on their platform, Duke begins. Host Steve Bannon later inquires that if we can show you these documents from the State Department and Natalie can show you the detail of what the head of ByteDance said, would you commit, if you saw the detail of their involvement with the CCP and particular the CCPs information arm, would you commit to dropping them as a client? Immediately, Duke refuses to commit to dropping the CCP-linked tech firm, and asks if War Room: Pandemic and The National Pulse will commit to not doing business with any company from China: No. No. Theyre what were doing were an American company that is providing a service. This is free enterprise, right? Well, will you commit to not doing business with any company from China? I commit to doing no business with any Chinese Communist Party outlet. I commit that, will you? Kassam replies, forcing Duke to return with No. This is ridiculous. Watch: Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com and Traitors.news. (Natural News) In a candid interview with German international trial attorney, Reiner Fuellmich, eminent physician Dr. Peter McCullough reflected upon what he called propagandized bioterrorism by injection, expressing concern that the current experimental COVID-19 vaccines may sterilize the young, foster cancer, and could have likely caused 50,000 to (currently) 70,000 deaths already in the United States. (Article by Patrick Delaney republished from LifeSiteNews.com) During the explosive June 11 interview, McCullough, an internist and cardiologist, along with being a professor of medicine and editor of two major medical journals, began his comments asserting, I believe that were under the application of a form of bioterrorism thats worldwide, [and] that appears to have been many years in the planning. He believes this bioterrorism has come in two stages, including the Phase I which consisted of a respiratory virus that spread across the world and effected relatively few people, about one percent of many populations, but generated great fear. This fear enabled multiple levels of government mitigation policies including shutdowns, mask mandates, and mass testing. Every single thing that was done in the public health response to the pandemic made it worse, he said. In response, McCullough and a group of colleagues began to seek, discover, and publish treatments for the virus in the medical journals he edited, and began to meet resistance at all levels though their findings demonstrated about an 85% reduction in hospitalizations and death. Despite his eminent qualifications, YouTube pulled down a presentation he gave on their platform, while other outlets actively suppressed virtually all information regarding the early treatment of patients. So, what we had discovered was that the suppression of early treatment was tightly linked to the development of a vaccine, McCullough explained. And the entire program [of] bioterrorism Phase I was really all about keeping the population in fear and in isolation, and preparing them to accept the vaccine which appears to be Phase II of a bioterrorism operation. While he emphasizes, we know this is Phase II of [a] bioterrorism [operation], though we dont know who is behind it, it is clear that they want a needle in every arm to inject messenger RNA or adenoviral DNA into every human being. In order to combat this agenda, McCullough said, Our goal is to get a large group [of people] that they cannot vaccinate. Such groups should include the high percentages of individuals who have already recovered from COVID-19 (at least 80% in Texas for example) and thus enjoy natural immunity, or are merely suspected COVID-recovered. Others would include children for whom COVID-19 is an irrelevant risk, though the experimental vaccine remains a significant threat, along with pregnant women, and more. We want a big block [of people], he explained. If we can break the needle in every arm [agenda], then I think [its real purpose] will be exposed. With regards to ending experimental COVID-19 vaccination campaigns against children, he explained, today we have 800 cases of young people developing myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. And because Im a cardiologist, I have a clinical authority position here, and Im going to opine that because theres no clinical benefit in young people whatsoever, to get the vaccine, that even one case is too many. CDC guilty of malfeasance And because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other agencies have not exercised their due diligence to reduce the risks of these injections, McCullough charges them with malfeasance. With this program there is no critical event committee, there is no data safety monitoring board, and there is no human ethics committee. Those structures are mandatory for all large clinical investigations, he said. And so, the word thats really used for what is going on is malfeasance; thats wrongdoing by those in a position of authority. And without any safety measures in place, you can see whats going on. This is the largest application of a biological product with the greatest amount of morbidity and mortality in the history of our country, he said. And on June 11, the Texas A&M medical professor explained, that the current number of reported deaths in the U.S. was over 5,000 with 15,000 hospitalizations. However, he emphasized that with the help of institutional whistleblowers, and working with data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), they believe the death rate is 10 times higher than standard reports. Whistleblowers reveal 50K actual deaths, propagandized bioterrorism by injection We have a pretty good lead that the real number is 10 fold [higher], McCullough said. We knew from data from Harvard in 2016 that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) only reports about 10 percent of whats really going on. So, we had to get another data source. And, we have inside people. We have now a whistleblower inside the CMS, and we have two whistleblowers within the CDC. And those are being developed right now in order to get this out. So, were looking at 10x. We think we have 50,000 dead Americans. 50,000. So, we actually have more deaths due to the vaccine per day, than certainly the viral illness, by far. Its basically, in a sense, its propagandized bioterrorism by injection. The most recent data from the CDCs VAERS system released last Friday reveals reports of 411,931 total adverse events in the United States following injections of experimental COVID-19 gene therapy vaccines, including 6,985 deaths and 34,065 serious injuries, between Dec. 14, 2020, and June 25, 2021. If McCullough is right, and the real number of deaths is 10x higher than the report above, this would mean actual deaths in the U.S. would now be approaching 70,000. The whole vaccine enterprise is contrived, may cause cancer, infertility The Texas physician went on to discuss how data from the Cleveland Clinic along with other studies reveal that thirty to fifty percent of people who are already immune, naturally immune, are still getting the vaccine. Since there is no medical, clinical or safety reason for such people to be injected with these biological agents, it reveals that the vaccine is contrived. This whole thing is contrived. It should be very obvious. Now the CDC has changed the cycle threshold down to lower, so theyre going to make fewer cases, so its going to look [as if the vaccine reduced cases and deaths]. In observing other data, McCullough also fears the possibility that these novel experimental gene-therapy injections could foster cancer and lead to infertility in the young. I am very afraid based on what we have learned, just by the first injections, that they interact with p53 and BRCA [Breast Cancer gene], that they could ultimately lead to cancers. They could lead to cancers. In addition, he explained, the Japanese have already shown us that lipid particles concentrate in the ovaries. Could they be sterilizing? If you said this is all a Gates Foundation program to reduce the population, its fitting pretty well with that hypothesis, he said. The first wave was to kill the old people by the respiratory infection. The second wave is to take the survivors and target the young people and sterilize them. If you notice, the messaging in the country, in the United States, is, theyre not even interested in the old people now. They want the kids. Such a focus on the kids, McCullough emphasized. Universities guilty of harassment or intimidation He also explains why only early treatments can reduce hospitalizations and deaths, while it remains mathematically impossible for vaccination campaigns to do the same. Further, the many universities who are mandating experimental COVID-19 vaccination for their students are attempting to do so apart from a written policy, which is needed for accreditation agencies. There have been no signed policies because they know they cant write a policy mandating an investigational vaccine. You cant have a policy forcing people into research, McCullough explained. So, if an institution, a hospital or university demands the vaccine without a policy, by definition, thats harassment, or intimidation. The medical professor is the lead expert in a bellwether case being litigated against Houston Methodist Hospital due to their seeking to mandate the reception of experimental COVID-19 vaccines by all existing employees and new hires, as a condition of employment. Many victories of his teams efforts Throughout the interview, the cardiologist also highlighted many victories won by himself and his colleagues, including their working with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, in creating a home patient guide and in organizing the U.S. into four different telemedical services. So, without the government really understanding what was going on, we crushed the epidemic curve in the United States towards the end of December and January. We basically took care of the pandemic with about 50 doctors and telemedicine services, he explained. And, to this day, we treat about 25% of the U.S. COVID-19 population that actually are at high risk, over age 50 with medical problems or present with severe symptoms. Their experimental COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaigns helped bring about the continual drop of vaccination rates since April 8, with the government promoters becoming desperate to try and convince individuals to get a vaccine. Im in Texas where we never underwent lockdown. I was a strong proponent of us staying open. We had 35 treating doctors who were willing to go against their medical centers and treat patients. We were able to convince our governor to [issue] an executive order recognizing natural immunity, banning any mandatory vaccines by public agencies, banning vaccine passports, [and] banning any discrimination on passports, he explained. And with Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rand Paul (R-KY) as allies in Washington, along with media outlets Fox News, Real News and OAN, their loosely formed C-19 group are now on national TV almost every night in the United States to provide a counter-viewpoint to Anthony Fauci and (Rochelle) Walensky at the CDC and NIH. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com (Natural News) Judicial Watch said Tuesday it filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation for records of communication between the Department of Justice and several financial organizations for alleged financial transactions made by people in the Washington D.C. area on the days surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. (Article by Nicholas Sherman republished from JustTheNews.com) The conservative judicial watchdog group said the FBI refused to confirm or deny the existence of such documents. The lawsuit filed Tuesday was created after the FBI failed to respond to another open record request on Feb. 10, 2021. We want the details on what looks to be an unprecedented abuse of the financial privacy of countless innocent Americans by big banks and the FBI, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. The FBIs stonewalling and non-denial denial of our request speak volumes. The watchdog is asking for all records of communication between the FBI and financial institutions, including Bank of America, Citibank, Chase Manhattan Bank, Discover, and American Express, among others. However, no time frame was given for the FBI and DOJ to respond to the request. In June, it was discovered that Bank of America had handed over the banking and transaction information of approximately 200 people in the Washington D.C. area at the time of the riot, according to Fox News. Bank of America allegedly actively but secretly engaged in the hunt for extremists in cooperation with the government and, following the events of January 6, gave the FBI financial records of their customers. Read more at:JustTheNews.com (Natural News) The woman in charge of communist Chinas Sinovac injection trials in Indonesia has mysteriously died, and the mainstream media says it was due to the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19). Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar was announced dead amid another wave of the Chinese Virus that authorities are calling the delta variant. This spike in new infections directly corresponds with Indonesias mass vaccination campaign, which appears to be the cause behind the latest outbreak. It is unclear whether or not Bachtiar had recently received a Sinovac injection, but the media and government authorities were quick to blame covid for her death while completely ignoring any possible vaccine link. According to an official from the Indonesia state-owned pharmaceutical company BioFarma, Bachtiar has already been buried in accordance with the countrys Fauci Flu protocols for handling the deceased. State enterprises minister Erick Thohir posted a message to Instagram indicating that Bachtiars death is a huge loss for BioFarma, which is in charge of producing Sinovac for the Indonesian market. She was lead scientist and head of dozens of clinical trials done by BioFarma, including COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in cooperation with Sinovac, Thohir lamented on the Facebook-owned social media platform, clearly concerned about the potential profit losses. It has been produced and injected into tens of millions [sic] people in Indonesia, as part of our effort to be free from this COVID-19 pandemic, Thohir added, failing to suggest any reason for Bachtiars sudden and unusually timed death. Many healthcare workers who recently took a Sinovac injection are now dead While BioFarma did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Bachtiars death, news reports indicate that a wave of deaths has been reported in conjunction with the jab. According to the independent data group Lapor COVID-19, some 131 healthcare workers in Indonesia who took the injection died not long after in the month of July alone. This is all being ignored, of course, by the media and the pharmaceutical industry, which are still aggressively pushing the injections as the cure for the plandemic. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Indonesian people are testing positive for the delta variant despite having already gotten their injections. More than 1,000 have also died. According to Sinovac spokesman Liue Peicheng, the companys Wuhan Flu shot is highly effective against the delta variant, resulting in a three-fold reduction in neutralizing it. The science, however, does not show this. Back in June, at least 350 Indonesian doctors who received their Fauci Ouchies still tested positive for the Chinese Virus despite having received the injection. In every place where the jabs have been administered, in fact, there has been a sudden uptick in new cases of Chinese Germs that have authorities scrambling to come up with some kind of cover story. They are attempting every trick in the book to try to fool the public into believing that somehow these are all just breakthrough cases when the reality is that the injections are spreading more disease. The world would be much better off at this point in time had no injections ever been introduced in the first place. Natural herd immunity would have developed over time and everything would already be back to normal. Because the government, billionaires, drug manufacturers, and celebrities told everyone to roll up their sleeves, however, it will now be a continued downward spiral with one new variant after another popping up out of nowhere, probably until the end of time. It is alarming for us because we cannot rely on vaccinations, indicated Dr. Prijo Sidipratomo, a radiologist who works in the Indonesian capital of Jarakta, about the failure of Chinese Virus injections. More related news stories about mysterious Chinese Virus deaths can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: Yahoo.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Several members of the military have informed Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky that they are planning to resign if the government mandates Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines for the armed forces. In response to the objections of servicemen and women, Massie introduced HR 3860. This bill would prohibit any mandatory requirement that a member of the Armed Forces receive a vaccination against COVID-19, he wrote on his personal Twitter account. As of press time, HR 3860 has 23 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, all of whom are members of the Republican Party. Massies tweet received a lot of engagement. As of press time, it has over 9,000 likes. It has also spurred a lot of discussion on social media over whether members of the military should be forced to take vaccines. He even received pushback from fellow House Republicans who are in favor of vaccine mandates. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois accused Massie of pandering. He argued that people who join the military know what they are signing up for, and that the coronavirus vaccines work. Former Rep. Denver Riggleman of Virginia tried to argue that getting vaccinated is important for maintaining military readiness. Military personnel are mandated to receive many vaccinates. I was jabbed dozens of times, said Riggleman. Sick military members affect readiness. Death doesnt help either. Both Kinzinger and Riggleman served in the Air Force. NO ONE should be forced or coerced by ANYONE to take the COVID vaccine, said Massie in a follow-up tweet. The fact that policy discussions in the U.S. are centered around proof of vaccine instead of evidence of immunity shows that science and reason have been drummed out by politics, profits and superstition. (Related: Theres ZERO SCIENCE to justify mandatory heart-inflaming Covid vaccines for healthy, high-fitness military members.) Military to mandate coronavirus vaccines by September Massie filed HR 3860 in response to a report published by the Army Times that alleged the Army is preparing its commands to administer mandatory COVID-19 vaccines as early as Sept. 1, pending full authorization of the vaccines by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The directive came from an order sent to the Army by Headquarters, Department of the Army, titled HQDA EXORD 225-21, COVID-19 Steady State Operations. The Army Times was able to obtain a leaked version of this order. According to the order: 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, it continued. EXORD is short for executive order. This means President Joe Biden himself directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to execute a military command. As a matter of policy we do not comment on leaked documents. The vaccines continue to be voluntary, said Army spokesperson Maj. Jackie Wren. If we are directed by DOD to change our posture, we are prepared to do so. A different defense official told the Army Times that the Pentagon has not put out any kind of guidance to prepare the services for mandatory mass vaccinations. It isnt even entirely clear when the FDA will give the vaccines full authorization. Alison Hunt, a spokesperson for the FDA, said the timelines for approving the COVID-19 vaccines vary on a number of factors. But she noted that Pfizer and Moderna have already submitted their applications for full approval. These take up to 60 days to review, in accordance with the FDAs guidelines for priority applications. According to Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director of the Defense Health Agency, at least 70 percent of the Army has already been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Armys current problem is that demand for vaccines has dropped drastically in recent months. This is a trend seen across all service branches and even among the general public. The people who wanted or were forced to receive vaccines have already done so. Other services are also considering vaccine mandates. Veterans Affairs is planning to require all staffers to get the vaccine amid supposed concerns about the allegedly more severe Delta variant of the coronavirus. The Navy, which has the highest vaccine acceptance rate among all service branches, wants to close the gap and has already told sailors to expect a mandatory vaccination program in their future. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine mandates by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Congress.gov Twitter.com FoxNews.com Kentucky.com ArmyTimes.com (Natural News) Camilla Canepa was operated on by Gianluigi Zona, director of the neurosurgical and neuro-traumatological clinic of the San Martino hospital: I had never seen a brain that was affected by such an extensive and severe thrombosis. (Article republished from FreeWestMedia.com) The neurosurgeon on duty in San Martino that night was Alessandro dAndrea, who also called the chief physician to his side at the operating table. We decided to have a decompression craniotomy, in which the skull is opened to relieve internal pressure. Zona recounted the experience: All venous sinuses were blocked with thrombi, a scenario I have never seen in my many years in this profession. Think of the venous sinus as the river in the middle of a valley where several streams converge. If a dam is built in the middle of the watercourse, the river swells and the tributaries can no longer drain at this point, so that the pressure rises upstream. Im neither a virologist, nor an epidemiologist, nor a coroner, but given the image I saw in the girls head, it is clear that we are dealing with something that is not normal. The parents of the 18-year-old who died, told the media: She had no disease. Last week, the prosecutor of Genoa, which coordinates the ongoing investigations, will instruct the Pavia coroner to perform the autopsy on the body of Camilla Canepa, the eighteen year old who died after the vaccine. The girl allegedly suffered from chronic platelet deficiency, a familial autoimmune thrombocytopenia. This is what investigators have learned from the first reports of the doctors. But the girls family, assisted by the lawyer Angelo Paone, is firm on this point. Camilla had no disease, explained their lawyer. Supporting their claim, are two different CT scans. She had undergone the two scans, and was discharged after the first one that had not shown the situation of the thrombosis in progress, but immediately transferred to the hospital after the second showing that her health had been compromised. The girl arrived in the emergency room in the Lavagna hospital on June 3, just a week after the AstraZeneca shot. She had complained of severe headaches. Canepa, who was from the town of Sestri Levante in Liguria, was given the jab during a vaccination open day for youths over 18. The AstraZeneca jab has been approved for all over-18s, but in Italy it is only recommended for over-60s due to links to several cases of blood clots in younger people. Camillas case has raised concerns among young people previously keen to get vaccinated to obtain the Green Pass or vaccine passport enabling them to travel and attend mass events. Read more at: FreeWestMedia.com Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox. Sign Up Now TURNER, Ore. (AP) The heat wave that recently hit the Pacific Northwest subjected the regions vineyards to record-breaking temperatures nine months after the fields that produce world-class wine were blanketed by wildfire smoke. But when temperatures began climbing close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) in late June, the grapes in Oregon and Washington state were still young, as small as BB's, many still shaded by leaf canopies that had not been trimmed back yet. The good news for grape growers, wineries and wine lovers is the historic heat wave came during a narrow window when the fruit suffered little, if any, damage. Earlier or later in the growing season, it could have been disastrous. The bad news is that extreme weather events and wildfires are apt to become more frequent because of climate change. A less intense heat wave again hit parts of the U.S. West just about a week after extreme temperatures gripped the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia on June 25 and lingered for several days, causing what could be hundreds of heat-related deaths. This cool, rainy part of the country normally experiences plenty of sunny summer days but winemakers are worried about what's still ahead amid a historic drought tied to climate change: Extremely high temperatures could hit yet again, and wildfires are expected to be ferocious. That includes Christine Clair, winery director of Willamette Valley Vineyards in the city of Turner, just outside Oregon's capital. She watched rare winds last September smother the Willamette Valley, famed for its delicate pinot noir, in smoke from nearby flames. "Last year was our first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact from them. Though it was considered a once-in-a-100-year east wind event, we believe we are at risk annually now, Clair said. In recent years, wineries worldwide began hedging their bets against global warming and its fallout by moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in heat and drought, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy. Similarly, in the wake of the Northwest heat wave, wineries plan to protect their crops from more blistering sunshine. At Dusted Valley Vintners, in Walla Walla, Washington, less of the leaf canopy will be trimmed to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn, co-owner Chad Johnson said. Workers, who are restricted to morning work on very hot days, also will leave more grapes on the vine so the fruit ripens slower, Johnson said. He has never seen conditions so early in the summer like those during the heat wave, with the thermometer climbing above 100 F (38 C) for several days in the eastern Washington town near the Oregon border. It is definitely unusual and unprecedented in my career since Ive been making wine for 20 years here, Johnson said. June 29 was the hottest day in Walla Wallas recorded history, reaching 116 F (47 C) and breaking the previous record by two degrees. Climate change, Johnson noted, has become a major concern for him and other wine producers worldwide. If it's not this early horrible spring frost theyre having over in Europe this year, it's wildfires in the West, with the drought. Its always something," Johnson said. "And its getting just more severe every year. The industry, meanwhile, has been totaling the damage from last years wildfires that covered California, Oregon and Washington state in thick smoke. So many California growers worried about unpleasant smoke taint in the wine produced from their grapes that they tried to get the fruit tested to see if the crops were worth harvesting. The few testing labs were so overwhelmed they couldn't meet demand. Some wineries opted not to risk turning some of their own grapes into bad wine and hurting their brand and stopped accepting untested grapes from growers. Without question the financial toll on California winegrape growers has proven to be unprecedented, John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, said in an email. Industry estimates show California growers had losses of $601 million from wine grapes that went unharvested, Aguirre said. The risk of wildfires appears to be greater today than in the past and that is very, very troubling for many growers, Aguirre said, noting that they also must contend with heat, drought, frost, excessive rain, pests and disease. Wineries can do little to prevent wildfires outside their property, but if they become inundated with smoke, they can try to minimize damage. For example, they may turn some of the grapes with heavier smoke exposure into rose instead of red wine. That limits contact with the skin of the grape during wine production and can lower the concentration of smoke aroma compounds. A report on Californias harvest by the San Francisco-based Wine Institute said that despite the challenges, many winemakers are excited about the 2020 vintage. Corey Beck, CEO and head of winemaking at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County, California, said he is optimistic based on small-batch fermentation trials. It was like, Oh my god, these wines are terrific, Beck told the Wine Institute. Willamette Valley Vineyards also had fermented small samples of grapes to gauge whether smoke would affect the resulting wine. Its Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2020 vintage received good ratings from Wine Enthusiast magazine. But winemaking has become so difficult and competitive that when people ask Johnson for advice about getting into the industry, he tries to dissuade them. The first thing I do is tell them thats probably not a good idea," he said. Its really, really hard, and its getting harder and harder. ___ Follow Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky Dr. Richard F. Zarilla, Ph.D., 84, of Douglassville, Amity Township, Pennsylvania, passed away on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at The Keystone Villa at Douglassville. Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Alfred and Cecilia (Saletra) Zarilla. Richard was a lifelong learner Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. High around 70F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. By PTI KOCHI: The 19th annual general meeting (AGM) of shareholders of Federal Bank was conducted on July 9, 2021. The bank led by its twin focus on digital enablement and people empowerment, supported by operational strength, navigated the unprecedented challenges during the year to deliver exceptional numbers, the chairperson of the bank Grace Elizabeth Koshie said at the AGM. "Simple, digital, contactless this is what I had defined last year to be the cornerstones of our strategic focus for FY 2020-21, and a stepping stone in our journey to become the bank of the first choice for Indians," managing director and CEO of the bank Shyam Srinivasan said. The digital innovations of the bank today are on the cusp of redefining the banking paradigm of tomorrow, he said. The approval of shareholders was sought for adopting audited financial statements of the fiscal year 2020-21. Other resolutions like declaration of dividend of 35 per cent to the shareholders, approval of issuance of equity shares on preferential basis and raising of tier-I capital of the bank through issuance of securities were also presented. The approval of the AGM was also sought for revision of tenure of one of the joint statutory central auditors, the appointment and fixation of remuneration of branch auditors in consultation with the Statutory Central Auditors and other necessary appointments Directors, shareholders, senior executives, representatives of statutory auditors and secretarial auditors attended the meeting. The meet held via video was streamed live on four social media platforms - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Clubhouse. By PTI DELHI: A consignment of GI certified Fazil mango variety sourced from Malda district of West Bengal was exported to Bahrain, the commerce ministry said on Saturday. The GI tag helps growers get premium price for the product as no other producer can misuse the name to market similar goods. A geographical indication (GI) tag is used for an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin. Darjeeling tea, Tirupathi laddu, Kangra paintings, Nagpur orange and Kashmir pashmina are among the registered GIs in India. It said that in June 2021, a week-long Indian mango promotion programme was organised in Bahrain where 16 varieties of the fruit including three GI certified Khirsapatin and Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) were displayed. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka have a major share in total production of the fruit. In a separate statement, the ministry said to promote agricultural crops exports and adherence to global practices, APEDA in collaboration with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters, agricultural scientists, Uttar Pradesh government and other institutions organised a meet at Varanasi. More than 200 farmers from the Varanasi region participated in the meet where agricultural scientists and officials from the leading institutes provided valuable inputs for promoting agricultural products. By PTI NEW DELHI: Petrol price on Saturday crossed the Rs 100-per-litre mark in some places in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Nagaland after fuel prices were hiked yet again. Petrol price was hiked by 35 paise per litre and diesel by 26 paise, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. This took fuel prices across the country to a fresh high. In Delhi, the petrol price rose to Rs 100.91 a litre and diesel to Rs 89.88 per litre. The increase led to a petrol price surge above Rs 100 per-litre- mark in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, Kanker, Jashpur and Narayanpur districts of Chhattisgarh and Kohima in Nagaland. The three states are in a growing list of places where the fuel is at over Rs 100-a-litre mark. States, where petrol had reached those levels over the past few weeks, are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar, Punjab, Ladakh, Sikkim and Puducherry. Diesel, the most used fuel in the country, is above that level in some places in Rajasthan, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. Earlier this week, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri refused to comment on the issue unless he was fully briefed. "Give me some time. I need to be briefed on the issues," he had said soon after taking charge of the ministry on July 8. "It will be very wrong for me to comment on it (fuel prices) when I have just stepped into this building." Fuel prices differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes such as value-added tax (VAT) and freight charges. As much as 55 per cent of the retail selling price of petrol in Delhi is made up of taxes (Rs 32.90 a litre excise duty collected by the central government and Rs 22.80 VAT levied by the state government). Half of the diesel price is made up of taxes (Rs 31.80 central excise and Rs 13.04 state VAT). The hike on Saturday is the 38th increase in the price of petrol since May 4, when state-owned oil firms ended a 18-day hiatus in rate revision they observed during assembly elections in states like West Bengal. In 38 hikes, the price of petrol has risen by Rs 10.51 per litre. During this period, diesel rates have soared by Rs 9.15 a litre in 36 instances of price rise. Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: Bars and restaurants in the city (CL9 licensees) have opened up, albeit with caution, after the government relaxed the lockdown norms early this week and permitted them to resume business between 11.30 am and 9 pm with 50 per cent occupancy and strict Covid protocols. With their staff vaccinated with at least one dose of the anti-Covid vaccine, most bars and restaurants are also trying to convey the message to their customers that getting vaccinated and wearing masks are the best ways to beat the virus. Some of them are even offering 5 and 10 per cent discounts for those vaccinated with one and two doses, respectively. We have posted on social media that we are offering discounts for those who are partially or fully vaccinated. Our slogan is maximum safety, maximum discount, said Amit Roy of Watsons, a popular chain of bars in Bengaluru. After being closed for more than two months, bars and fine dining outlets are seeing a fair amount of footfalls. While many of them opened on Monday after ensuring that their staffers are vaccinated and their outlets sanitized, some bars and restaurants opened only on Friday. Some outlets, however, continue to remain shut, mainly because of staff crunch. We have opened only our first floor for business because I havent yet got my entire staff back. Some of them are from North-East and Tamil Nadu, said Arvind Raju of The Biere Club. The ground floor is shut because it is air-conditioned. We will operate on first and second floor, but because of staff crunch, we have opened only one floor, he added. While Bengalureans are stepping out for a meal and drink, they are opting for open spaces. We are launching Suzy-Q with a lot of open dining area and all Covid SOPs, said Anirudh Kheny. Suzy-Q was inaugurated on Friday. Narayan Manepally of Geist Brewing agreed with Kheny and said that after over two months, people want to step for a meal and prefer an outdoor setting. Its heartening to see the turnout since the lifting of the lockdown. Those who are stepping out may have got their vaccination and are confident to come out, said Narayan. While the hospitality industry has resumed business, they are extremely wary of a third wave. Its too early to say how things will shape up in the near future. But, as of now, we have decent footfall, said Mukesh Tolani of Toit, Indiranagar. We did a soft launch on Thursday and we were delighted with the turnout of guests on Day One. I am not sure how things will shape out. We have been through very rough times, said Gaurav Sikka of ABC microbrewery. The government has allowed CL9 licencees to open shop, but pubs serving only draught beer (retail vend of beer) continue to remain shut. SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: With sea erosion threatening to displace them, Pulicat fishermen demanded that the State government declare Kattupalli coast as a High Erosion Zone. The tag would prevent mega projects like the one proposed by Adani Ports from using the fragile coastline. Erosion triggered by ports constructed at the southern portion of Kattupalli island is already eating into Korakuppam and Sattankuppam. Sattankuppam has decided to evacuate the entire village. As part of their respective environmental-clearance, the ports were required to undertake beach nourishment by dredging sand accumulated to the south of their breakwaters and depositing it on the northern side. While beach nourishment cannot reverse or arrest erosion, it can reduce the rate of erosion. But, owing to a lack of enforcement by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), not one of the three ports has complied with that condition. As a result, erosion is affecting all fishing villages on the Kattupalli coast, said R Dhavamani, president of Pulicat Lighthouse Kuppam panchayat, which comprises 15 coastal fishermen villages. As Kattupalli is a narrow sandy barrier island separating the Bay of Bengal from the Pulicat wetlands and lagoon, erosion can breach the thin strip of sand. This will result in the merging of Pulicat lagoon and the bay, destroying the bird Sanctuary. Dhavamani and other fishermen leaders have submitted a formal representation to Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan during his visit to Pulicat on Thursday to inspect sea erosion. Incidentally, the inspecting minister had to reportedly be carried by a fisherman after he refused to wet his shoes in ankle-deep water. Separate representations were also sent to Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan and Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu. Environmental Activist Nityanand Jayaraman told Express that there are several studies to establish that Kattupalli coast is eroding. The State government should declare Kattupalli coast as a high-erosion zone and insist that existing ports comply with the stipulations in their environmental clearances, he said. A 2003 study by Anna Universitys Institute for Ocean Management reported a maximum erosion of 40.60 m north of Kattupalli kuppam and a minimum of 11.13 m north of Kalanji village between 1999 and 2001. That is an erosion rate of between 5.6 and 20.3 m/year. A 2006 study by the Ministry of Earth Sciences establishes that along north coast of Ennore port, the beachfill area is undergoing severe erosion at a rate of 50m per annum. The study finds: With the construction of Ennore port, 16 km North of Chennai port, another erosion problem has emerged. If no intervention is planned, threat to ecologically sensitive Pulicat Lake is inevitable. In April, Express reported how multiple ports in Chennai have triggered erosion problems in Sriharikota Island. M Srinivasulu Reddy, Controller in Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-Shar), had confirmed to Express that Sriharikota barrier Island was experiencing a little erosion and requested scientists from Chennai-based National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) to undertake studies. A top official of NCCR told Express that initial assessment shows the coastal areas are subjected to erosion due to both natural and anthropogenic activities. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Amidst the standoff with the Centre over its privacy policy, WhatsApp on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it has decided to temporarily put its privacy policy on hold, till the Data Protection Bill comes into force. WhatsApps new privacy policy allows the instant messaging app to use some of the business conversations hosted with Facebook for advertising. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing the appeals of Facebook and WhatsApp against the single-judge order refusing to stop the regulator Competition Commission of Indias (CCI) order directing a probe into WhatsApps new policy. On behalf of WhatsApp, advocate Harish Salve said: Government has asked to shut down the policy. We have said we will not enforce it till Data Protection Bill comes out. That is open-ended because we dont know when the Bill will come out. We said we will not do this for a while. Suppose the Bill allows me to do it, we will have completely different ramifications. ALSO READ | Won't compel users to accept new privacy policy, WhatsApp tells Delhi HC We voluntarily agreed to put it on hold. We will not compel people to accept. WhatsApp, which has 53 crore users in India, faced severe backlash over user concerns that data was being shared with parent company Facebook. Following the introduction of the new privacy policy, several users moved to apps like Signal and Telegram. Earlier, WhatsApp had made it compulsory to accept the policy to continue using the app. Backtracking, the company said it will not limit functionality of the messaging app for users not agreeing to its new privacy policy, but will continue to send reminders about the update. Centres stand clear Saying that WhatsApps notifications were for obtaining trick consent, Centre had urged HC to direct it to stop pushing By Express News Service KOCHI: With the state government finalising the fare for the boat services of the Kochi Water Metro, the commercial operations are likely to begin next month as an Onam gift to Kochiites. The service will be launched on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route. The first boat manufactured by Cochin Shipyard will be handed over by August second week. The Onam festival will begin on August 20 and the services are likely to be launched then, according to sources with Water Metro. The government had announced on Thursday that Rs 20 will be the minimum fare for travelling in the advanced ferries through the backwaters of Kochi. A commuter can travel up to a distance of three kilometres with the minimum charge. From there on, the fare will be J4 for every one kilometre. The Cochin Shipyard will be constructing 23 hybrid passenger boats for the project at an estimated cost of Rs 175 crore. The boats will be handed over in a phased manner. Under the Water Metro project, implemented with the financial support of the German Development Bank, KfW, 23 boats with a capacity of 100 passengers and 55 boats with a capacity of 50 passengers will be rolled out. A total of 41 boat jetties will be modernised for the project. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM state committee has condemned the Lakshadweep polices action against filmmaker Aisha Sultana. It alleged the police were trying to frame her in a case and imprison her. The committee aired concern over the confiscation of Aishas brothers laptop from her flat in Kochi during a police raid on July 8. There is a possibility that the police may create fake evidence against her using the laptop, the committee said. The Lakshadweep administration is following the BJP governments policy of crushing citizens rights, the committee said in a statement. By PTI KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed well-known television serial actor Jayan S, also known as Adithyan, to surrender to the police in connection with a dowry harassment case lodged against him by his wife, Ambili Devi, and said that after recording his arrest and his interrogation he shall be released on bail. Justice Shircy V directed the actor to surrender on July 13 and said that he shall be released on bail, thereafter, subject to his furnishing a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties of the like amount. The other conditions laid down by the court were that he would appear before the investigating officer as and when required, he shall cooperate with the investigation and trial in the case, he shall not directly or indirectly threaten or induce any witness in the case, will not tamper with the evidence and he shall not visit the residence of his estranged wife. The court also directed him not to cause any disturbance to the work of his wife -- Ambili Devi -- who is also an actor and runs a dance school, and not give any interviews in any channel or in social media regarding his marital life nor pass any derogatory remarks which would affect her reputation. The wife has also been directed not to give any interviews regarding her marital life. The order came on the anticipatory bail plea moved by Adithyan fearing arrest in the case lodged against him for dowry harassment, criminal intimidation and uttering obscene words in a public place on the complaint of his estranged wife. In her complaint, she had alleged that he had misappropriated her gold ornaments of about 100 sovereigns and the Rs 10 lakh in her account and also subjected her to severe mental and physical harassment. She had claimed that he used to abuse and threaten her with dire consequences demanding money. They married in January 2019 and have a son who was born in November the same year. This was the second marriage for both of them and Devi has a son from her first marriage. Adithyan, in his plea, had claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case after he objected to her frequent WhatsApp chats and video calls with another person. Devi, on her part, told the court that she was subjected to severe mental and physical cruelty by Adithyan, who also threatened her with dire consequences. She also told the court that he once came to her parental home and threatened her and her parents and after the intervention of neighbours, he backed off. After hearing both sides, the court said, "Prima facie, it appears that he had raised death threats to intimidate her. It was not only towards her but also towards her parents. The seriousness of the alleged offence has to be evaluated in the backdrop of the allegation that she was harassed by him for dowry after misappropriating her money." The court, however, said that the material before it was not sufficient to come to a finding that his custodial interrogation was absolutely necessary. K Ezhilarasan By Express News Service ARIYALUR: A trio of paternal cousins have bagged the State School Education departments awards for headmasters/mistresses enrolling the most SC/ST students in their schools. S Arivazhagan, D Chandrasekar and M Jayaraj work at Muthuservamadam, Silambur, and Nagamangalam government high schools, respectively, have bagged the prizes in Ariyalur district. The prizes come with a small cash incentive. Arivazhagan is bagging the reward for the second consecutive year. The cousins conduct awareness campaigns at villages and at Dalit settlements. Being landless, many people belonging to SC/ST communities in the district migrate to Tiruppur to work as labourers. Some of them take their daughters with them for work so that they can earn enough money for their marriages in the next few years. In such cases, we talk to them and explain the many benefits of education. Stopping them from taking their daughters along is beneficial in two ways first, we would be preventing child labour, and second, we could boost girl childrens education, they said. Of the 171 total students enrolled into the Muthuservamadam school in Udayarpalayam education district in 2020-21, 143 are SC/ST students. The locality where the schools are situated also plays a role in the enrolment. If there is an SC/ST habitation around a school, more students from the communities are likely to enrol there. Though the locality plays a role, the teachers take tremendous efforts in admitting and retaining them, said Arivazhagan. When asked about the efforts taken, he said, We put up banners at the entrance of the village informing people about the facilities available in our school. Majority of the people residing near our school are economically-weak. Most parents are unaware of the many schemes that government offers to students. Our teachers explain it to them. Also, medical check-up facility is available in schools wherein students health is examined and remedies provided. Teachers promoted enrollment of Dalit students Chandrasekar is the headmaster of Silambur government high school in Sendurai education district. Here, of the total 145 students enrolled in 2020-21, 81 belong to the SC/ST community. He said, "Many people from the area work in Tiruppur and Coimbatore. There are chances that their children's education may get affected. We approach such parents and ask them to leave their children in the care of their grandparents. Our teachers visit every street to spread the awareness campaign and to boost admissions." The third cousin, Jayaraj, headmaster of Nagamangalam government high school, along with the teachers' efforts enrolled as many as 141 SC/ST students of the total 342 in his school. "Our school now has a better infrastructure on par with private schools. Four of the seven classrooms are smart-classrooms. We have science and computer labs. We explain about the facilities to the students of the nearby panchayat union primary schools. When parents are told that our school has English medium instruction facility, a few of them transferred their children from private schools to ours. During the parents' meetings, we play videos using projectors and show them the facilities, extracurricular activities and government schemes," he said. When asked about creating a conducive atmosphere for students in school campuses, Arivazhagan said, "Teachers, during classes, often tell moral stories emphasising unity among people." All the three vowed to get rewards for the 2021-22 academic year as well. Admissions are currently underway for the same. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Every July, I am reminded of my childhood propensity to flaunt new clothes and distribute chocolates among schoolmates after the class has wished me happy birthday, some being extra nice in the hope of getting extra chocolates from me. With World Chocolate Day just gone by, on July 7, and my birthday six days after, this time of the year magnifies my obsession with chocolates, which is indeed our first luxury -- comfort in a melting mouthful. Love, solace and joy cloaked in a luscious confection. While 2020 was challenging for many, it was also about picking up new learnings. Around the same time last year, I enrolled for a certification programme on Bean to Bar from the School for European Pastry, where I understood the nuances of the bean to bar process of creating chocolate. Beyond experiencing an extreme jolt of energy from so many chocolate samples, I learned how the journey is a long and arduous one. Most chocolate makers that I know share the sentiment to some degree. While a bar of chocolate is indeed the sum of its ingredients and its manufacturing steps, the art and science of crafting it also rely on a subtractive process, much like a sculptor liberating beauty from an uncarved block. The process starts with an unroasted cocoa bean. The flavours are an expression of the beans time, place, heritage and even a bit of the makers personality. Compounding this already complex task is the skill needed to preserve the taste of the bean and show its potential. Its a skill that relies on experience, endless testing, and of course, some intuition. With a connoisseurs obsession and an investigators precision, its been a revelation of sorts that not all chocolate is the same. A finely crafted one has subtle differences from one origin to the next and from one harvest to another. Although French, Belgian and Swiss chocolates are often cited by aficionados as their chocolate of choice, none of these countries actually produce cacao beans. It is Ivory Coast, Ghana, India and Indonesia that are among the largest producers. Since the turn of the millennium, the bean-to-bar scene has taken off across the country, with South India comprising a handful of small-scale, innovative chocolate makers. Many of these bars are vegan and free from gluten, soya and nuts as well. Defining the artisan chocolate scene in Hyderabad is Zuci Chocolates & Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates. Maintaining the richness of the bean is also Nui Chocolates whose estates are hidden in the lush foliage of the Godavari region. It is rare that I can survive an afternoon without a little chocolate, and very likely that I will indulge in one of bars from the makers I have listed. The obsession to seek the momentary pleasure of indulgence, appreciating unique cacao flavours will continue. (Vishal Fernandes is a profound business traveller and a widely recognised luxury lifestyle blogger.) By Express News Service NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and stressed that the legitimacy of those governing the war-torn country must not be ignored. Of course we are concerned at the direction of events in Afghanistan. The point right now we stress is that we must see a reduction in violence. Violence cannot be the solution for the situation in Afghanistan. At the end of the day, who governs Afghanistan has a legitimacy aspect. I think that is something which cannot and should not be ignored, Jaishankar said during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The ministers remarks come amid the Taliban announcing that it now controls 85% of Afghan territory and the Pentagon saying that withdrawal of troops from the country is over 90% complete. Following withdrawal of troops, the Taliban has made rapid strides and pushed the country on the brink of a civil war. Under a deal with Taliban, the US and its allies agreed to withdraw troops in return for a commitment that the militants would prevent extremists from operating in areas they control. @DrSJaishankar hands over the relic of Georgian Queen St Ketevan to Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/MiiYnDO0k8 Pushkar Banakar (@PushkarBanakar) July 9, 2021 Jaishankar said conferences and discussions have been held internationally on how to stabilise Afghanistan for over 30 years now. The reason for this is that it (security in Afghanistan) has proven implications for regional security and regional stability, he said and added that India and Russia have to work together to ensure progress in economic and social realms in Afghanistan. India, a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan, has been supporting intra-Afghan dialogue and has emphasised that the peace process should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. New Delhi has development partnership of around $3 billion, including more than 550 Community Development Projects covering all 34 provinces, aimed at making Afghanistan a self-sustaining nation. On his discussions with Lavrov, Jaishankar said India has always seen its relationship with Russia as a contribution to global peace, security and stability. First georgia trip by indian EAM External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Georgia, where he will hold talks with his counterpart David Zalkaliani. He reached Georgia on Friday. The visit is the first by an Indian external affairs minister since Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It is also seen as a tit-for-tat gesture to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Islamabad from New Delhi in April. Jaishankar was on a two-day to visit to Russia where he met among others Lavrov and Russian deputy PM Yuri Borisov. Tensions are high between Russia and Georgia since the war in 2008, following which two regions of Georgia declared independence with Russias support. New Delhi does not recognise either region as separate countries. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 has stirred neighbouring Meghalaya. Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma said the state government would approach the Centre if the Assam Bill affects the people and the economy of his state. The beef business helps thousands of people eke out a living in Meghalaya. Cattle, procured from states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, are transported to Meghalaya through Assam. Meghalaya fears that the Assam cattle law will choke supply to the Christian-majority state. Sangma said his government would raise the issue with the Assam government as well as the Centre if transit is affected. We will take all steps needed to make sure supply is not affected by the Assam law, he said. GHP Raju, who is the Principal Secretary of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department of Meghalaya, said the department has already noticed a shortage of beef in the market. Two days ago, the Assam cabinet approved the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021. It will be tabled at the upcoming session of the state Assembly. The new Bill will replace the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950. It allows the slaughter of cattle, which are aged above 14 years, with approval from vets. Through the enactment of the law, the Assam government is seeking to thwart cattle smuggling to Bangladesh. Recently, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke against the consumption of beef in areas where Hindus live and the animal is worshipped. At his meeting with the officers-in-charge of all police stations in the state a few days ago, he had categorically stated that there should not be a single case pertaining to cows. His reference was to cattle smuggling which thrives particularly in the Dhubri district which shares its border with Bangladesh and West Bengal. By PTI BHOPAL: Trading barbs over the induction of Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Union cabinet, a Congress leader on Saturday sent tubes of Burnol cream to Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra to 'ease pain'. Mishra on Thursday had said that those who are feeling jealous about Scindia, a former Congressman, getting into the Narendra Modi cabinet should be given Burnol (which is used to treat minor burn injuries). "When the Congress issued a statement about a betrayal by Scindia, Mishra said he would send us Burnol. Now we have sent two tubes of the ointment to Mishra because he needs them more," state Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said. The tubes were sent through an e-commerce platform, he said. "One tube is from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, because Mishra was eyeing his post. Another tube is from state Congress chief Kamal Nath because Mishra is obsessed with him and continuously talks about him," Saluja said. State BJP secretary Rahul Kothari said it was a cheap stunt. "This is a cheap tactic being used by Congress. The opposition party should tell us what kind of ointment Nath needs, because he travels only by air and now Scindia has become the aviation minister," Kothari retorted. Scindia brought down the Kamal Nath government in MP last year when he and 22 Congress MLAs loyal to him quit the party and joined the BJP. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: Terming the Centres announcement regarding Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) as another jumla (rhetoric), the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday said farmers did not need more loans but freedom from indebtedness. The Union government is notorious for the jumlas it spins using a web of outright false claims and exaggerated numbers, which grab the days headlines and mislead the public. A minor and insignificant decision about some guidelines change in the scheme, which now allows APMCs to access a financing facility under the AIF, was presented as Rs 1 lakh crore allocation to APMCs. What farmers or their collectives need are not more loans, but freedom from indebtedness. And they need a legally guaranteed remunerative price for their market interfaces, said a statement by SKM. The government had said on Thursday that APMCs will have access to Rs 1 lakh crore allocated to the AIF. The Morcha asked the government to stop its jumlas, repeal the three anti-farmer laws immediately and enact a new one to guarantee remunerative MSP for all commodities. The SKM stated that the Rs 1 lakh crore reference is highly misleading because there has been no allocation of even a thousand crore rupees from the government. It has merely created a new head under which loans can be accessed from banks. The actual financing is dependent on commercial banks, and Indias story of banking sector mismanagement and collusions with big capitalists is well-known, the statement said. In the six months when the three farm laws were in operation before the Supreme Court suspended them, the trade in most APMC markets collapsed by almost half and their revenues dropped drastically, the statement alleged. By PTI PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday sent cakes to the homes of 10 Goa MLAs on the second anniversary of their crossing over from the Congress to the ruling BJP and "backstabbing the voters", the party's national spokesperson Atishi said here. These MLAs had crossed over on July 10, 2019, in the process giving the BJP government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant a clear majority in the 40-member state Assembly. "Our leaders went with cakes to these MLAs to remind them of this day. It is the anniversary of their backstabbing voters who elected them on Congress tickets because they did not want the BJP," Atishi, an MLA from Kalkaji in Delhi, said. She said the people of Goa now know that voting for the Congress is a vote for the BJP as MLAs from the former would cross over to the ruling outfit. She said her party's 'Let's Clean Goa Politics' campaign launched recently was getting a good response with over 70,000 people having visited the website created for it. Chetana Belagere By Express News Service BENGALURU: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is likely to take a decision on including Bharat Biotechs Covaxin in its list of vaccines approved for emergency use, in four to six weeks, the world bodys Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan has said. A WHO pre-qualification, or Emergency Use Listing, is necessary for a vaccine manufacturer to supply vaccines to global entities such as COVAX or even internationally. At a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Friday, Dr Swaminathan explained that the company needs to complete its phase-3 trials and submit the whole dossier to the regulatory department of the WHO. This is then examined by an expert advisory group and, based on completeness of the data, which includes safety and efficacy, manufacturing quality standards, etc., the approval is granted.I understand that Bharat Biotech is in this process and I think a decision on their case is likely in the next four to six weeks, said Dr Soumya Swaminathan.Experts insisted that the only way to contain the virus from continuing to spread is to share vaccines and beat the vaccine apartheid. Prof Shabir A Madhi, Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytical Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, said, Countries like South Africa have been unable to get access to adequate numbers of Covid-19 vaccines. This has been due to the inequitable distribution of vaccines around the world.Dr Soumya too pointed out that it was frustrating that countries are contemplating and testing booster doses for themselves when large parts of the world, especially Africa, hadnt yet got vaccinated. The target was to have at least 10 per cent of the world population fully vaccinated by September and 40 per cent by December. But it is unlikely that the world will be sufficiently protected, at least for the next year-and-a-half, and herd immunity, when a substantial number of people are protected by antibodies, is only likely when 80 per cent has been vaccinated, she said. She explained that the immediate option before the world is for countries which have achieved at least 40-60 per cent inoculation of their population, to start sharing the doses with others and also follow all Covid-19 protocols. India can help set up manufacturing centres and share technology on other indigenous vaccines with countries like Africa and others, Dr Soumya said.The experts warned that politicians must stop advocating vaccinations, promising herd immunity. If politicians promise that vaccinating 80 per cent of the population can achieve herd immunity, then, when we see resurgence in cases, public confidence in vaccines will go away, Dr Madhi pointed out. He explains that herd immunity of 80 per cent is not in one country, but across the globe, which, according to him, is impossible for the next 3-4 years. The experts on the panel suggested that the conversation should now be steered away from herd immunity towards emphasising on personal protection achieved through vaccination. By PTI MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has appointed a high-level committee headed by state DGP Sanjay Pandey to probe the phone-tapping allegations levelled by state Congress chief Nana Patole. State intelligence department commissioner and additional police commissioner (special branch) will be part of this three-member panel. During the two-day monsoon session of the state legislature held earlier this week, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil had made the announcement about setting up a high-level inquiry while speaking in the Legislative Assembly. Patole has claimed that his phone was tapped during 2016-17 when he was a Member of Parliament (MP) and when the state government was headed by Devendra Fadnavis. He said his phone was tapped on the pretext that it belonged to drug-peddler Amjad Khan. The government order issued on Friday evening said the committee would probe the case and submit its report to the legislature in three months. The terms and reference for the committee is to scrutinise the cases of phone-tapping between 2015 and 2019 and find out whether there was any political motive. "If the phone surveillance was politically motivated, action will be taken," the order said. When Patole raised the issue in the House, several members supported the need for a high-level probe. Patole represents Sakoli Assembly segment in Bhandara district of Vidarbha region. He had earlier quit the Congress and won the 2014 Lok Sabha election on the BJP's ticket. However, he left the saffron party in 2017 citing differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadnavis, and returned to the Congress. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: Jamui LJP MP Chirag Paswan, currently touring across Bihar on his Ashiward-Yatra, on Friday predicted a major break-up in the JD-U and the subsequent fall of the Nitish Kumar-led government adding that a mid-term assembly elections will take place in the state. After facing a revolt by 5 MPs, including his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras (now Union Minister for Foods Processing), Chirag Paswan has set out on the 'Ashirwad Yatra' from Hajipur on July 5. "There will be a big break-up in JD-U paving a way to mid-term assembly elections in Bihar", Chirag claimed in front of thousands of his supporters during the Ashirwad Yatra, which reached Begusarai on Friday, while lashing out at his uncle and Hajipur MP Pashupati Paras and also at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. A couple of days ago, Pashupati Kumar Paras had claimed to be the political successor of LJP founder (Late) Ram Vilas Paswan denying this right to Chirag Paswan. Chirag is the son of my elder brother, now in heaven but I am his political successor in party. If he (Chirag) has goneto the court challenging my induction in the central cabinet; no problem I will continue fighting till the home of God, Paras had told the media. Taking a jibe at the Nitish government, Chirag alleged that corruption is at its peak in Bihar. The situation has turned so chaotic in the state that even people of ruling parties are accusing the government of being corrupt. Within the next few months, there will be a big break-up in the ruling JD-U pushing the state into mid-term elections, he predicted. Replying to a specific query by the media about what would be his next move after his uncle's revolt and subsequent induction in the Union Cabinet, Chirag Paswan said: All possibilities in politics remain open and the decision will be taken at an opportune time depending upon the circumstances, avoiding speculation about the possibility of joining the grand alliance in the state. Expressing trust in public, Chirag further said: In the coming days, the public will understand my uncle and soon his conspiracy will be exposed. By PTI NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday and noted that the Indo-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership can contribute to promoting regional stability as both nations share a similar vision of an open, inclusive, peaceful and rules-based Indian Ocean region. In his telephonic conversation with Pham, Prime Minister Modi congratulated him on his appointment as the premier of Vietnam and expressed confidence that the India-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to become stronger under his able guidance, the Prime Minister's Office here said in a statement. Modi welcomed the fact that both the countries share a similar vision of an open, inclusive, peaceful and rules-based Indian Ocean region, and hence the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership can contribute to promoting regional stability, prosperity and development, the PMO said. In this context, Prime Minister Modi also noted that both India and Vietnam were presently fellow members of the UN Security Council. Modi thanked PM Pham for the valuable support provided by the government and people of Vietnam during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the statement said. The leaders agreed that both the countries should continue consultations and cooperation to support each other's continuing efforts against the pandemic. Both the prime ministers reviewed the state of bilateral relations and shared their views on different areas of cooperation, the PMO said. Noting that the year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the two leaders agreed to celebrate this milestone in a befitting manner through various commemorative activities, the statement said. Prime Minister Modi also invited his Vietnamese counterpart to undertake an official visit to India at an early suitable date. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday expressed concern at the marginal rise in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala over the last few days, adding that around 53 per cent of the total coronavirus cases being reported in India at present are from these two states alone. In a press briefing on Covid-19 status in the country, authorities on Friday said that while Kerala accounted for about 32 per cent of the total Covid-19 cases logged by the country last week, Maharashtras share, at 21 per cent, was the second-highest. A few days over the last week, this has also led to a marginal growth in active Covid-19 cases in India, although a clear pattern has not been set yet. This, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is a matter of concern. The data presented by the officials in the briefing showed that Maharashtra reported over 8,700 new cases on July 3, which declined steadily to over 6,700 on July 6. ALSO READ | High Covid cases in Kerala, Maharashtra a 'matter of concern', says Centre However, since then, the number of daily cases have again been higher than those on July 6. On the other hand, Kerala saw more than 12,800 infections on July 2, which fell to nearly 8,300 on July 6. However, over the last few days, the number of new cases have risen again. We are coordinating with the two state governments. Our effort is to contain the spread of the infection through intensive containment measures, said Agarwal. The figures also showed that Kerala recorded 13,772 Covid-19 cases, while the corresponding number for Maharashtra was 9,114, and put together, the two states contributed 22,886 or 52.74 per cent of the 43,393 cases reported from across the country in the last 24 hours. Over the last couple of weeks, authorities in different departments of the Central government have also been stressing that the second wave in India is still not over as many districts are reporting an alarmingly high Covid-19 test positivity rate. Last week for instance, there were 66 districts in India the highest of 10 in Arunachal Pradesh, followed by nine in Rajasthan with test positivity rate of over 10 per cent. Of late, states in the Northeast have also reported a rise in daily positive cases and positivity rate. Arunachal has banned entry without vaccination. By Express News Service KOLKATA: BJPs national president JP Nadda on Saturday summoned the partys chief in Bengal Dilip Ghosh to Delhi amid murmurs that the saffron camp is likely to rejig its state unit. The call from Shah came after the state president of the party's youth wing Saumitra Khan castigated the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and Ghosh in a Facebook live session. Sources in the BJP said the issue of discontent expressed by many party functionaries after the partys national vice-president Mukul Roy joined the Trinamool Congress is also likely to be discussed in the meeting. "Many TMC turncoats, who joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections, expressed their discontent against the BJP in public after the partys unimpressive performance in the Assembly elections. We fielded many turncoats in the Assembly elections and most of them failed to secure victory. Now the turncoats discontent and their willingness to return to the BJP is embarrassing our high command. Above all, the recent act of Khan, who also defected from the TMC, triggered embarrassment for both the state and national leaders, said a BJP leader. The leader said that Nadda might rejig the partys state hierarchy facing intra-party discontent. Referring to turncoats statements embarrassing the party, Ghosh on Saturday described them as the bark of other trees. "The party had pasted bark of other trees on itself which is now coming off. Those who joined the BJP recently are finding it difficult to fit in. Some of them are leaving. But old party workers have no such problem. We accepted a large number of people who came from other parties and gave them a chance to work. Now it is up to them to decide what they want to do, he said. Three days ago, Khan stepped down from the post of the partys state youth wing president and later withdrew his resignation. In the Facebook live session, Khan accused Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of misleading the partys national leadership by visiting Delhi frequently and alleged that Ghosh doesnt understand half of the things. He also made a photo showing Ghosh shaking hands with TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh a display image of one of his WhatsApp accounts. "It seems Khan may face the consequences for his acts. Besides, changes are likely to be made in the partys different wings after Ghoshs return from Delhi," said another BJP leader. By PTI NEW DELHI: YouTube vlogger Karl Edward Rice's wife has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the central government's alleged "arbitrary and unreasonable" decision to blacklist him and deny visa to enter India. The petitioner said by virtue of denying visa to her husband, who has been "arbitrarily blacklisted" by the respondents (Centre), she is deprived from living with him, thereby violating her fundamental right to life and dignity as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The plea, which is likely to come up for hearing next week, said petitioner Manisha Malik and her husband, popularly known as Karl Rock, are YouTube vloggers and have visited most of India to capture its beauty and contribute to the promotion of tourism here. It said the authorities have not communicated the grounds of blacklisting Rice even though several representations have been preferred by him and his wife, which has led to the separation of a married couple, lack of any opportunity or notice to them to indicate any violation of visa conditions and denial of issuance of visa to him. Terming the Centre's move an arbitrary abuse of power, the plea said it violates the petitioner's rights under Article 19 (protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech) of the Constitution. Union Home Ministry officials had on Friday said the New Zealand national has been restricted from entering India till the next year for violating terms and conditions of his visa. Dear @jacindaardern, the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife & family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Please watch my struggle https://t.co/dq0Z98SCFw @NZinIndia @MukteshPardeshi pic.twitter.com/sLM2nk9lR3 Karl Rock (@iamkarlrock) July 9, 2021 He was found to be doing business activities on a tourist visa and also violating other visa conditions, they had said without specifying. The plea said since their marriage in 2019, the couple has been living in Delhi and Rice has not been able to return to India from New Zealand since October 10 last year. "The petitioner's husband, Karl Edward Rice, has a dual nationality New Zealand and Netherlands and has been visiting India since 2013 strictly abiding by the laws of the country and the conditions of visa. "During the entire period since 2013, while the petitioner's husband has been granted Indian visa on various occasions, there hasn't been even a single allegation against the petitioner's husband," the plea, filed through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, said. Subsequent to their marriage, Rice was granted an X-2 Visa (meant for spouse/children of an Indian citizen) which had a validity period of May 2019 to May 2024 and one of the conditions in the visa for him was to exit India every 180 days or to intimate the Foreigner Regional Registration Office concerned. "Complying with the aforesaid condition of exiting the nation, while Rice left India on October 10, 2020, he has not been able to return to India because any application for issuance of an Indian visa is being rejected by the respondents. "While the petitioner has been running from pillar to post and no reasons are communicated to either Karl Edward Rice or to the petitioner herself as to on what basis her husband's request for issuance of visa have been rejected," the petition said, adding that Rice was only verbally informed that he has been blacklisted and therefore he is not permitted to enter into India. The plea sought direction to the authorities to call for records pertaining to cancellation of visa and unilateral blacklisting of Rice and also sought to review or quash the decision blacklisting him and allow him entry to India. As an alternative, the plea sought to direct the authorities to grant a meaningful hearing to the couple on the sudden blacklisting of Rice. The petition has arrayed Centre, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, FRRO and Bureau of Immigration as parties. By Express News Service KOLKATA: There seems to be no let-up in the Bengal BJP as partys state president Dilip Ghosh called MP Saumitra Khan as an insane and a joker" because of his act of stepping down from the post of the state youth wing chief and withdrawing the resignation later. The party state chief also fumed after Khan allegedly used a photograph of Ghosh shaking hands with Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh as a display picture (DP) of one of his WhatsApp accounts and accused the state president of "not understanding half of the things". Ghosh warned Khan saying if he didnt change with the time, there is a system in the party to take action. Khan, however, changed the picture and said he had no idea how the previous picture became the DP of his WhatsApp account. Ghoshs sharp reaction came two days after Khan, in a Facebook live session, accused BJP MLA and leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of misleading the partys high command in New Delhi. Hitting out at Adhikari, Khan said: The way the BJP is functioning in Bengal, it will not be good for future. Everything is happening here according to what a leader is saying. He is visiting Delhi again and again and misleading the partys central leadership. It is as if he sacrificed a lot for the party. There are many in the party who, too, sacrificed a lot. Dilip Ghosh understands half the words and doesnt understand half. Hitting back, Ghosh said: He is a youth leader. He joined BJP and has been given responsibilities. He will understand. If he doesnt, there is a system in the party to take action. There is a limit to insanity. There is always a place for jokers in politics. He is not bigger than the party. When the time comes, action will be taken against him. A section of BJP functionaries in Bengal said Khan became frustrated after he did not find his name in the list of four MPs who were offered berths in the Union Cabinet. Khan was not present at a youth wing meeting on Thursday headed by a state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ruled that not standing up for the national anthem and not singing it may amount to disrespect and failure to adhere to the fundamental duties but it is not an offence. The court gave the ruling on a writ petition filed by Tawseef Ahmad Bhat, who had challenged the registration of an FIR against him under Section 3 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act. Interestingly and indisputably, mere disrespect to Indian national anthem is not an offence per se. It is only if the conduct of a person amounts to preventing the singing of Indian national anthem or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing, it entails penal consequences in terms of Section 3 of the Act, J&K high court judge Justice Sanjeev Kumar ruled in the judgment passed on Friday. The court ruled that not standing up while the Indian national anthem is being sung or standing up but not singing the national anthem along with members of the assembly engaged in such singing may amount to disrespect to the national anthem and a failure to adhere to a fundamental duties enumerated in Part IVA of the Constitution of India but is not an offence as defined under Section 3 of the Act. The police registered the case against Bhat in September 2018 for allegedly dishonouring the national anthem at a function held to celebrate Indian surgical strike when he was working as a lecturer in the Government Degree College, Bani, on a contractual basis. While challenging the FIR, Bhat contended that the allegations did not constitute an offence under Section 3 of the Act as there was no proof that he prevented the singing of the national anthem or caused any disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing. Failure of the petitioner to participate in the assembly engaged in singing of national anthem, intentionally or otherwise, and roaming about in the school premises where the assembly was engaged in singing national anthem, in my opinion, would not amount to either preventing the singing of national anthem or causing any disturbance to the assembly engaged in such singing, Justice Kumar ruled. By PTI GUWAHATI: Amid opposition parties decrying the rising number of police encounters under the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, one more murder accused was killed and two alleged ganja smugglers were injured as they "attempted to escape from custody" in separate incidents in Assam on Saturday. With the fresh casualties, at least 13 suspected insurgents and criminals have been killed and dozens, including rape accused and cattle smugglers, injured in police encounters in the northeastern state since the second BJP-led government assumed power two months ago. The latest incidents took place in Chirang and Kokrajhar districts, both part of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). A person accused of the murder of a home guard was killed while attempting to escape from police custody in Chirang district. "Within 24 hrs Chirang Police cracked the case of brutal murder of Home Guard Eyad Ali.3 persons arrested & the murder weapons were recovered. "In an attempt to flee from Police custody, escaping accused Abdul Khalek sustained bullet injuries and later succumbed to his injuries," Chirang district police tweeted. In another incident, Kokrajhar district police intercepted a truck allegedly smuggling 840 kg of ganja worth over Rs 2 crore, at Srirampur near the Assam-West Bengal inter-state border. "While recovering another 10 kg of ganja, which the accused had hidden along the highway, the duo attacked the police personnel & tried to escape from the custody. "In order to prevent it, Police team resorted to control firing, in which both the accused were grievously injured," the Kokrajhar district police said in a Twitter post. On July 6, a suspected drug peddler from Manipur was critically injured when he had allegedly tried to escape from police custody near Rani in Kamrup district. The rising number of shoot-out encounters in the last two months has whipped up a political furore in Assam with the opposition alleging that the police has turned "trigger-happy" under the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led regime, which assumed charge on May 10. Justifying the series of encounters since he assumed power, Sarma had on July 5 said that shooting at criminals "should be the pattern" if they attempt to escape from custody or try to snatch guns from the police to fire at them. State Congress chief Ripun Bora has said that Sarma's statement has dangerous ramifications of turning Assam into a 'police state' by making law enforcers trigger-happy and disregard human rights. Raijor Dal chief and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has also alleged that "open killing" by the police is going on in the name of encounters. Assam Jatiya Parishad general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan has alleged that the surge in encounters was a ploy to "silence" the lower-rung criminals to protect their bosses, including politicians and top police officers, running illegal syndicates. The BJP, on the other hand, wondered whether the opposition parties were unhappy that criminals had died. By PTI CHANDIGARH: Government doctors in Punjab on Saturday decided to abstain from work for three days from July 12 to July 14 in protest against silence of the state government over their issue of non-practicing allowance. They also threatened to go on indefinite strike from July 19 if their issues were not resolved by the state government. Doctors working in government hospitals have been protesting against the recommendation of Punjab's Sixth Pay Commission de-linking non-practicing allowance from the basic pay. They are also agitating against the pay commission's recommendation of reduction in the allowance from 25 per cent to 20 per cent. The decision to boycott health and veterinary services from July 12 to 14 was taken by the the Joint Government Doctors Coordination Committee (JGDCC) which has members from the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) and is supported by the Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association, Rural Medical Officers Association, Punjab Dental Medical Officers Association and Punjab Ayurveda Officers Association. PCMSA president Dr Gagandeep Singh on Saturday told PTI that the state government's silence over their demands forced them to announce a strike again. The strike will hamper health services including outpatient department (OPD). Besides, veterinary services will also remain shut. However, emergency services, post-mortem and COVID-related services will continue. The government doctors had already held strikes three times over the allowance issue. The JGDCC also decided that all the doctors in the state would boycott the government OPDs from July 15 till 17 and parallel OPD services would be run during this period in the lawns of hospitals so that the persons who are in need would not be deprived of availing health and veterinary services. They further announced that during the boycott of health services, all the doctors of the state would also donate blood while area-wise blood donation camps would be organised. The JGDCC said the state health minister had recently assured the Joint Committee to resolve the issue within a week but no action has been taken by the government in this regard even after a week. Convener of JGDCC Dr Inderveer Gill said the agitation over the allowance is to save the public healthcare system. "We will oppose any move of the government that is directed to destroy it. Doctors of the state did not want to close down the health and veterinary services but the government was pursuing a policy of evasion instead of resolving the issue of non-practicing allowance," he said. The JGDCC said if the government did not resolve the issue over the allowance by July 18, all the health and veterinary doctors across the state would go on indefinite strike from July 19. By PTI KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress members protested across West Bengal on Saturday against the spiralling fuel prices that are causing hardships for the common people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Petrol is retailing at over Rs 101 per litre and diesel at more than Rs 92 in West Bengal, while domestic LPG touched Rs 861 per cylinder. The protests were held in Dum Dum, Central Avenue and Chetla areas of Kolkata, Canning in South 24 Parganas, Chinsurah in Hooghly, and Malda, besides other parts of the state. State Transport Minister Firhad Hakim said the Centre imposed enormous taxes on petroleum products, causing a lot of hardships for the common people. Petroproduct prices were unregulated, allowing oil companies to raise prices to increase their profits so that their share prices also rise, he claimed. In turn, this will help the Centre to sell the state- run oil companies to foreign investors, he said. Hitting out at the Centre, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury said his party has been demanding rollback of taxes to bring down the prices of petroleum products to ease the burden on the people. The West Bengal government should also consider the reduction of tax on petroleum products, he said, adding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to power with a huge mandate and should review this. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that taking to the streets will not result in a reduction of the prices of petroleum products. "Prices of petroproducts are linked to the international market. When the international market stabilises, prices in the country will also be moderated," he said. By PTI AGARTALA: After detection of 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus in Tripura, the state government has extended the 15-hour daily curfew in several urban areas for another week till July 17, an official said on Saturday. The government also increased the time for such a restriction by two hours on Saturdays and Sundays, Revenue Secretary Tanushree Debbarma said. The curfew will be in place from 2 pm to 5 am on weekdays and from noon to 5 am on Saturdays and Sundays in the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation and 12 other urban local bodies, she said. Debbarma stated that the administration decided to extend the curfew after the COVID situation in the state was reviewed. "The curfew will be enforced strictly in several areas from noon to 5 am on Saturdays and Sundays and from 2 pm to 5 am on weekdays," the official said. The COVID curfew will remain in place in Agartala, Ranirbazar, Jirania Nagar, Udaipur, Kailashahar, Dharmanagar, Khowai, Belonia, Kumarghat, Teliamura, Sonamura Nagar, Amarpur Nagar and Sabroom Nagar till July 17, she said. The COVID curfew in these urban areas was first imposed on May 16 and then extended several times. Many cases of 'Delta Plus' and 'Delta' variants of COVID-19 have been detected in the northeastern state, a health department official said. "Altogether, 151 samples were sent for genome sequencing in a laboratory at Kolkata. The report was shocking as more than 90 per cent of them were found positive for the 'Delta Plus' variant. New coronavirus strains were detected not only in West Tripura but also in other districts," Dr Tapan Majumder, head of the microbiology department of Agartala Government Medical College, said. State Surveillance Officer for COVID-19 Dr Deep Kumar Debbarma said the 'Delta Plus' strain was detected in 138 samples, 'Delta' in 10 and UK variant in three. "The 'Delta Plus' strain can spread rapidly. The situation may turn complicated if the COVID appropriate behaviour is not enforced strictly," Majumder said. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court will pass its order on July 13 on the petition filed by Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari seeking to quash the June 21 notice issued by the Uttar Pradesh police under Section 14-A of the CrPC in connection with a video uploaded allegedly to promote communal disharmony. Justice G Narendar said that he will dictate the order on Tuesday, after the arguments of the petitioner and the UP police concluded on Friday. Advocate P Prasanna Kumar, representing the UP police, argued that the petitioner was required to appear before the police for questioning and not before this court, which is not the territorial jurisdiction, as he claims to be the country leader at Twitter on various social platforms, including LinkedIn. Kumar contended that the notice was issued to the petitioner in his capacity as MD of Twitter India and not as an individual. The petitioner cant play hide and seek when he has declared himself country leader at Twitter and his registered office is in Mumbai. He has to appear before the police who have ample powers to question any person under Section 160 of the CrPC. Moreover, he has to approach the High Court in UP and not in Karnataka, which is not the territorial jurisdiction where the crime was registered, he argued. Before this, senior advocate C V Nagesh, representing the petitioner, argued that the notice issued to the petitioner lacks sanction of law and indicates that it is an act of intimidation. Vindictive action has been taken against the petitioner and his fundamental rights has been violated, he argued. He said that the petitioner was ready to appear before the police virtually. Nothing prevented the police from questioning him virtually, but they did not do so even 10 days after this court passed the order to question him virtually, while restraining them from taking any coercive action. Is it their ego? Why do they not want to question him through video conference? Nagesh said while reiterating that this court has jurisdiction to entertain the petition. HC directs State, BBMP to look into immunisation for kids of labourers Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the State government and the BBMP to look into the issue of regular immunisation for children of migrant and construction workers. A special division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar passed the order after going through the report of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), which indicates that such children are more vulnerable to health issues during the pandemic because they are deprived of vaccines like BCG. By PTI VADODARA: Two medical students, who were out on a picnic, drowned while swimming in a river in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Saturday, police said. The incident took place in the morning when a group of eight students from Baroda Medical College had gone to the river for a picnic near Lachhanpura village in Savli taluka, an official from Savli police station said. The victims Riddhi Shah and Amodh Goyal, both 20 years old, had ventured into the river and drowned while swimming, he said, adding that locals had tried to rescue the duo. The duo was eventually fished out and rushed to the civil hospital in Vadodara, were doctors declared them dead, the official said. Shah is from Wadhwan in Gujarat's Surendranagar district, while Goyal is from Surat, he added. By PTI NEW DELHI: Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Saturday sounded a note of caution against reported blatant disregard of COVID-appropriate behaviour at hill stations and other tourist locations, stressing that the second wave of the pandemic is not yet over. The Home Secretary was reviewing the steps taken by the state governments for checking the spread of COVID-19 at hill stations and tourist locations, a home ministry statement said. During the meeting, the overall management of the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination status in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal were discussed. The meeting was conveyed that the decline of the second wave is at variable stages in the different states and UTs in the country, and while the overall case positivity rate may be declining, the case positivity rate in certain districts of Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over 10 percent, which is a cause for concern, the statement said. The Union Home Secretary sounded a note of caution in the wake of media reports showing blatant disregard of COVID-appropriate behaviour at hill stations and other tourist locations, the statement said. Bhalla emphasised that the second wave of COVID was not yet over and states should ensure strict adherence to the protocols prescribed in respect of wearing of masks, social distancing and other safe behaviour. States were also asked to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and COVID Appropriate Behaviour, as has been laid out in the MHA order dated June 29, 2021. Adequate health infrastructure preparedness, especially in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas, was also advised to tackle any potential future surge in cases. The meeting was attended by V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research; and Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police and Principal Secretaries (Health) of the eight states. By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Just a day before World Population Day, a draft bill of the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021, has proposed that those having more than two children will not be eligible for state government jobs, cannot contest local body elections and will not be able to avail of government subsidies. The draft bill also says that such persons will be ineligible for promotion in government services, can get only up to four ration cards and will be debarred from the benefit of government welfare schemes. The bill has been drafted by the Uttar Pradesh Law Commission, which has invited suggestions from the public through e-mail at statelawcommission2018@gmail.com or by post latest by July 19. The bills primary draft also proposes series of incentives for government servants as well as the general public, including two additional increments during the entire service, subsidy towards purchase of plots or house sites or built houses from the housing board or the development authority. ALSO READ: Assam CM, local Muslims discuss population control The other incentives include a soft loan for construction or purchasing a house on nominal rates of interest, rebate on charges for utilities such as water, electricity, house tax, maternity or as the case may be, paternity leave of 12 months with full salary and allowances. It also proposes a three per cent increase in the employers contribution fund under the national pension scheme, free health care facility and insurance coverage to the spouse of those strictly following the two-child norm. It also has additional benefits for public servants who have only one-child and undergo voluntary sterilization operation upon themselves or the spouse. The incentives include two additional increments during the entire service, free health care facility and insurance coverage to the single child till the age of 20 years, preference to a single child in admission in all education institutions, including but not limited to the Indian Institute of Management, All-India Institute of Medical Science etc, free education up to graduation, scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child and preference to single child in government jobs. The proposed laws first draft provides for special benefits to below poverty line couples having only one child and undergoing voluntary sterilization. Such a couple would be eligible for payment from the government for a one-time lump-sum of `80,000 if the single child is a boy and `1 Lakh if the single child is a girl. While ruling out that the proposed population control law was aimed against any community, UP minister for minority welfare Mohsin Raza said right now the first draft of the proposed law has been prepared for public suggestions on it by July 19. This draft after it becomes a law will go a long way in ensuring that all schemes, facilities and limited resources of the government reach one and all. It is a step forward for furtherance of peoples welfare as well as promoting state and national interest. But, even before the first draft of the proposed population control law was released, minority politicians, including Samajwadi Party MLA Iqbal Mehmood, had termed the proposed law as a conspiracy towards Muslims. If implemented, it will be an attack on the Muslim community under the guise of population control, he said. By PTI NEW DELHI: Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was recently sworn in as Uttarakhand chief minister, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and sought his directions on the possible third wave of coronavirus, the proposed Kanwad Yatra and the Chardham Yatra against the backdrop of the pandemic. He also sought establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kumaon region of the state on the lines of AIIMS, Rishikesh. In a tweet, Dhami said he sought the blessings of the prime minister. "Sought his directions on the state's development, the possible third wave of Covid-19, Char Dham Yatra and Kanwad Yatra. The prime minister assured all possible help for the state's development," Dhami tweeted. The Prime Minister's Office also tweeted pictures of the meeting. On Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's comments asking why people of the hill state, which generates electricity, cannot get free power like consumers in the national capital, Dhami said the AAP leader may have his agenda but the only agenda for the BJP is the state's development and offering the best to people. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor will visit Dehradun on Sunday. The party has decided to contest the assembly polls in the state due early next year. Uttarakhand on Thursday decided to review its decision to stop all Kanwad yatra devotees from entering the state this year. The yatra sees lakhs of devotees travel through several states by foot to the holy town of Haridwar in Uttarakhand. According to an official release in Dehradun, Dhami said an AIIMS in Kumaon will give access to the people of the region to world class medical facilities, adding the state government will give land for it. Describing AIIMS, Rishikesh as a big gift to the people of the state from the Centre, Dhami said it is playing a significant role in the battle against Covid. Dhami also sought speedy implementation of the 300 mw Lakhwar multi-purpose project from which six states including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will benefit. The project has all the clearances and work on it can begin after a cabinet committee on economic affairs by the Union Government gives its go-ahead to the project, Dhami said. He informed the prime minister that the second phase of building and reconstruction projects at Kedarnath are to begin at an estimated cost of Rs 108.78 crore and sought an appointment from him for laying their foundation stones virtually. Dhami's meeting with the prime minister lasted one hour and 15 minutes. Congratulating Dhami, Modi expressed hope that under his youthful leadership the state will prosper, the release said. Dhami also met Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to remove inner line restrictions from Nelong and Niti valleys near India-China border saying it will boost tourist inflow to the beautiful valleys and increased economic activities as a result of this will stop migration from border villages. He also demanded two air ambulances and establishment of one disaster research institute at Uttarakhand's summer capital Gairsain in view of the state's vulnerability to natural calamities. The Chief Minister also met Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and requested him to increase the budgetry allocation for solid waste management projects in Uttarakhand under the Swacch Bharat Mission-2 from Rs 89 crore to 150 crore. By Express News Service DEHRADUN: With Kanwar Yatra on hold, the Uttarakhand government is planning to transport Gangajal in tankers to other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar to ensure that yatris do not miss the annual pilgrimage and are able to perform the rituals without travelling to Haridwar. The state government had on June 30 issued orders cancelling the yatra in view of the Covid-19 situation, but has been requested by its Uttar Pradesh counterpart to reconsider the decision. In case, the yatra is not permitted due to recent strict stance of the high court on religious gatherings, the Uttarakhand government is planning to transport Gangajal in tankers to the states from where maximum number of pilgrims arrives. The final decision on the yatra will be taken soon. If it is permitted, then it will be with restrictions, said a state government official. The state government had cancelled the yatra last year, too, in the wake of the pandemic which hit religious tourism in Haridwar the hardest after Char Dham Yatra. However, the Yatra was allowed from June 2020 for state residents and for residents of other states, too, since last month giving some respite to the sector. Maximum Kanwar yatris come to Haridwar from the states of Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and MP. In 2019, over 3.5 crore devotees had visited Haridwar in the auspicious month of Saawan. By PTI DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has ordered visitors at all tourist spots in the state to strictly adhere to Covid protocol in view of the threat of spread of the infection due to growing crowd of tourists at popular destinations like Mussoorie and Nainital. On arrival in the state, tourists now have to produce a negative Covid test report not older than 72 hours. District magistrates of Dehradun, Nainital and other districts have issued orders to officials to ensure that the Covid norms are strictly followed by all tourists. ALSO READ: Uttarakhand CM Dhami calls on PM Modi, seeks directions on third wave and Char Dham Yatra Tourists are arriving in large numbers over the past few days at major tourists spots like Mussoorie, Kempty Fall, Nainital, Haridwar and Rishikesh. Several videos have gone viral in which tourists are seen violating Covid norms by not wearing masks and refusing to maintain social distancing. "We have come to know through videos on the social media that people are not following Covid appropriate behaviour. They are neither wearing masks nor are they maintaining any social distancing. This is a matter of concern," Dehradun DM Ashish Shrivastava said. ALSO READ: Set up separate pediatric wards at all hospitals to deal with third wave, says Uttarakhand CM Mussoorie's Circle Officer Narendra Pant said tourists coming to Mussoorie are being stopped at Kuthal Gate on the way to check if they are registered on the smart city portal and have a negative Covid test report with them. Only those who have the documents are being allowed to proceed to Mussoorie and the rest are being returned, he said. Recorded messages asking people to adopt Covid appropriate behaviour are being played in Mussoorie all day, Pant said. ALSO READ: Uttarakhand govt to send Gangajal in tankers if Kanwar yatra not allowed due to COVID situation People violating the norms are also being fined, he added. Additional deployment of police personnel has also been made to ensure that the SOPs are not flouted by people, he said. There has been a decline of 50 per cent in tourist inflow due to the restrictions in Mussoorie this weekend in comparison to the last, he said. After videos of hundreds of tourists seen together in Kempty Fall without wearing masks went viral, the number of tourists bathing at a time in the fall has been limited to 50. No one can stay in the fall for more than 30 minutes. The restrictions were imposed on Thursday by Tehri District Magistrate Iva Ashish Shrivastava. Police officials in Nainital said entry of tourists to the lake city during daytime on weekends has been banned. However, there is no restriction on tourists staying in hotels, they said. By PTI MUMBAI: A special court here on Saturday accepted a closure report filed by the CBI against jailed gangster Chhota Rajan in the case related to a firing on builder and film financier Yusuf Lakdawala in 2001. A closure report is filed when an investigating agency believes that it does not have enough evidence to proceed against an accused. Special Judge A T Wankhede accepted the report and directed that Rajan be `released' as per section 169 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (release of accused when evidence is deficient). The court also asked Rajan to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000. However, the gangster would not walk out of jail as he is facing numerous other cases. Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said the Central Bureau of Investigation had filed the closure report about three months ago. Appearing through video link, 76-year-old Lakdawala told the court that he had no objection if the closure report was accepted, Gharat said. Rajan's lawyer advocate Tushar Khandare said the incident of firing on Lakdawala had taken place in suburban Bandra in 2001. Rajan and some others were named in the case for alleged attempt to murder and also under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Rajan is lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi after his deportation from Indonesia in October 2015. He is facing around 70 cases, including the 2011 murder of journalist J Dey. Lakdawala too is in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. The ED case is based on a 2019 FIR of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police about alleged cheating and forgery related to a Rs 50 crore-worth land at Khandala in Pune district. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has detained four persons in connection with the firing incident in the Bara Hindu Rao area here, which left two people dead, police said on Saturday. The incident took place on Thursday in north Delhi's Filmistan Road, and information about it was received at the police control room around 9:20 pm, they said. A senior police officer said that the four persons were detained and investigation is underway. Three teams are also raiding places in the city and its neighbouring states to apprehend those involved in the case, the officials said. One of the deceased had been identified as Sanjay Rajput (30) while the identity of the other is being ascertained, they said. The FIR in the case was registered on the complaint of Naeem Ahmed and police are investigating every angle, including property dispute, police had said. Ahmed, who runs the Sanjeeda Nursing Home in the area, had said, "I was standing in front of the nursing home on Thursday night when a man, in a black T-shirt, came and asked whether Covid vaccines were being administered." "I told him that the vaccines are being administered at the Bara Hindu Rao hospital and at a dispensary near the nursing home. Then he left," he said. Ahmed said while he was driving, a man came in front of his car and he thought he was a robber. "My nephew, who was with me in the car, said the man was the same person who had come to enquiry about vaccination (at the nursing home). When we got down from the car and asked him to move away, he did not listen to us. His associates came and started manhandling us," he had said. Some locals caught hold of them, and they suddenly started firing, Ahmed said, adding that he entered a godown and saved himself. "They chased my nephew but he escaped unhurt. But bullets hit two other men," he had said. By PTI KANPUR: A 19-year-old Dalit man was brutally beaten with bamboo sticks allegedly by family members of his upper caste girlfriend in a village in Kanpur Dehat district with three men arrested in connection with the case on Saturday, police said. The incident took place in Aghu Kamalpur village of Akbarpur area on Thursday, but came to light on Friday evening when a video clip of the incident went viral on social media prompting the police to lodge an FIR, said a senior police official. As they pummel the man, he is asked to name his caste. Upon learning that he is from a Scheduled Caste, the blows get brutal and more insistent, said the official. The victim identified as Sarvan Sankhwar, a painter, had gone to Aghu Kamalpur village to meet his girlfriend who belongs to an upper caste family, said Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Keshav Kumar Chaudhary. When the girl's family spotted Sankhwar, they pulled him by his hair, allegedly tied him to a pole and started beating him with sticks and even hit his private parts, the SP said. After coming to know about the video, the Akbarpur police called Sankhwar to the police station and filed an FIR based on his statement, said Additional SP Ghanshyam Chaurasia. The girl's father, Sanjay Verma, and other family members have been booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Three persons, identified through the video, were arrested on Saturday, the ASP said, adding that they would be produced before the court on Sunday morning. The arrested persons were identified as Manish Vishkarma (28), Shiva Pal (50) and Survesh Pal (40), all residents of Akbarpur area. The identities of five more people, who can be seen beating the youth, were also established, said Circle Officer (Akbarpur) Arun Kumar Singh. "We are trying to find out their hideouts and three teams have been formed to arrest them," Singh added. By PTI GODHAR: A communal clash broke out on Saturday after members of a community objected to the police detaining a suspect in connection with an incident in which a teenage boy from another community was thrashed by unidentified people at Kalol town in Panchmahal district of Gujarat, prompting the police to fire teargas shells, an officer said. "Tension over a group of people from one community allegedly thrashing a boy from another community on Friday night led to two groups clashing with each other on Saturday. Policemen were also attacked when they tried to control the situation," Panchmahal Superintendent of Police Leena Patil told reporters. The clash erupted after a group of people reached Kalol police station demanding the release of a man belonging to their community who was detained by police for allegedly thrashing a boy from another community on Friday midnight, Patil said. The SP said tension started over a trivial issue involving boys from the two communities. "When the police tried to disperse the group of people who had come to the police station, they ran and hid in their houses and shops and started hurling stones at police personnel. Meanwhile, a group of people from another community also reached the area," the SP said. A police inspector and some other people sustained minor injuries. Vehicles parked in the area were also damaged in the incident, she said. Police fired several rounds of teargas shells to control the mob. At least 80 police personnel were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control, the SP said. "The situation is now under control, and we are keeping a watch on social media to prevent the spread of rumours. The process to register an FIR against those involved is underway. Around 60 to 70 police personnel had reached the spot after the clash erupted. Three platoons of the SRP have been called," the officer said. By PTI JAMMU: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday asserted that democracy, being a battle of ideas, drives its strength from dissent and said the only way to bring lasting peace is through the process of dialogue and reconciliation. "The mechanisms of coercion and oppression are tested methods, failed to bring any change in the vexed Kashmir scenario," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. Dialogue and reconciliation have proved effective to end alienation among the youth and bring considerable change, paving the way for economic upliftment of society, she said. Mehbooba was interacting with over a dozen delegations of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) office bearers from Rajouri and Poonch districts on the second day of her tour of the Union Territory's Jammu region. Entering into an alliance with the BJP after the 2014 elections was the most difficult decision for the PDP but it was crucial for an organisation which wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue and facilitate peaceful ties between the two neighbouring countries (Pakistan and India), Mehbooba said. "The BJP had to leave the alliance and dissolve the assembly in order to achieve its objectives. We led the government on our terms without compromising on any issue pertaining to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," she said. "It was the efforts of the then chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayed that the border areas of Rajouri and Poonch witnessed peace for the first time after India and Pakistan agreed on ceasefire in 2003," the PDP chief said. The opening of the Poonch-Rawlakote border not only allowed separated families on both sides to visit each other after decades but also created an opportunity for the people to engage in cross-LoC (Line of Control) trade, she said. Referring to the decisions of establishing the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, the Mughal Road, nursing colleges, Mehbooba said that Pir Panchal has always been the key focus of her party. "Cross-Line of Control (LoC) travel and trade was one of the most significant confidence building measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan and every effort was made during my tenure to ensure that the people-to-people contact goes beyond the divided families," Mehbooba said. The former chief minister alleged that it was unfortunate how the Union government "trampled" every democratic institution in furtherance of its own political agenda, reversing progress on each front in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir. "The damage has been done beyond repair. Whenever a government is formed in Jammu and Kashmir it will have to start from scratch and regaining trust of people in democracy will be the key challenge for any party coming to power," Mehbooba said. While fighting one war, one shouldnt fan another. But it appears that the ongoing India-Cairn tax dispute is inching towards that direction. The UKs Cairn Energy PLC, which won the arbitration award last December, is reportedly seizing our global assets, including government buildings. The international arbitration tribunal had held Indias retrospective levy as unfair and asked the government to return $1.7 billion to Cairn. Whats troubling is, with India refusing to pay, Cairn has registered cases across multiple jurisdictions and if it succeeds, we will join countries like Pakistan and Venezuela that have had assets seized for dishonouring international rulings. The government appointed a judge on the three-member tribunal that unanimously overturned the levy and asked India to return the value of Cairns sold shares, dividend seized and tax refund withheld. But the government maintains that the tribunal improperly exercised jurisdiction over a national tax dispute that the Republic of India never offered and/or agreed to arbitrate. It even termed the tribunals ruling as highly flawed and moved The Hague Court of Appeals, which is expected to hear the case in September. In 2015, Cairn sought relief under the UK-India bilateral investment treaty and the tribunal held Indias actions as violative of the fair and equitable treatment guaranteed to foreign investors. India dismisses the view and instead is arguing that the tribunals ruling ratifies Cairns scheme of achieving double non-taxation designed to avoid global taxes. This, it insists, is a significant public policy concern for governments worldwide. As we await a closure, chances are others who have won arbitration awards, including Vodafone UK and Devas Multimedia, may feel emboldened to seize Indias assets. To avoid this, unsolicited advice is pouring in from several quarters. One such option is to offer Barmer oil fields in Rajasthan to Cairn, incidentally discovered by the company itself. Such a move could allow the government to honour its liability without adding fiscal pressure. Any reputational losses for dishonouring international rulings is needless and India must avoid global humiliation at all costs. As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) turned 100, its supreme leader and Chinas President-for-life Xi Jinping claimed his country had never bullied or subjugated any other nation nor would it ever do so. But the message that rang across the world was exactly the opposite. The reason is simple. Actions speak louder than words. The CCP has much to be proud of and as much to be ashamed of. Millions of Chinese perished in the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward and an unknown number bore the brunt of its fury in the Tiananmen Square protests. Not to forget the millions of Uyghurs currently lodged in detention camps in Xinjiang. On the other hand, the CCP uplifted millions of Chinese from poverty with its Open Doors Policy or rather, the unnatural marriage of socialism with market economics Socialism with Chinese characteristics. The father of this peculiar formulation, Deng Xiaoping, had cautioned his comrades to bide their time until the country became rich before flexing muscles on the international stage. Three decades on, Xi surely believes the time has come. China has been clocking an 9.8% growth rate on an average since 1979 and was the only country to register growth last year despite Covid. Evidently the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao, Xi has arrogated to himself immense power by ensuring that the two-term limit on presidency is removed, his own Xi Jinping Thought incorporated in the Constitution and the party purged of his opponents. His reign since 2012 has seen China becoming more assertive, be it in the South China Sea or the borders with India, arm-twisting countries economically, cracking down on Hong Kong, upping the ante on Taiwan and refusing to be transparent about Covids origins. Xis Belt and Road Initiative, promotion of authoritarian capitalism and export of digital technology appear aimed at reshaping the world with China at the centrestage. Drum-beating nationalism at home and itching for confrontations abroad, whether Xis tenure spells instability in the CCP remains to be seen. He is definitely in the process of achieving that abroad. By Express News Service BENGALURU: On her second day in office as Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje seems to have hit the ground running when she termed the ongoing farmers protest at Delhis borders as politically motivated. Insisting that the three agriculture laws will be beneficial for farmers, the minister said she also hails from a farmers family. As a government, we can hold talks with farmers, respond to their problems and solve them. but we cant solve politics. The protests are politically motivated. It is not the farmers who are protesting the laws. it is politically motivated persons using farmers as an excuse. These three laws will not be repealed. We will go to farmers and explain the benefits, she told the media in New Delhi. Although Karandlaje has made similar comments in the past, her remarks as MoS for farmer welfare has not gone down well with the farming community. Her comments expose her ignorance about the issue. As a minister, she should be working towards holding talks with farmers and arriving at a solution instead of taunting and ridiculing us, warned Kodihalli Chandrasekhar, president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bad news keeps rolling in from Muthalapozhy, an important fishing harbour in the district. In the latest incident, a 40-year-old fisherman died after his boat capsized at the mouth of the harbour when he was venturing into the sea. The deceased has been identified as John Paul, a resident of Anchuthengu. Muthalapozhy has been an accident-prone area as more than 60 fishermen have died here in the past seven years. This monsoon season has not been any different as three people lost their lives within two months while trying to cross the harbour mouth into the sea. ALSO READ | Kerala HC directs Malayalam TV actor Adithyan Jayan to surrender in dowry harassment case The sources said John along with three others had gone fishing in their fibre boat when the mishap occurred at 6.30 am. While the others managed to swim back to safety, John could not. His body was later retrieved and moved to Chirayinkeezhu Taluk Hospital for autopsy. The fishermen said most of the accidents were identical, with the boats capsizing at the mouth of the harbour while trying to enter the sea. The fishermen for long have been complaining that Muthalapozhi was fast becoming their 'Bermuda Triangle' as boats continue to fall prey to the ravaging waves and the sand bars that have accumulated along the channel due to faulty construction of the harbour. After the recent accidents, the local fishermen have demanded the authorities to let them fish from Thangassery harbour, which is more conducive for fishing during the monsoon season. By Express News Service PATHANAMTHITTA: Health Minister Veena George has said there is a high chance of more children getting infected if there is a third wave of Covid than in the first and second waves in the state. Addressing the meet the press programme here on Friday, she also said the health department has asked all district medical offices (DMOs) to send reports to add the names of people who have died of Covid but do not figure in the states toll. The district officials have requested for two-three days for adding such names, she said. We have not yet overcome the second wave. The state saw the peak of the second wave on May 12 when 43,000 cases were reported. After the beginning of the unlock process, there has been a slight increase in new cases as expected. The health department is mainly trying to reduce new cases during the second wave and strengthen preventive steps. Kerala has witnessed the lowest number of Covid cases in the first and second waves of the pandemic in the country, she claimed. The state has a high population density. Besides, the number of senior citizens as well as diabetes patients is also high. These factors are a challenge. Since the number of active Covid patients and recovered people is very less, the state still has a huge number susceptible individuals who are yet to be exposed to the virus. We need to complete vaccinate all before a possible third wave hits. We target to give both doses of vaccines to all people above 45 years of age within two months. She said the health officials had a meeting with the central team online and the latter has expressed satisfaction over the Covid preventive activities of Kerala. We have also requested the team to ensure sufficient vaccine doses for the state. We dont want vaccines in tune with our population, but in proportion to the susceptible population, Veena said.As part of preparations to meet the third wave, the government has directed all hospitals having over 50 beds to set up oxygen plants. The government plans to set up at least 36 oxygen plants in its hospitals, she said. 14 ZIKA +VE CASES, BUT NO NEED TO PANIC: MIN Pathanamthitta: Health Minister Veena George said there is no need to panic over the Zika virus infection being reported in the state and people should only be extra cautious as it is a mosquito-borne disease. The health department sent 19 samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and 14 people, including health workers, tested positive till Thursday, Veena said. We have chalked out an action plan for preventing the spread of the virus. The important thing to do is to execute vector-control activities. We should avoid giving breeding facilities to mosquitoes, including in our garden and homes, she said. ALSO WATCH | Kerala's Covid-19 fight: A tale of two waves | TNIE Documentary By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has decided to extend the suspension period of M Sivasankar, senior IAS officer and former principal secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The suspension was extended as Sivasankar is involved in a criminal case relating to gold smuggling through diplomatic route. The decision on extension of suspension has been conveyed to the Centre. Sivasankar was suspended for violating the All India Service (Conduct) rules. The IAS officer allegedly had links with the gold smuggling accused and was accused of facilitating the appointment of Swapna Suresh, an accused in the case, in a government enterprise without having the required qualifications. Sivasankar was suspended in July 16 last year on the recommendations of a committee comprising of the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Finance). The IAS officers service period ends in January, 2023. As per rules, the government can suspend an IAS officer if he or she faces inquiry for a criminal case or is arraigned as an accused. For such cases, the suspension period is one year. The state government can extended the suspension after that period if needed and inform the Centre about it. If not extended, the suspension would stand revoked. As per rules an IAS officer can be placed under suspension for not more than two years, government sources said. By PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kitex' decision to withdraw its investment from Kerala, claiming that the state was not investment or business-friendly, was a "planned and deliberate move" to humiliate the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Saturday. Speaking to media persons, he said the allegation that Kerala was not investment-friendly was an outdated and unsubstantiated claim in the face of facts which show that the state had an atmosphere conducive to business. He further said, "Attempts to impede industrial progress are not good. Such moves would be seen as aimed at undermining the country's future". Referring to Kitex group chairman Sabu Jacob's comment that he was"kicked and hounded out" of the state, Vijayan said complaints have to be investigated and doing so does not mean someone is being hounded or hunted. This government is not going to hunt anyone down, "he said and added that everyone has a responsibility to obey the law and the rules." Alleging harassment by the Kerala government officials, Jacob had last week said that his group was withdrawing its Rs 3,500 crore project from the state. Vijayan said that according to a recent report published by Niti Aayog, Kerala ranks first in the Sustainable Development Index and a key indicator of the same was the industrial development in the state. He further said that the state was ranked second in the India Innovation Index in terms of business environment and human capital and fourth in terms of improved investment climate, according to the the report and all these were indicators which cannot be ignored whiledeciding whether Kerala was investment friendly or not. According to the National Council of Applied Economics Research of 2018, Kerala was fourth in the investment probability index, which takes into account factors like land, employment, political stability and business awareness to arrive at a finding. Ever since the CPI(M) led government came to power in Kerala in 2016, steps favouring significant industrial investment were taken, he said. Giving details, Vijayan said a centralized system will be set up for the inspection of industrial establishments, Single Window Boards are being set up in all industrial parks in the state to expedite the issuance of permits to entrepreneurs andRs 1,416 crore assistance scheme has been announced for MSMEs to overcome the crisis caused by the COVID pandemic. Besides that, a master plan is being prepared for the modernization of Public Sector Undertakings and steps have also been taken to create a favorable environment for investors and entrepreneurs by changing the rules and simplifying the procedures. He further said that in the last five years alone, 70,946 small business units have been newly started, Rs 6,612 crore investment was made in the state and two lakh units are presently operating in the state. Efforts are on to achieve 10th rank in the Ease of Doing Business rankings this year, he said and added that in such a situation, pointing out isolated incidents to obstruct industrial progress in the state was not good. By Express News Service CHENNAI: After Kerala reported Zika cases, Tami Nadu has been put on alert. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan on Friday instructed all the district collectors to intensify mosquito control measures. Local health department officials were instructed to work on mosquito breeding source reduction, an to inform industries including scrap dealers, milk unions and transport depots to address and eradicate sources. House-to-house survey and destruction of sources using mazdoors, self help groups and others will also be done. Vacant plots and water in construction sites is also a challenge, the health secretary said. Fridges in urban areas and improperly closed sumps and tanks, drums, pit taps and unused tyres continue to be a menace, the Health Secretary told Deputy Directors of Health Services. The officials were also told to keep a tab on more than three fever cases from an area, street or habitation and intensity preventive work. They were told to ensure availability of beds and standard medicines like paracetamol, fluids and sucralfate. Keeping a tab on stock of blood and platelets for needy cases was also stressed. Refresh the clinical protocol. Rapid hydration and unnecessary over-hydration also used to be an issue in the private sector. Dont wait for dengue or for that matter Zika to become an issue as neglect can result in localised outbreaks, the Health Secretary said. The State also intensified screening and surveillance of vehicles and passengers from Kerala in border districts. Keep it clean As Zika and dengue are caused by aedes mosquito, the State is taking preventive steps as TN has reported over 2,000 dengue cases since January. Aedes mosquitoes breed on good stagnant water, so keeping the surroundings of the house clean from scrap will reduce the risk. ALSO WATCH | 14 Zika virus cases confirmed in Kerala OMJASVIN M D By Express News Service CHENNAI: During the 2015 floods, our houses were washed away. We had to rebuild it again with stones and straw. We have not received a permanent housing despite our living here for a century, said 78-year-old K Manikandan from the Irular tribal community in Pazhaveli village of Chengalpet district. Around 80 kilometers from Chennai, this Irular hamlet of 38 families is tucked far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The tribals live on a hill area in huts built with bricks and straws. We have lived here for three generations and for more than 100 years. Our petitions to get land ownership (pattas) have fallen on deaf ears, he said. Saroja, in her 50s, said that the straw-roof does not withstand the might of rain. We spent most of the rainy days drenched even inside our huts. It was only recently that a local panchayat clerk gave us a tarpaulin sheet, she said. During nights, snakes and other creature from the hill slither into their huts. Pensions denied Selvi, who was sitting outside her house with her daughter, said that her husband had passed away a few years ago and that she had applied for widow pension multiple times. The officials always had a reason to send me away. I gave up, she said, adding that she didnt have a source of income, and that she depended on neighbours for food. Similarly, D Subramanian, who is physically challenged, has not received his disability allowance. The officials said I have to get a certificate from Government Chengalpet Hospital. It is around ten kilometers away and I dont have any money for transport. When I went there once last year, the officials made me wait for long and then told me to come another day. I went again and they gave another reason to delay the process, said Subramanian, who is 46-years-old. 78-year-old Manikandan also said that he had applied for old-age pension but didnt get any. Residents of the hamlet said that only a clerk, who took charge in the panchayat in 2020, visits regularly, out of his own concern. We filed multiple petitions for housing and pensions. All fell on deaf ears, said 53-year-old Chandru, the hamlets head who voices the concerns of his people. Chengalpet District Secretary of TN Tribals Association M Azhagesan said housing, healthcare, and sanitation are basic rights of human beings. We have submitted multiple petitions through our association. None of them has been addressed, he said. The tribals. who dont have many possessions, live by selling firewood, looking after farmlands, and, sometimes, fishing. By PTI CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has confirmed the orders of a lower court, convicting and sentencing an autorickshaw driver to seven year Rigorous Imprisonment for abducting a blind woman and sexually assaulting her. Justice R M T Teekaa Raman, who upheld the orders passed by a Mahila court here in April 2015, also ordered a compensation of Rs one lakh to the victim. The judge, dismissing the July 7 appeal from Anbu Selvan challenging the conviction, also held that he is not entitled for sentence reduction when he pleaded that he may be released after considering the period of his imprisonment. "...this court finds that the appellant appears to be a heartless person, having capitalised the situation on the helplessness visually challenged person." He successfully committed the act of sexual assault on her body and hence this court finds that the accused is not entitled for reduction of the sentence, not even for a single day. Taking into consideration the date of the incident and also that the charges are proved, the judge recommended to the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority to grant Rs one lakh compensation to the victim under the "Tamil Nadu Victim Compensation Scheme." By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Union government has promised to supply over 15 lakh Covid vaccine doses before July 12, said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan after meeting with senior health officials in New Delhi on Friday. TN has limited vaccine stock left and several districts have put their vaccine programmes on halt as a result. In Coimbatore, vaccinations have not been offered for a week now. Radhakrishnan who reached New Delhi on Thursday met Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhusan, Dr VK Paul, Chairman, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19, and other higher officials and represented various demands of the State. Speaking to reporters later, the secretary said that the officials have promised to supply a total of 15,87,580 doses of vaccine before July 12. We have represented to supply two crore vaccines per month as the State has capacity to vaccinate seven to eight lakh people per day, he said. Vaccines should not be supplied based on the population of the State but based on how many people the State has a capacity to vaccinate in a day, he said, adding that they should consider the months supply and not calculate the vaccines supplied from January. Only vaccination can prevent third wave The secretary added that the State could prevent the third wave only if it vaccinates all eligible people. The request was made to increase ICU beds, paediatric beds, Covid Care Centres and also ambulances as preparatory measures for the third wave, he added. All demands that were submitted by the Chief Minister as a memorandum to the Central government were stressed during the Friday visit. The Central officials also stressed to expedite the construction work of AII MS in Madurai and approval works for 11 new medical colleges. About temporarily accommodating AIIIIMS medical students in other medical colleges, he said the decision of the State will be submitted to the Centre on July 16. Getting integrated vaccine complex in Chengalpattu operational and supplying raw materials to Pasteurs Institute of India in Coonoor for vaccine production were stressed, he added. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The stage is all set for the issue of notifications to fill 50,000 vacancies in various government departments. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday, July 9, 2021, directed the officials concerned to immediately start the process of recruitment as the obstacles in the new zonal system, which is key for recruitment in the state, have been cleared. Place the entire information and data on the vacant positions before the State Cabinet, Rao told the officials. The State Cabinet is scheduled to meet on July 13. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to fill 50,000 vacancies in all the departments and wanted the first phase of the recruitment process to be started immediately. The vacancies created after giving the promotions should be taken up in the second phase of recruitment, he said. The President of India recently gave his assent to the new zonal system of the State government. Subsequently, the State government also issued a GO notifying the same. Against this backdrop, Rao on Friday, July 9, 2021 conducted a high-level review meeting on the filling up of the vacancies. Stating that the recruitment process was disorganised in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government, Rao said that the new zonal system was created scientifically so as to provide more jobs to the locals. While stating that there was a delay in Centre approving the new zonal system, he said that there are about 50,000 jobs for which the appointments could be made directly. We will fill them first. As of date, the government has begun the process of promotions in all the departments. Posts falling vacant after implementing the promotions will be identified and filled in the second phase, he said. The State Cabinet meeting on July 13 at 2 pm at Pragathi Bhavan is expected to discuss various topics, including Covid-19 situation, agriculture, Palle and Pattana Pragathi programmes. By PTI BEIJING: The Taliban has said it sees China as a "friend" of Afghanistan and assured Beijing that it would not host Uyghur Islamic militants from the volatile Xinjiang province, which is a major worry for the Chinese government, according to a media report. The comments came as the Taliban made territorial gains in the war-torn country amid the withdrawal of the US forces. China has already evacuated 210 of its nationals from Afghanistan by a chartered flight this week. Beijing is concerned that under Taliban rule, Afghanistan will become a hub for the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a separatist outfit aligned to Al-Qaeda which is waging an insurgency in Xinjiang. The resource-rich Xinjiang shares about an 8-km-long border with Afghanistan. ALSO READ | China targeting Uyghur families to silence activists abroad, claims rights group Playing down China's concerns, the Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said they see China as a "friend" to Afghanistan and is hoping to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work "as soon as possible". Suhail also said the Taliban would no longer allow China's Uyghur separatist fighters from Xinjiang, some of whom had previously sought refuge in Afghanistan, to enter the country. The Taliban would also prevent al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group from operating there, he said. "We have been to China many times and we have good relations with them," Suhail told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, recalling the few meetings hosted by China in the past for Taliban delegations. "China is a friendly country and we welcome it for reconstruction and developing Afghanistan," he said adding that "If (the Chinese) have investments, of course, we will ensure their safety," Shaheen said. Sharply critical of the US move to pull out its troops without stabilising the peace process in Afghanistan, China this week has asked its close ally Pakistan to step up cooperation to contain the security risks in the war-torn country following the withdrawal of the foreign forces. "(China and Pakistan) need to defend regional peace together. Problems in Afghanistan are practical challenges that China and Pakistan both face," especially the expansion of both international and regional terrorism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday addressing a meeting of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Pakistan. While the American troops' withdrawal and resurgence of the Taliban should strategically benefit China as the Taliban shares close ties with Pakistan, both Islamabad and Beijing are concerned as they faced threats from the Islamic militant groups which were part of Al-Qaeda and Taliban. China has been eying big scale investments in Afghanistan as the country has the world's largest unexploited reserves of copper, coal, iron, gas, cobalt, mercury, gold, lithium and thorium, valued at over USD one trillion. In 2011, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) won a USD 400 million bid to drill three oil fields for 25 years, containing roughly 87 million barrels of oil. Chinese firms have also gained rights to mine copper at Mes Aynak in Logar province, according to the Post report. But observers say China will remain very cautious and concerned about the Taliban delivering on its promises. "Whatever benign language the Taliban use, China remains highly concerned about the security situation there," Andrew Small, a senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund's Asia Programme told the Post. He said China's biggest concern in its dealings with the Taliban had always been whether it was sheltering Uyghur separatists. China's crackdown in Xinjiang, observers say, has exasperated the resentment among native Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The US, the EU and international human rights organisations have accused Beijing of committing genocide in the province. The 12th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the UN last month confirmed the presence of ETIM militants in Afghanistan. "The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) consists of several hundred members, located primarily in Badakhshan and neighbouring Afghan provinces," the report submitted to the UN Security Council said. The report said that large numbers of Al-Qaeda fighters and other foreign extremist elements aligned with the Taliban are located in various parts of Afghanistan. By PTI MOSCOW: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that people who are tested before and after international travel is a good enough basis but some countries have now introduced the issue of vaccination, stressing on the need to reach some understanding. Jaishankar, addressing a joint press interaction following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, said that he believes that the basis for travel should be testing. "If people who are tested before for international travel and tested on arrival is a good enough basis for travel but some countries have now introduced the issue of vaccination. "So, we will have to reach obviously some understanding. I discussed today how do we make sure that we are not discriminated against and how do we reach understandings between ourselves about the travel of our citizens to each other's countries," Jaishankar said. He said that the COVID-19 challenge has actually provided an occasion for India and Russia to demonstrate the strength of their cooperation. ALSO READ: EAM Jaishankar discusses nuclear, space and defence cooperation with his Russian counterpart "We are seeing that today in the production of Sputnik vaccine and I completely agree with my Russian counterpart. "I think we have to protect our population and help the world and the two go together that they are part of the same issue," he said. Lavrov, commenting on the cooperation between Russia and India in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said that Russia is ready to discuss the certification of citizens vaccinated against COVID-19 with India, and an agreement can be reached in this sphere. "We are ready to discuss the possibilities of coordinating our actions related to vaccinated citizens, regarding the certification of those who were vaccinated. I think that we can reach an agreement here, and it will serve as an example to other states," he said. Lavrov stressed that both countries are against the politicisation of vaccines and attempts to be guided by unfair competition. "I am confident that the majority of countries share this approach," he said. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has warned Russia of consequences for the ransomware attacks emanating from the country, underscoring the need for Moscow to take action against groups engaged in the crime. Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday about the ongoing ransomware attacks by criminals based in Russia that have impacted the US and other countries around the world, the White House said in a readout of the call. Yes, Biden told reporters at the White House hours after his call with Putin on this issue when asked if there would be consequences to the ransomware attack. I made it very clear to him that the United States expects, when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil, even though it's not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is, he said. And, secondly, that we have set up a means of communications now, on a regular basis, to be able to communicate to one another when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country, Biden said. During the call, the White House said, Biden underscored the need for Russia to take action to disrupt ransomware groups operating in Russia and emphasised that he is committed to continued engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware. During the call, Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge. The President has also called on governments and agencies to modernise their defences to meet this threat, building on the President's executive order on cybersecurity that was released in May, a senior administration official told reporters. I want to say a few other things about this: The President really meant what he said just after concluding the summit meeting in Geneva, when he said that our assessment of this process and our evaluation of Russia's actions would take time and play out over time. The President said six months or more, the official said. This is more than just a conversation that's taking place between the two leaders, President Biden and President Putin. This is really about our own resilience, as a nation, in the face of these attacks, and strengthening that. That's what the cybersecurity executive order was largely about, said the senior administration official. By Associated Press KEY WEST: The Coast Guard on Saturday ended the search for nine Cubans missing from a boat that capsized off Floridas coast. The search encompassed more than 7,400 square miles (19,000 square kilometers) over 192 hours since the capsized boat was reported Tuesday about 26 miles (42 kilometers) southeast of Key West. The Coast Guard said in a news release that 13 people were rescued. The survivors said they left Cuba on Monday night with 22 people aboard. Cubans intercepted at sea by the U.S. are generally returned to their home country. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy, said Sean Connett, command duty officer of the Coast Guard's 7th District. The decision to suspend a search is always difficult and is made after exhausting all search information. By PTI WASHINGTON: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, nominated by US President Joe Biden as the country's ambassador to India, has said that he is honoured to accept the nomination and will bring the same energy, commitment and love with which he served the sprawling city to his new role in the world's largest democracy. If confirmed by the Senate, Garcetti, 50, would replace Kenneth Juster, who served as the US Ambassador to India during the Trump administration. "Today, the President announced that I am his nominee to serve as US Ambassador to India. I am honoured to accept his nomination to serve in this role," Garcetti, a Democrat, said in a statement on Friday soon after Biden announced his nomination. Announcing the nomination along with several other ambassadors, the White House said Eric M. Garcetti has been the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles since 2013, following 12 years as a member of the City Council, including six as Council President. Biden also nominated Denise Campbell Bauer as his envoy to Monaco; Peter D. Haas to Bangladesh; and Bernadette M. Meehan as his top diplomat to Chile. "I love Los Angeles and will always be an Angeleno. I want you to know that every day I am your Mayor, I will continue to lead this city like it is my first day on the job, with passion, focus, and determination," Garcetti said in a statement. "I have committed my life to service, as an activist, as a teacher, as a naval officer, as a public servant, and if confirmed, next as an ambassador. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call," he said. "And should I be confirmed, I'll bring this same energy, commitment, and love for this city to my new role and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles," Garcetti, who is considered to be a close ally of President Biden, said. Garcetti, in an interview to the Los Angeles Times, said the Biden administration raised the idea of the India post in the early spring. The White House called him Thursday to finalise his nomination, he said. He has travelled several times to India, most recently as a councilman. In college, he spent a year studying Hindi and Urdu. "It's the largest democracy in the world, soon to be the most populous country in the world, one of the top handful of superpowers in the world," Garcetti said. "We can't get our climate goals without India hitting its climate goals. We can't see the economy truly reopened to international commerce and tourism until COVID is under control," Garcetti said on Friday. "We're all very closely connected," he told the Times. As Mayor of California's largest city and America's second-largest city, Garcetti oversees the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, the largest municipal utility in the country, and one of the busiest airports in the world. He led the city's successful bid to return the 2028 summer Olympic Games to American soil for the first time in three decades. Garcetti co-founded Climate Mayors and led more than 400 US mayors to adopt the Paris Climate agreement. He is the current Chair of C40 Cities, a network of 97 of the world's biggest cities taking bold climate action and has led the organisation's engagement and expansion in India as well as C40's global response to the COVID pandemic through the sharing of best practices and resources. During 12 years as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve Component, Garcetti served under the Commander, US Pacific Fleet and the Defence Intelligence Agency, retiring in 2017 as a Lieutenant. A Rhodes Scholar, he studied at Queen's College, Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Garcetti was selected as an inaugural Asia 21 Fellow of the Asia Society, and taught at Occidental College's Department of Diplomacy and World Affairs, as well as at the University of Southern California's School of International Relations. Commenting on his nomination, the Los Angeles Times wrote that the ambassadorship in President Biden's administration gives Garcetti a new career path, away from electoral politics. Meanwhile, influential lawmakers and eminent members of the Indian-American community have welcomed Garcetti's nomination as America's next envoy to India. "Mayor Garcetti is an excellent choice to serve as US ambassador to India. The importance of India to the global economy and national security will only continue to grow over the coming years - and having a steady hand to guide our relationship with that nation is vital," Senator Dianne Feinstein said. Biden's nomination of Garcetti is an important step forward in the US-India partnership as the two countries work together to end the pandemic, increase economic cooperation, and ensure regional security, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said. "Mayor Garcetti's experience in leading Los Angeles while championing international cooperation between the world's leading cities will undoubtedly serve him well as he helps strengthens the relationship between the world's largest democracy and its oldest," he said. The choice of Garcetti is a mark of how keen the Biden administration is on establishing strong ties with India, said M R Rangaswami, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur and investor, about the Los Angeles Mayor's nomination. Rangaswami said Garcetti has a strong track record as the mayor of America's second largest city and a personal connection with Biden. "Both of these will be significant assets as he plays a leading role in the efforts to further strengthen US-India ties and we at Indiaspora are delighted with this development," he said. "As Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, I look forward to working with Garcetti to strengthen the relationship between the world's oldest and largest democracies," said Congressman Brad Sherman. Indiaspora, a nonprofit organisation of global Indian diaspora leaders, in a statement said Garcetti would bring valuable political and administrative experience to the role. "A close political confidante of President Biden who served as a Co-chair of his campaign in 2020, Garcetti also would have the President's ear," it said. "Ambassadorship to India is a critical position for strengthening ties between the world's largest and the world's oldest democracy, and President Biden has made an excellent choice in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti," said IMPACT executive director, Neil Makhija. Don't miss out: Subscribe to our print and e-edition now. Get all our news direct to your mailbox and your inbox Click here to subscribe FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) At the Seaview Hotel, a vast and once impersonal ballroom has become a refuge a shared space of hope and sorrow where grieving families comfort each other during the agonizing wait for news of relatives trapped inside a collapsed Miami condo building. Twice a day, every day, for more than two weeks, relatives of those who perished or who are still missing have huddled in the spacious room, a new daily routine thrust upon them by an unfathomable disaster. On Saturday, authorities raised the confirmed death toll from the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside to 86, with 43 people still missing. Many members of this tiny community forged in tragedy have started arriving to the meetings early and staying late. They linger in small groups, talking. They hug each other, bring each other water and tissues. On days when information is scarce, rescuers, including those from other countries, circulate through the room, offering more detailed tidbits. Officials announced on Wednesday that they were switching their mission from rescue to recovery, but there is no plan to stop the private briefings for the families, said Maggie Castro, a Miami-Dade firefighter and paramedic who keeps relatives updated and has forged her own connections with them. Obviously, this is a huge tragedy, but if I can find some kind of bright spot in this whole thing, it's to be with these families, watching their emotions come and go and ... watching them evolve through their stages and then also watching them bond, Castro said. Soriya Cohen's husband, Brad Cohen, is still missing. Her brother-in-law Gary Cohen was found Thursday, and her two children are begging rescuers to search a similar grid line to find their father. The community outpours so much love, she said, recalling how volunteers wrapped her in a blanket, brought her food and coffee in the initial days after the collapse and surrounded me with so much emotional support. She still has the blanket, she said in a text Friday. Rachel Spiegel, whose mother, Judy, is still missing, said she, her father and brother also have made connections with other families inside the room, but she stopped short of calling it comforting. I don't know if I would define it as comfort yet because we still dont know where my mom is. Shes still missing. While sobs could be heard in the background Wednesday night as officials announced they would shift from rescue to recovery, largely dashing any hope of survivors, some families said they won't feel different until they have final word on their loved ones. It's hard to digest, Spiegel said in a phone call. Many people did say they feel the shift. For us, we just want to find my mom and be reunited with her. Were still hoping for the best. Were going to have this shift once we find her and are reunited with her. The Cohen family said not having any updates about Brad Cohen was agonizing. I don't think the terminology of rescue versus recovery matters. It's semantics, said Soriya Cohen. They will find people in whatever state they are in, however it's termed. Other families told rescuers they did feel a sense of finality once workers started searching for victims instead of survivors. There has been a sort of shift I think toward acceptance but also obviously with that comes some sadness, said Castro, adding that the families are physically and emotionally exhausted. Its a lot, a lot of emotional roller coasters that theyve been on, just trying to stay positive and hold out the wait, she said. The family briefings are surrounded by heavy security, with various checkpoints to protect their privacy. Organizations set up at a line of tables in the room offer everything from free international phone calls and counseling to clothing and housing. Several snowbirds are offering their Surfside homes to displaced survivors, said Rabbi Yakov Saacks, a family friend who flew from New York to comfort the Cohens. The owner of a 16-unit building opened it up rent-free to Surfside survivors for the month of July. Huge platters of catered food sit day and night, including glatt kosher meals, all donated by community members longing to ease the pain. Meanwhile, Support Surfside has raised $2 million for victims with another $2 million pledged, and GoFundMe has separately raised $1.7 million for various families. The nearby synagogue has been transformed into a huge clothing and dry goods facility for families to pick up items while they wait. Saacks described the ballroom as painfully quiet at times. While families were either sitting or standing together, they were, for the most part, just silently and painfully waiting for news, he said. While some families would welcome any news at that stage, others would welcome only good news. A portion of a crane collapsed Saturday on top of a building in downtown Toronto, Canada, causing damage to its rooftop. The counterweight, part of the crane meant to prevent it from tipping, was located on top of the 8 The Esplanade residential building after it fell approximately 20 feet, Toronto Fire District Chief Stephan Powell told CNN. Authorities were alerted to the incident at the intersection of The Esplanade and Yonge Street just after 2 p.m., he added. The top six floors of the condominium are mechanical rooms used for building maintenance, so no residential units were damaged, according to Powell. The crane was carrying about 20,000 pounds of counterweight, which shifted, resulting in the crane tipping over, Toronto Fire platoon chief Kevin Shaw told CNN newsgathering partner CTV News. "This crane collapse [caused] a bit of structural damage on the roof area, but no danger to any of the floors below, tenants or anything and didn't get into any the apartment unit," Shaw told CTV. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. No damage was caused to the Meridian Hall performing arts center, which is connected to the building, Toronto Police said on Twitter City structural engineers were on site assessing the damage caused by the crane, Powell said, adding that no injuries were reported. CNN has reached out to Del Property Management, which owns 8 The Esplanade, for comment. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. After growing his hair for six years, an Alabama teenager has cut it off to raise thousands of dollars for children with cancer. Kieran Moise, 18, started growing out his hair in the eighth grade, after losing a friend to brain cancer. He had seen people donate their hair to children who had lost theirs during medical treatment and wanted to do the same, his mother Kelly Moise, 49, told CNN. "Kieran has always been known for his hair. It was a big part of his personality and who he was," she said. "But he has always been the most compassionate and caring person. Since he was 6 years old, he somehow had the mindset of raising money and giving it to people who need it, and that never changed." In May, Moise graduated from high school with an impressive 19-inch Afro. But with him set to enter the US Air Force Academy, it was finally time for the big trim. To maximize his impact, Moise organized a live event at a local brewery in Huntsville and an online fundraising campaign called "Kieran's Curls for Cancer," where he aimed to raise $1,000 per inch cut. On May 29, nearly 100 people attended the event, where they watched Moise get his hair braided and snipped off. His locks were donated to Children With Hair Loss, a non-profit organization in Michigan that makes free wigs for kids and young adults facing medically related hair loss. By the end of the day, the event raised $20,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and has continued to raise money online. As of Saturday, it was more than $39,000. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "Charitable giving comes in many forms, from direct acts of kindness to impactful public statements that motivate others to come together to support a cause," Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, told CNN. "Kieran's simple act of kindness exemplifies the power of younger generations and is something to celebrate, a selfless decision that will make a direct impact on the lives of the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and children everywhere for years to come." Moise is training at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and does not have access to phones or computers for four weeks. When asked by his mom how he was ready to part with his beloved curls, Kelly Moise said his answer was simple: "If I can do this, everyone can do this. There's nothing special about helping others, you just have to want to do it." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. The owner of a factory where at least 52 people died in a blaze in Bangladesh has been arrested along with seven other people. "Among the 8, one of them is the owner of the factory and his staff," Zaidul Alam, the Police Superintendent of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh told CNN. At least 52 people were killed and at least 50 others injured when a massive fire ripped through a juice factory in Bangladesh, officials said Friday. The fire started Thursday afternoon on the ground floor of a six-story Hashem Foods Ltd. factory in Rupganj, east of the capital Dhaka, Debashis Bardhan, deputy director of the fire service and civil defense said. The presence of chemicals and flammable substances like polythene and clarified butter contributed to the blaze in the factory, and made it more difficult to bring under control, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency reported. Three people died when they jumped off the roof on Thursday after suffering burns from the blaze, BSS reported, citing Abdul Al Arifin, the Narayanganj district deputy director of the fire service and civil defense. Almost none of the bodies recovered on Friday could be recognized, BSS reported, citing fire service and civil defense director Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman. Al Arifin said each of the building's floors was about 35,000 square feet (3,250 square meters) but were only accessible by two stairways, meaning that many workers could not get out as the fire spread to the stairs, while one of the doors leading from the stairs to the roof was locked, Reuters reported. Twenty-five people were rescued from the building, officials said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The fire was brought under control by Friday afternoon, BSS reported, and relatives of missing workers were staging demonstrations outside and around the factory premises. Police have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire and the large number of deaths. In 2013, more than 1,000 people were killed when an entire garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh's capital, bringing safety standards for the country's factory workers -- a high proportion of whom work in the garment industry -- into the spotlight. Nearly 200 brands and more than 1,600 factories signed an agreement promoting safe working environments for workers following the incident. But still, blazes and accidents can be common in South Asia's factories, many of which operate illegally and without adequate fire and building safety standards. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. The wedding industry is rebounding as the United States recovers from the pandemic. And with glimmers of normality in the air, more Americans are preparing to pop the question. "We've seen a resurgence in both engagement ring and wedding band sales as couples start returning to normal life," Price Blanchard, chief customer officer and executive vice president at Shane Co., a privately held jeweler with stores in 14 cities, told CNN Business. Nuptials that were long postponed because of Covid-19 are finally taking place, with in-person ceremonies and large receptions filled with family and friends. Fine jewelers say they saw massive spikes in demand and sales in April and May, following more access to Covid-19 vaccinations throughout the United States. Sales numbers skyrocketed this spring for The Clear Cut, a New York-based engagement ring company that sells its gems online. Customers are on the hunt for engagement rings now because they can "finally travel" and propose on vacation, Clear Cut's co-founder and chief operating officer Kyle Simon told CNN Business. The company has been inundated with requests from couples who are "fighting for wedding venues," he said, and sales quadrupled in May 2021 compared to the year prior. Mark Broumand, founder and president of Mark Broumand Inc., a Los Angeles-based fine jeweler, also saw a huge increase in demand and sales. "Love is what has really propelled everything" during the pandemic, he said. Sales are recovering: In June 2020, the company's sales fell by 40% compared to the previous pre-pandemic year; June sales for this year are 20% higher than they were in the same month in 2019. Spending more on the rock Millions of Americans faced devastating economic losses during the pandemic, but some workers who stayed employed or had a partner who did were able to save money. The travel shutdown and restaurant closures meant that some some people may have had more disposable income than usual. "Between the forced spending curtailment during pandemic lockdown and multiple rounds of stimulus checks, many households are sitting on more savings now than they've ever had before," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "As the economy reopens, 'revenge spending' means a good chunk of this money will make its way into the economy," he said. Stephanie Gottlieb, founder and jeweler at Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry in New York, said that while couples may be opting for smaller weddings, they have "more disposable funds to be used toward the rings or jewelry to wear day-of." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "Our average price for our rings sold now has gone up substantially since Covid," said Brenna Lyden, founder and CEO of Everly Rings and East West Gem Company. She is also working with clients who are using money they saved during the pandemic to upgrade their current rings or getting entirely new ones. Demand for diamonds Pent up demand and a dip in production due to Covid-19 restrictions led to global diamond shortages during the pandemic. "I had a hard time gearing up the production to sustain the demand," said Katarzyna Zygnerska Rosales, founder and designer of Kasia Jewelry in Solana Beach, CA. Many jewelry companies work with the Gemological Institute of America, a non-profit that trains jewelers and maintains the standards for diamond-grading services. The Clear Cut, for example, has all of its diamonds certified and graded there. "We are experiencing historically high submissions for laboratory services," Tom Moses, GIA's executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer, said. At The Clear Cut, "we've been seeing a lot more demand for the in-person appointments," and some customers are even flying to New York to come to the showroom and look at rings," Landau said, underscoring the fact that clients are confident enough to resume travel and ready to try on rings in person. The demand isn't slowing down, and the sentiment is "increasingly optimistic" Bruce Cleaver, CEO of De Beers Group, said in a recent statement from the company. De Beers, the world's largest producer of diamonds, is seeing "strong demand for rough diamonds," Cleaver said, a result of demand "in the key consumer markets of the US and China" and "midstream capacity in India returning." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. The historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse has been closed after an engineer reported "safety concerns" following the collapse of a condo in nearby Surfside, Florida, officials said Friday. Courthouse staff has been directed to work from home after the engineer's report -- prompted by the Champlain Towers South condo collapse -- "identified safety concerns with various floors," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a joint statement with other officials. The report "recommended floors 16 and above be closed to staff while repairs are swiftly completed," the statement said. All court business will be conducted remotely starting Monday, officials said, and anyone who has scheduled court proceedings will be getting notices with instructions for remote access. The courthouse -- a 28-floor building located at 73 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami -- was built between 1925 and 1928, according to documents from the county's Office of Historic Preservation. It was designated a local historic site in 1985 and, four years later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. As of Saturday morning, at least 86 people have been confirmed dead in the collapse of Champlain Towers South, which has spurred a flurry of reviews of buildings throughout the area to ensure their structural integrity. Speaking at Saturday morning's news conference at the site of the condo collapse, Mayor Levine Cava said the county "has taken the steps in light of what has happened here to be very aggressive about pursuing safety in all of these buildings." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. As for the courthouse, "we know there have been problems in this building," she said. "Some structural concerns were identified, some columns that needed to be -- some support work that needed to be done." "This was known and the activities had continued, but given the circumstances, we've already authorized that repair work to begin," she added. "And so hopefully it can be done quickly and we can return to normal operations at the courthouse." Staff had been working remotely for the last year due to Covid-19, and they had only returned to the building about a week ago, the mayor said. "So they have ... everything they need to continue to operate remotely and also at other locations," the mayor said, adding it should not "substantially" disrupt court business. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Pikeville, KY (41501) Today Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Today, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Boston's Brigham and Women Hospital (Brigham) announce their newly founded Diagnostic Accelerator (Brigham-Wyss DxA). By combining the institutions' broad clinical and multi-disciplinary bioengineering expertise, the Brigham-Wyss DxA will enable the fast creation of diagnostic technologies through deep collaborations in a process driven by previously unmet needs. The Brigham-Wyss DxA presents a new type of research collaboration with the potential to significantly compress the timeframe for introducing new diagnostic technologies specifically developed to solve high-value clinical problems. The collaborators plan to achieve this through a formal process by which unmet diagnostic challenges are identified by the Brigham clinical community, effectively matched with highly appropriate technologies created by the Wyss' engineering community, and the resulting diagnostic assays jointly validated and optimized in clinical settings. The agreement between the Wyss Institute and the Brigham was set in place by the Wyss Institute and Mass General Brigham Innovation Office with passive support from Harvard's Office of the General Counsel (OGC), and Harvard's Office of Technology Development (OTD). Diagnostic testing at the Brigham will be performed under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) conditions. This will ensure that the test results may be used by clinicians to evaluate how they can help inform their patients' treatments, and result in better patient outcomes. Aggregated results will also be provided to the Wyss engineers in an iterative process to further inform the tests' optimization. CLIA regulation sets clinical standards for laboratory testing for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment using human samples that align with its own evaluation and approval requirements. Traditionally, the path for a new diagnostic technology has been long and inefficient, partly because cutting-edge technologies that in principle could address diagnostic needs are developed and commercialized as life sciences research tools. By founding an initiative that works on the principle of diagnostic pull rather than technology push, we hope to overcome the dearth of diagnostic capabilities for some of the most pressing disease areas here and around the world." David Walt, Ph.D., Core Faculty Member, Wyss Institute and Professor of Pathology, Brigham and Women Hospital Walt is also the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School (HMS), a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, and the scientific founder of Illumina, Inc. and Quanterix Corp, as well as co-founder of multiple other life sciences companies. The Brigham-Wyss DxA is the culmination of a broad range of past diagnostics-related activities at the Wyss Institute and ongoing interactions between the Wyss and the Brigham fostered by Walt. In 2019, the Institute focused its 10th International Wyss Institute Symposium on diagnostic challenges and new technological approaches to address them. In the "Wyss Diagnostic Grand Rounds" series of events held continually at the Wyss Institute, individual Brigham clinicians have been presenting unmet clinical needs in their fields to Wyss researchers and engineers, which has resulted in multiple collaborations. The Brigham-Wyss DxA will now streamline this process and open it up further to the clinical community at the Brigham. "We're thrilled to be collaborating with our colleagues at the Wyss on an endeavor that could significantly compress the timeline for introducing new diagnostics technologies," said Paul Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research and Education at the Brigham. "One of the most significant aspects of this project is its potential impact on patient care -- information provided by novel diagnostic tests could accelerate and guide the timely treatment of our patients." The Brigham-Wyss DxA uses an online portal to solicit proposals from clinical advocates for urgently needed diagnostic tests to improve clinical decision making and outcomes, including the required clinical specifications, such as form factor, clinical sensitivity and specificity. A Clinical Advisory Board comprised of both Harvard-affiliated and external clinicians and entrepreneurs will select the most promising ones. These will be responded to with a research effort at the Wyss DxA's Biomarker Discovery Facility to identify the required biomarkers and analytical performance criteria to meet the diagnostic tests' clinical specifications. Wyss technology developers will then fit the clinical requirements and biomarker measurements with existing technologies or create new ones that can effectively address the diagnostic need. In the clinical testing phase, diagnostic tests and devices that pass the required rigorous criteria will then be validated in the Brigham Clinical Laboratory Diagnostic Accelerator under CLIA conditions, where Wyss staff will train Brigham clinical staff in their use. "We believe that the Brigham-Wyss DxA can be a highly effective instrument to bring much needed diagnostic capabilities in a much shorter time-frame to patients in need and reduce often staggering medical costs from misdiagnosis," said Rushdy Ahmad, Ph.D., Senior Staff Scientist and Co-lead with David Walt of the Brigham-Wyss DxA. Ahmad has strong biomarker discovery expertise and, along with Walt, coordinates activities related to the Brigham-Wyss DxA and other initiatives at the Wyss Institute. "As a new model, it has potential to attract the support from industry partners, philanthropic organizations, government and international agencies, non-governmental organizations, and additional collaborators," he added. "With this new cross-institutional, multi-disciplinary initiative we hope to bridge the almost ubiquitous diagnostic chasm between realistic clinical needs and innovative technology developers by creating the shortest distance path between these worlds that will bring novel diagnostic capabilities to patients faster than ever before. If successful, our model could set an example further reverberating within and far beyond the Harvard ecosystem," said Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at HMS and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The following quote is attributed to Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response In order to fulfill our public health mission and enhance the safety of imported foods in a global world, we must embrace new approaches that take into account the entire supply chain and its complexity. This draft guidance addresses the FDA's oversight of foods imported from countries covered by a Systems Recognition Arrangement, specifically adjustments to activities that include inspections, screening and sampling. It advances our New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative and reflects our larger effort to take a risk-based approach to food safety, consistent with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Systems recognition is a partnership between the FDA and a foreign regulatory counterpart (referred to as participating agency or agencies), in which the agencies have concluded that they operate comparable regulatory programs that yield similar food safety outcomes. It is not only an efficient way to help ensure that safe food is imported into the U.S., it also contributes to a safer global food supply. The FDA can leverage regulatory partners' food safety systems, reallocate resources in a more risk-based manner, and improve and expand our information sharing on food safety issues. In addition, we can improve efficiency as we avoid duplicating food safety-related work in countries that have been determined to produce similar food safety outcomes through an assessment and recognition process. Food safety issues and outbreaks can happen in all countries and systems recognition accounts for this reality. Systems recognition assessments focus not only on the ability of food safety systems to help ensure food safety, but also on the ability of food safety authorities to identify, address and contain food safety issues and outbreaks that may arise, learn from past events and strengthen the system over time. The assessments are additional tools that the FDA has to help ensure that consumers can have confidence that their food is safe, whether produced in the U.S. or elsewhere." Betty Katherine (Akin) Smith, 91, passed Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at The Historic Villages of Silvercrest in New Albany, IN. The daughter of the late Leonard Taft and Mary Lucille (Gerdon) Akin, Betty was born December 20, 1929 in Galena, IN. Her family moved to Greensburg, KY and then back What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. (Newser) The crime was audacious, lucrative, and relatively simpleand the mastermind might have gotten away with it had he not gotten too greedy, too fast. Last year, a Microsoft engineer was imprisoned over fraud related to Xbox gift cards, and Bloomberg now offers an in-depth look at Volodymyr Kvashuk's "nearly perfect" scheme. Kvashuk, a Ukraine native who first arrived in the US in 2015, was a junior engineer at Microsoft tasked with making sure the company's e-commerce system worked smoothly. The job required him to use a fake company credit card to make online purchases, but he soon discovered what Bloomberg's Austin Carr describes as a "stupidly obvious" flaw. If Kvashuk bought something physical, the system was smart enough to realize this was a test and not ship it. But if he bought gift cards, the system generated actual codesworth real money. story continues below Instead of reporting the flaw, Kvashuk began exploiting it in small ways. His first illicit transaction was to use a newly acquired code to download Microsoft Office for $165. Carr details how Kvashuk quickly ramped up his system to generate huge numbers of codes and sell them in an online marketplace in exchange for Bitcoin. In two years, investigators say he stole 152,000 Xbox gift cards worth $10.1 million. The massive spike in gift-card purchases raised red flags, and investigators were able to trace the transactions to Kvashuk despite his byzantine efforts to cover his tracks. His new Tesla, his $1.6 million house on Lake Washington, and a list titled "How I will manage my next 10 million" were some of the more obvious signs of his sudden wealth. When he's released from prison in 2027, Kvashuk will likely be deported to Ukraine and will have to pay restitution to the company. (Read the full story.) (Newser) The Taliban claimed Friday that they now control 85% of Afghanistan's territory amid a surge in wins on the ground and as American troops complete their pullout. The announcement came at a press conference at the end of a visit by a senior Taliban delegation to Moscow this weeka trip meant to offer assurances that the insurgents' quick gains in Afghanistan do not threaten Russia or its allies in Central Asia. The claim, which is impossible to verify, was considerably higher than previous Taliban statements that more than a third of the country's 421 districts and district centers were in their control. There was no immediate response from the government in Kabul on the latest claim, the AP reports. Earlier this week, Taliban advances forced hundreds of Afghan soldiers to flee across the border into Tajikistan, which hosts a Russian military base. story continues below Tajikistan in turn called up 20,000 military reservists to strengthen its southern border with Afghanistan. Russian officials have expressed concern that the Taliban surge could destabilize the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations north of Afghanistan. Since mid-April, when President Biden announced the end to Afghanistan's "forever war," the Taliban have made strides throughout the country. They recently have swept through dozens of districts, taking control, often without a fight. Over the past week, they seized border crossings with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and on Thursday, with Iran. However, at the Moscow presser, the Taliban promised not to attack provincial capitals or seize them by force, and expressed hopes for a "political resolution" with Kabul. (Biden strongly defended the US exit strategy on Thursday.) (Newser) President Biden signed a sweeping executive order Friday aimed at reining in some tech company practices and clearing a path for reforms in health care, too. The Promoting Competition in the American Economy executive order that he signed Friday has 72 initiatives, CNET reports. Some seem deceptively simple, like a request for the FTC to crack down on restrictions on repairing equipment from phones to tractors, the Verge reports. Higher in profile are the measures meant to slow the growth of big tech platforms like Google, Facebook, and Apple. Biden wants those companies to stop gobbling up smaller firms, but the restrictions will "dry up venture capital," Gary Shapiro of the Consumer Technology Foundation told the Wall Street Journal. story continues below Biden has a different thought. "Capitalism without competition isn't capitalism. It's exploitation, he said. Also included in the bill were initiatives to limit so-called noncompete clauses that limit mobility for workers, and net neutrality measures, the Washington Post reports. The order also contains directives to keep competition fair around big tech companies using data surveillance and dual roles as tech and sales platforms to game the market. Big sellers like Amazon can create their own versions of products made by small businesses, which they then promote and sell. The order also calls for easing restrictions on importing prescription drugs from Canada and letting stores sell hearing aids over the counter. (Read more Joe Biden stories.) (Newser) The Taliban have been rolling through Afghanistan on the ground as US forces leave, seizing territory sometimes without resistance. But Afghanistan's government still has a tactical advantage, something it has that the Taliban don't: an air force. In an apparent campaign to eliminate that advantage, Taliban forces have been tracking down off-duty Afghan military pilots and assassinating them, Reuters reports. At least seven have been killed recently while off base. One was an air force major looking to move his family to a safer part of Kabul because of the killings. While at his real estate agent's office, Dastagir Zamaray was shot to death by a man who walked in, killing the agent first. His 14-year-old son, one of seven children, was not killed, but the family said he's barely spoken since the attack. story continues below A Taliban spokesman confirmed to Reuters the effort to ensure the pilots are "targeted and eliminated because all of them do bombardment against their people." He also confirmed that Zamaray was slain in that effort. US and Afghan officials say the pilots are especially important in fighting the Taliban because they can strike forces gathering for large attacks, fly commandos to missions, and provide critical air cover for ground troops. Many have been trained by the US and NATO and are difficult to replace. US Brigadier Gen. David Hicks, who ran pilot training in Afghanistan, said the pilots were at greater risk of harm when they went home to their neighborhoods "than they were while they were flying combat missions." Afghan soldiers now guard Bagram air base after US forces left it. Afghanistan also would have to find a way to keep its air force going in the absence of US and other foreign contractors, per the New York Times. The contractors have handled aircraft repairs, maintenance, fueling, and other necessary jobs. (Read more Afghanistan war stories.) (Newser) Esther Bejarano, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp who devoted much of her life to the fight against antisemitism and racismoften through through the power of musichas died. She was 96. Bejarano died peacefully Saturday at the Jewish Hospital in Hamburg. A cause of death was not given. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid tribute to Bejarano, calling her "an important voice in the fight against racism and antisemitism," the AP reports. She was born in 1924 as the daughter of Jewish cantor Rudolf Loewy in what was then French-occupied Saarlouis. The family later moved to Saarbruecken, where Bejarano enjoyed a musical and sheltered upbringing until the Nazis came to power and the city was returned to Germany in 1935. Her parents and her sister, Ruth, eventually were deported and killed, while Bejarano was assigned forced labor before being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in occupied Poland in 1943. There, she volunteered to become a member of the girls' orchestra, playing the accordion every time trains full of Jews from across Europe arrived. story continues below Bejarano later said music helped keep her alive in the German death camp. "We played with tears in our eyes," she recalled. "The new arrivals came in waving and applauding us, but we knew they would be taken directly to the gas chambers." Because her grandmother had been Christian, Bejarano was transferred to Ravensbrueck concentration camp and survived a death march at the end of the war. In a memoir, Bejarano recalled her rescue by US troops who gave her an accordion, which she played the day American soldiers and concentration camp survivors danced around a burning portrait of Adolf Hitler to celebrate the Allied victory. After again encountering open antisemitism in Germany, Bejarano became politically active, co-founding the Auschwitz Committee to give survivors a platform for their stories. She and her two children played Yiddish melodies and Jewish resistance songs in a band, Coincidence, and with hip-hop group Microphone Mafia to spread an anti-racism message to German youth. Her awards included Germany's Order of Merit, for activism against what she called the "old and new Nazis." To young people, Bejarano would say: "You are not guilty of what happened back then. But you become guilty if you refuse to listen to what happened." (Read more obituary stories.) (Newser) A review ordered after the collapse of a Florida condo building has led to the evacuation of a downtown Miami landmark. Engineers assessing the structural integrity of the Miami-Dade County Courthouse "identified safety concerns with various floors," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a statement with other officials Friday night. The engineers' report recommended closing off the 16th floor and above in the 28-story building while repairs are made, CNN reports. "We know there have been problems in this building," Levine Cava said at a news conference Saturday at the site of the Surfside condo collapse. There's "support work that needed to be done," she said. As of Monday, the court will conduct business remotely; employees who had just returned to the building after the pandemic shutdown have already been told to work from home. story continues below The collapse of Champlain Towers South last month, in which 86 people were confirmed to have died as of Saturday, led to inspections of other buildings in the area, as well as the evacuation of another condo tower nearby. At the courthouse, engineers reported that a column on the 25th floor of the courthouse needed "immediate attention," per the AP, and listed cracks and other issues. The report recommended taking heavy items such as books and sandbags stored on upper floors out of the courthouse. The county plans to sell the building, which was completed in 1928, after it builds another courthouse, per NBC. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Read more Florida condo collapse stories.) The convicted criminal and former New Zealand rich-lister, Eric Watson, and two others have been charged with insider trading in the United States. The US Securities and Exchange Commission says Eric Watson was a controlling shareholder of Long Island Iced Tea Corp in late 2017. Video footage appears to show the moment a man tried to steal a car on Auckland's Southern Motorway. Police on Saturday took a man into custody after he allegedly stole a vehicle in Kumeu and then tried to steal another car from a member of the public at the Khyber Pass off-ramp in central Auckland. A witness told Newshub she saw the alleged offender "swerving across the motorway...crashing into the side of the motorway and clipping various cars". "I witnessed him run from his grey van and forcefully attempt to remove the lady from the red car," the witness said. At a news conference in Moscow on Friday, three Taliban officials sought to signal that they did not pose a threat to the wider region, however. The officials said the Taliban would do all it could to prevent Islamic State from operating on Afghan territory and that it would also seek to wipe out drug production. "We will take all measures so that Islamic State will not operate on Afghan territory - and our territory will never be used against our neighbours," Taliban official Shahabuddin Delawar said through a translator. The same delegation said a day earlier that the group would not attack the Tajik-Afghan border, the fate of which is in focus in Russia and Central Asia. Moscow has noted a sharp increase in tensions on the same border, two-thirds of which the Taliban currently controls, the Interfax news agency cited Russia's foreign ministry as saying on Friday. Russia's foreign ministry called on all sides of the Afghanistan conflict to show restraint and said that Russia and the Moscow-led CSTO military bloc would act decisively to prevent aggression on the border if necessary, RIA reported. The Taliban delegation told the same news conference that the group would respect the rights of ethnic minorities and all Afghan citizens should have the right to a decent education in the framework of Islamic law and Afghan traditions. "We want all representatives of Afghan society... to take part in creating an Afghan state," said Delawar. Spc. Ty Hite, a combat medic specialist with 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Striker Brigade Combat Team, receives a COVID-19 vaccination by Spc. Joshua Greene, a fellow combat medic specialist in the same battalion, at the mass vaccination site at California State University, Los Angeles, Feb. 16, 2021. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here 5 Things to Know in Alaska Politics: Gas drilling in the Yukon Flats, cyber risks in Alaska, and climate change factors into new LNG pipeline review Defense attorney Gary Soberay, left, talks with his client, Travis Reed, on the first day of jury selection Tuesday, July 7, 2021, at Rabinowitz Courthouse in Fairbanks, Alaska. Liv Clifford/News-Miner The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain has announced a ban on plastic water bottles with a liquid holding capacity of fewer than 200 millimetres in the Kingdom. Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, said the ban is on the manufacturing, importing, and sales of prepacked plastic bottles of sizes less than 200 millimetres. The ban, however, does not apply to water bottles produced for export, as per the decision published in the official gazette. The ban becomes effective six months from the publication of the order in the official gazette. The Undersecretary of the Ministry and other concerned authorities will implement the ban. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The reluctance of undocumented workers in registering for COVID-19 vaccination in Bahrain, offered for free, had put the Nepali mission in the Kingdom in a tight spot, reports the Kathmandu Post. The report, which put the number of undocumented Nepali workers in the Kingdom as 600, citing Padam Sundas, Nepali Ambassador to Bahrain, says that only 50 have come forward and enrolled for the free Covid-19 vaccines. On the other hand, Sunday points out that nearly 95% of around 35,000 documented Nepali workers in Bahrain have received the shots. The concern is only regarding the 600 undocumented workers who are reluctant to register for their jabs. The embassy, the ambassador told the report, now plans to reach them through their friends to assure that no actions would be taken against them. Not a big number The number of undocumented workers is not big, but we want to ensure that they are also vaccinated, the report quoting Sundas said. When we contacted the employers to inquire about the deaths, we found that they had not received the vaccine. Employers told us that some of the workers were also hesitant to get vaccinated. The newspaper points out that, unlike most other countries, Bahrain is also offering to vaccinate illegal immigrants and workers. The situation, the report highlights, occurs when most other countries, including Nepal, are scrambling for COVID-19 vaccines. Kathmandu Post reveals that the Nepali mission in Manama had published a notice called undocumented Nepali workers to register for COVID-19 jabs. However, the response to the free Covid-19 vaccination offer has not been encouraging even after repeated calls by the embassy. Low turnout The report, quoting Sundas, says, In an act of generosity, the Bahraini government said it would vaccinate everyone, including undocumented Nepali workers. Therefore, we wanted to organise a camp for them and published a notice so that undocumented Nepalis would come forward to get vaccinated. The report further points out the embassy had, after experiencing a low turnout, had posted another notice on its Facebook page calling on undocumented workers not to miss the opportunity. Do not fear, its not a trap Maybe they fear they could be arrested if they came for vaccination, Sundas surmised. However, their fear is unfounded. We can ensure that no such actions will be taken against them. The vaccines have been made available also for undocumented workers so that everyone living in the country is safe. The ambassador told the Post that there is no need to fear arrest or any legal actions because the notice is genuinely for vaccinating them, not a trap to detain them. Government know who are they According to Sundas, the Bahraini government had the details of all undocumented Nepali workers and knows who are they and where they have been living. They must be hiding under the illusion that they cannot be tracked. If the authorities wanted, they could take action against them within hours. So we request them to avoid the fear of being arrested and use the opportunity to receive the vaccine, the report quotes Sundas as saying. 15 died of COVID in Bahrain The report also points out that a total of 15 Nepalis have died of Covid-19 in Bahrain. Of them, 13 died during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic. Offer a personal message of congratulations... You'll find individual Guest Books on the page with each announcement. By sharing a positive thought you add happiness to the lives of those who are reaching a new life milestone. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. Thank you for trusting us for your local news coverage. You have reached the maximum number of free articles per month. Subscribe today for unlimited access to News-Press NOW. It's a fast and easy way to support local journalism. India on Saturday reported 42,766 new Covid-19 cases, lowest ever since the wrath of second wave. The total number of active cases now stand at 4,55,033. Amid warnings of a third wave of Covid-19, India has been witnessing a ray of hope with a dip in the daily new case count. On Saturday, the Union Health Ministry reported 42,766 new Covid-19 cases, lowest ever since the wrath of second wave. With this, the total number of active cases now stand at 4,55,033. One of the reasons behind the dip in new infections can be seen in Centres much-needed boost to the vaccination drive, which has picked pace across the country. The Union Health Ministry has shared that more than 38.54 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states /UTs so far, through all sources. Furthermore, more than 1.73 crore balance and initialised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs and private hospitals to be administered. Despite bottoming of Covid cases, experts have warned against letting our guards down and advised to get vaccinated, continue social distancing and follow all safety measures. As Covid restrictions ease, social media has been flooded with worrisome visuals coming from popular tourist destinations, wherein people seem to disregard the need to wear masks, wear social distancing or follow any kind of Covid-appropriate behaviour. #WATCH | Tourists throng Manali town in Kullu district as Himachal Pradesh government eases COVID restrictions pic.twitter.com/snIiwfcIo5 ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2021 Uttarakhand | Now only 50 tourists are allowed at Kempty Falls (waterfall) in Mussorie; can't stay at the spot beyond half an hour. A check-post to be set up to monitor the tourists: Iva Ashish Srivastava, Tehri Garhwal District Magistrate pic.twitter.com/7VvWbZedQQ ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2021 Describing these images as frightening, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Aggarwal said that if people dont abide by Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, all the efforts at managing the pandemic so far could be nullified. He added that if this continues, the Centre might reintroduce restrictions. China has opened one more research centre dedicated to Xi Jinpings thought. The new research centre will be run by the Ministry Of Ecology and Environment and will be dedicated to his thoughts on ecological civilisation. In its bid for global expansion and consolidation of power, China has opened one more research centre dedicated to Xi Jinpings thought, taking the total count of 18. What can be seen as an attempt to project Xi as a great leader with great ideas in all areas, the new research centre will be run by the Ministry Of Ecology and Environment and will be dedicated to his thoughts on ecological civilisation. Speaking about the latest development, Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, has told a Chinese mouthpiece that previously policy areas such as the economy used to covered under the purview of the premier. But, Xi is now taking over almost all areas to demonstrate that he is a leader with great ideas in all areas. Another scholar, named Xie Maosong, senior researcher at the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy at the Chinese Academy Of Sciences, has remarked that the focus of these research centres have been carefully chosen to carry out meaningful research. He said, Establishing a research centre in Shandong means that they want some kind of synergy between Communism, Xi Jinping Thought and 5000 years of Chinese civilisation. The 20th National Congress of the Communist party will be held next year and we should expect to see more studies about how to put Xis thoughts into practice. MILFORD The city was about to market its new Discover Milford website just before the pandemic took hold and boom, plans canceled for the next summer. But now it seems people have discovered Milford, as the tweaked website is getting lots of organic traffic with visitors returning in droves to this city with 17 miles of shoreline, a public marina steps from the quaint downtown full of restaurants and shops, as well as destination summer events such as the Milford Oyster Festival, officials say. City Economic Development Director Julie Nash said while there is no data available yet, tourism is back not to what it was pre-pandemic, but going strong so far this season. People are so eager to get out and about again, but they dont want to go far, Nash said. Everybodys still cautious. There are a lot of day trips out of New York City. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media At Milford Lisman Landing Marina, a transient venue owned by the city and a major driver of local tourism, theres an uptick in business and it never was down much at the height of the pandemic, said Jim Donegan, director of operations. He said the marina is unique because its steps away from a thriving downtown full of great restaurants and shops. Visitors can dock by the hour just to catch dinner, or by the night. Its an activity families can do amongst themselves, Donegan said. Last year we were only slightly down for us. This year is one of the busiest years weve had. People come from around Connecticut as well as from Westchester County and New York City, and those traveling in Long Island Sound could be from anywhere, Donegan said. Its very affordable, he said. The marina begins taking reservations in January, and key holiday or event weekends usually sell out. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Nash said the people who help with tourism in Milford are volunteers who help me because they truly love Milford. Nash handles the Discover Milford Facebook page previously, everything was promoted under the City Hall page. Resident Mindy Briar, a travel blogger and owner of Mindy Briar Photography, runs the Discover Milford Instagram Page and Nash says Briar does a fabulous job. Briar moved here from California for her husbands job a few months ago. I love the town. Its old and sweet and charming. ... When she (Nash) reached out to me I was happy to help, Briar said. It has very much a small-town feel. I like that you see the same people ... which is really endearing. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Digital and marketing expert Rob Kurfehs said he volunteered to create the website because hes a resident and wanted to impact the community positively with good branding and design. Kurfehs said he wanted to build a modern brand for the city and highlight its strengths. The new brand can be seen now all around town on signage, bike racks, etc. Most of this work was done volunteer and the website was a culmination of a lot of it, he said. We did launch right before COVID so now is a good time to get word out as people are looking for new weekend and day trip destinations. We are getting a lot of organic traffic from people looking for parks and beaches, attractions, and looking to move here. Nash said Kurfehs is broadening the digital reach behind the scenes as part of the Discover Milford campaign that began in 2019. Milford is so special because we truly have it all. Our downtown intersects with a train, harbor, theater, restaurants. That is very rare to come by, Nash said. You can hop off the train and spend a day visiting our beaches, having a beautiful lunch then maybe some bird watching or kayaking. Its a great day trip. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Nash said the website also is useful for locals who want to know more about Milford beaches and events. In addition, she said, the city has three highly lauded breweries, open space trails, boating, biking, shopping and more. Milfords biggest cheerleader, Mayor Ben Blake said the city is the kind of place that when people visit they end up wanting to live here. He said part of what makes Milford unique is that visitors can come via train a few steps to downtown boat or car. Hearst Connecticut Media Donegan said the hourly fee at the marina makes it easy for boaters to dock in Milford and go to a downtown restaurant for dinner. The price to dock is $10 per hour for a boat 30 feet and less, $15 per hour for boats over 30 feet. The cost of a slip for a night is $3.50 per foot per night. He said from April to July 1 there were 500 boats at the marina and 150 of those were hourly. The beaches are fabulous, Blake said. As things open up theres hopefulness in the area. About $14 billion in federal stimulus funds approved months ago for public transportation systems in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York is still sitting in federal coffers as transportation officials in the three states debate how to divvy up the money. At issue is whether to use guidance from the Federal Transportation Administration, which Connecticut and New Jersey agree is how the funds should be shared, or base it off greatest need, as New York wants. The major transit agencies in the three states are clamoring for the money due to steep declines in ridership and increased costs during the pandemic. The money will help cover operating expenses to avoid furloughs, layoffs and maintain service for all forms of mass transit, including rail. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, and the American Rescue Plan Act, which became law on March 11, appropriated tens of billions of dollars in transit aid for individual states and urbanized areas (UZA). There is always a split agreement required when funding is allocated to a UZA that contains multiple states, Kafi Rouse, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said by email. What is unique is the disagreement over how to split the funds. Historically, this type of federal aid has been distributed based on a statutory formula established by Congress, which is what the FTAs guidance is based on. Though the guidance is non-binding, an FTA spokesperson said, and the law gives discretion to governors and their designated recipients to determine how funds will be allocated. In the past, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have used the formula to decide how to share the money distributed to the New York-Newark UZA. Under that formula, the $14 billion would be shared as followed: New York would get 71.5 percent or nearly $10 billion; New Jersey would get 25.1 percent or $3.5 billion; and Connecticut would get 3.4 percent or about $474 million. While New Jersey and Connecticut are in agreement on the use of FTA Guidance to develop what the appropriate split of fund allocations will be, New York has proposed its own methodology Jim Smith, director of media relations for NJ Transit, said in an emailed statement. One proposal from New York would give the state about $687 million above the FTA guidance, resulting in about $673 million less funding to New Jersey and $13.7 million less to Connecticut, according to northjersey.com, which first reported the dispute. This FEMA-type emergency funding was explicitly designated by Congress to address transit needs created by the COVID-19 crisis especially to offset the need for layoffs, furloughs and service cuts for transit systems most impacted by the pandemic, Ken Lovett, senior advisor to the Metropolitan Transit Authority chairman and CEO, said in an email. Based on Congress clear intent and the language of the statute, this crucial funding should be distributed based on need, not congressional formulas used in regular times to support new capital projects, Lovett said. The three states have a longstanding and strong partnership regarding regional transit issues, he said, adding that discussions are ongoing and we hope to have a conclusion in the near future. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Congress intent was not to distribute this funding differently than it has been before. Theres always a consideration of need, Blumenthal said. The entire metropolitan area has desperate needs for this funding and traditionally we worked together, thats why we follow the formula. Collaboration rather than competition should be the watchword. While a larger discussion on revising the formula may needed, that cant be done unilaterally, he said. The Connecticut DOT has spent $325 million of the $487.56 million it received through the first coronavirus relief package known as the CARES Act. Most of that money went to covering lost fare revenue and additional operating expenses related to the pandemic such as additional cleaning and supplies on MetroNorth Railroad, CT Transit Buses, and Shoreline East. The states Special Transportation fund is down more than $350 million since the pandemic started and farebox revenue is down $325 million to date, Rouse said. Though the farebox revenue is slowly recovering, it is not projected to recover to pre-pandemic levels for at least two more years, and will continue to require support from these federal funds, she said. julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com DERBY, Conn. (AP) A Connecticut health inspector was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault after being accused of groping a waitress at restaurant in Shelton. The inspector was arraigned Friday in Derby Superior Court. He did not enter a plea to the sexual assault charge or a charge of disorderly conduct. NEW HAVEN Former city police chief Anthony Campbell is mourning the loss of his beloved brother Devin Campbell, whose funeral was Friday. The 32-year-old was shot multiple times while outside of the Grant Houses in Harlem, New York at about 7:30 p.m. on June 28, the New York Post reported. Devin Campbell was taken to a nearby hospital but authorities told the Post he could not be saved. Devin Campbells death was one of several shootings reported across the five boroughs that night in which eight others were injured, according to the Post. Anthony Campbell shared the loss of his brother on Facebook days after the homicide. Today the Campbell family will be burying my younger brother, Devin Campbell who was only 32 years old when he was murdered in my hometown New York City, he said in the post Friday. As a Police Chief, I have always made it a point to attend the funerals of those who were murdered in New Haven while I was the Chief because I wanted the family to know that they were not alone, he added. The former police chief was accompanied by his wife, family, and members from the Yale Police Honor Guard as they laid Devin to rest. A funeral service was held at the Metropolitan Baptist Church on W 128th Street in New York City Friday afternoon. Anthony Campbell asked people to pray for Devins wife, Terry, who survived him. As a person of faith I know that I will see Devin again but it is so comforting to have my New York family, my aunts and uncles and sisters and cousins to share the burden of grief and its truly comforting to have the support of my brothers and sisters in blue to lift my spirits during this time, Anthony Campbell said in the post. Rest In Peace baby brother until we meet again. Asked about the funeral Saturday, Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins sighed and used the word tragic. We see so much gun violence around us all the time and this time it hit Chief Campbells family, Higgins said. Higgins drove Anthony Campbells wife to the funeral with other Yale honor guard members. Higgins said of gun violence, it needs to stop. Too many of us are dying, too many mothers without children, too many young people dying, Higgins said. We need to approach gun violence the same way we approached the pandemic, he added. Wheres the dashboard? Higgins questioned where the dashboard counting how many people have lost their lives or been affected by gun violence. Addressing gun violence is something that is going to take our whole community, Higgins said, emphasizing that everyone has a part to contribute to the fight. Chief Campbell is a leader and we have to look out for and take care of our leaders. But leaders need help, too. We have to step up and help them, especially in times like this, Higgins said. Anthony Campbell was a New Haven police officer for 21 years and held the chiefs title for two years during his tenure. He left the department in 2019 over proposed changes in police retirees health coverage. After departing from the citys department he joined the Yale University police force as an assistant chief. Campbell, who grew up in New York, graduated from Yale in 1995. He earned a masters in divinity from Yale in 2009. Connecticuts economy faces a major test later this summer when millions of dollars in supplemental federal unemployment benefits expire. And while the state already has recovered more than 60 percent of the jobs it lost since the pandemic began in March 2020 and job growth has been strong in recent weeks economists are mixed in their assessments. Were definitely moving in the right direction, said state Department of Labor economist Patrick J. Flaherty, adding that Connecticuts successful COVID vaccination program has been vital to the recovery. That has really been the driver for economic growth. The state has regained about 185,000 of the 292,000 jobs it lost during the pandemic most of which disappeared in March and April of 2020 when the virus hit Connecticut the hardest. But getting people re-employed quickly is crucial: Massive supplemental federal unemployment benefits, which helped keep Connecticut families financially afloat during 2020 and the first half of this year, are scheduled to expire on Sept. 4. The largest of these, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, added $300 per week to state benefits which also max out at $300 weekly for hundreds of thousands of households. According to the state labor department, which administers all of these programs, more than $9.1 billion in benefits 72% of which were federal and 28% funded by the state were paid out between March 2020 and the first week of July of this year. Unemployment benefits from all federal programs were worth about $74 million per week to Connecticut households in early July. The most recent employment news has been promising: The state labor department recently reported a 7.7 percent unemployment rate for May, down from 8.1 percent in April, as Connecticut gained 7,800 jobs in one month. During normal, non-pandemic times, We would say, Oh My God, the economy is overheating! Flaherty added. These are good signs that people are able and feel safe enough to return to work, said Labor Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo, who said those job numbers stem partly from a vaccination program that leads the nation. Through June 30, nearly 2.1 million Connecticut residents, about 57% of the population, were fully vaccinated, and almost 2.3 million or 62 percent had received at least once dose of a vaccine. Bartolomeo noted that the states child care service industry, which suffered greatly during the pandemic, still is recovering, and the lack of program slots remains an impediment to job growth. But it is targeted to receive additional state support through the new two-year budget Lamont and lawmakers approved last month. And many employers, buoyed by the increased economic activity this summer, are nonetheless looking to add help quickly. This is a job-seekers market right now, Bartolomeo said. The jobs are available, and employers are trying to fill them. But filling another 107,000 jobs, to reach pre-pandemic employment numbers, is no easy task. Connecticut lost about 120,000 jobs during the Great Recession, which ran from late 2007 through mid-2009. And even after a decade right up until the pandemic began Connecticut still had recovered about 80 percent of those positions, about 95,000 jobs. In other words, Connecticut needs to regain about 130,000 jobs just to get back to where it was in mid-2007 before the economy tanked. Flaherty said his projections show those jobs could be regained by mid- to late-2022, but he added those are a little optimistic. University of Connecticut economist Fred Carstensen warned in May that it could take the state up to a decade to fully recover, and economist Donald Klepper-Smith, who was Connecticuts chief economic advisor in the late 2000s, quickly agreed with Carstensen that any recovery would likely take the long route. Weve had the worst-performing state economy over the past decade, Carstensen said, adding a lack of state investments in transportation and information-technology infrastructure over the past 10 years will slow our recovery as well. Further compounding matters, most of Connecticuts job growth during the prior decade was in retail and hospitality, two of the sectors hit hardest by the pandemic. Its harder and harder to create jobs in Connecticut, Klepper-Smith said, adding the federal pandemic relief granted not only to the unemployed, but also to state and local governments here is creating a false sense of security, giving the impression that our economic situation is copacetic. Its not. WASHINGTON (AP) A disservice to the country. Inaccurate disinformation. Literally killing people. For months, the Biden White House refrained from criticizing Republican officials who played down the importance of coronavirus vaccinations or sought to make political hay of the federal governments all-out effort to drive shots into arms. Not any longer. With the COVID-19 vaccination rate plateauing across the country, the White House is returning fire at those they see as spreading harmful misinformation or fear about the shots. When South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tried this week to block door-to-door efforts to drive up the vaccination rate in his state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not mince words in her reaction. The failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country, including South Carolina, is literally killing people, so maybe they should consider that, she said Friday. While 67% of American adults have gotten at least one dose, officials are increasingly worried about vast geographic disparity in vaccination rates, and the emergence of what some experts warn could be two dramatically different realities for the country in the coming months: High vaccine uptake and lower caseloads in more Democratic-leaning parts of the country, and fresh hot spots and the development of dangerous variants in more GOP-leaning areas. In the early months of the administration, the White House largely declined to criticize state and local officials handling of their vaccination programs, eager to maintain their buy-in and to prevent the politicization of the lifesaving campaign. The recent change in tone comes after some GOP officials criticized President Joe Biden for calling for a door-to-door campaign to spread information about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in hopes it would encourage more people to get vaccinated. Now we need to go to community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and oftentimes, door-to-door literally knocking on doors to get help to the remaining people" who need to be vaccinated, Biden said Tuesday. The grassroots component of the vaccination campaign has been in operation since April, when supplies of shots began outpacing demand. It was outlined and funded by Congress in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March and overwhelmingly is carried out by local officials and private sector workers and volunteers. But some in the GOP saw a political opening, catering to the partys small-government roots and libertarian wing. The Biden Administration wants to knock on your door to see if youre vaccinated, tweeted Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. Whats next? Knocking on your door to see if you own a gun? McMaster asked his states health department to bar state and local health groups from the use of the Biden Administrations targeted door to door tactics. A South Carolinians decision to get vaccinated is a personal one for them to make and not the governments, McMaster wrote in a letter to the department. Enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the publics trust and confidence in the States vaccination efforts. In Missouri, meanwhile, GOP Gov. Mike Parson tweeted: I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri! Earlier in the week, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to Biden condemning the new strategy. For the usually reserved Biden White House, which has long harbored private frustrations about some states laggard vaccination programs but refused to condemn them publicly for fear of playing up political divides in public health, it was a bridge too far. For those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of trusted-messenger work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, save lives and help end this pandemic," White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday. Months ago, the Biden White House refrained from responding when officials criticized its vaccine allocation strategy of sending more doses directly to pharmacies instead of through state health departments after the former strategy proved more effective. It largely kept quiet as it watched officials sow fears of vaccine passports and assiduously avoided engaging publicly with fringe lawmakers who promoted vaccine skepticism. The new public expression of frustration comes amid lingering disbelief that tens of millions of Americans continue to refuse to get vaccinated, needlessly extending the pandemic and costing lives, as government health officials emphasize that nearly all serious cases and deaths are now preventable. White House officials are quick to point out that their criticism is not related to the officials' political affiliation but to their rhetoric. They credit effective communication and leadership on the vaccines by GOP officials including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. But they continue to be concerned that some GOP officials are seeking to boost their own fortunes by feeding into doubts about the vaccination. Psaki on Thursday rebutted some allegations about the door-knocking program, noting that in most cases: They are not members of the government. They are not federal government employees. They are volunteers. They are clergy. They are trusted voices in communities who are playing this role and door knocking. Acknowledging the rhetoric has been a bit frustrating to us, she also noted that there are indications the door-knocking has helped promote shots in areas lagging behind the rest of the country. Alabama: The adult vaccination rate increased by 3.9%; 149,000 additional adults got their first dose in June, she said, adding that Florida saw an increase of 4.4% and Georgia of 3.5%. This is important work thats leading to more vaccinations, said Zients, and its done by people who care about the health of their family, friends and neighbors. Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Former Head of State and elder statesman, General Yakubu Gowon has warned youths in the country not to drag the nation into a civil war th... Former Head of State and elder statesman, General Yakubu Gowon has warned youths in the country not to drag the nation into a civil war that may spell permanent doom for Nigerians He warned that a new civil war will take Nigeria backwards in harrowing and unimaginable dimensions. General Gowon issued the warning on Saturday in Abuja at a public lecture on Rejigging the Security Architecture of Nigeria. The former head of state was represented by a former Governor of Bauchi State, Major General Chris Abutu Garuba. He described war as an unpleasant situation adding that those who have fallen victims to it would not wish that Nigeria goes into another one outside of the one fought between 1967 and 1970. Gowon expressed deep concerns over the growing tension among the youths and appealed to the federal government to take up the challenge. Also speaking at the occasion, a Professor of African History, Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Olawale Albert said going into war will only escalate the problems confronting the nation. If you see war, you will run. It is only those who have never seen war that can call for it. It does not pay anyone. The University Don cautioned those drumming war drums, adding that Nigerians will gain nothing from it in the end. Former Benue State Governor, George Akume on his part warned politicians to stop making inflammatory statements capable of breaking up the nation. Akume now Minister under President Muhammadu Buhari said in the war period, family members would not know each other adding for this reason, let us do those things that will unite us to fight insecurity jointly National Commandant of the Peace Corps Ambassador Dickson Akoh said the current high level of unemployment of youth is a time bomb and appealed to the federal government to quickly tackle the challenge. Abia state judicial panel has recommended the payment of N511 million as compensation to victims of police brutality. Sunday Imo, chai... Abia state judicial panel has recommended the payment of N511 million as compensation to victims of police brutality. Sunday Imo, chairman of the panel, made this known when he submitted the report of the panel to Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of the state, on Friday. Speaking while handing over the five-volume report to the SSG, Imo said the first volume contained the main report, the second covered all the petitions and the third has the panels records and proceedings. Imo said the panel received 86 petitions and that 46 went through full hearing while the remaining cases were dismissed. Receiving the report, Ikpeazu who was represented by Chris Ezem, secretary to the state government, commended the panel for rendering historic and selfless services to their fatherland. He said the state government would clinically study the report with a view to implementing it and that the report would guide the public on how best to relate with the police and other security agencies. He noted that the security agencies need the support and collaboration of the residents in order to do their work effectively. The Lagos state police command has invited officials of Premier Specialist Medical Centre for a fact-finding inquiry over the death of P... The Lagos state police command has invited officials of Premier Specialist Medical Centre for a fact-finding inquiry over the death of Peju Ugboma, the popular pastry chef. Ugboma, aged 41, died on April 23 after her surgery at the hospital located in Victoria Island. Her family had alleged that she died due to the negligence of health officials at the hospital, where she had undergone a surgery for fibroid but later suffered internal bleeding. In a letter addressed to the hospital, the police command asked Omololu Osinowo, the hospitals medical director, and five doctors linked to the case to report at the state criminal investigation department in Yaba on July 14. The doctors are Kazeem Akiseku, Nora Asemota, Kingsley Renner, Alao Olamide and Sola Johnson. The letter dated July 6 was signed by Fayoade Adegoke, the deputy commissioner of police, state criminal investigation department, Panti, Yaba. The police also directed the invited officials to come along with the medical case note and autopsy report of Ugboma. This office is investigating a case in which your attention and the following doctors Kazeem Akiseku, Nora Asemota, Kingsley Renner, Alao Olamide and Sola Johnson are needed to facilitate and bring the matter to a logical conclusion, the letter read. Youre requested to come along with the medical case note and autopsy report of the deceased, Adepeju Ugboma f, who was admitted to your facility on 22/04/2021 to interview the deputy commissioner of police, state criminal investigation department, Yaba, Lagos on July 14, 2021, at 10 am, through O/C D4 section. It is a fact-finding invitation and your cooperation in this regard will be appreciated. The hospital had earlier declined to respond to media enquiries on the issue, citing doctor-patient confidentiality. Doctors at the hospital also failed to testify at FCCPCs hearing in the absence of their chief medical officer, claiming that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) had ordered them not to speak on the case. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. The operator of a boat involved in a fatal crash has been arrested by agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and accused of being drunk when the boat struck the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge in Lake Pontchartrain in early March. Collin Alexander, 24, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on counts of vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injury and operating a vessel while intoxicated, according to a Wildlife and Fisheries news release. The case has been turned over to the 22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office. Four other people were aboard the 24-foot boat when it ran into the bridge about 6:40 p.m. on March 6. One of them, 33-year-old Rod Willhoft of Arabi, was ejected and did not resurface, the news release said. His body was recovered from the lake the following day. The other three were not ejected but suffered serious injuries. Norman, OK (73070) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Submitted July 7, 2021 I'm a Christian, conservative, millennial, toddler mom and I have a confession: Getting a COVID-19 vaccine seemed like a real-world science experiment I had no desire to be part of. So how did I end up getting the shot? Humor me and keep reading. As a conservative, I want to do my own research and have the freedom to make my own decisions. I don't settle for what appears in my social media feed, the news app on my phone, or the news on TV. Instead, I want to read the research, hear from industry experts, and track results. You might say I'm relentless when it comes to the pursuit of truth. As a Christian, I value prayer as a part of my decision-making process. I'm called to love my neighbor as myself, and to "look not only to my interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2:4). But my concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine were focused on long-term side effects forme. Prayer led me to have peace about those concerns but also to shift my focus outward. This is something bigger than ourselves. I'm not a doctor or epidemiologist; and we all know how frustrating it is when someone thinks they know it all about our area of expertise. So, I searched for individuals who have education and experience in infectious disease and vaccines. My favorite is Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and an expert on vaccines, immunology, and virology. He has a list of notable accomplishments, but what he and I have in common is the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He works there, and my daughter is under care there for a rare health condition. As if his list of expertise wasn't convincing enough, working for the well-known hospital that I credit with my daughter's well-being sealed the deal. In a video on CHOP's website, Dr. Offit acknowledges rare but real side effects to all vaccines. He also reveals a powerful fact: there has not been a serious side effect in vaccine history that hasn't occurred within six weeks of getting the dose. Even the long-term side effects are discovered in that window of time. So, I waited. Six weeks passed, there was no massive death toll (and no zombie apocalypse). Yes, there were rare incidents of blood clots and myocarditis (heart inflammation). Both are risks that need to be considered, but they are not common both examples of the "rare but real" side effects Dr. Offit mentioned. Unfortunately, cases, hospitalizations and deaths among the unvaccinated haven't improved much (if at all). (Google: COVID rates adjusted for vaccinated.). Think about it if we've vaccinated roughly half the country, there are approximately 50% fewer people for the virus to infect. The vaccine isn't 100% effective, but breakthrough cases are rare. In addition to having fewer hosts, the Delta variant is more contagious and may also cause more severe disease. This is really bad news for the unvaccinated including our children. When compared to adults, children have less serious disease. However, tens of thousands have been hospitalized, and studies have found up to 42% have long COVID. There are also over 3,700 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) a severe condition in which the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and/or other organs become inflamed and dysfunction. Children with chronic conditions are at a higher risk for a severe case of COVID-19, but MIS-C often occurs in healthy children children who never had symptoms of COVID-19 but weeks later have sudden, serious symptoms that land them in an emergency room. When they get an antibody test, parents discover their child had been infected with COVID-19, unbeknownst to them and the immune system went into overdrive, causing organ dysfunction. Experts agree there is no way to know which children will become seriously ill and which will be spared. Thankfully, vaccines reduce transmission, so we can help protect them until a safe and effective vaccine is available to them. As a conservative, I believe the choice to get a vaccination should be yours. As a Christian, I believe we need to have compassion for people and start thinking beyond ourselves. As a mom, I believe it's my job to be an advocate for my two-year-old daughter. I'm not a doctor. I'm just a community member who is relentless in the pursuit of truth and passionate about being my brother's keeper. It all comes down to this: if you had the chance to reduce the risk of something terrible happening to your child, your spouse, your parents, your neighbor would you do it? I did. -- The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this letter to the editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of NorthcentralPa.com. A recent traffic stop by the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit drew heavy criticism online when the mother of the individuals involved posted a scathing social media post detailing what she called a case of racial profiling. The post, which has generated over 490 shares on Facebook, was written by Stavia Pearsall-Jefferson and claims that her two sons were followed and racially profiled by the officers. She also included two short video clips of the altercation First and foremost this post is being created to bring awareness to other mothers of African American males to send a message that our sons are not safe, Pearsall-Jefferson wrote. District Attorney Ryan Gardner, who oversees the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, said the traffic stop was due to tinted windows. Officers then spotted a marijuana joint in plain view inside the vehicle, which gave them probable cause to search the vehicle, Gardner added. Gardner also said he reviewed the full footage from dash cameras and body cameras worn by the officers but did not see any inappropriate behavior. In Pearsall-Jeffersons post, she said her 19-year-old son called her and said he and her younger son were being followed by Williamsport police officer Clint Gardner. She said she instructed her son to stop and park the vehicle and return back to where we was to avoid any dealing with the officer who was trailing him. She went on to add that the officers began looking in the parked car and when her son explained that the vehicle was his and was registered and legal, she claimed he was thrown against the vehicle and arrested. Pearsall-Jefferson also alleged that other officers on the scene cursed at her and would not answer her questions. My youngest son, who I told to stay back when we first pulled up to the original arresting officer, walked up after hearing me screaming to the officer, Please dont hurt my son, three officer(s) than(sic) attacked him throwing him on the car placing handcuffs on him, she wrote. The district attorney defended his officers, saying its important for them to be able to do their jobs and perform traffic stops without members of the public interfering and... Read the whole story on On the PULSE Bloomsburg, Pa. Officers immediately placed a Bloomsburg man under arrest when they pulled in front of a residence at 355 East Fifth Street on July 1. Authorities said Thomas Isahia Hall, 31, of Bloomsburg had an active warrant for a past domestic assault. Hall, who authorities said they were familiar with, allegedly assaulted a person within the past month. Hall and a woman were standing in the front yard as officers arrived. Hall was placed in handcuffs and searched. Officers said they discovered a small amount of marijuana during the search. As the woman spoke with authorities, a bleeding laceration was observed on her arm, according to the report. At first, officers said the woman wouldnt admit to where the cut came from. Once learning the officers had spoken with a witness who reported a domestic, she admitted the cut came from Hall when he allegedly attempted to force her into a van parked outside. When officers spoke with Hall at the police station, they said he admitted to being in a physical altercation. He allegedly told officers he attempted to put the woman inside the van to transport her to the hospital for help. Hall was charged with two counts of misdemeanor simple assault and held at the Columbia County Prison in lieu of $10,000 monetary bail. Hall is scheduled to appear before Judge Russell Lawton for a preliminary hearing on July 14 at 10:30 a.m. Docket Sheet Williamsport, Pa. Chad Salsman, the former District Attorney for Bradford County, will likely lose everything he has worked to gain over his professional life following his sentencing for felony promotion of prostitution, witness intimidation, and obstruction. Salsman will be disbarred, according to Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye. He has already resigned as the DA. After Fridays ruling, he will remain in State Prison for a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of five years. The saga that ripped apart a small community tucked away in the mountains near the New York border is likely not over. Theres a good chance Salsman will appeal the sentence. Friday, as he was led away in handcuffs from a courthouse he ruled over as the DA, women outside the courthouse holding signs cheered. Jeers were even directed at Salsman as officers tucked his head down and helped him into a waiting truck. Friday was not about the man who damaged so many lives, including those of his wife and three children. Friday was about the five women who gave victim impact statements and shamed Salsman in front of people he used to view as peers. Related reading: Salsman pleads guilty to felony charge of promoting prostitution Two of the five women spoke in person at the sentencing. They shared stories of lives filled with abuse and neglect. They spoke about their many hardships and how Salsman preyed on them. The strength of their words seemed to hit Salsman with a physicality that forced an already slumping posture to become that much more pronounced. One victim said she hasnt been able to sleep, seeing Salsman every time she closed her eyes for rest. After these women detailed abuse by a predator who pretended to help them, Salsman's lawyer paraded up people to speak on his behalf. His sister told stories of their childhood together; about the privileges they had growing up. She even spoke about privileges and kindnesses Salsman provided for his family. No one spoke about the victims situation that left them vulnerable to a predator like Chad Salsman. They did not touch on the insecurities a gay woman in Bradford County faced or about addiction or having your children taken away from you. They did not speak about what it was like to be given an ultimatum by a man who was supposed to protect them. Salsman did not appear the sympathetic character he and his lawyer might have wanted. He was given jail time in a State Penitentiary, six years of probation, and more than 200 hours of community service following the prison sentence. As he walked out, those women and the people of Bradford County got to celebrate. For now, Chad Salsman is headed to jail and for the victims it just might mean a good nights sleep for the first time in a long time. Calhoun, GA (30701) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rome, GA (30161) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rome, GA (30161) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. The old Stephens City School at 5516 Main St. may soon house the town's municipal offices. Five additional people in the Region's five county area were reported dead from COVID-19 over the past week, according to statistics provided Friday by health officials. Four people in Lake County and one in LaPorte County were the latest local victims of the respiratory disease, the Indiana State Department of Health reported. A total of 13,487 Hoosiers have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including 1,021 in Lake County, 327 in Porter County, 223 in LaPorte County, 55 in Jasper County and 36 in Newton County, according to ISDH. Positive case totals for the five-county area were as follows: Lake County, 56,534; Porter County, 19,476; LaPorte County, 12,473; Newton County, 1,197; and Jasper County, 3,939. All data was provisional and subject to change as more information is reported to the state. Seven-day positivity rates in Northwest Indiana were as follows: 1.6% in Lake County; 1.9% in Porter County; 1.9% in LaPorte County; 21.7% in Newton County; and 4.5% in Jasper County. A total of 49.1% of Indiana's total population ages 12 and up has been fully vaccinated, state data showed. DYER There's a new chief in town. William Alcott, who began serving as the town's assistant police chief earlier this year, has taken the helm of the Dyer Police Department. The change comes as longtime Dyer Police Chief David Hein moved into the town manager role earlier this month. After being sworn in, Alcott turned to the dais and thanked the Dyer Town Council for having the confidence in him to be chief of police and to continue the "hard work" done by Hein and Dyer police. "I promise to do my best and bring the quality of life to the town of Dyer to the best of my ability," Alcott said. Alcott is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement and has a master's degree in public safety administration and a bachelor's degree in law enforcement, according to his professional biography, which was read by Town Council President Alan Brooks Thursday. He began his law enforcement career in January 1991 in Lynwood, where he served as a patrol officer, detective and sergeant of detectives, Brooks said. An analyst used scientifically acceptable methods to conclude the male DNA profile found in Felicia Howard's sex assault kit came from a single source, she said. "One person had sex with her. One person killed her," Jatkiewicz said. "And that person is Victor Lofton." The prosecutor urged the jury to focus on Lofton's statements to police in 2019, when he "went out of his way" to deny ever having been to Gary in 1992. He told Detective Lt. Nicholas Wardrip, who is assigned to the FBI's Gang Response Investigative Team, he moved from Detroit to Tennessee. However, Lofton's brother, Calvin Lofton, testified this week that Victor Lofton stayed with him at his apartment near 51st Avenue and Georgia Street in Gary for about six months in the summer of 1992. "That's consciousness of guilt," Jatkiewicz said. Felicia Howard and her daughter were killed in July, she said. It was hot, and conditions could have contributed to odor and advanced state of decomposition. A firearms examiner tested the gun once owned by Calvin Lofton and could not reach a conclusion as to whether it was used to fire the bullet recovered from Felicia Howard's body. ST. JOHN The passenger in a fleeing vehicle died Saturday after the driver crashed in St. John while leading a pursuit, police say. The Lake County coroner identified the woman as 28-year-old Tiara McDonald, of Calumet City. She was pronounced dead at 12:06 p.m. at Franciscan Health Dyer. The Saturday morning chase began in Crown Point and ultimately ended with the suspect driver crashing into another car and knocking into a tree before coming to a stop in a ditch, authorities said. The male driver was taken into custody in the 9500 block of 93rd Avenue. He was transported to a Chicago-area hospital for his injuries. McDonald was a passenger in the suspect vehicle and was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but died from her injuries Saturday afternoon, police said. The driver in the other vehicle was also transported to an area hospital with injuries, though the extent of them was not immediately clear, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said. South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Speros Batistatos retained an attorney after the board opted not to renew his contract when it expires at the end of the year over concerns about the cost of his compensation. The low vaccination rates among the states youth means few students will be immunized before returning to school, which Weaver said could allow the virus to spread quickly among large numbers of people. The state has also seen a 20% decline in routine immunizations during the pandemic among younger children and an even higher decline among older children putting youth at risk of becoming ill from other preventable diseases, Weaver added. We all want this next school year to look more normal than it has in the last 16 months, but we also want schools to remember that COVID-19 is a communicable disease, she said. These variants have been shown to be more infectious and may cause more severe illness, and the vaccine is still the most effective tool that we have to protect the people we love. Still, Box said state health officials are not planning to reinstate restrictions after the statewide mask order and COVID-19 business restrictions ended in early April. Decisions about how students should return to classes this fall are being left to local school boards and individual communities. BERLIN (AP) Esther Bejarano, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp who used the power of music to fight antisemitism and racism in post-war Germany, has died at 96. Bejarano died peacefully in the early Saturday at the Jewish Hospital in Hamburg, the German news agency dpa quoted Helga Obens, a board member of the Auschwitz Committee in Germany, as saying. A cause of death was not given. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid tribute to Bejarano, calling her an important voice in the fight against racism and antisemitism. Born in 1924 as the daughter of Jewish cantor Rudolf Loewy in French-occupied Saarlouis, the family later moved to Saarbruecken, where Bejarano enjoyed a musical and sheltered upbringing until the Nazis came to power and the city was returned to Germany in 1935. Her parents and sister Ruth eventually were deported and killed, while Bejarano had to perform forced labor before being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943. There, she volunteered to become a member of the girls orchestra, playing the accordion every time trains full of Jews from across Europe arrived. Bejarano would say later that music helped keep her alive in the notorious German Nazi death camp in occupied Poland and during the years after the Holocaust. President Biden fired President Donald J. Trumps appointed head of the Social Security Administration on Friday, setting off a possible legal showdown over who rightfully holds the position. Mr. Biden asked on Friday morning for the resignations of Andrew Saul, the agencys commissioner, and David Black, a deputy commissioner. Mr. Black resigned as requested, but Mr. Saul refused and was notified by the administration that he had been fired, an administration official said. He has vowed to fight Mr. Bidens move as illegal. Mr. Biden moved to appoint an acting commissioner, Kilolo Kijakazi, while the administration looks for permanent successors for the two jobs. Ms. Kijakazi has been the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the agency. The firing was the latest bid by Mr. Biden to oust a Trump-appointed director of an independent executive agency. Such agency chiefs are appointed to fixed terms, and have historically enjoyed a high degree of insulation from political dismissals, but recently that deference has eroded. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency which oversees the loans of 8.5 million student borrowers said Thursday that it would not renew its contract with the federal government when it ends later this year. The agency, which is known to most borrowers as FedLoan, is one of several companies the Education Department pays to manage the governments $1.59 trillion student loan portfolio. About 23 million borrowers arent making payments right now because of the temporary pause put in place because of the pandemic and FedLoans announcement will only increase the pressure to extend the moratorium. The millions of borrowers whose loans are overseen by FedLoan, including those in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, will have to be moved to a new servicer at the same time the machinery of payment processing is getting back up to speed. Toyota said on Thursday that it would stop donating to Republicans who disputed the 2020 presidential vote after being the focus of an ad campaign by the Lincoln Project, a group that was founded to antagonize President Donald J. Trump with viral video criticisms. The automaker said in a statement that its support of the politicians had troubled some stakeholders. The Lincoln Project, known for its scathing anti-Trump videos and memes during the 2020 campaign, said the ad was part of a broader project aimed at decreasing funding for Republicans who resisted the results of the vote and played down the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The group said it planned to release more ads in the following weeks naming companies that have broken their pledges to withhold campaign funds to members of Congress who enabled, empowered and emboldened former President Trump and the insurrectionists. But the C.D.C. also notes that some schools may choose to require everyone to wear masks. On Friday, California said it planned to do just that. (At least eight states, on the other hand, have already forbidden mask mandates.) Even when such universal masking rules are in place, exceptions should be made for students and staff members with disabilities that make wearing a mask difficult, the guidelines said. I do appreciate that they mentioned that some kids cant wear them, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. I think thats really important. Masks are not generally needed outdoors, the agency said, except in limited circumstances, such as in crowded settings in areas where local transmission rates are high. What about social distancing? The agency recommended that students remain at least three feet apart from one another in the classroom, consistent with earlier guidance. Some studies have suggested that three feet of distance is enough to keep students safe when other precautions are in place. But the agency made it clear than schools that do not have the space to keep students so far apart should reopen anyway. In those cases, the guidelines said, it is particularly important to adopt other precautions, including masking, frequent virus testing and improved ventilation. The guidelines also recommend that students remain at least six feet apart from teachers and staff and that unvaccinated teachers and staff remain six feet apart from one another. A C.D.C. official said this recommendation was based on the fact that the studies that suggested three feet of distance could be safe had assessed the amount of space only between students, and not between them and adults. But some experts said that they found the varied distancing suggestions hard to follow and that schools would need clearer guidelines. Im really confused, Dr. Nuzzo said. And I can imagine that school districts that, frankly, need everything spelled out for them clearly and not in a way thats subject to interpretation are going to be really confused. A vibrant energy seems to have returned to the cluster of neighborhoods in north central Queens that became the first epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States. But beneath the bustle lies desperation. Vendors, whose broad array of street food reflects the areas diversity, often have lost steady jobs and do not know how else to make money. Residents and many business owners have fallen far behind on rent. Food pantry lines remain long. The beauty of what we see is that the immigrant community always finds a way to get by, said Francisco Moya, a local Democratic city councilman. What you see on Roosevelt Avenue its survival. Haunani-Kay Trask, a scholar, poet and champion of sovereignty for the Hawaiian people who decried what she called the colonization and despoliation of her native land, died on July 3 in Honolulu. She was 71. The cause was cancer, her partner, David E. Stannard, said. In her best-known book, Notes From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii (1993), Dr. Trask called Hawaii once the most fragile and precious of sacred places, now transformed by the American behemoth into a dying land. Only a whispering spirit remains, she wrote. Dr. Trask was not afraid to make waves as a leader of what became known as the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement. She received national attention in 1990 for remarks directed at an undergraduate student at the University of Hawaii, where she was a professor of Hawaiian studies. The student, in a letter to the school newspaper, accused Native Hawaiians of holding racist attitudes toward white people on the island. Dr. Trask responded that the student does not understand racism at all and should leave Hawaii which he did, returning to his home state, Louisiana, for a time, The New York Times reported. When some students and faculty members criticized Dr. Trasks comments as unnecessarily harsh, she answered: I am a nationalist. I am asserting my claim to my country. Although widely acknowledged to have been in better shape, the Champlain Towers North was engineered and designed by the same companies as the building that fell. The details are not exactly the same it has fewer apartments and the balconies are arranged differently but Mr. Kilsheimer says the two buildings are similar enough that he hopes to glean information hidden in the concrete and steel. What Im comparing is McIntosh apples with another kind of apple. Theyre still apples, he said when asked whether the two buildings made for an apples-to-apples comparison. So since I dont have the South to look at standing up, Im looking at the North. An examination of everything structural concrete, metal, chunks of slab from the ground is the first step in what is expected to be a lengthy process to determine what caused the catastrophic collapse. He plans an exhaustive review of the drawings of both buildings to see how they compare to what he actually found. He can give lengthy recitations about reinforcing steel (he will wince if you call it rebar), waterproofing, weight-bearing loads and those disturbing photographs taken by the pool just before the collapse. But he has no prevailing theories, and suspects that he will wind up settling on a mix of factors. On Friday, his crew went to several apartments in Champlain Towers North, removing drywall and drilling for samples of concrete, called cores. (Or as he explained it in laymans terms: a little round thing with a bunch of rocks.) He studied the multicolored specs and identified the sand and tiny pockets of entrapped air. This looks good, he declared, noting that it did not come apart in his hands. The next step will be sending the samples to labs in Minnesota and North Carolina, where they will be examined under a microscope and tested for things like chemical composition and how much weight or tension they can bear. The strength of the reinforcing steel will be tested, and so will whether rust has led to metal loss. Ground-penetrating radar will determine the thickness of the concrete. Along with the samples and strength tests, that should shed light on whether the building was constructed according to its initial drawings and the building code of the time. Fridays call came only three weeks after the onslaught of ransomware attacks dominated their first summit, in Geneva. Immediately after that meeting, Mr. Biden said he told the Russian president he would respond in a cyber way against Russia if Mr. Putin failed to take action against groups operating on its territory. But that three-hour meeting was largely a generic discussion of the issue, and an effort to convince Mr. Putin that the presence of the criminal cybergroups on Russian networks was not in Moscows interest, either. By calling right after REvils latest attack, he was essentially creating a test of Mr. Putins willingness to act. But Mr. Biden declined to say whether the United States had asked for specific action against individuals that it believes are part of REvil. While the United States and Russia have long sparred over state-sponsored attacks including the SolarWinds espionage operation by Russias elite S.V.R. intelligence agency, or the Russian military intelligence units hacking of the Democratic National Committee and its release of embarrassing emails in 2016 ransomware attacks are of a different nature. Administration officials fear that, if left unaddressed, they could cripple key sectors of the U.S. economy. And they suspect that Russian authorities are tolerating the groups and sometimes dipping into their talent pool for intelligence and other cyberoperations. The White House blamed a Russian ransomware group, called DarkSide, for the attack on Colonial Pipeline that halted gasoline and jet fuel deliveries up the East Coast this spring. REvil is believed to have been behind the attack against one of the countrys largest meat processors, JBS, that briefly shut down production in late May. The company paid REvil $11 million in cryptocurrency. But REvils attack over the Fourth of July holiday was an escalation, officials said, not only for its timing, following the Geneva summit, but because the attack was unusually advanced in technique and aggressive in scope. Instead of targeting one company directly, REvil breached a Florida technology company that holds high-level access to tech firms that service thousands of other companies. Had the company, Kaseya, not caught the attack quickly, the effects could have been cataclysmic, officials and cybersecurity experts say. Mr. Bidens challenge to Mr. Putin could pose a major credibility test in coming weeks and further escalate a Cold War-like series of confrontations between the United States and Russia, now fought in cyberspace rather than across the Berlin Wall. Until recently, the United States has largely treated ransomware as a criminal problem, indicting leading actors if it could identify them. Few ever saw the inside of an American courtroom. President Biden on Friday fired the man President Donald J. Trump appointed to lead the Social Security Administration, triggering a legal showdown over who rightfully holds the position. Mr. Biden asked on Friday morning for the resignation of Andrew Saul, the Social Security commissioner, and David Black as deputy commissioner. Mr. Black resigned as requested but Mr. Saul refused to relinquish his position and was notified by the administration that he had been fired. He has vowed to fight Mr. Bidens move as illegal. Mr. Biden moved to appoint an acting commissioner, Kilolo Kijakazi, while the administration looks for permanent replacements for the two jobs. Ms. Kijakazi is currently the deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the agency. The developments were first reported by The Washington Post. The firing was the latest move by Mr. Biden to oust a Trump-appointed director of an independent executive agency. In June, the president removed the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, after the Supreme Court ruled that the president had the authority to remove the head of the agency. WASHINGTON The Biden administration pulled back on Friday from a Trump-era claim that detainees at the Guantanamo Bay wartime prison have no due process rights under the Constitution. But it stopped short of declaring that noncitizens held at the American naval base in Cuba are covered by such legal protections, according to officials familiar with the matter. Instead, in a much-anticipated brief before the full Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Justice Department took no position on the question of whether Guantanamo detainees have any due process rights. The muddled outcome followed a sharp internal debate among the Biden legal team. The brief was filed under seal because it contained classified information about the detainee at the center of the case, a 53-year-old Yemeni man, Abdulsalam al-Hela, who has been held without charge or trial at the wartime prison since 2004. But while it was not immediately available for public viewing, officials described its views or lack thereof on due process. The question of whether the Constitutions guarantee that the government cannot deprive people of life, liberty or property, without due process of law applies to non-American detainees held at Guantanamo has been raised since the George W. Bush administration first brought wartime prisoners there for indefinite detention without trial in 2002. It has never been resolved. The bills unveiled on Thursday include many provisions that provoked Democratic outrage back in May. They would ban 24-hour voting and drive-through voting; add new voter identification requirements for voting by mail; limit third-party ballot collection; increase the criminal penalties for election workers who run afoul of regulations; and greatly expand the authority and autonomy of partisan poll watchers. The new bills omit two of the most contentious measures, however: There is no longer a limitation on Sunday voting and there is no provision making it easier to overturn an election. Texas House Democrats on Friday were assessing essentially three options: flee the state before voting begins, denying Republicans a quorum and staying out of Texas for a month; stay and engage in procedural fights over amendments aimed at watering down the legislation; or allow a vote to take place and delay making a decision on how to respond until after a conference committee meets to hash out differences in the versions of voting bills passed by the House and Senate. The last maneuver carries the risk of the Senate simply approving the House bill without any changes to it. Virtually all of the discussion about fleeing and denying a quorum has come from Democrats in the House, where 55 of 67 Democrats would have to leave the state to block a vote. In the Senate, where there are 13 Democrats, 11 of them would have to stay away to prevent a vote. The people with knowledge of the discussions said there had been preliminary conversations about how Democrats would leave the state to avoid being forced back to the State Capitol. Thats what happened back in 2003 when the Texas Rangers were dispatched to track down Democrats who fled to Oklahoma in an ultimately futile effort to stop Republicans from redrawing congressional district lines in their favor. Democratic caucus leaders have argued privately against an early walkout, pushing instead to try to slow the legislative process with an array of amendments to the bill that they feel would make it less onerous. Theyve also counseled that leaving the state for a month could lead to a public relations catastrophe if they are portrayed as abdicating their responsibilities as legislators. There are financial considerations as well. Walking out would deny lawmakers the opportunity to pass legislation authorizing salaries for themselves and their staff a part of the bill Mr. Abbott vetoed in response to the May walkout. After 24 hours of wild gun battles with suspects in the assassination of Haitis president, the nations authorities announced the arrests of 20 people and called on the United States to send troops to help protect crucial infrastructure. Haitis remarkable request for military assistance from the United States, a former colonial overlord that has repeatedly intervened in the nations affairs, is a measure of how deeply shaken the nation has been by days of chaos and intrigue. As new developments unfolded at a dizzying pace on Friday, the mystery over who was ultimately behind the assassination only deepened. On the streets, vigilantes prowled for suspects, and the police killed at least three people in gunfights. The vast majority of those arrested have turned out to be from Colombia former military men said to have turned mercenaries as questions arose about why it had been so easy for attackers to burst into President Jovenel Moises home and kill him, seemingly with no shots fired from security staff. And in a brewing political crisis, suspicion has prompted what may shape up to be a standoff between rival governments. Thomas Cleary, who translated scores of Buddhist, Taoist, ancient Chinese and other texts into English, greatly broadening access to these works in the West, died on June 20 in Oakland, Calif. He was 72. His brother J.C. Cleary, who is also a translator, said the cause was complications of heart and lung damage from previous illnesses. Mr. Cleary, who lived in Oakland, published more than 80 works, which in turn have been translated into more than 20 other languages, his publisher, Shambhala Publications, said in a post on its website. The breadth of his work, in terms of both linguistics and subject matter, was remarkable. He translated works from Arabic, Sanskrit, Japanese and a half-dozen other languages, and while his interest in ancient texts began with Buddhism, it grew to encompass Taoism, Islam, Greek writings, even Old Irish. He would invariably begin his books with detailed introductions that placed the text in historical context and explained unfamiliar concepts to Western readers. Yes, we believe that all students have the potential to earn a college credential, but it was about bringing a world-class work force to Knoxville and Knox County so that we could attract business and industry to the area, said Krissy DeAlejandro, an executive director and one of the founders of the program. More than a decade later, the results are encouraging. Participants who graduated from high school in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were earning, on average, 13 percent more seven years after graduation than their classmates who did not participate in the program, according to research by the University of Tennessee. The fact that they found any increases in terms of earnings is meaningful, said Michelle Miller-Adams, a senior researcher at the Upjohn Institute and an expert on the tuition-free college movement. In the three years after it started, the program raised college enrollment among Knox County high school graduates by about 3 percentage points, on average, from the average of the previous two years. In 2014, Tennessee started a statewide program offering tuition-free community college or technical school. (The program is funded by the state, and private donors fund a nonprofit organization offering student-success initiatives, including mentorship.) In the years since, a significantly higher percentage of high school graduates have enrolled in college within a year, and more have earned degrees or work force certificates, according to the Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis focused on the accessibility of higher education. What Tennessee Got Right Celeste Carruthers, a professor at the University of Tennessees Haslam College of Business who has extensively researched the states tuition-free programs, said Tennessee had done several things right. The first was keeping the program simple. The crystal-clear message that college is free if you follow these steps and go to these places cuts through a lot of the clutter and opaqueness, Dr. Carruthers said. Need-based and merit-based programs in other states, she said, had less success attracting low-income students, some of whom have struggled to navigate the complicated college financial aid process. Another aspect of Tennessees success was its focus on mentorship for students. One point that conversations about low graduation rates often overlook is that community colleges take all students, regardless of grades and test scores, said Juan Salgado, the chancellor of Chicagos community college system. Many are first-generation college students, and some are struggling with homelessness, hunger or other family problems. That may mean students need more help meeting deadlines, completing coursework and finding jobs. Studies of a program that City University of New York developed to provide mentorship and other support services for students showed impressive increases in graduation rates for low-income students when three community colleges in Ohio replicated it, but results were less encouraging in Detroit. Evidence shows that with the right support, financial included, our students can do extremely well despite their circumstances, Mr. Salgado said. When Friday began, Alfie the swan was on an avian version of death row. By the time evening came, it seemed he had won a reprieve though not through the efforts of the people who were trying to save him or the government agencies they had pleaded with for help. Instead, his fate was reversed by an accident. Mayor John Ducey of Brick Township, N.J., who had been working with residents of his Jersey Shore community to try to find a resolution to Alfies plight that did not end with euthanasia, captured the turn of events succinctly. This is crazy, he said. Alfie, an adult male mute swan, has paddled the waterways in a part of Brick Township known as Seawood Harbor for a number of years, according to Irene Almeida, who moved to the area with her husband, Tony, in 2004 largely because of its natural beauty and wildlife. Hes been here forever, Ms. Almeida said of Alfie, a name that she gave him. The swan became a local cause celebre, Ms. Almeida said, after some users of Jet Skis and other personal watercraft complained to federal wildlife officials that he had been dangerously aggressive in their interactions with him. My introduction to the painter Alice Neel was a screen print that hung on the living room wall of my grandparents home in Woodstock, N.Y. a provocative portrait of Neels pouting granddaughter lounging on a striped chair. That portrait then moved within my family, to Minneapolis, San Francisco and, finally, to my apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan down the street from where Neel painted and lived where it now hangs on my wall. I discovered last weekend, when I saw Neels stunning retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that the same striped chair has appeared in many of her paintings. The many portraits in the exhibition, Alice Neel: People Come First, were of Neels friends and lovers, or of well-known artists, activists, critics, scholars including many radicals my grandmother admired, among them Mike Gold, an author and activist, and Linda Nochlin, a celebrated feminist art historian. I became curious about Neels subjects and learned about their lives from their obituaries in The New York Times. Below is a sampling. Western-trained researchers and governments are increasingly recognizing the wealth of knowledge that Indigenous communities have amassed to coexist with and protect their environments over hundreds or even thousands of years. Peer-reviewed scientific journals have published studies demonstrating that around the world, Indigenous-managed lands have far more biodiversity intact than other lands, even those set aside for conservation. Embracing Indigenous knowledge, as New Zealand is trying to do, can improve how federal governments manage ecosystems and natural resources. It can also deepen Western scientists understanding of their own research, potentially, by providing alternative perspectives and approaches to understanding their field of work. This is ever more urgent, particularly as the climate crisis unfolds. It is Indigenous resilience and worldview that every government, country and community can learn from, so that we manage our lands, waters and resources not just across budget years, but across generations, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and Americas first Native American cabinet secretary, said in remarks to the United Nations. Indigenous scholars warn, though, that while traditional knowledge can be used to benefit the world, it can also be mishandled or exploited. Dominique David Chavez, a descendant of the Arawak Taino in the Caribbean, and a research fellow at the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona and the National Science Foundation, says that, as Western scientists, we are trained to go into communities, get that knowledge and go back to our institutions and disseminate it in academic journals. That can be disruptive to traditional knowledge sharing, from one generation to another, she says, which should be the priority ensuring that Indigenous knowledge systems are preserved in and supportive of the communities that developed them. In Puerto Rico, known by its Indigenous people as Boriken, Ms. Chavez is studying ways to restore the connections and traditional knowledge transmission patterns between elders and youth. Bridging Indigenous and Western science also means respecting the ecosystem of values in which the knowledge systems are embedded. For instance, the practice of planting a diversity of crops and building healthy soil for water retention today known as regenerative agriculture has existed in Indigenous communities around the world throughout history. Yet the growing push to adopt regenerative agriculture practices elsewhere is often selective, using industrial pesticides, for example, or leaving out the well-being of people who farm the land. In Indigenous sciences, its not possible to separate the knowledge from the ethics of the responsibility for that knowledge whereas in Western science, we do that all the time, said Robin Wall Kimmerer, the director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York in Syracuse and an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The scientific method is designed to be indifferent to morals or values, she adds. Indigenous knowledge puts them back in. I have my doubts about America. As a Catholic, my first loyalty is to a faith that predates and promises to outlast our Republic, that was disfavored for much of our history and may be headed into disfavor once again. American anti-Catholicism is far from the worst evil in this nations history, but it still instills a special obligation to take critiques of our Anglo-liberal-Protestant inheritance seriously, whether they come from radicals or traditionalists or both. But when it comes to introducing American history to my own American children, none yet older than 10, Ive realized that were giving them a pretty patriotic education: trips to the battlefield at Concord; books like Johnny Tremain and the dAulaires biographies of Lincoln and Franklin and Pocahontas; incantatory readings of Paul Reveres Ride. One of my sons favorite books is an account of Lewis and Clarks mission that pairs extracts from diaries with vivid illustrations. Laura Ingalls Wilder may have been canceled a few years ago, but shes a dominant literary figure for our daughters. Lee Greenwoods God Bless the U.S.A. plays in our minivan, and when my eldest daughter tries to win arguments by declaring Im a free American! I let the claim stand, rather than answering her with Catholic critiques of liberal individualism. I should say that we also deliver doses of realism about slavery and segregation and the importance of seeing history from the perspective of the defeated, from the Tories to the Sioux. (Though many older texts contain those perspectives, however un-P.C. their form; tragic realism is not the exclusive province of the early 21st century.) And we are not home-schoolers; our patriotic education interacts with what our kids learn in school and pick up through osmosis in our progressive state and city. The Star shut out even world-famous Black Kansas Citians like the saxophonist Charlie Bird Parker, who did not get a significant headline in The Star until he died, in 1955 and even then, his name was misspelled and his age was wrong. When a flood devastated the city in 1977, The Star and its sister paper focused on businesses and suburbs, all but ignoring the fact that the flood had also swallowed homes of residents in Black areas. The newspapers showed more concern for missing pets than for Black citizens whose lives had been swept away in the torrent. The apology movement is historically resonant on several counts. It offers a timely validation of the besieged academic discipline known as critical race theory by showing that what news organizations once presented as fair and objective journalism was in fact freighted with the racist stereotypes that had been deployed to justify slavery. It lays out how the white press alienated generations of African Americans many of whom still view the leading news outlets of the United States as part of a hostile white media. The movement illustrates what President Lyndon Johnsons National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders also known as the Kerner Commission was talking about in 1968 when it criticized the press for writing and reporting from the standpoint of a white mans world. It also vindicates the hundreds of African American men and women who established anti-racist newspapers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and engaged in open combat with the white press over how Black life would be represented. The Threadbare Lie The white press in the South dictated how anti-Black atrocities were viewed all over the country by portraying even the most grotesque exercises of violence as necessary to protect a besieged white community. White news organizations elsewhere rubber-stamped this lie. The editors of small, struggling Black publications often risked their lives to refute what they rightly saw as white supremacist propaganda masquerading as news. Ida B. Wells of the fiery Memphis weekly known as The Free Speech was the best known of these Black press paladins. Her investigations showed that mobs regularly lynched innocent victims as part of a terror tactic that was intended to keep the Black community on its knees. Her most explosive finding was that the Black men who were charged with raping white women were often involved in consensual relationships with them. Her editorial calling the common rape charge a threadbare lie conveyed more truth than the white aristocracy could bear. The white-owned Daily Commercial called for the writer of the editorial to be lynched without using the term. The Evening Scimitar presumed the editorial writer male and called for him to be tied to a stake at the intersection of Main and Madison Streets, his forehead branded with a hot iron and castrated with a pair of tailors shears. Ms. Wells was fortunately out of town when a mob destroyed the Free Speech office. John Mitchell Jr. of The Richmond Planet, a Virginia weekly, had been born into slavery, as had Ms. Wells. He was known in his time as the the fighting editor a posture that The Planet reflected with a logo depicting a muscular Black arm whose clenched fist radiated lightning bolts. During the late 19th century, Mr. Mitchell was acutely aware of the connection between the lynching fever that was sweeping the former Confederacy and the fact that Southern cities were filling their public squares with monuments to Confederate soldiers who had plunged the country into war with the goal of preserving slavery. The bone was likely boiled before being carved, and took about an hour and a half to make, Dr. Terberger said. When the bone stands upright, the chevron pattern points to the sky. Even though Neanderthals were known to have lived in and around the cave, Dr. Terberger initially thought the carving had to have been made by an early Homo sapiens. Such cultural artifacts from Neanderthals are extremely rare, after all, and often contested. But radiocarbon dating showed that the foot was 51,000 years old meaning it was made several thousands of years before the first early modern humans showed up in the region. So the carving, as the scientists published this week in Nature Ecology & Evolution, was almost certainly made by Neanderthals. As Silvia Bello, a researcher at the Natural History Museum in London who was not involved in the discovery, wrote in the same issue of the journal, the finding is one of the most complex artistic expressions by Neanderthals thus far known. Ever since the first major Neanderthal fossil was found in another German cave in 1856, our hominin cousins have been thought of as thick, dumb brutes. Although more recent discoveries have shown that Neanderthals used sophisticated tools, buried their dead and, of course, mated with Homo sapiens, we are still somehow a bit imprisoned in our image of the Neanderthals from the 19th century, Dr. Terberger said. The new carving is one of only a handful of examples of Neanderthal art, like body ornaments, rock engravings and notched animal bones. Many scientists have raised doubts about whether some of these Neanderthal art pieces were actually tools, and whether they picked up their creative proclivities from interactions with early ancestors from our species. Taken together, the interviews tell a story about the persistent workplace biases and harmful inequities these women experience both despite and because of their high-powered positions. But you also get the sense of how valuable those identities and experiences are when it comes to shaping the news. One leader, the first Black female manager at her station, recalled her general manager and boss flying into a rage when she suggested the station cover a Miss America contestant who was Black. Why do we always have to cover Black people? he said. In another story, a supervisor recalled how her boss didnt trust her to oversee and balance the editorial budget. Either he would do them himself or he would ask a white man to look at my numbers, she said. And the white guy and I were friends and had worked together a lot longer so the white guy would come to me and say: OK, just so you know, he wants me to check all your numbers. All your numbers are right, but hes asking me to check them. Dr. Greenwells own experiences show up in the book too. She was reminded of incidents that she had considered resolved or had suppressed and forgotten. One particular instance that stood out: When she was 28, she landed a hard-to-get interview and a white male manager asked her whom she had slept with for access. I cant believe he just said that, she remembered thinking. But then I kept working. These kinds of experiences are significant in shaping the perspectives Black women bring to the table. Through what Dr. Greenwell calls a second sight, these leaders spoke of recognizing and disrupting racial profiling and stereotypes; suppressing historical inequities like the domination of white girls and white women in missing people coverage; and prioritizing the perspectives of Black and other marginalized communities to balance out a history of negative stories. This second sight doubles as an unpaid education resulting in increased awareness among white colleagues. Mr. Sununu, whose father was a former governor and White House chief of staff and whose brother was a U.S. senator, has not tipped his hand on whether he will run despite entreaties from Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, and others who believe he gives them by far the best chance of taking the seat as they battle for the majority. He has expressed some qualms about jumping into the Washington maelstrom, including losing the executive power that comes with being a governor to join a legislative body. Im a manager, Im an executive, Governor Sununu said this week on the New Hampshire Journal podcast. There are very few of those in Washington, he said, adding that he also has to determine, is it the right path for my family? I have kids to put through college, and all that kind of stuff. Still, the betting in both New Hampshire and Washington is that the governor, whose office declined an interview request, will make the race, finding it too hard to resist the opportunity. As for Ms. Hassan, she said the governors plans were not a factor in her own. I dont know, and it doesnt really change my work, she said last week when asked whether she thought Mr. Sununu would run. Im proud of what Ive done and I will make my case to the people of New Hampshire. While she may be low-key in Washington, Ms. Hassan has been a fixture in New Hampshire politics for almost two decades, serving in the State Senate as majority leader and twice winning races for governor before toppling Kelly Ayotte, the incumbent Republican senator, by just over 1,000 votes in 2016. Her allies say that Republicans have consistently underestimated Ms. Hassan, and will likely do so again. She has got chops when it comes to winning tough races, and it has not just been one tough race, said Kathy Sullivan, a former chairwoman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She works very hard at it. Although Mr. Slobotski voted for Mr. Bacon, he said he would support Mr. Vargas if he ran for the seat. Hes just a young visionary, somebody with leadership ability, more of a pragmatist, he said of Mr. Vargas, a former Omaha school board member. The Democrats 2020 nominee, Kara Eastman, was considered by many to be too progressive for the district. Later that day, at a restaurant in Papillion, a group of three other 2020 ticket-splitting voters sipped iced coffees as they assessed Washington under unified Democratic control. All three had voted for Mr. Biden, but none supported the drive by many congressional Democrats to blow up the filibuster to pass Mr. Bidens most ambitious agenda items. These voters preferred a scaled-back infrastructure package that, even if it left major spending on education and climate on the table, could pass with bipartisan support and represent a show of unity. Its one of those things that kind of builds relationships to get things going, said Michael Stark, 30, an independent. The filibuster is there for a purpose and I am terrified of what would happen if it went away, said Corbin Delgado, 26, a Democrat who works for a nonprofit group and is the secretary of his partys state Latinx Caucus. He said his top issue was immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. He voted for Mr. Bacon last year, he said, because the Republican had modified his opposition to some immigration changes after meeting with activists. Im a big believer that when a politician actually listens and changes, that should be rewarded, he said. Whether that can make a real difference is questionable in a country where endemic poverty and corruption have largely proved impervious to billions of dollars in international aid over decades. Haiti is infested by gangs, as its ambassador to Washington put it this week, the violence has worsened since Mr. Moises assassination, with many residents afraid to leave their homes. On Saturday, dozens of men, women and children seeking to flee the country packed into a courtyard of the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Port-au-Prince, as competing claims to power by the interim prime minister and a group of senators seeking to establish an alternative government remained unresolved. The sense of chaos has been exacerbated by the continuing mystery over who was behind the attack on Mr. Moises residence. The authorities have arrested at least 20 people, most of them former Colombian soldiers, but have not shed much light on the plot. Investigators have summoned four of the presidents chief security officers for questioning next week. Given the uncertainty over who is leading the country and its already weak institutions, the risk is that conditions could deteriorate further, setting off a mass refugee flight by sea for Florida. That would pose a humanitarian and political crisis for Mr. Biden, who is already trying to manage a surge of migrants crossing into the United States at the Mexico border. The prospect of a refugee crisis weighed heavily on President Barack Obama when he deployed troops and $100 million in aid to Haiti after a devastating earthquake there in 2010. But even limited military deployments come with risks. A small American peacekeeping deployment to Somalia in 1992 led to an October 1993 gun battle in the streets of Mogadishu during which 18 American soldiers and at least hundreds of Somalis were killed in a political crisis for President Bill Clinton. The episode was later memorialized in the movie Black Hawk Down. Biden officials are not insensitive to the plight of Haitians who have struggled for decades to escape poverty, corruption and political dysfunction; many served in the Obama administration when thousands of U.S. troops were dispatched for several months to provide security. Absent unanimous approval among the members of the European Union, an accord would stall. Establishing a minimum tax would require an E.U. directive, and directives require backing by all 28 countries in the union. Ireland had previously hinted that they would object to or block a directive and Hungary could prove to be an even bigger hurdle given its fraught relationship with the union, which has pressed Hungary on unrelated rule-of-law and corruption issues. Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has stated that taxes are a sovereign issue and recently called a proposed global minimum corporate tax absurd. Hungarys low corporate rate of 9 percent has helped it lure major European manufacturers, especially German carmakers including Mercedes and Audi. Bruno Le Maire, Frances finance minister, said on Saturday that it was important that all of Europe supports the proposal. G20 countries plan to meet with Ireland, Hungary and Estonia next week to try and address their concerns, he said. We will discuss the point next week with the three countries that still have some doubts, he said. I really think the impetus given by the G20 countries is clearly a decisive one and that this breakthrough should gather all European nations together. Policymakers also have yet to determine the exact rate that companies will pay, with the United States and France pushing to go above 15 percent, and negotiations are continuing over which firms will be subject to the tax and who will be excluded. The framework currently exempts financial services firms and extractive industries such as oil and gas, a carve-out that tax experts have suggested could open a big loophole as companies try to redefine themselves to meet the requirements for exemptions. Domestic politics could also pose hurdles for the countries that have agreed to join but need to turn that commitment into law, including in the United States, where Republican lawmakers have signaled their disapproval, saying the plan would hurt American firms. Big business interests are also warily eyeing the pact and suggesting they plan to fight anything that puts American companies at a disadvantage. The most important thing is understanding that if there is going to be an agreement, that there cannot be an agreement that is punitive toward U.S. companies, said Neil Bradley, the chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. And that, of course, is of great concern. A 62-year-old Texas man who waited hours to cast a ballot in last years presidential primary was arrested this week on charges that he had voted illegally. The man, Hervis Earl Rogers of Houston, waited seven hours outside Texas Southern University to vote in the states presidential primary in March 2020. On Wednesday, he was arrested and charged with two counts of illegal voting, a felony. According to court documents, the charges stem from ballots that Mr. Rogers cast on March 3, 2020, and on Nov. 6, 2018, while he was still on parole and not legally permitted to vote. Tommy Buser-Clancy, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and one of the lawyers representing Mr. Rogers, said that Mr. Rogers thought that he could vote during the primary. Mr. Rogerss prosecution really shows the danger of overcriminalizing the election code and the process of participating in a democratic society, he said. In particular, it raises the danger that criminal statutes in the election code are being used to go after individuals who at worst have made an innocent mistake. Thats not what any laws should be doing. MOGADISHU, Somalia A large car bomb targeting a prominent police official exploded on Saturday in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least five people, the police and witnesses said. The attack was claimed by Al Shabab, the Qaeda-linked Islamist group that has carried out waves of attacks for years in an effort to topple Somalias government. The bomber, using an explosives-laden vehicle, struck the motorcade of the regions police commissioner, Farhan Mohamud, at a busy intersection, said the Somali police spokesman Sadiiq Dudishe. Five people were killed and nine others were wounded, Mr. Dudishe said, but the police commander survived. U.S. Investigators Arrive in Haiti to Aid in Moise Murder Case A Florida-based doctor, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, has become the third person with U.S. ties arrested over the assassination of Haitis president, Jovenel Moise. Follow the latest updates about Haiti. A U.S. delegation briefs Biden after meeting with Haitian leaders. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:07 - 0:00 transcript U.S. Delegation Returns From Meeting Haitian Leaders Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the administration was in regular contact with Haitian officials after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and is assessing what kinds of help to provide. Our agency delegation, as you noted, was on the ground in Port-Au-Prince yesterday and returned home. They worked to get a better understanding of the requests for assistance and to offer assistance to law enforcement forces the law enforcement process, I should say, on the ground. They met with both the acting prime minister and prime minister designate. This is just the beginning of our conversations. And we will remain in close touch with law enforcement, with individuals in Haiti, with a range of leaders in Haiti about how we can assist and provide assistance moving forward. What was clear from their trip is that there is a lack of clarity about the future of political leadership. Thats an important step that the people of Haiti, the different governing leaders of Haiti, need to work together to determine a united path forward. And we will remain deeply engaged, as we have been for months prior to the assassination with individuals in Haiti to provide assistance moving forward. But I dont have any new assistance to announce for you at this point. Whats the status of the formal request that the U.S. send troops to Haiti, is that still under analysis here? Thats correct, thats still under review. So its not been ruled out? No. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the administration was in regular contact with Haitian officials after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and is assessing what kinds of help to provide. Credit Credit... Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times A team of U.S. officials newly returned from a trip to Haiti briefed President Biden on Monday about the situation on the ground in a country in upheaval, and it appears they may have come home with more questions than answers. What was clear from their trip is that there is a lack of clarity about the future of political leadership, the White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said at a news conference on Monday. Haiti has a presidency left vacant after an assassination, two competing prime ministers and a Parliament that is not functioning. The country, overrun by gangs and hobbled by poverty, is still shaken by the death of President Jovenel Moise, who was gunned down at his home by a team of hit men, the authorities say. The people of Haiti deserve peace and security, Mr. Biden told reporters, and Haitis political leaders need to come together for the good of the country. The American delegation met with both the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, and with Ariel Henry, the man Mr. Moise named to succeed Mr. Joseph as prime minister only days before he was assassinated. This is just the beginning of our conversations, Ms. Psaki said, and we will remain in close touch with law enforcement, with individuals in Haiti, with a range of leaders in Haiti about how we can assist and provide assistance moving forward. Ms. Psaki said the White House was still reviewing Haitis request that it send troops to help stabilize the county. But as of right now, she said, the U.S. has not committed to having any sort of presence on the ground. The U.S. team included an F.B.I. agent and Department of Homeland Security officials, as well a representatives from the State Department and the National Security Council. The delegation reviewed the security of critical infrastructure with Haitian government officials and met with the Haitian National Police, who are leading the investigation into the assassination, the National Security Council spokeswoman, Emily Horne, said in a statement on Monday. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that the U.S. focus was on helping Haitian authorities get their arms around investigating this incident and figuring out whos culpable. In the wake of the assassination, there has been a sense of chaos in some parts of Haiti, with some people gathering at the U.S. Embassy there hoping to leave, and competing political factions vying for control of the government. Chris Wallace of Fox News pressed Mr. Kirby on whether conditions in Haiti were a matter of national security. While the United States is watching the situation closely, Mr. Kirby said, the American investigative team would be the best way forward. I dont know that were at a point now where we can say definitively that our national security is being put at risk by whats happening there, Mr. Kirby said. But clearly we value our Haitian partners. We value stability and security in that country. Haitis police claim a Florida-based doctor recruited mercenaries. Video Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, a Haitian-born doctor based in Florida, was arrested as a key suspect in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti. A Haitian-born doctor based in Florida has been arrested as a key suspect in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti, and the national police chief suggested at a news conference that he believed the suspect was plotting to become president. To date, some two dozen people have been arrested in the killing, but on Sunday, Haitian officials described the doctor, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, as a central figure in the case. Even as the Haitian authorities offered their most detailed account so far of the plot behind the brazen assassination of the president in the bedroom of his private home last week, there was widespread skepticism among the public of the official version of events. An increasingly fraught struggle for control of the country is only adding to the general sense of unease and foreboding as an already grim situation in Haiti threatens to descend further out of control. A majority of sitting members of Haitian Parliament, which is itself in a state of dysfunction, are calling for a new government to replace the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph. Mr. Joseph has issued a series of desperate pleas for foreign intervention to stabilize the nation, including calling on the United States to send troops. American officials signaled that they remained reluctant to provide military forces to Haiti to help secure order, but have sent a team of investigators to help look into last weeks assassination, which has left the country teetering. Haitis national police chief, Leon Charles, said that Dr. Sanon played a vital role in the plot, but offered no explanation for how the doctor could possibly have taken control of the government. Still, the arrest of Dr. Sanon added yet another element of intrigue in a rapidly moving investigation that stretched from Colombia to Miami. He arrived by private plane in June with political objectives and contacted a private security firm to recruit the people who committed this act, he said. The firm, he said, was a Venezuelan security company based in the United States called CTU. During a raid at his home, the authorities said, the police found a D.E.A. cap the team of hit men who assaulted Mr. Moises home appear to have falsely identified themselves as Drug Enforcement Administration agents six holsters, about 20 boxes of bullets, 24 unused shooting targets, and four license plates from the Dominican Republic. The initial mission that was given to these assailants was to protect the individual named Emmanuel Sanon, but afterwards the mission changed, Mr. Charles said, implying that Mr. Sanon had meant to install himself as president. A YouTube video recorded in 2011 titled Dr. Christian Sanon Leadership for Haiti appears to present Mr. Sanon as a potential leader of the country. In it, the speaker denounces the leaders of Haiti as corrupt plunderers of its resources. With me in power, you are going to have to tell me: What are you doing with my uranium? the speaker says. What are you going to do with the oil that we have in the country? What are you going to do with the gold? CTU is run by a man named Antonio Intriago. He did not respond to messages requesting comment and CTUs office was shut when a reporter stopped by on Saturday. Two Americans arrested last week have said that they were not in the room when the president was killed and that they had worked only as translators for the hit squad, according to a Haitian judge who interviewed them. They met with other participants at an upscale hotel in the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, to plan the attack. The goal was not to kill the president, the two Americans told the judge, but to bring him to the national palace. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Haiti is gripped by a political crisis as the mystery over the presidents killing deepens. Haitian police officers on Saturday entering an area in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where suspects in the assassination are being held. Credit... Orlando Barria/EPA, via Shutterstock Haiti was hurtling toward a full-blown constitutional crisis on Sunday, with the interim prime minister and the Senate president both jockeying for control after last weeks assassination of the countrys president, Jovenel Moise. The interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, has spent days trying to parlay words of support from the United States into the appearance of a mandate to govern. But Mr. Josephs legitimacy has been directly challenged by Haitis last remaining elected officials, who are trying to form a new transitional government to replace him. Only 10 of Haitis 30 Senate seats are filled, but eight of the remaining senators have signed a resolution calling for a new government to oust Mr. Joseph. As the only functioning elected officials of the republic, they wrote, they were the only ones who could exercise national sovereignty. The lawmakers have said that Joseph Lambert, the Senate president, should become the provisional president and that Mr. Joseph's tenure as prime minister has been automatically ended through the nomination of Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon and politician who was appointed to the position by Mr. Moise but had not yet been sworn in when the assassination occurred. On Saturday, Mr. Lambert said a swearing-in ceremony had been postponed so that all senators could participate. There is an urgent need to rebuild hope in our country, he said on Twitter. Mr. Joseph has asked the United States to send troops to help stabilize the country, but Biden administration officials have so far shown no sign that theyre eager to send even a limited American force into the midst of civil strife and disorder. The interim prime minister has also asked the United Nations for troops and security assistance. Both requests are politically fraught in a country with a long history of foreign interventions. On Saturday, dozens of men, women and children seeking to flee Haiti packed into a courtyard of the United States Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Violence driven by gangs, already a problem before Mr. Moises assassination, has worsened since his death, with many residents afraid to leave their homes. Elections have been planned for September, but many civil society groups worry that holding them would only sharpen the political crisis. They question whether it would even be feasible to hold legitimate elections, given how weak the nations institutions have become. The sense of chaos has been exacerbated by questions over who was behind the attack on Mr. Moises residence. The authorities have arrested at least 20 people, most of them Colombian former soldiers, but have not shed much light on the plot. Investigators have summoned four of the presidents chief security officers for questioning in the coming days. The mystery grew even murkier on Saturday, as a sister of one of the Colombians accused in the assassination said he had told her that he had not gone to Haiti to kill anyone. Rather, he said, he had traveled there after receiving a job offer to protect a very important person, she told The New York Times. His message came shortly before he himself died in the bloody aftermath of the assassination, one of three people killed in confrontations with the authorities. Natalie Kitroeff, Julie Turkewitz, Anatoly Kurmanaev, Dan Bilefsky, Catherine Porter, Harold Isaac, Jesus Jimenez, Constant Meheut and Elian Peltier contributed reporting. Haitians denounce photos said to be of Moises corpse. A mural of the assassinated President Jovenel Moise near his house in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Credit... Orlando Barria/EPA, via Shutterstock The photos are horrifying. They seem to portray the body of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti laid out in the morgue, his left eye crushed in, the flesh of one of his arms torn by bullets, his mouth gaping. A country already reeling from the assassination of its leader on Wednesday and the chaos that followed reacted to the images with horror and despair, afraid that the photos circulating on social media channels would rip the last shreds of dignity from both the person and the office he held. Even his critics were outraged. Even if @moisejovenel was decried and declared a de facto president, lets not go down to the level of dehumanization established by the @PHTKhaiti, tweeted the journalist Nancy Roc, referring to Mr. Moises political party. Haitians are better than that. She was among many who beseeched others not to forward the photos that were circulating through the countrys buzzing WhatsApp channels. Mathias Pierre, Haitis minister in charge of elections, said on Tuesday that the photos were of Mr. Moise and that an autopsy had been carried out on the presidents body. The pictures that are circulating were taken at the laboratory by technicians during the scan, Mr. Pierre said, referring to part of the autopsy procedure. He did not say when the autopsy results would be made public. Forensic experts consulted by The Times who reviewed the photographs said that rumors that Mr. Moise had been tortured which swirled around social media along with the photos were unlikely to be true. I dont see anything that looks like it would be typical of torture, said Dr. Michael Freeman, an associate professor of forensic medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Dr. Freeman noted that an autopsy would be needed to determine conclusively whether Mr. Moise was tortured, but the wounds visible in the photographs appeared consistent with gunshots. The fact that hes not bound is a pretty strong indication that hes not been tortured, Dr. Freeman added. Photos of dead bodies left on the streets are sadly regular fare in Haiti. But that the countrys leader would face the same wretched indignity seemed to underscore just how cheap life had become in the country. The Rev. Rick Frechette, an American Catholic priest with the Congregation of the Passion order and a doctor who regularly treats Haitis poor in clinics in Port-au-Princes slums and in the hospitals he built in a suburb of the capital, said that for some of his staff members, the presidents brutal assassination had brought back memories of past violence. People are traumatized and afraid, he said. And then there were those who believed the distribution of the photos was politically motivated, part of the struggle over who will govern the country in the presidents absence. Last nights photos show how much they want to create a climate of violence and instability in the country after their heinous crime, tweeted Danta Bien-Aime, a nurse and former Fulbright scholar. Harold Isaac contributed reporting from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Catherine Porter and For Biden, there is little appetite for intervention in Haiti. Haitians asking for asylum in front of the U.S. Embassy on Saturday. Credit... Valerie Baeriswyl/Agence France-Presse Getty Images WASHINGTON Biden administration officials have expressed caution about any deployment to Haiti, reflecting not only the fast pace of events since attackers killed President Jovenel Moise in his home on Wednesday, but also a broader shift in American attitudes toward military interventions. While sympathetic to the humanitarian misery and mindful of a potential mass exodus of Haitian refugees like one that occurred in the 1990s, the administration nevertheless shows no immediate enthusiasm for sending even a limited American force into the midst of politically based civil strife and disorder. The administration has said it will send officials from the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security to Port-au-Prince to assess how they might assist the governments investigation into the murky circumstances of Mr. Moises killing. But Pentagon officials were taken off guard by the Haitian request for troops late Friday. While they said it would be reviewed, there is little appetite among senior military leaders to dispatch forces. We are aware of the request and are analyzing it, John F. Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a telephone interview on Saturday, noting that the request was broad and did not specify numbers or types of forces needed. One senior administration official put it more bluntly late Friday: There are no plans to provide U.S. military assistance at this time. For President Biden, the prospect of a deployment of American forces amid the chaotic aftermath of the brutal killing runs against his core instinct to consolidate Americas overseas military presence, not expand it. The request from the Haitians came just hours after Mr. Biden delivered remarks defending his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year mission. For now, Biden officials are focused on other ways to assist Haiti with its security needs short of military forces. That could include stepped up training and assistance for Haitis police and military provided by the Departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security. As the United States showed no signs it would send troops anytime soon, Haiti sent a letter to the United Nations requesting troops and security assistance. We definitely need assistance and weve asked our international partners for help, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told The Associated Press in a phone interview late Friday. We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. Michael Crowley, Michael D. Shear and Advertisement Continue reading the main story A message said to be from the presidents widow is posted to Twitter. Martine Moise and her husband, President Jovenel Moise of Haiti, in 2017. Ms. Moise was also shot in the attack at the couples residence but was said to be in a stable condition in a hospital in Miami. Credit... Orlando Barria/EPA, via Shutterstock An audio recording said to be of Martine Moise, the widow of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti, has urged people to carry on his battle in a country long plagued by gang violence and now plunged into a deep institutional crisis. But some Haitians were questioning the authenticity of the recording, which comes amid a fierce battle for control of the country after Mr. Moise was assassinated last week. In the recording, which was posted to Ms. Moises verified Twitter account on Saturday, a woman speaking in Creole says, I am alive thanks to God, but I lost my husband Jovenel Moise. Ms. Moise was also shot in last weeks attack at the couples residence and was taken to a hospital in Miami for treatment. The Haitian authorities have said that she is out of danger and in stable condition. MESSAGE DE LA PREMIERE DAME MARTINE MOISE. pic.twitter.com/cFQW70xTFE Martine Moise (@martinejmoise) July 10, 2021 In the recording, the voice says, In the blink of an eye, the mercenaries entered my house and riddled my husband with bullets. The New York Times could not immediately confirm that the woman speaking in the message was Ms. Moise, but the Haitian minister of culture and communications, Pradel Henriquez, told Agence France-Presse that it was. However, a former Haitian culture minister, Lilas Desquiron, said that she doubted the authenticity of the message because she did not recognize Ms. Moises voice. The authorities in Haiti have arrested at least 20 suspects in the killing of Mr. Moise. Eighteen have been identified as Colombians, and two as Haitian Americans. Carl Henry Destin, a Haitian justice of the peace, said that he had found the body of the president lying on the floor at the foot of his bed, bathed in blood, with 12 bullet holes. Two of the presidential couples three children were present during the attack and hid together in a bathroom, Mr. Destin added. The woman in the recording says, Im crying, its true, but we cant let the country go astray, and she denounces mercenaries who want to assassinate the presidents dream, vision and ideas for the country. She does not say who could have sponsored the attack but suggests that those behind the killing do not want to see a transition in the country. In his final year in office, Mr. Moise faced growing protests, with much of Haitis political opposition and civil society believing that his term should have ended in February. But Mr. Moise refused to resign and clung to power, governing by decree as Parliament ceased to function and the country sank deeper into gang violence. The leader of Haitis Senate is among those vying for power. Joseph Lambert, center left, and President Jovenel Moise of Haiti, center right, at a ceremony in Port-au-Prince, the countrys capital, in 2018. Credit... Hector Retamal/Afp Just days after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise of Haiti, a high-stakes battle for control of the country is heating up, and the president of the Senate, Joseph Lambert, is among those jockeying for power. Although the Haitian Parliament is in a state of dysfunction with only 10 sitting senators out of 30 because the terms of the other 20 have expired a majority of the remaining lawmakers on Friday signed a resolution calling for a new government to replace the current interim prime minister, Claude Joseph. They declared that Mr. Lambert, who also has the support of several political parties, should become provisional president. He seems to be quite intelligent politically, Laennec Hurbon, a Haitian sociologist and researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said of Mr. Lambert. Mr. Lambert, 60, is from the city of Jacmel in southern Haiti. An agronomist by training, he is a seasoned politician who was elected to the lower house of Parliament in 1995, before winning a seat in the Senate in 2006. He is currently in his third term as president of the Senate. Mr. Hurbon said that Mr. Lambert had initially been close to the Haitian Tet Kale Party, whose name means Bald Headed, which supported Mr. Moise as well as his predecessor Michel Martelly. But Mr. Hurbon said that Mr. Lambert had always managed to ingratiate himself with other parties. In 2019, Mr. Lambert, who had been passed over for the position of prime minister, announced that he was joining the opposition to Mr. Moise, according to the newspaper Nouvelliste. As Mr. Lambert rose to the Senates presidency in January, he criticized Mr. Moises policies but also said that he wanted to cooperate closely with the president to devise solutions to the countrys problems. On Friday, a dozen parties from all political stripes signed a protocol of national accord backing the Senates decision and calling for the installation of Mr. Lambert as interim president within the next 48 hours. He always knows in perilous, difficult situations like this one, to make the right speech and therefore to seduce the people, Mr. Hurbon said of Mr. Lambert, adding that he had been surprised to see such a large coalition of opposition parties backing Mr. Lamberts bid for power. The Senates resolution on Friday said that Mr. Lambert should become provisional president until January, when a new parliament would be elected. It also said that Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon, should replace Mr. Joseph, the current interim prime minister. Mr. Lambert wrote on Twitter that the swearing-in ceremony was scheduled for Saturday afternoon but had been delayed because all senators wanted to be present to actively participate in the inauguration. Lilas Desquiron, culture minister in Haiti from 2001 to 2004, said that Mr. Lambert was a skilled politician who was very popular among civil servants. He is someone who plays for himself but plays with a lot of intelligence, she said. Haitians seeking exodus gather at U.S. Embassy after presidents assassination. Haitian citizens outside the U.S. Embassy in Haiti on Saturday. Credit... Valerie Baeriswyl/Agence France-Presse Getty Images Dozens of men, women and children packed into a courtyard of the U.S. Embassy in Haiti for a third day in a bid to flee the countrys worsening political instability after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Some came with packed bags and slept outside the embassy. We, Haitian citizens, are in danger, said Thervil Henrider, a 30-year-old Port-au-Prince resident who was among the petitioners on Saturday. We live in the state of endless insecurity. Even our president, who was the most guarded man in the country, was a victim of mercenaries. We need to find asylum in the worlds biggest power, the U.S., Mr. Henrider said. The crowd began gathering on Thursday after unsubstantiated rumors circulated on social media that the United States would give out visas to Haitians in need. Haiti had been gripped by instability well before the assassination, as increasingly powerful armed groups took control of large swaths of cities like Port-au-Prince, the capital. More than 8,000 people fled their homes there to escape the gang violence in the first half of June, according to the United Nations, and local observers say the violence has only worsened since Mr. Moises killing this week. The U.S. Embassy remained closed on Friday and there was no indication that the United States had begun handing out humanitarian visas on a large scale in Haiti in recent days. The State Department and the U.S. ambassador to Haiti did not respond to requests for comment on the crowds demands. About 700,000 people born in Haiti now live in the United States, according to census records, the equivalent of about 6 percent of Haitis entire population. (Not 16 percent, as an earlier version of this item stated.) After a military coup in Haiti in 1991, more than 10,000 Haitians fled to the United States, where they were allowed entry as asylum seekers under the George H.W. Bush administration. Milford Milo contributed reporting from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Advertisement Continue reading the main story A $3.4 million Canadian mansion becomes a Haitian flash point. This waterfront villa in Quebec has emerged as a symbol of one of the biggest grievances of many Haitians. Credit... Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times Rony Celestin is one of the few lawmakers left in Haiti, a close ally of the assassinated president who has kept his seat while the countrys democratic institutions have been whittled away. As one of only 10 remaining members in all of Haitis Parliament, Mr. Celestin, a swaggering figure who styles himself as a self-made multimillionaire, belongs to a tiny circle of leaders with the legal authority to steer the nation out of crisis now that President Jovenel Moise is dead. But to many Haitians, Mr. Celestin is also a symbol of one of their biggest grievances: a governing class that enriches itself while so many go hungry. In recent months, Mr. Celestin has been parrying accusations of corruption from Haitian activists over his purchase of a mansion almost 2,000 miles away in Canada. The $3.4 million villa, with its 10-car garage, home cinema and swimming pool overlooking a lake, was among the most expensive homes ever sold in one of Quebecs most affluent neighborhoods, and the purchase set off a corruption investigation into Mr. Celestin by officials in Haiti. Mr. Celestin vehemently denies any wrongdoing, describing himself as a savvy entrepreneur whose success and donations to the election campaign of the assassinated president, Jovenel Moise, have afforded him a variety of privileges, including the ability to pay for the villa and get his wife a job at the Haitian consulate in Montreal. But The New York Times found little or no indication in Haiti of the thriving businesses that Mr. Celestin cites as the source of his great wealth. Some appear to operate on a much smaller scale than he claimed, if at all in some cases. Dan Bilefsky and Haiti asked the U.N. for help to stabilize the country. Haiti closed its borders and began securing infrastructure after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Credit... Ricardo Rojas/Reuters The interim prime minister in Haiti has sent a letter to the United Nations requesting troops and security assistance, in addition to the request to the United States for troops to help stabilize the country. The letter to the United Nations, which was dated July 7 but acknowledged by the international organization on Saturday, said that Haiti needed troops to support the national police in re-establishing security across the country. It highlighted the need to protect crucial infrastructure such as ports, the airport and petroleum terminals. We definitely need assistance, and weve asked our international partners for help, the interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, told The Associated Press in a phone interview late Friday. We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation. The call for American help has been met with little enthusiasm from the Biden administration, and there were no immediate signs that the United States intended to step in. The request was quickly criticized by intellectuals and members of Haitis civil society, who argued that Haitians needed to find a solution to the countrys instability on their own. Operations by outside powers like the United States, and by international organizations like the United Nations, have often added to Haitis instability, they say. The solution to the crisis must be Haitian, said Andre Michel, a rights lawyer and opposition leader, calling for a broader institutional debate that would gather politicians, Haitis civil society and its diaspora. Many have also argued that a foreign intervention would simply not work. Some criticism has focused on the contested legacy of a U.N. peacekeeping mission that intervened in Haiti from 2004 to 2017, which brought cholera to the country. Numerous instances of sexual exploitation and abuse, including of girls as young as 11, were also documented. This is outrageous, Marlene Daut, a professor of American and African diaspora studies at the University of Virginia, said this week in response to a Washington Post editorial that called for a new international peacekeeping force in Haiti. The editorial described the previous U.N. peacekeeping mission as having brought a modicum of stability. For others, opposition has been rooted in the way that last weeks assassination of President Jovenel Moise has echoed events of the past. The last U.S. occupation was preceded by the assassination of another Haitian president, under the guise of wanting to restore order, similar to what is happening now, Woy Magazine wrote in a newsletter this week, alluding to the 1915 assassination of Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam. The United States then occupied Haiti until 1934. What followed, Valerie Jean-Charles of Woy Magazine wrote, was years of weakening of Haitian institutions and the senseless killings of many Haitians. Jovenel Moise is just the latest victim of the violence in Haiti, a rights activist says. Pierre Esperance, Human Rights Activist Pierre Esperance, Human Rights Activist Pierre Esperance, Human Rights Activist slide 1 slide 2 slide 3 Pierre Esperance, executive director of the National Human Rights Defense Network, a Haitian organization, spoke with The New York Times on Friday to provide background and analysis on the political and humanitarian situation in his country. Since 2018, he said, there has been growing insecurity in Haiti as gangs connected to factions of the police and to the governing party have battled one another. Kidnappings and killings have terrorized residents of the capital, Port-au-Prince, he noted. In June, gang warfare in the Martissant, Fontamara and Delmas neighborhoods of the city displaced some 8,500 women and children, according to a UNICEF report. On one night alone in June, at least 15 people were killed in Port-au-Prince, including the political activist Marie Antoinette Duclaire and the journalist Diego Charles, who were shot dead by attackers on motorbikes, according to reports cited by the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists. Mr. Esperance said that the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, like the killings of other Haitians from across the social spectrum, was the culmination of years of impunity and corruption at the highest levels of power. Jovenel Moise died in the same way as people who are massacred in disadvantaged neighborhoods, Mr. Esperance said. Andrea Schmidt , Jean-Marc Herve Abelard , Sarah Kerr and Advertisement Continue reading the main story In rarefied Petionville, a journalist recalls, the veneer of security was shattered by gunfire. Saint-Pierres Square in the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince. President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home in Petionville. Credit... Harold Isaac Harold Isaac is a freelance Haitian-Canadian journalist based in Petionville, Haiti. His account of life after the assassination was told to Dan Bilefsky, Canada correspondent for The New York Times. Petionville, a leafy and affluent suburb of the Haitian capital, has been a refuge of relative stability since my country descended into its latest spasm of chaos. It is a place of handsome gated homes and boutique hotels, where I felt I could order sushi at my favorite restaurant or take my kids to school without needing to worry about the violence that plagues other parts of Haiti. But the assassination of President Jovenel Moise brutally changed all that. I had a beer with friends on Tuesday evening at an Italian restaurant near my home in Petionville before heading home. Hours later, at around 1:30 a.m., the fragile veneer of normalcy in Haitis most rarefied suburb shattered. The area was shaken by the sound of explosions and heavy gunfire. We soon heard that dozens of men had marched toward the presidents mansion, about a mile from my home. By 5 a.m., people across my neighborhood had their radios blaring. I received a frantic call from my wife, asking if I had heard the news. She was on a trip to Miami at the time. Founded in 1831, Petionville was named after Alexandre Sabes Petion, a general and a founding father of Haiti who was one of the first Haitian officers to revolt against Frances repressive rule in its slave colony, helping to clear the way for Haitis independence in 1804. A hilly suburb of roughly 400,000 people, Petionville has long felt to me like Haitis version of the Green Zone in Iraq, minus the checkpoints and American military presence. Since I moved back to Haiti from Montreal in 2015 at the age of 33, it has been the place where I feel most at home. Here, I could buy cherries at my favorite market or order my daily caramel frappe at Marie Beliard, a famous patisserie on rue Faubert, without needing to worry that armed gangs could attack me or that I could be kidnapped. Those threats have become woefully commonplace in other neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Image Marie Beliard, a patisserie on Rue Faubert in Petionville. Credit... Harold Isaac The location of the presidents residence in Petionville also helped create a sense of security, however precarious, because there were often 100 officers from the presidential guard stationed around the presidents home. At the same time, his house was also a mystery to many Haitians, including me. The National Palace that served as the residence of Haitian presidents for nearly half a century was severely damaged in the 2010 earthquake that claimed about 250,000 Haitian lives, and subsequent Haitian presidents have since lived in their own private homes, often away from prying eyes. Mr. Moise, whose contested presidency had spawned massive protests against corruption and lawlessness, was discreet about his homes location, making the organized choreography of the assassination in Petionville hard for me and other residents to fathom. Such was the mystery of his house that, in the past, many protesters couldnt find his residence and were turned away by police as they searched. Since the president was killed, our sense of security in PV, as my friends and I refer to it, has felt more ephemeral than ever. For the first few days after the killing, many residents stayed home, afraid to go out for fear of violence. On Saturday afternoon, however, things had returned to normal, or so it seemed. Shops were open and streets were clogged with weekend traffic and vendors selling clothes, electronic appliances and vegetables. People were out shopping in the 90-degree heat. While somewhat jittery, I am gearing up to go back to my favorite fruit market on rue Pinchinat for cherries, though Ill remain ensconced in my car. As in other areas of Haiti, it can be too dangerous to walk the streets, and middle class residents often use their cars as protective cocoons. Since the events of the past week, my beloved Petionville doesnt quite feel the same. It is a suburb still in shock. But we Haitians always bounce back because death here is unfortunately part of life. And Petionville will bounce back, too. The assassination of Haitis president has thrown the nation into disarray, spawned shootouts on the streets and left terrified citizens cowering in their homes. But behind the scenes a bigger, high-stakes battle for control of the country is already accelerating. The fault lines were drawn long before President Jovenel Moise was killed. For more than a year before his death, the president had been attacking his political rivals, undermining the nations democratic institutions and angering church and gang leaders alike. Then the president was gunned down in his home on Wednesday and the power play burst into the open, with the interim prime minister claiming to run the country despite open challenges by other politicians. But even as that battle over who inherits the reins of government plays out in public, analysts say a more complex, less visible battle for power is picking up speed. It is a fight waged by some of Haitis richest and most well-connected kingmakers, eager for the approval of the United States, which has exercised outsized control over the fate of the Caribbean nation in the past. The coalition government that replaced him brought hopes of reform and a promise to put the war-ravaged country on a path to reconciliation, in which war crimes would be investigated and the grievances of minorities, which the rebels had made their rallying cry, would be addressed. But the new government was so bogged down by bickering and dysfunction that many voters apparently yearned for the order the Rajapaksas had imposed. The bombings on Easter in 2019 in which, despite repeated warnings from Indias intelligence service, militants launched simultaneous attacks that killed more than 250 people helped Gotabya Rajapaksa to handily win the presidential election months later, campaigning as a strongman. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic and the governments response to it, which has included putting strict restrictions on movement and essentially closing the border to tourists, has added to the economic woes in Sri Lanka, which had already been caught in a cycle of debt. Basil Rajapaksa, the new finance minister, played important roles in both of his brothers presidential campaigns and is seen as a pragmatic strategist within the family. Some analysts and opposition politicians saw his appointment as an acknowledgment by his brothers that urgent action was needed to address the economy and the discontent. But others wondered why a non-Rajapaksa could not be found to do the job. I dont think we have faced such a serious crisis in our balance of payment in the last several decades. This means professional, technical input to solve this situation and get this country out of it, said Harsha De Silva, an opposition lawmaker and an economist. The Rajapaksas believe that expertise lies only among their family that if one brother cant do, the next brother will try, and if that fails, a third brother will do. You need discussions, you need ideas thrown around in a crisis, Mr. De Silva added. This family they all think alike, and we have seen that because they have been in office since 2005, except for a few years. TORONTO Something strange was happening to the acacia trees in Lytton, British Columbia. The small town in Western Canada had seen three days of extreme heat that each broke national temperature records by June 30, rising to 121 degrees. That morning at the Lytton Chinese History Museum, Lorna Fandrich noticed the green leaves dropping off the trees surrounding the building, she said, apparently unable to tolerate the heat. Hours later, Lytton was on fire. A village of fewer than 300 people, nestled among mountain ranges, and prone to hot summers, the town was consumed by flames that destroyed 90 percent of it, killed two and injured several others, the authorities said. Investigators are probing whether local rail traffic is responsible for starting the fire, which was exacerbated by the heat, amid temperatures that climate researchers say would virtually not be possible without human-caused global warming. On Friday, when a path was finally cleared of downed power lines, bricks and other debris to make way for five buses taking residents to tour the town, the village was almost unrecognizable, the residents said. Now he snores snout-on-snout with Rosa-Mariechen, rescued seven years earlier from the corner of a feedlot, suffering from pneumonia and infected wounds from rat bites. Their stall mates, Eberhard and his son, Winfried, were rescued from a university research lab where experiments left them nearly deaf and blind. Lab animals have a special place in the heart of Ms. Muck, who spent weeks in solitary confinement in 1985 on suspicion of building a terrorist group, after she was caught breaking into a lab to free animals being used for experiments. Alone in her cell, she had a revelation. One day I realized, it is the same thing that happens to the animals, she said. You dont see the sun, you are separated from your friends, you have no idea what is going on around you and you have no control over your own life. After 20 years working as a psychiatric nurse, she met Mr. Gerdes just as he was preparing to quit farming and sell off Hof Butenland, including his herd. But when a trailer came to collect the cattle, a dozen didnt fit. Mr. Gerdes turned them back out to pasture and decided to leave them there, undisturbed, for good. The sanctuary was born. To finance their undertaking, the pair initially rented out vacation apartments. Many guests wanted to donate to help support the animals, leading Mr. Gerdes and Ms. Muck to set up the Hof Butenland foundation that now serves as the financial backbone for their operations. The struggle is not limited to Britain. In the United States last week, the rape conviction of Bill Cosby was vacated on procedural grounds. Because Mr. Cosbys prosecution was one of a handful of cases that had been hailed as a sign that the justice system was finally taking rape and sexual assault seriously, his walking free has led many to question whether the societal reckoning of #MeToo can translate into actual prosecutions and protections. Kate Ellis, an attorney with the Centre for Womens Justice, a London legal charity, has represented Brooke in her fight to change the rules so that she and other survivors could press charges without having to give up their privacy. But she said that she is also sympathetic to the bind that police officers find themselves in now that the digital strip search has officially been retired, but the same incentives that led to its creation in the first place are still present. The thing to understand, she said, is that police officers and prosecutors bear few consequences when they close a case for lack of evidence, or because victims stop cooperating. But if they do bring a case that falls apart or fails, they can face serious blowback. So a victim who is not perfect, or whos ever been dishonest, theres a feeling of, you know, why prosecute the case? she said in an interview. The Crown Prosecution Service has denied that it is risk averse in deciding which cases to prosecute. During Parliamentary testimony in June, Max Hill, the Director of Public Prosecutions, seemed to pin the blame on the police, saying that his prosecutors were willing to bring any case where the legal test was met, but that too few cases were ever being referred for prosecution because something is going wrong at a very early stage. But the two are not separate. Police often demand extensive digital evidence because they believe that prosecutors wont proceed without it. And the reason for that unwillingness, Ms. Ellis has found in her work with sexual assault victims, is that the police are afraid they will be blamed for failing to disclose evidence. CAIRO The Egyptian government has denied a report by The New York Times that women who encounter the countrys justice system risk sexual abuse during searches by state authorities. The Times found a dozen women who said they were sexually violated by officials in police stations, prisons and hospitals. Experts said that anecdotal evidence suggested that such incidents occur frequently. In a statement posted on Facebook and Twitter on Friday, the government denied the validity of the accusations by the women, saying they were part of an effort to spread rumors and lies. The brief statement by the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the police and prisons, also said that accusations of systemic physical violations against female detainees were false. CAIRO Jehan Sadat, the widow of former President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt, whom she pushed to enact a series of measures aimed at improving womens rights, died on Friday in Cairo. She was 87. Her death was reported by Egyptian news media, which said that she had been ill for some time but that the cause was unclear. Ms. Sadat was just 14 in 1948 when she met Mr. Sadat, an officer in the Egyptian Army who had recently been released from prison; he had been detained on and off since 1942 for plotting against the British occupation of Egypt. They married the next year, when she was 15 and he was 30, although her parents were said to be opposed to the match. Three years later, as one of the Free Officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Mr. Sadat participated in the armed coup that overthrew the Egyptian monarchy and established the military-supported regime that has ruled Egypt nearly ever since. Mr. Nasser served as president until his death in 1970, elevating Mr. Sadat to the presidency later that year. The United States remains engaged and in close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president. In response to the Haitian governments request for security and investigative assistance, we will be sending senior F.B.I. and D.H.S. officials to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible to assess the situation and how we may be able to assist. Our assistance is to help the people of Haiti and to help them get through what is a very challenging time, and has long been even before the assassination of the president. So the investigation is not going to impact the assistance were providing to the people of Haiti. But as I announced at the beginning, we are sending because supporting law enforcement efforts on the ground and making sure we are providing resources in terms of women and manpower, but also financial resources is part of what our objective is as well. Further details around the rehoming of a husky dog which was involved in the killing of a family pet cat in the Midlands last summer, were sought by Judge Catherine Staines at Thursdays sitting of Portlaoise District Court. Husky dogs come to the district courts attention, more than other dog breeds, Judge Staines also noted. The judge made her comments in the course of considering a victim impact report in a case where two husky dogs had mauled a family pet cat to death. Before the court on the matter was James Greene of 71 OMoore Place, Portlaoise. He was charged with having an uncontrolled dog, a dog unaccompanied and not having effectual control of a dog at Rossvale Court, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise on July 31, 2020. Sgt JJ Kirby noted that the family's pet cat had been mauled to death by the dogs and the family had been very upset by it. Judge Staines noted that two Husky dogs had been involved in the killing of the cat. The incident had turned the familys lives upside down. The pet cat was the apple of the eye of the wife of the injured party. The family had suffered as a result. They did not accept the apology offered by Mr Greene. They said it was not a once off incident. The dogs had been wandering around for weeks. The Judge noted that the injured party wanted the dogs rehomed, not destroyed. However, she said she had concerns. A dog like this was capable of harming a child. She said she wanted to be 100 percent sure the new owners were responsible and keeping the dog properly secured. She noted a recent incident in an another part of the country where a young child had been killed by a dog. Husky dogs come to the court's attention more than any other dogs, she stated. Defence Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said that they were well founded concerns. Judge Staines said she wanted clarification. She noted that the injured party had drawn attention to Husky Rescue Ireland and Andy Cullen. She said she wanted to hear from Mr Cullen about the situation these dogs were being kept in. She said she wanted to hear this before the matter would be finalised. She addressed the issue of some financial compensation to the injured party's wife for the dreadful trauma she had undergone. Mr Fitzgerald noted that there were two dogs involved, but that Mr Greene was not the owner of the other dog. Any compensation should be split between both owners. Judge Staines said she would take into account that he was only responsible for one dog. She asked Mr Greene how he had got the dog rehomed. He replied that he had organised it himself. She said she needed to know who the new owners were and how the dog was secured. She directed that 400 be paid to the injured party and she asked for details of the situation of the new owners. The matter was adjourned to September 23. A MAN responsible for arson at Kinnitty Castle and two hotels in Galway in the 1990s was behind bars on Friday night (July 9) after his bail was dramatically revoked. At the conclusion of a jury trial two days before on Wednesday, Fred Dolan, 54, had been found guilty of setting fire to a car at Harbour Street in Tullamore on June 9, 2018. Mr Dolan, with addresses at Chapel Street and Clonminch Wood in Tullamore, then walked free from Tullamore Circuit Court after being remanded on bail for sentencing on December 7 next. Mr Dolan, who had denied setting fire to a Mercedes parked quite close to his then address at Chapel Street, was convicted after the jury viewed CCTV recorded from a camera at a public house, trading as Tanyard Lane at the time, on William Street. Judge Keenan Johnson was told there was no objection to bail. However, at Friday's sitting of the court prosecution counsel Kevin White, BL, said the case was being re-entered because the gardai were now objecting to bail. Despite opposition from defence counsel Stephen Byrne, BL, who said he had been given no advance notice of the change in the State position, Judge Johnson decided to hear evidence from Det Garda Pat Cleary. Det Garda Cleary said he had not been present in court when the guilty verdict was returned and he was now objecting to bail because of concerns about reoffending and the man's previous convictions. While his most recent convictions were for two theft offences, one recorded at Tullamore District Court in 2017 and the other at Mullingar District Court in 2017, his main concern was convictions for arson at Galway Circuit Court in 1999. Det Garda Cleary said Mr Dolan had been convicted of four counts of arson, at the Skeffington Arms Hotel, the Corrib Great Southern Hotel, Kinnitty Castle, and a house at Glenard Avenue, Salthill. Det Garda Cleary said the latter offence dated from 1982 and 15,000 pounds worth of damage had been caused. The arson at the Skeffington Arms was committed in December 1994 and the Kinnitty Castle offence occurred in September 1997. Mr Dolan received a three-year suspended sentence for those offences and had not been convicted of arson since, other than the fire which damaged the car in Tullamore in 2018. Det Garda Cleary said fines of 200 had been imposed for both of the theft offences. Cross-examined by Mr Byrne, Det Garda Cleary said the gardai had been aware of the previous convictions two days earlier when they indicated there was no objection to bail but agreed the guard present, Garda Barry Sheridan, had not said that. When Mr Byrne indicated to him he was puzzled by what had changed since Wednesday, Det Garda Cleary repeated that the gardai were concerned there would be reoffending. Det Garda Cleary said his role in the matter was to contact Mr Dolan on Thursday evening and inform him that he was to be in court the following day at 12 noon and that he should also contact his solicitor. Ruling that he was going to remand Mr Dolan in custody, Judge Johnson said the four previous convictions for arson were of grave concern to him and the accused was not entitled to bail, having been found guilty by a jury of another arson offence. In addition to the custody remand, he directed that a psychiatric report be prepared for Mr Dolan in advance of the sentencing date, which was fixed for December 7 next. Mr Byrne then asked for time for his client to get his affairs in order and was told by Judge Johnson that he had made his decision and that's it. Mr Dolan then indicated himself that he would like to be heard by the judge and Judge Johnson told him the simple fact was that he did not have any entitlement to bail. Given the gravity of the offence that's before the court, it's going to carry a custodial sentence in any event, said Judge Johnson. You'll get credit for time served. The two-day trial had heard how the owner of the Mercedes Benz, David White, had parked the car on Harbour Street and gone for a drink at 9.30pm on the evening of June 9, a Saturday. CCTV footage from a camera above a door of the Tanyard Lane public house was played for the jury by Garda Sheridan. It captured the door of the pub, the footpath, the junction of William Street and Harbour Street, and in the distance, a number of parked cars, one of which the prosecution said was the Mercedes which went on fire later that night. The jury also saw footage from inside the pub and Mr Dolan accepted that he could be seen in that clip, having gone in just before 11pm. He could be seen standing near the bar and looking out the window in the direction of Harbour Street. It was also the State's contention that a figure recorded walking on Harbour Street and getting into the Mercedes at 10.30pm, leaving and returning to it and getting into the back of it for three minutes, was Mr Dolan. Mr White, for the DPP (instructed by Sandra Mahon, Offaly state solicitor) also said a man recorded crossing from Harbour Street to William Street and going into the pub was Mr Dolan because he was wearing the same clothes, sandals, a tee-shirt and shorts, as the accused inside at the bar. The court heard the fire brigade had been called when smoke was seen coming from the back area of the car at 11.10pm and when the vehicle was examined afterwards, firelighters were found in it. The jury also heard that Mr Dolan, who lived around the corner from where the car was parked, was recognised by Det Garda Cleary in the footage from the interior of the pub. When he was interviewed by the gardai, Mr Dolan said he did not remember being out that Saturday night and did not know anything about setting a car on fire. When the CCTV footage was shown to him he accepted it was him inside the pub but did not accept that he was the person who was walking from the car. When he was asked why he was standing up on his toes while looking out the window of the pub he said he needed to stretch his legs. Replying to Mr Byrne (instructed by Donal Farrelly, solicitor), Garda Sheridan said a fingerprint which had been lifted from the roof of the car over the driver's door was sent for analysis but there was no match with Mr Dolan. In his closing address to the jury Mr White said that while there was no independent eyewitness who could say they saw Mr Dolan getting into the car, the CCTV footage was a witness and was entirely independent. In his closing argument, Mr Byrne said there had been no forensic evidence, there was no evidence of how the firelighters were ignited and there were no eyewitnesses in the normal sense of things. Mr Byrne said none of the other people in the pub were questioned and brought to court and the central plank of the prosecution's case was the video footage. Mr Byrne said identification evidence was unreliable and in this case the car was at a considerable distance from the camera, it was night time, and the most prominent feature seen on the footage was a traffic light. He also noted that even the gardai had not said the man seen at the car could be clearly identified as Mr Dolan. In his charge to the jury, Judge Johnson said no motive had been offered by the prosecution and it was accepted there was no connection between the accused and the owner of the car, a feature of the case he described as bizarre. He said if they had any doubt about the identity of the man responsible for maliciously setting the car on fire, they must acquit. After deliberating for about 90 minutes the jury of seven men and five women returned with a unanimous guilty verdict. Mr Byrne applied for sentencing to be adjourned and asked for a direction that a probation and welfare service report be prepared. He said Mr Dolan had already been in contact with psychiatric services and asked that his legal aid be extended to cover the cost of a report from a psychiatrist. His request for a remand on continuing bail was accepted, as were the applications for the reports and the legal aid extension. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. Yes. I would be the first in line. No. I don't trust that a vaccine will be safe. I plan to, but I want to wait to see effects of first doses. Not sure. Vote View Results The Foreign Office of Rhodesia condemns the sale of false or fantasy passports of the Republic of Rhodesia. However, as a persecuted people, the Rhodesian nation also understands that people might have a need for protection through a legal Camouflage Passport at times. In order to lead this issue into legal and - more importantly - cost-free channels, Section 5 of the new Rhodesian Citizenship Law (Asylum and Protection of Graveside services for Paulette West will be held at 10:00 am, Wednesday, July 21, at Silent City Cemetery in Monroe; followed by a memorial service at 11:00 am, at Church of the Nazarene in Pella. MOUNT PLEASANT [mdash] Shirley Ann Steele, 84, of Mt. Pleasant and formerly of Burlington and Ottumwa, died Monday, July 12, 2021 at Savannah Heights in Mt. Pleasant. A graveside memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, July 17 at the Agency Cemetery, Agency, IA. There will be n The Rotary Annual District Conference presents the opportunity for each Rotary Club in their district to honor an individual that "lives Rotary" and truly embodies what Rotary stands for. This year, the Midland Rotary Club nominated Angela Cole with the Rotary Hero Award for 2021. A Rotarian since 2013 and a Paul Harris Fellow, Cole has served in many leadership capacities over the years by chairing the Focus on Youth committee, helping with club programs, and most recently being elected to the board as president-nominee. In her daily life, Cole is an attorney at her own law firm, where she focuses on advocating for youth and ensuring their safety and wellbeing. photo provided Project 111 recently announced plans to launch the Project 111 Driving School in 2022. Thanks to additional support received from the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, Project 111 is able to further its vision of improving safe driving for teens and saving lives. The $10,000 grant we received from the Strosacker Foundation is a game changer enabling us to purchase a vehicle to get our driving school up and running, stated Sarah Schieber, executive director of Project 111. We could not be more grateful for their support and their belief in what we are doing. Project 111 cant do what we do without the support of the amazing foundations that exist here in Midland. The truth is, the Strosacker Foundation has been here for us from the beginning. This $10,000 grant is an extension of their efforts to enable us to fulfill our mission and keep our teens safe and our community safe. We honor them and say, Thank you! Thank you for believing in our mission, our vision, in our commitment to save lives. Panelists in this week's Midland County Long Term Disaster Recovery Group public Zoom meeting were united on this fact: Already-existing housing needs in Midland County have been exacerbated by the May 2020 dam failures as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Safe, sustainable and affordable housing is critical for people to thrive in our community, said Sharon Mortensen, president and CEO of the Midland Area Community Foundation, who moderated the monthly, hour-long meeting. "Before the flood, our community had housing needs that werent being addressed. The flood opened the eyes of our community to the housing needs that already existed before the flood." The main panelists of the meeting were Jennifer Chappel, president and CEO of Midland County Habitat for Humanity; Jenifer Acosta of Jenifer Acosta Development; and Donna St. John, executive director of Home to Stay Housing Assistance Center of Midland. St. John explained that part of her agency's work is helping those who are homeless and those who are facing the possibility of being evicted and becoming homeless. After the pandemic reached Michigan in March 2020, St. John said, shelters were "bombarded" with requests from people who needed a safe place to not only reside but to stay socially distanced from others. This also led to an increased demand on motels in the area. Acosta is co-chair of the Long Term Disaster Recovery Group committee on long-term housing, the purpose of which is to to identify solutions for flood-impacted long-term housing needs across Midland County, and to create a "robust database" of resources that can provide those solutions. This committee also includes representatives from the fields of law, realty, insurance, city planning, Sanford Strong, the Four Lakes Task Force, the Midland Business Alliance, FEMA, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, among others. Acosta cited a figure of $69,815,868 that represents the total unmet housing needs in Midland County. Chappel provided some background on housing needs in the county. "In 2017, we began a conversation in the community to articulate the need for affordable housing," Chappel said, which led to a study about that subject in 2018. Among the challenges identified in that study was the fact that 3,200 households in Midland County earn less than $20,000 a year and 80% of them live in the city of Midland. "You should not pay more than 30% of your income toward your housing costs," Chappel explained, noting this would amount to less than $500 a month for a household earning less than $20,000 a year. The study also determined that more residences in the county have been converted into rental housing as opposed to privately-owned houses, due to broader economic trends following what Chappel referred as the "housing bubble burst" of the late 2000s. "A younger family who is buying a first-time starter home, theyre eventually looking for a second home," she noted. "After the crash of the housing market, a lot of people couldnt sell their starter homes and so they were turning into rental units. Those were then turning into de facto affordable housing in our community." Lower demand for houses leads to lower values, which then lead to a rental and cash flow business model, Chappel explained. "The private marketplace cannot adequately serve (low-income households)," she said. Home to Stay is one of the entities that is stepping up to help fill that unmet need, including helping households with housing as well as with the expensive process of water restoration or first-time connection to the City of Midland water supply. The agency's partners include Midland's Open Door, the Salvation Army, and many other churches. Days Inn and Best Western have opened their doors to flood-impacted households at significantly-reduced monthly rates. And some residents continue to live in motels because they don't yet have a long-term housing solution. For the many residents whose homes were flooded last year, recovering and rebuilding has been an uphill battle. Chappel said only about 8% of all insurance claims in Midland County related to the dam failures were approved. St. John said it's vital to think outside the box in order to find lasting solutions to the need for affordable housing. "The public is looking at more creative ways to address housing needs," she said. One short-term program is COVID emergency rental assistance, or CERA, which is run by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and has provided almost $2 million to Midland County. "You can go online through the CERA portal (https://bit.ly/3wAu8FG) to apply," St. John said. "This can help with 12-15 months of back rent owed as well as future rental assistance." Those who are interested in CERA assistance can also call Home to Stay at 989-496-9550. "We are on a tight timeline for spending the funds, so we really want people to call us," St. John said. In terms of long-term answers, Chappel said the approved three-story, 55-unit Center City Lofts, to be built on Jefferson near the Midland Post Office, is one positive development. The apartments will serve households that make 30-70% of the areas median income, "The developers really listened to the housing study in terms of the needs in the community," Chappel said. Habitat for Humanity is also adjusting its strategies based on the housing study. "Habitat is adding multifamily homes to its offerings, based on the study saying that we need more diversity of options," Chappel said. "We will continue to build single-family homes, but we are adding multi-family homes as well." At the conclusion of the meeting, Mortensen reminded viewers that anyone in need of assistance related to the dam failures can call the Long Term Disaster Recovery Group case managers at 989-374-8000, or can call 2-1-1 or go to reliefmidland.org. The next public Zoom meeting of the Long Term Disaster Recovery Group will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. The topic will be the newly-formed Midland Business Alliance Infrastructure Committee's work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on an upcoming study aimed at finding solutions to the continual flooding of Midland County and the rest of the Tittabawassee River watershed. You can register to view the Aug. 12 meeting at https://bit.ly/36pwzQB. The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) announced Kaylee J. Debri, of Midland, has been selected to become a member of the esteemed organization. The society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment. The announcement was made by NSHSS Co-founder and President James W. Lewis. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas State Police on Friday handed over to prosecutors the results of its investigation into a deputy's fatal shooting of a white teenager that has drawn the attention of civil rights activists nationwide. Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said his office received the case file on the shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain by Lonoke County sheriff's deputy Sgt. Michael Davis during a June 23 traffic stop. Graham said the file has been taken to the state prosecutor coordinator since he's requested a special prosecutor to handle the case. Its been called the Gladdest Little Fair in Michigan, and the fair board has worked diligently to keep ahead of Monday's Gladwin County Fair opening, and a new carnival company will be featured starting Tuesday. Gladwin County Fair President Fred Shaver said there will be free parking and admission to the fair, which runs through July 17. Shaver said the fair board doesnt regret cancelling the fair in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was worth it to keep people safe. Despite still having bills for a fair they didnt have they wouldnt have changed their decision. Setup for this year's fair is Saturday and Sunday. Also on Sunday, the parade through town marking the start of the fair lines up at 4 p.m. and will step-off through town down State Street at 5 p.m. On Monday, July 12, the fair opens at 8 a.m. with judging of horses and then goats at 9 a.m. The merchant set-up is from noon to 4 p.m. and if merchants choose, they can open from 5 to 9 p.m. At 7 p.m., the grandstand will host go cart races and lawn mower mud bog. This is an event to see, said Devin Harris, of Clare, who viewed it two years ago. I mean, lawn mower mud bog? Who wants to miss that? In addition to hand sanitizer located throughout the fairgrounds, Shaver said people may notice fewer vendors. They have 48 spots for vendors, but they are only allowing 24. This allows people to spread out. Shaver said even though the governor reopened Michigan, there are still reasons to practice social distancing. We still have guidelines, Shaver said. It will take a couple of years to get back to normal. He was sad that one of the elephant ear vendors wont be returning this year after having been a staple since 1976. They said it was a difficult decision for them, but they did not want to participate because of COVID-19 concerns. They will hopefully be back next year, Shaver said. Tuesday, July 13, will feature swine judging at 8 a.m., rabbit judging at 9 a.m. and sheep judging at 5 p.m. Rides by Anderson Midway out of Standish, begin, running from 5 to 10 p.m. The ride operators will be sanitizing between riders. Shaver said this is a new addition to the Gladwin County Fair and they are happy to welcome Anderson Midway and plan for a great partnership. Shaver said its also great because they are local. The merchant buildings are open from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. At 6 p.m., Jedi Mind Trip, The Sinclairs Band and 25 Cent Beer Band concert begins. Gladwin County Fair Grandstand Supervisor Tammy Hawblitzel said the fair board has worked extremely hard this past year to find out what people want, and they are changing things up a bit to accommodate that. We hope the community comes out and supports the fair and has a great time, Hawblitzel said. Hawblitzel said, while theyve had bands in the past, this time, they are welcoming three bands this year. Tickets for the event are $20 and will be available at the ticket stand the day of the concert. The ticket stand opens at 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays schedule begins at 9 a.m., with dairy cattle judging and poultry. Rides run from 2 to 10 p.m. and merchant buildings open from 2 to 9 p.m. The livestock auction begins at 6:30 p.m. and the popular tractor pull begins in the grandstand at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $5 for kids, $10 adults and children under 5 are free. Thursday welcomes 9 a.m. market swine showmanship, 11 a.m. market beef showmanship. Market sheep showmanship begins at 1 p.m. and the small animal auction is at 6:30 p.m. Rides run from 2 to 10 p.m., merchant buildings open from 2 to 9 p.m., and the truck pulls begin in the grandstand at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for children, $10 for adults and children under 5 are free. Friday is the speed and action classes in the horse arena at 8 a.m., overall showmanship practice at 11 a.m., and the rides are from 2 to 10 p.m., with merchant buildings open from 2 to 9 p.m. The horse awards ceremony is at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. motors will roar, mud will fly, and fans will cheer for the mud bog trucks. The pit gate opens for the mud bog trucks at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 adult, $5 for children and pit tickets are $15. Dee Evans of Gladwin said nothing keeps her two boys, 7 and 9, more entertained as a mud bog. They love mud bogs and I will hear about it for weeks, she said of her boys. Ive even started to love them, just from their excitement. Evans said she is so happy to see the fair return. Its just a great asset to the community and God, we need this, she said. My kids, my neighbors kids, my bank teller and long lost brother everyone is looking forward to this. Its a sign that there is life after COVID, she added. This is something normal. On the final fair day, judging for overall showmanship begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and the rides run from 2 to 10 p.m. Merchant buildings are open from 2 to 9 p.m., and derby registration begins at 4 p.m. The car Bump and Run starts at 7 p.m. Shaver said a lot of people have switched from the demo derby to the bump and run derby figure eight. This event allows people to take their cars to other fairs because they arent demolished like they sometimes are in the demo derby. Cars are stripped down to the sheet metal, and some may have cages attached. Tickets are $10 and children 12 and under are $5. Pit tickets are $15. There are five classes for the event. The county fair cleanup day is Sunday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to noon. Open class and animal exhibits are released. The fair board works very hard to make this happen, Hawblitzel said. We truly appreciate the support we get. A fair schedule can be found at http://www.gladwinfair.com/fair-schedule.html AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The possibility of Texas Democrats staging a second walkout to again stop one of America's most restrictive new voting measures grew louder Saturday, as hundreds of people waited hours to rail against the GOP's plan in the largest turnout this year at the state Capitol. As Republicans made clear they intended this weekend to advance a new election bill which would prohibit 24-hour polling places, ban drop boxes and stop drive-thru voting some Democrats who broke quorum in May are now describing it as their best, if not only, option again. Texas is among several states with GOP-controlled statehouses where Republicans have rushed to enact strict voting laws in response to former President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. A second walkout by Texas Democrats would mark a high-stakes escalation of their efforts to deny Republicans a major priority, and in turn, put more pressure on President Joe Biden to act on voting at the federal level. Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic former Texas congressman who is considering challenging Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022, said he has already offered help, saying he was ready to raise money "literally to feed and house the legislators if they go that route. Should we stick around? Hell no. For what? Democratic state Rep. Jarvis Johnson said. There's nothing being done in earnest. There's nothing be done with the utmost respect for one another. For weeks, Democratic leaders in the Texas House have said they are not ruling out another revolt, but have also expressed hope of weakening the bill during the 30-day special session. Johnson, however, believes a large number of his colleagues are ready to deny Republicans a quorum for a second time, though most continue speaking cautiously. You may know my next move, but you can't stop it. You never knew when Mike Tyson was going to throw the uppercut, but you knew he was going to throw it," he said. Another walkout may merely buy more time: Abbott could keep calling more 30-day special sessions until voting measures are passed. Paychecks for nearly 2,000 Capitol staffers could also be on the line, because Abbott vetoed funding for the legislative branch following Democrats' late-night walkout. He has signaled he will restore that funding this summer if lawmakers are around to put a bill on his desk. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the elected head of the governing body for the county where Houston is located, said Abbott was extorting lawmakers to get the legislation passed. Hidalgo said she was would support Democratic legislators breaking quorum again to block the bill's passage. It is very important to me to recognize voting rights should be above politics, Hidalgo said. We can do that with all manner of issues, but not voting, not democracy. The last time Texas Democrats left the state to deny a quorum was 2003, when they decamped to Oklahoma and New Mexico to try to block new GOP-drawn voting maps. They were gone more a month, but ultimately, Republicans passed a new redistricting plan. On Saturday, both the House and Senate were expected to advance the revived voting bills, which no longer include two of the most contentious provisions: prohibiting Sunday morning voting, when many Black churchgoers go to the polls, and language that would have made it easier for a judge to overturn elections. Hundreds of opponents packed overflow rooms at the Capitol and waited for hours to testify. It was the biggest turnout against a bill this year in Texas, where COVID-19 concerns have dampened crowds. Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes defended the election proposals as refining and improving the voting process, and said newly added provisions increase early voting hours and provide opportunities to fix rejected ballots. Your ballot is sacrosanct, Hughes said. Everything else in the election process should be bathed in sunshine." Nacal Tate said she woke up at 4 a.m. to drive from suburban Dallas to Austin to testify against the bill, even though it meant missing her grandniece's birthday party. She was joined by June Jenkins, president of an NAACP chapter in Collin County. Hopefully the impact of what we do today will be worth the sacrifice of what we needed to sacrifice," Jenkins said. "My compromise is to kill it. ___ Acacia Coronado is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. BLOOMINGTON Karen Zangerle, executive director of PATH Inc., has announced her retirement after 35 years leading the agency. Her last day will be Friday, July 16, according to a news release. PATH, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year, is known for its 24/7 suicide crisis hotline and the related crisis management services. Under Zangerle's leadership, the agency has grown to implement the United Way 2-1-1 resource line that is now providing services to 49 counties in Illinois and growing; homeless services as part of the Central Illinois Continuum of Care; adult protective services; and the McLean County PATH-O-GRAM, a free bi-weekly email news resource for human service professionals. Zangerle also has led the agency to be nationally accredited by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems and the American Association of Suicidology; and has been involved in community work regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness and other social issues. PATHs board of directors has selected Christopher Workman as the next executive director, effective July 6. He is a native of Normal with an undergraduate degree in social work from Illinois State University and a masters in social work from the University of Chicago. His career spans 30 years of in human service, government, academic and consulting/business environments in Illinois and Kentucky. Karen is leaving an amazing legacy; she is a true community hero who has worked tirelessly to provide access to help to others, Workman stated. We will continue the valuable work Karen and our founders from ISU and the community created to improve and save lives of our most vulnerable. He added, "We are lucky that Karen would like to continue on as a volunteer for our crisis line. Her knowledge to assist others in a crisis is worth its weight in gold. Zangerle said, I think the board of directors made the right choice in hiring Chris. Chris has a unique blend of community development and public and private administration experiences that will be needed to lead an agency like PATH Inc. Chris has years of experience working with various health and human services partners and governmental officials that provides him the ability to work closely with all of our partners, staff and clients. If you are in a crisis and need help, call 2-1-1 immediately. You can also contact the crisis center via text at TXT211 (898211) or via the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline via 800-273-TALK. For more information, contact Workman at cworkman@pathcrisis.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After air travel hit a pandemic high over the July Fourth weekend, United Airlines said it plans to add flights to some domestic and international beach destinations over the winter holidays . United will have 30% more flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central American this winter compared with the same period in 2019, the airline said Friday. There will also be 137 more flights to warm-weather destinations in the U.S. between November and March, including up to 12 additional daily flights from Chicago to Key West, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego, California. As pandemic restrictions ease, people are becoming more confident in planning travel further in advance, so we want to make sure to offer our customers as much choice as possible, Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning at United, said in a news release. The Chicago-based carrier said it flew five times as many passengers over the July Fourth travel period compared with 2020 and expects the trend to continue for the rest of the year. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 10.1 million travelers at airport security checkpoints between July 1 and 5, down roughly 17% compared with the same period in 2019. Though the overall number of travelers remains down compared to pre-pandemic levels, in part because business travel has not yet recovered, airlines say leisure travelers are returning. United isnt the only carrier adding flights. Last month, Southwest Airlines announced plans to resume flights to all international destinations it served before the pandemic by Nov. 7. Southwest will also have a new seasonal daily flight from OHare International Airport to Cancun, Mexico starting Nov. 7. International flights from Midway Airport have already restarted. On Thursday, Spirit Airlines also announced plans to resume all pre-pandemic international flights, which depart from Orlando, Florida, this fall. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Couple endows nursing chair CHICAGO The University of Illinois Chicago has received a gift to establish the Kathleen M. Irwin Endowed Chair Professorship in Outstanding Nursing Practice. Irwin, who attended UIC, used to see patients at Mennonite Hospital in Bloomington for several years. She died in February. Dr. Steve Irwin said his wifes modest upbringing helped her develop great empathy and insight, and now hes honoring her and her nursing career with the endowed chair professorship. After research and discussion, the couple determined they wanted to support the college's academic enterprise and discovered there wasnt already a named chair in the clinical side of academic nursing. After her death, Irwin established this endowed chair in response to her wishes and to honor her legacy. The named chair will support the work of a clinical-track faculty member who is active in nursing practice. It also supports UICs faculty retention IGNITE Campaign. Contact Paul Swiech at 309-820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Authorities on Friday released the name of a Washington man killed in a crash on Interstate 55 Wednesday night. Seth Phillips, 47, was driving north on I-55 near milepost 122 when he lost control of his vehicle in the heavy rain, state police said. The van crossed the median and entered oncoming southbound traffic, where a semitrailer truck struck the vehicle. Phillips was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, as were a 16-year-old girl, a 17-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, all from Washington, Illinois. The names of the teens were not released by Illinois State Police. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} A 13-year-old girl was also a passenger in the van and was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. No updates on her condition were available. The driver of the semi truck refused medical treatment and a passenger in the truck was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit is continuing the investigation into this fatal crash. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 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. A Davenport woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for fatally shooting another woman in a Chuck E. Cheese. Treshonda M. Pollion, 25, was originally charged with first-degree murder, but in April she accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The plea deal included a mandatory sentence of 10 years. Pollion was arrested on Oct. 25 for shooting Eloise Chairs, 29, after the two women allegedly got into a fistfight sparked by an argument about a game card. "I don't know if I've ever seen a more senseless crime than this one," Scott County Judge John Telleen said during the sentencing hearing. Chairs' mother, Angela Chairs, gave a witness statement during the hearing, emphasizing how the lives of Chairs' children has changed since their mother died. "In that moment when you shot her, you stopped everything ... I just can't believe this nightmare," Angela Chairs said. "I just don't understand how you can just walk up and shoot somebody." Pollion was scheduled to be sentenced in early June but the sentencing was delayed after Pollion reportedly claimed innocence in a pre-sentencing interview. Davenport officers were dispatched around 7:38 p.m. Oct. 25 to Chuck E. Cheese, 903 E. Kimberly Road, where they found Chairs with a gunshot wound. Chairs was transported to Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport, where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Investigators said a number of witnesses described an argument among Chairs and others at the restaurant, sparked by a game card. After the initial argument ended, a second altercation started between Chairs, Pollion and a witness. A Chuck E. Cheese manager tried breaking up the fight when Pollion and Chairs allegedly exchanged punches. A witness who first argued with Chairs said she saw Pollion with a gun in her hand and heard Chairs warn others Pollion had a gun. Investigators said a single shot was fired during another altercation between Chairs and Pollion. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PEORIA A Peoria man's attorney erred when he allowed him to plead guilty to sex crimes that sent him to prison for 15 years, an appellate panel ruled recently. They said attorney John Lonergan should have continued to push for a fitness evaluation because Jeffrey A. Adkinson, 45, was showing signs of having mental health issues when he pleaded guilty in December 2010. When Adkinson was charged in Tazewell County with aggravated criminal sexual abuse and predatory criminal sexual assault for the alleged abuse of an East Peoria girl, Lonergan initially filed a request for a fitness exam. The reason was that Adkinson wasn't acting normally and didn't appear to be able to aid in his defense. That matters, as the justice system can't proceed if a defendant isn't aware of his surroundings or is unable to aid in his defense. Yet a few months later in December, Lonergan withdrew that request and allowed his client to plead guilty to all three charges, receiving a 15-year sentence. That, the three judges at the 3rd District Appellate Court held, is where he erred. "... Defendant was taking psychotropic medication that was known to cause loss of balance and control, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, hallucinations, and confusion. Given these allegations, we find that counsel's failure to persist in his request for a fitness evaluation arguably prejudiced defendant," wrote Judge Eugene Daugherity with Judges William Holdridge and Tom Lytton concurring. When reached this week, Lonergan said he had no comment. Adkinson filed a post-conviction petition in 2013 asserting his trial attorney was ineffective, but that was tossed out. Three years after that, a different appellate panel found his post-conviction attorney from 2013 was deficient because he failed to note "trial counsel's initial fitness concerns and defendant's medical and mental health records from the county jail." So in 2016, the appellate court sent the case back to the trial court to resume the post-conviction proceedings. Things moved along until a judge in 2018 initially found him unfit. But that same judge later reversed himself, ruled Adkinson was fit and threw out the post-conviction petition after hearing Adkinson was taking medication in 2010 before the guilty plea that caused him to hear "less voices, and (that he) seemed to be 'grounded in reality.'" Adkinson appealed, and the June 23 order sending the case back is a result of that. A date for Adkinson to return to Tazewell County Circuit Court for a hearing has not been set. He is scheduled to be paroled from the Illinois Department of Corrections next April. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Three people are dead, and at least 11 others were wounded in city shootings since 3 p.m. Friday, Chicago police said. The latest fatal attack happened shortly before 6:30 p.m. Friday in the 11000 block of South Vernon Avenue in the Roseland Neighborhood. Police said a 39-year-old man was on the sidewalk when a light colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, striking the victim to the chest. The man was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Around 8:20 p.m. in the Chatham neighborhood, a male victim whose age was unknown, was found on a sidewalk in the 600 block of West 80th Street with a gunshot to the head and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Earlier Friday afternoon, two men, 47 and 34, were both shot at a residence in the Roseland neighborhood in the 11800 block of South State Street. Police said about 5:20 p.m., the men were inside of a residence when they both were shot by an unknown person. The older victim suffered wounds to the head and buttocks. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was shot in the left hand and right shoulder, and was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. In other shootings from 3 p.m. Friday to Saturday morning: Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Saturday, a 36-year-old woman was shot multiple times while inside her vehicle in the 5500 block of South Princeton Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood. She suffered several wounds to the arm, and was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. Shortly before 3 a.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in the 3100 block of West Roosevelt Road in the Lawndale neighborhood. Police said the man was driving when another vehicle pulled alongside and an occupant opened fire, striking him in the hand. He drove himself to Holy Cross Hospital where he was listed in good condition. Shortly after 2:45 a.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the 4500 block of West Maypole Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said the man was standing outside when someone in a passing vehicle fired shots, hitting him in the abdomen and leg. He was dropped off to Rush University Hospital and later transferred to Stroger Hospital where he is in critical condition. About 1 a.m., two men, 32 and 48, were both shot in the 4100 block of West Adams Street in the same neighborhood. The men were among a large group outside when they were shot. The younger man suffered two wounds to the chest, and got himself to Stroger Hospital where he is listed in serious condition. The other man was shot in the back, chest and arm, and got himself to Mount Sinai Hospital where he is listed in serious condition, police said. Shortly before 1 a.m., a 33-year-old man was shot in his leg and got himself to Mount Sinai Hospital but would not provide any details to police about the shooting. Shortly after 10:10 p.m. Friday, a 59-year-old man was shot by two people in the 1300 block of South Blue Island Avenue in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood. He suffered a wound to the body, and was taken in fair condition to Stroger Hospital. About 8:15 p.m., a 28-year-old man was shot while he was driving in the 8000 block of South Marshfield Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood. He suffered a wound to the left shoulder, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where his condition. was stabilized. About 5:30 p.m., a 26-year-old man was shot in the West Englewood neighborhood while he was parked in the 5600 block of South Wolcott Avenue. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where his condition was stabilized. About 3:40 p.m., a 29-year-old man was shot in the 4400 block of West Princeton Avenue in the Fuller Park neighborhood. Police said the man was on the sidewalk when someone exited a vehicle and shot him in the back. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center but his condition was unknown. No one was in custody for any of the shootings, and detectives were investigating. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Police in Chicago have identified a 34-year-old man fatally shot by law enforcement officers after he reportedly pointed a gun at them as they tried to arrest him. The Chicago Police Department released Klevontaye White's name late Friday. Officials initially said the man who was killed was 33. White died at a Chicago hospital, hours after Friday's shooting in the city's West Garfield Park neighborhood as members of a fugitive task force were trying to serve an arrest warrant for aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm. Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters that the man wouldn't get out of the vehicle he was in and pointed a gun at the officers. Three Chicago police officers and a U.S. marshal opened fire. Authorities haven't said whether White fired any shots, but no officers were wounded. Police body-camera video of the shooting will be released within 60 days. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LEWISTOWN And then there was one. Of the four inmates who escaped Wednesday night from the Fulton County Jail, three were back in custody Friday morning. According to the county's top law-enforcement official, the men's method of escape has been eliminated. "I've told everybody there was a deficiency in the jail that was exploited," Fulton County Sheriff Jeff Standard said. "It's since been corrected. There's no way they will get out this way again." During an interview Friday morning with the Journal Star, Standard would not be more specific. The only escapee still on the run as of mid-morning Friday was Zachary Hart. The 36-year-old is 6-foot-6 and 170 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes, according to the Fulton County Emergency Services Disaster Agency. Among other crimes, Hart has been accused of home invasion and fleeing from a police officer. He is from Canton but was extradited recently from Kentucky, Standard said. His department has had numerous encounters with Hart. Standard said he believes Hart no longer is in the area. Following a manhunt that extended north at least 25 miles from the jail, the other three escapees were captured Thursday. The third escapee to be located was 26-year-old Cody Villalobos. According to Standard, Villalobos was apprehended while hitchhiking between Trivoli and Hanna City in western Peoria County. Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell confirmed Villalobos was taken into custody about 10 p.m. Thursday along Illinois Route 116 near Eden Road. Villalobos is from the Canton-Farmington area, Standard said. Earlier, escapees Eugene Roets and Jesse Davis were captured in disparate locations. The first escapee to be apprehended, Roets was found in the Peoria area. Standard said he wasn't sure if the address was in the city of Peoria or in Peoria County. Authorities received a tip regarding the whereabouts of Roets, 23, who had been residing in the Lewistown area, according to Standard. The sheriff said officers from the Peoria Police Department, the Peoria County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were involved in Roets' arrest. Peoria police spokeswoman Amy Dotson confirmed her department's involvement. But for additional comment, she deferred to Fulton County authorities. The capture of 35-year-old Davis who had been spending time recently in Cuba and Canton, according to Standard was more complex. Early Thursday, Davis stole a van in Farmington, Standard said. Earlier, Davis was seen running through residential yards and hopping fences in the city along the Fulton-Peoria county border. The county line is near where Davis crashed the van, according to Standard. A tip led searchers to Blue Spruce Road, northeast of Norris and between Canton and Farmington, where they found Davis walking. "He was taking a lot of resources (to find)," Standard said. "Where he was walking, there aren't any residences, really. The guys were not too far from there when that tip came in." Searches took place on foot and by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and drone. Numerous local, county and state law-enforcement agencies participated. None of the captured men resisted arrest, according to Standard. "They knew it was up, and they knew we were after them and coming in force," he said. The four escapees were discovered missing during deputies' regular tour of the jail, Standard said. Cells are checked every 30 minutes. About 50 people usually are lodged in the jail at any given time. At the time of his escape, Roets was awaiting transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections, to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence. He was accused of at least eight crimes, including aggravated battery and possession of methamphetamine and stolen property. Davis was accused of obstructing justice and of meth possession, among other charges. Villalobos was accused of various drug crimes. Roets was transported Thursday night to Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, according to the sheriff's office. Davis and Villalobos were returned to the county jail. All three men face escape charges, as will Hart if and when he's captured. The charge carries a state-prison sentence of three to seven years. Villalobos made his initial court appearance Friday regarding the new charges, according to the Fulton County Circuit Clerk's Office. Davis was scheduled to appear but refused to leave his cell. Bond for each man was set at $1 million. The next court appearances for Davis and Villalobos were scheduled for Wednesday. It wasn't clear when Roets will appear in court. During an interview Friday morning with WBYS radio in Canton, Standard cited the age of the jail building about 35 years in discussing the circumstances of the escape. "It's unfortunate this happened. We've rectified the issue on our end," Standard told the Journal Star. "We just want to reassure the county that we are a secure facility, and we are going to take care of our business and get (Hart) back as quickly as we can." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SKOKIE Illinois public school students will be taught Asian American history under a law signed Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The topics will include the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II; the military service of Asian Americans; Illinois and Midwest history of Asian Americans; and the role of Asian Americans in expanding civil rights. A lack of knowledge is the root cause of discrimination, and the best weapon against ignorance is education, said state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, the sponsor of the bill. Pritzker signed the bill into law at Niles West High School in Skokie. Its a new standard that helps us understand one another, and ultimately to move ourselves closer to the nation of our ideals," he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JACKSONVILLE Illinois is now the first state in the nation to require Asian American history be taught in public schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law the Teaching Equitable Asian American History Act, which will require the addition of Asian American and Pacific Islander history lessons. About 6% of the state's population is Asian, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. The highest concentrations are in DuPage County (12.6%) and Champaign County (11.1%). In west-central Illinois, the Asian population is under a half percent in Scott, Pike, Greene, Brown and Schuyler counties, but higher in Cass County (0.7%), Morgan County (0.8%) and Sangamon County (2.1%). The percentages have been growing steadily during the past few years in most parts of the state, according to Census Bureau estimates. Pritzker said the legislation builds on efforts to ensure the content taught in Illinois classrooms reflects the diversity of the state. Supporters hope it also will counter a recent rise in acts of violence and bigotry against the Asian American community by teaching students about the culture and its contributions. "We are reaffirming our commitment to creating more inclusive school environments. We're making Illinois the first state in the nation to require that Asian American history will be taught in public schools, including a unit about the Asian American experience," Pritzker said. "We are setting a new standard for what it means to truly reckon with our history. It's a new standard that helps us understand one another, and, ultimately, to move ourselves closer to the nation of our ideals." Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, all public elementary schools and high schools will be required to include a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian American history, including the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest. In Pritzker's first year in office, he signed a bill requiring Illinois schools to include the positive contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals in history lessons. This year, the administration also expanded Black history education requirements. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes across much of the U.S., the difference between the lasting and temporary changes that it wrought are starting to emerge. Hype and wishful thinking have contributed to predictions that are likely to prove wrong; just because a change was striking or desirable doesnt mean it will stick. One way to think about the changes is to analyze the balance of power between competing interests employers and employees, buyers and sellers, doctors and patients, among many others. Another is to ask which changes were already underway before the pandemic and see whether those are likely to accelerate or stall. The pre-pandemic world operated as it did for specific reasons and those reasons will reassert themselves as life continues to normalize. Take remote work. It may be a great arrangement for many workers, giving them more control over their time and allowing them to avoid commuting. It may be great for many employers, letting them save on costly real estate while maintaining a productive workforce. But I am skeptical that it is the way of the future. One reason why: Workers compete with each other, and those looking to get ahead will put in more face time at the office, knowing that deeper professional relationships can lead to better opportunities and advancement. This will create pressure for other workers to do the same. This was true before the pandemic, and will be true after it is a memory. In part because of this, even if employers continue to offer more generous work-from-anywhere policies, they will probably find before too long that most employees are in the office most days. The same competitive dynamic could keep business travel at close to pre-pandemic levels. Maybe fewer people will fly from New York to Los Angeles for a meeting. But for many occupations, getting on a plane and traveling to meet a supplier, a customer or a potential colleague is a way to communicate the importance of that interaction. Other aspects of pandemic life accelerated pre-existing trends. In some instances, I dont think well see a reversal, despite forces that will be pushing for a return to the way things were. Telemedicine is an example. For years, it has become steadily easier to receive routine medical care through innovations like medical clinics inside retail stores staffed by nurses authorized to write prescriptions. The pandemic hit the gas pedal on ease. I had a sinus infection last fall. Within one hour, I had booked an appointment, completed a video conference with a provider on my phone, and picked up my prescription at a local pharmacy. Going to work when sick is another habit the pandemic is likely to break. I know Ill think twice before going into the office with a mild fever or taking a flight with a cough. Despite having routinely gone to work under the weather, the pandemic has made me more aware of the risks of spreading disease. Ive also taught myself how to be productive from home. To figure out what will stick and what wont, look at the deeper forces that led things to be the way they were prior to the virus. Will those forces remain? Strengthen? Weaken? They shaped life before, and will shape life after but with a pandemic twist we can now start to understand. Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As I write this, two of the three national credit rating agencies have upgraded the State of Illinois rating in a weeks time. And the only remaining holdout owes us one. Bigtime. As you know, Moodys Investors Service upgraded its Illinois rating by a notch in late June and S&P Global Ratings followed suit on July 8. Fitch Ratings is the only one left. Back in April of 2020, when the pandemic was gripping the world, Fitch downgraded Illinois credit rating the only credit downgrade Illinois has received since Bruce Rauners days as governor. Just a month before, Moodys and S&P, which had both lowered the states credit rating in June of 2017 (just before members of both parties in the General Assembly overrode Rauners tax hike veto), revised their outlooks on Illinois from stable to negative, but didnt actually lower the states rating. Fitchs previous ratings downgrade came in February of 2017. We are concerned with how the state is going to fare through what is clearly a significant economic dislocation, a Fitch executive told Reuters in April of 2020. At the time, the Illinois legislature was unable and unwilling to meet. The governors office was projecting a $7.3 billion hole in the FY 2020 and FY 2021 budgets and had undertaken a $1.3 billion cash flow borrowing program. Fitch also worried that the temporary measures Illinois was taking to deal with its budget shortfall would be difficult to unwind after the pandemic passed. Almost nobody thought that Fitch was wrong about the future back then, even though the action seemed a bit too severe. A divided Congress and a Republican presidents open hostility to certain large-state Democratic governors who were also having budget problems made for a very bad situation. But then the federal government began the first of what turned out to be several economic and state and local government fiscal stimulus measures. Then there was a change in the US Senates majority and the election of a Democratic president. Some very prudent Illinois budget moves of both increasing annual revenues and keeping spending flat all led to Illinois eventually emerging from FY21 with a budget surplus. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Indeed, state revenues for the just-concluded fiscal year (which ended June 30) finished $1.9 billion higher than the Governors Office of Management and Budget projected when the budget-makers were doing their business in May. The total was also $1.2 billion higher than projected in May by the legislatures Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. COGFA reported last week that, excluding borrowing, state receipts finished the fiscal year a stunning $6.792 billion above the previous fiscal year, which had included the long months of stay at home orders in response to the worldwide pandemic. Of that, net income tax receipts were up $5.6 billion. And only $1.3 billion of that was attributed to the shift of the income tax filing deadline from April 15 of last year (which was in Fiscal Year 2020) to July 15 of last year (Fiscal Year 2021). State sales tax receipts grew $1.1 billion due to strong consumer spending reflecting stimulus payments, improving job picture, and improved consumer confidence, COGFA reported, and federal receipts were up $1.19 billion from Fiscal Year 2020. Tax revenue sharing with local governments grew by $442 million due to higher personal and corporate income tax receipts. But this stark number stood out to me in the COGFA report: Revenues from the states inheritance tax grew by 59%, or $167 million during Fiscal Year 2021. More than 23,000 Illinoisans have died so far during the pandemic. Notably, last months inheritance tax receipts were 14% below the same timeframe during the previous fiscal year as the pandemics impact has now tapered off. Mays inheritance tax receipts were down 7% and Aprils were off by 37.5%. This years March receipts, however, were up 414% from March 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning. As weve already discussed, the enormous amount of federal money pumped into the economy last year and this year contributed to the strong gains in income and sales tax receipts here and everywhere else. The countrys mostly successful vaccination program also certainly helped, as many workers felt safe enough to return to their jobs. But the hard truth is the state never came close to missing a bond or pension payment during the pandemic (or since the 19th century, for that matter). Fitchs prediction, while perhaps accurate during a time of great international crisis, proved to be false. Mistakes can always be corrected. This one should be, too. Fitch owes us one. Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The middle-of-the-night assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise at his home near Port-au-Prince early Wednesday is a shocking and brutal act that will be felt far beyond the island nation. In Miami, with its deep connections to Haiti, this bloodshed comes as cataclysmic news. It will no doubt create even greater fears that the country, already hurting for so long, will now descend into chaos. It's not yet completely clear what happened. Initial reports indicated the attackers spoke Spanish and that some claimed to be with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, though sources told the Miami Herald those DEA claims were false. Interim premier Claude Joseph quickly condemned the attack, which also seriously injured Moise's wife, Martine, as "odious, inhumane and barbaric." It follows months of unrest and violence in Haiti, a poor nation of about 11 million. Since January 2020, Moise, 53, had been ruling by decree, after the country failed to hold elections. Opposition leaders have been demanding that he step down amid a constitutional crisis and allegations that he used armed gangs to stay in power. The assault occurred just one day after Moise named a new prime minister to take charge of the government and prepare the country for elections in two months, including for president. Even as the country has grown increasingly dangerous, with kidnappings on the rise along with gang violence, the Biden administration has been pushing for free and fair elections there. But not everyone agreed. In February, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urging the U.S. to back a transition government in Haiti. The lawmakers said the human rights situation there was perilous, and accused Moise of flouting democracy. In May, the U.S. extended 18 months of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to Haitians already living in the United States, an important acknowledgment that conditions in the country had grown too unstable for citizens to return safely. The assassination of Moise will now force new clarity in U.S. policy on Haiti. The U.S. is Haiti's biggest donor. The administration is well aware that there have been worrying signs for months that Moise was becoming the region's newest strongman. Still, the U.S. has continued to push for "free and fair" elections" in a country with too much turmoil to pull that off. We don't yet know what the full ramifications of this assassination will be. We don't know in what direction the country will go nor exactly what the U.S. role will need to be. But there is no doubt, as we wait to learn more, that this horrific execution of the president of Haiti means the U.S. must step up, clearly and strongly, to back democracy in that tortured nation. Miami Herald Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions In May Patently Apple posted a report titled "Media Executive Barry Diller claims Apple has overcharged his companies on the App Store in a "Disgusting Manner." The report noted that Diller lashed out at Apple in a CNBC interview by stating that "The idea that they actually justify it by saying, We spend all this money protecting our little App Store.' I mean, its criminal. Well, it will be criminal," he predicted. Barry Diller is a board member and Senior Executive of IAC, a media conglomerate that owns mostly media and internet companies such as Universal Studios, Sci-Fi Channel, Ticketmaster, USA Network, Expedia, Lending Tree and more. Diller is a gnarly man. Diller, who is attending this weekend's Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, an event that Apple's CEO is also attending, told NPR that the movie business, as it once operated when he led studios, is dead. "The movie business as before is finished and will never come back," he said. Diller once ran 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. Instead, he said, streaming services like Amazon Prime are created to sell people more things from Amazon. Diller added that "These streaming services have been making something that they call 'movies' They aint movies. They are some weird algorithmic process that has created things that last 100 minutes or so." Yesterday, the CEO of IAC, Joey Levin, pushed Diller's agenda against Apple forward by stating that "Apples next, and I think Apple is, in many senses, worse" than Google, which was sued this week by a group of state attorneys general. Levin added that Apple has "forced companies into the system. They have a monopoly, theres no way around it. And the fees are exorbitant, and that flows through to everybody." Apple has steadfastly defended its policies, saying the money it gets from commission fees goes into maintaining and securing the App Store in a way that ultimately benefits app makers, which mirror what Diller stated weeks ago. Levin told CNBC that "I think the world could use competition. I think the world could use some regulations around the scale of these businesses now, theres a lot of power concentrated in very few hands," Levin said, adding that its a tricky job to implement regulations as they frequently favor the incumbent. "Itll be good for innovation, if they can get it right." To review more of this story and the full CNBC video interview, click here. Clearly IAC's CEO and Board member Barry Diller are bitter over internet companies like Apple, Google and Amazon haven taken a lot of their ppower and influencce in the media world. Levin stated that they're spinning off their big media holdings like Match Group and Vimeo to focus on rebuilding by acquiring new businesses in new areas such as "blockchain" which he described as "a new exciting wave of transformation." On June 17 Patently Apple posted a report titled "With LG pulling out of the Smartphone business, the company wants to sell iPhones, iPads & Apple Watch in 400 Korean LG Best Shops." Then on June 28, we posted a follow-up report titled "Apple's Possible Deal to sell iPhones in 400 LG Shops has sent a shockwave into certain business groups asking LG to Reconsider. On Tuesday, the Korea Times reported that "LG recently held a special promotion for iPhones, iPads and other Apple products on Lifecare, its online shopping mall for group employees, according to the sources. This was reportedly the first time that the group offered mobile devices from another smartphone manufacturer for its employee purchase program. The move came amid growing speculations that LG Electronics may sell Apple products to local consumers at its 400 stores nationwide following its departure from the mobile business." This is a positive move forward. However, a relatively unknown Korean source by the name of smedaily claimed on Friday that LG has decided to halt their move to extend sales of iPhones and iPad in their 400 physical stores. The report further noted that " Samsung Electronics is concerned about apple's cooperation with LG Electronics, which will lead to a weakening of the domestic market's lead." Oddly this latest news from smedaily isn't being covered by the larger Korean news sources such as the Korean Times, The Korea Herald, Business Korea and others. Is it possible that LG has decided to limit the sales of iPhones and iPads to its online store? Yes of course, but we'll need confirmation from a second source, a major Korean tech site, to confirm this latest rumor as fact and whether it's a temporary measure dealing with local politics. Several ground-breaking innovations have been birthed during this pandemic as companies and industries are at their wits end, figuring out how to lessen the financial burden on their customers. One of the most pioneering initiatives during the period was introduced by Vodafone Cash as part of its comprehensive support for Ghanaians. The Mobile Financial Service operator completely waived off charges on any amount of money transferred from Vodafone Cash to all networks in addition to its already existing no charges to other Vodafone Cash customers. In essence, customers do not incur any charges when they send money from their Vodafone Cash account to friends and loved ones on Vodafone and other networks. This initiative, which remains the most innovative product from the industry, has brought great relief to millions of Ghanaians as well as Small and Medium Enterprises across the country, as Vodafone continues to absorb charges. Vodafone Cash customers have expressed their appreciation and commended the operator across various social media platforms for the bold move. Some of the positive comments picked from Twitter include the following. Sharing his delight using the Vodafone Cash service, Jude Focus said, Vodafone Cash is too good, there have been no charges on all transactions since last year. According to Samuel Amenyo, I started laughing when I realized other networks charge as much as 10 cedis for sending money, meanwhile, I send money on Vodafone Cash without any charges. Gerson Ato Essel wrote, Just transferred all my money from that network onto my Vodafone cash wallet because I know my money is safe from fraudsters. Cobby Ing Jr. also tweeted, Thanks Vodafone cash, this has made my transactions more convenient than ever without thinking of the charges, Im grateful Commenting, Martison Obeng-Agyei, Head of Vodafone Mobile Financial Services said: It is very heart-warming to hear these testimonies from our cherished customers. We are excited that our decision to completely waive off charges on money transfers to other networks is making such a great impact in the lives of our customers and businesses. Besides the financial relief, this bold step has also broadly expanded digital financial inclusion which remains the focus. I am extremely excited that we have brought such relief to customers saving them millions of cedis in what would have been charged. Prior to this initiative, Vodafone was the first operator that allowed customers to enjoy free charges on interoperability transactions below Ghc100 before the Bank of Ghanas directive for operators to waive the charges. Customers who have not yet subscribed to the service can simply dial *558# to register. Non-Vodafone customers can also visit any Vodafone Retail Shop or Agent to port their number or purchase a SIM card, register with a valid ID card and then activate their cash wallet. 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 Mr Alan Kyeremanten, the Minister of Trade and Industry, has assured victims of the Makola Market fire that Government will find means to alleviate their plight. "We have told them to take their time to salvage a few more of their goods ... and itemize everything and bring their lists so that we can compile and bring it to government for compensation," he stated. Mr Kyerematen said this when he visited the fire scene to assess the situation. He said it was unfortunate that another fire outbreak was experienced in the central business district at a time the traders were recovering from the 'blows' of COVID-19, but assured of Governments support. Mr Kyerematen said Government had set up a committee to look into the cause of the fire incidents for more permanent and practical solutions to address them. He said Government was reviewing the report and working closely with the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to develop a policy framework to deal with the issues. Dr Joseph Obeng, President of GUTA, described the recent fire incident as unfortunate and demanded the release of all investigative reports on previous fire incidents, particularly in the countrys commercial centres to enable authorities to guard against future occurrences. He said, we want the Government to submit the reports of forensic audits from previous fire outbreaks. That way, a committee can be set up to find a lasting solution to the issue. The Monday morning fire outbreak razed over 50 shops. 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 Union of Ghana Students held its 54th handing over ceremony on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. The event which was held at the Cedi Auditorium of the University of Ghana commenced with a leadership training session followed by the handing over and finally, an awards ceremony. The event was well attended by highly distinguished personalities including the minister of finance, Hon Ken Ofori Atta who was the guest speaker for the ceremony. He had a conversation with student leaders present on key elements of running businesses and the role his ministry and the government is playing to facilitate the growth of businesses in the country. This year, the NUGS excellence awards took a new twist. Instead of the regular processes as followed in the past, this year saw the establishment of an awards board to scout and vet individuals and institutions across the country who have positively impacted education in the year under review. The board after careful scouting and vetting, awarded the ultimate prize to the CEO of the GNPC Foundation, Hon Dominic Eduah for his immense contribution towards the education sector in the country. For the years under review, Dr. Eduah through his works at the foundation has undertaken several projects across the country which sought to make education accessible and quality. The projects included construction of educational facilities and provision of teaching and learning materials to some schools in the country. The board also acknowledged the efforts of organizations such as the Science Set team, Akuapem Education Trust, Tech Era, Cocoa 360. Hon Kwame Poku - DCE for Amansie South, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa -MP for North Tong, Hon Lydia Seyram Alhassan -MP, Ayawaso West Wuogon , Hon. Dr. John Kumah were among the individuals who made the list of awardees. The event also saw the emergence of CEQA Foods and Beverages Limited emerge as Youth Enterprise of the year. The DCE for Amansie South Mr. Clement Opoku Gyamfi also received high accolades for his particular attention for Youth and Students development in his district. Source: Peacefmonline 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 Rev Ntim Fordjour has urged industry players in the cocoa value chain to undertake social investment into positioning wards of cocoa farmers in underserved communities to contribute meaningfully to the industry in the future. He urged Cargill and other industry players to support Gifted and Talented wards of cocoa farmers through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics pathways so as to attain essentials skills in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Process Control, Food Processing Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Science, and such other skills required in the cocoa industry. This was contained in a message he delivered on behalf of Hon Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister for Education today Friday, July 9, at Adjei Kojo where Cargill launched the construction of 6 basic schools in cocoa-growing communities. Rev Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education recounted how as a son of cocoa farmers, he struggled to access Education. "Growing up in an underserved cocoa farming community called Assin Kruwa, I and my friends who are also children of cocoa farmers were resolved in our dream to someday contribute meaningfully to nation-building and transform the cocoa sector. But today, I stand here alone as an Engineer, Policy Analyst, and Deputy Minister of Education, not because I was the most intelligent among my friends in the village, but because I had access to Education. Many of my friends and cousins couldn't afford Education. Today, the narrative has changed by the visionary intervention of Free SHS by President Akufo-Addo." The Deputy Minister of Education indicated that a total of 2007 school infrastructure projects in pre-tertiary schools were commenced since 2017, out of which 60% have been completed with the rest expected to be completed soon. The government has committed further investment into addressing school infrastructure deficits. However, interventions by the private sector will also be in the right direction to compliment the efforts of government. He indicated that the most productive form of corporate social responsibility is Investment into Education and urged other industry players to emulate. The 6 basic schools being constructed by Cargill in conjunction with CARE International are located in Adjei Kojo, Fordjourkrom, Fofiekrom, Fahiakobo, Juabo, and Lineso. Present at the ceremony were the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Hon Okyere Baafi, MP for Tema West, Hon Carlos Ahenkorah among, and Heads of Diplomatic Missions. 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 Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo has indicated government's commitment towards eliminating the challenges the most vulnerable in Ghana face as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic at the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on Tuesday. The UN is holding its 9th Session of the High Level Political Forum(HLPF) on Sustainable Development under the theme, "Ensuring that No One is Left Behind" from Tuesday 6th July to Thursday 15th July at the UN Headquaters, New York. The HLPF is the main UN platform on Sustainable Development with a central role in the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All UN Member States as well as representatives from civil society organizations participate in the HLPF, which meets under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, was invited by the UN Economic and Social Council to speak on the protection of the poorest and the vulnerable from the COVID 19 crisis and empowering them to realise the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). In her Address, Hon. Adwoa Safo highlighted some of government's key initiatives to help all Ghanaians, especially the vulnerable, to mitigate the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic including the Social Protection Policy and the Ghana Cares program. "In Ghana, the government has started deliberate interventions to target the vulnerable in society. These include the: Social Protection Policy, National Gender Policy, School Feeding Policy, Free Compulsory Basic Education, Free Senior High School, Childrens Act, Disability Act, National Health Insurance Act, National Plan of Action on Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor, National Framework on Early Child Marriage and the Strategic Plan to Address Teenage Pregnancy are just some of the legislations carved to protect and promote women, girls, the young and the vulnerable" she mentioned. She continued, "The President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo has also initiated the Ghana COVID-19 Alleviation and Revitalization of Enterprise Support initiative (GHANA CARES). This initiative is an audacious GH100 billion post COVID programme to stabilize, revitalize and transform Ghanas economy to create jobs and prosperity for Ghanaians over a three-year period. This will go a long way to help Ghanaians, especially the most vulnerable to navigate the effects of the pandemic in our country." On the effects of the Global Covid 19 Pandemic on adolescents worldwide, she mentioned that it would be essential to take an intersectional approach that addresses the different factors that may impede adolescents' well-being due to the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. "Everywhere, adolescents suffer the consequences of COVID-19, including isolation from their peers, interruption of their education and increased vulnerability to sexual abuse, and this has affected their physical and mental health. It is essential to take an intersectional approach that addresses the different factors that may impede adolescents' well-being. Due to its multi-dimensional nature, multiple sectors must unite around the common objective of improved adolescent well-being. Therefore, we must align efforts across and beyond United Nations partners together with adolescents and youth. We are pleased that steps towards such an alignment are underway, building on ongoing adolescent-related strategies and initiatives" she stressed. Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo is leading the call to accelerate action and invest in the youth towards the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Source: Peacefmonline 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 Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has urged the Regional Offices of the Lands Commission to tackle the challenges inhibiting an effective land administration system. He said the Commission needed to work diligently to address inefficiencies, fraud and delays in land acquisition and registration. It is the duty of the Lands Commission to promote the judicious use of land in accordance with sustainable management practices, he emphasized. Mr Jinapor, who was inaugurating the re-constituted Ashanti Regional Lands Commission in Kumasi, tasked the members to ensure that land development issues conform with the nations development goals. He said, the majority of the people continued to be dissatisfied and highly frustrated with land administration in the country. Therefore, the Ministry looked up to the Commission to provide the people with the much-needed leadership and solutions for effective implementation of the governments reforms to harmonize and sanitize the land administration system, he said. The time to get on and come with the grips of land administration is now. We cannot continue with business as usual. Let us be honest, the Minister said. According to him, Article 258 of the 1992 Constitution enjoined the Commission to, amongst others, see to the effective administration of land and formulate national policies for the management of the natural resource. The Regional Offices of the Lands Commission, the Minister noted, should live up to expectation and address their peculiar problems in fulfilment of their mandate. Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, the Regional Minister, lauded the government for the construction of an ultra-modern office to serve as a one-stop facility for all the key land sector reforms under the Land Administration Project (LAP). Today, the Regional Lands Commission can be cited as the only true model of the one-stop-shop concept in Ghana, he noted. The initiative, the Regional Minister said, was a step in the right direction given the areas significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), especially agriculture, mining, commerce, tourism and real estate. 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 South Africas former president, Jacob Zuma, who on Thursday, July 8, began a 15-month sentence for contempt, will be eligible to be released on parole in just under four months, the authorities said. Under the countrys correctional regulations, "the former president will be eligible for parole once a quarter of his sentence has been served," Justice Minister Ronald Ramola told reporters. Zuma "will be afforded dignity throughout his term of incarceration," he said, speaking in front of Estcourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal province. Zuma handed himself in overnight to the police to begin serving the sentence at the jail, which is located in a small farming town. The sentence was handed down by the Constitutional Court on June 29 after Zuma refused an order to appear before anti-graft investigators. Zuma, who is in "good spirits" will be placed in isolation for the first 14 days in jail in line with Covid-19 protocols, the minister said, adding that he would not receive "any special treatment." 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 Wa Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, has lauded the Military High Command for swiftly sanctioning the soldiers who engaged in the brutality against civilians in Wa over the alleged missing phone. He said the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Thomas Oppong Peprah, had kept his promise of getting to the bottom of the matter when he visited his Palace a day after the incident. The Wa Naa has, therefore, appealed to persons affected directly or indirectly by the condemnable act to forgive the Military and take solace from the saying that: To err is human and to forgive is divine. The leadership of the Military, having realised their men erred, to a very large extent, and having gone ahead to take serious actions against them, is enough testimony of the fact that the High Command does not condone such unruly behaviour from its men and so we need to forgive them, he said. The Wa Naa was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, through his Secretary, Naa Kadri Ibrahim, the Jinpenhi Naa, at the weekend. To the extent that the men involved are losing their ranks that took them years to acquire is no mean punishment and we must let bygones be bygones, he added. He expressed the hope that the High Command would continue to take steps to ensure no such misconduct occurred in the region in future. He commended the Ministry of Defence for agreeing to absorb, in full, the medical expenses of all who were injured as a result of the brutality and urged the victims to forgive. Wa Naa Pelpuo said forgiveness was important because the people would need the military and other security agencies to protect the peace and security, and so should not let the unfortunate act mar the cordial relations that existed between them. Terrorism activities in neighbouring countries are a threat to the country and broken relations between the military and the citizens will affect intelligence gathering, he said. He urged residents to continue to share very relevant information with the security personnel concerning threats of terrorism from neighbouring Burkina Faso. On Thursday, July 1, 2020, some soldiers from the Hippo Barracks in Wa stormed the town beating some young men indiscriminately over the loss of a cell phone owned by one of the soldiers when he hired a commercial tricycle to the Barracks. The Wa Municipal Hospital authorities say three persons, including Mr Cletus Awuni, the Upper West Regional Public Relations Officer, reported to the hospital with injuries he sustained as a result of the brutality. Mr Awuni and one other Mr Mahama Gafaru, whose right leg was fractured, were referred to the Regional Hospital for further medical attention. Mr Gafaru has since undergone surgery. Meanwhile, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has instructed the Committee on Defence and Interior to move to Wa to investigate the incident and report back to Parliament for further actions. 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 Governance Lecturer of the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah has condemned the governments decision to pay wives of the President and Vice President. Parliament has officially approved that the spouses of the President and Vice President will from now receive salaries. The First and Second Ladies' salaries are considered as part of the privileges of the President and Vice President. The President does approve salaries and benefits for the Executive. Under Article 71, the First Lady and Second Lady are not office holders so no one can determine their benefits under that article. However, a committee only recommended that an arrangement for the spouses be made formal and that received approval from Parliament. President Kufuor, in his wisdom, instituted this because of the bad situations of some spouses of some former Heads of States then. Presidents Mills and Mahama even increased the rates of these benefits during their time. The truth of the matter is that all surviving spouses of Heads of State, current and former, have always received salaries. Lordina Mahama, Naadu Mills, Matilda Amissah-Arthur, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Faustina Acheampong, Fulera Liman etc have all been receiving salaries since President Kufuor's time. What has happened now is that the arrangement has been made formal but that was done legally based on the recommendation by the Emoluments Committee, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah indicated. But Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah disagrees with the arrangement, stating the State is already taking care of the two ladies. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah insisted that paying the President and Veep's spouses salaries is unnecessary. "They don't need it. The country takes care of them; their health, feeding and so forth. It's the State that takes charge of the cost involved in everything they need to survive as human beings . . . Because the State already takes care of them, I think it's not necessary for a sitting President's wife to receive allowances . . . Everything they need, the country provides for them." '" . . why give them allowance again?", he asked. 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 Former Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has expressed disgust over the dissenting views on the payment of salaries to First and Second Ladies in the country. Parliament has officially approved that wives of the President and Vice President should be paid for their services to the country. However, before the approval of this arrangement, the President and Vice President's spouses have already been receiving allowances. This arrangement was instituted by the erstwhile Kufour government to ensure that the First and Second Ladies are well catered for when their husbands are in government and out of power. Opposition But the Parliamentary approval has been widely met with opposition from some members of the Minority in Parliament and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as well as the general public. NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram constituency, Sam Nartey George has indicated he will be heading to court to challenge this government's decision. "I am a Member of Parliament, I personally do not subscribe to that, whether it is an NDC President or an NPP President, your wife is not a Public Officer, your wife is your wife. Are we also going to say that the Spouse of the Chief Justice, the spouse of the Speaker must also be paid? Where do we draw the line. Already they get allowances, they get protection from the state at the expense of the taxpayer and I don't have a problem with that . . . there are certain things that the political parties we must think...", he argued. Also, NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Abronye DC has dragged the Attorney General to the Supreme Court over the decision. He's prayed the Supreme Court for a declaration that, the approval by Parliament to pay salaries to the First and Second Ladies is inconsistent with ARTICLE 71 CLAUSES 1 AND 2 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and consequently be declared null, void and unenforceable and also wants the court to order that, per Articles 108 and 178 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; parliament cannot, on its own accord, initiate or approve payment of any such emoluments; which would necessarily be paid from public funds; without a bill to that effect emanating from and introduced by the Government and duly passed into law. Dr. Okoe Boye Replies Opposition Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dr. Okoe Boye wondered why this matter should be a topic for discussion, stating there's nothing new about the government's decision to pay the First and Second Ladies. He indicated that First Ladies of the Republic from previous governments till date have already been receiving allowances or what some call 'salary' but, his problem, is that it has always been done in secrecy. He noted that what Parliament has now done is to formalize the payment ensuring the First and Second Ladies' receipt of their allowances is no more than passed, "under the table" where no one knows how much they receive from the State. To him, making it open is the best way. He, therefore, lambasted the opponents claiming they only seek to score political points with this move to officially pay the First and Second Ladies. "Is this how you want to build your country? . . . How can you, for 28 years, be giving money to spouses or First Ladies . . . by passing it under the table?", he queried. 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 With her arm around a youngster, Eeder and residential school survivor Jane Stelkia, 91, talks to the crowd at the unveiling of the residential school memorial wall at the Osoyoos Indian Band offices in Oliver Friday. Burned cars and structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. Nearly $4 billion in unclaimed property waiting to be claimed by Pennsylvania residents Vermillion, SD (57069) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low near 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a 39 million loan package for the construction of the Kinguele Aval hydroelectric project in Gabon. The package comprises 20 million from the African Development Bank, 10 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund and 9 million in concessional financing from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, a special multi-donor fund managed by the African Development Bank. Additional financing to meet the projects 133.8 million budget will come from the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, the Canada-IFC Program for Renewable Energy in Africa, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Development Fund. The loan funds will be disbursed to Asonha Energie S.A., a company created to manage the project. The project entails the design, construction, and operation of a 34.1-megawatt power plant with a net annual generation of 203-gigawatt hours. The Kinguele Aval dam will be built on the Mbei River, 90 km east of Gabons capital, Libreville, downstream from the Tchimbele (69 MW) and Kinguele Amont (58 MW) hydroelectric plants. We are delighted to support the first IPP project in Gabon, said Mr. Wale Shonibare, Director of the Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation Department at the African Development Bank. Kinguele Aval is a showcase project, and the success of the model provides a useful template for future projects that will help move the country closer towards achieving the governments 100% clean energy target. Kinguele Aval epitomizes the catalytic effect of SEFA and co-financing from the likes of the Africa Growing Together Fund that the Africa Development Bank brings forth to support developers deliver sustainable renewable projects that aid Africas energy transition, said Dr Kevin Kariuki, Vice-President of Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank. The project aligns with the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan and the countrys commitment to address climate change under the Paris Agreement nationally determined contributions framework. The project is also consistent with the African Development Banks New Deal on Energy for Africa and the Light up and Power Africa High-5 strategic priority. Comments , Cookies . cookies. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. MONCKS CORNER A $500 million manufacturing plant that DuPont shuttered after just six years is coming back to life as the chemical giant looks to repurpose the building. Since March, the company has made more than $55 million in investments to revitalize the plant, which has been vacant for almost four years. In 2017, DuPont closed its Kevlar operation near Goose Creek less than six years after opening the factory, citing declining demand for the product used in protective gear such as helmets and bulletproof vests. DuPont announced a $40 million investment in March in the Berkeley County plant to expand production of Molykote, its trademarked silicone oil that is used for damping, sealing and lubricating outdoor equipment, pressure systems and electrical gear. The company is making an additional $16 million investment $13 million in property upgrades and $3 million in equipment to make unspecified medical supplies that will add 15 full-time jobs at the plant. DuPont sees the value in the Cooper River site, said Bill Alexander, plant manager. We are open for business and weve got a hunger to grow our business at this site. We think theres a huge amount of value and potential here at the site and we want to bring more investment here. When DuPont decided to consolidate its Molykote production, the thought was to put its workers at several different sites in Michigan and Kentucky, Alexander said. The company eventually made the decision to place the more than two dozen employees in South Carolina. Its the first investment in the plant since it was closed, and its bringing life back to the building, Alexander said. Sign up for our business newsletter. Our twice-weekly newsletter features all the business stories shaping Charleston and South Carolina. Get ahead with us - it's free. Email Sign Up! He declined to specify the type of medical equipment the former Kevlar factory will produce. Were not ready to make that public just yet, he said. That should come in the coming months. In effort to help DuPont revitalize the property along the Cooper River, Berkeley County Council approved a tax break last month. The Delaware-based chemical company will receive a reduced tax rate from 10 percent to 6 percent for the next 20 years on its $16 million investment of equipment and property. Most commercial businesses are taxed at a 6 percent rate, but manufacturing companies are taxed at a 10 rate. The state has an antiquated tax system, said Berkeley County Councilman Josh Whitley, who is head of the finance committee. This locks in their rate. Its an economic incentive that will add good-paying jobs to the county and allow a company like DuPont to reinvest in the facility. A separate DuPont manufacturing business has remained in the countys Bushy Park area. That plant employs about 50 workers who make Hytrel, a flexible and heat-resistant fiber used in the automotive and household appliance industries. Kevlar was developed by DuPont in 1965 as a substitute for steel in racing tires. COLUMBIA TaShya Jay just finished the fourth grade when a hail of bullets tore through her Batesburg home in Lexington County on June 9, killing the vibrant 11-year-old and plunging her close-knit town into grief. They took my baby, TaShyas mother, Shandreka, said at a June 23 meeting in Batesburg-Leesville Town Hall, where participants spent more than hour discussing ways they can curb gun violence in their neighborhood. Me and my daughter got to learn to live again because my youngest daughter is nine, and she had to witness the whole thing, a 5-year-old had to witness it, and it's not right, it shouldn't be like that." The young girl's death the result of a suspected gang rivalry is among 14 gun-related homicides across Lexington and Richland counties since June 1, a spike that suggests to law enforcement officials that 2021 could surpass last year as the deadliest on record. Authorities from the Columbia Police Department, Lexington County and Richland County sheriffs departments have made 21 arrests in connection with the spate of early summer shootings, which is typically a busy time for law enforcement. "We tend to see some numbers have a typical upswing in the summer, and that's because more students are not in school, there is more outside activity, so it's not unusual for us to see certain categories of crimes have a specific increase," Lexington County Sheriff's Department spokesman Adam Myrick said. Those slayings come off a year when 571 people were murdered across South Carolina a 25 percent leap from 2019 and the most ever recorded annually since 1960. Most of them were from firearms, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said. Keel feared this year would be even more tragic. As bad as it was last year, 2021 appears to be trending even worse and were just entering the summer months when traditionally we see a spike in violent crimes across our country, he told reporters in June. South Carolinas rising death toll from guns matches national trends. Through the first five months of 2021, more than 8,100 people were killed by a firearm, according to a June 14 Washington Post analysis of Gun Violence Archive data. That amounts to 14 more daily gun deaths than over the same span in 2020, the newspaper reported. South Carolinas firearm mortality rate of 19.9 out of 100,000 people put the state eighth highest in 2019, the latest data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control statistics. Of the 1,012 gun deaths that year, 45 percent, or 453, were homicides the fifth highest rate in the country. TaShya's murder, which grabbed national media attention, wasnt the only high-profile shooting to happen this year. In May, the body of 15-year-old Sanaa Amenhotep was found in a wooded area off Interstate 20 in the Leesville area of Lexington County, three weeks after she was reported missing. Her mother, Saleemah Graham-Fleming, blamed absent parents and complacent communities for allowing such killings to continue. If there's anything to take from this, really be a community. Love people before there's a problem so you don't have to serve out of guilt, Fleming said during a 10-minute eulogy on May 3. We have to stop showing up for people when it's too late, we've got to start coming around with fake love that will go away in 30 days. The steady rise of firearm deaths and injuries means community activists like Perry Bradley are broadening their scope to address the problem. His Building Better Communities, founded in 2010, will hold its first-ever gun violence summit later this month. We want to try to begin the process of the ones that are picking up these guns and using them, he said. The multiday event will include a mini career fair, breakout sessions by law enforcement officials, face time with victims and perpetrators of firearm-related crimes and training sessions on topics including de-escalation and conflict resolution. The hope is to reach directly into communities and link at-risk youth with a mentor or confidant. People are picking up guns because theyre afraid. Their friends are getting shot, theyre running into rival all the time in broad daylight, so people are picking up guns that wouldnt normally pick up guns, Bradley said. Officials are also planning a gun amnesty day at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Columbia on July 24. Pastor Ivory Thigpen, whos also a member of the S.C. House, said firearms will be accepted and disposed of without any questions asked or charges pressed. A lot of times, I think people arent aware that something has become an issue simply because it hasnt reached their doorstep, but the more we are collectively concerned for one another, the more we can decrease such rising trends, Thigpen said. Myrick said his agency is working on a plan over the coming weeks to partner with various groups and people impacted by violence to meet with young people around the county, hoping their stories will help to avoid any more bloodshed. Keel said its up to lawmakers and people like Bradley to assist police in funneling guns away from criminals. Making it more difficult to prosecute drug crimes, allowing repeat violent offenders to continually make bond and keeping convicts behind bars until they complete sentences would all help, he said. Its very disheartening to see so much effort on anti-public safety legislation that puts criminals back on our streets and makes our communities less safe, Keel said on June 3. each one of these statistics is a member of our community. These are loved ones, our neighbors, our friends. These are South Carolinians. NORTH CHARLESTON We Are Family's move into the city in 2019 provided the region with its first LGBTQ-dedicated office, retail and community space. Now, the nonprofit's new leader wants to extend the organization's reach. Executive Director Domenico Ruggerio envisions a mobile thrift store that could reach rural communities and college campuses across the state. "The potential is limitless," Ruggerio said. Ruggerio joined We Are Family on June 28. He replaces Nijeeah Richardson, who stepped down last month to take on a new role with Southern Vision Alliance and will be based in New Orleans. Richardson led the group as it obtained its dedicated space at 1801 Reynolds Ave., doubled the organization's operational budget, and added the organization's mental health assistance and Lowcountry Gender & Sexuality Alliance programs. The outgoing director is confident in Ruggerio's ability to successfully guide We Are Family. "With his leadership and commitment to radical social change, We Are Family will grow exponentially and expand its reach ensuring that trans and queer youth in South Carolina are recognized for the vital contributions they bring to their families, schools and communities," Richardson said. Ruggerio was appointed to the role following an extensive national search, board members said. "We are in a strong position for continued growth and are confident that Domenico has both the vision and experience to build upon our 26-year history of community-based service," said Jordan Carter, chair of the board. A mobile thrift shop would be an extension of We Are Family's Reynolds Avenue store. Over the past year, the space has provided the public with 100 gender-affirming products, and increased its sales by 20 percent. Ruggerio wants it to also be a place where young people can work and obtain necessary skills. I really want our youth to get the skill and experiences to be on their own path to economic mobility," he said. Ruggerio wants to also expand the organization's reach into minority communities. He added that he'd like to see more Black queer and trans youths in the nonprofit's support groups, as well as minority parents. He looks forward to partnering with organizations such as Metanoia and Charleston Promise to better serve minority LGBTQ students. If our work is not based in being an anti-racist organization, were not serving the communities in the way we should be," he said. That will involve some internal work, such as examining the level of diversity of We Are Family's leadership, and creating policies around helping clients handle offensive remarks that are made during peer group sessions. I really want to deep dive in creating equitable historical practices, policies and mindsets," he said. "It has already been happening with our programs." Ruggerio brings with him experience as a social justice educator and facilitator, college administrator and program manager. He joins We Are Family from Teach for America South Carolina, where he most recently served as director of education, advocacy and systems transformation. Previously, he held higher-education administrative roles that supported and empowered students of color and LGBTQ students and communities at several colleges, including the College of Charleston. NORTH CHARLESTON The city is implementing a wave of new transit-friendly zoning rules calling for wide sidewalks and more space for outdoor dining around the Lowcountry Rapid Transit line. The special overlay districts, which add an additional layer of zoning that help provide consistency in a certain area, are also being used to help preserve the rural character of undeveloped properties across the Ashley River. North Charleston has already passed two special overlay districts since last year, and a third zoning district is being considered. Overlays are common tools used by municipalities to help provide consistency in an area with multiple base zonings, said Kathryn Basha, planning director with the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments. "With an overlay district, you get some uniformity," she said. "They're really common." North Charleston's most recent proposal, the Upper 52-78 Overlay District, will soon be reviewed by the city's Public Safety Committee. The plan couples with the Rivers Avenue Corridor South Overlay District to prepare for expected growth from the Lowcountry Rapid Transit system along U.S. Highways 78 and 52. The two Rivers Avenue overlays are similar, both focusing on transit-oriented development. The districts call for new development to face Rivers Avenue, the creation of a 12-foot-wide sidewalk and restrictive commercial uses. What's different is the Upper 52-78 Overlay District includes a plan for a "backage" road that allows drivers to access businesses from the rear. The back road will help make the corridor safe for cyclists and pedestrians by limiting curb cuts and traffic buildup along busy thoroughfares, Basha said. "It'll definitely create a much better living space for people using the corridor and who want to access transit," Basha said. North Charleston drew from other cities where these kinds of zonings have been successful. For example, the idea for an activity zone along Rivers Avenue and University Boulevard was inspired by Mount Pleasant's Boulevard Overlay. That district covers Johnnie Dodds, Coleman to Rifle Range Road, and Chuck Dawley boulevards. The plan calls for an activity zone, or a public, walkable space adjacent to businesses. "We wanted to create public open space along the corridor that creates more pedestrian-scaled activities," said Megan Clark, the city's deputy planning and zoning director. Basha wrote the Highway Commercial District being used by the town of McClellanville, where residents didn't want the commercial corridor to disrupt the rural look and feel of the area. There hasn't been a lot of development in the town since the ordinance was adopted 20 years. But new development, such as a Dollar General, has abided by zoning guidelines, she said. Similarly, the Oakland Shopping Center in Mount Pleasant sits in a special district that called for the complex's deep buffer and controlled access points, Basha said. North Charleston is also paying attention to development in rural parts of the region. The Ashley River Road Corridor Overlay covers the city's 9,000 acres where North Charleston hopes to maintain the scenic character as a 1,000-home complex is under construction. The plan calls for more open space by clustering development, a 200-foot-wide buffer, trails and limited curb cuts onto S.C. Highway 61. "It was a unique opportunity for the city because its an area that hasn't been developed," Clark said. The districts have been effective in areas with transit lines. Basha worked for years as a planner in Virginia. A focus around zoning for transit-oriented development in Arlington County has led to a transformation in the city. Once made up mostly of 1930s-era commercial strips, layered zoning helped pave the way for transit-friendly development, Basha said. The fact that North Charleston is taking similar steps is admirable, Basha said. Were really impressed with North Charleston being proactive and putting this in place," she said. "We want not only the (LCRT) to be successful, but we also want the development and services along that line being able to maximize their potential." Violent crime is back in America, Charleston very much included. There is no shortage of suspects why: too many guns, too much COVID-19, the loonies who want to defund the police. But Charleston cops will tell you getting guys like Mark Lee Frasier, his friends and enemies, off the streets and keeping them off the streets is their No.1 priority as crime surges. Today, Frasier, 29, sits in the Charleston County jail, where he has spent much of the past decade. He is charged with killing 60-year-old Arthur Anderson and wounding a second man at the Robert Mills Manor housing project on Beaufain Street in April. Police say Frasier was running a drug house when he started shooting up the place at 1 in the morning. Over the last 10 years Frasier has been arrested 11 times, court records show. At 19, he was charged with intent to distribute marijuana. At 20, he made the newspapers for an armed robbery in Rosemont. Four years later, he was back in the news for wounding a man in Rosemont. In the three months before the latest shooting, Frasier was arrested twice, once for domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, the other for possession of a gun as a felon. He was out on bail on both charges. Now a man is dead, and Frasier is back home on Leeds Avenue yet again. The revolving door of serial offenders arrest, release, repeat is driving the resurgence in violent crime, say the police. Capt. Andre Jenkins, the head of the citys detective bureau, estimates violent crime would fall 80% if police could take 50 guys off the streets. It is the same people committing the same crimes, says Jenkins, who has been a cop in this town for 22 years. The entire system is failing. The court system was already overwhelmed when the pandemic effectively shut it down last year. Rather than risk infections by sending suspects to jail, judges sent them home on bail, often with ankle monitors that worked sometimes. The results were predictable: Violent crime rose 24% in the city of Charleston last year. Homicides doubled. The same story played out in cities across the country. To turn the rising tide of crime, we must address the root causes of crime: poverty and inequality. But Thomas Abt, in his fine book Bleeding Out, argues persuasively that urban crime is the linchpin of urban poverty and must be dealt with first because of the way it destabilizes entire communities, black and brown communities in particular. Focus on the violence first, he preaches. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! Anti-violence strategies should be properly understood as the tip of the anti-poverty, anti-racism spear, writes Abt, whose solid liberal credentials include working for Barack Obamas Justice Department and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York. Start with Capt. Jenkins 50 guys. The cops cant keep arresting them only to have the courts keep putting them back on the street. The goal should be to get those who dont need to be in jail out, and those who need to be in. The many should not have to live in fear of the few. No one should be in jail for being poor; they should be there for being violent. Rather than ending cash bail, we need to make it harder for those accused of violent crime to get back on the street. In South Carolina, a suspect being held on $200,000 bail on a serious charge can too often get out by paying a bail bondsman a few thousand dollars upfront and maybe $500 a month, or the price of a few extra drug deals for some guys. The system isnt working and the Legislature needs to fix it. Consider Kimani Pinckney, who like Mark Lee Frasier is in the county jail accused of murder and attempted murder. Pinckney, 23, is charged in a wild rush-hour chase down Interstate 26 last November that left one man dead, another wounded and their car riddled with nine bullet holes. While he has never been convicted of anything, Pinckney was previously arrested four times in four years on charges of possession of illegal funds and drugs. All those cases were pending when he was arrested yet again in the I-26 shootout. Pinckney had been ordered to wear a tracking device after his arrest last year on a charge of possession of a stolen gun. Both men hes accused of shooting were also out on bail on weapons charges, court records show. Police say the shooting, like so many others, was gang related. Public defenders for both Pinckney and Frasier wouldnt comment. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson also declined to discuss any of this. Jenkins and his cops are left to chase the same guys day after day, year after year: They always find a way of getting around the system, and they end in a tragic situation where someone loses their life. Its insane. Justice its not. Steve Bailey can be reached at sjbailey1060@yahoo.com. Follow on Twitter @sjbailey1060. Most misconduct complaints against S.C. judges are dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Thats no surprise since most are made by people who appeared in court before a judge and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel doesnt explain to people the difference between I didnt like the judges decision and the judge was acting unethically. What is surprising is how many complaints are dismissed after that office recommends action. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020, the office dismissed 111 complaints against judges immediately because they weren't actually about misconduct. In 59 instances where the office decided to proceed with a disciplinary case, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct dismissed the complaint. It took action against only three judges, with two letters of caution and one admonition. All three actions remain confidential, which means the commission might as well not have bothered, since nobody who has any say in whether judges are reappointed or replaced will ever find out. It seems unlikely that fewer than 5% of the judges whom the professional investigators believed should face discipline actually did anything wrong, although it's technically possible. But while a single case doesnt prove anything, a look inside one judicial complaint that The Post and Couriers Joseph Cranney and Avery Wilks documented in the latest installment of our Uncovered investigative series provides a disturbing suggestion that South Carolinas Supreme Court doesn't take judicial integrity seriously enough. In December 2018, relatives of Chasity Avinger filed a disciplinary complaint after the municipal court judge in Orangeburg, Santee and Holly Hill sold a piece of family property for $5,600 to pay back taxes on four other properties that her husband and his sister had received as a gift, but then kept the money rather than paying the taxes. Three properties were sold at auction while SLED investigated and the solicitor considered bringing criminal charges. We dont question the solicitors decision to consider this a civil matter, best resolved by a lawsuit, but we question the fact that more than 2 years after the judges relatives filed a misconduct complaint, it has not been resolved. A SLED report indicated that the Office of Disciplinary Counsel was waiting for the criminal investigation to be completed. SLED turned its report over to the local solicitor in December 2019, and the solicitor decided nearly eight months ago not to prosecute. Judge Avinger told The Post and Courier that she did nothing illegal and that the dispute over family money had nothing to do with her role as a judge. If most of us did what she admitted doing, it might indeed be nothing more than a personal dispute with our relatives. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! But Judge Avinger is a lawyer, and lawyers are required to abide by the S.C. Rules of Professional Conduct in all business and personal matters, particularly when they do lawyer-like work even when they do it for free for family members. Thats why many lawyers wont give out even casual advice to friends about legal matters. The S.C. Supreme Court has made it clear that when a lawyer accepts money that belongs to a client, she accepts it in trust, and is not allowed to commingle it with her own money as Judge Avinger acknowledged doing. Its hard to see how commingling that money and apparently spending it to pay her own bills comports with the conduct code that says a lawyer in her business dealings is subject to discipline for engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. The main reason we need judges to be lawyers is that lawyers are trained in the law. But another important reason is that the S.C. Supreme Court holds lawyers to a higher standard. That isnt supposed to change once a lawyer becomes a judge; if anything, the standard should be even higher. Last month, the Supreme Court ordered a six-month suspension for a lawyer who wrote appalling things on Snapchat. Not someone who took money or knowingly allowed a client to lie on the stand; someone who posted incendiary things on social media. We have no objection to that decision. But the Supreme Court sets the tone for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel and the Commission on Judicial Conduct, both arms of the court. And Judge Avinger's case makes it look as though the same court that suspended that lawyer doesnt think a lawyer let alone a judge needs to be so much as publicly reprimanded for commingling money owed to others and then not using it as agreed to pay off back taxes. If the court really doesnt believe those actions by a lawyer are sufficient to discipline her in her position of trust and honor as a judge, then clearly the court doesnt care enough about preserving the integrity of our judicial system. Which we consider one of its most important duties. The towns Judge Avinger works for dont have to wait for action from the Supreme Court to decide they no longer need her services; its something they should do. Meantime, the Legislature should require judicial candidates to sign a waiver voluntarily giving the appointing entity be it the Legislature, the governor or municipal officials access to all disciplinary complaints against them, resolved or not. And the Supreme Court should reexamine its priorities. Protecting public confidence in the judiciary should be far more important than protecting judges. CHOCHO SAINA The month of July is bookended by two significant holidays for us on Guam, July 4 and July 21. While we can take a leave of absence from our r Read more Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@postregister.com for help creating one. @montcocourtnews on Twitter Carl Hessler Jr. is a multi-media reporter who writes about crime and justice from the Montgomery County Courthouse for 21st Century Media Newspapers Greater Philadelphia area publications. Follow Carl on Twitter: @MontcoCourtNews More than 600,000 duplicate vaccinations deleted from the Pa. Department of Health dashboard The Democratic Party is rightly concerned that the overwhelming unpopularity of Critical Race Theory will destroy its chances in the 2022 election. Democrats are therefore trying out various messages to try to stem the tide. This one, from NBC News, is comical, but it is not clear that the Democrats have anything better: QAnons new plan? Run for school board. In the wake of Donald Trumps 2020 election defeat and the disappearance of the anonymous online account Q that once served as QAnons inspiration, many people who spout QAnons false claims have hatched a new plan: run for school board or local office, spread the gospel of Q, but dont call it QAnon. Its a scene that has played out at other school boards and comes as many local meetings have emerged in recent months as cultural flashpoints in a broader battle over the perceived encroachment of race-conscious education sometimes separately lumped together under the label critical race theory. The context for NBCs news story is that conservative groups like mine have been urging local activists to run for their school boards to eject CRT from their communities schools. Several such efforts have received national publicity, but there are a great many more normal Americans running for their local school boards to wrest control from far-left activists, usually supported by the teachers unions, who advocate the racist, anti-American doctrines of CRT. Rather than report on that reality, which to say the least is uncomfortable for Democrats, NBC prefers a diversion: the pretense that anti-CRT parents somehow are related to QAnon. I dont know anything about QAnon. Of my hundreds of conservative friends, I have encountered only one who professed sympathy with QAnon, which I take it has something to do with child sex abuse. This is unrelated to Critical Race Theory, and has nothing to do with the movement among parents and other concerned citizens to take back control of our public schools from the far left. NBC just wants to smear those activists with the QAnon brush. A final observation: like other liberal news outlets, NBC does not hesitate to refer to QAnons false claims, which apparently have forever discredited that group, or movement, or whatever it was. But how about the greatest false claim of our time, the lie, paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC, that Donald Trump colluded with the Russian state in the 2016 election? NBC News participated in spreading that lie. Is NBC News now forever discredited? If not, why not? What is the difference? Will NBC News ever acknowledge its false reporting and apologize to President Trump? Dont hold your breath. For my part, I put QAnon and NBC News on a par. Both spread bizarre conspiracy theories that turned out to be false. The difference is that for NBC News, there has been no accountability. The claim that covid impacted minority groups disproportionately has been ubiquitous for more than a year. But is it true? I decided to investigate, using data from my own state, Minnesota. What I found may surprise you. This article is from the July issue of Thinking Minnesota, which is now at the printer. The statistical work was done by my colleague Mitch Rolling, a master of the spread sheet. The claim that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people of color is often heard and rarely, if ever, disputed. It is one of many instances where politicians and activists identify white privilege and use that concept as a basis for policy. Here in Minnesota, it has been widely reported that minorities, and especially blacks, have suffered from COVID to an extent several times greater than whites. This claim, frequently repeated and never questioned in the press, has been the basis for potentially discriminatory actions by the Walz administration. But is the assertion of disproportionate impact true? In December 2020, a group of sociologists and others at the University of Minnesota produced a study that gave initial impetus to the idea that COVID devastated minority communities. Its sensational conclusion was that black Minnesotans died from COVID at a rate more than five times that of white Minnesotans, while latinos in Minnesota died from COVID at a rate more than four times that of whites, when adjusted for age. This startling conclusion garnered considerable publicity, all of it uncritical. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota donated $5 million to the University of Minnesota to establish a Center for Antiracism Research and Health Equity. In announcing this grant, the universitys press release said, During the pandemic, Black Minnesotans are dying from COVID-19 at a rate five times higher than white Minnesotans when adjusted for age. Mpls. St. Paul Magazine wrote, linking to the sociologists study: [E]xcess mortality COVID-19 mortality alongside deaths indirectly attributable to the pandemic has been higher for people of color, at a rate estimated to be around five times more for Black people in Minnesota than white folks Can that claim possibly be true? The sociologists study itself acknowledged obvious facts to the contrary: Non-Hispanic white Minnesotans account for about 80 percent of the states population and about 82 percent of its COVID-19 deaths. This seeming lack of disparity may be surprising, especially at a time when Minnesota has received national attention for its deep racial divide following the police killing of George Floyd. So if whites represented 80 percent of Minnesotans and 82 percent of COVID deaths, as of the date of the study, how was COVID killing blacks and latinos at levels several times greater than whites? The authors of the University of Minnesota study did not base their analysis on death certificates that cite COVID as a cause of death, the normal measure of COVID mortality. Rather, they looked at total death statistics for the various racial groups. They counted total mortality from all causes, excluding only homicide, suicide and accident, for the months March through October of 2020, and compared those numbers with the average total mortality for each racial group in the years 2017 through 2019. These authors justified using total mortality data, rather than the Minnesota Department of Healths COVID statistics, on the assumption that members of minority groups who died of COVID were less likely than whites to be diagnosed with that disease. What evidence did the authors offer for that proposition? None. It was sheer speculation. Moreover, in 2020, 10.8 percent of all white deaths were attributed to COVID in the Department of Healths database, while 13.8 percent of black deaths were so attributed. This fact suggests that there is no merit to the theory that minority COVID deaths were somehow under-recorded. And that is only the beginning of the problems with the sociologists report. Using the average of raw mortality numbers for 2017 through 2019 as a baseline for comparison with 2020 numbers sounds plausible, but it is a statistical trick that introduces a major error into the study. Minnesotas black population has been both increasing and aging at a faster rate than the white population. As a result, raw numbers of black deaths have been increasing much faster than white deaths, which were virtually flat for the period for 2017 through 2019. Specifically, during this three-year period, black deaths in Minnesota increased by 13 percent, while white deaths increased by only 1.9 percent. If those rates of increase in mortality are projected into 2020, and that number is used as a baseline against which to compare actual mortality, nearly one-third of the alleged increase in black mortality in 2020 all of which the authors attribute to COVID disappears. This is a good example of a statistical device that seems innocent, but badly biases a studys results. The second source for the claim that minorities in Minnesota have been disproportionately impacted by COVID is the Department of Health itself. The MDH website aggressively promotes a racial angle to the states COVID experience: COVID-19 is exposing what has always been true: racism is pervasive and persistent. We know that communities of color and Indigenous communities dont need data to verify their experience. The purpose of this dashboard is to educate and spark community leaders, nonprofits, foundations, governments, and corporations to work together to reduce and eliminate systemic barriers so communities of color and Indigenous communities can recover with dignity and resiliency. The Department of Health evidently views its COVID statistics as an instrument of activism, but the data themselves belie the Departments racial interpretation, particularly with respect to mortality. The Departments own numbers show that whites and Native Americans, not blacks, Hispanics or Asians, are over-represented as COVID victims. As of June 3, the MDH dashboard shows that 6,188 whites have died from COVID, representing 0.139 percent of the white population. Among Latinx, the totals are 81 deaths, or 0.072 percent of that population. Among blacks, the numbers are 368 deaths or 0.100 percent of the black population. As for Asians, 288 have died with COVID listed on their death certificates, representing 0.101 percent of Minnesotas Asian population. And finally, 101 Native Americans have died from or with COVID, or 0.169 percent of that population. In other words, MDHs own records indicate that Native Americans and whites have disproportionately died from COVID, with blacks, Hispanics and Asians dying at lesser rates. In particular, whites, 80 percent of Minnesotas population, are now over-represented with 88 percent of COVID deaths. There is no mystery as to why this is true. Minnesotas white population skews older than most minority populations, and COVID is overwhelmingly a disease that is dangerous to the elderly, especially those who are already sick. This basic demographic fact explains why COVID has impacted white Minnesotans to a greater extent than minority groups whose populations are, on the average, younger. The data compiled by MDH obviously dont support the racism narrative favored by the Walz administration, so the Department of Health has promoted age adjusted COVID death calculations. On an age adjusted basis, MDH claims that all of the minority groups have higher COVID death rates than whites, with blacks at a ratio of about two and one-half to one. This age adjustment creates a hypothetical number of blacks (for example) who would have died if the age distribution of the black population were the same as the age distribution of the white population according to the Departments statistical methods but who did not, in fact, die. Age adjusted fatality numbers represent, at best, a contrary-to-fact hypothetical, and are not a competent basis on which to ground public policy. Despite the obvious flaws in the methods used both by university sociologists and the state Department of Health, and despite the undeniable fact that Minnesotas whites have died from COVID at a rate greater than their share of the population, the press has uncritically parroted these groups claims of racial disparity. Worse, the Walz administration has apparently relied on claims of disparate impact in crafting its response to the epidemic. In particular, the administration may have engaged in race discrimination in the distribution of anti-COVID vaccines. Although its language is vague, an MDH guideline issued on March 3, 2021, describes belonging to a community of color as a risk factor that should be considered in prioritizing vaccine availability, and tells of a vaccine distribution and engagement approach that prioritizes disproportionately impacted communities, settings and populations. The Walz administration has also prioritized sending vaccines to Federally Qualified Health Centers, as well as exempting those groups from the administrations 72-hour distribution goal, because they are vaccinating community members from Black, Indigenous and Communities of Color at significantly higher rates than other sites. Further, someone who uses the MDH website to sign up to be vaccinated is asked questions about race, gender, and sexual orientation, but is not asked about real risk factors, like obesity, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. How this information is used has not been publicly disclosed. If the Walz administration did engage in race discrimination in distributing the vaccine, it was, in all likelihood, illegal a violation of the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause. In a recent case, Greers Ranch Cafe v. Isabella Casillas Guzman, the Court held that allegations of COVID disproportionately impacting women and minorities cannot justify race and sex discrimination in administering a government program. Race is not a risk factor for COVID. Apart from random variation, the reason for modest differences in COVID mortality among various groups is that the actual risk factors for the disease age, of course, but also obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and so on are not uniformly distributed through the population. The Walz administrations misguided obsession with race is one reason why it performed poorly at publicizing the real COVID risk factors and taking practical actions to protect the most vulnerable Minnesotans. Thinking Minnesota is a terrific conservative quarterly with a circulation now well over 100,000. Best of all, it is free! If you would like to subscribe, just email your name and mailing address to [email protected] After Ilhan Omar and Keith Ellison, the DFLs John Thompson must be the most outrageous officeholder ever to disgrace public life in Minnesota. He rode his outrageous 2020 misconduct all the way to the Minnesota House of Representatives this past November. See the Alpha News archives on Thompson conveniently compiled here. Thompson represents something, all right, but its not exactly his St. Paul East Side constituents. Lets see if we can figure out what it might be. Late this week the St. Paul Pioneer Presss Mara Gottfried reported that Thompson was pulled over late in the wee hours on Sunday for not having a front license plate on his car. He handed the officer his Wisconsin drivers license. Wait, what? He not only doesnt have a Minnesota drivers license, he has never had one, and his driving privileges in Minnesota had been revoked in April 2019 for a failed child support obligation. The good news is that on Wednesday Thompson made good on the child support. Thompson told the Pioneer Press he never took out a Minnesota drivers license, although he also had previously told the paper hes lived in St. Paul for 18 years. And yet the same month Thompson appeared on the ballot for election to the legislature last year he renewed his Wisconsin drivers license. Indeed, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Thompson has held a valid Wisconsin license since July 2000. Thompson renewed the license in 2005, 2012 and November 2020. The Pioneer Presss Dave Orrick adds: The address or addresses on Thompsons renewed and expired licenses are not public, but Wisconsin drivers licenses are only available to Wisconsin residents. T Theres more. Minnesota law requires new residents to obtain a Minnesota drivers license within 60 days of residency. When did this guy become a Minnesota resident? Residency raises yet another issue. Minnesota law also imposes a six-month residency requirement on candidates for the legislature. A candidate must have lived in his district at least six months before election day. Its all r-a-a-a-cism, of course, according to Thompson. I thought we werent doing pretextual stops in this state, but we are, Thompson said Tuesday outside the governors residence at an event marking five years since Philando Castile was fatally shot by a police officer in Falcon Heights. Were still getting driving-while-Black tickets here in this state as a matter of fact, in St. Paul. So lets just call it what it is. What is it? St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell disputes the charge of r-a-a-a-cism. Chief Axtell posted a statement on Facebook yesterday. Here it is in its entirety: On Sunday, July 4, one of our sergeants working a traffic safety detail stopped a state representative for driving without a front license plate on his vehicle, which is unlawful in the state of Minnesota. Two days later I was shocked to hear that driver accuse the sergeant of making the stop based on race. These arent accusations I take lightly, so I looked into the traffic stop, watched the body worn camera footage and spoke to the sergeant. This stop, made at about 1:20 in the morning, had absolutely nothing to do with the drivers race. What it did involve was a public servant doing what the community asks of him. He was working a Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) traffic safety detail, which is a grant-funded initiative administered by the State of Minnesota. One of its goals is to ensure compliance with traffic laws. Simply put, the traffic stop was by the books. What happened afterwards was anything but. Im dismayed and disappointed by the state representatives response to the stop. Rather than taking responsibility for his own decisions and actions, he attempted to deflect, cast aspersions and deny any wrongdoing. At the Saint Paul Police Department, we work hard to be fair, to treat everyone with respect and to lead by example. We also take responsibility for our actions. When we make mistakes, we own them and try to fix them. Its what our community expects of its public servants. The driver, an elected official who does not dispute driving without a front license plate, owes our sergeant an apology. KSTPs Tom Hauser is on the case (video below). The voluble John Thompson has suddenly gone silent. Hauser reported last night: Thompson has not responded to nearly a dozen requests for a response from 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS via phone, text and email. Weve also learned more about the unusual issue of Thompson having only a Wisconsin drivers license despite serving in the Minnesota State Legislature. A Wisconsin Department of Public Safety spokesman confirmed Thompson has had a license in that state since 2000 and has renewed it in 2005, 2012 and in November of 2020, the same month he was elected to represent the east of St. Paul in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says Thompson has never had a Minnesota drivers license. From May 2019 until this week his Minnesota driving privileges were suspended due to unpaid child support. Public safety officials said that issue was taken care of this week and he is now eligible to get a Minnesota drivers license. Without any response from Thompson, its difficult to know whether he claims his residency in Minnesota or Wisconsin. The Minnesota Secretary of State provided 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS with a copy of Thompsons affidavit of candidacy he filed when he ran for office in 2020. He was allowed to only list a P.O. box in St. Paul after checking a box that allows a residence to be classified as private data. A candidate who checks that box certifies a police report has been submitted or I have an order for protections for my (or my familys) safety, or my address is otherwise private by Minnesota law. And thats not all. Hauser makes this salient point: Meanwhile, Thompson declined to give St. Paul Police permission to release the body camera video of his traffic stop. That prompted the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association to issue a statement demanding the videos release. Rep. Thompsons signature issue at the state legislature was advocating for rapid release of police officers body camera footage, MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said. Now hes blocking the public release of body camera footage of his own incident with law enforcement this past week. As a public official, its hypocritical and irresponsible. Constituents have the right to see how their legislator conducted himself, particularly when he made such strong claims about what happened during the traffic stop. Thompson is a liar and thug and hypocrite of epic proportions. Thompson charges the sergeant with a pretextual stop on account of Thompsons race, but Thompson is the master of pretext. Among many other things, Thompson represents the use of alleged r-a-a-a-cism for pretextual purposes. People who read my posts about policing know that Im pro-cop. They know that when police officers use force against people who are violating the law or refusing to follow reasonable instructions, Im inclined to give the officers the benefit of the doubt, if there is doubt. Thats how I view these cases whether the person shot by the police is a street criminal, an antifa thug, or a right-winger. The standards of conduct and the presumptions should be the same regardless of who has been shot. However, there are, indeed, standards of conduct that apply, and police officers must be held accountable if they dont adhere to them. In addition, there must be transparency. It will not do to conceal the identity of police officers who kill people. Nor, as far as I know, has the identity of such officers been withheld for long in cases involving police shootings of Blacks. In fact, most police departments are required to release an officers name within days of a fatal shooting regardless of the race of those involved. Furthermore, it will not do to withhold from the public the stated reasons for police killings or the circumstances that caused the officers in question to resort to lethal violence. Again, this information was not withheld in any case I followed where an officer killed an African-American. Yet, its been half a year since a member of the Capitol Police Force shot and killed Ashli Babbitt on January 6. And still, the name of the officer who shot her has not been disclosed. In this report, Paul Sperry of RealClearInvestigations provides the name of the officer who likely killed Babbitt. However, his identity has not officially been confirmed. Nor has the public received any explanation as to why this officer shot an unarmed woman who, as far as I can tell, was not attacking him or anyone else. (According to Sperry, the shot that killed Babbitt was the only one fired in the Capitol that day.) Nor has anyone explained why the shooter was cleared of wrongdoing, as has been reported. Why not? Why shouldnt such information be released? I can think of no reason why the officer who killed Babbitt is entitled to more secrecy greater protection from publicity than, say, Garrett Rolfe who killed Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta or Paul Huynh, Darcy Klund and Jason Schmitt, the three officers who shot Dolal Idd in Minneapolis. In the latter case, the police department made public the personnel files of all three officers. Its true that the Capitol Police Force is controlled by Congress, not by any municipal government. But that shouldnt matter. Its officers should be just as accountable to the public as members of any police force. They arent private contractors. We pay their salaries, just as we pay the members of Congress. Its not even clear that Congress and its police force are doing officers a favor by withholding the name of the shooter. According to Sperry, initial reports on social media incorrectly identified the officer. Now, another officer, presumably the correct one, has been identified. But there has been no explanation of why he shot and killed Babbitt and why he was cleared of wrongdoing by the force. The Babbitt family is seeking answers. Congress has exempted its police force from Freedom of Information Act requests, so the family is suing the D.C. Police for documents that identify the officer who shot Babbitt as well as notes and summaries of what the officer said regarding the shooting and the reasons he discharged his weapon. The D.C. Police led the investigation into the Babbitt shooting, so it has the documents. A court hearing is set for September 3. Judicial Watch also is suing for the records. I hope the family and the public will be able to find out why the officer killed Babbitt and why he was cleared. In that event, I will be inclined, as always, to give the benefit of the doubt to the officer. But it seems to me that he has some serious explaining to do for why he shot an unarmed woman who, as far as I can tell, was not in the process of assaulting anyone. As Farouk Lawan, a former flamboyant lawmaker, adjusts to a new life in prison, a journey through the memory lane of his eight years trial brings back the incriminating testimonies that took him to his new abode. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja, sentenced the former lawmaker to seven years in jail for bribery and corruption on June 22. The judge, Angela Otaluka, who indulged his dilatory tactics for the last five years of the trial, convicted Mr Lawan of corruptly demanding $3 million and eventually taking $500,000 from billionaire oil mogul, Femi Otedola, to exonerate the businessmans company from an allegation of fuel subsidy fraud in 2012. Mr Lawan, who had become known as Mr Integrity, in tribute to his roles in leading some self-appointed puritan legislators at the time, was the chairman of the ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives asked to investigate the multi-billion-naira fraud in the subsidy scheme at the time. In the report issued at the end of its inquiry, the committee indicted Mr Otedolas Zenon Oil and Gas Ltd and many other firms, attracting applause as bearing witness to Mr Lawans guts to expose corruption no matter whose ox was gored. Specifically, the committee accused Zenon Oil of fraudulently obtaining over $230 million foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to import petrol under the subsidy scheme, but failed to use it for the purpose. The story, however, changed when Mr Lawan later removed Zenon Oils name from the list of indicted firms after receiving $500,000 from Mr Otedola as the first tranche of the agreed $3 million bribe, the judge was told. Ms Otaluka said the evidence of the five witnesses presented by the prosecution convincingly incriminated the former lawmaker as a corrupt public officer. Here are the five witnesses presented by the prosecution team led by Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and the highlights of what they said: Boniface Emenalo (PW1) Boniface Emenalo was the secretary to the then House of Representatives ad-hoc committee. Although he started as a co-accused person in the trial, he ended up being the first prosecution witness (PW1) whose testimony contributed to the evidence that sent Mr Lawan to jail. Messrs Lawan and Emenalo were first arraigned together by the Attorney-General of the Federations office which engaged Mr Awomolo as the prosecutor, on seven counts of bribery and corruption, on February 1, 2013. During their arraignment, they pleaded not guilty before Mudashiru Oniyangi, then a judge of the FCT High Court who would later quit the case following his elevation to the Court of Appeal bench. The case was reassigned to Bukola Banjoko, another judge of the court. No tangible progress had been recorded when Mr Lawan wrote a petition to then Chief Judge, Ishaq Bello, accusing the new trial judge of bias. The development made Ms Banjoko to voluntarily withdraw from the case, which was then re-assigned to Ms Otaluka. The movement of the case to Ms Otalukas court saw the prosecution fundamentally changing their tactics. They amended the charges, pruning down the number of counts from seven to three. In addition, they turned Mr Emenalo, who had been Mr Lawans co-accused for three years, to a prosecution witness. After these bouts of rigmarole that saw the case file tumbling through three courtrooms in the first three years, the prosecution was able to present its first prosecution witness on February 2, 2016. ADVERTISEMENT The case was later going to be caught in another web of legal shenanigans after the prosecution had called four out of its five witnesses. It took a trip to the fourth judge, Yusuf Halilu, but shortly after returned to Ms Otaluka who concluded the trial. Mr Emenalo, an employee of the National Assembly, who was summoned through a subpoena served on the Clerk of the House of Representatives, tendered some exhibits during his first court appearance as prosecution witness. In his testimony, he recalled that the committees report was presented before the House of Representatives on April 18, 2012. He described how he visited Mr Otedola in his house on April 24, 2012, on the instruction of Mr Lawan, where the businessman gave him $100,000 in two bundles. He said he handed over the $100,000 to Mr Lawan with a forwarding memo and he acknowledged receipt. Although, under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, Mr Emenalo said he received the $100,000 from Mr Otedola as a proof that indicted firms were mounting pressure on the committee to exonerate them. David Igbodo (PW2) David Igbodo, who testified as the second prosecution witness, was the investigating police officer in the Special Investigation Unit of the Office of the Inspector General of Police. A lawyer and then Commissioner of Police, Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Mr Igbodo testified that he investigated the allegation against Mr Lawan and found out that the ex-lawmaker demanded $3 million from Mr Otedola to remove the name of Zenon Oil and Gas Ltd from the list of companies indicted for subsidy scam. According to him, his findings showed that Mr Lawan visited Mr Otedolas house at about 3.47 a.m. on April 24, 2012, to collect $500,000 from the billionaire. He said the ex-lawmaker was caught on video receiving the money from Mr Otedola. The purpose of the demand and acceptance was to remove the name of Zenon Oil and AP Petroleum from the list of indicted companies. On the same April 24, 2012, the defendant after collecting the sum at the house of Otedola, crossed the name of Zenon Oil earlier indicted in a report before the committee at the House of Representatives, he said. He said Mr Lawan admitted going to Mr Otedolas house to collect the $500, 000, and went on to cross out the name of Zenon from the list indicted companies. He also recalled Mr Lawan admitting that he collected the money and gave it to another legislator, Adams Jagaba, Chairman House of Representatives on Narcotics and Financial Crimes. He said Mr Emenalo, who was secretary to the ad hoc committee, also visited Mr Otedola between 9 to 10a.m. on April 24, 2012 and was caught on video collecting $100,000 from Mr Otedola. The police investigator said he found out that Mr Emenalo gave the $100,000 he received from Mr Otedola to Mr Lawan. He added that Mr Lawan only reported the $100,000 to then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as an afterthought, five days after he was given the money. The defendant failed to disclose to the anti-corruption agency that he had earlier collected $500,000 from Mr Otedola, the witness also said. David Ojatah (PW3) David Ojatah, a Principal Staff Officer Technical Services in the SSS, testified as the third prosecution witness (PW3). The SSS operative told the court how the security agency received a petition from Mr Otedola accusing Mr Lawan of trying to extort him. He described how he and his team members interacted with Mr Otedola and mounted a video recording device in the sitting room of his house where he was scheduled to meet with Mr Lawan. The witness explained that the meeting between the two men was captured on video. He said the video clip showed Mr Lawan collecting a parcel from Mr Otedola. The video clip was produced, admitted as an exhibit, and played in the open court. Adams Jagaba (PW4) Adams Jagaba, a former colleague of Mr Lawan in the House of Representatives representing Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, testified as the fourth prosecution witness (PW4). His testimony ended up dealing the most fatal blow to Mr Lawans narrative of receiving money from Mr Otedola to obtain evidence of bribery against the businessman. Mr Lawan had claimed that he handed over the total of $620,000 received from Mr Otedola to Mr Jagaba with a covering letter characterising the money as an exhibit. The $620,000, according to Mr Lawan, comprised the $500,000 he personally took from Mr Otedola, and the $120,000 taken from the billionaire by Mr Emenalo. Mr Jagaba, who was the Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotics and Financial Crimes in the 2011-2015 legislative session, vehemently denied receiving such money from Mr Lawan. Asked by the prosecution to respond to the claim that Mr Lawan visited him at about 3 a.m. on April 24, 2012, to report and submit the $620,000 offered to the ad hoc committee by Mr Otedola as bribe, Mr Jagaba said he was deeply asleep at the time. My lord, the defendant was not in my house in the early hours of April 24, 2012, he said. I went to bed after 9 p.m. after taking my drugs. I live alone in the house so nobody could have opened the door for him. By 10 p.m. all gates of the estates were closed and would not be opened to anybody no matter how highly placed. My lord, I never saw or received such money from the defendant. The money is not with me. I cannot have what was not given to me, the ex-lawmaker told the court. He said he read about Mr Lawans claim on the pages of newspapers but decided not to react until he was invited by the police in Abuja. He recalled requesting to be paired with Mr Lawan during the scheduled police interrogation. His request was granted by the police and the two ex-lawmakers were made to sit next to each other and Mr Jagaban said Mr Lawan was asked to repeat his previous claims. According to the witness, Mr Lawan responded that he had only made the claims following his lawyers legal advice. During his testimony, Mr Jagaba confirmed from the Houses Votes and Proceedings of April 24, 2012, earlier tendered as an exhibit, that Mr Lawan, at the said proceedings, proposed an amendment of the ad hoc committees Recommendation 9, deleting items V and VI from the list of indicted firms. Femi Otedola (PW5) Mr Otedola, a principal character in the matter, testified as the prosecutions fifth witness on November 21, 2018. Speaking of his encounter with Mr Lawan in the course of the House probe, Mr Otedola said the lawmaker reached out to him threatening to indict his firms for fraud in the fuel subsidy scheme. In response, Mr Otedola said he told Mr Lawan that there was no basis for the indictment because none of his two firms operating in the oil industry participated in the fuel subsidy scheme. He recalled telling Mr Lawan that the EFCC had investigated his two companies African Petroleum Ltd and Zenon Oil and Gas Ltd and found out that they were not involved in the scheme. Mr Otedola told the trial court that despite the clarification, and his companies importation documents submitted to the House committee, the then lawmaker visited his home on June 18, 2012, demanding $3million to free Zenon Oil from indictment. Mr Otedola testified that he saw on television on April 18, 2012, that the House committees report was submitted to the House of Representatives plenary, and I saw that my company was listed as one of the companies involved in the subsidy scam. This, he said, prompted him to write a petition to the Director-General of SSS to report the alleged extortion. He described how SSS operatives later planned a sting operation with him to capture Mr Lawan on camera receiving serialised United States dollars. After handing over the $500,000 USD to the defendant, I asked him what next, he said he would go to the House and discuss with its leadership. He said I should watch House plenary on the television, Mr Otedola had told the judge. He added that on April 24, 2012, the secretary of the ad-hoc committee, Mr Emenalo who testified as PW1, also demanded $120,000 which he handed over to him the same day. According to him, Mr Lawan went on to remove Zenon Oils name from the list of the indicted firms and thereafter demanded the $2.5 million balance. He said he promised the then lawmaker that the money was being arranged and would soon be loaded into an Abuja-bound aircraft. Autopsy reports of 99 persons reportedly killed in Lagos during last years #EndSARS protests were Saturday admitted in evidence by the states judicial panel of inquiry. The panel chaired by Doris Okuwobi also admitted compact discs of all the 99 bodies deposited at the morgues in the state, between October 20 and 27, 2020. The Chief Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), John Obafunwa, who testified before the panel submitted the reports following an order on June 5 for the post mortem results of all the 99 corpses to be made available. The documents were contained in two bags. During the cross-examination, Olumide Olumide-Fusika, legal counsel to some of the protesters, noted that Mr Obafunwa disclosed that the bodies were recovered from different parts of Lagos at the time. I want to prove to this panel that the claim that only three dead bodies were brought in from Lekki is not true, Mr Olumide-Fusika said. Autopsy reports During his testimony in June, Mr Obafunwa, a professor of Medicine, and the Head of the Department of Morbid Anatomy at the Lagos University College of Medicine, said at least 99 persons were killed during the #EndSARS protests. He added that three persons were killed in Lekki when soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters at the toll plaza on October 20, 2020. The remaining bodies were received from other parts of the state including Surulere, Ikorodu, Ajah, Fagba, among others, Mr Obafunwa said. Mrs Okuwobi adjourned the matter until July 13. There has been a controversy around the casualty figures of the Lekki tollgate shooting since the incident occurred last year. Lekki shooting At about 6:45 p.m. on October 20, men in military uniform arrived at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos in three Toyota Hilux vans and almost immediately began shooting into a crowd of peaceful protesters gathered there waving the Nigerian green-and-white flag and reciting the national anthem. The protesters, mostly youth, were protesting police brutality and asking for reforms in governance. The army which initially denied shooting at the protesters, later admitted that its men carried live bullets that night but only to tackle armed hoodlums who had hijacked the protests. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Division, Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, told the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Lekki Tollgate incident then that the army went to the tollgate with both blank and live ammunition. The official also fell short of saying his men fired live shots at Nigerians on their way to clear the Lekki, Eti-Osa corridor. After the incident and the outcry it generated, the federal government disbanded the notorious SARS unit known for human rights abuses and asked states to set up panels of enquiry into cases of human rights abuses by the police. Most of the panels are concluding their work which are expected to be submitted to the federal government. ADVERTISEMENT Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has described the demise of the founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) as a huge loss to humanity. Mr Akeredolu, who spoke at the burial ceremony of Mr Joshua in Ikotun, Lagos State, said the church should follow his footprints. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Joshua, who was endeared to many people by his healing and deliverance ministries, died on June 5 after a church service. He was aged 57. Mr Akeredolu described the SCOAN founder who hailed from Ondo State as someone with uncommon gift from childhood. He started early to perform wonders among his peers right there in his native town. He would tell his peers that something was going to take place in so and so time, but his friends would doubt him until when the time came and what he said would come to pass. His miracle and prophesy lifestyle was not a fluke as being viewed in some quarters. The man paid the price before reaching stardom, Mr Akeredolu said. The governor said that the positive impact of Mr Joshuas mission was visible in many communities. Even as a person, I benefitted from his largesse as a governor-elect; he gave me cash to assist me to entertain guests before my inauguration. He is one who did not forget his roots, as he contributed well in making life better for his people in Ondo by giving scholarships to indigent students, paying huge electricity bills for four LGAs in Ondo, and providing transformers for them to restore electricity, he said. The governor said that Mr Joshuas lifestyle was worthy of emulation. Mr Akeredolu said that Mr Joshuas love for the less privileged inspired him into social service ministry that resulted in the growth of his church. He said that Mr Joshuas legacies should be supported to continue to grow in spite of his departure. The governor urged Nigerians to look inwards and develop their God-given gifts for the benefit of the society. Also speaking at the burial ceremony, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State said that Nigeria and the entire world had lost a rare prophet. He was represented by the state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Olarenwaju Elegusi. ADVERTISEMENT The governor said the SCOAN founder lived a purposeful life. According to the governor, Mr Joshua will be remembered as a general in Gods vineyard and someone who dwelt among commoners but became uncommon. He toed the line of St. Paul in his ministry, combining faith and work to get people out of the wools. As a people, we have benefitted in one way or the other from his humanitarian service that he openly gave to all and sundry across the globe. As a people, we must be determined to profess and put in practise, unity, love and tolerance for one another the way the late prophet lived for us, to advance our society and gain salvation, Mr Sanwo-Olu said. (NAN) The National Steering Committee (NSC) of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, held its inaugural meeting. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on June 22 inaugurated the committee tasked with driving the target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. Mr Osinbajos spokesman, in a statement, said the vice president expressed optimism that the committee would achieve rapid progress. The vice president said plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years would not be based on a business as usual approach, but a very simple, common sense strategy that would deliver results. In order not to make this merely another of those high-sounding committees that eventually achieve nothing, we have to be very intentional about our objectives and how to achieve them. I really want us to approach this as much as possible, commonsensically, so that we are able to resolve all the issues and focus on the real progress. I want us to look beyond all of what we are going to be doing, there is going to be a considerable amount of paper work, but a lot of common sense is what grows economies. It is what other countries have done, not really reinventing the wheel. So, I want us to focus on those commonsensical things, so that we can actually move forward. He cited the example of Bangladesh where a poverty reduction strategy was also implemented, adding that the countrys manufacturing sector was key. According to him, Bangladesh actually exports more garments than Nigeria exports oil. Countries that have managed to get out of poverty have created a lot of jobs through industries, and they have developed intentional strategies. We must look at what others have done, the smart things that other people have done, and adopt. We really have to think smartly about how we are funding agriculture. I think we really need to take a deep dive because governments have made several efforts at poverty alleviation but generally speaking, they have not yielded the sort of results they should yield. And I think it is because there is a lot of focus on documentation and paper work and very little commonsense approaches. He emphasised that it was a national strategy as opposed to a federal strategy which was why the steering committee was made up of federal as well as state officials. Essentially, this effort must also be directed at how to facilitate private sector creation of jobs. The fact is that there is no way that the Federal Government or the State Governments can create the number of jobs that we need. ADVERTISEMENT We need to take a few broad looks at the features of what constitutes our present predicaments in terms of job losses and unemployment, he said. The vice president said efforts would be made to focus attention on creating opportunities for Nigerians to earn decent livelihoods in addition to equipping them with the necessary vocational skills. Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, who fielded questions from State House correspondents, said the essence of the committee was to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years. He said that having reviewed the Terms of Reference (TOR), the Steering Committee constituted the technical working group and the National Social Protection Network and would resume its meeting after the Sallah break. Other members of the NSC in attendance included Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is also Nigeria Governors Forum Chairman and GovernorBabagana Zulum of Borno. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Ministers of Agriculture, Muhammad Nanono, Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, and Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige also attended the meeting. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has called for the review of the Senior Secondary School curriculum in Nigeria. The Executive Secretary of NERDC, Ismail Junaidu, made the call on Friday in Calabar at a one-day stakeholders dialogue for the South-south zone. He said that the dialogue was part of efforts by the council to carry all along in order to ensure acceptable curriculum for the country. He added that there was the need to restructure, realign and revise the present curriculum which was introduced since 2011 to meet the current global developmental challenge. Ten years after the introduction of the current SSE curriculum, you will agree with me that, times have changed, the world has moved on, new ideas have been created, knowledge has advanced, new goals have been set, new skills have emerged, and new technologies have been developed. The only way we can catch up with these changes and create opportunities for our children to acquire new skills and competencies is to provide them with the requisite learning experiences through the revision of the curriculum, he said. According to him, the goal of the council is not only to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of the present, but one that will as well enable us to create the future that we desire as a people. The executive secretary said that the council decided to engage in order to ensure that the new curriculum reflects the needs and aspirations of all Nigerians. He added that participants were expected, at the end of the dialogue, to come up with critical emerging issues that the senior secondary school curriculum should address. Also speaking, Castro Ezama, Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Education, described the idea of the review as a welcome development. He said that for Nigeria to have quality and meaningful education, it has to review her secondary education curriculum periodically. The bedrock of the society is quality education. The time to review the secondary education curriculum is now because if we get senior secondary school education right, we will get our tertiary education back on track, he said. One of the participants, Alabo Amuso, State Chairman of Parent Teachers Association, said the dialogue would afford him and his counterparts the opportunity to make contributions on how to move secondary school education forward. (NAN) The federal government has handed back to Jigawa farmers, a total of 289 hectares of farmland under the Gari Irrigation Project. This was announced in a press statement on Friday signed by Kenechukwu Offie, Director (Press and Public Relations Unit), Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja. The release stated that the handing over was performed in Jigawa, by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, on Thursday, following completion of work on irrigation infrastructure in the sector. The sector will see 1,472 benefitting farmers being added to the project, the release noted. The project is in line with the commitment of President Buhari to diversifying the economy, ensuring food security and enhancing the welfare of Nigerian citizens. This, the president has assured, would empower and bring 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years. According to the statement, the project is coming back to life with irrigation activities now taking place after more than 20 years of delay and inactivity. Speaking at the occasion, Mr Adamu said the Gari Irrigation Project covered 2,114 hectares, supplied with water from Gari and Marke Dams in the North- eastern part of Kunchi Local Government Area of Kano State. The Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure falls within five local government areas, namely: Kazaure and Roni in Jigawa State; and Kunchi, Dambatta and Makoda in Kano State. The minister said so far, about 3,056 hectares of farmland from 12 sectors had been completed and handed over to beneficiary farmers. Mr Adamu urged the farmers to be diligent and protect the project from the unguarded abstraction of water and physical damage to the irrigation infrastructure. The minister expressed his gratitude to President Buhari and the Federal Executive Council for their support during the review of the Gari Irrigation Project Mr Adamu said he would continue to work with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as the National Assembly to ensure sustained funding until the project was completed. The Governor of Jigawa, Mohammed Abubakar, in his speech, said people, especially youth, in the five local government areas and environs have no business migrating to the urban areas in search of greener pastures again. Mr Abubakar urged them to make good use of the opportunity and infrastructure to provide for themselves as well as their families. Also speaking, the Emir of Kazaure, Najib Adamu, urged the farmers to ensure diligent use as well as protection of the irrigation facilities The emir extolled the virtues of President Buhari and the Minister of Water Resources in bequeathing the farmers with irrigation facilities for all year farming. Earlier in her brief, the Ag. Director, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Esther Oluniyi, said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, through her Department, took a decision to complete the project sectorally. ADVERTISEMENT Mrs Oluniyi said this was to enable the farmers to have the full benefit of the all year round farming activities as the project progressed. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The burial rites of Temitope Balogun Joshua, Founder, Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) which began on Monday July 5 to July 9, 2021, brought business opportunities to the residents of Ikotun, location of the church. The preacher, popularly called TB Joshua, who died June 5 at age 57 was an idol of sorts in the area with his adjudged controversial miracles that attracted the world to him. Mr Joshua was interred on Friday, July 9, 2021. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that residents of the church area virtually turned their house into cottage manufacturing outfits. Many went into producing various TB Joshuas branded souvenirs to make a living from the man who fed them while he was alive even in death. People in the area crafted TB Joshuas branded bangles, face caps, printed shirts, cell phone covers, mufflers and belts that they sold to visitors and worshippers. The turnkey businesses that sprung up in the area because of the funeral rites sold like wild fire as everyone wanted to identify with the prophet. Yewande Oladapo, a headgear maker, said that knowing the popularity of Mr Joshua and his large followers, anything branded with his portrait would be easily sold. The craft maker who used a combination of calico material and leather to make items such as mufflers, bangles and brackets with the prophets image engraved, said she had made good profit within three days. According to her, this is well above what she makes in her headgear shop in two months. The prophet is a known brand; anything done in his name and image is commercial asset and its marketing value is next to none, she said. Eugene Obinna-Ohalee, a printer who printed stickers branded with the prophets image, said he had made over 100 per cent profit from his sales since Monday. The printer, whose item goes for N200 for one, also said that he would continue in it till the end of August, to take advantage of the trend. NAN reports that items of different types bearing the prophets image were displayed and purchased by all and sundry to associate with the event. In some of the adjoining streets to the Synagogue, wearing of items branded with TB Joshua guaranteed ones easy access as those without them were asked to go back. (NAN) Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi has described the clamour for rotational presidency as unconstitutional, saying that Nigerians should be allowed to make their choices for the best candidate to emerge for the top post. Mr Bello was speaking at the maiden edition of the Governor Yaya Bello seminar for political and crime correspondents in Abuja on Friday. He argued that the criteria on who should be Nigerias next president should be centered on someone who would unify the country and solve the problems plaguing the nation. Mr Bello pointed out, however, that if rotational presidency was to be considered, it should be done with equity, fairness and justice, noting that the Middle-Belt and the South-east had not held the position since 1999. The governor argued further that if zoning was to resolve the problems of Nigeria, the previous presidents would have completely solved the problems in the zones they had represented. When we are talking about democracy today, democracy is all about free choices. Give the majority the free will to choose whoever they want. Let political parties not limit Nigerians to who they want to elect into offices. When you look at it, I think it is unconstitutional. It is not in our APC party Constitution and it is not there in the 1999 Constitution. Today, if you are sick and need to be operated upon, you will want the best doctor to operate on you. Its not where the doctor comes from or the religion he practices that matters. Put that aside, if we should continue on the sentiments of this rotation of the presidency, from that region to this region, then let us do it perfectly in the interest of equity, fairness and justice. If that is the angle you want to come from, let us put it on the table and look at it and we should not just take it from 1999, let us go back to 1960 from independence when Nigerians started ruling themselves. You will discover that other geo-political zones as they exist today, have at one time or the other occupied the position of the presidency either as president or vice-president. If we should go by that, then the North Central has been largely short-changed. Then let us focus on North Central. But if you take it from 1999, then you are talking of the North Central and the Southeast. I continue to emphasise that the best candidate should be allowed to emerge. The candidate should be someone, who will unify this country, solve the problems we are facing today, build on the legacies that Mr President will leave behind. The governor also urged Nigerian youths to get involved and take charge just like their counterparts across the globe, who are driving the modern world. The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, said that gathering journalists from across the country for the seminar was a step in the right direction. He said that the Mr Bello administration had been able to transform Kogi from the decrepit point where he met it to the pinnacle point where the state sits today. What is happening today is one of such initiatives coming from Kogi State. ADVERTISEMENT This should be the first time in the history of this country for a governor to come, not just to talk to journalists but to empower them by building their capacity and equipping them to report Nigeria for Nigeria. Mr Isiguzo urged journalists to undertake their reportage with patriotism and place the country above other considerations. Folashade Arike Ayoade, Secretary to the Kogi State Government, said the seminar was meant to be a moment of sober reflection on issues bedeviling the nation. She pointed out that the seminar would give participants insights into how Kogi was tackling challenges affecting the state. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Capital Territory Administration has taken several measures to stop the spread of Cholera as well as provide the highest level of care to those affected by the disease. Abubakar Sani, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister, Mohammad Bello, stated this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Mr Sani explained that as at Thursday, the FCT had recorded 514 suspected cases, out of which eight laboratory investigations were confirmed to be cholera. He said that the FCT Administration was working very closely with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency on interventions to end the scourge of the disease in the territory. Some of the measures already taken from early May 2021 when we started having the diarrheal disease in the FCT includes. Formation of Cholera Emergency Operation Centres and appointment of an Incidence Manager and other relevant medical personnel along with Stakeholders from the FCT Water Board, Abuja Environmental Protection Board and Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA). Prepositioning of Drugs and Consumables for the free treatment of all identified cases in both Secondary and Primary Care Facilities of the FCT, he said. He said that FCTA has been providing free portable water through water tankers from the FCT Water Board to all affected communities. Mr Sani also said that the administration had embarked on the training and sensitisation of healthcare providers in both secondary and primary healthcare facilities including some private ones. He said that all communities that recorded outbreak of cholera are being visited and monitored by relevant medical personnel and others. Also, the FCTA has ensure the sensitisation of the public through the media on all issues concerning the cholera outbreak and preventive measures. Similarly, the FCTA held high level engagement with all the six area councils chairmen, religious and traditional leaders in all the councils. Meanwhile continuous surveillance on communities with suspected cases are being conducted in all the communities in the six area councils of the FCT to confirm the prevalence of the disease. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Aliko Dangote, Africas richest man, is facing uncertainties in probably the most problematic of his several investments: a 1,200 tonne per day plant that processes tomato, now gasping for supply amidst pressure of overwhelming national demand. The tomato factory the continents biggest can only produce at one-fifth of its capacity, considering that farmers lack adequate resources for cultivation, Bloomberg said Friday. The factory had the grand ambition to wean Nigeria off reliance on imported tomato paste from China, while expanding production. Now in its sixth year, the factory had to idle in 2017, following a pest plague that consumed plantations of tomato. It could only resuscitate two years later, after a payment dispute involving farmers. We havent been able to process enough quantity of tomato to make our operations successful, Managing Director Abdulkarim Kaita was quoted as saying. At the moment, we are counting losses. Tomato farming provides jobs to around 200,000 persons in Nigeria, and lenders largely do not see giving loans to farmers as bankable even though the government is giving domestic production priority. Such policy slips, deep-seated graft and ethnic conflict are keeping investors away, worsening the labour crisis in an economy that has one of the worst unemployment rates in the world. The Dangote factory intends to help Nigeria slash 300,000 tonnes of tomato paste imports from China. Yet 900,000 tonnes of tomato are lost each year to absence of enough storage and processing facilities. The issue is that our production demand has not been met so far and we need to increase the volume of supply from the farmers, Mr Kaita said. A majority of the farmers live far away in the villages, making it hard for vehicles to convey tomatoes to the factory. ADVERTISEMENT No fewer than 350 lives were lost to boat mishaps in Nigeria in 2020, an official has disclosed. The disclosure was made in Borgu, Niger State, on Saturday by Joseph Ityav, Chairman of the Governing Council of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC). He was speaking at Malale in Borgu local government area of Niger State at the flag-off of the cutting of tree logs and removal of huge debris on Kainji and Shiroro Lakes. He said the project was being executed in partnership with the National Inland Waterways Corporation. Mr Ityav blamed most of the mishaps on poor conditions of boats, overloading, unavailability of life jackets and the preponderance of tree logs on the waterways. He said that the cutting of the tree logs and removal of debris would reduce boat mishaps and the hardships faced by riverine communities. In his remarks, Abubakar Yelwa, Managing Director of HYPPADEC, said the Commission would address ecological and environmental issues and loss of lives which resulted from the construction of the Kainji and Shiroro Dams. Kainji Dam was constructed on River Niger in 1964 at a cost of 209 million dollars and was inaugurated in 1968. Shiroro Dam was constructed also on the River Niger, in Kaduna State, South-west of Abuja in 1983. Meanwhile, Mr Yelwa commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the National assembly for signing the Act setting up HYPPADEC, which began operations in 2020 to address challenges of impacted communities. Abdullahi Sabi, Senate Deputy Chief Whip, said at the ceremony that HYPPADECs projects would help to address challenges faced by communities in the hydro-power generating areas. Mr Sabi, who represented Gabriel Suswan, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, said that the National Assembly would continue to support HYPPADEC to achieve its objectives. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how over 97 bodies were recovered from a recent boat mishap at Warrah, Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The boat from Lokon Minna, Niger, conveying traders, artisanal miners and other passengers, capsized at Warrah. The boat was conveying more than 160 persons on May 27. PREMIUM TIMES had on May 29 reported how the governor said 76 bodies were initially recovered and more were being searched for. (NAN) The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-man committee to resolve the dispute between the Kaduna State government and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and ensure industrial harmony in the state. A statement issued by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Charles Akpan, on Saturday in Abuja, said that the committee was inaugurated by Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee is headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Peter-Yemira Tarfa. Mr Ngige named Secretary to Kaduna State Government (SSG), Balarabe Lawal and Deputy National President, NLC, Najim Hashim as Co-chairmen of the committee and Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, ministry of labour and employment, O. U. Akpan, as Secretary. He urged members of the committee to meet the expectations of President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring that industrial peace returned to the state. The minister recalled that the federal government had apprehended the strike initiated by NLC in the state in May, with parties signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restore peace. He said that the intervening circumstances had made the reconstitution of the committee inevitable. According to him, the committee is expected to resolve all the issues in dispute between the state government and NLC. Mr Ngige, who acknowledged that the issues in contention bordered essentially on trade disputes, gave the committee 21 days to submit its report. He urged the committee to resolve the issues holistically and be guided by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the countrys labour laws. Mr Ngige noted that downsizing or rightsizing of workforce in any organisation, government or private sector, was a redundancy issue, which must be subjected to the principles spelt out in the Trade Disputes Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004, Cap L1. The law says in Section 20(A) that: in the event of redundancy, every employer shall inform the trade unions or representatives of workers concerned of the reasons for or the extent of their anticipated redundancy. Section 20(B) also says that the principles of last-in, first-out shall be adopted in the discharge of the category of workers affected, subject to all factors of relative merit including skill, ability and any reliability. So, in applying this, we must subject it to the relativity of merit, skill, ability and reliability. If somebody has a forged certificate, he should be asked to go because he didnt merit the job in the first instance. If you go to a nursing home and find somebody working in the ward with a Bachelors degree in History, he stands disqualified because he doesnt have the skill in the first place. He has to go. So, these are the qualifications that must be noted in this principle of last in, first out. It is not absolute. It has exceptions and qualifications, he said. Employers right Mr Ngige added that an employer had the right to reduce staff strength of his organisation but he is bound by law to negotiate redundancy payment with any discharged worker. He asserted that there was nothing wrong in Kaduna State government stopping the expenditure of 96 per cent of the its earnings on personnel cost in order to save enough for capital projects, adding, however, that it must be done within the ambit of the law. ADVERTISEMENT According to him, schedule two of the 1999 Constitution clearly states issues that are contained in item 34 of that schedule which are beyond the powers of state governments to act upon. He said that they included matters relating to labour unions, industrial disputes, arbitration and conciliation as well as the National Minimum Wage, all exclusive to the purview of the federal government. Expectations Meanwhile, the minister informed the committee of the expectations of the president on the speedy return of industrial harmony in the state, more so at a time the state was facing the challenges of armed banditry. Mr President has asked me to inform you of his expectation that peace returns to Kaduna, which has been his state of residence and home to many retired generals, permanent secretaries and seasoned administrators, amongst others of Northern Nigeria extraction. So, I appeal to you to approach this assignment with conciliation at the back of your mind so that we dont have a repeat of what happened in May. I use this opportunity to appeal to you, as the minister of labour, father of labour unions and friend of Kaduna State, that we should tread the path of peace. With peace, we can make progress, both as government and as labour union, he said. Also speaking, Kaduna State SSG, assured of the state governments commitment to restoration of industrial harmony, adding that government was not at war with labour. In his remarks, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said that labour was committed to the resolution of the impasse in the state. I pray that it will be the last dispute between labour and Kaduna State government. This is a labour matter that can be resolved and should be resolved, he said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the NLC suspended its five days warning strike in Kaduna State in May after the process was marred by slight violence and conflict. Mr Wabba had said the decision is to honour the invitation of the Federal Government on Thursday to mediate in the dispute between labour and the Kaduna State Government. On 5 June, it threatened to go back to the trenches if its demands for Kaduna workers were not met. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng) There were mixed feelings in the agriculture sector in Kano and Jigawa states as the federal government handed over 289 hectares of farmland to farmers under the Garri Irrigation Project. While farmers are jubilant over the irrigation project, cattle herders said it has blocked their cattles routes. Ceremony The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State performed the handing over ceremony in Roni LGA of Jigawa State on Friday. At the event, Mr Badaru said the future is bright for communities adjoining where the dams and irrigation projects are sited, adding that the project would boost agricultural activities and ensure year round farming. He said the irrigation projects, which covers 2, 114 hectares of farmlands, will ensure availability of water supply throughout the year, adding that farmers would cultivate rice and other crops thrice, annually. The governor said from the 8,000 hectares of irrigated farmlands, including that of Hadejia Emirate, the states will produce 150,000 tonnes of rice annually. Farmers dont need water pumps and generators to wet their farmlands which, obviously, increase the cost of production. With this development, farmers can use the canal for watering their farms which will make the price of food affordable for all, Mr Badaru said amidst cheers from hundreds of locals who turned out for the event. On his part, the minister, Mr Adamu, said the irrigation project is in line with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buharis plan to diversifying the economy, ensuring food security and assuring the uplift of 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years. Project The Gari Irrigation Project was reportedly conceived by President Buhari when he was head of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). The project was flagged off then but was abandoned by succeeding administrations. The irrigation project is located about 70 kilometres north of Kano, between Kano and Jigawa states. The project area covers five local government areas namely: Dambatta, Makoda and Kunchi in Kano State; Roni and Kazaure in Jigawa. The project has a net irrigable area of approximately 2,114 hectares subdivided into eight sectors. The contract works consist of Gari and Marke Dams rehabilitation, Cross Dam, Main and Distributary Canal, main and collector drains irrigation fields and associated structures. Sector 1 and 2 of the irrigation project have been handed over to the farmers while sector 4 is completed, tested and ready for handover. Work in Sector 3 and 5 are ongoing. Herders appeal for demarcation of cattle routes But the Chairperson, Miyatti Allah, a Fulani sociocultural organisation, in Roni local government area of Jigawa, Ayuba Shuiabu, told reporters that the project was commendable but lamented that it blocked cattle routes in the area. We are grateful to God for the work done in this area, we are all happy for the development but we are also hoping that the government will eventually look into this cattle routes blockage and mark out routes for the herders, Mr Shuaibu told reporters on the sidelines of the event. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Shuaibu said As you can see it yourself, the celebration here is one-sided, the herders are not satisfied with the project because there was no provision for them. We are appealing to the governor (Mr Badaru) to provide for cattle routes and grazing areas for our livestock. Initially, there was a provision for that but the irrigation project has taken up all the areas in favour of the farmers, the Miyatti Allah official said. Also, Adamu Ibrahim, a herder from Kunchi local government area of Kano State, said farmers have cultivated all the grazing routes in his area. Mr Ibrahim, however, said the irrigation project is yet to reach his location. He begged the authorities to ensure that the cattle routes are identified before and after the project. Umar Ado, 86, another herder from one of the adjoining communities in Makoda LGA of Kano, said: They have encroached all the cattle routes with the project. That means that we have to be stagnant without going out with our livestock for rearing. We are fully in support of the irrigation project because it empowers the residents but the problem is that we dont have routes to move about in the event farmers crops have germinated. That is is the obstacle of the project for us. The government knows better than us. We are hoping that they will revisit and create the cattle routes because both the farmers and the herders are under the authority of the government, the octogenarian said Abubakar Maishanu, an octogenarian, collaborated the stance of his kinsmen. He said the irrigation project will create wealth for the residents of the area but appealed to the government to provide cattle routes. When contacted, the Executive Secretary, Farmer and Herders Board, in Jigawa, Rabiu Miko, said the government always demarcates cattle routes in any area allocated to farmers, and this project with not be an exceptional. Jubilant farmers Farmers interviewed at the event said they considrred the project a shower of blessings and thanked President Buhari for initiating the project and ensuring its completion. Usman Muazu, a farmer from Makoda LGA in Kano, said farmers have started harvesting tomatoes, onions, maize, rice and other consumables in the irrigation section already handed over to the farmers by the federal government. As I speak to you now, on Sunday we have planted rice in one area and that was after harvesting onion on the same farm, This irrigation project was long agitated for, we are happy that this administration came and actualised our dreams of many years and residents have started reaping the fruit of the project Initial, we used to migrate to Kura LGA area and some other parts of Katsina State to work on farm plantations to sustain our lives. But with this project, I wont go anywhere again. Instead, I will remain here and work and earn money, Mr Muazu said. The farmer, however, acknowledged that, the project is yet to reach our location but we are coming down here where the government handed over the irrigated areas and work for money, pending the completion of the work. We are are also appealing to the government to empower the farmers with fertiliser and other farming inputs, Mr Muazu said. Isyaku Abubakar, a farmer from Kunchi Local Government Area of Kano State, said for them, the irrigation project was a continuation of the good works of President Buhari. He said he was not surprised because the president initiated the project. I can recall vividly when he supervised the water dam when he was heading the PTF and promised to utilise the dam for the economic development of the area. However, after the PTF was disbanded, the project was abandoned, Mr Abubakar said. We are are grateful to the governors of Kano, Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje and Muhammad Badaru, for their support in initialising the project. The irrigation project will surely empower our youth economically and reduce rural urban migration, Mr Abubakar said. Perennial clashes between herders and farmers over land, leading to loss of lives, has been one of the thorny security crises the federal government has battled with over the past few years. A controversial Islamic cleric accused of blaspheming Prophet Muhammads companions, Abduljabbar Kabara, on Saturday appeared in a public debate organised by the Kano State government for him to defend his comments. But Mr Kabara refused to answer questions from his opponents, despite being the one who requested the public debate. The moderator, Salisu Shehu, a professor of Islamic Studies, ruled that Mr Kabara consistently strayed off the topic of discussion and avoided answering questions asked him. Mr Shehu ruled the clerics earlier comments on Prophet Muhammads companions were his personal opinion, not part of Islamic teaching as he claimed. On every topic raised, Mr Kabara dodged questions and refused to open a book in his posession to clarify comments he made, citing short timing and not being fully prepared for the discussion, the judge said. Mr Kabara also faulted the guidelines and time frame of the debate. He said 10 minutes given by the moderator were not enough for him to respond adequately and that he needed more time to prepare himself. After the debate, the state Commissioner for Religion Affairs, Muhammad Tahar, said he would present the report to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for appropriate action. Ban over comments The state government had on February 4 banned Mr Kabara from public preaching following his alleged derogatory comments against Prophet Muhammads companions. However, the embattled cleric denied the allegations and demanded a public debate with his colleagues whom he accused of misinterpreting his preaching. Sanctions The state government had also shut down Mr Kabaras mosques and centres across the state and confined him to his house since February at Filin Mushe, a densely populated underserved community in Gwale in Kano metropolis. The government also directed broadcast stations and social media platforms to stop airing inflammatory preaching, sermons, propagation and any other religious discussions in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state. The government sid Mr Kabaras mode of teachings is incendiary. Ganduje appeals for peace Meanwhile, Mr Ganduje had earlier appealed for peace while assuring that his government would not allow religious extremists to start a violent crisis in the state again. The governor recalled the havoc caused by the Maitatsine crisis in Kano and spoke of how negative religious perceptions gave birth to the Boko Haram crisis in Maiduguri. The Maitastine crisis, which occurred between 1979 and 1980, was triggered by the activities of the followers of a Kano-based Cameroonian cleric, Muhammad Marwa. Over 5,000 people were reportedly killed in the crisis, including Mr Marwa and several police officers and soldiers. In Kano, we wont allow the repeat of Maitatsine and we will not treat Mr Kabaras threats with kids glove as was done with his accomplice in Zaria, Mr Ganduje said in an apparent reference to Ibrahim El-zakzaky, the detained leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shiite). ADVERTISEMENT He said the government was determined to ensure peaceful coexistence in the state and called for the support of the people. The governor also said it has enough evidence on Mr Kabaras activities, and lamented that the people did not act early to stop him. Mr Kabara is controversial for his religious commentaries and lavish spending mostly on his youthful followers. As part of its commitment to economically empower Nigerians through its various initiatives, GOtv has engaged over 8,000 youth via its Sabiman and Canvasser schemes. Since their inception in 2016, they have provided a blueprint for success that continues to transform lives and pave way for vibrant new entrepreneurs. According to GOtv Nigeria, it established the Sabiman scheme to help selected applicants resolve various issues related to GOtv technical services. The programme trains participants on the basics of service activation, response to customer enquiries and general resolution of issues. They also receive practical tutelage from seasoned facilitators on methods of handling enquires. Essentially, every beneficiary is mentored to become their own boss which, according to GOtv, is the primary objective of both schemes. GOtv Nigeria has invested over N162 million into the initiative and currently employs about 8,000 young professionals in various parts of the country. Also, the GOtv Canvasser scheme through which successful applicants are provided basic marketing skills to enable them make GOtv products more accessible to subscribers, has made many Nigerians, asides providing service, become thriving business owners. By doing all these, the company has impacted lives through life changing skills impartation and entrepreneurial developments, with attendant testimonies. For Aghadiuno Chiamaka Benedicta, a Sabiman from Onitsha, who has been a Sabiman for five years, narrated her experience on the job and how it had changed her life after her former employer introduced her to the programme. She said, I received the information about the programme from my former boss, Mr Samuel Chinwe, who I submitted my CV to, after which I was selected and scheduled for training after the interview. The training was enlightening, and I gained a lot of skills like interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills. From MultiChoice, the mother company, we were given many start-up items including a POS machine loaded with a refundable fee of 20,000 to start my business, which really went a long way for me. I was also given branded items like t-shirts and others items to let people know that we work for GOtv. My job as an agent is an outdoor-to-outdoor marketing strategy that enables us to meet our customers and find solutions to their recharging problems, reconnection issues among others. Above all, being a Sabiman, it is my priority to have a good relationship with my customers so as to promote my job. Speaking on how it has changed her life, she said, I say a very big thank you to MultiChoice Nigeria for making me a better person, for giving me a life after I had lost hope. Truly, MultiChoice is a place where they will change you positively, in order to make magic. For Adu Kayode Sunday who was one of the pioneer Sabiman, joined the programme in 2016 where he was first a canvasser before he became a Sabiman and later, a team leader. Through his engagement as a Sabiman, he has been able to sponsor himself to maritime school in Nigeria through his business and is now certified from the institute of shipping, Nigeria Maritime School. ADVERTISEMENT He also spoke on how he was able to introduce others to the trade. He said, I have two brothers that I have introduced to become Sabimen and I am training them because I see a good future in this business. Beauty Nwaka, a GOtv Sabiman switched from selling online subscriptions to a GOtv advocate. The Warri-based Sabiman has grown her business to the extent that she has added more profits to her revenue. According to her, I have been on the project for some years now and I can tell you it has been very good working as a Sabiman. I had a shop before GOtv came and introduced us to the Sabiman business. GOtv keeps surprising us and they always fulfil their promise, they always pay the agreed percentage as at when due. Sometimes, they challenge us with targets and promise to give us more money if we meet our targets and when we do, they never default in their promise. It is one thing to empower you, and it is another thing for the person to be serious with the scheme or skill. Some of us are going the extra mile to do this job and GOtv always acknowledges us, which pushes us to do better in the business. Sabimen are not the only beneficiaries of the empowerment initiative. The GOtv Canvasser Scheme that runs alongside Sabiman is also yielding inspiring testimonies. Oluwagbemi Sunday is a canvasser who says the initiative has renewed his belief that where there is a will, there is a way. He said, I have learnt technical skills in installation and engineering jobs. I have also improved interpersonal skills and learnt how to approach people. Being a canvasser involves highlighting the benefits of the products to customers. This also added to my experience. Today, I am earning a stable income. I only became a canvasser two years ago and MultiChoice, since then, helped me build experience. Armed with all these, I have been empowered by the idea of establishing my own shops to make more money and also work as a canvasser. In separate chats, all the respondents agreed that GOtv Nigeria, through its Sabiman and Canvasser initiatives, have shown its commitment to taking more Nigerians off the unemployment market, enriching them via creative, intellectual and resourceful engagement to become better citizens and entrepreneurs who would in turn, contribute positively to society. ADVERTISEMENT Houses, farm crops and animals estimated at several millions of naira were lost to a flood on Saturday after an early morning downpour in Abuja Phase 2 and Nukkai areas of Jalingo, the capital city of Taraba State. It was gathered that the flood submerged more than 20 houses in the two communities. When PREMIUM TIMES correspondent visited the areas, he observed residents struggling to recover what they could from their submerged houses. One of the residents, Sunday Aliyu, said the disaster affected his whole community. He said food items stored in houses were washed away by the flood. Mr Aliyu called on the state government to rescue the community from the perennial menace of flooding. He also called on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), corporate organisations and individuals to assist the victims with relief materials to cushion their pains. ADVERTISEMENT The Lagos House of Assembly has commenced an audit exercise for all the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state. The Chairman, House Committee on Public Account (Local), Mojeed Fatai, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday. Mr Fatai (Ibeju Lekki 1) said the committee was expected to submit its report to the House after the weeklong exercise. The lawmaker explained that the exercise was aimed at checking probity and accountability in the local government administration as provided in the 1999 (Amended) Constitution. The essence of the exercise is to allow the committee go through the 2019 report of the Auditor General without fear or favour to any local council indicted by the officials of the Auditor General. Also, the committee has the power to summon any person to give evidence at any place or produce any document or other things in his possession or under his control. This is in consonance with the need for effective and best practices in the pursuit of its statutory objectives as mandated by the committee to carry out this exercise without bias and with conformity with the standard best practices. Mr Fatai noted that letters had been sent to all the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs and were expected to come with copies of the approved budget for Y2017 and Y2020, analysis of payment made to non-pensionable staff in Y2017-Y2019. The lawmaker said other relevant documents to be provided were analysis of recurrent expenditure from June to December 2017- 2020. According to him, others are the bank statements of accounts as of December 31, 2018, and all outstanding queries in the 2019 statutory report. Mr Fatai said officials expected at the exercise were the chairmen of each local government, the vice chairmen, leader of the council, exco members, council managers, council treasurers and head of departments. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT Chieftains of Action Alliance (AA) at the campaign flag-off on Saturday ahead of the July 24 council poll in Lagos. The Action Alliance (AA) in Lagos State on Saturday flagged off its campaign to canvass votes for its candidates ahead of the July 24 Local Government Election in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event which was held at Peace Plaza in the Igando area of the state had chieftains, candidates, and members of the party in attendance. In her address, the partys chairperson, Abiola Adeyemi, said the party will not let the masses down if elected into office. The coming election is for the masses in Lagos state and all eligible voters with voters cards must come out on the election day to exercise their voting rights in determining who leads them for the next four years in their various Local Government areas. According to her, the party will be actively participating in the local government election as announced by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). Mrs Adeyemi said the party hopes that LASIEC will create a level-playing ground for all political parties and ensure that votes will count. Since this election is about the masses, there is no other political party that is in better positioned to assist the masses than the AA. Our slogan expressly indicates this Action Alliance, Let the masses live. I implore all eligible voters to come out on election day to exercise their voting rights peacefully without rancour, she said. The sole chairmanship candidate of the party, Bola Omokorede, said if voted into office, the plights of the poor masses, unemployed youths and all vulnerable sections of the society will attract the partys priority attention. Mr Omokorede, who said the primary essence of government was for the welfare of the people, urged the electorate to vote AA candidates to experience the real purpose of government. In this party, we value masses a lot and we appreciate people and their opinions. The masses can trust AA for a new lease of life, the masses can trust us with this mandate and we will never disappoint the people, he said. NAN reports that AA is contesting only 11 seats in the poll which comprise one chairmanship seat and 10 councillorship seats. The party is contesting the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmanship seat and 10 councillorship seats across three LCDAs Igando-Ikotun, Lagos Island, and Olorunda. (NAN) Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly in the morning. High 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Cloudy. Periods of rain this morning. High 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today Cloudy with rain ending for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. PROVO, Utah, July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- What does the future of religious freedom in the Americas look like? In "Fulton, Pavez and the Future of Religious Freedom in the Americas," international experts will offer their insights on possible answers. Panelists will offer their comments and discussion surrounding two cases: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which was recently decided in the U.S. Supreme Court, and Pavez v. Chile, whose decision is pending before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Both cases address the important question of the content and scope of freedom of religion and church autonomy, and how it should be harmonized with the rights of non-discrimination and equality. But the final outcome of these cases may turn out to be quite different, and in the case of Pavez v. Chile, it could have far-reaching repercussions throughout the region with respect to the freedom of churches and religious communities to teach their faith. We invite you to join our panel of experts for a stimulating discussion. The event will take place on July 13, 2021 at 12:00 pm EDT (GMT -4) in Washington, DC. It will be streamed live at https://bit.ly/3AympLb and will include a Q&A session where questions will be accepted from attendees of the live webcast. The panel will be moderated by Tomas Henriquez, Advocacy Director for the OAS and Latin America, ADF International. The panelists are Montse Alvarado, Vice President and Executive Director, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; Mike Lee, U.S. Senator (R-Utah); Branislav Marelic, Partner in the firm of Marelic, Carcamo, Busch and attorney for Sandra Pavez, Chile; and Juan G. Navarro Floria, Professor, Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event will be interpreted in English and Spanish. About the Pavez case: uninterrupted work, and a promotion. Ms. Sandra Pavez taught Catholic religion classes in San Bernardo, Chile. When the local diocese learned that Ms. Pavez was living in a same sex relationship, contravening the teachings of the Catholic Church, they informed her that they could no longer certify her to teach the Catholic faith on behalf of the church. Notwithstanding this fact, she continued to be employed at the school uninterruptedly, even enjoying a promotion to become a member of the school's leadership team. Ms. Pavez has sued the Chilean State before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, demanding to be reinstated as a teacher of Catholic confessional religion, alleging that she has been a victim of discrimination due to her sexual orientation, and that her right to work and to private and family life have been violated. About the Fulton case: unanimous support for more than 200 years of work with vulnerable children. In the case of Sharonell Fulton and others v. City of Philadelphia, that city told Catholic Social Services that they had to change their religious practices or close, thus preventing children from being placed with loving foster parents like Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the state had violated the plaintiffs' freedom of religion, and that they could not be excluded from the foster family system because of their beliefs about marriage between a man and a woman. About ADF International: Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International is a faith-based legal defense organization that protects fundamental freedoms and promotes the inherent dignity of all people. Working internationally, we have a full-time presence in all institutions of strategic international importance. We are accredited to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the European Parliament and Commission, and the Organization of American States (OAS). In addition, we enjoy participatory status with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and regularly collaborate with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). At the national level, we work with local partners to provide training, funding and legal advocacy. About the International Center for Law and Religion Studies: The International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School is dedicated to securing and maintaining the blessings of freedom of religion and belief for all people. Since January 2, 2000, the Center has engaged in research and publications in the field of law and religion, built networks of opinion leaders internationally and in the United States, and participated in legal reform processes that strengthen religious freedom around the world. The Center launched the annual Religious Liberty Review in 2014 to provide information and debate on current religious liberty issues in the United States. SOURCE International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU Law Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market in Agriculture Industry Analysis Report by Application (Robotics, Crop and soil management, and Animal husbandry) and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts,2021-2025". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/artificial-intelligence-market-in-agriculture-industry-analysis The artificial intelligence (AI) market in the agriculture industry is driven by maximizing profits in farm operations. In addition, smart sensors and precision agriculture is anticipated to boost the growth of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market in the agriculture industry. The yield and output of crops and animals must be maximized to increase profits in farm operations. With AI technologies, farmers can control and monitor the equipment, through their smartphones and also receive statistical predictions for crops and livestock. Smart sensors, satellite imagery, and other cloud-based technologies are highly beneficial to observe and record data thereby maximizing production output. In animal husbandry, AI technologies help to analyze the health and physical well-being of animals. Such timely monitoring saves money and maximizes profits in farm operations which drives the artificial intelligence (AI) market in the agriculture industry market during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture Industry Companies: Ag Leader Technology Ag Leader Technology offers AI in agriculture under the brand name InCommand. aWhere Inc. aWhere Inc. offers AI in agriculture by providing weather insights with in-time weather data to deliver actionable solutions. Corteva Inc. Corteva Inc. offers AI in agriculture under the brand name AgStudio which provides crop management solutions. Deere & Co. Deere & Co. offers machine learning technology for crop and soil monitoring, predictive analytics, and agricultural robots. DTN LLC DTN LLC offers AI in agriculture under the brand name ClearAg, DTN ProphetX, and other brands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market In Agriculture Industry Application Outlook (Revenue, USD million, 2020-2025) Robotics - size and forecast 2020-2025 Crop and soil management - size and forecast 2020-2025 Animal husbandry - size and forecast 2020-2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market In Agriculture Industry Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD million, 2020-2025) North America - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - size and forecast 2020-2025 - size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - size and forecast 2020-2025 Know more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43307 Related Reports on Industrials Include: Global Food Processing Machinery Market- The food processing machinery market is segmented by application (MPS, bakery, dairy, and others) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, MEA, and South America). Download FREE Sample Report Global Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) Market- The atmospheric water generator (AWG) market is segmented by technology (cooling condensation and wet desiccation) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America). Download FREE Sample Report About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Report link: https://www.technavio.com/report/artificial-intelligence-market-in-agriculture-industry-analysis SOURCE Technavio NEW ORLEANS, La., July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF continues its investigation into First American Financial Corp. ("FAF") (NYSE: FAF). On May 24, 2019, KrebsOnSecurity.com reported a massive data exposure by FAF involving approximately 885 million customer files. Then, on October 22, 2020, FAF disclosed that, in relation to the 2019 data security breach, "[i]n September 2020, the Company received a Wells Notice informing the Company that the [Securities and Exchange Commission] enforcement staff has made a preliminary determination to recommend a filing of an enforcement action by the SEC against the Company." Recently, the Company reached a settlement with the SEC over the breach that included a $487,616 fine. The Company has been sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws, which remains ongoing. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether FAF's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to FAF's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of FAF shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-faf/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com A proclamation of Dr. Lila Miller Shelter Medicine Day has been declared for July 10, 2021. Recognition of Dr. Miller, this day and the Avanzino Leadership Award was received from U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Representative Tom Reed, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, New York City Mayor's office, City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. "We are so very fortunate to have a living legacy in the field of animal welfare and our world." Dr. Miller has long been a pioneer and leading voice in veterinary shelter medicine. She transformed the lives of countless pets, developing the first veterinarian-written guidelines for shelter animal care, which are now used in shelters across the country to ensure the humane treatment of shelter pets. An unassuming trailblazer, she's educated a generation of students about issues shelters face and has paved the way for women of color in veterinary medicine, being the first Black American woman to graduate from the Cornell School of Veterinary medicine in 1977. "Dr. Miller is the mother of shelter medicine," said Dr. Laurie Peek, Maddie's Fund Executive Leadership Team. "She has forged a path to achieve not only her childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but also inspires generations of veterinarians along the way. Shelter medicine changes everything because of her. We owe Dr. Miller our deepest gratitude for her bold ideas and innovative work. We are so very fortunate to have a living legacy in the field of animal welfare and our world." The Avanzino Leadership Award is presented with a $25,000 grant which Dr. Miller has designated to Animal Care Centers of New York City. In 1999, Dr. Miller taught the first shelter medicine class in the U.S. at Cornell, and in 2003 taught the first shelter medicine course on Veterinary Information Network (VIN). She co-founded the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) and has also co-edited four shelter medicine textbooks, served as adjunct professor at both Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, and has lectured extensively both nationally and internationally. She spent 40 years trailblazing in the animal welfare field, a majority of her career working for the ASPCA as the Director of the ASPCA's Brooklyn Clinic for a period of 15 years before transitioning to her roles as Veterinary Advisor, Vice President of Veterinary Outreach, followed by the Vice President of Shelter Medicine, retiring in 2019. She is currently a member of the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and co-founder and past President of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's office presented a letter of commendation to Dr. Miller at the virtual awards ceremony. "The NYC Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare holds Dr. Miller in the highest regard," said Christine Kim, Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare. "I congratulate Dr. Miller on the well-deserved recognition for her lifelong commitment to shelter medicine and for her trailblazing legacy that inspires people of color exploring pathways into an historically white profession." The Avanzino Leadership Award is named after Rich Avanzino who is considered the father of the no-kill movement and was Maddie's Fund President from 1999 2015. This award recognizes significant achievement and courage to look beyond the status quo and make bold decisions to improve the lives of pets and their people. About Maddie's Fund Maddie's Fund is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy from 1987 1997 and continues to inspire them today. The Foundation has awarded $255.1 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. Maddie's Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie Contact: Sharon Fletcher, Director of Marketing & Communications 925.310.5458 [email protected] SOURCE Maddie's Fund Related Links https://www.maddiesfund.org SAN DIEGO, July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder Rights Law Firm Johnson Fistel, LLP, is investigating potential claims against Mitsubishi Electric Corporation ("Mitsubishi Electric" or the "Company") (OTC: MIELY) for violations of federal securities laws. On June 30, 2021, The Asahi Shimbun, published an article entitled "Mitsubishi Electric faked train test data likely for decades." The report stated that "Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is feeling the heat after admitting that it has faked testing data when supplying train companies with air conditioning equipment apparently for more than 30 years." The tests were intended to uncover waterproofing and voltage problems that might lead to overheating of the air conditioning equipment and even fires. Among the functions that the railway companies wanted to be checked were air conditioning capability, fuel efficiency, the level of waterproofing, and the shelf life of the equipment. Following this news, Mitsubishi Electric's shares fell 5% on July 1, 2021. Then on July 2, 2021, it was reported that Mitsubishi Electric CEO Sugiyama quits over fake inspections, admitting that the wrongdoing went back decades. Following this news, Mitsubishi Electric's shares fell over 5% on July 8, 2021. If you have information that could assist in this investigation, or if you are a Mitsubishi Electric shareholder and are interested in learning more about the investigation, please contact Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number. Additionally, you can [Click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Johnson Fistel, LLP: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP Jim Baker, 619-814-4471 [email protected] [Click here to join this action] SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP Related Links http://www.johnsonfistel.com The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd., Dorel Industries Inc., FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA, Flexa4Dreams AS, Inter IKEA Holding BV, Meubles Demeyere SA, Rohr-Bush GmbH and Co. KG, Steinhoff International Holdings NV, Tvilum AS, and UAB koncernas SBA are some of the major market participants. Although the advent of e-commerce, free pick-up, and delivery opportunities will offer immense growth opportunities, to leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2021-2025: Segmentation Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe is segmented as below: Product Home RTA Furniture Office RTA Furniture Distribution Channel Offline Online Geography Germany France Sweden UK Rest Of Europe 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=IRTNTR43235 Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe provides a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd., Dorel Industries Inc., FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA, Flexa4Dreams AS, Inter IKEA Holding BV, Meubles Demeyere SA, Rohr-Bush GmbH and Co. KG, Steinhoff International Holdings NV, Tvilum AS, and UAB koncernas SBA. The report also covers the following areas: Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market size in Europe Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market trends in Europe Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market industry analysis in Europe The reduction in average urban living space in Europe is likely to emerge as one of the primary drivers of the market. However, uncertainty in the costs of raw material used for RTA furniture may threaten the growth of the market. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe is designed to provide entry support, customer profile & M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Related Reports on Consumer Discretionary Include: Global Luxury Furniture Market - Global luxury furniture market is segmented by distribution channel (offline and online), geography (Europe, North America, APAC, MEA, and South America), and application (residential and commercial). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Global Bedroom Furniture Market - Global bedroom furniture market is segmented by product (BBLH, wardrobes, mattresses and supporters, chests and chest of drawers, and others), distribution channel (offline and online), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2021-2025: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025 Detailed information on factors that will assist ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market growth in Europe during the next five years during the next five years Estimation of the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market vendors in Europe Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Home RTA furniture - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Office RTA furniture - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by Distribution channel Market segments Comparison by Distribution channel Offline - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Online - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Germany - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 France - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Sweden - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 UK - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd. Dorel Industries Inc. FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA Flexa4Dreams AS Inter IKEA Holding BV Meubles Demeyere SA Rohr-Bush GmbH and Co. KG Steinhoff International Holdings NV Tvilum AS UAB koncernas SBA Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us 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. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ Report: www.technavio.com/report/ready-to-assemble-furniture-market-in-europe-industry-analysis Newsroom: newsroom.technavio.com/news/top-drivers-for-ready-to-assemble-rta-furnituremarket SOURCE Technavio Related Links http://www.technavio.com NEW YORK, July 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Danimer Scientific, Inc. ("Danimer" or the "Company")(NYSE: DNMR) and certain of its officers and directors. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 21-cv-02708, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Danimer securities between December 30, 2020 and March 19, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Danimer securities during the Class Period, you have until July 13, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Danimer was formerly known as "Live Oak Acquisition Corp." ("Live Oak"), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company. In December 2020, Live Oak consummated a business combination with Meredian Holdings Group, Inc., doing business as Danimer Scientific ("Legacy Danimer"), a performance polymer company specializing in bioplastic replacements for traditional petrochemical-based plastics (the "Business Combination"). Following the Business Combination, Live Oak changed its name to "Danimer Scientific, Inc.," changed its business to Legacy Danimer's business, and replaced its management with Legacy Danimer's management. Since 2020, Legacy Danimerand, following the Business Combination, Danimerhas sold polyhydroxyalkanoates commercially under its proprietary "Nodax" brand name for usage in a wide variety of plastic applications including water bottles, straws, and food containers, among others. The Company has touted Nodax as a 100% biodegradable, renewable, and sustainable plastic, which is purportedly superior to traditional plastics because of its advanced biodegradability. The Company attributes Nodax's advanced biodegradability to microorganisms in nature that eat the bioplastic. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Danimer had deficient internal controls; (ii) as a result, the Company had misrepresented, inter alia, its operations' size and regulatory compliance; (iii) Defendants had overstated Nodax's biodegradability, particularly in oceans and landfills; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On March 20, 2021, the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ") published an article entitled "Plastic Straws That Quickly Biodegrade in the Ocean, Not Quite, Scientists Say" addressing, among other things, Danimer's claims that Nodax breaks down far more quickly than fossil-fuel plastics. The WSJ article alleged that, according to several experts on biodegradable plastics, "many claims about Nodax are exaggerated and misleading." While Danimer reportedly asserts its claims are factual, the article cites at least one expert as stating that making broad claims about Nodax's biodegradability "is not accurate" and is "greenwashing." On March 22, 2021, the first trading day following the publication of the WSJ article, Danimer's stock price fell $6.43 per share, or 12.87%, to close at $43.55 per share on March 22, 2021. Following the end of the Class Period, on April 22, 2021, Spruce Point Capital Management ("Spruce Point") published a report on Danimer, noting, among other red flags, various inconsistencies with Legacy Danimer's (and Danimer's) historical and present claims regarding the size of its operations, Nodax's makeup and degradability, and the Company's expected profitability. Following the publication of the Spruce Point report, Danimer's stock price fell $2.01 per share, or 8.04%, to close at $22.99 per share on April 22, 2021. Then, on May 4, 2021, Spruce Point published another report on Danimer alleging that the Company had "wildly overstated" production figures, pricing, and financial projections based on documents Spruce Point had acquired from the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Department of Environmental Protection under the Freedom of Information Act, all of which cast serious doubt on the integrity of the Company's internal controls. Following the publication of this second Spruce Point report, Danimer's stock price fell $1.49 per share, or 6.31%, to close at $22.14 per share on April 22, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com NEW YORK, July 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of. DiDi Global Inc. f/k/a Xiaoju Kuaizhi Inc. ("DiDi" or the "Company") (NYSE: DIDI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether DiDi and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On or around June 30, 2021, Didi conducted its initial public offering ("IPO"), selling approximately 316.8 million American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), priced at $14.00 per ADS. Then, on July 2, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China ("CAC") stated that it had launched an investigation into DiDi to protect national security and the public interest. The CAC also reported that it had asked DiDi to stop new user registrations during the course of the investigation. On this news, DiDi's ADS price fell $0.87 per ADS, or approximately 5.3%, to close at $15.33 per ADS on July 2, 2021. Then, on July 4, 2021, DiDi reported that the CAC ordered smartphone app stores to stop offering the "DiDi Chuxing" app because it "collect[ed] personal information in violation of relevant PRC laws and regulations." Though users who previously downloaded the app could continue to use it, DiDi stated that "the app takedown may have an adverse impact on its revenue in China." Then, on July 5, 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that the CAC had asked the Company as early as three months prior to the IPO to postpone the offering because of national security concerns and to "conduct a thorough self-examination of its network security." On this news, DiDi's ADS price fell another $3.04 per share, or 19.6%, to close at $12.49 per share on July 6, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com A look at some of the major movers in the small-cap world this week Gemfields PLC ( ) was the top-performing small-cap performer this week, somewhat to the bafflement of the companys management. The company notes the recent increase in its share price and confirms that there is no disclosable unpublished price-sensitive information relating to the company at the present time, the company said in a stock market announcement on Friday. Gemfields is closely monitoring the global COVID-19 situation and observed that its operations in Mozambique and Zambia remain materially uninterrupted by the pandemic. The company presently expects to hold three further gemstone auctions this year. Notwithstanding the welcome increase in the company's share price, Gemfields still trades at a significant discount to its net asset value, the company noted. The shares rose 46% to 13.35p. Sector peer Cora Gold Limited ( ) rose 43% after it announced a world-class intersection at its Sanankoro gold project in Southern Mali. The company said there were 31.56 grams of gold per tonne from a 19-metre intersection revealed by drilling in Zone A of the project. Other noteworthy intersections from Zone A included 21 metres @ 5.75 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au); 7m @ 2.44 g/t Au; and 19m @ 2.07 g/t Au. The results of the drilling programme to date have been extremely encouraging with good widths and high-grade results in generally shallow oxides ore, Cora said. Another mining stock on investors shopping list this week was Orosur Mining PLC ( ), up 39% at 19.5p. The shares soared after the company signed a letter of intent with Canadian firm Meridian Mining on a proposed joint venture on Meridians Ariquemes tin project in Brazil. Orosur has 90 days to complete due diligence and to finalise a joint venture proposal, after which its exclusivity period ends. Orosur said the broad terms of any joint venture have already been discussed between the parties. Away from the mining sector, Ridgecrest PLC (LON:RDGC), which sounds like it should be a mining company but which is an AIM-listed cash shell, jumped 31% to 1.15p before trading of its shares was suspended, pending a reverse takeover by Airline Invest, which owns the Blue Air Romanian low-cost airline. Assuming the deal goes ahead, the current owners of Airline Invest will end up with 95% of Ridgecrests shares. It is proposed that the companys name will change to Blue Air Group on completion of the deal. As names of airlines go, Blue Air is particularly appropriate as its likely many airline passengers will be turning the air blue this summer A trading update from Yu Group PLC ( ) was well-received by the market. Shares in the independent supplier of gas, electricity and water to the UK corporate sector were up 16% at 277.5p after it boasted of strong growth in bookings and revenue in the first half of the year. Once the final numbers are totted up, Yu expect first-half revenue will have grown 42% year-on-year to about 65mln, resulting in the group posting an underlying profit (EBITDA) compared to a loss of 1.8mln in the same period of 2020. Recovery play ( ) was 13% firmer at 10.75p after Bank announced on Thursday it has a 6.2% stake in the company. On Friday, the company said it would report a loss for the year to the end of May but is confident that it is well-placed to make a strong recovery with the bulk of its restructuring costs and non-cash write-downs behind it the current fiscal year. ( ) was the weeks biggest faller after the announcement of the results of the interim safety and futility assessment readout of the first 100 patients treated in the STAR COVID-19 trial. Evgen said analyses did not meet the interim futility hurdle required to continue the study and that active treatment would not be likely to show an overall statistically significant improvement. Recruitment into the trial will therefore be halted. PLC ( ), the international animal health business, slid 16% to 297p after it placed 13.9mln shares at 285p a pop. The newly issued shares represent around 23% of the companys existing share capital. Another stock marked down after the company issued shares was ( ), which raised about 5mln by placing shares at 0.18p, which was roughly a 22% discount to the share price on the day before the placing was announced. The funds raised will finance UKOGs remaining share of the Turkey Basur-3 appraisal well's drilling, completion and testing costs and planned 2D seismic data acquisition. Shareholders will get the chance to buy shares at the same price (0.18p) through an open offer although as the shares are currently trading at around 0.175p down 27% this week this is of marginal benefit. London, July 10 : Britain has reported another 35,707 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 5,058,093, according to official figures released on Friday. The country also recorded another 29 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 128,365. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, the Xinhua news agency reported. Nearly 45.7 million people in Britain have received the first jab of Covid-19 vaccine and over 34.3 million people have received two doses, the official figures showed. England's coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, has risen slightly to between 1.2 and 1.5, up from between 1.1 and 1.3 last week, according to the latest estimate by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), a British government advisory body. An R value between 1.2 and 1.5 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 15 other people. An outbreak can grow exponentially when the figure is above one. Meanwhile, the growth rate range of coronavirus is 3 per cent to 7 per cent, which means that the number of new infections is growing by between 3 per cent and 7 per cent every day. Overall vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease in risk groups is approximately 60 per cent after one dose of either the AstraZeneca vaccine or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with little variation by age, according to a study released on Friday by the Public Health England. After two doses, vaccine effectiveness is 81 per cent with AstraZeneca among people in risk groups aged 16 to 64. No data is available for Pfizer-BioNTech. Among people in risk groups aged 65 and over, vaccine effectiveness with Pfizer-BioNTech is 89 per cent and 80 per cent with AstraZeneca. Although age is the greatest risk factor for adverse outcomes following Covid-19 infection, certain health conditions also increase the risk of severe disease. Diabetes, severe asthma, chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, neurological disease, and diseases or therapies that weaken the immune system - such as blood cancer, HIV or chemotherapy - have all been linked to an increased risk of hospitalization or death with Covid-19, according to the PHE. 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. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, July 10 : As soon as the Pulwama terrorist attack was executed on February 14, 2019, journalist and author, Rahul Pandita, who has been writing extensively on the region for decades -- reportage and non-fiction -- immediately realised that it was the worst terrorist attack Kashmir had ever witnessed in its three bloody decades of insurgency. Pandita's latest book 'The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur: How the Pulwama Case was Cracked' (Juggernaut) is the result of following the case from day one. Sometime after the attack, when he was travelling with a party of Military Intelligence, which comprised some people who were among the first of the response team to reach the spot, a young army office told him that on reaching the site, they found the bodies of four CRPF personnel dangling on a few communication towers over the hillock on the other side of the road (it is a double road). "It became personal from that day onwards. As a conflict journalist, you always try to put faces to various players of conflict. Listening to that story, I realised that I had to give a certain story's name to the people who fall. And they should not remain mere statistics. Post that, came the work of putting together the pieces. Of course, in those days of course, very little was known. Even the NIA (National Investigation Agency) was groping in the dark. Slowly, things started unravelling and I realised that it is a big story; which must be told." Despite his well-placed sources in the security apparatus, Pandita, who has reported extensively from various theatres of war including Iraq and Sri Lanka and has to his credit books including 'Our Moon Has Blood Clots: A Memoir of a Lost Home in Kashmir', 'Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of India's Maoist Movement' and 'The Absent State' (co-authored), says information did not come easy at all. " The lead investigators in the case (NIA) and even the Jammu and Kashmir police were keeping their cards close to the chest, which is understandable, after all they are a professional organisation and do not share information regarding ongoing investigations with journalists. However, once the case started to crack, sleuths from both NIA and Jammu and Kashmir police began opening up. And of course the book also includes some old stories, like the entire episode of how Ghazi baba was killed by the Border Security Force (BSF). Several times, you have to corroborate events from multiple sources. In insurgency operations in a place like Jammu and Kashmir, there are multiple agencies involved at any given point in time. Dots have to be connected. Sometimes, they have to be connected from outside Jammu and Kashmir too. So that is how agencies like the Delhi Police get involved, etc. But then the story also needed to be told. And I took my old sources into confidence, that revealed stuff to me." Stressing that the end goal of any counter insurgency operations cannot be just killing terrorists, he feels that at some point in time, one also needs to look at how to stop young Kashmiris to fall into the trap of radical Islam. "In my opinion, as a student of Kashmir, unless you don't do that, this problem will unfortunately not go away. Young Kashmiri muslims will keep on joining these terrorist organisations. New terrorist organizations will keep on being floated. The Lashkar is not going to stop sending its highly trained militants to the Kashmir valley. That is not going to stop. The Indian state has to try to reach them. Of course, in any counterinsurgency operation, eliminating militants is a part of the job." Adding that in order to ensure that the readers are hooked to a non-fiction title like his latest one, it is important to go beyond the statistics and tell personal stories as a journalist-author, he says, "You have to go beyond faces. One of my favourite American writers, David Foster Wallace, when he used to report, would call himself a non-journalist journalist. Sometimes, you have to don that robe. One of the shortcomings in journalism is a lack of good writers, the kinds who can go beyond these statistics and what they learn typically in a journalism school -- what they have to put in the first paragraph and so on. So, as a writer, my effort is to go beyond the mundane. Go beyond these boring numbers, or what someone has already seen on television or internet." The author feels that his 'education' does not come from any school or college but the place called Bastar. "It has taught me whatever little I know of people, of friendships, of life and death." Despite not travelling as much as he used to, Pandita's first love still remains conflict reporting. "When you are at a place to file a report, sometimes, there are images and situations unfolding, or when you can see the overall picture of a particular reporting assignment then it also excites you as a story-teller. You may start realising in your head that this is going to be more exciting-- as a book or as a larger story." Currently toying with a few fiction ideas that have been in his mind for long, the author, who co-wrote the film 'Shikara' with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, says, "That genre excites me too. There are stories I need to tell. But there are also the ones that I would rather see on the big screen. So, definitely, yes." (Sukant Deepak can be reached at sukant.d@ians.in) New Delhi, July 10 : If there is a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, 57 per cent respondents said they will hold violation of the corona rules by the general public responsible for it, as per the IANS C Voter Tracker. According to the tracker, only 34 per cent will hold the government responsible for the third wave. The sample size of the tracker is 1815 and the data is weighted to known census profile. However, there is angst over vaccination availability as 47 per cent said vaccine doses are not easily available yet and there is a long waiting period. A lesser number of 42 per cent said vaccine doses are easily available now. People also find the government reacted late to the oxygen crisis. Fifty-one per cent respondents said the government decision to set up medical oxygen facilities in every district was late, while 38 per cent said the decision was taken at the right time. On the Uttar Pradesh elections, the tracker finds very tepid response to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's call to fight elections on 100 seats in the state next year. Fifty-two per cent of respondents said that Owaisi's party will even fail to open its account in Uttar Pradesh like West Bengal, while 28 per cent said he will repeat the performance of Bihar and Maharashtra. As the Uttar Pradesh government faces allegations of resorting to violence and misusing government machinery in the Zila Panchayat and Block Pramukh elections, 45 per cent respondents said ruling parties in different states do not resort to violence or misuse machinery. As the US mission in Afghanistan draws to close, 43 per cent said the situation in the South Asian nation has improved during America's military mission in the last 20 years, while 31 per cent said can't say. On the US ending its military mission in Afghanistan, 35 per cent said it is not right decision at this juncture, while 34 per cent supported the decision. New Delhi, July 10 : On the US ending its military mission in Afghanistan, 35 per cent respondents said it is not the right decision at this juncture, while 34 per cent supported the decision, as per IANS C Voter tracker. The tracker found that as America's mission in Afghanistan draws to close, 43 per respondents said the situation in Afghanistan has improved during the US' military mission in the last 20 years, while 31 per cent said can't say. The sample size of the tracker is 1,815 and the data is weighted to known census profile. The survey comes amid reports that Taliban now controls 85 per cent of Afghanistan and many are predicting a civil war. In an opinion piece, the Washington Post said: "Now, that tragedy appears to be unfolding more quickly than even many of the pessimists imagined. In recent weeks, Taliban forces have captured dozens of districts in a nationwide offensive, surrounding several provincial capitals and blocking key roads into Kabul." The top US military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin S. Miller, warned with remarkable bluntness that "a civil war is certainly a path that can be visualised", adding: "That should be a concern for the world." The Washington Post said it ought, at least, to be a concern for US President Joe Biden, who inherited a difficult situation from his predecessor Donald Trump but chose to pull the plug on the American mission rather than fix it. The President ought to be reconsidering the swift withdrawal he ordered in light of the incipient crumbling of an Afghan government and army that the US spent two decades helping to build. Instead, he has been cold to the country's plight. As US advisers and air support melt away, Afghan army units are being wiped out by the Taliban, or are surrendering without a fight. In desperation, the government has invited ethnic militias to remobilise, risking a return to the anarchic conflict and banditry that plagued the country in the 1990s, the report said. Even with that support, the government may not be able to hold on; a US intelligence community assessment that surfaced last week said it could fall within six to 12 months of the American departure, the Washington Post said. If that happens, not only Afghans will be at risk. According to the intelligence community and a study commissioned by Congress, Al Qaeda could re-establish bases in the country. Waves of refugees are likely to pour out, destabilizing neighbours such as Pakistan and massing at the borders of Europe. US rivals such as Iran, China and Russia could draw the conclusion that Biden lacks the stomach to stand up for embattled allies such as Iraq, Taiwan and Ukraine. New Delhi, July 10 : If there is a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, 57 per cent respondents said they will hold violation of corona rules by the general public responsible for it, as per IANS C Voter Tracker. As per the tracker, only 34 per cent will hold the government responsible for the third wave. The sample size of the tracker is 1,815 and the data is weighted to known census profile. However, there is angst over vaccination availability as 47 per cent said vaccine doses are not easily available yet and there is a long waiting period. A lesser number of 42 per cent said vaccine doses are easily available now. People also find the government reacted late to the oxygen crisis. Fifty-one per cent respondents said the government decision to set up medical oxygen facilities in every district was late, while 38 per cent said the decision was taken at the right time. There is concern over the pandemic after hill stations are reporting huge rush. The Union Health Ministry has warned that gross violations of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour after lifting lockdown restrictions in different parts of the country can nullify the gains so far. During a briefing on the situation of the second wave of the pandemic, which is on a downward trajectory at the moment in the country, the Ministry highlighted the various pictures from different places showing gross violation of restrictions. Referring to the massive footfall of people in hill stations, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal stated that people travelling to hill stations are not following Covid appropriate behaviour. "We can nullify the ease in restrictions again if protocols not complied with." "After the lockdown restrictions were lifted people think Covid pandemic has gone, but they must understand the fact that second wave is still existent in a limited way in some areas," Agarwal further added. The Ministry also warned of nullifying the ease in restrictions again if protocols not complied with while referring to the recent incidents of overcrowding at hill stations in Manali, Shimla, Mussourie and markets in Delhi and Mumbai. Sharing photos of the footfall of tourists at hill stations, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) DG Balram Bhargava expressing his concern said: "Pictures from hill stations are frightening. People must comply with Covid appropriate behaviour, otherwise whatever we have gain so far will be ruined." Bhargava stated that people and local authorities must understand that Covid pandemic still existing in the country. "Instead of highlighting the wave aspect, we should focus on Covid appropriate behaviour to contain the spread," he added. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) United Nations, July 10 : While encouraging leaders in Haiti to reach an inclusive political settlement for stability, UN officials also strive to resume sustainable humanitarian relief efforts after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise threw the impoverished Caribbean country into turmoil, a spokesman for the world body said. On FRiday, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN chief's special representative in Haiti, Helen La Lime, is in talks with political personalities and factions, stressing the urgency of the situation, reports xinhua news agency. La Lime "continues to be in contact with Haitian leaders and other interlocutors stressing the urgent need to reach an inclusive political compromise to maintain stability and to chart the way forward for Haiti," Dujarric said. "The solution to Haiti's challenges will come from Haitians themselves." The UN continues to stand by Haiti and the Haitian people to provide support, he said, adding that the situation is also threatening efforts to provide humanitarian assistance. "Our colleagues are telling us that following the assassination of the president, efforts to respond to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the country are being put at risk," Dujarric said. Immediately after the early Wednesday attack on the President, the World Food Programme cancelled humanitarian air service flights through Thursday. The UN Department of Safety and Security restricted road movements for humanitarian staff in Haiti, he said. Members of the Humanitarian Country Team in Haiti are reviewing preparedness and contingency relief operation plans, the spokesman said. The Unicef said this is the worst humanitarian crisis Haiti has faced over the past few years and that the situation is deteriorating week after week. It said 1.5 million children, nearly one-third of all children in Haiti, are in urgent need of emergency relief. The agency blamed rising violence, constrained access to clean water, health and nutrition, disrupted education and protection services in times of Covid-19 and the hurricane season. Miami, July 10 : The confirmed death toll in the partial collapse of a 12-storey residential building in Surfside, Florida, has increased to 78 after the remains of 14 more victims were found in the rubble, authorities said. There are 62 people who remain unaccounted for, and 200 accounted for, Xinhua news agency quoted Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava as saying to reporters on Friday. Cava said among the dead, 47 have been identified. The collapse occurred on June 24. The way the building collapsed gave people who were inside the lowest probability of survival, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief of Operations Raide Jadallah said, describing it as a "pancake" collapse. The beachside town, which sits around 9.6 km north of Miami Beach, has hired Allyn Kilsheimer, founder of KCE Structural Engineers, to lead the investigation into what caused the collapse, according to local media reports. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said earlier this week that it was unclear whether flaws in the structure were unique to the building, its construction or maintenance. Also unclear are the implications of the collapse for new state regulations. July 10 : Priyanka Chopra had visited her Indian restaurant Sona in New York during her recent visit to the USA. On Friday night, The White Tiger actress took to Instagram to share a bunch of stunning pictures from her restaurant visit. Taking to her Instagram handle, the actress shared memories from her visit to the restaurant recently. In the pictures, she looked stunning in a white silk dress with spaghetti straps and a high slit taking the sultry quotient up. Priyanka styled her dress with golden heels and tied her hair in a high bun. She captioned the post, "Timeless India all within the heart of New York City. So much love for @sonanewyork." https://www.instagram.com/p/CRHDp2YFtw5/ In one of her previous posts, the actress shared a glimpse of what she ate at her restaurant. "To go into the kitchen and meet the team that makes Sona New York such a wholesome experience," read her post. Fans showered love on Priyankas post. "Looking so beautiful and hottie girl OMG," wrote one. "OMGGGG," commented another. Her Barfi co-star Ileana D'Cruz commented, "Gurllll." Her husband Nick Jonas dropped heart eyes emojis. The actress visited the US last month to check on her restaurant and also her haircare range. During the US visit, she visited Sona for the first time since it was opened this year. She also celebrated her mother Madhu Chopra's birthday there. The actress was busy in London with the shooting of Citadel during her restaurant's grand launch, so she attended the opening ceremony virtually. She had also revealed that her husband Nick Jonas named the restaurant Sona. "Yes! Hubby came up with the name at an early tasting with the team, as Sona means "gold," and he had heard that word in India, well...A lot, throughout our wedding," read one of her earlier posts. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQl2cI1HspS/ Priyanka is in London, completing her projects. While she completed shooting for Text For You, a romantic comedy with Mindy Kaling, currently, the actress is shooting for the Amazon spy series Citadel, which also stars Richard Madden. Besides, Priyanka has The Matrix 4, a biopic on Ma Anand Sheela, and an Amazon series in her kitty. Lisbon, July 10 : Portugal has mandated the use of the European Union's (EU) Digital Covid Certificate or proof of a negative coronavirus test while checking-in in hotels and other holiday accommodations across the country as per the decision of the Council of Ministers. In municipalities with a high Covid-19 incidence, the same requirement applies from 7 p.m. on Fridays and on weekends to customers who wish to dine indoors in restaurants, reports Xinhua news agency. In a statement issued on Friday, Mariana Vieira da Silva, Minister of State for the Presidency, said that PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and antigen tests with laboratory results will be accepted and self-tests will also be available in the presence of a health professional. The EU Digital Covid Certificate is available for free online to any citizen or resident of the bloc who has already been vaccinated or already contracted the disease and recovered. At the same time, the Portuguese authorities have revoked the ban on entering and leaving the Lisbon Metropolitan Area on weekends. This week, the Council of Ministers re-assessed the country's sanitary conditions and announced the new measures "taking into account the spread of the coronavirus infection in Portugal", said an official government statement. The daily average of new Covid-19 cases rose 54 per cent in the past seven days, which led the government to extend the "state of calamity" in Portugal until July 25. According to the health authorities, Portugal has registered 899,295 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, while the death toll stood at 17,135. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mumbai, July 10 : Shweta Tiwari is a proud mother as daughter Palak Tiwari gets ready for her debut in Bollywood with the horror film, "Rosie: The Saffron Chapter". However, the television star regrets the fact that she could not provide Palak with much beyond her support because she primarily belongs to a different industry. "I feel very proud because everything that she got, she did it with her hard work and her auditions. I was just there to support her. I could not provide her anything else being in a different industry. (I belong to) The TV industry, and she is going to enter the film industry," Shweta told IANS. Shweta, 40, has been a part of the television industry for over two decades now. She gained popularity with her performance as Prerna Sharma Bajaj in "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", and later featured in shows such as "Parvarrish", "Begusarai" and "Mere Dad Ki Dulhan". "The way of working in these two industries are absolutely different. I think I could not help her much, which I feel sad about. She is such a hardworking girl and I am so proud of her," the actress added. Shweta will soon be seen in the 11th season of "Khatron Ke Khiladi" hosted by filmmaker Rohit Shetty on Colors. Stockholm, July 10 : After he was reinstated earlier this week, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced that there would be no reshuffle in his government. Lofven, who became the first sitting Swedish Prime Minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in June, was reinstated on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency. In the 14 remaining months until the next scheduled elections, Lofven's government will focus on four areas -- jobs, security, climate and welfare. "It is a challenging and very important time for Sweden," he said at a press conference on FRiday. "We Social Democrats together with the Green Party, want to take Sweden forward with a green, safe and equal social construction," he said, reiterating his previous government's ambition to make Sweden the first fossil-free welfare country. On the Covid-19 pandemic, Lofven said the fight against the virus was not yet won. He also pledged to increase the pressure on the scourge of gang-related shootings that have plagued the country for years. "Gang crime has been growing for decades and will not go away overnight. The government and society must be ruthless towards the gangs," he noted. The Prime Mminister said his government will present a proposal shortly to scrap the current system of leniency when sentencing 18-20-year-olds who have committed serious crimes. Today, younger offenders can get several years shaved off when sentenced. The new government relies on support from the Left Party and the Centre Party to push through their budget proposals. But observers believe Lofven will have many challenges in this regard. Tel Aviv, July 10 : Israel's Ministry of Health has issued a new travel ban to Uzbekistan and Belarus, citing a high level of coronavirus morbidity. The new measure starting from July 12 will enlarge an existing list that bans travelling to Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa and Russia, reports Xinhua news agency. Israeli citizens and permanent residents who want to travel to one of the eight countries must request permission from an exception committee. Meanwhile, inbound passengers from the eight countries, including recovered and vaccinated ones, must enter a 10-day quarantine. The Ministry on Friday also announced that starting from July 16, passengers arriving from 16 countries to which a travel warning has been issued will also be required to enter quarantine immediately. It added that starting July 16, all passengers arriving from all other countries, including vaccinated and recovered ones, will be required to enter quarantine for up to 24 hours. This quarantine will last until the results of a coronavirus test conducted upon arrival are received. Dhaka, July 10 : Bangladesh's overall Covid-19 caseload has surpassed the 1 million mark as infections continue to spike amid a fresh nationwide lockdown. On Friday, the country reported 11,324 new confirmed cases, which increased the overall infection tally to 1,000,543, Xinhua news agency quoted the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) as saying. Meanwhile, 212 more people succumbed to the virus, marking the highest single-day spike, bringing the death toll to 16,004. The DGHS data revealed that 36,586 samples were tested across Bangladesh on Friday. The total number of recovered patients rose to 862,384, said the DGHS. The Covid-19 fatality rate in the country is currently 1.60 per cent and recovery rate is 86.19 per cen. Bangladesh recorded the highest daily new cases of 11,651 on July 8 and the previous highest number of deaths of 201 on July 7. To curb the virus transmission, Bangladesh on July 1 entered a strict one-week lockdown that has subsequently been extended till July 14 and army personnel have been deployed to patrol alongside civilian forces to maintain law and order. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Jakarta, July 10 : At least 458 doctors in Indonesia have died of Covid-19 from March 2020 to the first week of July 2021, a top official announced here. The death rate of doctors in the last two months has increased drastically, Indonesian Medical Association's Mitigation Team Leader Adib Khumaidi told a press conference on Friday. He added that based on the association's report, the death of doctors due to exposure to Covid-19 reached a seven-fold increase in June, reports Xinhua news agency. In July, the total number of doctor deaths has reached 35, he noted. According to Khumaidi, the mortality rate of doctors reached a peak in January with 65 deaths. He also expressed concern that more medical workers were currently undergoing treatment across the country. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government on Friday announced the expansion of it its emergency restrictions (locally known as PPKM) to 15 regions outside Java and Bali from July 12 to 20. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the 15 regions were Tanjung Pinang, Singkawang, Padang Panjang, Bandar Lampung, Balikpapan, Pontianak, Manokwari, Sorong City, Batam, Bontang, Bukittinggi, Berau, Padang, Mataram and Medan. "The bed occupancy rates (BORs) in these regions are more than 60 per cent, while the number of cases increased significantly and vaccination achievements are less than 50 per cent," Hartarto said at a virtual press conference. Hartarto explained that on June 27, the number of active Covid-19 cases outside Java and Bali was recorded at 50,513, but it jumped to 82,711 cases on Thuesday. Similarly, BORs in these regions have increased, particularly in Lampung (82 per cent), East Kalimantan (80 per cent), West Papua (79 per cent), Riau Islands (77 per cent), West Kalimantan (68 per cent) and West Sumatra (67 per cent). The country has been implementing emergency restrictions in all provinces in Java and Bali from July 3 to 20, as the number of Covid-19 cases has been soaring after a long Eid al-Fitr holiday and the entry of the more contagious Delta variant. As of Friday, Indonesia recorded 38,124 new daily COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 2,455,912. The total number of recoveries was recorded at 2,023,548 and deaths at 64,631. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, July 10 : Before they open the lucrative space tourism business to the public, Richard Branson-owned Virgin Atlantic and Jeff Bezos-led Blue origin are fighting and the online feud has only turned ugly this time. While billionaire Branson is set to fly to space aboard his Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceplane on July 11, Amazon Founder Bezos is expected to take off in his own space tourism rocket on July 20. Blue Origin tweeted a chart on Friday, two days before Branson's flight, comparing Virgin Galactic's spaceplane to Blue Origin's New Shepard on window size, vehicle type, escape system, and other factors. "From the beginning, New Shepard was designed to fly above the Karman line, so none of our astronauts have an asterisk next to their name," the company said in its tweet. The Karman line, 100 kms above the ground, is the boundary of space. Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket aims to launch its crew capsule just beyond the Karman line for a few minutes of weightlessness, while Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo spaceplane flies 89 kms high - just over the boundary of space defined by the US government, reports The Verge. Blue Origin further tweeted: "For 96 per cent of the world's population, space begins 100 km up at the internationally recognised Karman line." Reacting to the tweet, Nicola Pecile, a Virgin Galactic test pilot, posted: "This pissing contest about the Karman line is so childish that is getting really embarrassing to watch". "Flying above 100K ft is already so complicated that anyone doing so should deserve a special recognition," Pecile tweeted. The tweet was later deleted. In another tweet, he cited Virgin Galactic's first spaceflight with humans in 2018 and added that Blue Origin "has flown only mannequins so far." Earlier, Blue Origin's CEO Bob Smith wished Branson well after Virgin's announcement, but said that "they're not flying above the Karman line and it's a very different experience." When Branson was asked on CNBC whether he's trying to beat Bezos to space, he replied: "Jeff who?" Virgin Galactic has confirmed Branson's flight on July 11 alongside four mission specialists and two pilots. "I've always been a dreamer. My mom taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars. On July 11, it's time to turn that dream into a reality aboard the next Virgin Galactic spaceflight," Branson said in a tweet. Last month, Bezos announced a trip to the edge of space aboard his venture Blue Origin's first crewed mission of New Shepard on July 20 with his brother Mark and two others. On July 1, Bezos announced the fourth crew member -- Wally Funk, a legendary aviator who also holds a ticket for Virgin's VSS Unity. Beirut, July 10 : The Lebanese Navy thwarted the smuggling of 25 illegal Syrian immigrants off the shore of the town of Qalamoun, a security source confirmed. The source told Xinhua news agency that the immigrants, including women and children, were arrested on Friday several miles away from the shore. The source added that the detainees were in possession of life jackets, food and luggage, and they were transferred to an army centre for interrogation. Human smuggling networks have been active in northern Lebanon, in exchange for sums of money ranging between $2,000 and $3,000 dollars per person. According to the UN Refugee Agency, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita. There are, an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and some 16,000 refugees of Ethiopian, Iraqi, Sudanese and other origins, in addition to over 200,000 Palestinian refugees. An estimated 88 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living below the extreme poverty line. New Delhi, July 10 : Everything in our lives warps and unravels with the passage of time, says P.A. Chawla, a fan of T.S. Eliot, which explains her nom de plume, of her new book, "The Slow Disappearing" - part memoir and three parts fiction that suggests fading relationships as well as a fading memory - the writing of which she describes as a "wonderfully cathartic experience". "The title suggests that everything warps and unravels with the passage of time. What are we if not our memories? We wrap our friends, our families, our achievements about us, only to find them slowly disappearing," Chawla told IANS in an interview. Born in Mumbai, after a whirlwind romance and marriage four decades ago, she moved to the US, where she lives in New Jersey with her husband of 33 years and two beautiful children. Quite naturally, the book, published by Locksley Hall, has parallel themes. For example, the protagonist moves abroad, and her country, as well as her family, disappears. "From Indian to resident alien can be a torturous transformation. The title also suggests fading relationships as well as a fading memory," Chawla explained. "The Slow Disappearing" has been a "wonderfully cathartic experience for me. It is one-part memoir, three parts fiction. I wrote it after I quit work to be at home with my ageing mom-in-law. I was lonely. After the busyness of corporate life, to suddenly find myself at home rolling out rotis and dispensing care was exhausting, emotionally draining, and mentally crippling. At some point, I started writing my thoughts and the book appeared", Chawla elaborated. This is the author's third book and for her, writing was a natural progression for someone who began reading Rabindranath Tagore, John Steinbeck, and later J.D. Salinger at age eight and was "also certain" that she could "write like them too". "My dad was a writer and a lexicographer. He was utterly devoted to his work and spent a good part of the day and night, reading, researching, and writing. He passed his love for words to me, I guess; although, I am more a storyteller and certainly not as erudite. "I have always been an avid reader - when I read the works of Tagore, Steinbeck, and later J.D. Salinger, starting at age eight or thereabouts, I was enthralled. I was also certain (with the naivete of a child) that I could write like them too! Of course, I understand now, how much hard work goes into keeping it simple, straight from the heart," Chawla elaborated. Annika, the protagonist of "The Slow Disappearing", lives in the US. From being a corporate climber, her world has shrunk to the size of a room, where she now has to take care of an aging mother-in-law. Annika receives a letter from a long-estranged sister (Malavika) with a very colourful past - and time present and time past collide, dredging up a host of painful memories. Annika goes home, to immerse the ashes of her mother-in-law, and is forced to meet up with her sister and her nephew Samir. They have a tearful reconciliation and the future looks hopeful at last. Considerable research went into the book. "I wanted to write from observations, gathered over decades of life experience - about caregiving, my immigrant life, my relationships. I am, by nature of serious bent, and enjoy movies like "Still Alice", about a linguistics professor diagnosed with Alzheimer's shortly after her 50th birthday, and "A Separation" (that revolves an Iranian middle-class couple who separate and the disappointment and desperation their daughter suffers due to the egotistical disputes and separation of her parents). "The books I read were not so much for research as for my personal development. I got an additional degree in family cultural studies, which gave me fresh insights into the lives of those around me. Also, I have always been interested in the Indian diaspora and mingle with them at every opportunity, to learn about their immigrant experiences. I believe every bit of knowledge one accumulates along the journey finds its way somewhere in one's work," Chawla said. As a keen observer of the human milieu, what was the US like when she first moved there and what is it today with renewed racism, the BLM et al? Is it still the land of hope and glory for migrants? "I moved from Mumbai where I worked as a busy copywriter to a suburb in New Jersey and hated it at first. It was too quiet, too sterile for me. To feel like a child - learn how to cook, drive, shop with a credit card, was humiliating and depressing. I knew and cared very little for the politics of the time and wanted only to 'have a life' again. To be faceless, anonymous, and dependent on my husband for pocket money, was not my idea of married life. "Racism has and always been alive and well. Whether we see a lot or a little less depends on the politics of the day. The previous occupant in the White House peeled off the thin veneer of 'liberty and equality for all' to expose the dermis of racism. The present one seems more circumspect and honourable. "To counteract racism, discrimination, biases, I have learned to work harder, keep studying, dress well, and laugh often. Is it still the land of hope and glory for migrants? It depends on who you are asking, and the circumstances that led them to this country. My niece, currently here to study for her Master's, thinks it is wonderful. She feels treated with respect and awaits her future with excitement," Chawla maintained. What of the future? What's her next project? "I am a writer. I will continue to write until they pry the pen out of my veined, arthritic fingers (ha ha). I have a manuscript right now that I am polishing and another that I am researching," Chawla concluded. (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in) Colombo, July 10 : Sri Lanka on Saturday further relaxed Covid-19 restrictions and allowed to conduct weddings, funerals with limited capacity and opened cinemas and places of worship. However crossing provinces is banned for next 14 days and functioning of casinos, night clubs and gaming centres are not allowed. Issuing a new guideline for the Covid-19 pandemic, Health Ministry's Director General of Health Service, Asela Gunawardena stated that functioning of industries, government and private sector offices, open markets and fairs, supermarkets, shopping malls, gyms, swimming pools and other sport activities would be allowed. Restrictions also relaxed on functioning hotels, restaurants, spas and tourists attractions sites like museums and allowed conducting conference and seminars. The Ministry stated that weddings could be conducted with the maximum of 150 participants or could limit to 25 per cent of the total seating capacity. Non-Covid funerals were allowed to be held within 24 hours of the release of the body and with the maximum participation of 50 persons. Public transport with limited seating capacity was allowed. However restrictions continued to be imposed on visiting care homes and prisons. Though courts are allowed to function with a limited staff, public or prisoners were not allowed to attend. As of Saturday, Sri Lanka has recorded 271,483 confirmed cases of Covid-19, while there are 27,000 active cases and 3,434 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, July 10: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's two-day visit to Georgia beginning Friday - the first by an Indian EAM to Tbilisi since the country got independent in 1991- signals the importance India is giving to the region where China continues to expand its footprint through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the new Silk Road. Jaishankar's trip, at the invitation of David Zalkaliani, the Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia, comes at a time when Beijing has made deep inroads into the Georgian economy, becoming one of its top trading partners and also the main source for foreign direct investments. Georgia is not only in line with the 'One China' policy but also, considering its geostrategic location, welcomed the implementation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), or the BRI project, even though Beijing has been labelled as a craven money-lender by many, keen to push smaller nations into "debt traps". Insisting that the 'new Silk Road' can become an inexhaustible resource for economic development and political stability for many countries, the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also launched 'Tbilisi Silk Road Forum' with the support of the Chinese government and the Asian Development Bank, to promote BRI in the Eurasian region. The Chinese investments in Georgia have grown considerably after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries was signed. Georgia is the only country in the region to have a FTA with China, which came into effect from January 1, 2018. It is the construction sector in Georgia which has seen massive amounts of money being poured in from Beijing. Around 90 per cent of the total $600 million invested in Georgia from China since the first ever investment in 2002, came from the construction sector. Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction companies like Sinohydro, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), engaged in the construction of highways in Georgia since long, are now also involved in reconstruction of strategically important roads of the country like the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe highway. Giorgi Gakharia, the Former Prime Minister of Georgia, during the opening of the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum in 2019, stated that in the modern world, the creation of new transport corridors between Europe and Asia is not only the opportunity, but also a necessity. "Historically Georgia has played an important role in the development of the Silk Road. In the modern world, when economic integration and globalization is in action, the development of trade and economic relations between countries is of top importance and we are proud to be the part of the Silk Road initiative which serves the goal of close economic, state-to-state cooperation," Gakharia had said while applauding the Chinese BRI. China's Hualing Group too has invested over 500 million US Dollars in various projects in Georgia since 2007, building Tbilisi Sea New City near Tbilisi Sea, Sea Plaza, industrial zones, hotels, among others. However, analysts believe that even though the Chinese continue to pump in money into Georgia, from infrastructure projects to hydropower plants, the relationship which once looked promising could be losing its charm. Writing for the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) last year, Emil Avdaliani, Director of Middle East Studies at Georgian think tank Geocase, says that even though things haven't exactly went as planned, Tbilisi may not openly criticize Beijing considering the high stakes involved. "The hopes for improvements in trade have not panned out. While there has been a steady increase in overall volume, statistics show that Georgia mostly exports raw materials to China, such as copper and various chemicals. A market for goods higher up the value chain has not materialized. Similarly, concerns over corrupt practices have increased, especially tied to how Chinese companies have been awarded contracts," wrote Avdaliani. It is here, when Georgia may be looking for trustworthy and strategic partners to bolster its development, that India can play a crucial role. India's connect with the territory located at the intersection of Europe and Asia dates back to the medieval age - Georgians are said to have served at the Mughal courts. Emperor Aurangzeb's wife Udaipuri Begum was also of Georgian origin. However, in modern times, all the high-profile visits from New Delhi happened during the Soviet era with Jawaharlal Nehru visiting Tbilisi in 1955 (when he was welcomed in Hindi by the renowned Georgian Indologist and Sanskrit scholar Georgi Akhvledani); Indira Gandhi in the summer of 1976 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in June 1978 as a foreign minister. "It is time to expand India's connect Central Asia policy to include countries of the South Caucasus. Unlike five Central Asian republics, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have varied ties with Moscow. So, India is carefully developing its relations with Georgia and Azerbaijan. This region could be important for India's broader connectivity plans for linking itself with Europe," Professor Gulshan Sachdeva, Chairperson, Centre for European Studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told IndiaNarrative.com. During his visit, Jaishankar and Zalkaliani will be discussing, besides increasing cooperation in multilateral formats and international organizations, the positive dynamics of the development of bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of politics, economy, investment, culture and education. The existing friendship between the two countries will further deepen after Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan of Georgia to the people of Georgia, and a newly-installed statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Tbilisi will be unveiled on Saturday. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Ramallah, July 10 : Dozens of Palestinian protesters were injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers in several West Bank cities and villages, medics and witnesses said. The clashes broke out on Friday near the village of Beita, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, reports Xinhua news agency. Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and teargas canisters at the protesters, who threw stones at the soldiers, waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans, said the witnesses. Medics of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that at least 83 Palestinians were injured. After Friday prayers, a demonstration broke out against a settlement outpost opposite Jabal Sabih, from which settlers had been evacuated a week ago. Still, the Israeli army remained there for security considerations. The residents demanded the Israeli army stationed at the outpost to completely evacuate it, remove the mobile homes, and return the lands to the original Palestinian owners. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians, including children, were affected by teargas shelling during clashes with the Israeli army in the village of Kafr Qaddoum, east of Qalqilya. Other protests erupted in the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, and Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, leaving dozens of people wounded. Bengaluru, July 10 : Bengaluru's Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths under joint commissioner of police (Crime) Sandeep Patil, conducted a raid at Bengaluru central prison in the wee hours of Saturday and seized huge cache of lethal weapons, narcotics substances and mobile phones from notorious criminals lodged in the jail. According to sources, the CCB sleuths have got more than 40 lethal weapons including swords, machete, daggers, knives, and scissors from the inmates in the prison. The officials also seized ganja, and ganja smoking pipes (Chillums), mobile phones and pen drives from the possession of notorious criminals. According to an official who was part of the raid, the inmates who were having weapons, contraband and mobile phones will be questioned in detail. "We will be taking up cases against the inmates for having weapons and drugs. Since they are already in prison they will be questioned in the jail itself and cases under Arms Act, NDPS Act will be registered against respective prisoners," the officer told reporters. He added that they were also verifying the role of the prison authorities for allowing so many rowdies to have weapons, drugs, and mobile phones. "These lethal sharp weapons were found with notorious rowdies, as of now they have confessed that they had weapons for their self-defence from other rowdies," a senior officer said. The seized mobile phones, pen drives will be sent to forensic science laboratories (FSL) for further analysis and to get information about the associates of the rowdies and their activities, the officer added. The CCB sleuths said that the search is still on in the central prison. Bangaluru Central Jail, which is also known as Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, is the largest prison in Karnataka, which can officially accommodate 2200 inmates, however, it is always occupied above its official sanctioned capacity. At present there are around 2,700 inmates, which came down from the average 4,500 inmates prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year. New Delhi, July 10 : Finnish telecommunications company Nokia has filed numerous patent infringement complaints against smartphone brand OPPO regarding standard-essential patent (SEP) and non-SEP patents, the media reported. According to GSMArena, these patents are about connectivity, interface and security features and the complaints are filed in European and Asian markets. Smartphone brands OPPO and Nokia had signed a multi-year licensing agreement back in 2018 and it appears that the contract is over, the report said. The Finnish telecommunications company put out an official statement that OPPO has rejected the offer of renewing the contract so it had to take legal actions since Oppo continues to use those patents. Media reports said that OPPO found Nokia's action "shocking" and accused it of dishonouring the patent licensing under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. "OPPO respects and protects its own and third-party intellectual property rights, and has been committed to benign patent licensing cooperation in the industry. OPPO opposes unreasonable consultations such as using litigation as a tool," the smartphone company said. The spokesperson for Nokia "believes that there is still a more constructive way to deal with the situation". Nokia has quite a lot of patents up its sleeve and has signed royalty-bearing agreements with Samsung, Apple, LG, Lenovo and even Blackberry, the report said. Both the companies have not revealed how closely they would integrate. A new leaked memo has disclosed that OnePlus will become OPPO's sub-brand. New Delhi, July 10 : Ace Pakistani actress Sarwat Gilani says that the ban on Pakistani artists in India is "a temporary phase that both the countries are going through" and emphasizes that "the people of the two countries don't want this to happen". Sarwat, who also acted in Zee5 web series 'Churails', tells IANSlife in a telephonic interview: "It's a temporary phase that both the countries are going through. I know that the people of the two countries don't want this to happen. We have similar cultures, similar traditions, but because of these political setbacks, these things make our art and the love for art bounded by boundaries and borders. I feel it's a phase and should go away hopefully, because music and art can't be contained in a bottle or a box. It will make its way itself in due time. Inshallah!" As part of her latest project, the cross-border actress will be seen reading veteran lyricist-poet Gulzaar's short stories in the Zee Theatre multi-starrer show 'Yaar Julahay', which draws its name from a Gulzar poem. The episode will be screened at Tata sky Theatre in the coming week. It is a series of dramatic readings of some of the Indian subcontinent's best-known writers, including Gulzar, Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Munshi Premchand, Amrita Pritam, Qurratulain Haider, Balwant Singh, Asad Muhammad Khan, Ghulam Abbas, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Intezar Hussain. Its debut episode featured Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. The first short story, 'Sunset Boulevard' is about Charulata, a once popular actress who is eagerly waiting to meet the writer of her biography, but to her surprise she discovers that the person is not the one whom she had expected. The second story, 'Das Paisay' is about Chuckoo, a kid who left his home and set out for nowhere on a train after fighting with his grandmother over 'dus paisey' (ten paisas) and realizes the value of dus 'paisey' in life. Asked if she is an admirer of the poet-writer's work, Sarwat shared: "Yes, I am. When we were little, I remember we weren't allowed to watch movies so we would hear Gulzaar Sahab, Manto and Tagore. Gulzaar Sahab's work really resonated with me because his work was literary fiction and popular fiction. Every story that he did evoked a couple of emotions and a couple of ideas. They were very real and they were about the ordinary man. That really clicked with the audience, the stories were about what we faced in our daily lives. They were very sensitive naturally. I also am very fond of his poetry. It was a really delightful surprise that I was offered to read a Gulzaar Sahab poetry. His stories in themselves are so beautiful that the artist doesn't have to "so hard"." "The two stories were very contrasting. It was a very exciting opportunity." Asked about the recent demise of Indian actor Dilip Kumar, Sarwat shares: "It was a really sad news to wake up to. I think not just in India but globally, people recognised him as an institution, as an icon. He's left us with a legacy of cinema that is an institution for all of us. It's sad that one must leave this world eventually, but the kind of work he did, the kind of creativity he showed and the nuances he invented, for actors, it's an institution. We all learnt so much from him. The finest of actors in Bollywood are now a reflection of his acting. He's left so much to us, we're so grateful to him." (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in) Agartala, July 10 : The highly infectious Delta plus variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in Tripura after the Delta strain was detected in three northeastern states -- Assam, Manipur and Mizoram, doctors said here on Saturday. Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) Microbiology department head Tapan Mazumder said that after the samples of Tripura were tested in the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) at Kalyani in West Bengal, 138 cases of Delta plus, 10 cases of Delta (plain) and three cases of UK variant were found in the northeastern state. Majumder, who was present along with Director of Health and Family Welfare Radha Debbarma and Covid-19 Surveillance Officer Deep Kumar Debbarma said that the Delta plus strain is more transmissible and evades the body's immunity. "It is a cause of concern that the Delta plus variants were found in all the eight districts of Tripura and the Delta (plain) and UK variants found in few districts," he told the media. Majumder, who is also the Professor of AGMC, said that Delta plus strain also can reduce the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine. The Delta variant of coronavirus has been found for the first time in Assam and then in Manipur and Mizoram following which the doctors and the authorities have asked the people to be more cautious and follow Covid appropriate behaviour. The Delta variant was observed in Europe in March and it was notified and brought into public domain on June 13. Last month, the scientists in Delhi said the highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated further to form the 'Delta plus' or 'AY.1' variant, but there is no immediate cause for concern in India as its incidence in the country is still low. The new Delta plus variant formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India, and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave, they had said. With the rising trend of Covid cases, the Tripura government has extended the curfew for another week and tightened the various restrictions from Saturday. The Centre had recently deputed multi-disciplinary teams to three northeastern states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Manipur -- in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases being reported from these states. The central teams, consisting of a clinician and a public health expert, are now visiting the states and monitoring the overall implementation of Covid management measures, including testing, surveillance and containment operations, Covid appropriate behaviours and their enforcement, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics, vaccination etc. Tripura Covid-19 Surveillance Officer Deep Kumar Debbarma said that the two-member central team led by R.N. Sinha, Director, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, arrived in the state on Monday and is now visiting various districts of the state. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Washington, July 10 : Authorities in the US state of Montana said a grizzly bear that they believe killed a female camper earlier this week was shot dead by wildlife officials. The bear was killed less than two miles from the town of Ovando, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement on Friday. Details surrounding the attack, released by the agency two days ago, indicate the bear entered Ovando early Tuesday morning, reports Xinhua news agency. The bear later pulled out the victim from her tent and killed her. "The bear was killed at the scene of a second chicken coop raid that was very similar in nature to the one that happened in Ovando the night of the fatal attack. "Given the proximity to Tuesday's attack, the evidence found at the scenes and the fact another chicken coop was raided, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials believe this is the same bear but confirming DNA analysis will take a few days," said the agency. Specialists set a trap at the second coop on Thursday and they were monitoring the trap Thursday night when the bear approached and was shot. They used night vision technology to aid in shooting the bear, according to the agency. Bear experts said earlier this week that they believed the bear was an approximately 181 kg male, judging by behaviour and footprints. Officials have searched for the bear for days by helicopter and on the ground after the tragedy. The victim of the attack was identified as 65-year-old Leah Davis Lokan from California, reported The Great Falls Tribune, a Montana newspaper. Montana has been the scene of at least a dozen serious grizzly bear-human interactions in the past year, said the newspaper. July 10 : Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan are all set to star in the Hindi remake of the hit Tamil film Vikram Vedha. The news was shared today by trade analyst Taran Adarsh on Twitter. Taran also revealed the date of release of the film. Taran also stated that the director duo, Pushkar-Gayathri, who had helmed the original film, will direct the Hindi version too. The film is slated to release on September 30, 2022, Taran stated in his tweet. The film will reportedly go on floors soon. It seems that the makers have worked on the release date strategically as Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) and Dussehra (October 5) both fall in the release week, which will ensure good footfall in cinema halls. Taran tweeted today as a big news, HRITHIK - SAIF IN 'VIKRAM VEDHA' REMAKE... #HrithikRoshan and #SaifAliKhan will star in the #Hindi remake of #Tamil film #VikramVedha...Pushkar-Gayathri - the director duo of the original film - will direct the #Hindi version too... 30 Sept 2022 release. HRITHIK - SAIF IN 'VIKRAM VEDHA' REMAKE... #HrithikRoshan and #SaifAliKhan will star in the #Hindi remake of #Tamil film #VikramVedha... Pushkar-Gayathri - the director duo of the original film - will direct the #Hindi version too... 30 Sept 2022 release. pic.twitter.com/2nyEhro4rG taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) July 10, 2021 The Tamil hit film Vikram Vedha starred R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The action thriller was helmed by the director duo, Pushkar-Gayathri, which was released in 2017. The Tamil film also starred Shraddha Srinath and was produced by S Sashikanth. While Madhavan played a police inspector named Vikram, Vijay essayed the role of Vedha, a gangster and a drug smuggler. It will be interesting to see which roles Hrithik and Saif play in the Hindi remake. The original Vikram Vedha film was inspired by the Indian folktale Baital Pachisi. The film is about police inspector Vikram, who sets out to track down Vedha, the gangster. After Vedha voluntarily surrenders himself, he tells Vikram three stories that change his perceptions of good and evil. Meanwhile, while Hrithik has started shooting for his forthcoming film Fighter on Friday along with Deepika Padukone, Saif is currently working on his magnum-opus Adipurush, where he plays the role of Ravana. New Delhi, July 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting with Council of Ministers on July 14 to discuss key issues amid ongoing Covid-19 crisis as well as other issues to take forward the country to fulfill his 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self reliant India) vision. Sources said that the Prime Minister will take a brief plan from each of the ministers about their future roadmap to manage the crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic which has widely affected almost all sectors of the economy, especially the health sector, and other matters related to the growth of the country. The meeting is expected to witness many notable issues and discussion related to key ministries like Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, now being handled by Mansukh Mandaviya, and education being taken care of by Dharmendra Pradhan. The meeting would be the second such interaction with the 75 council of Ministers after Modi carried out a major expansion and reshuffle of his ministers on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet and the Council of Ministers meetings were held back-to-back on Thursday, a day after the major rejig in the Central government. It is usual for the Prime Minister to convene meetings of the Union Cabinet as well as the Council of Ministers after a reshuffle and expansion exercise. On Wednesday's exercise saw the induction 36 new ministers and promotion of seven old ministers. Rome, July 10 : The Delta Covid-19 variant is spreading in Italy, according to the country's National Institute of Health (ISS), leading to an increase in the number of cases, though officials have ruled out an immediate change in government policy. The Delta variant is considered to be more transmissible and is reportedly responsible for an increase in the infection rates in multiple European countries, reports Xinhua news agency. Infections in Italy rose this week to 11 cases per 100,000 residents, up from nine cases per 100,000 residents a week earlier, ISS president Silvio Brusaferro said on Friday. He noted that the number of cases remained "of concern but reasonable". Brusaferro said that 11 of Italy's 21 regions and autonomous provinces saw an increase in cases over the last seven days. Eight regions and autonomous provinces are classified as "moderate risk" with all the others at "low risk". As such, the entire country remained categorized as "white" zone, the least restrictive of Italy's four colour-coded categories. Brusaferro said the best thing the country can do to confront the spread of the Delta variant is to continue with its vaccination program,. Italy has completely vaccinated 22.7 million of its people, the equivalent of 42 per cent of the country's population over the age of 12. Italy has so far registered 4,268,491 coronavirus cases and 127,756 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) United Nations, July 10 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to discuss the extremely concerning humanitarian situation in the country's conflict-hit Tigray region. The Secretary-General welcomed Ahmed's assurances that his government will facilitate immediate access to Tigray for humanitarian organisations, as well as the platter's commitment that essential basic services, including power and communications, will resume swiftly, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief's spokesman, said in a statement on Friday. The Secretary-General also acknowledged the Ethiopian government's pledge to use the ceasefire in Tigray to facilitate urgent humanitarian assistance, including regular UN humanitarian flights into the region, as well as support for agricultural activities, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Guterres reiterated his call on all parties to meet their obligations to protect civilians, provide unimpeded humanitarian access and observe international humanitarian law, it added. Since the early hours of November 4, 2020, the Ethiopian government launched military operations against the TLPF after the latter rejected political reforms and captured army bases. The fierce fighting between the two sides has left thousands of people dead. More than two million have been displaced and 350,000 pushed towards famine. Moscow, July 10 : Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden discussed cybersecurity issues and the situation in Syria during a phone call, the Kremlin said in a statement. In the telephonic conversation on Friday, the two leaders agreed to continue their constructive cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Putin noted that despite Russia's willingness to cooperate on cybercrime suppression with the US, the Russian side has not received requests on this matter, according to the statement. "This cooperation should be carried out using specialised channels for data exchange between authorised government agencies, within the framework of bilateral legal mechanisms, as well as in compliance with the provisions of international law," said the Kremlin. The leaders further covered the humanitarian situation in Syria and joint Russia-US efforts on this issue within the UN Security Council, according to the statement. Later in the day while addressing reporters in Washington, Biden said his phone conversation with Putin "went well", TASS News Agency reported "I made it very clear to him that the US expects, when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil, even though it's not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is. "And, secondly, that we have set up a means of communications now, on a regular basis, to be able to communicate to one another when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country. "And so, it (the phone conversation) went well. I'm optimistic," he added. The phone call was the first since Biden and Putin had their in-person meeting in Geneva on June 16. San Francisco, July 10 : California has confirmed its first human West Nile Virus (WNV) death in 2021 in San Luis Obispo County, health authorities said. Tomas J. Aragon, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), said on Friday that more cases of the fatal virus, which could be transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito, had been reported recently, reports Xinhua news agency. "West Nile virus activity in the state is increasing, so I urge Californians to take every possible precaution to protect against mosquito bites," he said. As of July 9, WNV had been detected in 45 dead birds from six counties and 177 mosquito samples from 13 counties, the CDPH noted, adding hot temperatures this month are contributing to increasing numbers of mosquitoes and the increased risk of virus transmission to humans. Nationwide, new reports from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Colorado had detected mosquitoes that carry the WNVs, and humans had contracted the disease in four of these places. The CDPH said WMV is influenced by many factors, including climate, the number and types of birds and mosquitoes in an area, and the level of WNV immunity in birds. While the risk of serious illness to most people is low, some individuals, less than 1 per cent, can develop serious neurologic illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis. United Nations, July 10 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the G20 member nations to address Covid-19 vaccine gap, provide debt relief to developing economies, and finance climate action. Guterres made the remarks while virtually addressing the third meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, which was being held in Venice, Italy, reports Xinhua news agency. Friday's meeting was held behind closed doors, said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman of the UN chief. The Secretary-General reiterated his call for a global vaccination plan to at least double the production of vaccines and to ensure equitable distribution, using COVAX as the platform, said Dujarric. Guterres said many developing countries are teetering on the verge of debt default. He called on the G20 to expand the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and Common Framework for Debt Treatment to include vulnerable middle-income countries and small island developing states. On climate change, Guterres said he was deeply concerned over the lack of progress on public climate financing and once again called on the G20 to mobilise $100 billion annually for developing countries, as agreed to in 2009. Guterres told the ministers that to restore trust in multilateralism, there is a need to deliver on vaccines, economic recovery and climate finance, said the spokesman. Panaji, July 10 : In a unique political campaign, the Aam Aadmi Party in Goa on Saturday launched an initiative to 'clean' Goa's politics. The party leaders offered cakes to ruling MLAs who have defected to the BJP. Goa Aam Aadmi Party leaders Valmiki Naik and Cecille Rodrigues tried to meet Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate at her home in Taleigao near Panaji, with a chocolate cake with an icing depicting the Congress symbol, 'hand', holding the BJP's poll symbol, 'lotus'. "Today is a reminder to all those people who have voted for the Congress. We have come to the legislator's doorstep to remind them that they have betrayed the people's vote," Rodrigues said. "We will be going to all defector MLAs," she also said. Monserrate was one of the 10 Congress MLAs who split the opposition party and joined the BJP in July 2019. In all 13 Congress MLAs have joined the BJP since 2019, while two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party also joined the BJP in 2019. Kabul, July 10 : At least 109 Taliban militants were killed and 25 others injured during fierce battles and clashes in two southern Afghan provinces, as fighting raged in the war-torn country, the military confirmed on Saturday. In Kandahar province, 70 Taliban militants were killed and eight others wounded after Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) supported by Afghan Air Force (AAF) conducted a clean-up operation in Police District 7 of provincial capital, Kandahar city and neighbouring suburban Dand district, army's 205th Attal Corps said in a statement. Earlier on Friday, Taliban attacked ANDSF positions and tried to infiltrate to Kandahar city, triggering day-long heavy battles, reports Xinhua news agency. In Helmand province, 39 Taliban militants were killed and 17 wounded after ANDSF backed by the AAF targeted a aggregation in Qala-e-Bulan, an area on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, according to army's 215th Maiwand Corps. Two militants' local key leaders, Tazagul and Nehmon, were among the killed, according to the source. Huge amount of militants' weapons and ammunition were also destroyed in the two provinces. Details about possible casualties on the side of the security forces were unclear. While the US and NATO troops have been leaving the country, violence in the country is on the rise. Thiruvananthapuram, July 10 : The suspension of one of Kerala's most powerful IAS officers, M. Sivasankar, who was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's principal secretary, has been extended. On July 17 last year, the state government suspended the bureaucrat after his alleged links with the prime accused in the now-infamous gold smuggling case came to light. Soon after his suspension, came his arrest after several rounds of questioning by the NIA, Customs and the Enforcement Directorate. For several months Sivasankar was cooling his heels in a Kochi jail before he got bail. He now stays put at his residence in the state capital. According to the rules, the State Government had to take a call on revoking Sivasankar's suspension, for it has been a year since the decision was taken. After extending the suspension, the state government communicated its decision to the Centre. Customs officials had arrested P.S. Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, on July 5 last year for allegedly smuggling gold in a diplomatic bag that had been sent to the Consulate. Another former Consulate staffer, Swapna Suresh, and her associate, Sandip Nair, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Bengaluru. Chief Minister Vijayan removed Sivasankar first as his Principal Secretary and then as IT Secretary after it surfaced that Swapna and Sivasankar were close friends. The accused in the gold smuggling case have also been linked to alleged corruption in the Life Mission project, which is Vijayan's pet scheme of getting homes built for the using sponsorship money. It is alleged that a fat sum of Rs 9 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 20 crore was paid out as illegal commissions. sg/srb Jakarta, July 10 : An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damages or casualties, an official said. In the hardest hit Kepulauan Sangihe district, tremors did not trigger panic among residents, Rivo Pudihang, head of the district disaster management agency's operation affairs, told Xinhua news agency. "In some areas here, the jolts were felt, but they were not strong. So far, there are no reports of houses damaged, or people injured or killed by the quake," the official added. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency did not issue any tsunami warning as the quake did not potentially trigger giant waves. The quake struck at 7.43 a.m. local time, with the epicentre at 112 km southwest of Melonguane city, Kepulauan Talaud district and the depth at 10 km under seabed, it said. New Delhi, July 10 : China and the USA were said to be leaders of a project to identify presence of viruses in wildlife with the potential to cross over to humans. Correspondence by Ping Cheng, Director, NIAID Office in China has detailed these contacts which took place. These details are under the spotlight as a debate is emerging over the role of Wuhan Institute of Technology in the spread of coronavirus. Cheng writes that Global Virome Project will be visiting Beijing to discuss the scope of the project which is sponsored by USAID and other organisations. "They plan to have US and China to be leaders of the project. The China host is China CDC and our dear friend George Gao is China POC for the project. The purpose of the project is to identify viruses present in wildlife with potential crossing over to humans, causing human infection and spread", Cheng wrote. "Following the identification of the viruses is the development of vaccines to protect the human population", Cheng wrote. This is exactly the sequence of events with Covid 19 when first the virus broke and then vaccines came in the picture. Cheng further wrote that China has huge capacity for vaccine development with 7 national owned vaccine manufacturing facility and over 30 private vaccine making companies. "One of the partners in this project is Ecohealth Alliance. Peter Daszak from EcoHealth Alliance is one of the leaders of the GVP project and he has NIAID grant from RDB looking at the coronavirus in bat populations in China in collaboration with Wuhan Institute of Virology. He came to visit me once in the Embassy. This grant has direct connection with the purpose of GVP", Cheng wrote. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Visakhapatnam, July 10 : Agitations and protest movements for stalling central government's decision to sell Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) have entered 150th on Saturday in the city. These protests at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) have also reached 100 days. On Saturday, several steel plant employees and hundreds of protesters took up a 30-km two-wheeler rally to send across a message to the central government to call off the privatization plan. The rally is traversing through Kurmannapalem, Vadlamudi, Gajuwaka and other places. "The central government has ignored the two letters written by the chief minister, including the state government's requests and a resolution by the Assembly," said a protester taking part in the rally. Another agitator declared that the protests will not stop until the steel plant is continued in the public sector. "Visakhapatnam is the birthplace of protest movements and we are ready to bend the necks of the central government," he warned. Similarly, another protester criticized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is following privatization policies and resorting to selling away several government companies. Admonishing the PM to take back his privatization plans, he reminded that many farmers sacrificed their land for the steel plant. Hundreds of protesters rode their motorcycles as part of the protest rally in the port city. Kabul, July 10 : At least 56 Taliban militants were killed, 10 others wounded and 23 captured in Afghanistan's northern region, as security forces continued fighting to prevent the the group from advancing, the military said on Saturday. Forty-five militants were killed and 10 others wounded in attacks by security forces supported by Afghan Air Force targeting militants' positions in the outskirts of Shiberghan city, capital of Jawzjan province, the Army's 209th Shaheen Corps said in a statement. Among the killed was a key divisional commander of the militants, Obaidullah, the statement said, adding several non-Afghan militants were among the casualties, reports Xinhua news agency. In the neighbouring Sari Pul province, 11 Taliban militants were killed and 23 others captured as Afghan troops backed by local Public Uprising Forces launched a clean-up operation in villages of the remote Balkhab district, according to the statement. The security forces also reopened Sari Pul-Jawzjan Highway No. 1, a provincial highway connecting the two provinces after one-month closure, the statement said. The northern Afghan provinces have been the scene of heavy battles in recent weeks as Taliban militants captured scores of suburban districts since the withdrawal of US-led forces on May 1. Seoul, July 10 : South Korean tech giant LG has recently suspended plans to sell Apple products like iPhone devices at its Korean retail outlets, the media reported. Back in June, the South Korean company was reportedly in negotiations with Apple on a retail partnership. Now, however, it appears to have temporarily ended those talks after some local backlash, reports AppleInsider. SME Daily reports that LG ended talks after controversy stirred among small- and medium-sized retailers, as well as among consumers. There is apparently a "growing concern" that LG's Best Shop would suspend employee training for Apple sales. The South Korean government has also emphasised competition, suggesting that it's worried about large retail partnerships threatening the livelihood of smaller outlets in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, Samsung is said to be concerned about the potential cooperation between LG and Apple, which could threaten its leadership in its home market, the report said. In April, the LG announced that it will be withdrawing from the mobile business. The company said in a regulatory filing that its mobile communications (MC) unit will no longer produce and sell handsets after July 31, citing a slump in business and fierce competition in the industry as the reasons behind the decision. New Delhi, July 10 : Extending his wishes to his newly appointed Vietnam counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed confidence that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries would continue to become stronger under his able guidance. Modi welcomed the fact that both countries share a similar vision of an open, inclusive, peaceful and rules-based Indian Ocean Region, and hence the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership can contribute to promote regional stability, prosperity and development. In this context, a statement issued from Prime Minister's Office said, the Prime Minister also noted that both India and Vietnam were presently fellow members of the UN Security Council. Prime Minister Modi pursued India's opinion in a telephonic conversation with the Vietnam Prime Minister earlier this morning. Modi thanked PM Chinh for the valuable support provided by the government and people of Vietnam during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. The leaders agreed that both countries should continue consultations and cooperation to support each other's continuing efforts against the pandemic. Both Prime Ministers reviewed the state of bilateral relations and shared their views on different areas of cooperation. Noting that year 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the leaders agreed to celebrate this auspicious milestone in a befitting manner through various commemorative activities. Prime Minister Modi also invited PM Chinh to undertake an official visit to India at an early suitable date. New Delhi, July 10 : Set for a merger with sister company OnePlus, smartphone brand OPPO on Saturday said the upcoming Reno6 series is set to usher in the new era of smartphone videography with its industry-first Bokeh Flare Portrait Video -- a cinematic Bokeh Flare Effect that captures professional grade quality videos and is nothing less than a studio in your palm. Reno6 will be the first smartphone series to achieve cinematic bokeh using computational photography techniques. "The upcoming Reno6 series is once again a great example of our innovations which includes industry first bokeh flare camera feature and OPPO exclusive Reno Glow design," Tasleem Arif, Vice President and R&D Head, OPPO India, told IANS. "With over 20 patents filed globally, OPPO's exclusive Reno Glow process is central to the design appeal of the Reno6 Series as it creates a subtle shimmering effect to the anti-glare glass, while making it fingerprint-resistant," Arif informed. OPPO will launch Reno6 smartphone series in India on July 14. The upcoming series consists of two smartphones, Reno6 Pro 5G and Reno6 5G, that pack leading imaging technologies. "The unique AG Glass used in the series provides 200 per cent extra hardness and durability. That's not all, we have enhanced performance optimisation and personalisation capabilities with OPPO's ColorOS 11.3, which delivers seamless experience," Arif said. OPPO has worked towards creating a portrait video database with over 10 million data points, covering different people in different situations and training its recognition algorithm tens of thousands of times. Computational photography helps in mastering every single shot and with continuous R&D, OPPO said it has been able to offer these capabilities in their smartphone cameras. Through computational photography, smartphones can even produce super-resolution photos far beyond the base resolution of the camera sensor. The moment you press the Bokeh Flare Portrait Video button, the Reno6 Pro starts using deep learning to conduct frame-by-frame semantic understanding of the video to accurately distinguish between the video subjects and the background. The system can perform accurate, real-time segmentation of human subjects in a 360-degree environment, the company said. "We understand that users want a smartphone that not only packs in innovative technology, but also trendy and stunning," said Arif. Karachi, July 10 : Pakistan has imposed a ban on air travel for people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, a move deemed to curb the further spread of the virus, it was reported on Saturday. In its announcement on Friday, the National Command and OperaAtion Centre (NCOC) said the ban will come into effect from August 1, reports Dawn news. The latest measures come after an increase in coronavirus cases was witnessed throughout the country, as well as the impending threat of an outbreak of the Delta variant. Besides the travel ban, the NCOC also made it mandatory for all adult students to get themselves vaccinated by August 31. A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan warned about the spread of the Delta variant, Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, on Friday admitted that the fourth wave had set in and issued new guidelines to check its spread. The NCOC added that various other proposals were under consideration to limit unnecessary movement during Eidul Azha, which will be decided in the next few days, including a restriction on tourism. New Delhi, July 10 : Newly appointed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him about the ongoing Covid-19 situation as well as other issues related to the state. In the nearly 40-minute meeting with the Prime Minister at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, sources said the Uttarakhand Chief Minister informed him about the preparedness to deal with the possible third wave of Covid-19 and the procedures being taken to enhance vaccination in the state to contain the spread of the disease. It was the first formal meeting of Dhami with the Prime Minister after he took over the charge of Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Dhami also has plans to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the national capital on Saturday evening. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister is also learnt to have fixed a meeting with BJP national president J.P. Nadda to discuss the preparations for the upcoming 2022 election in the state. Two-time MLA from Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district, 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami took over on July 4 as Uttarakhand's new Chief Minister. He replaced Tirath Singh Rawat, who last week submitted his resignation to the Governor. Dhami is the third Chief Minister of the state in nearly four months. Taking charge, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister had on Friday reviewed the state's preparedness in view of a possible third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and directed the departments concerned to ensure all arrangements by the end of July. He directed to fix separate pediatric wards at all district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs besides adequate oxygen, ICUs and ventilators in the state to deal with a possible third wave of the deadly disease. Dhami has also asked officials to pay heed to the maintenance of medical equipment and tools provided to the state under the PM CARES Fund and corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from companies. He has also stressed on the need to vaccinate maximum people as soon as possible and increase testing to build a protective mechanism against the virus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mogadishu, July 10 : At least seven people were killed and 10 others injured in a suicide car bombing targeting Mogadishu police chief in the Somalian capital on Saturday, authorities said. A police officer told Xinhua news agency that the an improvised explosive device targeted the vehicle of Mogadishu police commander Frahan Qarole at Banadir junction. The attack caused casualties but the police chief survived the attack. The impact of the deadly explosion destroyed several buildings nearby. Somali police spokesman Sadik Aden said at the time of the attack, the convoy of vehicles carrying Mogadishu police chief was travelling between Banadir and Medina hospitals. The incident caused a huge traffic snarl-up in Mogadishu streets as the plume of black smoke from the scene indicated that the explosion was huge. Bhubaneswar, July 10 : In an act of bravery, the Odisha Director General of Police, who was on a tour to Malkangiri and Koraput districts, changed his programme and diverted his chopper to Boudh to airlift two jawans injured in an anti-Maoist operation. According to Odisha police, the DGP along with senior police officials, who were on a tour to Malkangiri and Koraput districts to review anti-LWE work, when heard the news at Sunabeda, changed their programme and rushed to Padelpada in Boudh. The injured two jawans have been airlifted to Bhubaneswar with the assistance of a doctor. Now, both the commandos are under treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and stated to be stable. Operation has been intensified in the area, the police said. "Today morning, there was an exchange of fire between the Odisha police's SOG jawans and Maoists under Gochapada PS of Kandhamal district. Two of our jawans have been injured and we got information that some Maoists are also injured," DGP Abhay said. "I want to thank the BSF and their pilot. The chopper was not on duty for this service, it was engaged for a tour programme of Odisha police to Malkangiri and Koraput," he said. An IAF (Indian Air Force) helicopter was also requisitioned but could not make it because of bad weather en route. But, the BSF pilot immediately took an alternative route and landed at a very small place named Padelpada, and successfully airlifted the injured jawans, the DGP informed. He thanked the doctor of Kantamal PHC, who immediately came for the service, even without changing his dress. Chennai, July 10 : The mention of non-existent 'Kongu Naadu' in Tamil Nadu as the place from where the newly sworn in Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Information Broadcasting L. Murugan hails, has sparked speculations including creation of a new union territory. On Saturday, a Tamil daily speculated on central government's plans to carve out the western belt in Tamil Nadu as a separate union territory where the BJP has considerable support base. The central government had sent out small sketch of all the new ministers where in for L, Murugan, who was sworn in on July 7, it was mentioned: "Shri L. Murugan has practiced as a Lawyer in Madras High Court for 15 years before joining full-time public life. *He was Vice Chairman of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes from 2017 to 2020. *He holds a LLM and PhD in Law from Madras University. *Kongu Naadu, Tamil Nadu - Male - 44 years."The words Kongu Naadu has baffled many in the state including the BJP leaders. "There is no place in the state called Kongu Naadu. Further the word Naadu means country. The central government could have mentioned as Kongu Region," K.C. Palanisamy, a former MP and a former MLA told IANS. The Kongu Region or generally the western belt of Tamil Nadu, Palanisamy said, is the place where Gounder's are majorly present. "The Kongu Region or the Gounder belt includes Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Karur, Dindigul, Namakkal, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. The region may have about 75 legislative assembly constituencies," Palanisamy said. While Palanisamy said someone in the central government might have committed a mistake by typing 'Kongu Naadu', he also agreed that the centre nor Murugan had clarified the matter later. A Tamil daily without quoting any names had reported that the central government is planning to create a union territory out of the western belt where BJP is having some support base. "The mention of 'Kongu Naadu' in the thumbnail sketch of Murugan could be to give him a social/regional identity," K. Annamalai, President of the Tamil Nadu BJP told IANS. With BJP led NDA in power in Puducherry, could the BJP nurture ideas of gaining power in Tamil speaking land by carving out a union territory out of Tamil Nadu's western belt? It is difficult for the party to gain a foothold in an undivided Tamil Nadu in the near future where the anti-BJP sentiments are being whipped up by DMK and its allies. Former Minister and AIADMK leader C.Ve. Shanmugam recently said the party's loss in the April assembly elections was due to its alliance with BJP. Couple of other AIADMK leaders had shared similar views with IANS when the party was routed in the Lok Sabha elections last year. "Nobody in Tamil Nadu has raised any demand for creation of a union territory comprising of the western belt. The people will not like it," Palanisamy said. "If the BJP led central government moves ahead in that direction then the demand for Dravida Naadu will gain strength," he added. The carving of the western belt into a union territory will also have a severe impact on Tamil Nadu's overall economy as the the region is highly industrialised. "A new union territory out of Tamil Nadu is a big joke. The BJP cannot carve out a new union territory without people's wish. Even its ally AIADMK would not like it. If in case the BJP does it then, no AIADMK and BJP person can win an election in the state," DMK MP and spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan told IANS. The BJP may be thinking that with AIADMK on its side and DMK weak in the western belt, it has an edge. The DMK can blunt that edge by bringing a top Gounder leader from its fold in that region and giving him the needed prominence. The DMK has Duraimurugan, a Vanniyar, T.R. Baalu, a Thevar, A. Raja, a Dalit as prominent leaders but does not have a prominent leader from the Gounder community. A Tamil Nadu BJP leader not wanting to be quoted told IANS: "We were clueless as to the reason for the central government press note mentioning Kongu Naadu. As far as we in the state know that there is no hidden agenda. No thought process as to creation of a union territory out of the western belt was there." When contacted by IANS, Murugan was not available for comments. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Srinagar, July 10 : An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces at Kwarigam, Ranipira area in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said on Saturday. "Encounter has started at Kwarigam, Ranipora area of Anantnag. Police and security forces are on the job," police said. The firefight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of the police and the army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about the presence of terrorists. As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter. New Delhi, July 10 : The Centre appointed committee tasked to examine the alleged financial irregularities in procurement of buses, has given a clean chit to the Delhi government, said Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday. Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said that for the last few days the BJP has been levelling false allegations against the Delhi government of financial irregularities in procurement of buses. "The Centre's committee after examining over 3,000 documents related to the procurement of buses has found no financial irregularities. The committee's report proved that the BJP's leaders were making false claim of corruption against the AAP government." After getting a clean chit from the committee, Sisodia accused the BJP of creating hurdle in the procurement of buses. The purchase of new buses was to increase the fleet of public transport in the national capital. "Buses in Delhi were not procured since 2008. Previous government (Congress) did not purchase buses after 2008, after AAP came to power in Delhi, we tried to purchase buses. But the BJP tried to derail the procurement process every time. Now, the committee has made the issue clear and DTC buses will be procured soon," Sisodia added. After the Delhi unit of the BJP had alleged financial irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low floor DTC buses, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on June 16 had formed a three member panel and demanded a report in two weeks. Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who was facing accusations from the BJP for the last few weeks, expressed his view on Twitter, "Conspiracies derail. I had always maintained that let BJP get any of our decisions probed from anywhere. The reality is that the BJP's real motive was to defame Arvind Kejriwal ji and derail the process of getting buses for Delhiites. I am happy that Delhi will get 1,000 new buses." Dhaka, July 10 : Two days after a massive blaze tore through a food processing factory belonging to Hashem Groups sister concern Sajeeb Group in an industrial town near Dhaka, killing at least 52 people, eight persons were arrested on Saturday based on a complaint lodged by the relatives of a deceased worker. The arrested persons include Abul Hashem, Chairman and owner of Hashem group, and his son Sajib. They have been taken to a court in Narayanganj, Mohammad Zaidul Alam, the Police Super of Narayanganj, told IANS. According to Habibur Rahman, DIG, Dhaka Range Police, the arrested persons have been identified as Md Abul Hashem, CMD of Sajeeb Group which owns the factory; his four sons Hasib Bin Hashem, Tarek Ibrahim, Tawsib Ibrahim and Tanjim Ibrahim; Shahan Shah Azad, COO, Sajeeb Group; Mamunur Rashid, Deputy General Manager of Hashem Foods Ltd; and Salahuddin, a civil engineer and administrative officer of the company. The blaze broke out at the Shezan Juice Factory at Rupganj in Narayanganj district, an industrial town 25 km east of the capital, on Thursday afternoon and kept on burning till nearly 25 hours later, killing at least 52 as the workers trapped in the flames in the multi-storey building were forced to leap for their lives from the fourth floor. Meanwhile, Asaduzzaman Khan, the Home Minister of Bangladesh, said on Saturday, "No one will be spared. Those responsible for the negligence of security and safety standards of the workers in the food processing factory of Hashem group won't be spared." During his visit to the ill-fated factory building, Khan also said that the family members of the deceased and injured workers will get financial assistance from the government. About 30 people were injured in the incident while more than a hundred had gone missing, the relatives of the workers had said on Friday, even as hundreds of distraught relatives and other workers waited anxiously outside the burning building. New York, July 10 : A new study of antibodies produced in saliva after Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine shows both importance of second vaccine dose and updating vaccines to combat new variants of concern. The study showed that the number of antibodies produced and protection offered by vaccination increased substantially after the second vaccine dose was given, showing the importance of receiving the second dose. The team, including Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra at the University of Tubingen, also examined whether it offered protection against Alpha and Beta variants. They found that while there was no reduction in neutralising antibodies against the Alpha variant, there was a substantial reduction in neutralising antibodies against the Beta variant, indicated the study, presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. To see how the protection offered by the vaccine changed for different variants, the team firstly profiled the antibodies generated by vaccination and then examined their neutralising capacity. In addition to antibodies circulating within the blood, they checked for the presence of antibodies in saliva as a "first line of defence". To do this, they adapted a previously developed assay that measures the antibodies present against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses in the blood, to include targets from variants of concern and to look specifically at the neutralising antibodies. They collected samples from 23 vaccinated individuals (age 26-58 years, 22 per cent female) who had been vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after the first and second doses. For control groups, the team also collected samples from 35 infected blood donors, 27 infected saliva donors and 49 non-infected saliva donors and also control samples of blood and saliva sourced commercially from before the pandemic began from different age groups. When looking at the saliva, they saw that vaccinated individuals had large amounts of antibodies present compared to infected individuals, suggesting that vaccination not only offers protection against becoming infected but should you become infected, it reduces the possibility of you transmitting it to others. Srinagar, July 10 : Two unidentified terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter between terrorists and security forces at Kwarigam Ranipira area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said on Saturday. Police said two terrorists have been killed during the Anantnag encounter and the operation is in progress. Earlier, the firefight between terrorists and security forces began after a joint team of the police and Army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about presence of terrorists. Mumbai, July 10 : With the pandemic pushing up the need to spend more towards Covid relief measures, states have lined up massive borrowing plan for the second quarter of current financial year. In all, states and union territories expect to borrow Rs 1,92,091 crore from the markets during July-September quarter. The Reserve Bank of India, in consultation with the State Governments/Union Territories (UTs) has drawn up the borrowing calendar for the quarter where bonds will be issued to mobilise funds on a weekly basis. As per the states' borrowing calendar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the two of the country's largest states with higher population would have maximum borrowings of Rs 25,000 crore and Rs 22,500 crore respectively during the quarter. Bihar will also borrow in excess of Rs 12,000 crore while West Bengal will borrow about Rs 18,000 crore during the quarter: The borrowing programme that started on July 6 will continue till September 28. The actual amount of borrowings and the details of the States/UTs participating would be intimated by way of press releases two/three days prior to the actual auction day and would depend on the requirement of the State Governments/UTs, approval from the Government of India under Article 293(3) of the Constitution of India and the market conditions, RBI said in a statement. RBI would endeavour to conduct the auctions in a non-disruptive manner, taking into account the market conditions and other relevant factors and distribute the borrowings evenly throughout the quarter. RBI reserves the right to modify the dates and the amount of auction in consultation with State Governments/UTs, the statement added. Jaipur, July 10 : In an interesting turn of events, Rajasthan Police personnel had to turn into disciples to arrest a 'saint' wanted in a long-pending assault case, who was hiding at an ashram in Haryana for the past 27 years after absconding from the clutches of the law enforcement agencies. The head constable of Vishwakarma police station here, Saheb Singh, played a crucial role in arresting the accused who has been identified as Deshbandhu Jat, absconding since last 27 years from Jaipur and staying as a 'sadhu' in the ashram. Singh got a tip-off that the Jat was living as a sadhu at an ashram in Bapora in Bhiwani district of Haryana. But as the police were not sure that the person in the ashram was the same man who gave them slip for so many years, they decided to stay in the ashram as his disciple to find out his real identity. As the policemen talked to the person on different issues, the latter mentioned Jaipur, after which the cops became convinced that he had a Jaipur connection. Later during another round of discussions, they became sure that the man living in the guise of a sadhu was indeed Deshbandhu Jat. Presently, the Jaipur Police are running a campaign to arrest all the wanted criminals. Under this campaign, the police took steps to arrest Jat, who was wanted in a case registered in 1994. At that time, Jat used to work at a petrol pump in the Vishwakarma police station area where he had thrashed a customer who had complained that Jat was giving him less petrol. Subsequently, a case was registered against Jat. In order to know convince the self-styled godman that they were indeed his disciples, the cops even had to smoke 'chillum' with him. There was even a commotion at the ashram before his arrest. As soon as the Rajasthan Police personnel informed that they were going to arrest Jat, one of his disciples called the other devotees over phone who soon gathered at the ashram. But the cops somehow managed to take Jat to the Bhiwani police station from where the accused was brought to Jaipur after high-level talks. A local court has now sent Jat to judicial custody. New Delhi, July 10: Chinas decision to pull out 210 nationals from Afghanistan is part of a bigger plan for greater future role in the embattled nation. Chinese state media reported that on Friday, China had sent a special Xiamen Air flight to Kabul, ahead of the rapid withdrawal of US and NATO forces from the country, after a two decade long turbulent stay. While the withdrawal of nationals appears to be part of a security protocol, it does not signal that China is inclined to lower its engagement with Afghanistan-a country that has a prized strategic location as it is on the cross-roads of China, South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia. On the contrary, on account of its pivotal status, major regional and global powers, including, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, India and the United States are feverishly vying for influence in the country, which is undergoing a chaotic transition. Afghanistan is also resource rich, with huge reserves of lithium and rare earths-the super minerals which are at the heart of the digitally powered new economy-going into everything ranging from laptops, cell phone batteries, electric cars to missiles. Apart from geopolitics, there is therefore a strong geoeconomics angle to the growing competition among existing and rising powers for a foothold in Afghanistan. For long, the Chinese have wanted to play a leading role in Afghanistan, buoyed by support from neighbouring Pakistan, and with the Taliban as the frontline. "The killing of Osama bin Laden was a benchmark, as it marked the Obama administration's policy to scale down American presence in Afghanistan. Ever since, China has given more and more importance to its bilateral ties with Afghanistan. China has to plug the resulting vacuum because no one else would. This is necessary to secure One Belt One Road (OBOR). Then there are compulsions of safeguarding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Xinjiang's stability is another big concern," said Hu Shisheng, a South Asia expert with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) had told The Hindu, way back in 2016. The Chinese gameplan in Afghanistan rides four pivots. First, China wants to pivot Afghanistan in its direction and dock Kabul with Beijing's Belt and Road projects. That structural change is possible by extending the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan. Right now, CPEC starts from the Arabian sea port of Gwadar in Pakistan and the heads to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province. But it can be further extended into Afghanistan, the gateway to Uzbekistan and the heart of Central Asia. "We can vouch that China fund the rebuilding of Afghanistan through the Taliban via Pakistan," the Financial Times quoted an Indian official as saying. "China is Pakistan's wallet." FT quoted another diplomat in the region as saying: "China at the request of Pakistan will support the Taliban." China is no stranger to the Taliban. Taliban delegations have been making regular visits to Beijing, and China has feted them across the country with lavish excursions. "China wants to extend the BRI network in Afghanistan and has been in contact with the Taliban since 2014. It recently pledged a road network and various energy projects for Taliban in exchange for peace but nothing concrete has been heard from the Taliban," geopolitical analyst Mark Kinra told India Narrative. Second, by drawing Afghanistan in new structural networks, the Chinese want to wean away Kabul's dependence on India and the West, thus, geopolitically positioning the country firmly into Eurasian multilateral structures, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Third, once Afghanistan enters the "new era," China is expected to gun for Afghanistan's vast natural resources. Gwadar and Karachi would become natural gateways for transporting this raw material to industrial hubs, from where they are marketed and sold across the world at high profits. Fourth, China wants to stop the use of Afghan territory as the launchpad for ethnic Uyghur fighters who are part of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). "China's lure for investment is also to restrict Islamic militants from crossing into China. The ETIM aligned with Taliban has been active in Badakhshan province bordering China, where the Taliban has recently been closing in with attacks in various districts of the province," adds Kinra. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Bhubaneswar, July 10 : Like Goa, tourists visiting Odisha beaches will very soon enjoy the best of food, chilled beverages, music and sea, all in one place. Accordingly, the state government has decided to introduce the facility of beach shacks at six beaches. The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has invited applications for the operation of shacks in six major beaches of the state, official sources said on Saturday. "This will not only attract tourists from outside Odisha, but the local tourists visiting the beaches will also have fun there. The beach shacks will have a refreshing ambience along with delectable food, chilled alcohol, and most importantly, the backdrop of white sands and gushing waves," state tourism secretary Vishal Dev told IANS. Initially, shacks have been planned in six locations, which will be increased later, he said. The government has decided to allow five shacks on the Puri-Konark marine drive in Puri district and five others in Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district. Similarly, three shacks will be opened on the Talsari-Udaipur beach front in Balasore district while the same number of shacks will come up on the Paradeep sea beach in Jagatsinghpur district. The Chandipur beach in Balasore district and Pati Sonapur in Ganjam district will have at least two shacks each. The tourism department, in consultation with the revenue and forest departments, is identifying suitable land for the shacks, which will be allotted on lease basis for a period of three years. The state government will provide common infrastructure such as power, water and sewage to the beach shacks which are proposed to be developed in a cluster in each of the locations. For tourism promotion, serving liquor in beach shacks is now allowed under the Excise Policy, 2021. The OTDC will obtain a licence from the excise department for the selected operators for each location, subject to payment of annual fee, licence fee and other rentals. The selected operators will have to develop the beach shacks at their own cost. They have to ensure that the staff engaged for the purpose are well trained, polite and free from communicable diseases. The operators have been asked to engage at least 75 per cent manpower from the local community so that locals can get employment. If the quality of facility/service is not found to be satisfactory, the operator will be instructed to take corrective measures. Further, if the service quality is found to be unsatisfactory repeatedly, the operator will not be allowed to operate, the sources said. Odisha has a 482 km coast line comprising beautiful beaches spread over six districts with tremendous tourism potential. Kochi, July 10 : The NIA court here on Saturday asked State Police chief Anil Kant to see that the accused in the gold smuggling case P.S. Sarith is not ill-treated, after it was brought to the court's notice by the accused himself. Sarith along with the other accused is now imprisoned in the Central Prison in the state capital. Acting on a complaint by the mother and sister of Sarith, the NIA court directed the police to produce him before the court on Saturday. Sarith told the court that three officials including the jail superintendent are tormenting him by not allowing him to even sleep and waking him up in the middle of the night. In the nearly 75 minute long disposal before the court Sarith said that he is being pressurised to name BJP and Congress leaders in the gold smuggling case. After his statements before the court, when he was being taken back to jail, he told the media about his ill-treatment in prison. The NIA court will again look into this on Monday and will giveits final orders on this issue. In a related development, the jail officials said that Sarith and another accused Rameez are not abiding by the rules of the jail. The other day Rameez was caught by officials smoking inside his cell. The officials added that the two created problems and demanded food from outside. Following the statements that Sarith has made before the NIA court, the Customs have started to look if the accused in the case can be moved to a jail outside the state and for that they have sought directions from their head office in Delhi. Meanwhile, reacting to the statements made by Sarith, State BJP president K. Surendran that it is unacceptable the way things are happening with the knowledge of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is engaged in heinous acts against the Congress and the BJP leaders in the gold smuggling case. The Customs had arrested Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, on July 5 last year for allegedly smuggling gold in diplomatic baggage of the Consulate. Another former Consulate staff Swapna Suresh and her associate Sandip Nair were arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Bengaluru. San Francisco, July 10 : Micro-blogging site Twitter is reportedly working on adding support for Sign in with Apple. According to researcher Jane Manchun Wong, if Twitter ends up fully rolling it out to the public, this feature would allow users to sign in to Twitter using their Apple ID. Wong has discovered a variety of different pieces of evidence suggesting that Twitter is developing support for Sign in with Apple. One piece of evidence is a new "Connected accounts" option that lists Apple as an option for signing in, 9To5Mac reported. Twitter explains: "These are the social accounts you connected to your Twitter account to log in. You can disable access here." Apple does offer support for applications and websites to give users the ability to upgrade an existing account to Sign in with Apple, the report said. This, however, is not required for developers to adopt Sign In with Apple, so it's unclear if Twitter will support this feature for fully converting your account to Sign in with Apple, it added. To use Sign in with Apple, you need to use two-factor authentication and be signed in to iCloud with that Apple ID on your Apple device. Apple first launched this platform at WWDC 2019, touting it as a tracking-free way of signing in to apps and services. Apple has strict guidelines for when an application is required to support Sign in with Apple. Twitter, however, has not been required to add Sign in With Apple because the Twitter for iOS app exclusively uses its own sign-in systems, not any third-party systems. This means that if Twitter wants to add other sign-in options, it must also add Sign in with Apple support, the report said. There is no word on when Twitter might launch Sign in with Apple Support, but Wong's evidence suggests that it's something the company is currently working on, it added. New Delhi, July 10 : In a short span of 22 months, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has provided tap water supply to more than 97 lakh households in 61 Japanese Encephalitis-Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (JE-AES) affected priority districts in five states. The five states with JE-AES-affected priority districts are Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. On August 15, 2019, when JJM was announced, only 8.02 lakh (2.67 per cent) households in 61 JE-AES-affected districts across the five states had tap water supply. In the last 22 months, tap water connections have been provided to additional 97.41 lakh households in these districts. "Now, 1.05 crore (35 per cent) households have assured tap water supply in JE-AES affected districts. This 32 per cent increase in household tap water connections in JE-AES priority districts is about 12 per cent higher than the national average increase of 23.43 per cent in tap water supply across the country during the same period," the Ministry of Jal Shakti said. Specific funds for JE-AES-affected priority districts are allocated on the basis of drinking water sources and the extent of water contamination. JE-AES is a serious health hazard. The disease mostly affects children and young adults which can lead to morbidity and mortality. These infections particularly affect malnourished children of poor economic backgrounds. Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in his letters to the Chief Ministers of these five states has been constantly reiterating the Prime Minister's emphasis on providing tap water to all households in JE-AES affected districts, SC/ST majority villages and quality-affected areas on priority in next few months. Among these five states, Bihar has performed well in providing tap water supply to rural households in its 15 JE-AES priority districts. On an average, 85.53 per cent tap water connections have been provided in these districts. Nalanda with 96 per cent tap water supply connections, followed by Saran and Gopalganj with 94 per cent, Vaishali and Siwan 91 per cent, Paschim Champaran 84 per cent, and Purvi Champaran 80 per cent are the leading performers in the state. Chandigarh, July 10 : In a major interstate operation, Punjab Police on Saturday busted another Madhya Pradesh-based illicit weapon supply network with the arrest of its main supplier, Baljit Singh, alias Sweety Singh. Singh, a resident of Barwani of district in Madhya Pradesh, has been found indulging in manufacturing and supply of high-quality illicit weapons to Punjab and other states of northern India, said Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta. Kapurthala Police have also recovered three .32 bore pistols, along with three magazines from his possession, he added. Notably, this is the third such MP-based illegal weapon manufacturing and supply module busted by Punjab Police in the past eight months. Earlier, Amritsar Rural Police had unearthed two such modules, including one illicit small arms manufacturing unit in MP, with the arrest of weapon smugglers, who were supplying weapons to gangsters, criminals and radicals in Punjab. Sharing details, Gupta said the development came 10 days after Kapurthala Police in the follow-up operations led by SSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh had arrested four robbers after recovering 10 pistols and one rifle, along with ammunition, from their possession. He said the arrested robbers revealed they were getting the supply of weapons from Sweety Singh and were hatching a conspiracy to carry out robberies, snatch money from petrol pumps as well as farmers. The DGP said following these inputs, the police procured arrest warrants of Sweety Singh and a special police team from Kapurthala was despatched to Barwani district to arrest him after coordinating the operations with the local police. "After vigorous efforts, the Punjab Police team, while working closely with MP Police, managed to arrest Sweety Singh, who unsuccessfully attempted to evade arrest by crossing the Narmada river to enter the Maharashtra border," he said. The DGP also thanked Madhya Pradesh Police for their enormous support to Punjab Police in unearthing these illicit weapon manufacturing and supply units and modules. Seoul, July 10 : SsangYong Motor, a debt-ridden automaker, has decided to sell the site of its plant in Pyeongtaek as part of self-rescue efforts, the local government said on Saturday. The company has been under court receivership since April, as its Indian parent, Mahindra & Mahindra, failed to secure a buyer for its 75 percent stake in the automaker. The city government of Pyeongtaek, 70 kms south of Seoul, said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the court-appointed manager of SsangYong and its labor union, regarding the sale of the site, which measures 850,000 square meters and is valued at 900 billion won ($786 million). The plant was constructed in 1979. The company will build a new factory in Pyeongtaek, and the city will provide administrative support in the process of construction and relocation, the city said. "We will actively support SsangYong Motor to grow into a global company that contributes to the development of the local economy," Jung Jang-seon, mayor of Pyeongtaek, said. Chung Yong-won, court-appointed administrator of SsangYong, said the new plant will focus on green and self-driving cars as a base for the company's long-term survival, reports Yonhap news agency. SsangYong opened an auction for its majority stake on June 28. Half of SsangYong Motor Company's workers will go on unpaid leave for two years beginning next month as part of self-help measures as the debt-ridden automaker is striving to speed up its sales process, the company said last month. The automaker has been under court receivership since April as its parent, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) failed to attract an investor amid the prolonged pandemic and worsening financial status. -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, July 10 : Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has secured trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE and Mexico -- a big stride towards protecting the identity of brand "Khadi" globally, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said on Saturday. Besides, the KVIC's trademark applications are pending in 40 countries across the world that include the US, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil and others. While KVIC obtained the latest trademark registration in Bhutan on Friday, trademark registration was granted in UAE on June 28. With this, KVIC has succeeded in securing trademark registration for the first time in a Gulf country. Earlier, KVIC got the trademark registration for "Khadi" in Mexico in December 2020. So far KVIC was having trademark registrations for the word mark "Khadi" in six countries -- Germany, UK, Australia, Russia, China and EU -- where trademark registrations were granted in certain classes. However, with recent trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE and Mexico, the number of such countries has gone up to nine. In these countries, KVIC has got registrations in various classes that pertain to Khadi fabric, Khadi readymade garments and village industry products like Khadi soaps, Khadi cosmetics, Khadi incense sticks among others. It is for the first time in the history of KVIC that sustained efforts have been made in the last five years to protect the brand "Khadi" which was given to us by none other than Mahatma Gandhi. KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said these trademark registrations will prevent any misuse of the brand name "Khadi" globally. "In recent years, Khadi's popularity has seen a massive growth in India and abroad due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to adopt Khadi. It has, therefore, become very important for KVIC to protect the identity of Khadi and safeguard the interest of consumers and lakhs of Khadi artisans who are manufacturing genuine Khadi products," Saxena said. The development assumes great significance as there have been instances of some private local entities in countries like Mexico and Germany seeking trademark registration for brand name "Khadi" in their respective countries. In Mexico, KVIC challenged the trademark application of "One Foundation Oaxaca Ac" which had applied for the "Khadi" logo. However, the firm did not challenge KVIC's objections and trademark registration for the word "Khadi" and "Khadi" logo was granted in favour of KVIC. Similarly, in Germany, KVIC challenged a local company - Best Natural Products GmbH ("BNP"), which in 2011 already got prior rights in the mark "KHADI" and related marks in EU and other countries in different classes. After long legal battle and negotiations through the diplomatic channel with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs, BNP has expressed its willingness to settle the trademark disputes amicably with KVIC. Kalaburagi : , July 10 (IANS) Following repeated accusations of illegal mining in the vicinity of the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam in Karnataka, state Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh R. Nirani said on Saturday that Lok Sabha MP from Mandya, Sumalata Ambareesh, should produce valid documents to prove her relentless allegations of illegal mining in the surrounding areas of the dam. On the sidelines of a meeting with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and others in Kalaburagi, Nirani told reporters that he had conceded that illegal mining activity was carried out in Baby Betta (hill) in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, but it is not done anymore. "The hillock is 10 km from the iconic dam. But after I took over as the minister, I personally inspected the region four months ago and directed the concerned officials to stop all illegal mining activity immediately. The Mines and Geology Department of Mandya district took tough decisions to stop these activities. Since then, no illegal mining or quarrying activity has been witnessed so far," he said. The minister added that if the Mandya MP (Sumalataha) or anyone else thinks that any illegal activity is going on in the region, she/he must come forward with valid evidence to prove the allegations. "These allegations are not only sensitive, but they also cause panic among lakhs of people in the state as well as in the neighbouring state," he said. Replying to a question, Nirani asserted that the state government would surely initiate an impartial investigation into the allegations if anyone can come forward with sufficient proof. "There is no vested interest here. All the elected representatives must work together to fight such illegal mining or any other illegal activity in a most effective manner," he said. He added that mining activity was going on in the region for the last seven decades, but after coming to power in the state, the BJP has acted tough in the matter. "We are in the process of banning mining activities in the 20 km vicinity of KRS dam instead of the present 10 km. We are in discussions with legal and irrigation experts on this matter," he said. Nirani's statements have come following allegations levelled by the Mandya MP for the past one week that illegal mining is going on in the vicinity of the KRS dam, causing damage to its body. This snowballed into a slugfest between JD(S) leaders, including H.D. Kumaraswamy and Sumalatha. He KRS dam is one of the oldest structures in the state. It is a gravity dam made of surkhi mortar below the confluence of Cauveri river with its tributaries Hemavati and Lakshmana Tirtha in Mandya district. The foundation stone for the dam was laid on November 11, 1911. The dam was built across the Cauveri river in 1924. It is the main source of water for the districts of Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya. The water is also used for irrigation in Mysuru and Mandya districts and it is the main source of drinking water for all of Mysore, Mandya and almost the whole of Bengaluru city. The water released from this dam flows into Tamil Nadu and is stored in the Mettur dam in Salem district. New Delhi, July 10 : Sounding a note of caution, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday asked eight states having tourist destinations and hill stations to follow strict Covid appropriate behaviour to avoid spread of the virus. Emphasising that "second wave of Covid-19 is not yet over", Bhalla, while chairing a meeting here, directed the states to ensure strict adherence to the protocols prescribed in respect of wearing of masks, social distancing and other safe behaviour. He was checking the steps taken by state governments to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in hill stations and tourist locations. During the meeting, the overall management of Covid-19 situation and the vaccination status in respect of the states of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal was discussed. The Home Secretary sounded a note of caution in view of media reports showing blatant disregard of Covid appropriate behaviour in hill stations and other tourist locations. It was observed that the decline of the second wave is at variable stages in the different states or Union Territories (UTs) in the country, and that while the overall case positivity rate may be declining, the case positivity rate in certain districts of Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over 10 per cent, which is a cause for concern. States were also asked to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Covid appropriate behaviour, as has been laid out in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order dated June 29 this year, said the Home Ministry. Adequate health infrastructure preparedness (especially in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas) was also advised, with a view to tackle any potential future surge in cases. The meeting was attended by Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research; and Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police and Principal Secretaries (Health) of the eight States. Three days ago, Bhalla held similar meeting and directed all northeastern states to ensure strict containment measures as per extant guidelines while noting that out of 73 districts in the country with Case Positivity Rate (CPR) above 10 per cent, 46 are in these states. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bhubaneswar, July 10 : To ensure smooth conduct of the annual Rath Yatra in Puri scheduled for July 12, the Odisha government has deployed 65 platoons of force along with senior officers to look after the security arrangements for the festival, the police said on Saturday. "All preparations for the festival have been made. Arrangement from police administration has also been done. A detailed plan to ensure foolproof security has been chalked out," Additional Director General (law and order), R.K. Sharma, said on Saturday. The entire city has been divided into 12 zones. Along with the 65 platoons, 10 senior officers of additional SP rank have been deployed for the festival, Sharma said after reviewing the security arrangements in Puri. The police force will not only provide security, but also ensure proper enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines like social distancing and wearing masks, sources said. A source said that all entry points (8 check points) of the district will be sealed to restrict the movement of people from other parts of the state and elsewhere to Puri during the Rath Yatra festival. Like last year, the revered festival of Lord Jagannath in the pilgrim town of Puri will be held without the participation of devotees in view of the Covid-19 situation. RT-PCR tests of the servitors are being carried out. The sevayats (servitors) testing negative for Covid-19 and who have been fully vaccinated would be allowed to participate in the pulling of the chariots. Meanwhile, all hotels, dharmashalas and guest houses on the Grand Road have been asked not allow any tourist or devotee. They have been directed to vacate all boarders and guests by Saturday evening. The district administration has also relaxed the shutdown on Saturday. However, Section 144 of CrPC will be clamped from 8 pm on Sunday and no shop or essential activity will be allowed on Grand Road. Only those with duty passes for Rath Yatra will be allowed, officials said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) MUMBAI July 10: An overloaded Bullock Cart with several heavyweight leaders, collapsed during an anti-fuel prices hike procession organized by Mumbai Congress, at Antop Hill, here. There were no injuries and the bullocks also remained under control. Image Source: IANS News MUMBAI July 10: An overloaded Bullock Cart with several heavyweight leaders, collapsed during an anti-fuel prices hike procession organized by Mumbai Congress, at Antop Hill, here. There were no injuries and the bullocks also remained under control. Image Source: IANS News MUMBAI July 10: An overloaded Bullock Cart with several heavyweight leaders, collapsed during an anti-fuel prices hike procession organized by Mumbai Congress, at Antop Hill, here. There were no injuries and the bullocks also remained under control. Image Source: IANS News MUMBAI July 10: An overloaded Bullock Cart with several heavyweight leaders, collapsed during an anti-fuel prices hike procession organized by Mumbai Congress, at Antop Hill, here. There were no injuries and the bullocks also remained under control. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, July 10 : There were red faces in Mumbai Congress after a bullock-cart protest abruptly ended when the overloaded cart broke down during a rally to protest against rising petrol-diesel prices, here on Saturday. The incident happened at the Antop Hill area when the protesters led by Mumbai Congress President Bhai Jagtap and other leaders were raising full-throated slogans slamming the BJP government at the Centre over the runaway fuel prices. According to eyewitnesses, around a dozen-odd heavyweight party leaders were standing on the bullock cart which suddenly gave away and collapsed, creating huge confusion amid the loud sloganeering. The Congress activists could be seen trying to help their leaders who practically fell into a heap as the cart could not bear their collective weight and gave away without warning. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries to any of the leaders or activists, and even the bullocks remained under control. However, the protest was quickly terminated after the mini-debacle. Saturday's protest was part of the 10-day-long sustained agitation which started on July 7, with signature campaigns at fuel stations, rallies in cities and towns, and bicycle or bullock-cart processions being taken out all over Maharashtra. The petrol prices in Mumbai have crossed Rs 106/litre whereas diesel has zoomed past the Rs 97/litre-mark, ranking among the highest in the country, with a cascading effect on various sectors of the economy, leading to an outcry from different sections of the society. Gurugram, July 10 : The Gurugram district administration has claimed that over 89 per cent of the population of Gurugram has received Covid jabs. So far, a total of 15,54,026 beneficiaries have received the Covid vaccine including 18,453 on Saturday. Apart from this, the district has launched the vaccination programme of Sputnik-V vaccine at Polyclinic, Sector 31 on Saturday in Gurugram. With this initiative, Gurugram has become the first district in the country to introduce the Sputnik-V vaccine at a government health centre in the country. While inaugurating the vaccination program of Sputnik-V, Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana (Health), Rajiv Arora said that at the time of the second wave, the situation in Gurugram was similar to what was being seen in other big cities of the country. "Gurugram has become a first in vaccinating its citizens in comparison to the big cities of the country, due to their efforts, especially the way the vaccination team of the Health Department has shown preparedness to vaccinate the citizens of the district," Arora said. District Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg said that the vaccine was provided by an organisation named 'Doctors for You'. 5,000 doses have been provided by the organization so far and 15,000 more will be made available in the next few days. District Civil Surgeon Dr Virendra Yadav said that the "Sputnik-V vaccine is as effective in defeating corona as Covishield and Covaxin, so the residents of the district can get this vaccine without any hesitation". District immunisation officer Dr M.P. Singh said that those who got the first dose of this vaccine can get the second dose after 21 to 28 days. "The district administration is providing information to the citizens by issuing detailed reports daily about which vaccines are being administered at which centres to the citizens of the district. In the next few days, as soon as another 15,000 doses of Sputnik-V vaccine are received, the health department is planning to vaccinate at its health centres as well," Singh said. Apart from this Sputnik V vaccine is now also available at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital Gurugram. Following the government guidelines, the Hospital has opened its slots for Sputnik V to the general public from July 13. The government has fixed the price of Sputnik V at Rs 1,145 per dose, and the hospital will be offering the same at Rs 1,000 to the masses without adding any service charge. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Aizawl/Silchar : , July 10 (IANS) Hours after a meeting of Chief Secretaries of Assam and Mizoram over the border trouble, a powerful grenade was triggered on Saturday when senior officials were visiting the border areas. According to the Assam Police, a powerful grenade was detonated on the Mizoram territory when senior Assam officials including Additional Director General of Police (Border) Harmeet Singh and Cachar district Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, were visiting the area. Cachar district superintendent of police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, who was also accompanying the official team, said that no report was received yet about any injury or damage to the properties due to the grenade blasts. "Some people belonging to Mizoram are always trying to encroach on Assam's territory, creating obstructions when Assam officials and workers are undertaking developmental works and indulging in objectionable activities. We have from time to time informed Mizoram but these illegal activities are still going on," Chandrakant told the media. People living along the Asam-Mizoram border areas alleged that they are residing for several decades but now the people of Assam accompanied by police are trying to evict them. Central paramilitary forces are maintaining security on both sides of the inter-state borders since the border troubles began in October last year. An official in Aizawl said that Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and his Assam counterpart Jishnu Baruah on Friday held a meeting in New Delhi in presence of Home Ministry officials on the border issues. The Mizoram Chief Secretary has sought time for further consultations on the issue. "We expect to sign an agreement in our next meeting after resolving the inter-state border issues," Baruah said. Since October last year, several inter-state border skirmishes have taken place along the Assam-Mizoram border and over 50 people were injured and more than 25 houses and shops had been set on fire on the Assam side. An Assam government school was also largely damaged due to a massive blast triggered by unknown miscreants from the Mizoram side last year. Following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, top Home Ministry officials and Chief Ministers of both states, central paramilitary troops were deployed along the border to prevent fresh troubles after a series of clashes and blockades on National Highway 306. Continuing since October, the tense situation along the 164.6-km Assam-Mizoram border took an ugly turn when an Assam resident was kidnapped and later his body was found on the Mizoram side. Mizoram's three districts - Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit share borders with Assam's Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts. Kolkata, July 10 : In the midst of inter-personal rivalry and differences within the BJPs West Bengal unit, the saffron partys national President J.P. Nadda has called state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh for a meeting in the national capital, which is likely to take place on Sunday morning. Though Ghosh was not ready to speak on the matter, a source in the state BJP said that he is likely to fly to Delhi on Saturday night. After the debacle in the Assembly polls earlier this year, voices of dissent have become louder within the saffron party in the state. It is not only true in the case of Mukul Roy who left the party and returned to Trinamool Congress, but there have been several instances when many party leaders, mainly those who jumped ship to the BJP from the Trinamool, have spoken openly against the party line. Ghosh's visit to Delhi at this juncture is considered to be significant. Though Ghosh denied to speak about the meeting, sources within the party indicated that the meeting is an indication that there might be several changes in the organisational set-up of the state BJP. The BJP has information about the leaders who have spoken openly against the party line and it is expected that Nadda will be willing to hear it from the state president, a senior BJP leader said. Recently leaders like Soumitra Khan, Rajib Banerjee and even Babul Supriyo have expressed dissatisfaction over the party's decisions, which has not gone down well with the party's central leadership. Soumitra Khan recently resigned from his post of Yuva Morcha President and openly criticised Ghosh and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Though he withdrew his resignation later, according to some leaders, it hurt the image of the party. "The way he criticised Adhikari and Ghosh was unprecedented. It never happens in BJP. It is understandable that the MP from Bishnupur was frustrated because he was not among the four who got a ministerial berth in the reshuffled Narendra Modi Cabinet. You might not be happy with the decisions of the central leadership but you cannot criticise them openly," a senior BJP leader said. Even Ghosh, while speaking about Trinamool leaders who came to BJP before the elections, had said, "We had tried to put the bark of a different tree in our tree but somehow it didn't work. It was an experiment which was not successful." Not only Khan, but Babul Supriyo and Rajib Banerjee have also spoken openly against the party line and senior leaders of the party are of the opinion that the central leadership might start clipping their wings. "It is expected that there might be some major organisational changes in the party and so Ghosh has been asked to go to Delhi. He is also expected to get some instructions regarding the next course of action," a BJP leader said. New Delhi, July 10 : India should crack down on Twitter for not complying with Indian laws, as per the IANS CVoter Live Tracker. A huge majority of 70.81 per cent respondents said that India should crack down on Twitter while 18.65 per cent said there should not be a crackdown. Newly-appointed Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has not wasted any time to make it crystal clear how he wants things to pan out in the ongoing Twitter-Centre face off after he assumed office as the Union Minister for Railways, Communication, Electronics & IT on Thursday. "Everyone has to follow the law of the country," Vaishnaw said during his first visit to the party headquarters after being made a Cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi-led government. When questioned about Twitter not complying with the new IT Rules, the minister hinted that everyone has to follow the new guidelines. The tacker had a sample size of 1,314. The CVoter NewsTracker Surveys in India are based on a national representative random probability sample as used in the globally standardized RDD CATI methodology, covering all geographic and demographic segments across all states. This daily live tracker survey is based on interviews of adult (18+) respondents across all socio-economic segments. The data is weighted to the known Census profile. The standard margin of error is +/- 3 per cent at national trends and +/- 5 per cent at regional/zonal trends with 95 per cent confidence level. Srinagar, July 10 : Three terrorists were killed in a joint operation by the army, police and CRPF in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday, officials said. The army said that on receiving specific intelligence inputs about the presence of three terrorists in the built-up area of Kwarigam Ranipora in Anantnag district, Ladkipura-based Rashtriya Rifles along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at 1 pm on Saturday. "On seeing the movement of security forces, at around 3.50 pm the terrorists tried to escape through a nallah. The troops immediately repositioned and readjusted the cordon and asked the terrorists to surrender. However, the terrorists resorted to heavy firing on the security forces which led to a fire fight," the army said. During the exchange of fire, three terrorists -- Arif Ahmad Hajjam of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Basit Gani of Hizbul Mujahideen and Sohail Ahmad Bhat -- were neutralised. Two of the slain terrorists belonged to Anantnag district while the third was from Pulwama. "One AK 47 and two pistols with other war-like stores have been recovered from the encounter site," the army said. As per police sources, Arif Ahmad Hajjam was involved in the brutal killing of Havildar Manzoor Beigh of 162 Territorial Army Battalion on June 6, 2019 while he was on leave. New Delhi, July 10 : Dozens of Muslim women in India found they had been put up for sale online, BBC reported. Hana Khan, a commercial pilot whose name was on the list, told the BBC last Sunday, she was alerted to it when a friend sent her a tweet. The tweet took her to "Sulli Deals", an app and website that had taken publicly available pictures of women and created profiles, describing the women as "deals of the day". BBC said the app's landing page had a photo of an unknown woman. On the next two pages Khan saw photos of her friends. On the page after that she saw herself. "I counted 83 names. There could be more," she told the BBC. "They'd taken my photo from Twitter and it had my user name. This app was running for 20 days and we didn't even know about it. It sent chills down my spine." The app pretended to offer users the chance to buy a "Sulli" - a derogatory slang term used by right-wing Hindu trolls for Muslim women. There was no real auction of any kind - the purpose of the app was just to degrade and humiliate. Khan said she had been targeted because of her religion. "I'm a Muslim woman who's seen and heard," she said. "And they want to silence us." BBC said GitHub - the web platform that hosted the open source app - shut it down quickly following complaints. "We suspended user accounts following the investigation of reports of such activity, all of which violate our policies," the company said. But the experience has left women scarred. Those who featured on the app were all vocal Muslims, including journalists, activists, artists or researchers. A few have since deleted their social media accounts and many others said they were afraid of further harassment. "No matter how strong you are, but if your picture and other personal information is made public, it scares you, it disturbs you," another woman told the BBC Hindi service. The report said prominent citizens, activists and leaders have also spoken out against the harassment. The police said they had opened an investigation but refused to say who could be behind the app. The people who made the app used fake identities, but Hasiba Amin, a social media coordinator for the opposition Congress party, blamed several accounts which regularly attack Muslims, especially Muslim women, and claim to support right-wing politics. This is not the first time, Amin said, that Muslim women have been targeted in this manner. On May 13, as Muslims celebrated the festival of Eid, a YouTube channel ran an "Eid Special" - a live "auction" of Muslim women from India and Pakistan. "People were bidding five rupees (67 cents; 48 pence) and 10 rupees, they were rating women based on their body parts and describing sexual acts and threatening rape," Khan said as per BBC. Guwahati, July 10 : The BJP-led Assam government would restrict some state government schemes to the two-child norm, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Saturday. Addressing the media, Sarma said that everyone will be allowed to avail the basic government schemes, but in case of some selective schemes, the two-child norm would come into play. Explaining further, the Chief Minister said that for example, the housing scheme would be restricted to the two-child norm. "An important announcement pertaining to population policy, including voluntary sterilisation, would be made in the state Budget. The Budget Session of the state Assembly would begin on July 12. Assam's first woman Finance Minister (Ajanta Neog) would table the Budget for FY 2021-22 on the floor of the House on July 16," Sarma said. The Chief Minister also said that a very big announcement would be made in the state Budget about voluntary sterilisation, which will be aimed at controlling the state's population. "As per the BJP's election manifesto, the government would act against marriage by deceit or fraud. We would enact a law to this effect. "With emphasis on population control, the Assam government after consultation with the Muslim intellectuals has decided to form eight sub-committees, which would lay down a roadmap for holistic development of the community in the next five years," he added. Amid his insistence on a population policy with a two-child norm and adoption of 'decent' family planning norms by Muslims to eradicate poverty in the northeastern state, the Assam Chief Minister had held an interactive meeting with intellectuals and leading citizens from the Muslim community on July 4. The eight sub-groups with representatives of the indigenous Muslim community will deliberate on issues such as health, education, skill development, preservation of cultural identity, financial inclusion and empowerment of women. Muslims comprise 34.22 per cent of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4 per cent are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims. Muslim votes are a determining factor in at least 30 to 35 seats out of Assam's total 126 Assembly seats. Of Assam's 34 districts, 19 districts have 12 per cent or more Muslim population and in six districts (out of these 19 districts), the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more. Harare, July 10 : Skipper Brendan Taylor's 92 helped Zimbabwe get to 140/3 in the second innings against Bangladesh at stumps on the fourth day of the one-off Test here on Saturday. Zimbabwe still trail by 337 runs and unless they bat out the whole of the fifth day on Sunday, it looks likely that they will lose the Test. The home team, chasing a target of 477 to win the Test, started off well. They were 110/1 with Taylor going after the bowling. The 35-year-old right-handed batsman hit 16 boundaries in his 73-ball innings before he was dismissed about 11.4 overs before the end of play. Takudzwanashe Kaitano, who had held one end up, scored just seven off 102 deliveries and was out just before close. Earlier, unbeaten centuries from Shadman Islam (115 not out) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (117 not out) helped Bangladesh declare their second innings at 284/1. Brief scores: Bangladesh 468 and 284/1 dec. (S Islam 115 not out, NH Shanto 117 not out) vs Zimbabwe 276 and 140/3 (B Taylor 92). Bengaluru, July 11 : Wildlife activists on Saturday in Karnataka accused the Forest Department of botching up the entire handling of a five-year-old male injured tigers death that occurred in Bandipur National park on Friday. Taking to Facebook, wildlife activist Joseph Hoover of United Conservation Movement has questioned as to why two darts were fired at an injured and emaciated tiger. He said that the authorities justified their decision on the grounds that the tiger was weak and emaciated and hence the strength of the first dosage was reduced. "As the tiger could not be tranquillised with the first dose, another dart was shot," Hoover claimed in his post. Hoover, who is also a member of the State Wildlife Board, said it was obvious that the wildlife veterinarian miscalculated the weight and condition of the tiger and suspected that the National Tiger Conservation Authority's SOP was not followed. He also alleged that the National Tiger Conservation Authority's SOPs (standard operation procedure) were not followed in this instance. "Was there another veterinarian assisting Dr. Vaseem Mirza who shot these dots? Was there a biologist on-ground? Why was the tiger sent to Bannerghatta rehabilitation centre (140 km) and not Koorgalli (70km) when its condition was precarious?," he lobbed these questions on his Facebook. He also added that no doubt the tiger wouldn't have survived. But it would have been prudent on part of the forest authorities to follow as much as possible. On Friday, a five-year-old male tiger in Karnataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve succumbed to his injuries, days after getting into a fight. Forest officials said that the fight had left him in a serious condition. The tiger was being shifted from Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district to Bannerghatta Rescue Centre in Bengaluru for treatment, when he died en route, Bandipur Tiger Reserve Director S.R. Natesh had stated in a release. Mogadishu, July 11 : At least seven people were killed and ten others injured in a suicide car bombing attack targeting Mogadishu police chief in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police and witnesses said. A police officer, requesting anonymity, said that a vehicle borne improvised explosive device targeted the vehicle of Mogadishu police commander Frahan Qarole at Banadir junction. The attack caused casualties but the police chief survived the attack, the Xinhua news agency reported. Somali police spokesman Sadik Aden confirmed the attack which took place at Banadir junction hit the vehicle of Qarole but the police chief survived the attack. The impact of the deadly explosion destroyed several buildings nearby. Aden said that at the time of the attack, the convoy of vehicles carrying Mogadishu police chief was travelling between Banadir and Medina hospitals. The incident caused a huge traffic snarl-up in Mogadishu streets as photos and plume of black smoke from the scene indicated that the explosion was huge. WesternU Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences Interim Dean Alissa Craft, DO, MBA This is a time of transition for our University and, with that, comes an opportunity for GCBS to truly define our role at WesternU in supporting student research education and the development of new research, said WesternU Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences Interim Dean Alissa Craft, DO, MBA. Western University of Health Sciences has named Alissa Craft, DO, MBA, as the interim dean of the Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences (GCBS). GCBS supports the mission of WesternU by training future researchers and future health care professionals. Most importantly, we encourage critical thinking and intellectual curiosity through our graduate programs, Dr. Craft said. I am honored to serve WesternU and GCBS, she said. This is a time of transition for our University and, with that, comes an opportunity for GCBS to truly define our role at WesternU in supporting student research education and the development of new research. Craft replaces Guru Betageri, PhD, who served as interim dean for two years. Betageri has transitioned back into a faculty role, where he will teach in the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program and complete his active research projects. Dr. Alissa Craft brings significant experience in teaching and administration, and she will assist us in transforming GCBS into a home for researchers and research-related degree programs at both the masters and doctoral degree levels, said WesternU Senior Vice President and Provost David Baron, DO, MSEd. Craft earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. She also earned an MBA and is working on her Doctor of Education degree. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Neonatal Medicine. She has extensive leadership experience, serving as the Chair of Pediatrics at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM), Vice Chair of Pediatrics at WesternUs College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), Associate Dean for New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), and Vice President of Accreditation for the American Osteopathic Association. She most recently served as WesternUs Research Development Advisor. GCBS is committed to developing masters and doctoral degrees in research-related fields with the input of faculty, Craft said. We hope to support these highly-specialized programs through the development of courses, certificates, and degree programs in an online environment to benefit our professional students and alumni, Craft said. Our first priority is the development of online education programs to support our current students and alumni. That is being coordinated with the Online Education Division of the Office of the Provost. We will then anticipate submitting the necessary accreditation documents for approval to grant doctoral degrees. Using the New Program Development process, we will then work to begin the degree programs that will best meet the needs of the University. Yochanan is for Christians and non-Christians alike; it's for serious and armature Bible scholars; and it is especially meant for Christian book clubs whose members might analyze and discuss the important issues raised in the book. Author daniel a.w. dreiling offers insight into the life and ministry of a pivotal Bible character with Yochanan: The Story of John the Baptist($17.99, paperback, 9781662822100; $27.99, hard cover, 9781662822117; $8.99, e-book, 9781662822124). Inspired by the life of Christs forerunner, dreiling penned this historical fiction account to allow readers to connect with this prophet in a new and powerful way. He takes solid, biblical teaching and weaves it into a highly-relatable story with enhanced character development and dialogue, Yochanan is for Christians and non-Christians alike; it's for serious and armature Bible scholars; and it is especially meant for Christian book clubs whose members might analyze and discuss the important issues raised in the book, said dreiling. Daniel a.w. dreiling is a retired law enforcement officer following a thirty-three year career, eight of which he served as chief of police. He is a graduate of the Delinquency Control Institute from USC, the FBI National Academy from Quantico Virginia, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from National University in La Jolla, California. He is proud of his family: wife Robin for more than forty years, two sons and two grandsons. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Yochanan is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Galit Kierkut, a shareholder in the Labor & Employment (L&E) Practice and Litigation Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak at the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Associations (BLLA) 2021 Women in Travel and Hospitality Conference on July 14. At the conference, Kierkut will join Dr. Faye Hall Jackson, a professor at Tuskegee University, in making a presentation on Diversity & Inclusion in the Hospitality Industry. According to BLLA, With this conference series, we have focused around the growing influence of women in these fields. This is the platform where you will be challenged to think differently and champion the cause of inclusivity. We view this conference series as a Womens type of Coffee House or Salon, reserved for bold women with the feminine eye. Kierkut, based in Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey office, focuses her practice in the areas of restrictive covenants, privacy, and trade secret counseling and litigation, as well as in matters relating to employment discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, employee leave, and accommodation. She represents national and international employers in their U.S. operations in the pharmaceutical, medical device, manufacturing, financial services, hospitality, food service, retail, and health care industries in state and federal courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and various Departments of Labor. She also trains and counsels employers in virtually all employment compliance areas. Kierkut is a member of Greenberg Traurig's Health Emergency Preparedness Task Force, a multidisciplinary, collaborative team drawn from the firm's offices around the world that provides clients with up to date counseling on all COVID-19 related matters. In addition to her employment/trade secret practice, Kierkut has wide-ranging experience in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts and serves as outside general counsel to certain of her clients. She is a strong advocate for womens advancement in the law and has been honored for her leadership in this area by a variety of organizations. Kierkut is a past president of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and is an active member of the National Association for Women Lawyers. She also leads the GT-NJ Office Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 3.0 certification, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives. About Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey Office: Established in 2002, Greenberg Traurigs New Jersey office has grown into a team of nationally recognized attorneys who provide legal advice to international, national, and local business and technology clients. The New Jersey offices practice areas include Complex Commercial and Class Action Litigation; Hatch-Waxman Litigation; Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Litigation; Product Liability & Mass Torts; Corporate; Restructuring & Bankruptcy; Construction Law; Franchise & Distribution; Immigration & Compliance; Intellectual Property & Technology; Labor & Employment; Real Estate; Tax; and Private Wealth Services. As a significant contributor to the firm's international platform, the New Jersey team offers clients both the know-how and geographic reach of a global law firm combined with the dedication and responsiveness of a local firm. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT), has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com My inspiration for writing this book was realizing in the middle of my storm, that God was keeping me. Author Janice Genath Washington Steve shares a true story of comfort in the midst of tragedy in On My Knees: #positionofcomfort ($10.99, paperback, 9781662821455; $4.99, e-book, 9781662821462). In 2015, Steve received a phone call informing her that her thirty-six year old son was missing. His bones were discovered almost four months later. She had no choice about whether to endure every mothers worst nightmare, but she could choose where she was going to endure it. She chose to fall to her knees beside her living room love seat and cry out to the only One who could comfort her. My inspiration for writing this book was realizing in the middle of my storm, that God was keeping me. He had allowed me to find my position of comfort and held me like only He could, said Steve. Janice Genath Washington Steve is a registered nurse, founder of nurse consulting business An Xtra Hand, creator of Jans Unique Designs, an inventor and an author. She and her husband, the Reverend Dr. Joe Henry Steve Jr., share four children and one granddaughter. Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. On My Knees is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Dr. Joseph Johnson The Liberty University Office of the Provost has announced the appointment of Joseph R. Johnson, DO, FACOOG (Dist.) to the position of dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), effective July 1. Johnson has been serving as interim dean since December 2020. Prior to Dr. Johnsons arrival, Libertys leadership set a goal to take LUCOM as a well-established osteopathic medical college, both in mission and outreach efforts, to the next level of medical education with more faculty physicians and clinical partners, as well as increase the number of clinical experiences and medical education programs for our students, said Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks. We are excited to have Dr. Johnson continue to lead us in this new role and advance medical training, technology, funding, and research at LUCOM. His deep desire to serve Christ, and others above self, makes Him the right leader for LUCOM. Johnson came to Liberty with over 26 years in the medical field in active obstetrical and advanced surgical roles. He developed Oklahomas first Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes), an effort that joined medical education with care management to empower clinicians to provide specialty care to rural and underserved communities all while serving at Oklahoma State University. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine from the National College of Chiropractic Medicine in Lombard, Ill., and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Mo. Johnson said he is committed to growing LUCOM into a top five osteopathic medical school with increased academic opportunities and clinical rotations that are meaningful rotations that bring our students in front of residency directors and residencies at hospitals, which is the next step of what medical students are looking for. He is also committed to serving God with his profession, emphasizing service over self. The future of LUCOM education and the vision is to allow our medical students to see how Christian providers work with their patients and are able to take the healing message to a patient, but also take the message of Christ to a patient, Johnson said. We are trying to produce the next generation of osteopathic physicians Champions for Christ and that requires a lot of us working together to share with the students our relationship with Christ, and to mentor them on what it truly means to be a physician of that quality. Under Johnsons leadership, working closely with LUCOM Admissions, LUCOM will soon welcome 162 osteopathic medicine students in its eighth class. Building on the successes of the past, including increased MCAT scores for admitted students, rising licensing exam scores, excellent match rates for graduates entering residency programs, faculty recruitment and development, my goal is to take these 162 students into LUCOM and then graduate 162 new osteopathic medicine physicians four years later to get them into residency, Johnson said. When I first arrived, it was important to look at the end in mind and ask: What does a medical student that is very, very successful, has good academics and passes their boards with flying colors and gets into the residency programs of their choice look like? And then reverse engineer that to, what does our pipeline development look like, he explained. We want to build a robust pipeline where applicants desire to come to Liberty University and to LUCOM over other programs. We want to secure our relationship with students and their families, so the students only want to come to Liberty University. Even if that means waiting a year to get in we know that they know that Liberty University is the osteopathic medical college they are looking for. Johnson said LUCOM will maintain its steady course of student recruitment. We are adding new teaching platforms with an emphasis on curriculum design. We are expanding our learning resources for testing and board preparations. We will develop new clinical opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Virginia that will provide expanded access for patients healthcare. And we will maintain relationships with our incredible, hard-working alumni, he said. I am thankful for my leadership team Dr. Chad Brands, Dr. Tim Leonard, and Chris Kennedy and equally appreciative of the support from Liberty University Provost Dr. Scott Hicks. All of us at Liberty University faculty and staff, leadership, and students are a part of the body of Christ and it is through His guidance and grace upon Liberty and the work we are doing, that we may take LUCOM to new heights and continue our education needs in teaching osteopathic manipulative medicine. The recruitment process for naming a new dean was carried out through a collaborative agreement with industry leaders in academic healthcare system and medical education recruiting, Merritt Hawkins & Associates and AMN Healthcare. Law Office of Blumenthal Nordehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Oakhurst Industries, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a lawsuit against Oakhurst Industries, Inc., alleging the company violated Labor Code 2699, et seq. seeking penalties for DEFENDANTs alleged violation of California Labor Code 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 221, 226(a), 226.7, 246, 351, 510, 512, 558(a)(1)(2), 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802. The lawsuit against Oakhurst Industries, Inc., is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCV21110. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Oakhurst Industries, Inc. allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code 2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones in order to complete their job duties. PAGA is a mechanism by which the State of California itself can enforce state labor laws through the employee suing under the PAGA who do so as the proxy or agent of the state's labor law enforcement agencies. An action to recover civil penalties under PAGA is fundamentally a law enforcement action designed to protect the public and not to benefit private parties. The purpose of PAGA is not to recover damages or restitution, but to create a means of "deputizing" citizens as private attorneys general to enforce the Labor Code. For more information about the lawsuit against Oakhurst Industries, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Local real estate office RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals was recently recognized in the 2021 "America's Best Real Estate Professionals" rankings by REALTrends + Tom Ferry. The prestigious survey comprises five categories, and each category has two subcategories one for transaction sides and one for sales volume for participating agents and teams in the U.S. based on 2020 numbers. Several RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals brokers placed highly in the Individuals rankings for both transaction sides and total volume. Americas Best Real Estate Professionals at RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals based on 2020 transactions for the state of Illinois include: Broker Susie Scheuber placed #15 with 124 transactions. Broker Dawn Dause placed #51 with 83 transactions. Designated Managing Broker Ryan Behrens and Broker Sarah Toso both placed at #69 with 75 transactions each. Broker Sara Wittchen placed #134 with 63 transactions. Broker Aaron Tidmore placed #158 with 59 transactions. Broker Nancy Benard placed #166 with 58 transactions Broker Sara Young placed #253 with 51 transactions. In the sales volume category, Scheuber also placed #45 in Illinois for $30.3 million closed, Dause placed #105 for $20.9 million closed, and Toso placed #120 for $20.1 million closed in 2020. "The achievements of RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals have exceeded all expectations," said Broker/Owner Kathy Dames. "To consistently rank highly in Illinois speaks volumes to the quality of our incredible team. For RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals, the recognition achieved from "America's Best" by REALTrends + Tom Ferry is the highest possible honor we could achieve in the real estate field." Broker/Owner Shannon Simotes said, "The brokers at RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals are dedicated, educated, and experienced in negotiations. With our ever-changing industry, RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals has the knowledge, creativity, and drive to place them at the top in real estate." Last year proved to be a successful year for RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals. The office grew its sales volume to $290 million, $30 million more than in 2019. The office also secured the title of Highest Average Transactions Per Sales Associate among RE/MAX multi-office groups for the fourth year in a row. With nearly 40 years in real estate, Broker/Owner Kathy Dames along with her daughter and Co-Broker/Owner Shannon Simotes, have outstanding plans to continue their momentum and achievements at RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals. Consisting of 18,000 individual producers and team leaders, "America's Best Real Estate Professionals" is the industry's largest ranking of agents based on homes sold. # # # About RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals: RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals is a locally owned and operated full-service real estate brokerage located in Shorewood, Plainfield, and Crest Hill, and specializes in residential and commercial real estate. RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals is a proud supporter of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Susan G. Komen, and other charities, and has a central office located at 850 Brook Forest Avenue, Shorewood, IL 60404. To learn more, please visit remaxultimateprofessionals.com San Diegos first Best Brains location is hosting an Open House from Friday, July 16th to Sunday, July 18th. Attendees will tour the center, meet the staff, and receive special offers on tuition for sign-ups. Best Brains Rancho Bernardo is located at 11939 Rancho Bernardo Rd STE 120, on the corner of Rancho Bernardo Rd and Bernardo Center Dr. While this is the first location to open in San Diego, Best Brains has a well-established presence in California. The after-school learning center brand specializing in Math and English tutoring has over a dozen locations in the San Francisco area. Best Brains Rancho Bernardo will bring the successful program to a new group of students, led by owner and Center Director Niharika Rao. Ms. Rao partnered with the brand to bring a student-focused solution to parents in her local community who need supplemental education taught by qualified professionals. Her top priority, she says, is to gather the best instructors and offer a variety of exclusive Best Brains programs in a safe, inclusive learning environment. I am committed to student diversity and effective educational solutions. She hopes the Open House will bring in families of all backgrounds to experience the highest standard for after school instruction on the market. Joining Center Director Rao are an impressive group of local educators. All Best Brains centers employ real teachers from area schools to provide Math and English instruction. Rancho Bernardo will host classes led by Ms. Byers, a local teacher who emphasizes teamwork in her classrooms, and Ms. Stanly, an experienced teacher who is described as a dynamic presence in the classroom. Joining them are Ms. Flores and Ms. Bakshi, both experienced individuals who will provide compassionate and positive instruction for a variety of exciting programs. Students can attend classes from 4:30pm to 7:30pm on Mondays and Wednesday as well as Saturday mornings from 9am-Noon. Best Brains Rancho Bernardo will offer programs suitable for any child ages 3 to 14. In addition to Math and English, students can take courses in Public Speaking, Creative Writing, a signature course called Abacus, and Coding. Coding is the newest program for the brand and Best Brains Rancho Bernardo will be the first in the business to offer it from day one. Rachel Eckhorn, Lead Curriculum Developer for Best Brains, described the decision to add Coding to Best Brains portfolio of programs. With the growing popularity of coding businesses and courses popping up online, we knew we had to give parents an option from a trusted source, one that always puts academic development first. Visitors to the Open House, which begins at 10am on Friday, July 16th, receive exclusive discounts for their childs first month of enrollment. Ms. Rao hopes that this will motivate parents to try the many programs available at Rancho Bernardo and give children the confidence they need to succeed during this years back-to-school season. We here at Best Brains Rancho Bernardo help fulfill the true goal of education: building knowledge shaped by the natural intelligence and character within each student. An investment in knowledge provides the most valuable returns! For the past 10 years, Best Brains has provided enrichment programs to students ages 3-14 across the US and Canada. They are best known for offering one-on-one student interaction from certified teachers in a safe classroom environment or virtually in small, online classrooms. Their non-repetitive curriculum model and qualified, motivated staff lead to high student engagement and excitement, as well as parent satisfaction. Classes begin August 1st and seats are limited. To ensure your child a spot at Best Brains Rancho Bernardo, call 619-215-0000 or email ranchobernardo@bestbrains.com to book an Open House appointment. Steve Nassar He literally wrote the book on how to buy and sell a home. Acclaimed real estate expert Steve Nassar accepts the invitation to Haute Residences invite-only Network. Steve Nassar exclusively represents the luxury real estate market in the Camas and Vancouver, Washington area. Top 5 real estate agents in Portland Metro by total sales volume in the last 12 months Partner and marketing leader of the largest and fastest-growing real estate brokerage in Oregon & SW Washington Co-host of The Portland Real Estate Podcast, the areas most widely listened to source for real estate news and information Featured nationally in Realtor Magazine as a marketing guru Also recognized in The Oregonian, Portland Business Journal, Lake Oswego Review, and more With over twenty years of real estate experience, he has helped over 2000 families purchase their homes while studying each transaction with an eye to improving the experience for the next. As Partner and marketing leader for Oregon & SW Washington's largest real estate brokerage, he is uniquely positioned to bring maximum exposure to his listings by way of the most advanced, cutting-edge marketing and my vast network. Similarly, he is also uniquely able to bring many off-market buying opportunities to his buyer clients that no other agents have access to nor are even aware of for that matter. He literally wrote the book on how to buy and sell a home. It is called: THE PATHWAY TO YOUR NEW HOME and was originally created and copyrighted in 2006. Since then it has been distributed by thousands of other Realtors in 27 different states from coast to coast. Visit Steve Nassars Haute Residence profile: https://www.hauteresidence.com/member/steve-nassar-2/ Visit Steve Nassar's website: https://stevenassarteam.com ABOUT HAUTE RESIDENCE Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and experienced real estate partners. The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts. HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end residential developments, celebrity real estate, and more. Access all of this information and more by visiting http://www.hauteresidence.com We are excited and proud to be recognized by Microsoft amongst global partners for our accomplishments around Dynamics 365 Commerce. Thinkmax today announced it has been named a finalist of Dynamics 365 Commerce 2021 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. We are excited and proud to be recognized by Microsoft amongst global partners for our accomplishments around Dynamics 365 Commerce said Marc Belliveau, President, Thinkmax. This great recognition is the outcome of our unified commerce vision and expertise leveraging a comprehensive industry blueprint platform to help clients accelerate their digital transformation and tackle evolving business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) commerce challenges and opportunities. The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in various of categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 4,400 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Thinkmax was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services in Dynamics 365 Commerce in North America. The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards acknowledge outstanding successes and innovations by partners in over 100 countries and in a wide variety of categories, including partner competencies, cloud to edge technologies, entrepreneurial spirit and social impact. I am honored to announce the winners and finalists of the 2021 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, said Rodney Clark, corporate vice president, Global Partner Solutions, Channel Sales and Channel Chief, Microsoft. These remarkable partners have displayed a deep commitment to building world-class solutions for customersfrom cloud-to-edgeand represent some of the best and brightest our ecosystem has to offer. About Thinkmax: Leveraging advanced industry and technical expertise with leading-edge technologies, Thinkmax implements efficient and innovative solutions streamlining business processes, unifying digital experiences, and enabling transformative change. For additional information, please contact: : Mary Atalla - Marketing Director matalla@thinkmax.com In Rizzio (Pegasus Crime, Sept.), Mina dramatizes the Tudor-era assassination of David Rizzio, the personal secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots. Where did the idea for this book come from? Rizzio is part of a series called Darklands, in which contemporary Scottish writers reimagine historical events. I was asked because of my nonfiction novel The Long Drop, which follows a drunken night in 1956, when a serial killer went on a 12-hour pub crawl with his victims father and husband, following a public call for information. Instead of the usual chronological telling, I focused on a time-limited event, and that was the approach here. Is there any debate about why Rizzio was killed? Rizzios murder was something of a committee decision, and therefore a bit of a mess. There were differing justifications: Rizzio was a foreigner, it was a warning to Mary, he was her lover and had fathered James VI, but almost every actor had a different motive. Some wanted to kill him for religious reasons, some for possible social advancement, some were motivated by raw misogyny. How did you deviate from whats known historically? Barely at all. That weekend is very well documented in letters from Mary, and a legal affidavit from the leader of the killers, Lord Ruthven, both written shortly afterwards. Ruthvens account is least credible. Its peppered with claims to have paused the action several times to make verbose statements that clear him of treasonable intent. Marys account is remarkably consistentshe told the same story 20 years later in a letter to Cosimo de Medici. Most of the dialogue in Rizzio is taken from the historical record. What are the biggest misconceptions about Mary? That she was good or bad. She was neither. She was a woman with power and money. Other people wanted it, and she didnt want to give it to them. Also, that she spoke French because she was raised in the French court and that the Scottish people hated her for it. She actually spoke very good Scots with a fine accent, and was very popular among the people of Scotland. Why did you use anachronistic language? As an acknowledgment of my own narrative voice. We can only ever read the past through the prism of the present. The selection of scenes and characters, of events and turns and objects, are all determined by current thought and preoccupations, and the use of current vernacular was a recognition of that fact. Lisa Hardings repertoire includes acting and writing plays, short stories, and, most recently, novels. Harvesting, her debut novel, was published in Ireland by New Island Books in 2017. It went on to win awards and acclaim and has been optioned for film by Michael Lennox, director of the TV series Derry Girls. Her second, Bright Burning Things, was published in the U.K. by Bloomsbury in March to stunning reviews. The reception here was amazing, Hardings agent, Clare Alexander, of Aitken Alexander in the U.K., tells me. Were so looking forward to its publication in America. In December, HarperVia will release the novel in the U.S. Bright Burning Things is the story of a woman whose glamorous life as an actor comes to a halt with single motherhood and a serious addiction to alcohol. Told in a powerful first-person voice, the novel is heart-wrenching and terrifying as the narrator, Sonya, spirals out of control despite being responsible for her young son Tommy and their rescue dog Herbie. In a scene at the beach in which a stranger questions her leaving Tommy and the dog while she swims out into the ocean, Sonyas internal voice reveals her conflict: Im shaking with something else now and its rocking me deep inside. My voice is huge and swallowed and Im scared of what might happen if I release it. Breathe in, out, in, out.... I knock the phone out of her hand and grab my son out of her arms.... I feel repulsed by this old woman: her proximity, her bossy intrusion into our happy, happy world. Sonya desperately loves the boy, but the bottle is strong competition, and when she realizes she might lose custody of him she faces a come to Jesus moment. Add in her withholding father, a hateful stepmother, a caring nun, and a counselor with an agenda, and you have a volatile stew of a tale. Harding had a bestseller in Ireland with Harvesting and had no representation when Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, her mentor at the Arvon course, a weeklong writers residency in England, introduced her to Alexander. Ellah knows my taste and how much I love strong voices, Alexander says. I took Lisa on as a client in 2017 based on half of Bright Burning Things. After signing with Alexander, Harding revised the manuscript, changing the point of view and the title, which Alexander helped come up with. I was a publisher for 20 years before I became an agent, Alexander says. Im an editorial agent. The title Bright Burning Things reflects the heroine: shes a firework, beautiful and dangerous. Alexander sent the manuscript out to U.K. publishers, and Alexis Kirschbaum at Bloomsbury UK preempted it. The deal for U.K. and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada, plus translation rights, was sealed in late 2019. An edited first draft then went out widely to U.S. publishers in 2020 and Tara Parsons, associate publisher at HarperVia, bought North American rights in September. Alexander recalls that Parsons told her, It would be a privilege to introduce Lisas work to North American readers, and I knew we had found the right editor! Parsons says the manuscript came with a great pitch and a caveat that it was a tough book. I read it at night, she recalls, during lockdown with a glass of wine, and I thought, do I want to read this? I have kids, Im drinking wine. Will it be too dark? But I started reading and couldnt stop. I didnt see it as too dark because of the writing. The character of Sonya is so three-dimensional. Parsons expands on this to note that the reader doesnt have sympathy for Sonya. Its all reserved for the son and the dog, she says. They are both at her mercy. Youre reading and holding your breath. Are they going to survive? The book feels timely. Lockdown is ending and people are seeing themselves differently. Weve been drinking more, indulging ourselves with self-care. This can be a cautionary moment. HarperVia usually does books in translation, but it also publishes books written originally in English but with a global feel, Parsons says. Bright Burning Things has the lyricism of the Irish novel. She bought the novel for a good amount, drawn to the strong point of view and its commercial and literary appeal. Seeing it after it had been edited in the U.K., she says, was the icing on the cake. As for Harding, she tells me she came to London from Dublin to be an actor, and when it wasnt working out, she started writing plays, several of which were produced. My acting career was unsatisfying, she adds, and I discovered I had a voice. I started writing short stories. This was about 10 years ago. A novel felt beyond me, but when I won a story competition I thought, I can do this. Harding returned to Dublin and did a masters of philosophy in creative writing at Trinity College. She started to look at writers from the point of view of voice. I was good at first person because of my acting experience, she notes. When I started Harvesting, about sex trafficking [she had worked for a sex trafficking advocacy organization after graduation and had heard firsthand accounts], I originally thought it would be a play and started by writing monologues. But it became a novel with a first-person-present interior voice, a composite of two girls I had worked with who took over my head. It was a hard sell, underage sex trafficking, but I sold it and was thrilled when it did well. She says, This book is closer to home. Addiction is not just drugs and alcohol. Actors are addicted to the high of attention. Its not so different from the feeling of being pissed. I was really nervous when I gave up acting, even though I gave it up willingly. There was a terrible withdrawal. Harding adds that Bright Burning Things, too, was tricky to sell. It was raw, unfiltered, unattractivebut Clare was wonderful. We did seven or eight drafts and dialed down the trauma and brought in some light and shade. The boys voice is absent, which made the book more powerful. The reader is worried for him. Harding is thrilled to be with HarperVia and Parsons: She loved the book, and people either love it or hate itlike Marmite! For my part, I hate Marmite, but I do love this book. According to the Baker Book House company website, Christian indie bookstore Baker Book House and Baker Publishing Group have a history of only slowly warming up to technological innovations. For instance, the companys manual typewriters were not replaced with electric typewriters until 1977, and its first desktop computer was purchased in 1987. Its proud of a culture of austerity inspired by its founders frugal business practices, which once included providing each employee with only one pen at a time. During the pandemic, however, as bookstore marketing manager Becca Niswonger put it, virtual events have taught us that technology is a huge benefit to the store and its customers. By quickly embracing social media platforms, Baker Book House, which claims to be the oldest and largest indie Christian bookstore in North America, has successfully raised its visibility far beyond its community in Grand Rapids, Mich. The store was founded in 1939 by 28-year-old Herman Baker. Its homemade shelves were filled with 500 used religious books he had collected over the 14 years hed lived in the U.S. after emigrating from the Netherlands with his parents. A year later, he became a publisher with the release of More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation by William Hendriksen, which is still in print. The twin ventures grew steadily. In 1968 Baker opened a second bookstore in Holland, Mich., and in 1970 it opened a third in Benton Harbor. At one point the Baker family owned half a dozen bookstores, though all but the flagship location closed by the mid-90s. Today, executive v-p Sue Smith, assisted by a five-member management team, oversees the companys retail operations and its 45 employees, 24 of whom are full-time; Smith reports to company CEO Dwight Baker. The 18,000-sq.-ft. store carries 140,000 new, used, and bargain books, and Baker Publishing Group publishes approximately 300 titles annuallyall of which are available at the store. The stores inventory of 55,000 new and 85,000 used books includes fiction and nonfiction in a variety of genres for adults and children, as well as bibles and academic titles on religious subjects for, events coordinator Becky Suttner said, seminary students and pastors of all Christian denominations. It also sells music, gifts, and DVDs and has a cafe area. The variety is incredible, Suttner said. We have Christian content and we also have some books that are general market, if you willbooks of interest to a Christian reader. While the stores four book buyers focus on books published by Baker Publishing Groups six imprints and other Christian publishers, approximately 10% of the inventory is broader in scope, such as The Natural Medicine Handbook by Walt Larimore, a current bestseller for the store. Store events are free, Suttner noted, explaining that the five-member marketing team begins promoting each virtual author event months in advance via email and on social media. Discounts are offered on its website, as well as other special offers, such as signed bookplates. Its a whole marketing cycle for every event, she added. Its proven effective: in 2020 online sales rose 55% at Baker Book House over 2019. One of the stores most popular virtual author events was a conversation between Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne, and Beth Allison Barr, author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood. More than 750 people attended, and nearly 2,000 watched it afterward on the stores social media platforms. The bookstore, pre-pandemic, boasted a robust programming schedule that included three or four author events per month, as well as monthly gatherings of local church librarians, regular story times, and live music performances, but it is now hosting as many as six virtual author events each month. When it resumes its regular programming this fall, Baker Book House will feature a mix of in-person, virtual, and hybrid author events that will be recorded in front of a small audience in-store and streamed via its social media platforms. Were not going to stop virtual events, because of the access its given us, Suttner said. She noted that, though Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan, due to its location180 miles northeast of Chicago and 160 miles west of Detroitmany authors are unable to physically visit the store, particularly during the snowy holiday season. [The virtual events] allow us to maintain a more robust schedule, even in winter. Reflecting on the past year, Suttner insisted that Baker Book House both has and hasnt changed. At its core it hasnt, she said. The essence of what makes people want to work here, and shop here, is the same: this company really cares about its people, both employees and customers. Whats changed is we adapted well, we figured out how to survive when everything around us was not. We were quick on our feet. Every little change, we adapted. New York City, NY (11385) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Coronavirus Pa. statistically deletes 600,000 vaccinations More than 600,000 duplicate vaccinations deleted from the Pa. Department of Health dashboard For, Berks totals of completed, partially vaccinated both go down as duplicates eliminated State Rep. Mark Gillen, who also is the president and founder of the Berks Military History Museum in Mohnton, in the museums Holocaust exhibit on Monday. The exhibit has renewed interest in adding a Holocaust Museum and Education Center to the museum. The Biden administration signaled its support for the teaching of anti-racism curriculum in public schools Friday, wading into an ongoing culture war over critical race theory playing out on cable news and in school board meetings across the nation. Asked about a recent decision by the National Education Association to throw its weight behind controversial progressive teachings about race, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told RealClearPolitics that President Biden believes kids should learn about our history including the view that "there is systemic racism that is still impacting society today." Psaki continued that the president and the First Lady, who is also a life-long educator, believe that there are many dark moments, and there is not just slavery and racism in our history. And he believes, as I believe, as a parent of children, that kids should learn about our history. So as a spouse of an educator, the press secretary added, he continues to believe that children should learn not just the good, but also the challenging parts of our history, and that's part of what we're talking about here, even as it's become politically charged. Almost underscoring Psakis point that the issue has become politically charged, an account run by the House Republicans responded on Twitter, critical race theory is NOT history. Its an ideological agenda meant to divide us. The press secretarys answer was the clearest expression to date of where the White House comes down in a larger ideological battle over the soul of the nation. Progressives who espouse critical race theory argue that white people should own up to the benefits afforded to them by the systemic racism woven into the fabric of this countrys past and present. Conservatives reject that characterization. While agreeing that schoolchildren should learn about slavery and racism, they say that the current approach being pushed by progressive educators goes too far. In that same vein, Russ Vought, president of Center for Renewing America, told RCP that the White House can continue to sow confusion, but that people already know that teaching the theory is not about learning history, it is indoctrination that America is systemically racist and people should be judged based on the color of their skin, instead of the content of their character." Vought, who authored former President Trumps executive order banning CRT in the federal government, argued that Biden had made the theory the governing paradigm of his administration, insisting on dividing the country based on race. The back-and-forth comes as schools across the country prepare to welcome students back to the classroom in person later this summer, and as the nations two largest teachers unions vow to support their members teaching of the theory. At its annual meeting, the National Education Association adopted an agenda item stating, it is reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks for understanding and interpreting the impact of the past on current society, including critical race theory. NEA President Becky Pringle urged teachers to adopt similar teachings in their lesson plans, saying, If this grand experiment in democracy is to succeed, if the inhabitants of our nation are to prosper, we must continuously do the work to challenge ourselves and others to dismantle the racist interconnected systems and the economic injustices that have perpetuated systemic inequities. The NEA along with the American Teachers Federation are preparing legal challenges to state laws stripping such lessons from curricula. At least six states have passed new laws limiting how race can be taught in the classroom, the Associated Press reported, and similar proposals are being considered in more than a dozen others. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law last month that bars schools from teaching students that anyone should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex. Liberty and equality, the law states, should be taught as authentic founding principles, not slavery or racism, according to a majority of Texas lawmakers. It comes as no surprise that the White House stands with the teachers' unions. On the first full day of the new administration, Dr. Jill Biden hosted a summit to celebrate educators, and just two guests were invited to the White House: the heads of the two largest public teachers unions in the country. I'm so proud that you are leading the NEA, which as you probably know is my union, the first lady told Pringle. Weingarten, the leader of the AFT, was described the first lady as the kind of general who is never far from the front lines. She promised that with her husband as president, the unions will always have a seat at the table. Together, we are going to transform our nation's education system. And when we do that, we will change the course of our future forever, she added. And if you ever wonder if it's possible, just remember that the First Lady of the United States is one of your own. Katonah, NY (10536) Today Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Athens, GA (30605) Today Cloudy with light rain this morning...then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Greenville, NC (27833) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Vermont Suitcase Company will be performing the play at outdoor venues across the state. The local theater group is sponsored by Winston Prouty Center for Children and Family, The Porch, and Foard Panel. The group thanks the Winston Prouty center for the generous use of their community room Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy with light rain developing this afternoon. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) Growing up in Texas and Hawaii, Nichole Muszynski was never abuzz about bees. So it is as much a surprise to the 32-year-old psychology professor as it is to all who know her that she now finds them so becoming. Muszynski, who relocated to Hastings from Hawaii in June 2020, is incorporating the study of honeybees into her lesson plans as assistant professor of psychology and sociology at Hastings College. To accommodate plan bee, four departments on campus have pledged funding to move two honeybee hives on campus near the Morrison Reeves Science building. The interdisciplinary project, which she hopes will be ready in time for fall semester studies, will provide convenient access to bees for psychology-related experiments and studies across multiple departments. There are lots of things to do with bees, she told the Hastings Tribune. So far, weve only really discussed, What would you do if you could do it? When we have bees on campus, I can have my students design experiments for bees and go out and do them. Having landed upon the study of bees while pursuing psychology studies in Hawaii, Muszynski has had a bee in her bonnet for them since, devoting her dissertation paper to the study of their cognitive behavior while pursuing her doctorate in psychology at University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her lesson plans at HC will incorporate the study of bees, with findings to be documented in a series of publishable materials. Titled Category difference facilitates oddity learning in honeybee (Apis mellifera), her award-winning dissertation is a collaborative effort written with P.A. Couvillion when the two worked together at Pacific Biosciences Research Center in Hawaii. Published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, the paper was recently awarded the Frank A. Beach Comparative Psychology Award as the years top paper in the division for neuroscience and comparative psychology. It was a surprise, to be honest, Muszynski said. Im really interested in studying non-human animals and humans. The goal is to see if there are similarities or differences between different species and their cognitive abilities: learning, memory, attention and problem solving. Some people look to see if there are differences in general behavior, structures of groups of organisms. Im more interested in learning and memory. What has mystified Muszynski most in her studies of honeybees has been just how smart they seem to be. Compared to other non-human species, their ability to differentiate shapes given the comparative size of their brains is truly befuddling. Given an oddity problem calling for identification of an odd shape from a grouping, bees exhibited a surprising capacity to find the outlier in about an hour, considerably faster than times clocked of young children, sea lions and chimpanzees. Honeybees have 1 million neurons (brain cells). Comparatively, the human brain has 86 billion neurons, while cats or dogs have billions of them. And yet findings exhibited in the study suggest honeybees possess an unbelievable learning capacity similar to that of much larger animals. We gave bees an oddity problem, laying out four objects, she said. The fact that a bee can do a problem that a human, chimp and cat can do suggests there is something going on that was conserved evolutionarily across time to make that happen. Whats surprising is how fast they do it. It can take a cat or a sea lion months and months to learn it, and a bee can learn this problem in about an hour. Whats going on? Given the immeasurable complexity of the human brain, researchers long have used non-human subjects when studying behavioral habits of Homo sapiens. That honeybees share certain human traits makes them ideal for psychology experiments, Muszynski said. The goal of my research was to focus more on the complex kind of learning bees might show, she said. People are surprised that a lot of psychology experiments are conducted on animals and also vertebrae for research on the human brain. A lot of what we know about the brain comes from invertebrates. To study the brain, you have to look at organisms that are simpler. They (non-human brains) have less neurons and we can see sometimes how the brain cells work in simpler organisms. Muszynski is excited by the endless possibilities the two beehives will bring to campus for exploring bee-related behaviors. Potential topics of exploration may include environmental impact research addressing how they are able to survive brutally cold Nebraska winters, how mites and beetles are able to infiltrate and destroy colonies, and which types of flowers bees prefer to pollinate. I dont know if anyone has ever done an experiment to test bee preferences to flowers, she said. Its a simple question with no science-quick answer, which is kind of neat. In 2018, Caitlin Clarkson Pereira, an education professional, author, and mother of 3-year old Parker, ran to represent the 132nd District in Connecticuts House of Representatives. The candidate threw herself into campaigning and occasionally, when appropriate, shed bring along Parker, only to hear the random constituents ask her that if she won, Who will watch your daughter? I think back to the times Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the other guy were asked the same oh, wait. Im lying. No one asks a father how hell make time for his children if he wins an election. Clarkson Pereira, a Democrat, lost, but along the way, she started an important conversation. Call it a case of motherhood creating the necessity of invention. Facing a week when Parkers father would be traveling, the candidate emailed the State Elections Enforcement Commission to petition to use campaign funds for reasonable, campaign-related childcare expenses. Women still handle the bulk of child care in this country. Women take longer leaves after the birth of a child, and women take 10 times as many temporary leaves for child-rearing. In addition, women are eight times more likely than men to stay home from work to care for a sick child. Women with children often look for jobs with flexible hours, which may mean taking a hit in pay which means, upon retirement, women have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars less than their male coworkers, which affects pensions. The pandemic has stretched mothers to the limit, and it makes me sad to write that. I am an aging feminist, and I think Im safe in saying that it never dawned on most feminists of a certain age to ask for something like this. We were happy to be wherever wed landed, and we spent no small amount of energy pretending we were men - that we didnt have children, didnt have a home life, and would never let anything like a sick child get in the way of reaching a work goal. (Ask me some day about the three-piece maternity business suit I wore, without irony, as if those pinstripes would distract people from the obvious.) I regret my silence very much. As Clarkson Pereira noted in her letter to the SEEC, her options while running for office were to bring her daughter to campaign events (just try to wrestle a toddler while during a political debate); skip the event (not a good look for a candidate), or she could pay out-of-pocket for childcare expenses. An hour of babysitting in Fairfield runs you about $16.25, according to Care.com, an online resource for childcare providers, tutoring, and the like. A candidate spends hours and hours convincing voters shes worth the effort, and that time adds up. The state (all-male board) said no, and Clarkson Pereira took her argument to court, where a judge agreed with her. The conversation culminated late last month when Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law a bill that allows candidates to use state campaign funds to pay for campaign-related childcare expenses. The law also streamlines the application process for state boards and commissions, with an eye on adding more women and people of color. It all feels a little bit surreal, said Clarkson Pereira. It felt like we would never get to the finish line. Now, this has reminded me that this has been about much more than words on a page. Its about action that comes from law. Organizations such as the Vote Mama Foundation are pushing for this around the country. Vote Mama was started by Liuba Grechen Shirley, a New York mother who in 2018 ran for the U.S. House. Grechen Shirley campaigned with her phone at her ear and a child at her breast while her other child fiddled with her hair. (If thats not an endorsement for a politician who stays cool under pressure, I dont know pressure.) She successfully petitioned the Federal Elections Commission to be allowed to spend campaign funds on campaign-related childcare expenses. In addition, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif. of the white board has introduced bills to allow candidates to use campaign funds to pay campaign-related child-care expenses. A few states allow the practice, but only a handful have made it a law. This kind of representation is important. Congress is aging. Far more Boomers and members of the so-called Silent Generation (people born between 1928 and 1945) occupy those seats than members of any other demographic. The 117th Congress has a record number of women nearly a quarter of its members are female but young mothers are severely underrepresented. Research shows that female officeholders tend to pay more attention to family issues such as, well, child care. And would-be female candidates say a lack of childcare, or an inability to afford child care, keeps them from running for office. Putting the cost of child care onto candidates has been a perfect system for preserving politics traditional all-male revue. Along the way, Clarkson Pereira said she was struck most by the unexpected support she got from sources she thought were more traditional the people she thought would live as if a womans place is in the home, not the House. Parker and her mother couldnt make it to the bill signing late last night, but dont worry. Clarkson Pereira hasnt taken running again off the table. Right now, shes concentrating on getting Parker, 6, squared away for summer, and for their post-pandemic lives. There are so many things need to be done, said Clarkson Pereira. This is just one of them. Hamden Police Department HAMDEN A New Haven man has been charged in connection with a September 2020 shooting that wounded a 46-year-old man, police said. Thomas Carr, 33, was charged Wednesday by Hamden police with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A state agency said Friday it will work with private organizations to encourage more elderly and disabled people to get vaccines for COVID-19, which is on the rise in Alabama as the state's inoculation rate trails the nation. With Alabama trailing only Mississippi in vaccinations and just 30% of the state's population fully vaccinated against the illness caused by the new coronavirus, the Alabama Department of Senior Services said a new marketing campaign was aimed at overcoming vaccine hesitancy. The agency will work with local agencies for the aging and disability organizations to encourage more people to get shots. A telephone hotline will allow people to reach local services and make vaccination appointments, which has been difficult for some disabled people. Through this new marketing campaign, ADSS is making it easy for Alabamians to connect with a live, local individual who can help provide information and resources specific to their needs," Commissioner Jean Brown said in a statement. Vaccination rates have dropped statewide to the lowest point since early this year, when doses were scarce and only certain people were eligible to receive shots. While less than a third of the state's population is fully vaccinated, precautions like face masks and social distancing are increasingly rare in the state. Meanwhile, hospitalizations are rising in a trend that is troubling to health experts. State statistics showed that 252 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals on Thursday compared to a low of 166 late last month, and a larger percentage of people are testing positive for the illness than just a few weeks earlier. While vaccinations have helped reduce illness levels and hospitalizations far below where they were earlier this year, officials are concerned that the state's low vaccination rate and the emergence of new virus variants will combine to create a spike in illness in coming weeks. We are very, very concerned, Dr. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told reporters this week. (A summer surge) is a very feasible scenario that I dont like to think about, but I think we need to be prepared for. About 11,400 people in the state have died of COVID-19, and nearly 555,000 have tested positive. James K. Reiley POTTSVILLE A Pottsville man charged with causing a crash that injured another woman in the city on Feb. 24 had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley, Pottsville. David Alan Kleckner, 54, of 35 S. 26th St., was arrested by Pottsville police Patrolman Anna Flail and charged with two counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI and one count each of DUI, DUI-highest rate and not yielding at a roadway. Reiley determined prosecutors presented enough evidence to substantiate the charges and ordered all five held to Schuylkill County Court, where Kleckner can now plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial. Flail charged Kleckner with being under the influence when he caused a crash in the 2200 block of West Market Street at the Coney Island Restaurant around 10 p.m. Flail said Kleckner pulled out of the Coney Island restaurant and drove into the path of a vehicle being driven west on West Market Street by Christine Burke, causing the woman to suffer multiple serious injuries. At the time of the crash, Flail said, Kleckner had a blood alcohol level of 0.22%, more than double the legal limit. Other court cases included: Christopher P. Achenbach, 31, of 124 Broad St., Saint Clair; held for court: strangulation, simple assault and harassment. Llehne M. Liptok, 30, of 215 Third St., Apt. 1, New Cumberland; held for court: simple assault and harassment. Cody Allen Clocker, 26, of 3 Main St., Landingville; held for court: possession of a controlled substance and possession of a small amount of marijuana. James M. Collins, 29, of 516 Harrison St., Pottsville; held for court: resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Jeffrey L. Sonon Jr., 49, of 507 Main St., Pottsville; waived for court: burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. Gurney A. Bixler, 26, of 910 W. Race St., Pottsville; waived for court: indecent assault and corruption of minors. Donald A. Wrona, 49, of 309 W. Schuylkill Ave., Pottsville; held for court: harassment. Stephen T. Leibensperger, 40, of 713 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville; withdrawn: endangering the welfare of children. Guilty plea entered: disorderly conduct. The following people entered guilty pleas. William J. Clark, 36, of 509 Howard Ave., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Withdrawn: disregarding Dont Walk signal. Gregory P. McGovern, 29, of 1501 W. Market St., Apt. 2, Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: possession of drug paraphernalia. Tiffany Ann Mozloom, 37, of 713 W. Norwegian St., Pottsville; disorderly conduct. Withdrawn: endangering the welfare of children. William A. Caccia, 41, of 501 N. Centre St., Apt. 5, Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia, retail theft and disorderly conduct. Withdrawn: making repairs to or selling offensive weapons. Jill E. Hilbert, 49, of 621 W. Market St., Apt. 2, Pottsville; turning movements and required signals, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Joshua M. Bell, 32, of 212 W. Market St., Apt. E, Pottsville; theft. Dismissed: receiving stolen property. Sean P. Vilcheck, 24, of 440 Adams St., Pottsville; possession of drug paraphernalia. Joseph Evans Jr., 28, of 927 Cressona Road, Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: public drunkenness. William W. Skeans, 34, pf 403 W. Arch St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Daniel R. Peters, 41, of 643 John OHara St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cody S. Morris, 24, of 400 N. Seventh St., No. 614, Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kyle Imschweiler, 36, of 736 Horning St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: no rear lights and driving without a license. Mary Jane Strausser, 58, of 217 N. Third St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Michael E. Ridgley, 51, of 304 W. Market St., Apt. 1, Pottsville; defiant trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia. Izabel Ann Rich, 21, of 332 N. 12th St., Pottsville; statements under penalty. Withdrawn: hindering apprehension or prosecution. Jennifer Barnes, 47, of 436 Oakland Ave., Ashland; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Withdrawn: possession of a small amount of marijuana. Edward Korn, 39, of 404 S. Lehigh Ave., Frackville; possession of drug paraphernalia. John T. Cougle, 20, of 1104 W. Arch St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Withdrawn: possession of drug paraphernalia. Pedro LaSanta-Cabrera, 34, of 501 N. Centre St., Apt. 9, Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. Jimmy M. Smith, 42, of 809 Vine St., Pottsville; theft, disorderly conduct, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Harry E. Hosler, 40, of 403 E. Market St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance. David J. Rossi TREMONT A Pottsville man charged with assaulting a woman by hitting her with the door of his truck in Tremont Township March 18 appeared for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi. Thomas C. Cunningham, 55, of 1604 1/2 West End Ave., was arrested by state police Trooper Marshall Hummel of the Schuylkill Haven station and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and terroristic threats. Prosecutors withdrew the aggravated assault charge and Cunningham waived the remaining offenses to Schuylkill County Court, where he can plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea and request a trial. Hummel charged Cunningham with hitting Marianne Jarzenbouicz, his ex-girlfriend, with the door of his truck, dragging her with the vehicle and then putting the truck in reverse and running over her leg. Other court cases included: Rodney R. Hiester, 48, of 19 W. Pottsville St., Pine Grove; waived for court: DUI, DUI-highest rate, disregard for single traffic lane, driving at an unsafe speed and careless driving. Andrew John-Pa Caufield, 42, of 15 Vernon St., Pottsville; waived for court: DUI-controlled substance, disregard for single traffic lane and possession of a controlled substance. Marcus R. Riddell, 47, of 1241 E. Grand Ave., Tower City; waived for court: bad checks. Zachery W. Long, 34, of 185 Vista Road, Klingerstown; withdrawn: harassment. Justin A. Klinger, 21, of 1051 W. Main St., Hegins; withdrawn: possession of a firearm prohibited, aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person. Marilyn J. Yeagley, 44, of 3529 Sweet Arrow Lake Road, Pine Grove; dismissed: burglary, criminal trespass and theft. POTTSVILLE The new owner of the vacant Thompson building unveiled ambitious plans this week to fill the six-story structure with retail shops, a museum, a technology incubator, recording and painting studios and even a university that would offer special courses from celebrities, professors and top business executives. Those plans, however, contrast with a number of residential properties that Advanced Consulting Inc. owns in Schuylkill County that are vacant and unkempt, and Ringtown Borough last year took legal action against the firm for the blighted conditions of a house it owns in the borough. The company, which uses addresses in New York and Pennsylvania, purchased Pottsvilles first skyscraper, at North Centre and West Market streets in the heart of the downtown, in April for $21,673.74 from the county tax claim bureau. The previous owner, Ben Agunloye, of New York, had owned it since 2014. Gem Lake, chief executive officer of Advanced Consulting, is calling his concept for the building Thompson 1909, paying homage to the year the building was constructed. Our goal is for the whole building to be operational, Lake said. Though he agrees the building needs work it is on the citys blighted property list he believes it is structurally sound. Code Enforcement Officer David Petravich, meanwhile, says it would cost more than $1 million just to correct code violations. Asked if he agrees with those who believe his plans are unrealistic, Lake said he respects everyones opinions but that hes intent on making his project work. It is possible and Im a part of it. I know how to do the construction, he said. We believe in redevelopment. City input Lake said there are partnerships for some of the Thompson operations he has planned, but he cant at this point disclose who the partners are. He said he was at the county courthouse Monday inquiring about the buildings original blueprints as a starting point and is at the Thompson building weekly. Mayor James T. Muldowney said he spoke with Lake for about five minutes early this week to set up a meeting to discuss the plans. He said Lake told him he wants to rehabilitate the building and wanted to know citys officials feelings about the project. The mayor said he was excited to hear someone is interested in the building, but that he was not aware of Lakes concept for the building. City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said Monday he wasnt aware of the plans, nor had he talked to Lake about them, but planned to do so. He said it was promising that Lake wants to be engaged in the community and that city officials are willing to work with him as long as the project is a legitimate investment. The building is a target property in the redevelopment area, which encompasses all of downtown Pottsville. Petravich said Lake contacted his office last month about putting in storefronts on the first floor, but didnt mention his plans for the upper floors. Petravich said citations were issued to the previous owner over the cracking facade and heating and water issues (the main water line burst). The bathrooms need to be updated to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and UGI removed the gas line because the furnace it fed wasnt in operation. It would cost over a million dollars to correct the violations, he said, and a minimum of $100,000 just to repair the elevator. Lake said he has the resources and experience to fix the building and believes Petravichs numbers to repair it are way off. He added that he plans to address the water leaks and fix the elevator while restoring and upgrading the building. But he doesnt plan structural changes. It is structured for business, Lake said. We want to preserve as much as we can. Other purchases Since 2019, Advanced Consulting has purchased 25 properties in the county, all either from the county tax claim bureau or through a sheriffs sale. Seven of the properties are in Coaldale, four, including the Thompson building, are in Pottsville and three are in New Philadelphia. Officials in Ringtown cited the company for a property it owns at 273 W. Main St. and then filed a civil claim in September alleging violation of the boroughs fire protection fee ordinance and sewer system maintenance, and failure to pay a refuse disposal fee. Advanced Consulting appealed the suit in November, according to court records. Lake said the company was found not guilty, that he is up to date on taxes for the building and that it is being cleaned out. However, online court records show the court ordered default judgement to the borough for $4,294.26 on Oct. 20 and that Advance Consulting appealed on Nov. 18. That is the last record of any activity in the case. Ringtown Borough Council President Leonard G. Kamarousky Jr. referred questions to solicitor Robert E. Matta, who was on vacation this week. Mayor Phillip Beaver said he couldnt comment on the litigation as he was not familiar with the details, having served as mayor only since April. Code Enforcement Officer Scott Schuetrum did not return a call for comment. Officials in Coaldale and New Philadelphia could also not be reached for comment on the companys properties there. Vegetation and rats The Republican Herald looked at the Advanced Consulting property in Ringtown, its property at 317 S. Second St. in Pottsville, at 215 Coal St. in Port Carbon and at 54 Macomb St. in New Philadelphia Thursday. All four had peeling paint and some had tall weeds growing around them. At the Ringtown home, heavy vegetation is beginning to cover one side of the building and the front porch, which is deteriorating. A vine has grown across exposed plywood where it appears a porch roof was once attached. There is no door knob on the front door. Neighbors said they havent seen anyone at the properties in Port Carbon, Pottsville and Ringtown in some time. Mail carrier Karl Mattern said he has delivered mail on Macomb Street in New Philadelphia for four years and has not seen anyone at the home in that time. Daniel Kline, who resides in neighboring 217 Coal St. in Port Carbon, said he saw rats around the Advanced Consulting property, but they cleared out after he and a friend cleaned the yard. But Lake said the inside of the home has been redone, with new paint and flooring. He said he uses the Port Carbon house as a business address, including for the Thompson building purchase, as a way to connect to the area. Lake said the company has rehabilitated six properties in the county, the Thompson building being its first commercial property. Asked if he could provide the address of a county property about which he was particularly proud, Lake said his focus is on the Thompson building. Petravich said his office had not had any interactions with Advanced Consulting prior to June and he wasnt aware of any problems with the company. SAINT CLAIR Borough council members at Tuesdays meeting discussed additional work needed for the recently completed Lawton Street Bridge Replacement Project. Construction was deemed 100% complete on May 13; however, due to conflicts involving the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority waterline, more work needs to be done. Members voted to make a payment of $30,861.99 to Lobar Site Development Corp. to begin the revisions. The council also voted to approve payment nine to the contractor in the amount of $55,638.18 for work previously completed. In addition, the borough will adopt a Commonwealth Financing Agency resolution and apply for grant funds for Lawton Street drainage improvements in the amount of $313,000. Mayor Richard E. Tomko expressed concern for public safety in requesting a formal letter be written asking for reversal of Act 43 of 2017, which legalized the purchase of consumer fireworks for use without a permit for residents of Pennsylvania. He said the availability of such fireworks puts both residents and their properties at risk. Continuing the theme of public safety, Tomko encouraged all residents who are able to get a COVID-19 vaccination. It was noted that Alert Fire Company No. 1 of Saint Clair will host food trucks on Fourth Street on Friday and July 17. Also, the annual Saint Clair Car Cruise is tentatively scheduled for July 17; and the Community of Caring Christians will have a block party from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 11, with a rain date of Sept. 18. Pennsylvanias government regularly has rolled over for the natural gas industry, heavily subsidizing it, covering many of its market-development costs, refusing to tax it appropriately, and otherwise generally getting out of its way. Now the Supreme Court of the United States, unfortunately, has ruled in a locally important case that, in many instances, other states that want to protect their land from encroachment by gas-related enterprises cannot do so. The court ruled this week that the PennEast Pipeline Co., a private enterprise, has the right of eminent domain to seize state-owned land in New Jersey against the wishes of the state government. Eminent domain is a powerful tool. It normally is reserved only for governments to take property, with fair compensation to the owners, but only when the involved project serves the public interest. Conservatives often rail against eminent domain as an infringement on property rights, but apparently that concern extends only to private property rights. The PennEast pipeline will deliver Marcellus Shale natural gas from a terminal in Luzerne County to Mercer County, New Jersey, which includes Trenton. Pennsylvania, of course, got out of the way. Part of the pipeline route passes through a state park in Luzerne County. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project and gave the company a certificate of public convenience and necessity to take land necessary for the pipeline. An array of interests, including the state of New Jersey, sued over the seizure of publicly held land in that state. In the 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the FERC certificate authorizes the private company to use the governments eminent domain power regarding private and public land. New Jersey signed off on that provision, he said, when it ratified the Constitution on Dec. 18, 1787. Regardless of the legal or constitutional mechanics, giving a private entity supremacy over state government regarding conserved public land is terrible public policy. Tragedy King was a common term used to describe Dilip Kumar when the legend passed away earlier this week. The term had got stuck to the actor after he played roles of tragedy-struck lovers in numerous movies like Devdas. The late star left such a benchmark over the portrayal of such roles that late actor Rishi Kapoor found it hard to replicate it in front of legendary Raj Kapoor. When Rishi Kapoor couldn't act like Dilip Kumar An anecdote from Dilip Kumars autobiography Dilip Kumar: The Substance and Shadow has surfaced in media reports, in which Rishi Kapoor has opened up on the incident from the shooting of Prem Rog in 1982. Rishi Kapoor wrote that he was asked to bring intense expressions of a despondent lover for the shot. However, he could not manage to get it, and that irritated the director, his father Raj Kapoor. The legend then told Rishi Kapoor Mujhe Yusuf chahiye, (I want Yusuf, Mohammed Yusuf being Dilip Kumar's real name) stating that he wanted the look same as Dilip Kumars eyes while expressing love, intensity and realism that hed have given in such a situation. The Bobby star revealed that the whole set was in silence at the scene and added that they all could not believe that his professional rival Dilip Kumar was being praised in this way. Rishi Kapoor termed it as the ultimate acknowledgement of Dilip Kumars 'unmatched ability to portray love with agony and ecstasy.' Dilip Kumar, known as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital at age 98 on Wednesday after battling various illnesses for a long time. The Mughal -E-Azam star, who showcased his finesse in a five-decade career was honoured with prestigious awards like Padma Vibhuhsan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in his career. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. The Indian Navy informed on Friday that INS Tabar had undertaken a sea drill exercise along with aircraft of the Spanish Navy near Cape Trafalgar on July 8. The INS Tabar performed the naval exercise along with a Cessna Citation Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a Sea King (SH-3D) helicopter which was operated from Rota Naval Base of the Spanish Navy. The Spanish Navy base participated with India in the regular naval practice. During the maritime exercise, a wide range of operations like Air Defence, Air Picture Compilation, vertical replenishment and cross deck operation were undertaken by the Indian warship. The exercise proved to be mutually beneficial in enhancing interoperability of both the countries and towards conducting combined operations against maritime threats. Earlier, INS Tabar has undertaken a sea drill with Greek Navy frigate HS Themistoklis in the Mediterranean sea. In the sea drill, several routine exercises were conducted along with air defence and underway replenishment drills. INS Tabar undertook an exercise at sea with Greek Navy Frigate HS Themistoklis in the Mediterranean sea on 30 June. ''Air defence exercise and underway replenishment drills were undertaken," said the Indian Navy. The sea drill was aimed at strengthening the ties between India and Greece. INS Tabar visits Alexandria Port The Navy also mentioned that INS Tabar visited Alexandria on June 29 as a goodwill visit to Egypt. Aiming to strengthen strong relations between India and Egypt, INS Tabar arrived at Alexandria on June 29, for two days as part of a goodwill visit, the Navy said. Going by the official statement, it has been advocated that both the countries have developed warm and strong bilateral relations, and the ships from the Indian Navy have frequently visited the Alexandria port of Egypt. ommanding Officer INS Tabar, Captain M Mahesh and the crew of his ship laid wreaths at Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial. The Commanding Officer Mahesh also called upon Rear Admiral Ayman al-Daly, Commander of Alexandria Naval Base. While departing from the port, INS Tabar undertook a maritime partnership exercise at sea with the Egyptian Navy Ship Toushka. The exercise included helo deck landing operations and underway replenishment drills. ''These evolutions at sea exemplified naval cooperation and interoperability between the Indian Navy and Egyptian Navy. The goodwill visit by INS Tabar aims to strengthen strong relations between the two sides and also explore newer avenues of bolstering the relationship, the statement issued by Navy said. INS Tabar is a Talwar-class stealth Frigate built for the Indian Navy in Russia. Indian Navy Ship is captained by Captain M Mahesh and carries around 300 personnel. The versatile ship is furnished with a large number of weapons and is equipped with sensors. INS Tabar is among the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy. The ship is part of the Indian Navys Western Fleet, based at Mumbai and is commanded under Western Naval Command. (Image: Indian Navy's Twitter) The announcement Friday that more than 2,000 French troops will be withdrawn from the Sahel by the end of the year, was well received by some residents in the capital of Mali. "The departure of half of the French troops from Mali by the end of the year, I think it's good" said 25-year-old Samba Diakite, who works fixing mobile phones in a popular market in Bamako. "If they leave, maybe people who want to fight for real, without playing politics and without exploiting our wealth, will come and help us," he added. On Friday, after discussions with leaders of the African countries involved, President Emmanuel Macron said that more than 2,000 troops that France has as part of an anti-extremism force in Africa's Sahel region, will leave by early next year and pivot its military presence to specialized regional forces instead. The country currently has 5,000 troops in the region. The French Barkhane force, operating in Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, had met opposition from some Africans. "The conflicts are not like they used to be. They are getting worse and spreading everywhere. They used to be in the North, now they have reached other regions. So, I would like the French military to leave," 25-year-old hairdresser Alima Sacko told The Associated Press while waiting for clients. The French Operation Barkhanein Sahel will close bases in Timbuktu, Tessalit and Kidal in northern Mali over the next six months, and start to reconfigure its presence in the coming weeks to focus particularly on the restive border area where Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet. Macron insisted that his country is not abandoning African partners, and would continue to help fight groups linked to Al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. While governments in the Sahel have embraced France's military help, some critics have likened their presence to a vestige of French colonial rule. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, speaking at Macron's side, welcomed the French military support and training, but on African terms. French troops have been present in Mali since 2013, when they intervened to force Islamic extremist rebels from power in towns across the country's north. Operation Serval was later replaced by Barkhane and was expanded to include other countries in an effort to help stabilize the broader Sahel region. Islamic militants, though, have continued to launch devastating attacks against the militaries fighting them as well as increasingly against civilians. Hundreds have died since January in a series of massacres targeting villages on the border of Niger and Mali. IMAGE: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Amid shortage in COVID-19-vaccines, Senegal, the EU, the US have teamed up to finance vaccine production in the West African state. All the big counties have inked an accord before the third wave of COVID-19. Africa has been witnessing a major shortage of jabs and a continuous spike in cases. According to a joint statement issued by the Senegalese government and the European Union, this new financial deal aims to start a mass vaccine production at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar. Africa, a continent of 54 countries and 1.2 billion people, currently produces only 1% of the vaccines it administers. The remaining 99% are imported the statement explained that this deal will lower the dependence on imports. Senegal's Economy Minister Amadou Hott took to the microblogging platform and congratulated all the partners. He wrote "I am delighted to have proceeded today with the partners and institutions of Senegal at the launch of the #COVID vaccine production project by the Dakar Pasteur Institute." Je suis heureux davoir procede aujourdhui avec les partenaires et institutions partenaires du Senegal au lancement du projet de production du vaccin anti #COVID par lInstitut Pasteur de Dakar. pic.twitter.com/a9keHLi0t9 Macky Sall (@Macky_Sall) July 9, 2021 Economy Minister Hott was quoted in a statement as saying, "The new production site will lay the foundation for pharmaceutical and medical sovereignty and it will increase access to affordable vaccines in Africa, and enable vaccine production to rapidly respond to the new pandemic.'' At a press conference held in Dakar on Friday, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said the project should cost around 200 million euros ($237 million) in total. The plant will be situated in the new city of Diamniadio, about 30 kilometers from Dakar, and employ around 300 people, he added. Partner for vaccine production in Africa Notably, team Europe has been at the forefront of the response to COVID-19 in Africa as one of the leading donors to the COVAX Facility. The first phase of the new vaccine production plant is expected to be financed by the Government of Senegal and international partners, including the European Commission, read the statement. Meanwhile, leading pharmaceutical and technical partners are already working with the Institut Pasteur de Dakar to enable existing vaccine production, specialist packing, and distribution technology to be used at the new plant. Meanwhile, the European Commission is currently funding two projects to support the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Irans national railway company on July 10 has dismissed the reports of it being hit by a major cyberattack as reports stated that hackers caused disruptions in the services across the country. Iranian local media reported the company said in a statement late Friday that trains were functioning on schedule with no problems. This came after a semi-official news agency in Iran, Fars reported that disruptions were caused by hackers posting fake delay messages or cancellations on display boards at stations across the country. Denial from the company came after the previous report stated that hackers had sent messages such as long delayed because of cyberattack or cancelled on the boards. Further, they also urged the passengers to call for information on a number that belonged to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fars news agency also stated in the report that the hack led to unprecedented chaos at the railway stations. Reportedly, Fars then removed its report and instead quoted the spokesperson of the state railway company Sadegh Sekri saying the disruption did not cause any problem for the normal functioning of the rail services. Back in 2019, multiple delays occurred in train services due to an error in the railway companys computer. In December of that same year, Irans telecommunications ministry had said that the country had defused a major cyberattack on unspecified electronic infrastructure. However, the officials did not provide any more details regarding the purported attack. Unclear if attack caused any disruption in system As per The Associated Press report, it was not immediately clear if the latest reported attack caused any disruptions in Irans computer and internet systems and whether it was the most recent incident in the United States and Irans cyber operations targeting the other. Reportedly, Iran has already disconnected most of its infrastructure from the internet after the Stuxnet computer virus which in Iran is believed to be a product of US-Israeli collaboration. In the late 2000s, the same virus had disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the countrys nuclear sites. IMAGE: Unsplash The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Friday extending the delivery of humanitarian aid for a year from Turkey to rebel-held northwest Syria, where the U.N. says 3.4 million people are in desperate need of food and other assistance. The resolution was adopted after the United States and Russia reached a deal on rival draft resolutions backed by the West and Moscow. The key issue had been whether the council should authorize deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing to northwest Idlib for another year as the West, U.N. and humanitarian groups said was critical or for six months as Russia, Syria's closest ally, had insisted on. The current one-year mandate for aid through Bab al-Hawa expires on Saturday. The resolution authorizes aid deliveries through Bab al-Hawa for one year with a report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in six months on the "transparency" of the aid operation and progress on delivering aid across conflict lines within Syria as Russia wanted. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Hundreds of farmers and cattle ranchers gathered in San Nicolas on Friday, at the heart of the Argentine Pampas, to protest against meat export restrictions and various other government measures. Demonstrators arrived in trucks, horses and tractors at a highway-side lot about 239 km from Buenos Aires. At the heart of the conflict is the restriction on meat exports imposed by the Alberto Fernandez government last month in order to increase domestic supply and thus depress prices. According to the Agricultural Foundation for Development of Argentina, the country loses about USD 100 million per month with the restrictions. The protesters also complained about the lack of in-person classes during the lockdowns, the pension plans, alleged corruption, and manipulation of the justice system. Opposition leaders joined the anti-government demonstration. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro used foul language as he refused to speak on corruption charges that a Senate committee is investigating involving vaccine purchases by the government. In his weekly broadcast on social media, Bolsonaro said, "Do you know what my answer is? I crap on the CPI. I will answer nothing." CPI, or the senate's Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, has been investigating Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Bolsonaro has been implicated in allegations of irregularities surrounding a $316 million contract signed in February for 20 million doses with a Brazilian intermediary for Bharat Biotech. Bolsonaro remained a mute spectator: Health officials The difficulty of Bolsonaro further escalated after a health ministry official told the senators that he was pressurised by his superiors to approve payment for the Indian vaccine deal. He suspected the vaccine procurement was overbilled by his seniors. The official further maintained that he notified the Brazilian President about the misconduct, but he did not act on it. However, the Federal Police never received any request to investigate, neither from Bolsonaro nor his Health Ministry, according to a Federal Police source with knowledge of investigations who wasnt authorized to speak publicly and declined to be named. The allegation puts additional pressure on Bolsonaro, whose handling of the COVID-19 crisis is already being investigated by a Senate committee. Recently, Bolsonaro fired a Health Ministry official after a newspaper reported his alleged participation in a graft scheme to secure COVID-19 vaccines. Late Tuesday, the Health Ministry announced that it was "temporarily suspending" the Covaxin contract. Court OK's probe of Brazil's Bolsonaro Protests against President Jair Bolsonaro were held across Brazil demanding his impeachment or greater access to vaccines against COVID-19, a day after a Supreme Court justice authorized a criminal investigation into his response to allegations of potential corruption involving a vaccine deal. Prosecutors will investigate whether Bolsonaro committed the crime of "prevarication," which entails delaying or refraining from action required as part of a public officials duty for reasons of personal interest. Covaxin says the highest standards of compliance followed Bharat Biotech has denied any allegation of wrongdoing with respect to vaccine supply, saying in an emailed statement that it adheres to the highest standards of compliance. The companys press representative didnt respond when asked why a payment would be routed through a Singapore-based company. (With inputs from AP) Experts estimate that more than 1 billion marine animals along Canada's Pacific coast died as a result of last week's record heatwave, demonstrating the vulnerability of ecosystems not used to harsh temperatures. The five-day "hot dome" that settled over western Canada and the northwestern United States raised temperatures along the coast to 40 degrees Celsius, shattering long-standing records and providing little relief for days. Heatwave killed a billion marine species The scorching heat is thought to have killed up to 500 people in British Columbia and contributed to the hundreds of wildfires that are presently raging across the province, it also had a negative impact on marine life. According to Christopher Harley, a marine researcher at the University of British Columbia, the unprecedented heat may have killed over a billion marine species. He claimed a walk down a beach in the Vancouver region emphasised the extent of the heatwave's impact. Explaining the heat, he said that when we walk on the beach, it normally doesn't crunch. But there were so many empty mussel shells strewn about that we couldn't help but trip on dead animals as we walked around. The smell of rotting mussels hit Harley like a tonne of bricks, many of which had been cooked by the unusually warm water. In the shallow water, snails, sea stars, and clams were rotting. He described the encounter as "overwhelming and visceral." While the temperature in Vancouver was more than 30 degrees Harley and a student used infrared cameras to capture temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius along the rocky shore. Mass death of shellfish will impact the habitat for other species Mussels are tough shellfish that can withstand temperatures in the high 30s. Barnacles are much tougher, surviving temperatures in the mid-40s for several hours. According to Harley, the mass extinction of shellfish would have a temporary impact on water quality because mussels and clams filter the sea, keeping it pure enough for sunlight to reach the eelgrass beds while also providing habitat for other species. Experts have warned that the province must prepare for the fact that unexpected and prolonged heatwaves are likely to become more regular as a result of climate change. In the following week, another heatwave is forecast to hit the western United States and southwestern Canada, underscoring the dry summer heat's relentlessness. The interval between the first and second Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine shots can be extended to 180 days, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said Friday, citing a better immune response. The remarks came after the Philippines Food and Drug Administration stated this week that Moscows Gamaleya Institute had requested the country to extend the gap between the 2 shots to 90 days from 21 days that the vaccine was being administered. The head of the Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Rolando Enrique Domingo announced a 42-day gap between Sputnik V doses stating that there was no issue with delaying the second dose. Russias Sputnik V is being manufactured by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in collaboration with the RDIF. Earlier last week, some countries such as Argentina and Kazakistan decided to widen the 2-shot gap of the Russian developed vaccine, quoting RDIFs take on better immune response against the novel coronavirus. In an official press release issued by Sputnik V on its website, Alexander Ginsburg, MD, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Gamaleya Research Centre said, We believe it is possible to increase the minimum interval between the first and second vaccine shots from the earlier approved 21 days up to three months. 'Extending interval will not affect vaccine immunity,' says manufacturer Furthermore, he stated, Extending the interval will not affect the vaccine-induced immune response, and, in some cases, will enhance and prolong it. The company stated that the conclusion comes from our experience in using vaccines using the identical adenovirus platform and, most importantly, from successful mass vaccination campaigns in Russia and numerous other countries. The Russian firm made a statement, saying that it supports the earlier decision respected health regulators, such as the ANMAT (Argentina), on extending the interval between Sputnik V shots. Given the exceptionally high demand for the vaccine among the population, this decision would significantly expedite immunization. We believe that it is up to each national regulator to decide whether to retain the 21-day interval between shots or to extend it to up to 3 months. Cuba on Friday, July 9, approved its home-grown COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use named Abdala. The country known for manufacturing nearly 80 percent of all its inoculations announced on Friday that the CECMED health regulators gave a go-ahead to the Latin American coronavirus jab for kick-starting the countrys mass vaccination campaign. Last month, makers of Adbala announced in a statement that the locally produced vaccine candidate had turned back 92 percent efficacy in neutralizing the COVID-19 virus post three doses. The country manufactured as many as five coronavirus vaccines and started inoculation in May using Abdala and Soberana 2 even before the emergency approvals, according to several reports. As of Friday, July 9, at least 6.8 million of Cuba's 11.2 million people have already been administered one shot of the homegrown vaccine. Nearly 1.6 million have been fully vaccinated with the three doses regime as the country ramped up the vaccination drive to curb the infections from the variant. According to the state-run BioCubaFarma laboratorys statement issued last month, Abdala "shows the efficacy of 92.28 percent in its three-dose scheme. This met the WHOs 50-percent efficacy threshold for the jab approval that can further initiate the global rollout. The CECMED announced in a release that Cubas homegrown vaccine had met requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy, while the makers Aica Laboratories stated that the vaccine had gone through a rigorous process of evaluation of the dossier and inspections of the plants involved." The vaccines approval was done on Friday by the country's regulatory body which paved the way for a mass vaccination program in the Caribbean nation. Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology that developed and manufactured Abdala, announced effectiveness of the vaccine saying that a three-dose schedule, with 14-day intervals between shots, had proven to produce the antibodies against the novel coronavirus. Cuba reveals the third COVID antigen under making At a press conference held in Havana on Friday, separately, the Cuban health authorities also revealed the third antigen against the virus named Mambisa which is currently under the development phase. This vaccine is intranasal and taken in the form of a few drops introduced into the nasal cavities. It can be used in convalescents and combined along with other vaccines can increase immunity against COVID-19, The Associated Press explained. Currently, the Latin American nation has been reeling under the unprecedented surge of the variant wave with the central province of Matanzas as the epicenter where the Varadero Beach tourist resorts are located. Taiwan's foreign ministry says Haitian police have arrested 11 armed suspects who tried to break into the its embassy in Port-au-Prince. It gave no details of the suspects' identities or a reason for the break-in. In the neighborhood of Morne Calvaire where the Embassy is located, residents are ever vigilant to the possibility that suspects are hiding. "Everybody in the neighborhood is watching their houses making sure that no one is hiding," said Armand, a resident who preferred not to give his last name and had come out to speak with police conducting a search of the area. "We are aware that weapons and gear were found so it is quite obvious that these guys are hiding somewhere." During a press briefing Thursday night in Port-au-Prince, Haitian officials upped the number of arrested suspects in the killing of President Jovenel Moise from 6 to 17, but did not mention where the additional 11 were captured. "As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the President of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police," Taiwan's Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou told The Associated Press in Taipei. Taiwanese officials said local police were alerted by embassy security guards while Taiwanese diplomats were working from home. The ministry said some doors and windows were broken but there was no other damage to the embassy. Haiti is one of a handful of countries worldwide that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of the rival mainland Chinese government in Beijing. Seventeen suspects have been detained so far in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise and Haitian authorities say two are believed to hold dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship and Colombia's government says at least six are former members of its army. Eight more suspects are being sought. Leon Charles, chief of Haiti's National Police, said Thursday night that 15 of the detainees were from Colombia. The streets of the capital are eerily quite with residents hunkered down in their homes and only a few cars on the streets and businesses closed for the time being. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Tightening its control over Sri Lanka, a fourth Rajapaksa was sworn into the Sri Lankan cabinet on Thursday with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother - Basil Rajapaksa taking oath as finance minister, as per international reports. Basil (70), who took oath as a member of parliament, took over the finance ministry from PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. Basil has already been part of Mahinda's 2005 government, often being heralded as Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party's key strategist. With the inclusion of Basil, who holds a dual US-Sri Lankan citizenship, there is a Rajapaksa at all the top posts in the island nation. Fourth Rajapaksa sworn into Srilankan cabinet Apart from Basil, another Rajapaksa sibling - 78-year-old Chamal - the eldest Rajapaksa already holds the Ministry of Irrigation and is a junior defence minister. Meanwhile, Mahinda's son Namal Rajapaksa is the minister for youth and sports. As per reports, Basil will contest in the next presidential election, in a bid to succeed his brother Gotabaya. With the inclusion of Basil, there are seven Rajapaksas currently in power - President Gotabaya, PM Mahinda, ministers Chamal, Namal, Basil and MPs Sashindra (Chamal's son), Nipuna Ranawaka (nephew). Moreover, Chamal's son Shameendra is a Private Secretary to multiple ministries, Mahinda's son Yoshitha is PM's chief of staff, Chaminda Rajapaksa is a Presidential Adviser while brother-in-law Dr. Lalith Chandradasa is tipped to be the next Sri Lankan Consul General in Los Angeles. The Rajapaksas rise Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency from 2005-2015 was hugely popular among Sri Lanka's Sinhalese population for ending Sri Lankas 37- year-long civil war against the Tamil Tigers in 2009. After leaving office in 2015, he contested for the Prime Ministerial elections but lost to Ranil Wickremasinghe. In 2018, he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena after Wickremesinghe lost the support of the United People's Freedom Alliance. While two no-confidence motions were passed, President Sirisena rejected them. After the Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional, suspending Rajapaksa's powers as Prime Minister and forcing him to prove his government's legitimacy, he resigned as PM. Meanwhile, his brother - Gotabaya - the former defense chief of the nation, won the Presidential elections in November 2019 after running up his campaign mainly on security, in the wake of the Easter bombings. Gotabaya, feared by the 15% Tamil minority, led the Sri Lankan Armed forces successful war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009. Gotabaya easily defeated his main contender - Premadasa, son of assassinated former president Ranasinghe, garnering 52.87 percent of the votes. Later, amid the COVID pandemic, he dissolved the Parliament in March and called for early snap elections, naming his brother Mahinda as Prime Ministerial candidate. The Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party won 145 seats in the 225-member parliament in the election, ushering in Mahinda's fourth term as PM. On being re-elected, the Rajapaksa govt repealed the 19th amendment - which established a Constitutional Council to exercise some executive powers held by the President, replacing it with the 20th amendment, bestowing broad unchecked power to the clan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that he had "constructive" talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and reviewed progress on broad-ranging collaboration in the space, nuclear, energy, and defence sectors between the two "time-tested" friendly nations. Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria were among the global and regional challenges discussed by the two presidents. Despite the fact that much has changed in the globe, both before and after the COVID-19 epidemic, India's relationship with Russia has remained stable, contributing to global peace, security, and stability, according to EAM Jaishanakar, who is in Moscow for a three-day visit. "I think what makes our working together so natural and comfortable is our belief in a multipolar global order. We consider that to be a reflection of a very natural and inevitable process of evolution of inter-state relations in the 21st century," he said at a joint press conference with Lavrov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during joint PC with EAM S Jaishankar, said, "We reaffirmed that strong & diversified ties b/w our countries rely on a solid foundation of mutual trust & enjoy strong immunity against the international political environment." We reaffirmed that strong & diversified ties b/w our countries rely on a solid foundation of mutual trust & enjoy strong immunity against the international political environment: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during joint PC with EAM S Jaishankar, in Moscow on 9th July pic.twitter.com/Lg5DWEOG3u ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2021 S Jaishankar said, "Our time-tested and trust-based relationship is very much not just in place but remains very strong, continues to grow." He also expressed gratitude for Russia's assistance to India during the pandemic's second wave. "Now India has become a partner of Russia in production and use of Sputnik V vaccine. And we believe that this is not only good for the two of us but it has positive implications for the rest of the world," Jaishankar said. "A new dimension that has been added to our relationship is the agreement to hold 2+2 dialogue of foreign and defence ministers. We feel that we should do this sometime later this year." "Satisfied with the overall development of our relationship" "We are satisfied with the overall development of our relationship," Jaishankar said. "A lot of our cooperation is focused on space, nuclear, energy and defence sectors. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant project is on track and the concrete first port for unit five has taken place. He said Russia is India's original and strongest partner in the space sector. New research from Murdoch Universitys Harry Butler Institute has revealed that sharks never involve themselves in clashes with other shark species until and unless there is a coincidence of targeting the same prey. However, it also noted that they have a separate timetable which helps them share the available resources while avoiding unnecessary clashes. Earlier, the scientists' revealed that the giant mammal hunts either at dusk or dawn. The new study revealed that they don't have any specific time rather partitioned the time slot to make the fellow species comfortable. Sharks hunt in shifts: Study The Sharks research, led by Dr Karissa Lear and Dr Adrian Gleiss at the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem said, "This is a relatively rare way of sharing resources in nature, but it could be more common than we think in understudied marine ecosystems. Indeed, the timing is likely to be at least partially driven by hierarchy - forcing less dominant predators to forage in less optimal periods to avoid those larger sharks." The study revealed that the schedules are mostly hierarchy driven, i.e most dominant sharks get the best time slots for their hunting. "We found bull sharks were most active in early morning hours, tiger sharks during midday, sandbar sharks during the afternoon, blacktip sharks during evening hours and both scalloped and great hammerhead sharks during nighttime hours, the only two species with substantial overlap in timing of peak activity," read the sharks research of Dr Lear. Conflict between man-shark increases: Study Apart from this research, a study also revealed that the incidence of shark bites increased in the countries like Australia. There were 985 incidents reported in the Australian Shark Attack File from 1900 to 2020 from 20 different species. With shark bites increasing in countries like Australia - scientists say the use of personal electronic deterrents is an effective way to prevent future deaths and injuries which could save the lives of up to 1063 Australians along the coastline over the next 50 years. As the United States is withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, the geopolitical situation has become more volatile in the Asian continent. The Taliban, which aims to overthrow the democratically elected Afghanistan Government, has claimed that it has 85% of Afghanistan's territory under its control, although it cannot be independently verified. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday accused the Taliban of the ongoing violence in the country in which at least 200 to 600 people are killed every day. According to Tolo news - an Afghanistan media outlet, Ghani addressed a gathering in Khost province on Saturday and asked the nation to stay united in support for independence, the republic and coexistence. Taliban should be asked whom they are fighting for? Who will benefit if Afghanistan is ruined and if Afghans are killed? Ghani said according to Tolo News. In an ambiguous statement, Ghani also stated that the Taliban should not accept the Durand Line as the official border line between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as wanted by Pakistan. The Durand Line is the 2,670 km (1,660 mi) international land border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia. Addressing a program on Thursday on the minerals week, Ghani said that following the US troop withdrawal announcement Afghanistan has faced problems. But he was confident that the problems will be resolved. According to Ghani, Afghans have a strong will to build their country. "We proposed peace, whoever rejects peace proposal are rebels, without any doubt," said Ghani. Evolving geopolitical situation There are a lot of stakeholders in the volatile geopolitical arena that Afghanistan has become with the US troops pull out. There is of course the Afghanistan government which wants democracy and peace to prevail in the war-torn country, while the Taliban aims to usurp the Afghanistan government and claim control of the country to establish an Islamic political system and make it an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is pertinent to see how Pakistan moves ahead with the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Moreover, China which has a lot of stake in its highly ambitious Belt and Road initiative is sure to make its move to safeguard its interest in the evolving situation. It is also pertinent to see how the Indian Government reacts to the evolving situation as India has always backed the Afghanistan Government and also assisted in the development projects in Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already begun talks with stakeholders such as Russia and the US, regarding the political situation arising out of Afghanistan. A Pennsylvania county prosecutor who pleaded guilty to pressuring clients for sex when he was a defense attorney was sentenced Friday to 18 months to 5 years in prison. A judge in Bradford County imposed the sentence on former District Attorney Chad M. Salsman, who had emphatically denied the allegations before pleading guilty in May to witness intimidation, promoting prostitution and obstruction of justice. A message seeking comment was left for his defense attorney. Salsman, 44, a resident of Wyalusing, was charged in February with sexually assaulting women who were his clients in criminal and child custody cases. Sexual assault charges and other counts were dropped as part of a guilty plea agreement. A Republican, he was elected district attorney in November 2019. His accusers told a grand jury he groped them, sought nude photos and pressured or forced them into sexual acts, sometimes on his office desk. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat whose office charged and prosecuted Salsman, said Salsman coerced vulnerable Pennsylvanians because he thought his victims would be easy to silence and less likely to be believed if they ever came forward. Shapiro said Salsman has been taken out of his position of authority where he can no longer hurt women. After Salsman was first charged, he emailed a statement from his Bradford County government address calling the charges vicious lies and pledging to vigorously defend himself against what he called false allegations. A judge appointed Albert Ondrey to serve as Bradford's district attorney in May. Salsman was also sentenced to six years of supervision upon his release. IMAGE: AP (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) With US troops almost completely out of Afghanistan and the Taliban making rapid territorial gains in the country, the US has said that regional consensus and support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace protest is important for enduring peace. The US pointed out that Afghanistan's neighbors and countries in the region have a real stake in the war-torn nation's future. On Friday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a telephone conversation with Pakistan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. It was during the call Blinken highlighted the importance of continued bilateral cooperation between the US and Pakistan. If reports are to be believed the Mujahideens (terrorists) in the Taliban are increasing possession of new weapons, making significant territorial gains in northern Afghanistan in recent days, and are inching near the capital, Kabul is now thought to control about a third of the war-torn country. A State Department spokesperson while to PTI told, "Afghanistan's neighbors and countries in the region have a real stake in Afghanistan's future and influence with the parties". In response to a question, the spokesperson replied, "Regional consensus and support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process is important for an enduring peace." We continue to work with the Pakistan military on numerous issues and value our strong bilateral partnership," he added. America's suspension of security assistance to Pakistan When the official was asked if US President Joe Biden is reviewing the suspension of security assistance to Pakistan, he replied "We do not comment or speculate on policies that may or may not be under deliberation". In 2018, then US President Donald Trump suspended all security assistance to Pakistan, arguing that he was not satisfied with Islamabad's cooperation and role in the fight against terrorism. US President Joe Biden has continued Trump's policy on suspending security assistance to Pakistan without any clarity if the administration will change its stance in the future. Will the Taliban capture Afghanistan after the US military withdraws? White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the American intelligence community never claimed that it was easy for the Taliban to seize Afghanistan after the US troops pull out. "We have trained over 300,000. We've provided $3.9 billion in humanitarian assistance. These are brave fighters who have taken on casualties and fought off over the course of the last several years. We want to equip and empower them, and it is now in their hands. But it is not inevitable, nor has any intelligence assessment predicted it was inevitable," she said. Biden announced on Thursday that America's nearly 20-year military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31. Why is America withdrawing troops from Afghanistan? The US military in Afghanistan has been fighting for nearly 20 years. The newly elected government of the United States has decided that they will not waste another year fighting in the country. The US government believes that Afghanistan has rights and the responsibility of the Afghan people alone to decide their future and how they want to run their country and America is no longer going to be a part of this. The US President Joe Biden has also acknowledged sometime earlier that the presence of the US military in Afghanistan would not change the course of the country, and that it was up to the Afghan government to build their path. The US government also believes that they have argued that accomplished their major goal of weeding out al Qaeda and killing its leader, Osama bin Laden, and therefore there is no good reason for keeping US troops there. (With PTI inputs) Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help. We get it. You don't want to see the ads. We'd just ask you to understand that those ads help us pay the bills and our reporters. Please, consider white-listing the Standard Journal in your ad-blocker or, even better, purchase a subscription so that you can help support quality local journalism. The Commerce Department names 14 firms that it says have enabled Beijings campaign of repression against Uyghurs. The U.S. Commerce Department on Friday added 14 Chinese companies to its Entity List, for direct involvement in human rights abuses in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), saying they have enabled Beijings campaign of repression, mass detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and members of other Muslim minority groups. The action restricts the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of commodities, software, and technology subject to U.S. export regulations in cases in which the entities are a party to the transactions. The Department of Commerce remains firmly committed to taking strong, decisive action to target entities that are enabling human rights abuses in Xinjiang or that use U.S. technology to fuel Chinas destabilizing military modernization efforts, said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a statement. Rushan Abbas, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Campaign for Uyghurs, welcomed the move by the Biden administration to blacklist more Chinese companies. We welcome the U.S. government's sanctions on 14 companies involved in the genocide of the Uyghurs, she told RFA. We hope that such measures will be taken by the European Union and other governments in the future, and call on the international community to be aware of the trade relations that are enabled by the enormous plight of Uyghurs in East Turkestan, Abbas said using the Uyghur name for the XUAR. The Commerce Department previously blacklisted dozens of Chinese government or commercial entities that it said were connected to human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the XUAR. When asked about the addition of Chinese companies to the U.S. Entity List at a press conference in Beijing on Friday, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the government opposed the measure, calling the list a tool for suppressing specific companies and industries in China under the pretext of human rights and a means for the U.S. to destabilize Xinjiang and contain China. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and foil U.S. attempts to interfere in Chinas internal affairs, he said. The U.S. government in January designated abuses in the XUAR as part of a campaign of genocide, and in response has ramped up punishments against China, including targeting Chinese firms that manufacture solar-panel material, wigs, electronics, tomatoes, and cotton with suspected forced Uyghur labor. A good step Rayhan Asat, international human rights lawyer and nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council said the latest sanctions will prevent Americans and U.S.-listed companies from contributing to genocide and from implicating unwitting consumers in crimes against humanity. Entities aiding and abetting genocide and crimes against humanity cannot continue to benefit from the U.S. financial market, she said. The U.S. has laws and regulations which businesses must follow. These standards exist to protect human rights and must be applied without exception. William Nee, research and advocacy coordinator at Chinese Human Rights Defenders, called the move by the U.S. a good step. Given the unprecedented human rights abuses occurring in the Uyghur region, its highly appropriate for governments to take action including sanctioning companies that participate in and even facilitate such abuse, he told RFA. From that point of view, this is a good step. But Nee said that Washingtons actions would probably have received greater buy-in from the international community if officials provided detailed and specific evidence of the abuses and tied it to the U.N.s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the normative framework for assessing business and human rights compliance. The framework requires that businesses conduct human rights due diligence to show how they identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for human rights impacts. So, if the U.S. governments criticism, and ultimately sanctions, were tied to this process, it would be more beneficial in producing a multiplying effect especially since many European jurisdictions are developing human rights due diligence laws, Nee said. Chinese authorities have conducted a campaign of mass incarceration in the XUAR since 2017 during which an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been locked up in a vast network of internment camps. Beijing has denied all allegations of abuse of the Uyghurs, saying that the facilities are vocational training centers set up to prevent religious radicalization and protect the country from terrorism. But reports by RFA, other media outlets, rights groups, and independent researchers indicate that the detainees are being held against their will and are subjected to political indoctrination and maltreatment. EU Parliaments resolution The addition of new Chinese companies to the U.S. Entity List came a day after the European Parliament passed a nonbinding resolution on Thursday calling on the EU to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics unless China improves the human rights situations in Hong Kong, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), home to predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority. The 28-point resolution mainly condemned Chinas recent actions in Hong Kong and the erosion of freedoms there, including the forced closure last week of the independent newspaper Apple Daily, the arrests of journalists, the silencing of pro-democracy activists, and the rapid deterioration of the human rights situation. The resolution also noted the importance of the EU continuing to raise the issue of human rights violations in China, in particular the case of minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet, at every political and human rights dialogue with Chinese authorities and in line with the EUs commitment to project a strong, clear and unified voice in its approach to China. The resolution repeated a call for the EU and its member states to work towards the holding of a special session or urgent debate on China at the U.N. Human Rights Council and the launching of an independent UN investigation on China. The resolution passed with 578 votes in favor, 29 against, and 73 abstentions. When asked about the move at the Chinese Foreign Ministrys press conference, a spokesman said the matter was not worth any attention. Reported by Adila for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A mysterious blast in a Tehran park was caused by a stun grenade, according to Iranian state television. No one was injured in the July 10 explosion, which caused the capital's fire department to dispatch several units to the scene in the north of the city. A stun grenade explodes with a loud noise but causes little damage. A reporter for state television said the device had been set up to go off in the park near a hospital building. Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Gudarzi, who is in charge of security issues, said earlier that the cause of the blast was being investigated. "Just one explosion took place inside Mellat Park," he told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. Asked whether the incident was an attack, Gudarzi said: "We are investigating the dimensions and causes of the incident and we will provide information after we are sure." A deputy police chief said an explosion was heard but that no building was damaged or set on fire. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and IRNA Kazakhstan's president sacked Agriculture Minister Saparkhan Omarov on July 10 while accusing his ministry of not having done enough to help farmers cope with a severe drought that has hit the country. Farmers in the grain-producing Kazakhstan are struggling with extreme heat and a lack of rainfall, which has dried up pastures and resulted in the death of thousands of heads of cattle. Speaking at a government meeting on July 10, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said Omarov should step down because his ministry had failed to take effective and prompt measures to assist the farmers. "The [local regional authorities] and the Agriculture Ministry didn't take the right decisions and necessary measures, and as a result our farmers ended up in a tough situation," Toqaev said. Earlier this week, the Agriculture Ministry said authorities will not compensate farmers who have lost livestock. The ministry said on July 9 that a decision about declaring a drought emergency will be made depending on the amount of precipitation in July. With reporting by Reuters The head of Russia's Central Election Commission has denied reports that the country's upcoming State Duma elections could be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. "There have been no discussions about a possible postponement of the election," Ella Pamfilova told the state news agency TASS on July 10. "The elections will be held in accordance with the presidential decree and voting will take place on September 17, 18, and 19. There is no doubt that the elections will be held on time." Pamfilova was responding to a report by the Yekaterinburg-based online news agency Ura.ru that authorities were discussing the idea of putting off the election until the end of 2021 or next spring. Aside from the Duma vote, direct elections will be held to determine the heads of nine regions, as well as local posts. The elections come amid a continuing slide in the popularity of the Kremlin-backed ruling United Russia party, which is hoping to maintain its absolute majority in the Duma. With reporting by TASS Written By Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism. | Rocky Mount, NC (27804) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Rutland, VT (05701) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Danvers, MA (01923) Today Thunderstorms during the morning followed by occasional showers this afternoon. High 71F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Sanford, NC (27330) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely late. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. SANFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT Property damage to a vehicle reported at 11:35 p.m. Thursday in the 5300 block of Arrowwood Circle. Randy Lee Turney, 37, of the 1100 block of Ray Avenue, Sanford, was arrested at 11:27 p.m. Thursday in the 2200 block of Jefferson Davis Highway on a probation violation. Property damage to vehicle caused by a hit and run driver reported at 11:59 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of Tramway Road. Mary Alexandria Cameron, 38, of the 100 block of Murray Hill Road, Southern Pines, was arrested at 5:34 a.m. Thursday in the 1200 block of North Horner Boulevard on misdemeanor charges of possessing marijuana, simple possession of a controlled substance and failing to appear in court. Dena Janyell Fox, 34, of the 700 block of Magnolia Street, Sanford, was arrested at 1 a.m. Thursday at her residence on an Orange County warrant for misdemeanor forgery or falsifying of documents issued by a school, educational institution or a governmental agency. Theft of a U-Haul truck, Arizona license plate AL43131, reported at 7:33 a.m. Thursday at U-Haul, 2701 S. Horner Blvd. HARNETT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE Darrius Tyrone Perry Jr., 31, of Garner, was charged at 7 a.m. Friday with assault on an officer inflicting serious injury. Perry was already in the Harnett County Detention on unrelated charges. ALBANY CAP COM community mourns death of longtime president and CEO Paula Stopera Scarsdale, NY (10583) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) A fiery explosion erupted on a container ship anchored in Dubai at one of the worlds largest ports late Wednesday, authorities said, sending tremors across the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and it was unclear what triggered the blast. The blaze sent up giant orange flames from a vessel at the Jebel Ali Port, the busiest in the Middle East. Jebel Ali sits on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula and is also the busiest port of call for American warships outside the U.S. The combustion unleashed a shock wave through the city of Dubai, causing walls and windows to shake in neighborhoods as far as 25 kilometers (15 miles) away from the port. Residents filmed from their high-rises as a fiery ball illuminated the night sky. The blast was powerful enough to be seen from space by satellite. Some 2 1/2 hours after the blast, Dubais civil defense teams said they had brought the fire under control and started the cooling process. Authorities posted footage on social media of firefighters dousing giant shipping containers. The glow of the blaze remained visible in the background as civil defense crews worked to contain the fire. The extent of damage to the sprawling port and surrounding cargo was not immediately clear. Footage shared on social media of the aftermath showed charred containers, ashes and littered debris. The sheer force and visibility of the explosion suggested the presence of a combustible substance. Dubai authorities told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the crew had evacuated in time and that the fire appeared to have started in one of the containers holding flammable material, without elaborating. Seeking to downplay the explosion, Mona al-Marri, director general of the Dubai Media Office, told Al-Arabiya the incident could happen anywhere in the world and that authorities were investigating the cause. The Jebel Ali Port at the northern end of Dubai is the largest man-made deep-water harbor in the world and serves cargo from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Asia. The port is not only a critical global cargo hub, but a lifeline for Dubai and surrounding emirates, serving as the point of entry for essential imports. Dubai authorities did not identify the stricken ship beyond saying it was a small vessel with a capacity of 130 containers. Ship tracker MarineTraffic showed a fleet of small support vessels surrounding a docked container ship called the Ocean Trader flagged in Comoros. Footage from the scene rebroadcast by the UAEs state-run WAM news agency showed firefighters hosing down a vessel bearing paint and logo that corresponds to the Ocean Trader, operated by the Dubai-based Inzu Ship Charter. The Ocean Trader docked at Jebel Ali Port at midday Wednesday. Ship tracking data showed the vessel had been sailing up and down the coast of the UAE since April. The United Nations ship database identified the vessels owners as Sash Shipping corporation. Sash and Inzu Ship Charter did not immediately respond to request for comment. Operated by the Dubai-based DP World, Jebel Ali Port boasts a handling capacity of over 22 million containers and sprawling terminals that can berth some of the worlds largest ships. Port officials said they were taking all necessary measures to ensure that the normal movement of vessels continues without any disruption." State-owned DP World describes Jebel Ali Port as a gateway hub and a vital link in the global trade network that connects eastern and western markets. The company did not immediately respond to request for comment on the blast. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Hamilton, Ohio, contributed to this report. Mario Tama/Getty Images Hawaiis new Safe Travels Program rolled out on Thursday, allowing incoming travelers the ability to skip quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test in favor of showing proof of vaccination. But at least at one Hawaiian airport, the new system didnt get off to a smooth start. At Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, many using the vaccination exemption had to wait in long lines, some stretching as long as an hour, KHON2 reports. Historically, Seattle took many of its culinary cues from looking west, with a restaurant scene full of sushi shops, banh mi sold on nearly every block and Chinese restaurants of all stripes, so the recent boom of baked goods pop-ups around the city showing off flavors from around Asia fit right in. Recently, though, a wave of entrepreneurs from around Latin America seems to have finally found an audience for their empanadas, conchas and quesadillas, showing off the regions various shared styles and country-specific sweets. While Seatango found a permanent home for its Argentinian baked goods and Colombian Delights Bakery took up residence in the Olympic Sculpture Park for the summer, many of the most exciting alfajores and creative cookies roam around the city or offer pre-orders for pick up, so we tracked down where and how to find them. This shop originally stemmed from the owner and chefs previous business, Selva Central Glass. Buoyed by appearances on Netflix's "Sugar Rush" and Food Network's "Big Time Bake," culinary school graduate and former head baker at Wallingfords Cubes Baking Co., Mayra Sibrian transitioned from her focus on glassware to showing off her Salvadorean and Mexican culture through food. Her signature Salvadoran quesadillas a pound cake with cheese, not to be confused with the Mexican version share table space at events with baked goods like chocolate-ganache stuffed plantain muffins filled and sweet semitas filled with guava and hibiscus-chia jam. Keep an eye on Selvas Instagram for the constant farmers market and popup locations and pre-order on the website to make sure you get what you want before it sells out. When Sebastian Quintana introduced his wife to his family in Chile, where he grew up, he also introduced her to the cookie that would change their lives. He met Aislinn McManigal when they both worked for Tom Douglass Lola, and while he had drifted from kitchens to the tech industry, he returned to food last year when the two created this company to sell alfajores, the caramel sandwich cookies found all over South Americas Cono Sur countries. The standard form includes two buttery cookies connected with a slather of dulce de leche, but Oso Negro takes their alfajores a step further by coating them in chocolate, rolling them in nuts, and creating pistachio, peanut butter, and espresso versions. Preorder from their website to pick up at their regular markets Fremont, SLU, and Burien and watch their Instagram for pop-ups. After leaving her job as pastry chef at FlintCreek Cattle Co. in 2019, Karen Sandoval started offering baked goods up on Instagram, starting with holiday pies. But in the pandemic, she found her groove and an audience for her meticulous and flavorful re-creations of the baked goods of her Mexican heritage. A year later, her holiday offerings included chocolate peppermint and rompope flavored conchas and now she semi-regularly offers the sweet buns up for sale on Instagram as well as other seasonal specials like pan de muerto in the fall. When the design business slowed down in the pandemic, Runa Nakayama opened this online-only delivery business featuring the type of empanadas she knew from her home country of Chile. The ground beef filled, envelope-shaped baked empanadas de pino show off the most typical version, but she offers a wide variety, including mini-pinos, vegetarian and vegan versions, puff pastry empanadas, and the beef hot dog filled chaparrita. They also make pastel de choclo, a ground beef and corn custard casserole rarely seen in these parts. Order for delivery if you qualify or for pick-up in Bellevue if you dont via the website. This magical combination of frozen boozy drinks and fried stuffed pies comes out of Kent, envisioned by three Peruvian sisters from New York to transport customers to hot summer days on the city streets. The frozen empanadas, which fry up to a bubbly-crisp crust, come in Peruvian-inspired flavors like lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) and in more American ones, like pepperoni pizza, while the colorful sauce options include aji verde, Peruvian onion relish, and mayo-ketchu. Best washed down with their Henny Colada, Tropi Frose, or Jungle Juice. Their menu is up on Instagram and you can order via DM or by emailing the address shown there, with delivery offered to some areas. SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) When the coronavirus ravaged Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis defiantly bucked mask mandates. He later cracked down on protesters advocating racial justice, blasted President Joe Biden on immigration, jumped into the fight over transgender athletes and signed sweeping legislation to toughen voting rules. But after a deadly building collapse, the Republican governor is largely hitting pause on the culture wars. In the two weeks since a 12-story condo tower in this coastal community suddenly crumbled, killing at least 78 people, DeSantis has stood somberly with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement when Biden visited and hailed their joint appearance as a sign that those with opposing political views can work together in a crisis. And he even skipped a rally in Sarasota headlined by former President Donald Trump, whose early endorsement was crucial in helping DeSantis win the governor's race in 2018. Since that victory, DeSantis has often taken his cues from Trump. But as he prepares for a reelection bid next year that could propel him into a presidential campaign, the tragedy in Surfside is exposing voters to a different side of the governor. He's still the conservative populist who rarely parts with Trump. But unlike the former president, DeSantis is showing that he can tone down some of his most extreme partisan rhetoric during a disaster. The governor has been decisive. Hes been constant. Hes been collaborative, Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava, a Democrat who has sparred with DeSantis in the past, said in an interview. "Hats off to the governor for how he has supported us in this crisis. Charles Burkett, the nonpartisan mayor of Surfside, called the level of cooperation astounding, even surprising. DeSantis isnt ushering in a new era of bipartisanship or leading the election deniers in his party back to reality. The governor has dodged direct questions on whether Biden's victory in last year's election was fair. A day after the collapse, DeSantis promoted an unusual plan to deploy officers from Florida to the southern border, a move Democrats dismiss as political theater. Still, DeSantis' actions present a sharp contrast with Trump. The former president often threatened to withhold aid to Democratic officials who criticized him, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York. At other times, he appeared insensitive or clumsy in his response to people's suffering. During a visit to hurricane damaged Puerto Rico, for instance, Trump tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd of residents. Mac Stipanovich, a former Republican campaign strategist, said DeSantis is less frightening than Trump" to some voters even as he steadily courts the former president's base. DeSantis has a finely tuned sense of what is the best red meat, on any given day, to throw to the MAGA base and he does it with some skill and no shame, Stipanovich said. Soon as were beyond the window of this tragedy, everybody will be at each others throats once again. Indeed, the debate could swiftly move to how the state and local governments manage aging infrastructure. Officials in Miami-Dade County are moving forward with a 30-day audit of buildings that are more than 40 years old. DeSantis has questioned the necessity of a statewide review of older buildings. While effective responses to catastrophes can help burnish a governor's political reputation, the boost can sometimes prove fleeting. Former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Chris Christie of New Jersey were widely praised for their response to devastating storms. But Trump, who never held political office before running for president, defeated both men for the 2016 Republican nomination. DeSantis' handling of the tragedy appears to have caught some Democrats off guard, leaving them with no unified response. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat hoping to challenge DeSantis next year, didn't respond to requests for comment on the governor's response to the collapse. Nikki Fried, Florida's Democratic agriculture commissioner who has also announced a bid for governor, praised local officials, Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But she knocked DeSantis for wading into the politically charged immigration debate by sending Florida law enforcement to the border with Mexico. Although the Florida Division of Emergency Management has been working around the clock to support search and rescue efforts, it was unfortunate that Governor DeSantis diverted first responders to the southern border during this incredibly difficult time for the Miami community and our entire state, she said. Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat seeking to challenge GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, said she was glad to see productive partnership between local, state, and federal officials as we work to save lives. In times of crisis, she said, we need to set partisanship aside and do whats right for our communities. For his part, Rubio has also appeared at the scene of the condo collapse multiple times with local officials, including Democrats, and has worked with the Biden administration to expedite visas for family members of victims. DeSantis is gaining national attention at a critical juncture for Republicans. While Trump decides whether to run again in 2024, those with presidential ambitions are making aggressive moves to position themselves as his heir should he opt against a campaign. For now, Trump remains happy to be aligned with DeSantis. But several people in touch with the former president and his team said he has paid close attention as DeSantis has wooed donors at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida and gained traction in some conservative circles. If DeSantis popularity rises and he threatens Trumps status as the undisputed leader of the party, many Republicans privately expect Trump to turn on the governor. Friction between the two spilled into the public for the first time last week when Trump rebuffed DeSantis entreaties to postpone the rally in Sarasota. Trump, who opened his remarks with a moment of silence for the victims in Surfside and their families, told the conservative network Newsmax that he and DeSantis had mutually agreed that the governor should skip the rally. Trump has sought to keep the upper hand in the relationship, bringing up his early endorsement in several recent interviews. He has also said he would consider DeSantis as a potential running mate if he chose to run again for president. DeSantis has said he is focused more on winning reelection next year than the 2024 contest. He is one of the few leading Republicans who has not yet visited Iowa, home to the leadoff presidential caucuses and a state dominated by conservative evangelicals who can sway the GOP's direction. DeSantis has instead spent part of his summer traveling to political fundraisers in states including Pennsylvania and California. Tony Krvaric, who helped arrange an event on DeSantis' behalf in San Diego, said the excitement surrounding the governor was sky high and his response to the collapse has further helped his reputation. He's handled it professionally and with empathy, Krvaric said. ___ Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. PLAINS, Ga. (AP) Former President Jimmy Carter on Saturday turned to his wife Rosalynn and thanked her for 75 years of marriage, telling her that she's always been right for him. I want to express particular gratitude for being the right woman that I chose for my wife," Carter said at a 75th wedding anniversary celebration in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. About 300 friends and family members attended the event at Plains High School, part of which was livestreamed. Rosalynn Carter, sitting by his side, recounted how she didn't care for dating young men while growing up and never thought she'd get married. I didn't know how to talk to them, I didn't want to go out with them," she said. She added that she used to urge her mother to tell suiters calling for her on the phone that she wasn't around. And then, along came Jimmy Carter and my life has been an adventure ever since," she said. In a recent interview, the 39th president told The Associated Press that the couple's marriage is a full partnership." The two met in Georgia when Jimmy Carter, at the time a young midshipman, was home from the U.S. Navy Academy. His younger sister set him up on a date with Rosalynn, who was a family friend who already had a crush on the future Georgia governor and U.S. president. The two were married on July 7, 1946, in Plains, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents. Their anniversary is the most recent milestone for the longest-married presidential couple in American history. Rosalynn Carter is 93. The former president, at 96, is the longest-lived of the 45 men whove served as chief executive. Those who attended Saturday's celebration included former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Country music stars Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks; and media businessman Ted Turner also attended, the Carter Center said in a statement. Carter, wearing a dark suit jacket with a yellow flower on the chest, closed his brief remarks with six simple words to those gathered: I love you all very much." Local States medicinal marijuana industry has stabilized, but barriers to growth remain Sentinel file photo by Paul Cuno-Booth The Temescal Wellness medical-marijuana dispensary opened on Island Street in Keene in April. The video announcement was framed like a victory address. Standing before a woodpile, Prime Alternative Treatment Center CEO Keenan Blum gave the centers Facebook followers a breathless update: The New Hampshire medical marijuana dispensary was lowering its prices. Prime had increased its growing capacity, bumped up its offering of cannabis strains, and reduced expenses, Blum said. In short, we are now able to grow more high-quality flower at a lower cost than before, he said in the video, released Tuesday. The announcement was welcome news to most of Primes customers and signaled a new phase for the states medicinal marijuana industry. Five years after New Hampshires first therapeutic cannabis dispensaries opened their doors, the number of patients in the state has climbed considerably, from just over 2,000 in 2016 to just under 12,000 in May 2021, figures from the Department of Health and Human Services show. And two of the states three organizations, known as alternative treatment centers, are expanding on their own. In April, Prime ATC opened a dispensary in Chichester, and Temescal Wellness launched a dispensary in Keene. But industry officials and advocates say dispensaries in the state still face barriers to growth and trail other states with medicinal marijuana when it comes to the percentage of people in the state who are patients. New Hampshire has just under 1 percent of its population registered as medical marijuana patients; states such as California, New Mexico and Arizona have close to 5 percent, data from the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group, shows though all of those states have legalized cannabis for personal use. Among states that have not fully legalized marijuana but do allow for medicinal use, New Hampshire still lags: Florida and Pennsylvania each have around 2.6 percent, for example. And even as prices are falling at some Granite State dispensaries, theyre still higher than neighboring states, all of which have legalized cannabis and impose lighter restrictions on their therapeutic cannabis organizations. One Facebook user took Blum to task over the price reduction, drawing a comparison to Maine, whose medical marijuana prices are still cheaper for patients. Im sure if you asked patients we would have preferred ounces well under $300, wrote Zach Williams. When will patients be relieved of having to pay at or over $300 for an ounce of meds? Cannabis advocates say the question of price encapsulates the crossroads New Hampshires industry has reached. Since 2016, dispensaries have built up nonprofit businesses, survived start-up woes, attracted loyal customers, and multiplied their growing and distributing capacities. But they still are a long way from their ultimate goal: a normalized, widely known medical service. I still run into so many people who, I tell them what I do for work and they have no idea cannabis is even in New Hampshire, said Sian Leininger, the director of retail for Temescal Wellness. Currently, New Hampshires therapeutic cannabis law allows people who suffer from a number of conditions, including ALS, Alzheimers, epilepsy, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohns disease and others to apply to become a qualifying patient. Patients must be diagnosed by a medical provider in order to receive a registry ID card; those who do may use that card at one of the states dispensaries. For the dispensaries, participation and business has grown considerably since therapeutic cannabis was first legalized in 2013. Some of that has been a result of state policy. A decision by lawmakers to expand the program to chronic pain patients in 2017 led to a near doubling of patients within a year from 3,493 in 2017 to 6,480 in 2018, according to DHHS. But the growth has also come from the organizations themselves, expanding their facilities and growing operations over five years after enduring high entry costs. Now that the number of customers has increased, some of those costs have been mitigated just recently. We have a few thousand patients, and its certainly easier to balance the books when you have a few thousand patients than when you have 1,000 (or) 500, which was the case not that long ago, said Matt Simon, the newly appointed director of public and government relations for Prime ATC. Therapeutic cannabis facilities have had to rely on debt in order to grow, in part due to the money-raising limitations of their nonprofit status, which the state mandates. Its been a slow and gradual process of trying to make this program really viable and workable for patients, Simon said. ... There were a lot of startup costs involved and not a big base of patients to actually sell cannabis to get money coming in, so it was difficult. Leininger agreed. It is an extremely capital intensive industry, so getting started is always a challenge, she said. While the number of patients in the state initially surged year after year climbing from 2,089 in 2016 to 6,480 in 2018 to 10,688 in 2020 that annual bump has started to slow. During the pandemic, the state added 1,260 patients from June 2020 to May 2021 half the number of previous years. Still, as the industry begins to stabilize, barriers to access remain, providers say. Insurers in New Hampshire, like other states, dont cover the use of therapeutic cannabis, and federal laws against cannabis prohibit Medicaid from covering it as well. Thats kind of a common frustration for patients: that their insurance wont cover this but it will cover other medications that may give them a lot more harmful side effects, Leininger said. The alternative treatment centers in New Hampshire have financial aid programs for patients, offering discounts for compassionate care. We all want to be able to get our patients prices that, you know, they can afford, Leininger said. Simon, who has also worked as the New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, added that pricing has long been a concern for the industry. Relative to other states. I think we still have a ways to go on that front, he said. Were doing everything we can, but weve got bills to pay and have to maintain viability as a business. Leininger and others at Temescal are also wary of enticements across state lines. Billboards have appeared near the borders urging New Hampshire residents to travel to Maine and Massachusetts to buy the cannabis. Patients definitely are going out of state, she said. Keeping the loyalty of in-state customers is a continual challenge. And stakeholders are eyeing a series of bills heading to Gov. Chris Sununus desk this year that could affect the industrys ability to expand. Some would broaden who can access therapeutic cannabis. House Bill 605 would allow those with opioid use disorder to qualify for cannabis, and allow people from out of state to buy from the dispensaries. Another, Senate Bill 162, would in part permit in-state patients to buy from any dispensary they want; current law requires that a patient designate a specific center and stick to it. The proposed change, which received a 24-0 vote in the Senate, would make a difference for organizations like Temescal, whose centers range from Lebanon to Dover. Sununu, who has taken a strong stand against legalizing marijuana for recreational use, has given mixed support for the expansion of therapeutic cannabis in recent years. The governor approved a major extension of the program in 2017 by allowing chronic pain patients to qualify one year after the program had taken off. That effort had been touted by cannabis advocates as a way to steer pain patients away from opioids. And Sununu signed a bill in May, House Bill 89, that made autism spectrum disorder a qualifying condition for therapeutic cannabis, and also made moderate to severe insomnia a qualifying symptom when paired with an underlying condition. But Sununu has also vetoed other initiatives supported by the industry, such as a proposal to allow medical marijuana patients to grow the plants at home. And in 2019, he killed an effort to allow alternative treatment centers to register with the state as for-profit businesses, arguing that the move would allow for over-commercialization of therapeutic cannabis. This would incentivize out-of-state special interests to acquire equity in New Hampshire ATCs, Sununu said during his veto message then. Although I remain supportive of medical marijuana, this bill would represent too great of a step towards the dangerous path of industrial commercialization of the marijuana industry in New Hampshire. Leininger sees it in a different light: as a financial lifeline and path to growth. As a business with such capital expenses, it makes it really challenging because we can only raise debt, and so we have this business that costs quite a bit to run, and we dont get the same tax breaks as a regular nonprofit because of the federal status of cannabis, she said. This year, that bill has returned with a higher likelihood of passage. Senate Bill 38 passed the Senate, 18-6, and the House by voice vote in the spring, giving it a potential veto-proof majority. Even as New Hampshire is increasingly isolated on the question of marijuana legalization the state is the last holdout in New England Simon has remained optimistic about the status of therapeutic cannabis. Its been very challenging for all three of the ATCs in New Hampshire, but we see a lot of good signs that things are moving in a good direction, he said. Thank you for reading! You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below. We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here. News for the Future We cannot think of a recent time during which staying informed is more crucial. Understanding national, state and, most importantly, local events and their impact on you, as a reader and citizen, is vital. Help us expand this coverage, provide you more trusted local news and broaden your understanding of local events and developments through your support of our News for the Future campaign. Learn more at either link below. Thank you for supporting The Keene Sentinel. Underscoring how hard it is to reach the California agency responsible for unemployment benefits, the state Assembly authorized its 80 members to add two full-time staff members dedicated to helping constituents communicate with the Employment Development Department, following a similar move by the state Senate a few months ago. EDD has struggled to deal with the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their jobs in the pandemic. Many thousands of them report on social media and elsewhere that they cannot reach the beleaguered agency, and their benefits were cut off or never started. The state auditor has issued scathing reports on EDD, and elected officials have held hearings and proposed bills to reform it. The agency has hired thousands of workers to answer phones, but says that training them to handle complex cases takes months. State senators and assembly members have already become one of the few ways that unemployed people can get through to EDD. Their offices universally say they already devote untold staff time to helping desperate constituents seek their benefits. The lawmakers offices have regular calls with EDD to bring up cases. Meanwhile, some unemployed people have resorted to hiring go-betweens to try to reach the agency. Assembly officials confirmed that each Assembly office can hire two temporary workers to work on EDD cases for up to four months with salaries paid out of existing operating funds, a move first reported by the Sacramento Bee. EDD continues to be a challenge, said Assembly Member David Chiu, D- San Francisco, in a statement. His office said the extra staff had been a big help. Work is being done to reform the department and improve performance, but we still have a real backlog of Californians waiting to receive the benefits they are entitled to. EDD data shows its backlog of claims waiting more than 21 days for action now stands at 215,601. While we continue to coordinate with legislative offices to help them resolve issues they are hearing from their constituents, we are already often working on such claims with the information provided by claimants directly to EDD, the agency said in an email, adding that it plans new automation features to help to resolve issues more quickly. The agency received 3,025,060 calls for the week ended June 26, according to its data dashboard. Of those, 264,820 were from unique callers, who each called an average of 11.4 times. It answered 242,235 calls, meaning that more than 22,000 people, or 8.5% of unique callers, could not reach a live person. But that was better than its performance in recent weeks. For the week ended June 19, a total of 33,315 unique callers did not get through to EDD. For the week ended June 12, it was 41,699, and for the week ended June 5, it was 68,880. In the other chamber, the 40 Senate offices were authorized in February to hire an extra staffer dedicated to EDD work, said the office of Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. Were committed to helping our constituents navigate a whole host of issues caused by the pandemic, especially EDD benefits, which is why the Senate reallocated existing resources so that we could hire an additional staffer for every members office, specifically to help with COVID and unemployment issues, Atkins said in a statement. State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, said the real game-changer in interacting with EDD is that the agency now has dedicated a full-time liaison to work with his office. Chius office likewise said they now have a full-time liaison at EDD. The agency did not respond to questions about whether it now has liaisons for each assembly member and senator. Weve cleared almost 500 cases, but still have several hundred more out there, Becker said. Most of our district staff is already working on it, but its certainly helpful to get one more person. But overall, Becker said, lawmakers should not have had to step up to help Californians interact with a state agency. Hopefully this wont happen again, he said. Were working to make sure EDD has the right technology, has enough representatives, and is training its reps more quickly. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Ten people living at an encampment on East 12th Street in Oakland were displaced Friday after a large fire burned through the area, fire officials said. The fire started at roughly 6:20 p.m. between 16th and 17th Avenue on east 12th Street. Wind carried embers from the blaze, causing spot fires in the immediate vicinity of the fire, including to nearby BART train tracks, said Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt. Vegetation near the BART tracks caught fire, Hunt said. California state regulators have denied a string of applications to drill for oil using the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, a move Gov. Gavin Newsoms office described Friday as the beginning of the end for fracking in the state. The 21 fracking applications, which sought new operations in the oil-rich fields of Kern County, were turned down Thursday because of what the California Department of Conservation cited as a need to protect public health and address climate change. Supporters of the move called it the first time the state has significantly limited fracking for health and climate purposes. Many have been pushing for such action for years. Fracking is the process of using high-pressure water and often chemicals to unleash fossil fuel deposits deep within the earth. The practice has the potential to taint groundwater and mucks up the natural geology, though boosters say its an efficient way to get needed oil and natural gas out of existing wells. Fracking, of course, also means more fossil fuel development and more climate-warming pollution. In the face of these concerns, Newsom, who faces a recall election Sept. 14, directed the state Department of Conservations oil regulator, known as CalGEM, in April to develop a plan to phase out new fracking by 2024. The governors office said the 21 applications denied this week represent a step in that effort. While environmental groups applauded the recent action, they said Newsom should be doing a lot more if he seriously wants to improve public health and tackle climate change. Were finally getting recognition that oil and gas is harmful to our health and our water and our climate, and that is a huge relief, but it doesnt go far enough, said Alexandra Nagy, the California director for the watchdog group Food and Water Watch. Were still ramping up oil and gas permitting in California. This year alone, a dozen new fracking permits and 100 new oil well-drilling permits have been approved by CalGEM, state records show. Newsoms directive in April called for not only halting new fracking permits, which he pledged to do when he ran for office in 2018, but phasing out all oil extraction by 2045. Again, environmentalists appreciated the announcement, but said the timeline was too long and undermined any real commitment by the governor. The 21 fracking applications that were denied this week were submitted by Aera Energy, a joint venture of of fossil fuel giants Shell and ExxonMobil based in Bakersfield. The company, one of the biggest recipients of fracking permits in California, sought development in two Kern County oil fields, North Belridge and South Belridge. The state oil and gas supervisor at CalGEM said in an email to The Chronicle that the applications were denied because the agency is now legally required to consider the impact of fracking on public health and heat-trapping gas emissions. In the face of the effects of the climate emergency, the risks to everyday Californians are too high to approve these permits, Uduak-Joe Ntuk said. Aera Energy on Friday criticized the states action and said it was evaluating legal options to challenge it. This is the latest decision attacking the oil and gas industry that is based solely on politics rather than sound data or science, spokeswoman Cindy Pollard said in an email to The Chronicle. Scientific studies commissioned by the state conducted by some of the brightest minds in the world have deemed that hydraulic fracturing is safe. A post on the companys website last month by Aera Energy President and CEO Erik Bartsch took issue with Newsoms broader crackdown on oil. While I agree that climate change needs action, the administrations intent to eliminate oil production in the state doesnt confront the issue, Bartsch said. Why? Banning oil production in California does not end our states underlying need for fuel. Curbing California production only adds instability and cost. Newsoms office on Friday praised the states response to climate change. This (denial) is one of many actions the administration is taking to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and respond to the climate emergency, spokesperson for the governors office Erin Mellon said in a statement Friday. The governor has been clear that we need to do more to combat the climate crisis and create a healthier future. He has also been clear that he does not see a role for fracking in that future. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander California officials recently released data showing that homicides in the state were up 31% in 2020. But the reasons for the spike the largest percentage increase in years are still unclear. The surge while not unique to California comes after a yearslong downward trend in the states homicide rate. But 2020 was an exceptional year, and crime experts, government officials and advocates alike wonder whether the spike can be attributed to the economic and social strain caused by the pandemic. Were really talking about highly unusual times that really upended our lives in so many ways, said Magnus Lofstrom, a policy director and senior fellow at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. He stressed that all of the changes and uncertainties of the past year make it hard to pinpoint any one cause of the sudden and notable spike. Oakland City Council Member Loren Taylor whose district has been affected by violent crime also said he thinks several factors have contributed to last years increase in violence, including worsening economic and mental health conditions, isolation and lack of access to social services due to the pandemic. Both Lofstrom and Taylor also pointed to an increase in gun sales as a potential factor 2020 set the record for handguns sold in a year, according to state data, and roughly three-quarters of the years homicides were committed with guns. Rachel Marshall, a spokesperson for the San Francisco District Attorneys Office, said officials are concerned about increased access to guns that has no doubt played a role in this trend, pointing to the prosecutors new program to help take firearms out of the hands of people who pose a risk to themselves or others by building on a statewide gun violence restraining order law. Garen Wintemute, an expert on gun violence and the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis, said that the increase in availability and number of firearms without a doubt has to do with the increase in violence. But statistically, its difficult to separate that factor more firearms from the other factors that are driving violence. On top of that, some of the factors that are driving up the homicide rate high unemployment, instability and anxiety are also driving up gun sales, he said. Taylor also said Oaklands celebrated violence-reduction program, Ceasefire, was forced to cut its in-person programming in 2020 because of social distancing guidelines. The program, whose goal is reducing gang-related shootings by focusing on individuals at the greatest risk of shooting or being shot, according to its website, is credited for helping to reduce gun crime in Oakland by 50% over seven years. Experts note that though homicides are up, the numbers are still relatively low compared with the violence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Statistically, 2019 was a historically low year for homicides. Lofstrom, however, said that while this context is important, minimizing last years violence is a dangerous path to walk down. As much as were putting it into perspective and saying we have seen these numbers before, were still talking about more than 2,000 homicide victims in the state of California, Lofstrom said. That is tragic. We should be worried, Wintemute added. This is a sustained increase, so far, unlike anything weve ever seen. How to respond to the rise in violence, however, is still under debate. Cat Brooks with the Anti-Police Terror Project, an anti-violence group that advocates for defunding police agencies, said she thinks the way out requires a multipronged response, including investing in trauma responders like counselors and social workers who can help alleviate social issues on the front end. To her, police are not the answer they dont prevent crime, they respond to crime, she said. If we continue to fail to address the root causes of stress and trauma in our communities, the numbers are going to continue to go up, she said. I guarantee you were not going to incarcerate our way out of this problem. We never have; I dont know why we think were going to do it now. But in a news conference following the Oakland City Councils vote to shift about $18 million from the police budget to violence intervention and prevention as well as social services, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said that a surge in violent crime makes it more crucial to increase police funding, and that the social services and violence-prevention programs meant to replace officers are not fully operational yet. For Oakland Council Member Taylor, who voted against shifting funds from the police, the solution requires addressing the problem from all sides, saying theres a balance that needs to be struck. A lot of times the dialogue around public safety is around the dichotomy of police or community based organizations, the response versus prevention, he said. We need to have all of our tools available to us and deployed in order to help address the situation. To him, that means working with trusted messengers and community-based violence interrupters to help people see an alternate path to violence, he said. Its going to take a little bit of time, but we need to make those (social) investments now so that we see those benefits in a sustained way moving forward, Taylor said. The police are absolutely not the solution long term, but we do need to have responders when situations arise. Wintemute added that he thinks community violence prevention programs are essential. I think its a very good thing that at the state and federal level, were getting serious about taking on the root causes of violence, he said. People need jobs, and they need a decent education and a place to live, all of which combine to give people a sense of the future and investment morally and emotionally speaking in the country. To Lofstrom, the way forward comes down to identifying exactly what drove the increase. Unless we can identify under what circumstances these increases happened, were not going to find the solutions, he said. Doing so will require closely tracking the numbers in 2021 to see if the trend continues. While some of the complicating factors of 2020 like shelter-in-place orders and shuttered businesses might be going away, its unclear whether the homicide rate will decline again. Other crimes aggravated assaults, violent robberies, burglaries, and thefts are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels in San Francisco, a Chronicle analysis found. But with homicides, its still too early to tell, as the numbers are relatively small compared with other types of crime and tend to vary significantly from month to month. But on the Fourth of July, Oakland experienced one of its most violent days this year with seven shootings and two deaths, bringing the citys homicide total to 67 this year. We are losing people at an alarming rate, and we have to recognize how much trauma and hurt and pain it causes in our community, Armstrong said at a news conference. And in Wintemutes view, both the violence and the gun sales are showing no signs of slowing. People are still unemployed, people are still really angry about a history of disparity with not enough being done about it ... political violence is at a scale weve never seen before, he said. I think were in for a really terrible summer. Lofstrom added that examining crimes at a local level to figure out where and why the homicides are happening, and who the victims are, is an important step towards better understanding what the factors are that contributed to the disturbing increase. I think theres a real sense of urgency here because we are talking about increases in the loss of lives, Lofstrom said. So that gives me hope that efforts to find those answers will be taken seriously, and we will hopefully have these answers soon. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev Regarding Curbside charging sites (Letters, July 7): The writer contends that if the state wants to encourage electric car ownership, there should be E-car only parking spots, one per city block. This brought to mind the fact that the people who want no cars in San Francisco have fought to reduce the number of, or eliminate, any parking spaces available in newly built apartment buildings. That leaves someone with an electric car nowhere to plug in at night. How far will the city go to support electric cars? Perhaps each new apartment building should have one or two parking spaces only available for e-cars. Mary Gardner, San Francisco Assess water problem Regarding Sun never sets on Bay Area NIMBYs (Editorial, July 8): Your editorial decrying Bay Area NIMBYs and advocating for real affordable housing development omits another powerful dynamic in this debate. There must be room to honestly assess the water resource problem. There are definite limits to Californias water resources; we are in the midst of yet another serious drought. Might acknowledging these limits also bring forth the idea of limiting development in California? Can this be discussed without being accused of being a NIMBY? Can the politically powerful construction industry be refocused and forced to try and address the water resource issue that unchallenged development worsens? Karen Cliffe, San Francisco Tired of NIMBY name I am responding to the editorial about the neighbors reactions to a seven-story housing development in the low-rise Sunset district. I am soooo tired of hearing NIMBY every time an ideologues visions for someone elses neighborhood are disrupted. How about if we discuss our ideas without resorting to schoolyard name-calling? If the developers would propose developments that fit the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhoods within which they propose to build, there would not be a problem. Whats holding up development is not concerned neighbors, its greed, when developers insist upon monetizing a property to the max! Louise Kimball, Berkeley A test of values Regarding Republican seeking office mum on Trump (July 6): Republican Lanhee Chen is running for California state controller but wont tell us his opinion about former President Donald Trump. If I were a Republican, which I am not, and a believer in traditional conservative Republican values, I would want to know whether Mr. Chen is going to publicly disavow the Trump wing of the party. If he says nothing, we should all assume, if elected, he will end up being just another Trump sycophant. Ralph Stone, San Francisco Support the unhoused Its so sad that people in San Francisco and the Bay Area complain about homeless but mightily resist low-cost housing in their neighborhood. Recently Livermore and San Franciscos Sunset District have loudly protested plans to build low-cost housing in their areas. Black and Hispanic men are the image of a homeless person. Racism keeps many from education, jobs and health care. Women, children and the elderly are also among the unhoused. Expensive and luxurious apartments and condominiums are built, but low-cost housing is not. Even so-called low-income rents are often $2,000 a month. Serious Christians support low-cost housing. People who live on the streets are hungry, cold, in physical danger, often sick and infirm. They are in the prison of having no shelter. Many have serious mental and emotional problems. Drugs and alcohol plague their lives. Of course we need to feed the hungry with soup kitchens and free groceries. But only the government can help with providing food, health care and shelter to the vast number of unhoused people in our nation. Followers of Jesus support all programs to heal the sick, feed the hungry and work for justice for all people. Regarding Curbside charging sites (Letters, July 7) and Limited spaces to charge electric vehicles (Letters, July 9): Another serious limitation on expanded electric vehicle ownership in San Francisco is the inability of renters to charge their vehicles in their parking spaces in existing residential buildings, since they usually cannot be billed individually for electricity use in common areas like parking garages, which is billed to the landlord. Besides requiring some parking spaces for e-cars in new apartment buildings, as one writer thoughtfully suggested, more of San Franciscos many renters would purchase electric vehicles if owners of existing apartment buildings with parking were to add charging capability to some of the spaces another area that city/state policy should consider. Dave Massen, San Francisco Pay the fair share Regarding Utilities are attacking rooftop solar (Open Forum, July 3): Under the states rooftop solar subsidy program, Net Energy Metering, non-solar customers including seniors, lower-income Californians and renters are paying about $200 more annually in their utility bills to cover the generous subsidies for homeowners who install solar panels. By 2030, that will grow to more than $500/year if NEM is not reformed. Since 1995, when NEM was established, credits solar homeowners receive for selling their excess electricity back to the grid have gone up while the cost of solar has decreased by 70%. The credit is so generous that homeowners with rooftop solar, who tend to be wealthier, are paying only nominal and sometimes even zero electric bills. They no longer pay their fair share for grid maintenance, programs for low-income customers, energy efficiency programs and the like. Those costs are unfairly shifted to non-solar customers. The inflated subsidies mean homeowners are paying off an average rooftop solar system in fewer than five years but collect these generous subsidies for 20 years. We think NEM can and should be reformed. Done right, rooftop solar adoption will continue to grow, but in a way that ensures all customers continue to pay their fair share. Hene Kelly, legislative director, California Alliance for Retired Americans, San Francisco Newsoms indecisiveness Governor did his best (Letters, July 7) suggests we put ourselves in his shoes during the COVID-19 crisis. Yes, those were trying times, and there was no set blueprint on how to respond. His wishy-washy indecisiveness toward business was very hurtful to the economy (Im a business owner). Now, if I were in his shoes? Maybe not go to a fancy restaurant, when I had been telling everyone to stay home. Jim Gray, Rodeo Bring back baby clinics Regarding Time to invest in neighborhood health clinics (Letters, July 8): The author suggests neighborhood-based health clinics. A radical idea? When I moved to Bernal Heights in 1961, there was a city free Well-Baby Clinic a few blocks away, in an empty storefront, staffed one morning every two weeks by a doctor and nurse. They checked length, weight, general health and development, advised when inoculations were due and administered them if the parent wished, and referred problems for further medical work-up if necessary. What a concept basic, preventive care where it was most likely to be useful! Today? Loading all your children on two city buses and walking blocks to get to a neighborhood health center. Does San Francisco have the guts to try reviving the Well-Baby clinics, and perhaps Well-Senior screening, in neighborhoods where statistics show it is most needed? (Senior Centers that offer screening do not advertise it to non-members). Studies repeatedly show that preventive medicine saves more money that it costs and yes, we should try it. Members of the San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus received death threats, doxing, and other forms of harassment after a satirical song by the group was posted online and misinterpreted. The song, called Message from the Gay Community was posted on July 1 to Youtube and other social media channels, but in the last week, was circulated widely across far-right media, which took offense with its parodic play on the conversion rhetoric historically projected on LGBTQ communities. Triple-digit temperatures cooked much of California on Saturday, with the thermometer soaring close to 110 in parts of the Bay Area and forecasters saying at least another two days of heat was in store. Cloverdale recorded a high of 107 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Napa Countys Lake Berryessa hit 109. Vacaville saw 107. Its really, really hot, said Vacaville resident Carrington Burch, who was trying to beat the heat by taking her two young children out for a swim at the Walter V. Graham Aquatic Center. Her kids planned to be in the water as much as they could, with lots of sunscreen, of course. An excessive heat warning remained in effect through Sunday night for most of the Bay Area and Central Valley, with a heat advisory in effect most everywhere else. High temperatures are also forecast for Monday. Only San Francisco, the coast and bayside areas have been spared. The citys high Saturday was 66 downtown. The Bay Areas second heat wave in as many weeks was caused by a high-pressure system over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado and specifically where those states meet, a weather expert said. Its the high pressure area thats centered over the Four Corners area, to the southeast, thats keeping the air pretty stagnant and the heat trapped around the Bay Area, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brayden Murdock. When you have a high pressure like this, the heat just builds up. Because of the heat and a wildfire that raged in southern Oregon, which was straining the power grid, the states electric grid operator called on California residents to reduce energy use for a second straight evening, from 4 to 9 p.m. The out-of-control Bootleg Fire in Klamath County was imperiling three high-voltage transmission lines that send power to California, according to the California Independent Service Operator. There were no immediate plans for rotating shut-offs to save energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said. A Spare the Air alert was also in effect Saturday as high temperatures and smog converged to create unhealthy conditions, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. Driving and outdoor activities were discouraged, and using fireplaces was forbidden, on the off chance that someone was actually considering doing such a thing. In Vacaville, Daniel Tooley was considering a fridge cooldown standing in front of his open refrigerator for 10 minutes when he left the citys aquatic center hot and sweaty after watching his sons diving practice Saturday afternoon. Ive just been sitting in the shade for half an hour, and even that is just too much, he explained. And the torture is Im watching the swimming pool, theyre all diving and I cant get in! In Solano County, 11 libraries were designated as cooling centers: in Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun, Vacaville and Vallejo. Tim Madigan, a supervising librarian at the Fairfield Civic Library, said that while the library was seeing a bit of extra foot traffic on the scorching day, it was not nearly as crowded as before the pandemic. Its a big space, he said, so even with social distancing requirements, were able to accommodate all the people who come in. Emma Talley/The Chronicle For those seeking to hang out someplace beside a public library or a senior center, the Solano County Department of Emergency Services recommended visiting a shopping center, movie theater, public pool or even a family member with air conditioning. In Contra Costa County, sweat-drenched denizens were invited to seek refuge in one of 31 cooling centers in the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Hercules, Martinez, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond and Walnut Creek. In Oakley, in northeast Contra Costa County, a senior center in the old firehouse on Second Street had two swamp coolers ready for anyone who dropped by to play Monopoly and Scrabble and solve jigsaw puzzles, said club coordinator Jim Fridas. Well have cold water in the refrigerator, too, Fridas said. Plenty of cold water. There was a whole case of it on the counter, on Thursday. I hope someone remembered to put it in the refrigerator. Oakley was looking at triple-digit temperatures, too. Emma Talley/The Chronicle Its already 86, and thats inside my house, Fridas said early Saturday. Wow. Steve Rubenstein and Emma Talley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, emma.talley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @emmat332 Can you even call it summer if youre not sipping a refreshing cocktail? Around the Bay Area, new bars have surfaced within the past seven months, and after a grueling year for bars, we think drinks are in order. SFGATE's Food + Drink team visited some of the newcomers found throughout San Francisco and beyond to try a selection of tropical to low-proof drinks. Drinks aside, many of the new bars come with a playful atmosphere, like Jaranitas festive dining space and garden-centric bar Propagation. The only problem youll have is deciding which place to hit first. Madeline Wells/SFGATE At North Beachs colorful new tapas bar Red Window, you wont find any whiskey or gin on the menu. But that doesnt mean there arent cocktails. Instead, youll find a creative menu of low-proof cocktails, in which the absence of a full liquor license becomes an asset rather than a disadvantage. We set off to create the very first low-proof cocktail bar, where we get a beer and wine license, but build it like a cocktail bar, said bar director Elmer Mejicanos, who is also bar director at Tonys Pizza Napoletana. ... Its challenging but also fun to figure out different ways to build flavor without using the usual spirits. Red Windows drink menu is divided into different styles, from spritzes to tiki to the bar cart section, where the bartender will come to your table and mix the drink for you there. The pride and joy of Mejicanos inventive menu, though, is the Red Window Cobbler. Its his take on the sherry cobbler, a classic cocktail that dates back to the 19th century. Where normally Mejicanos says he can develop a full cocktail menu in a couple of weeks, the cobbler recipe alone took him months to perfect, in which he tested about 40 different sherries. A lot of really great cocktail bars are making sherry cobbler, so this is a way for us to put our foot down and say we can do something just as good as a regular cocktail bar, using the same ingredients, he explained. This is the one where I wanted to shine. I wanted to put our stamp on it. And shine it does the sweet, tangy concoction with a complex nutty undertone served over crushed ice is so lively and refreshing, you wont even miss the high-proof spirits. MW Red Window is located at 500 Columbus Ave., San Francisco. Open 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Friends and Family Madeline Wells/SFGATE At trendy new Oakland bar Friends and Family, youre probably going to want to pick a seat on the patio. Not because the stylish interior is any less pleasing to look at, but because outside, you get to draw on the table. Everything that I want to exude out of the space is a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling of romance, a feeling of playfulness, said Blake Cole, the former manager at Oakland restaurant Hopscotch who now co-owns Friends and Family with Trick Dogs Kimberly Rosselle. When Cole and Rosselle began planning the opening of the bars romantic outdoor space (they were takeout-only for months, as Friends and Family first opened during the early months of the COVID-19 shutdown), they wanted to make it feel extra special. White tablecloths were a must, but those have to be protected with paper. And if theres paper, why not crayons? This is such a fun opportunity for people to connect with each other, especially if youre on a date or meeting a friend you havent seen in a long time, said Cole. It's kind of nice to have a little icebreaker activity, and I feel like the crayons were the perfect way to do that. Friends and Familys playful cocktails are the perfect accompaniment to your colorful doodling. Each drink is an homage to a beloved person or place. Moms Rosy Cheeks, for example, is a variation on a gimlet served the way Coles mom likes it. We definitely wanted a cocktail menu that had classics but also had some more adventurous cocktails, but keeping things relatively clean and simple and nothing too precious, explained Cole. One drink that epitomizes this simple yet still bold ethos is Anouks Kiss," bar manager Julian Arreolas loose interpretation of a zombie. While maintaining the classic tiki drinks base of blended rum and lime, he pairs down the usually lengthy ingredient list and puts his own spin on it. Anouks Kiss is inspired by the escapism found in tropical drinks and tiki culture, but reshaped in a playful manner that lends itself to an aperitivo hour in Milano, said Arreola. Through substituting commonly found components such as Cointreau for Martini and Rossi Fiero and utilizing the depth of Chinese 5 spice, were able to maintain a playful essence, while making the experience something all of its own. MW Friends and Family is located at 468 25th St., Oakland. Open 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Monday; 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Jaranita Even if its not a particularly sunny day in the Marina, walking inside Jaranita makes you feel like you're miles away from gloomy San Francisco. One of the best ways to enjoy the Peruvian restaurants cocktail menu is in the rear dining room where the former Bistro Aix olive tree remains. Jaranita, which opened in January, has decked the olive tree out in colorful beads and threads. Its part of the festive theme the restaurant hopes to spread throughout the space. "'Jarana' means street party, so we wanted to encompass that in the Marina," said Diego Pilares, beverage director at Jaranita. "We really wanted it to be a fun experience all around." Jaranita comes to the Marina as part of restaurant group Acurio Restuarantes, which owns La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco. Pilares, who likewise happens to be the beverage director at La Mar, said that he wanted to keep the drinks at Jaranita refreshing, light and Peruvian focused. The passion taffy is one of the bright drinks on the menu that blends passion fruit, anise, and sake. I really wanted that anise flavor to come through, but anise can be a very difficult thing to play with, because it is such an overpowering spice, Pilares said. I thought passion fruit would be the perfect balance to the anise and it ended up working really well because they complement each other. Other drinks, like the chicha morada, which is made with Peruvian purple corn, can be prepared either virgin or spiked. Since Jaranita holds a beer and wine license, most of the cocktails are made with sake, which is a nod to Perus Japanese population and influence. The license has been restrictive Pilares admits, but he says its helped him think outside the box. The limitations have provided us the opportunity to be more creative than we could be elsewhere, Pilares said. I like the idea of creating something completely new and different that no one else has. SG Jaranita is located at 3340 Steiner St., San Francisco. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. BarZola From L to R: Eden Kiryakos/ Amy Y. on Yelp Its just been about a month since BarZola opened in Palo Alto, and on a recent Friday night, bar manager Duncan Harrison is busy slinging a cocktail shaker around for the drink lineup that evening. The bar is filled with customers ogling the drink menu, which Harrison describes as both adventurous and approachable. We're coming in with a wide brush ... and doing the most ambitious and, I would say, the highest quality cocktail menu in Palo Alto, Harrison said. We kind of work from a framework of my favorite classics and little rifts on the best drinks. Among the cocktails available on the menu is the smoke and mirrors a kumquat-infused mezcal libation with mandarin, strawberry, lime, and habanero served in a tall glass with a sole kumquat and a banana leaf for garnish. Harrison describes the drink as a mezcal spicy margarita that has been elevated by a huge fruit profile. I wanted to take all my favorite cocktails, the classics, and maybe stuff I've had at famous bars that I've been to and put our own BarZola stamp on it, Harrison said of what inspired many of the drinks on the menu. Harrisons past bartending gigs include a stint at District in San Jose, where he trained at the San Francisco location with the former beverage director, Ashleigh Plasterer. Harrison says that Plasterer played a huge role in his career as she taught him the basics to deep dives on inventive drinks. Harrisons most recent job was at Trick Dog, where he ran the food program as he awaited a bartender opening that ultimately never came with the COVID-19 shutdown. But when Guillaume Bienaime, chef-owner of BarZola and neighbor restaurant Zola, asked Harrison to come on board, Harrison jumped. Hes excited to continue refining the cocktail menu and work with other creatives, including a former colleague at Trick Dog, to really put Palo Alto on the map. Driving to the city is a bit of a hassle, Harrison said. The goal is to be so good at this that it makes Palo Alto a place to go get cocktails. SG BarZola is located at 565 Bryant St. in Palo Alto. Open 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday to Saturday. Propagation Dianne de Guzman / SFGATE If you suddenly feel relaxed and vacation-y while sipping on a cocktail amongst the plants at Propagation in San Francisco youre not alone. I think a lot of people think that our bar is like a vacation, said owner Heather Hoffman. This couple came in the other day, and they were like, Where did you go on vacation that inspired you to open this [place]? We're like, Well, if we want to go to work every day, we want to be in a place that's relaxing. Its here among the foliage that Propagations seasonal cocktail menu might inspire your next trip; the drinks this summer are packed with notes of berries, the pleasant tartness of citrus, and even a couple of cocktails come with a touch of coconut to help transport you to someplace summery. Hoffman's honed her drink-making skills over the years in San Francisco and is creating an exciting cocktail menu that changes to fit her personal style each season, and her customers' taste in booze. The cocktail Night After Night is a fitting drink for summer, since it reminds Hoffman of vacation and is a take on her favorite drinks, the iconic pina colada. But this particular pina colada was made with one very specific customer in mind: Lauren Nguyen, Hoffmans wife and bar partner. My wife, Lauren, she's not a big drinker. She's always one of those people that [says], 'not too sweet, not too this, not too much alcohol I think shes my most challenging customer, Hoffman said. So I always want to please her because shes hard to please with drinks, in general. With her wifes preferences in mind, Hoffman constructed this cocktail as a highly drinkable, less-sweet pina colada for Nguyen. Propagations take has the added oomph of tequila (a favorite of the couple), along with lime, pineapple and coconut cream, and topped with pink Himalayan salt and tajin, all served over a large ice cube. The drink was a hit with Nguyen and the bar staff after its creation, but stalled out as an addition to the menu, as the Propagation crew struggled to find a name for it. Meanwhile, Hoffman said, her wife was having this drink during her visits to the bar, quickly becoming her favorite, while the drink remained nameless for two weeks. [Finally], I was like, Thats it you guys, its Night After Night, because night after night, we cannot come up with a drink name thats going to cover how good this drink is, Hoffman said, laughing. DdG Propagation is located at 895 Post St., San Francisco. Open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Thursday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays; and 2:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays. The Tailor's Son Nico Madrigal-Yankowski The peaty notes of Scotch arent ones usually associated with summer. But at The Tailors Son, a new restaurant by restaurant group Back of the House, the cocktail menu has a drink that blends smokey, sweet and slightly tart flavors for a whiskey cocktail to enjoy this summer with their northern Italian cuisine. At The Tailors Son, cocktails are more of vehicles to stimulate the appetite, to help connect you with friends, Carolyn Kao, bar manager and cocktail menu creator of The Tailors Son, said in a phone interview. Kao, who has worked all over the Bay Area bar scene at places like True Laurel in San Francisco and, most recently, Viridian in Oakland, was excited to create the cocktail menu from scratch. The Golden Thread at its most basic is a riff on a Scotch old fashioned. But at its most ornate, its two Islay Scotches a blended Scotch for a smooth touch and an ounce of Ardbeg for the smokey component along with chestnut honey, saffron, and orange bitters. Scotch just works so well with honey. So I was looking at different Italian honeys and I saw chestnut honey. I was like Oh, that's really interesting. So I tried it and it was surprisingly really bitter. And I've never had bitter honey before, said Kao. She knew she was on to something but needed a hint of savory to curb the bitterness of the chestnut honey. She bounced some ideas off chef de cuisine Tali Missirlian. Thats how she finalized the final component of the Golden Thread: saffron. Kao recounted, I was like, Tali, do you think that saffron and chestnut honey would work? She was like, I don't know, let's try it. Kao threw some saffron in it and said to Missilrian, Taste it! I trust your taste buds." Missilrian beamed back at her and said, Yea, this is really good. NMY The Tailors Son is located at 2049 Fillmore St., San Francisco. Open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For years, Kevin Mulleady was an ally of Martin Shkreli's. Mulleady worked for one of the pharmaceutical executives hedge funds and later served as an executive at the company where Shkreli infamously raised a lifesaving drugs price 5,000%. Now Mulleady is teaming up with activist investors to persuade his fellow shareholders to give them control of that drugmakers parent company, Phoenixus. (Phoenixus operating subsidiary, once known as Turing Pharmaceuticals, is now called Vyera.) There, he said, Shkreli still maintains control despite being in prison for securities fraud and not up for release until late 2023. That fight will come to a head Monday, when Phoenixus shareholders will be asked to reelect its five directors or back the activists alternative slate of six candidates. Central to the activist investors pitch is to sever as many ties to Shkreli as possible. The current board remains too close to the imprisoned executive, they say. The company, whose headquarters are in Switzerland, still owns the rights to Daraprim, a toxoplasmosis treatment whose price Shrkeli unapologetically raised to stratospheric levels, earning him the moniker Pharma Bro. Martin Shkreli is a blight on this industry, said Jason Aryeh, a hedge fund manager who has spearheaded the activist campaign. Efforts to reach Shkreli through his lawyer Brianne Murphy were unsuccessful. Phoenixus chair and CEO Averill Powers did not respond to requests for comment. In a letter to investors last month, the company asserted that its board was making decisions independently from instructions from Martin Shkreli (except to the extent Martin Shkreli votes his shares). Although Shkreli is incarcerated at a federal prison in central Pennsylvania, he is legally allowed to vote his shares in Phoenixus, worth roughly 44% of the company. He has kept his stake despite being ordered as part of his sentencing in 2018 to forfeit nearly $7.4 million, including his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album and a Picasso painting. Phoenixus has also questioned efforts to portray Mulleady as a sort of white knight, noting in its letter to investors that he had been on the companys board for more than three years and even once served as CEO. He, Shkreli and the company are listed as co-defendants in an antitrust lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission and New York state that accuses them of illegally seeking to block generic competitors to Daraprim from the market. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that Shkreli had continued to conduct business behind bars including regular contact with Mulleady via a contraband cellphone, part of the complaint in the FTCs case. Since moving to the low-security prison, in Allenwood, Shkreli communicates with the outside world in large part through collect calls. He has maintained his influence over Phoenixus and Vyera through associates as well as his position as Phoenixus largest shareholder, the FTC and New York prosecutors said in their complaint. Phoenixus took an enormous hit last year when generic competitors to Daraprim hit the market; it lost nearly $20 million, saw sales drop nearly by half and sharply reduced its staff. (In a letter to investors, the company blamed layoffs on the pandemic.) It also reported a $5.5 million operating loss in the first quarter of this year, according to an investor presentation. Among the activist investors plans for Phoenixus, should they win control, is unwinding the Daraprim price increase. Other possibilities include paying out more of the companys cash holdings, which stood around $56 million at the end of March. Mulleady was ousted from the board in December, a move proposed by Shkreli. From that point on, Mulleady has worked with Aryeh on the challenge to existing directors. The group had called for a special board election by Phoenixus shareholders, which had been set for June 7. It was called off at the last minute, with the group suspecting that Shkreli had drawn away enough shareholder support to make their challenge unsuccessful. Initially, Mulleady was among the candidates the activists put up for election to the board, a group that also includes Aryeh and several health care executives and investors. He later withdrew from consideration, acknowledging that his history with the company and Shkreli was an easy point of criticism. If the activist investors lose the vote, they plan to call for another special shareholder vote. Shkrelis shares are in a sort of legal limbo, with a creditor of another Shkreli company fighting to have them taken away and sold. At a hearing last week in that case, the judge granted a request to appoint a receiver to take Shkrelis shares, with the aim of selling them to pay off debts. That could lead to Shkreli losing his influence in the company regardless of the shareholder vote, Mulleady said: Martins kind of high and dry here. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. CANNES, France (AP) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose drama Lingui has been a standout of the first week of the Cannes Film Festival, has a unique relationship as a filmmaker to his native country of Chad. Haroun is one of the African nation's only film directors and easily its most prominent. That role national cinematic spokesman has given him a heavy responsibility. If I dont bring images from Chad, my country will be forgotten, Haroun said in an interview. I have to make films to give other images of my country, rather than the cliche images of war, et cetera. It becomes more than a passion. It becomes a duty. Haroun, who has lived in France since leaving Chad in 1982, has set all but one of his eight features there. Lingui, which is in competition for the top Palme d'Or prize at Cannes, is his first film with a female protagonist. Amina (played by Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) is a single mother and practicing Muslim whose 15-year-old daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant. On the outskirts of Chads capital of NDjamena, the unwanted pregnancy is a grave concern. It means certain ostracism for Maria the same stigma that her mother knows herself. Abortions are only legal in Chad if the woman has suffered sexual violence or her life is in immediate danger. The high hurdles to abortion mean access is all but impossible and often done dangerously at home. When Im in Chad," says Haroun," I have a lot of people telling me: You have to make a film about this subject. You are the filmmaker. You have to become our spokesman and make this film, this subject. We cant, because we are afraid of the government. You can. I belong to the community, he added. I am the one who can tell stories that they deny. The title of Lingui is Chadian word that translates as common thread" or "sacred bond." Vividly filmed with vibrant local color and nonprofessional actors, it movingly captures a clandestine sisterhood in a male-controlled society. Haroun considers it a tribute to the nation's women. For a year, Haroun was Chads minister of culture before resigning in 2018 after disagreements with the government. In September, he will hold screenings of Lingui around the country, he says. The film has been enthusiastically received by critics in Cannes, something Haroun says is heartening but not totally surprising to him. I'm a cooker, you know, so I know when something is well done, he says, grinning. Only one film from Africa has ever won Cannes' top honor, the Palme d'Or: Algerian director Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina's Chronicle of the Years of Fire in 1975. Haroun has previously taken a prize in Cannes with his civil war-set A Screaming Man," which won the jury prize in 2010. At the last Cannes, in 2019, Mati Diops Senegalese drama Atlantics" won the grand prize. This year, there are two films from Africa in competition; the other is Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch's Casablanca Beats. We are coming and coming and coming, says Haroun, smiling. We knock on the door. We try. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP By now, youve probably heard the stories about Hawaiis rental car shortage, which has prompted visitors to rent U-Hauls and other unorthodox vehicles. The rental shortage has also sent prices soaring for the few available options at traditional agencies like Hertz and Avis. But there are more reasonable and affordable alternatives, particularly for those willing to string several of them together over their vacation. The first is to challenge the conventional wisdom that youll need a car for the entire length of your stay. Depending on which island youre visiting, where youre staying and what you plan to do, you can get away without a vehicle for all or most of the time. If youre traveling to Oahu, for example, and are used to taking public transit at home, TheBus provides relatively convenient service from Waikiki and nearby Ala Moana Center to major attractions for $2.75 one way. On Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, however, bus routes and schedules primarily benefit local commuters. But even on those islands, consider that youre unlikely to do much exploring the day of your arrival or departure, and a beachfront resort will offer its own diversions; you may find you only need your own wheels for a few days. On Kauai, the South Shores relatively flat, large Poipu Beach Resort, neighboring Kukuiula and historic Koloa Town are easy to navigate by foot or via scooters, moped, electric bikes or beach cruisers just dont try to head out on the high-speed road toward the highway. Start by booking an airport shuttle from Roberts Hawaii; rates to the boutique Koa Kea Hotel & Resort, for example, run $46 per person for a shared ride, with a minimum of two people. Or catch a ride to your hotel from the islands new and rapidly expanding homegrown alternative to Uber and Lyft, Holoholo, which also serves Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Lanai. The ride-hailing service allows you to book airport rides in advance or use the app when you land; the estimated fare for a ride for four people from the airport in Lihue to Koa Kea is $64 ($69 for a low-emission alternative, $84 for a luxury ride.) Once in Poipu, you can walk or ride to three shopping centers, including the Shops at Kukuiula and the Poipu Shopping Village, which include numerous restaurants and shops, three grocery stores and outfitters offering scuba dives, snorkel gear, zip lines and other activities. Pedego Poipu offers top-of-the-line e-bikes starting at $109 a day, while Kauai Mopeds will deliver one-rider mopeds and scooters accommodating two riders to your hotel for free with a two-day minimum rental, starting at $190. If that seems too pricey, Polynesian Adventure offers two new, all-day Aloha Shuttles with loop routes. The first has stops at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Sheraton Kauai, Shops at Kukuiula and Old Koloa Town, running 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; the cost is $24. The other shuttles between Koloa and several resorts on Kapaas Coconut Coast, with additional stops at Kilohana Plantation (home to shopping, dining, sugarcane train and rum tasting) and the shopping centers in Anchor Cove (walking distance to Kalapaki Beach) and Kukui Grove. It costs $35 and operates from 8:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday and till 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Brigitte Theriault/Getty Images/iStockphoto The hotels and vacation condos in Kapaa also have easy access to several vendors renting beach cruisers ($15 to $18 for a half-day) to use on the 8 miles of Ke Ala Hele Makamae, a multi-use coastal path close to beach parks, shops and restaurants. On the North Shore, Hanalei is easy to cruise via bicycle, particularly with the ongoing limited access into the valley due to roadway repairs. Pedal 'n Paddle offers beach cruiser rentals from $15 a day. While the North Shore Shuttle to Haena is not expected to reopen anytime soon, Hanalei Colony Resort in Haena provides its guests with free shuttle service to various North Shore destinations. On Hawaii Island, the large, flat Mauna Lani and Waikoloa Beach resorts offer similar opportunity to walk, use a rental bike or take a shuttle to sites such as beaches, restaurants, shopping and the trail to the Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve. On Maui, Lahaina and the Kaanapali Beach Resort, with its miles of beach boardwalk, are also easy to navigate on foot or bike; guests of the Westin Maui and its sister properties can take a free shopping shuttle into Lahaina (which also saves the headache of looking for parking). To add a getaway to a more remote area, fly to the Hana-Maui Resort via its new, private 10-passenger Cessna service from Kahului and Kapalua airports on Maui, Lanai City or Honolulu, or on one of the regularly scheduled nine-passenger Mokulele flights from Kahului. Once at the former Travaasa Hana, which became part of Hyatts Destination Hotels brand last fall, the resorts 8-minute shuttle will take you to famed Hamoa Beach. On secluded Lanai, the two Four Seasons resorts shuttle guests between the airport or ferry and their lodgings above Lanai City or Manele Bay, and then to any offsite activities like horseback riding, e-bike tours or snorkeling, plus shopping or dining in walkable Lanai City. Courtesy of the Hana-Maui Resort Going carless doesnt mean youre forced to stay in urbanized or resort areas. With snorkeling and seasonal whale-watching trips leaving right from beaches in front of the resorts, such as those offered by Trilogy Kaanapali, you wont have to worry about driving to a harbor. Hawaii Forest & Trail, Hawaii Islands premier operator of hiking and nature tours, including stargazing on Mauna Kea, also offers pickup from most major resorts. Still, some travelers will find that it makes the most financial sense and eases logistics to get behind the wheel themselves. In that case, take heart: So many island residents are flocking to list their cars on Turo that some more experienced owners on the car-sharing platform are now complaining on a Facebook group for Hawaii Turo owners that the market is flooded with new listings, and their profits are going down along with prices. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has compiled its own list of alternative ground transportation for all six islands open to visitors (Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, Molokai and Lanai) on a web page that notes the rental car fleet has decreased more than 40% because of the pandemic. But just in case youre still considering the U-Haul option, it also states: The Hawaii Tourism Authority does not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for leisure purposes. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Two men from Albany, Oregon, were killed when a homebuilt trike aircraft they were in crashed near Millersburg on Friday night. The Linn County Sheriffs Office said the crash happened before 9 p.m. in a field behind Deciduous Avenue. When they arrived on scene they found the pilot, 57-year-old Charles Kizer and his passenger 49-year-old Matthew Irish dead at the scene, KOIN reported. CINCINNATI (AP) The Kentucky Department of Corrections can deny a life-saving but expensive hepatitis C medication to inmates, a federal appeals court ruled in a split decision. The dissenting judge in last week's 2-1 ruling at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the majority's opinion will condemn hundreds of prisoners to long-term organ damage and suffering, The Courier-Journal reported. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplantation and serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, and Kentucky has the highest infection rate in the United States. Newer treatments can cure nearly 100% of patients but cost $13,000 to $32,000. Because they cost so much, the Kentucky Department of Corrections has restricted use of the treatment to inmates with advanced liver scarring, or fibrosis. The majority found that denying treatment to most of Kentuckys 1,200 inmates with hepatitis C does not violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Lisa Lamb, a spokeswoman for the Corrections Department, said its policy aligns with the practices of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and two courts have now found the department is not violating the constitutional rights of prisoners. Louisville attorney Greg Belzley, who represents prisoners in the class-action lawsuit, called the decision horrendous and said they would ask for a rehearing with the full court or petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. Basically the majority ruled that Kentucky prison officials dont have to do anything to treat an inmates infection except sit around and watch it get worse, he told the paper in an email. Belzley said the department doesnt treat any infected inmates until their liver has already become cirrhotic, and while hepatitis C is curable, cirrhosis is not. He said as of August 2019, the most recently available figures, the department had identified 1,670 prisoners as HCV-positive. Only 159 had received any treatment. Belzley said it would cost taxpayers less to treat infected inmates in prison than to wait until they are released. Meanwhile, they are likely infect others before finally receiving treatment. In a sharply worded dissenting opinion, Judge Jane Stranch said Kentuckys rationing plan shocks the conscience and is fundamentally unfair. She noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and even Kentuckys own Medicaid system recommend treatment with direct acting antivirals, or DAAs, regardless of the degree of fibrosis. Yet according to defendants themselves, they chose not to administer DAAs to all inmates because of the cost of the drugs, a decision that exposed inmates to ongoing suffering and long-term organ damage. The majority opinion upheld an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove of Lexington, who found the departments monitoring of inmates with hepatitis C constituted treatment, and the departments treatment plan was adequate. Citing the Merriam-Webster definition the action of treating a patient or condition medically or surgically Stranch wrote in her dissent that testing how far HCV has advanced in harming an inmates body is not treatment. The case was first filed on behalf of four inmates who contracted the virus Brian Woodcock, Keath Bramblett, Ruben Rios Salinas and Jessica Lawrence. While the first two have been cured, Salinas was denied treatment and Lawrence has not received it yet, according to court documents. The department previously denied treatment to anyone who did not have a clean conduct record for 12 months beforehand, but after the lawsuit was filed it amended the rule to cover only infractions that might compromise treatment. HOLBROOK, Ariz. (AP) A man accused of plowing his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists taking part in a race has been indicted on aggravated assault and other charges. Shawn Michael Chock, 36, was indicted earlier this week on nine counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count each of fleeing an accident and unlawful flight. He is scheduled for an arraignment Monday in Navajo County Superior Court, according to the clerk's office. BERLIN (AP) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday that he and his partner Susanne Thier are expecting their first child. Kurz said on Facebook that the couple were overjoyed and grateful, that we will soon be three. Education Images/UIG via Getty Images MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) The body of a missing 37-year-old Nevada woman was recovered from a logjam on the Cascade River on Friday, according to the Skagit County Sheriffs Office. The woman and a 62-year-old Oak Harbor man went missing Thursday while floating down the Cascade River. A search began Thursday night after the pair did not arrive as planned at the Marble Creek campground, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) A Southern California man has been arrested after being charged with joining the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol while trying to impersonate a member of the media. Matthew Thomas Purse, 45, was arrested in Irvine on Friday to face federal charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, the Orange County Register reported. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California on Friday reported the state's first death from the West Nile virus this year. A resident of San Luis Obispo County died from complications of the mosquito-born virus, the California Department of Public Health said in a news release. It didn't say when the person died or provide other details. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) California will require that masks be worn at schools when classrooms open this fall, despite new guidance issued Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says vaccinated teachers and students dont need to wear face coverings inside school buildings. Ahead of new school guidelines expected next week, health officials in California said Friday that requiring face coverings will allow all schools to reopen this fall for full in-person instruction. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said that not all schools can accommodate physical distancing of at least 3 feet or more, so the best preventive measure is wearing masks indoors. The California Department of Public Health said in a statement that the mask requirement also will ensure that all kids are treated the same, without any stigma attached to those who are vaccinated or unvaccinated. We believe that with masking and with testing, we can get kids back to in person 100% in our schools, Ghaly said. Ghaly noted the CDC guidance released Friday says that when it is not possible to maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking." The health department plans to release more detailed guidance for school reopening next week, said Ghaly, who joined Gov. Gavin Newsom at a Napa Valley elementary school to sign a bill that provides record funding for California schools. Newsom invited a group of young students to help him sign the legislation, which directs how most of the $123.9 billion for K-12 education in the 2021-2022 fiscal year must be spent. As part of a broad new education spending package made possible by the states surprise budget surplus, the states two-year kindergarten program will be expanded to include all 4-year-olds for free. The program aims to phase in the expansion by 2025 at a cost of $2.7 billion per year. The new plan also puts more money toward after school and summer school programs, particularly in districts that serve many high-needs students. This is a transformational budget. This is unlike anything we have ever done in this state, Newsom said. This years budget also adds money to fund free school meals for all students, with $54 million allocated for this year and $650 million in future years. Newsoms kindergarten expansion fulfills a promise that he and Democratic legislative leaders made to foot the bill for universal 4-year-old kindergarten statewide. Currently, there are about 91,000 4-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten. The new plan would boost enrollment to about 250,000. The bill achieves many longtime priorities for Democrats in the Legislature, said Democratic Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, who joined the signing ceremony. We are changing lives, said Aguiar-Curry, of Winters. By the signing of this today, were not going to leave anyone behind. Newsom has said the funding aims to address many of the inequities that the coronavirus pandemic exposed, including the need for robust mental health services to address childhood depression and trauma, more teachers and lower teacher-student ratios. DETROIT (AP) The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan is launching its Advance 2021 education campaign to develop a community vision for the future of public transportation in Detroit and Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties. The aim is to update the authority's Regional Master Transit Plan. PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) The calls flooded into Blue Mountain Wildlife first thing in the morning Monday, June 28 dozens of baby hawks, desperate to escape the blast of early summer heat, bailed from their nests and plummeted to the ground. Calls poured in day after day as temperatures pushed beyond 110 degrees across Eastern Oregon. In her 30 years as director of the wildlife rehabilitation center outside of Pendleton, Lynn Tompkins had not seen anything like it. They had no choice, Tompkins, 68, told the East Oregonian. It was just too bloody hot to survive. In all, the center took in nearly 50 nestling Swainsons and Coopers hawks after they leaped from their nests in the extreme heat wave that baked the Pacific Northwest last week. Thirteen of the raptors suffered injuries severe enough they had to be euthanized. We knew the temperature was going to spike beforehand, and we assumed we might get a few more calls, said Trisha Marquez, a volunteer who fielded the calls and who is Tompkins niece. But we did not expect this at all. Blue Mountain Wildlife lodged 157 more birds compared to the same day last year. The influx was more than the small staff could handle. They hardly had the space to put them all, and eventually, they asked people to turn on their sprinklers and hoses and set out pans of water for less-injured birds to cool themselves down. Tompkins said they will typically see a few injured birds who display this sort of behavior in heat waves around July or August. But this year, with the heat arriving earlier and surging higher, it caught the babies right in their nesting period. The conditions were just right, or wrong, Tompkins said, adding, When your normal body temperature is like 100, and its 115, you have no way of moderating the temperature except for getting out of there. Birds die across PNW amid heat wave The birds came from across the region, including Southeastern Washington, as wildlife centers facility in the Tri-Cities took in more than 70, Tompkins said. And its not just happening here. A rehabilitation center in Delta, British Columbia, saw a similar uptick amid the heat wave last week. The center has about 140 more birds than last year at this time, and many babies that flung themselves from their nests didnt make it, a Vancouver news station reported. In Seattle, state officials began monitoring a colony of Caspian terns last week after dozens of premature seabirds fled their rooftop nests as temperatures reached 108 degrees. Too young to fly, they fell to their death. Marquez said events such as the heat wave can have a population-wide effect. Usually, rehabbers make a difference for one bird at a time, Marquez said. Overall, we can have an impact, but this is a whole generation of a species of bird. A growing body of research from experts around the world suggests as the planet warms due to climate change, species will disappear at an accelerating rate. Some studies suggest the planet has entered its sixth mass extinction of wildlife. An analysis by scientists from prominent universities across the world, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2020, found more than 500 species of land animals are on the brink of extinction and likely will die off within 20 years. That will have a domino effect, the research shows, with interdependent species dying one after another, causing extinction rates to accelerate. Rehabilitation at work The heat wave and similar events are what empower Maruqez and the volunteers and interns to help out at the wildlife center. Last week, Marquez personally set up nine large sprinklers to keep birds cool. The days stretch from early mornings to late evening, and Tompkins added they are typically eating dinner at 10 p.m. these days. Volunteers last week met at various checkpoints, from Umatilla to Walla Walla, delivering six to eight birds at a time in boxes before they were brought to the wildlife center, where they are fed and prepared for release. The premature birds now sit in cages stacked one on top of the other at the center. Its a cluttered but highly functional facility in a yellow double-wide manufactured home on the rolling blonde foothills of the Blue Mountains between Pendleton and Pilot Rock. Inside, volunteers and an intern take measurements and jot down notes while scampering around at least four dogs in tight passageways that smell dankly of birds and feed. Tompkins founded the wildlife center with her husband, who died last March, in 1990. Since then, the facility has grown, now housing a wide array of birds that include eagles, owls, hawks and smaller birds. It also is an educational facility for youths to learn about local wildlife. Tompkins, an energetic director constantly thinking of whats next, said the rest of the baby hawks likely will survive for release. For now, shes just worried about what the feed bill will be, as the babies are voracious eaters. What I always tell people is, if you can euthanize an animal and it doesnt matter, youve been doing this too long, she said, adding, We were exhausted, but we couldnt stop every day until we had dealt with everything we could. It wasnt a fun job, but it had to be done, so we did it. Marquez, who came to the wildlife center to help Tompkins after she had hip surgery nearly two months ago, said even though last week was challenging, she found inspiration. Ive been impressed with the amount of people who have called in, caring about the wildlife, she said. That gives me a bit of hope. There are caring people who wanted to do something to help and wanted to call in for whatever bird they saw. ___ This story has been updated to correct the byline. RUGBY, N.D. (AP) Trailer after trailer of cattle unloaded for sale day at the Rugby Livestock Auction as buyers and sellers sat down in the barn to negotiate prices on cow-calf pairs. This shouldnt be happening this time of year, one local rancher said. Auctioneer Mike Ostrem introduced a group of young cattle to the crowd. This next group comes from the disbursal of an entire herd, Ostrem said. The owner just plumb ran out of grass. The scene replayed itself all afternoon. Other classes of cattle had come in during the morning, keeping the auction staff busy with sale documents and phone calls, the Minot Daily News reported. Barton resident Lisa Marshall sat in the sale barn, her face showing both shock and defeat. She watched her budding business, a small herd of cattle, move into the sale area and go up for bid. Are you doing a story on how much the drought sucks? she asked. Because it does. Marshall, an Air Force veteran, grew up near Rugby and graduated from Rugby High School. When I retired, I was looking for something to do, Marshall said. My brother had cattle and said, Buy some cattle. You can get into this. So, I did. Marshall said things went well for her at first. She enjoyed ranching and bonded with her small herd. I had gotten close to them. Id see them (in the pasture), Id scratch their heads once in awhile. Now, theyre all gone, Marshall said. There was just nothing to feed them. Normally, youd see people out haying around here, she added. Now, theres just nothing. Marshall said she might start over in the cattle business if conditions change. Ill wait and see what happens, she said. I might get back into this. Marshall said she was thankful for the support her brother gave her emotionally. Hes great, she said. A man who represented a group of cattle sellers from Surrey said, Things are a little better here than they are out our way. Its terrible with the drought out where we are. The seller, who asked not to be named, said of his group, Were each keeping five pairs. The rest were selling. The group of sellers had found little help from government programs. They had one program, where I think we got $50 or $60 a head, but otherwise, nothing, he added, laughing ruefully. Last year the Farmers Almanac said the weather was going to be like this, he said. In the sales office, Brenda Heilman and Helga Thiel helped auction owners Cliff and Alicia Mattson manage the steady stream of paperwork coming in. We dont have the numbers in front of us, but I know weve sold more pairs in the last month than weve sold in the past six years, Heilman, a former owner of the auction, said. Heilman said of the sellers coming in, Its all from drought territory. Its from Rugby west. The far northwest part of the state isnt as bad as us, but it follows the pattern you see on the drought map. A swath of land from southwestern through north central North Dakota has experienced exceptional drought this year after a dry winter and spring. Heilman, whose family ranches in Pierce County, said late June wouldnt normally be a busy time for the sale barn. Generally, people are putting up hay on their ranches, Heilman said. We have some alfalfa we put up, and that wasnt terrible, but we rely on two to three cuttings of that so if it doesnt rain, well only have a third of what we shouldve had right there. And the grass needs rain. Nearly one inch of rain fell in Pierce County between June 25 and 27, providing moisture that Heilman and Thiel said would help a little. (The rain) will help that alfalfa grow, but it doesnt make much difference in the grass, Heilman explained. It just puts a little optimism in your heart, Thiel said. Itll regrow pastures, Heilman said. We can put cows out to graze them. Thiel, also a former auction owner, said she had been involved in the business for 38 years. Ive never seen anything like this in all those 38 years, Thiel said of the drought. It was bad in 88 but we got water from snow the winter before. This was worse. We had no snow last winter. Thiel and Heilman said they had heard news reports describing 2021 as the third worst year in history for moisture in North Dakota. Heilman said, Its hard to compare (drought years), adding snowfall makes a difference in dry springs and summers. The snowfalls what fills up the water holes and all the places cattle can drink, Thiel said. I think the ranchers have put up with crises for many years, but theyve never seen anything like this, Thiel added. This is devastating. A statement on the Rugby Livestock Auctions website says the auction is in the process of pooling resources for ranchers facing the devastating effects of drought. Beneath the list of resources is a simple statement: Pray for rain. TEMPERANCE, Mich. (AP) A priest who criticized a teenager's suicide during his funeral is protected by the religion clauses of the First Amendment, the Michigan Court of Appeals said. The court affirmed a decision by a Monroe County judge who had dismissed a lawsuit by the mother of Maison Hullibarger. HIAWATHA, Iowa (AP) A yearslong quest to create a town center in Hiawatha is picking up steam. Between a library expansion, a new plaza under construction in front of City Hall and a couple of large, mixed-use developments in the works, the city of 7,300 is preparing for future growth, City Manager Kim Downs said. Weve been the community that used to be just driven through, Downs said. We are not the same community. We dont look like the same community. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports the new projects are the latest plans in establishing a downtown area in Hiawatha after a big setback. In 2019, the city approved a $72 million mixed-use development project that wouldve been the biggest private investment in the citys history. Hiawatha Midtown, planned for 155 Robins Road, was planned to have town houses, condos and apartments as well as commercial space across over 7 acres. But the project was scrapped when grant funding and some private funding didnt materialize. A big portion of this over the years is having the patience for all of this to come together, Downs said. It has taken time and I think our citizens and business community see that. Now in 2021, new, smaller mixed-use projects are in the works to help establish the heart of Hiawatha. We are still trying to decide what to call it, Downs said. Cedar Rapids has a downtown. Marion has an uptown. We might call it midtown. Its a question of what do we call ourselves? The latest project soon to be open will be the Village Center Plaza, a community gathering space with an amphitheater in front of City Hall where North Center Point Road, Emmons Street and Robins Road meet. The intersection was redeveloped in 2017 and dubbed the Village Center Intersection. Coming in at a little over $1 million, the plaza is scheduled to be completed this fall by McComas-Lacina Construction of Iowa City. The goal to open the plaza is the end of September, Downs said. Concrete is being poured so were really starting to see it forming, Downs said. The Village Center Plaza comes after years of beautification along Center Point Road, including updated street lighting and landscaping. Downs said the plaza will have public restrooms, lighting and a water feature as well as picnic tables, benches and bike racks. It will also feature canopies and it will look really sharp and be the exclamation point of this road, she said. The location of the plaza is situated in the middle of the connection between the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and the Cedar River Trail, making it a potential stop for bicyclists. This will be an awesome spot if you need to stop while biking, Downs said. Its not an official trailhead, but it will certainly be a benefit to people who ride along here. Downs said the goal of the plaza is to be a community center for the people in businesses, homes and future mixed-use developments to use. It also has the potential to host future community events. With everyone in the direct surrounding area between housing developments and businesses like GoDaddy, Cedar Graphics and the library, you have about 1,500 people just in this area right now that can walk to this plaza regularly, Downs said. Next door to the future plaza and current City Hall is the Hiawatha Public Library, which has seen significant upgrades of its own. Library Director Jeaneal Weeks said the library expansion had also been years in the making and is a major piece in establishing a town center in Hiawatha. Weeks, who has been the librarys director since 2003 and has served on committees to talk about the town center vision, said shes seen visible growth since the start of the 21st century and is looking forward to growth continuing now that the library has more space. Its a if you build it, they will come situation, Weeks said. With the Tower Terrace projects and new developments right here in town, there will be more houses and more people. I think were now situated very well for all that to happen. And when people come to a community, they look at the library. They want to use it for themselves and their children. Its a big asset for the city. After construction throughout most of 2020, the library has expanded from 8,543 to 22,000 square feet. We absolutely just needed the space, Weeks said. The old building was so crowded that you couldnt walk down an aisle without having to say excuse me to someone. The library expansion cost $4.2 million and was completed in early 2021. The librarys fundraising capital campaign covered $2 million and the city bonded for $1.2 million. The rest came from local-option sales tax dollars. Currently, two mixed-use developments are planned one a development with 48 units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space and a larger, multifamily complex with about 60 units and commercial space as well. Both developments are being built near Robins Road. That is truly going to be the main street of Hiawatha, Downs said. These guys coming in and breaking ground will drive the Robins Road development. The larger property is set to be built off of Robins Road near Oak Brook property by The Hub LLC, part of Hiawathas Ahman Companies. The overall $30 million project is set to be built in five phases over five years with construction beginning this year. The other project is estimated to be $9 million and is being built by Hodge Construction just up the road and north of the Hiawatha American Legion Hall on Robins Road. Both of these projects are putting their applications in through workforce housing with the state, Downs said, referring to a state program that offers tax benefits to developments that qualify. We need workforce housing and its value for the area and the businesses. Project Manager Andy Hodge said the goal is to begin the 12-month construction project in the fall. Well originally we wouldve broken ground already, but with the recent hike in material prices, it put a slowdown on things, Hodge said. Were shooting for fall right now. We have to wait and see if we get workforce housing tax credits and wait to see what the lumber market does. Hodge said the project will be the first in Hiawatha to have underground parking, and the units will consist of studios, one- and twobedrooms. We are hoping to have a reputable fitness center in the commercial space, he added. Joseph Odelyn/AP PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) The hospitalized wife of Haiti's assassinated President Jovenel Moise has given her first public statement since being wounded in the attack that killed him, accusing enemies of wanting to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology. Martine Moise issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Miami hospital where she was being treated for wounds suffered in the attack early Wednesday, and also posted a version on her Twitter account Saturday. BILOXI, Miss. (AP) Last March, after Lynn Koval watched COVID-19 cases spread across the United States, she bought several thousand dollars worth of beer and liquor before closing the doors at Just Us Lounge, the oldest gay bar still operating in Mississippi. The little storefront on Division Street survived Hurricane Katrina. It weathered the BP oil spill. It hosted fundraisers for countless community members in need. And its been a place to find community and refuge in a conservative state. Koval knew her bar would survive the pandemic, because she knew she couldnt let it die. And so, as a veteran of South Mississippi nightlife, she thought practically and stocked up on supplies. I didnt know what it was going to be like on the other side, she said of those days last spring, when no one knew just how the pandemic would transform our lives, and for how long. Koval closed Just Us on March 20, well before Gov. Tate Reeves issued a shelter in place order on April 1, 2020, that required bars and restaurants to stop serving. Its never a hard decision when its for the betterment of this community, Koval said. Throughout the pandemic, Kovals decisions were driven by that philosophy: That her objective as the owner of a gay bar is not profit, but service. When you open a gay bar, she said, Youre taking on a movement, a community all of its needs, everything. She reopened in late July 2020 because if she hadnt, she might have lost the business. And that would have meant much more than the closing of a bar. BUT IM GAY Koval started bartending to pay her way through college, always working at 24-hour joints. They werent gay bars, so whenever her straight clients made a derisive comment about gay people, she saw an opportunity. But Im gay, shed say. No, youre Lynn, theyd respond. It doesnt work that way, shed explain, and at the end of the night one more person would head home knowing that someone in their life, someone they liked and respected, was gay. (Surveys have found that the sharp increase in support for gay marriage coincided with a dramatic rise since the 1990s in the number of Americans who report personally knowing someone who is gay.) When she opened her bar the Sanctuary on Veterans Avenue in 1996, the Coast could be a violent place to be openly queer. We were getting our asses whupped, she said. Alcohol was what Koval knew, so a bar was what she opened to serve her community. If shed had experience with donuts, she jokes, shed now own the longest-running gay doughnut shop in Mississippi. A few years later, Koval moved her bar to Division Street, and it became Just Us. THE MEANING OF A GAY BAR The first Pride march and celebration in 1970 commemorated the police raid of a New York City gay bar called the Stonewall Inn the year prior and the LGBTQ communitys protests; that raid and the riots also accelerated the American movement for gay rights. In many communities around the country, the local gay bar is the only space clearly dedicated to the LGBTQ community. Unlike bigger cities, the Coast has no LGBTQ community center, though one is in the works. Rob Hill, the Jackson-based state director for the Human Rights Campaign in Mississippi, has held community meetings at Sipps, a gay bar in Gulfport, when he comes to the Coast. Christopher Davidson, who has tended bar at Just Us off and on for 19 years, is retired from Lockheed Martin. Decades ago, before he was out, he visited Dallas and was stunned to encounter LGBTQ men and women having drinks after work, wearing well-tailored suits that he still vividly remembers. Growing up in the Deep South, he hadnt known there were openly gay business people, and that he could be one, too. He believes Just Us provides the same kind of opportunity for young queer people who have no LGBTQ people in their lives. You need role models, said Davidson, who is 59. They can come in the bar and see us older people and realize, regardless of what weve been through, were still here. Before the pandemic, Koval had closed her 24/7 bar just once, when it was 70% gone after Hurricane Katrina. Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic stand out as two of the most devastating events in the history of Just Us. Theyre both heartbreaking, because both situations involved having choices, she said. Its very hard to sit back and watch a community make poor choices. PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS When Koval closed Just Us, she and her employees kept in touch daily in a Facebook Messenger group. The bar got a $15,000 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, and employees drew expanded unemployment benefits. They used the time to renovate the bar, coming in one or two at a time to work. They put in new floors and remodeled the bathrooms. They extended the bar to give people more space to spread out. And they filled a patio space with picnic tables to allow for outdoor socializing. By July 2020, Koval couldnt afford to stay closed for much longer. On July 30, her wife Tamaras birthday, they reopened. No matter how crazy it may get while we work out our kinks, we are home, the bars Facebook post that day said. We are here! We are Just Us! The reopened Just Us took precautions that werent common at Coast bars and restaurants. There were temperature checks at the door and a temperature log for employees. They hung plexiglass along the bar to protect bartenders. Everyone wore plastic gloves. Davidson said Koval was adamant about following safety procedures. She said, Weve survived 26 years without putting people at risk. Why start now? Koval spent most of her time at home because of health conditions that would make COVID-19 an almost certain death sentence. But she stayed closely involved with the business, especially when it came to coronavirus precautions. She could see on the bars security camera if an employees mask was dangling from an ear, and she would call to ask them to cover their mouth and nose. As far as Koval knows, no one in her immediate circle got the virus. A RETURN TO NORMAL On a recent Tuesday night, Davidson was tending bar inside the cool dark of Just Us. A handful of regulars were watching Wheel of Fortune at one end of the bar. The plexiglass was gone, and no one was wearing a mask. Koval said all of her employees except those with specific medical concerns have been vaccinated. Davidson checked the beer supply, unsure what remained in stock after a busy Pride weekend. That event had marked something of a return to normal for the bar: since reopening almost a year ago, Just Us had hosted almost no shows or events, because Koval didnt want to pack the place. The regulars, coming in alone or in small groups, were keeping them afloat anyway. In big cities like Los Angeles and New York, owners of gay bars worried that the pandemic would force them to close permanently, destroying pieces of queer history and present-day community. In Los Angeles, at least four did close permanently. On the Coast, thanks in part to Mississippis less-stringent restrictions, things looked different. Jeffrey Mayeux, the owner of Sipps Bar in Gulfport, said his business actually doubled once he reopened during the pandemic. People visited from New Orleans, where bars were less open. And a group of older straight people started coming to Sipps every Tuesday and Friday first because their regular bar was closed, and then because they found they liked Sipps better. LYNN KOVAL, KING OF PRIDE On the evening of Saturday, June 26, Kovals bar was full of people who had come from Biloxis Pride celebration. They drank, chatted, and danced to Whitney Houstons I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Koval was back at Point Cadet, being crowned the Coasts first King of Pride in recognition of her contributions to the Coasts LGBTQ community. Koval organized the Coasts first Pride festival in 2017. Davidson, president of the Gulf Coast Association of Pride, which now organizes the event, said she had been the obvious choice. Around 6 p.m., Koval walked into Just Us wearing her crown. Her regulars kept coming up to tell her they love her. And newcomers came over to ask, in the hushed and slightly disbelieving tone of someone encountering royalty (which, after her coronation at Pride, she was), Are you the owner? Koval was devastated by the pandemics death toll, by its continuing rise, by the limits of Americas empathy and willingness for collective sacrifice it had revealed. What a ball of mixed feelings there how can you say you love the person next to you when youre not willing to be inconvenienced? But that night, with Pride in full swing and the bar filling up, it looked like Just Us had once again made it to the other side, still standing. SKOKIE, Ill. (AP) Illinois public school students will be taught Asian American history under a law signed Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The topics will include the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II; the military service of Asian Americans; Illinois and Midwest history of Asian Americans; and the role of Asian Americans in expanding civil rights. A lack of knowledge is the root cause of discrimination, and the best weapon against ignorance is education, said state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, the sponsor of the bill. Pritzker signed the bill into law at Niles West High School in Skokie. Its a new standard that helps us understand one another, and ultimately to move ourselves closer to the nation of our ideals," he said. PERRY, Ga. (AP) Brian Kemp often tells supporters to keep choppin wood, the way the self-described country guy urges a steady, deliberate approach. Yet the Georgia governor also says hell be running scared as he seeks a second term. Because precious little about Georgia politics is calm heading into 2022. A swath of Republicans' right flank joins Donald Trump in blaming Kemp for not doing more to reverse the former president's loss last year. Some moderate Republicans, meanwhile, have cooled to a party under Trump's control. And Democrats have proven they can capitalize: They won both of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats in January runoffs two months after President Joe Biden won the state's 16 electoral votes. Now, the 57-year-old Kemp has to refashion the GOP coalition that helped him climb the state's political ladder. We need everyone engaged, because we know the Democrats are united, Kemp told a crowd of more than 300 supporters Saturday at his campaign kickoff in Perry, Georgia, south of Macon. The governors inner circle planned for as much since Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams by 55,000 votes - or 1.4 percentage points out of more than 3.9 million ballots. In that contest, Kemp widened typical GOP margins beyond Georgias metro areas. But his advisers recognized that four more years of a rapidly urbanizing, diversifying electorate could eliminate his narrow statewide advantage if Abrams, as expected, seeks a rematch. What Kemp and his team didnt bargain for was Trump losing Georgia in 2020 and promising retribution against the governor and other state officials. Kemp has since been censured by multiple local GOP committees and booed by a minority of state Republican convention delegates who roared for long-shot primary challenger Vernon Jones. Even Saturday, one attendee in a crowd stacked for Kemp shouted We need an audit, echoing Jones' calls to keep rehashing 2020. A former Democratic state lawmaker, Jones thus far has proven no threat to Kemp in a primary. But that doesnt mean he couldnt damage the governor with the already roiled right flank, while reminding suburban moderates why theyve drifted from Republicans in the Trump era. It used to be you never challenged the incumbent governor within your party, said Eric Tanenblatt, a former chief of staff to two-term Gov. Sonny Perdue and a top national fundraiser for Republicans. That just makes you weaker as a party going into the general election. Republicans need only look back to the January Senate runoffs for proof. With Trump making false claims of voter fraud, disputed by courts, election officials and his own attorney general, turnout sagged in GOP strongholds and Democrats exploited the melee in suburbs to send Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate. Kemp's plan so far echoes how he won three previous statewide contests including 2018: play to conservatives in rural and small-town Georgia, while appealing to enough moderates concentrated around Atlanta. His argument that pivots from Trumpian drama to continuing 20 years of GOP control. Our states been on a tremendous path here for decades now, Kemp told The Associated Press in an interview before Saturday. And its because weve had good leadership, not only in the governors office, but also in the General Assembly. State House Minority Whip David Wilkerson, a Democrat from suburban Atlanta, gave Kemp begrudging credit for the approach: I think hes an incrementalist. But Wilkerson said Kemp is getting credit for the money Democrats have pumped into the economy, saying he thinks people want fundamental change. For the GOP base, Kemp's strategy means hammering Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and Biden ally, amid a crime increase, publicizing a letter to the state school board urging members to ban critical race theory from Georgia classrooms and saying Democrats want open borders. To the middle, Kemp promotes a teacher pay raise, investments in rural broadband and a GOP version of Medicaid expansion. To all, he touts his measured reopening after the initial shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the lowest state unemployment rates nationally. On the most contentious issue -- voting laws in the wake of 2020 -- Kemp walks his highest tightrope. In a nod to Trump's hardcore supporters, Kemp signed an overhaul by the Republican-led General Assembly that he insists will restore confidence in Georgia elections. The law mixes tighter restrictions on absentee voting and after-hours drop boxes, which Trump labeled as ripe for fraud, while expanding some in-person early voting opportunities. It also gives the state more power to usurp local authority over elections, a move Democrats and some civil rights advocates see as targeting strongly Democratic urban counties. Yet Kemp avoids repeating Trumps assertion that November results were fraudulent and notes Abrams and her supporters questioned his election two years earlier. Kemp insists its simply not true that the new law was all done in reaction to the Big Lie that Biden stole the election. He emphasized in an interview that more draconian proposals, such as scrapping no-excuse absentee voting altogether, went too far and thus never reached his desk. Liberal advocates have filed multiple federal suits challenging the law anyway, arguing it disproportionately affects minority voters, who lean Democratic. Meanwhile, the governors campaign trumpets that hes raised $12 million so far -- an impressive early sum meant to quell talk that he cant compete with Abrams national fundraising prowess if she reprises her effort to become the nation's first-ever Black woman governor. The question, though, is whether Kemp can effectively present himself as an unapologetic but still mainstream conservative in a political climate where Trump casts the longest shadow. Matt Donaldson, mayor of Twin City and a longtime Kemp supporter, predicted conservatives would look at the facts over a lot of the rhetoric thats out there. But he tacitly acknowledged Trumps influence: I would tell President Trump that I appreciate his service to our country, but I would hope that he would continue to support conservative candidates for office. Reflecting Georgias new tossup status, Democrats are perhaps more bullish on Kemps ability to withstand the dynamics than some Republicans. Rep. Debbie Buckner, the last rural white Democrat in the General Assembly, said Kemp made an impression just by coming in 2019 to tour tornado damage in Talbotton, east of Columbus. That was very meaningful to residents, she said. Democrats also vowed to hammer Kemp over his handling of COVID-19, including an attempt to block local mask mandates, but aren't sure anymore of the issue's power as the pandemic fades. And Kemp can point to a strong economy and flush state coffers, even if buoyed by federal pandemic aid Republicans didnt support. I dont count the governor out, said Wilkerson, the Democratic floor leader, even if hes going to have to run with Trump whether he likes it or not. Democrats and Republicans also largely agree that Kemp has a potentially unifying variable awaiting: Abrams. I really feel like a lot of the race will be based on race, said Buckner, explaining that most white voters in her district aren't willing to vote for a Black woman for governor. For his part, Kemp said reminding people of my record, which I didnt have in 2018 will corral support. And even if Georgia Republicans run the gamut from archconservative Rep. Majorite Taylor Green to metro Atlanta residents who voted for Biden, Kemp disputed the idea the GOP is too factionalized for him to win a second term. It depends on where you are. Some people may say that Marjorie Taylor Greenes a problem for the party, Kemp said. But, you know, if youre up in her district, she seems to be pretty well liked. I respect the voters. Im going to campaign on who I am, running statewide. Barrow reported from Atlanta. LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) More than a billion years ago and hundreds of millions of light-years away, a ravenous mass of gravitational power known to scientists as a black hole swallowed a smaller, dead star whole, like an alligator eating its fill of nutria. Then it happened again. The ripples created by the two collisions finally reached Earth in January 2020, marking a revelation in the burgeoning field of gravitational wave astrophysics. Scientists now regularly study the gravitational waves emitted by black holes meeting other black holes, but they had long-anticipated examining the more subtle ripples they hoped would emanate from a black hole consuming a smaller neutron star. Last January, a group of researchers working on an isolated patch of wooded land in the middle of Livingston Parish were among the first humans to detect them. Weve gotten quite used to the discovery process at this stage, said Dr. Brian OReilly, a senior scientist at the LIGO center in Livingston, but this was a good one. Its kind of a landmark achievement to detect this new type of system. LIGO Livingston the acronym stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory is one of two such sites in the United States dedicated to mind-bending study of ruptures in the fabric of space-time. Once impossible to detect, scientists at LIGO Livingston and its sister site in Hanford, WA, along with a third observatory in Italy, now regularly observe gravitational waves that emerge from those ruptures. To date, the waves have almost always emitted from ancient collisions of one black hole with another. LIGO scientists describe the observatories behind the discoveries, like the one in Livingston Parish, as remarkable physics experiments. Each center consists of two four-kilometer-long, vacuum-sealed tubes in which are suspended some of the worlds finest mirrors the only way to offer a reading on the infinitesimally small gravitational waves. Studying the waves, they say, offers new windows into the very fabric of how light, time and space coalesce to form the universe. Each new discovery bolsters Albert Einsteins famous theory of gravity. For many years, scientists thought the gravitational waves offering evidence of those theories might be a myth, or were simply undetectable. The invention of LIGO, OReilly said, was like watching a silent movie, and then somebody turned on the sound. Run by scientists from both LSU and the California Institute of Technology, the Livingston observatory has regularly played a role in groundbreaking gravitational wave discoveries around 50 of them over the past several years, according to OReilly. Between 2015 and 2017, the observatory logged waves from a series of black hole collisions that helped form a base of knowledge in the young field. Those collisions generally involved black holes of similar mass and size until an event the Livingston scientists saw on April 12, 2019, when one black hole with a mass 30 times greater than the sun swallowed up another one about one-fourth its own size. Working alongside colleagues at the Virgo observatory in Pisa, Italy, the Livingston scientists reported in a new paper this week of observing two even- rarer-still instances of black holes colliding with neutron stars. The first merger, detected on Jan. 5, 2020, involved a 9-solar-mass black hole and a 1.9-solar-mass neutron star, according to an LSU spokesperson. The second merger was detected 10 days later and involved a 6-solar-mass black hole and a 1.5-solar-mass neutron star. The gravitational-wave signals that emerged from the two collisions offered evidence of a new kind of astrophysical system not previously observed, said Guillermo Valdes, who until December of 2020 was a postdoctoral researcher at LSU and contributed to the paper announcing the discovery. Rather than being a cataclysmic event, the collisions were likely fairly subdued. We looked for evidence that before the black hole and the neutron star merged that the neutron star was basically ripped apart by the black hole, OReilly said. But in this case, the neutron star basically disappeared into the black hole without a lot of being shredded apart, because the size differences were big enough between the two. Now, OReilly and the other LIGO scientists are upgrading their detectors as they keep their eyes peeled for the arrival of a supernova in the earths galaxy. Such an event would offer the next big data point for gravitational astrophysicists to work with, OReilly said. Supernovas appear about as often as a 100-year flood. It goes to show that even after discovering dozens of events, theres still a lot of new science to be explored, OReilly said. SEATTLE (AP) One day after an investigation found that two of six Seattle police officers violated the law while in Washington, D.C., during the Jan. 6 insurrection, lawyers representing the officers in a related public records case filed a motion to withdraw from that case. The six officers had filed a lawsuit in February against a list of people who had filed public records requests seeking the officers' identities and information about the investigation by the Office of Police Accountability into their activities while in Washington, D.C. After a judge ordered the release of their identities in March, the officers appealed. Sam Sueoka, a Seattle University law student who was named in the officers' lawsuit, has asked the Washington Supreme Court to decide the issue. The court will consider that request at the end of July. On Thursday, the OPA released a report on its investigation. It found that at least two of the officers had violated the law and department policy by trespassing at the U.S. Capitol while rioters stormed the building. OPA Director Andrew Myerberg recommended that the two officers be fired. On Friday, the officers' three lawyers, Kelly Sheridan, Victoria Ainsworth and Kayla Higgins, filed a motion stating their intent to leave the public records case. They did not give a reason for withdrawing. They said it would be effective July 19. Sheridan declined to comment when reached by email Saturday. A phone message left for Mike Solan, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, which funded the lawsuit, was not immediately returned. Neil Fox, the lawyer representing Sueoka, said now that the OPA investigation has concluded that at least two officers broke the law, the full report, including the officers' names, should be made public. The officers had stated in their lawsuit there has been no allegation let alone evidence that any of the six officers participated in any criminal activities or misconduct while in the district on Jan. 6, Fox said. It is now apparent that this is a false statement, he said. The public has a right to know if the police officers who patrol our neighborhoods also attended the earlier extremist event outside the White House, attended by white nationalists, fascist groups and QAnon conspiracy theorists, Fox said. The public also has a right to know the identities of the police officers in the likely event that they transfer to a different department. ___ This story has been updated to correct the name of attorney Neil Fox. BANGOR, Maine (AP) The state of Maine is nearly tripling the number of acoustic shark detectors in coastal waters a year after the state's first fatal shark attack. The Maine Department of Marine Resources deployed eight acoustic receivers in coastal waters a year ago between Wells and Popham Beach, raising the number of sensors to 11. This summer, the state has deployed 32 acoustic receivers between York and Boothbay Harbor, said agency spokesperson Jeff Nichols. The sensors dont provide real-time data. They must be brought to shore for the data to be downloaded to determine if they detected sharks that were previously tagged with transmitters by researchers, the Bangor Daily News reported. The extra sensors come a year a fatal attack in Harpswell. Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, of New York City, was killed by a great white shark while swimming. It was Maine's first fatal shark attack and the third fatal shark attack in New England. An increasing presence of large sharks in New England waters is tied to a growing number of seals. The purpose of the sensor system is to ensure that officials have data to support their efforts to protect public safety and to provide important information about migration and habitat use of great white sharks in the Gulf of Maine, state officials said. The state plans to retrieve the sensors later this month, download the data and then put them back in the water, Nichols said. The sensors will remain in the water until late fall. VALLETTA, Malta (AP) The Mediterranean island nation of Malta is requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination for visitors 13 and up, the first European Union nation to do so, Starting Wednesday, visitors to Malta must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate that is recognized by Maltese health authorities, meaning certificates issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom. The EUs green passport program certifies people who are fully vaccinated, but also those who receive a negative PCR test result or have recovered from COVID-19. But Malta has decided to only recognize those who are fully vaccinated in hopes of stemming a recent rise in confirmed coronavirus cases. Malta will be the first EU country taking this step, Health Minister Chris Fearne said. Children aged 5-12 will only need to present proof of a negative PCR test, while those under 5 are exempt from all documentation requirements. Malta, which has a population of just over half a million, had 46 active cases on July 1 and 252 active cases as of Friday. The country has reported nearly 31,000 cases and 420 deaths in the pandemic. The Maltese government says 90% of its new COVID-19 cases are among unvaccinated people. Currently, 79% of Maltese adults have been fully vaccinated. Fearne said most of the new infections were linked to travel. Several positive cases were identified in English-language teaching schools, and the Italian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that a growing number" of Italians most of them minors were among them. They were being quarantined, as were their classmates, even those who tested negative. In a statement, the Italian Foreign Ministry said it was trying to persuade the Maltese government to let the students who had tested negative return home, but said the Maltese government had refused and was requiring a 14-day quarantine for people who had tested positive and come into contact with them. The Maltese government ordered the closure of the language schools starting Wednesday. ___ Follow all AP stories about the global pandemic at https://apnews.com/coronavirus-pandemic. FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) An 85-year-old man faces a 10-year prison term after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the hit-and-run death of a romantic rival 2 1/2 years ago in New Jersey. Johnny Westbrook of Asbury Park entered the plea Friday weeks before he was scheduled to stand trial on a murder charge in the December 2018 death of 63-year-old Daniel Rivera, the Asbury Park Press reported. Under questioning by his public defender, Westbrook acknowledged that he struck Rivera, his neighbor in an adjacent apartment building, and continued to drive with the victim stuck underneath the sport utility vehicle, dragging him for several feet and not stopping to offer aid. You understand that by dragging him and hitting him and not stopping for help, you exhibited extreme indifference to his life and that those actions caused his death? the defense attorney asked. "Yes, Westbrook said. Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-OConnor told him that without a plea bargain, he could have faced up to 30 years for the first-degree offense. The state agreed to treat it as a second-degree crime and recommend a 10-year term. Prosecutors said he will be required to serve 85% of that term before being eligible for parole. Joseph Cummings, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor, told the judge that the victims family was consulted and approved of the plea bargain. Cummings has alleged that Westbrook followed Rivera to the supermarket, parked outside and waited for him to emerge in order to run him over. The prosecutor alleges that about a month earlier, the two got into a physical fight in the apartment building hallway, swinging canes at each other before Westbrook punched the victim in the nose. Defense attorneys tried unsuccessfully earlier this year to have their client declared incompetent for trial, saying he has memory loss. A psychiatrist testified that Westbrook has diabetes, hypertension and seizure disorders and has had prostate cancer and several strokes. But she believed he was faking or exaggerating any memory loss. The Asbury Park Press reports that Westbrook previously served six years of a seven-year prison term in a February 2004 shooting in Neptune of a man having an affair with a 23-year-old woman to whom Westbrook had given an engagement ring. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) It's now a little more expensive to park at Rhode Island's most popular state beach. The daily parking rate at Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly is now $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays for state residents, and $20 on weekdays and $30 on weekends and holidays for out-of-state visitors, the state Department of Environmental Management announced. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Deborah and Rudy Lucero got married on an especially super Super Bowl Sunday last February he in a hospital room at Lovelace Medical Center nearly five weeks after being admitted with COVID-19, she in the hospital parking lot with about 100 of their friends and family and the Zoom app on her cellphone. It wasnt the wedding she had planned. There was no wedding dress, no zoot suit, no paper flowers adorning a parade of classic cars driven by fellow members of the Drifters Car Club. It was beautiful anyway. But that day, Rudy almost died. They told me he wasnt going to make it, Deborah told the Albuquerque Journal. They were taking him to the ICU and I wouldnt see him alive again. Hospital workers let her FaceTime with him as they wheeled him to the ICU, ostensibly to say her goodbyes. She wasnt ready for that. Doctors gave them three options: Put him on a ventilator, put him in hospice or keep fighting. They chose Option No. 3. I kept saying I didnt want to die, he said. I told him over and over that hes got the hard fight but were in this together, she said. We were both going to keep fighting. Three days later, his condition improved. But Rudy was still a very sick man, and at times his oxygen saturation levels plummeted and his lungs simply could not function without him willing them to keep breathing. It was pretty scary, he said. The doctors told me on a few occasions that I wasnt going to make it so to get my affairs in order. But he kept breathing. Slowly, he began to improve. Both attribute that to the healing power of being together once she was allowed to visit him after he was moved March 1 to Kindred Long-Term Acute Care Hospital. Still, there were times she left the hospital for the day and wondered if she would see him alive again. COVID-19 is such a brutal, unpredictable monster. Then on June 23, nearly half a year later and 50 pounds lighter, Rudy was released from the hospital, his oxygen saturation levels stabilized enough for him to go home with his bride. Deborah and Rudy she a cosmetologist, he a plumber had been together for 15 years before he got the courage to ask her to marry him. Two wedding dates and all the preparations Rudy had even traveled to California to purchase his zoot suit came and went because of COVID-19. On New Years Day 2021, they both fell ill and tested positive for COVID-19. Deborah recuperated at home, but Rudy, who has diabetes, was so sick he had to be rushed by ambulance to the hospital. They still have no idea where they caught the virus. I was with my mom every week, and shes 70, and she never got it, Deborah said. Their hospital wedding Feb. 7 was put together in just days, thanks to a lot of family and friends and an amazing set of connections and coincidences. Had there been a vaccine available at the time, Rudy said he would have been first in line for one. Hes since been vaccinated, as has Deborah. Both tell their friends to get vaccinated, too. Im the perfect example of what can happen if you dont, he said. I tell people, You dont want to go through this. Get the vaccine. Doctors have told him that he will likely never fully recover, that he will likely always need to be hooked to an oxygen tank or a concentrator, even when he sleeps. My lungs are just so scarred, he said. Hes been told 70% to 80% of his lungs are scarred, a debilitating and permanent condition known as pulmonary fibrosis and a troubling long-hauleraftereffect of COVID-19. A lung transplant may be considered at a later date, but for now the Luceros are hoping that physical therapy and care will improve his condition enough to not need one. Deborah Lucero adjusts husband Rudy Luceros nasal cannula, which provides oxygen to him. Rudy, who is 54, is learning to economize his every move, from getting out of bed to getting dressed, to conserve energy and to keep his oxygen levels stable. He tires easily. He can walk 20 feet, stop, take a break, walk a little more, said Deborah, who has learned to be his physical therapist. Even brushing his teeth is tiring. Besides being home with Deborah, Rudy said what he looked forward to the most was seeing his two big pit bulls, Tune and Scuda, and feasting on a big crock pot of Deborahs beans and red chile. He knows how blessed he is to have Deborah by his side. I dont know what I would have done without her, he said. Deborah feels the same. Im the lucky one, she said. I reap the benefits of seeing him improve a little bit every day. And besides, she said, he still owes her a big wedding. I didnt buy a dress for nothing, she said. Shes already got the vows down: for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. CHICAGO (AP) A 34-year-old man sought by police in the fatal shooting of a couple at a Puerto Rican culture celebration in Chicago has been arrested in California. Anthony Lorenzi is charged with first-degree murder and is awaiting extradition to Illinois, Chicago police said Saturday. SALEM, Ore. (AP) A Salem police officer responding to a domestic violence call fatally shot a person the agency says was armed with a knife. The agency released few details about the circumstances that led to the overnight encounter, according to the Oregonian/OregonLive. The incident began about 11:20 p.m. Friday when police were dispatched to a home on June Avenue Northeast. FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) The barber to Florence mayors since David McLeod not to mention athletes of note who found their way into Florence ended his 57-year barbering career and closed a barber shop that was at least 120 years old when he and his wife left Patriot Barber Shop for the last time last Friday. The shop, which started in Florences Sanborn Hotel, will go up on the auction block one piece at a time in the near future, Dan Phillips said. It moved to its current location on the south side of Evans Street near the Coit Street intersection in 1957 at least thats what Phillips said he was told. He didnt start there until 1966 as the United States approached a pivotal time in hair history. But to appreciate the story and Dan Phillips has many you have to dial the calendar back to 1964 when he started his barbering career in a shop on Dargan Street. I started out in the third chair and worked my way up to the first chair. Phillips said of his former shop. I came here in 66. The man that was running it, his health was bad. He said, Any reason I have to quit, Ill give you first chance to buy it, because my brother worked for him in 63. When I came here in 66, we had 13 barbershops in a mile radius, and they averaged four chairs per barber shop. (The shops owner) died in 68. His wife told me what she wanted for the shop. Phillips said he went to his bank he cut the hair of the banks chief executive officer and was turned down for a loan, because, with the advent of long hair, 3,500 barber shops per month were closing nationwide. Ultimately the former owners widow financed the purchase and Phillips was in business. Back then there wasnt but one barber shop left in Florence that had five barbers, and that was Frank Ward at Florence Mall, Phillips said. A lot of older barbers said they werent cutting long hair, and they quit, Phillips said. Id been doing cosmetology shows with my wife, so I knew how to work with long hair. ITS ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE, AND THEIR HAIR Phillips is quick with a smile and a laugh. Fifty-seven years of barbering have left him with stories about some of his favorite customer experiences and customers. One such encounter happened Memorial Day, 1965, when four men came into the barber shop. When his chair was open, the last of the four stepped up for a haircut. I ended up cutting David Pearsons hair, Phillips said of the late NASCAR driver. In the late 70s, when the Holiday Inn was around on Dargan Street, the desk clerk called and said a man needed a haircut, and they sent him around. That man turned out to be Leo Ernest Durocher the late infielder and manager who ranks fifth in the major leagues for all-time victories, second in the National League behind John McGraw. He stood around here for an hour or so signing autographs and talking to people, Phillips said. The most interesting man, wish I could remember his name, he was retired and he used to be the editor of the Chicago Tribune, and he was a reporter during the time of Al Capone, Phillips said. He told us some wonderful stories. He has also cut many Florence mayors hair. I cut Mayor McLeods hair, then Robin Fowlers hair, then Haigh Porters hair, then mayor (Frank) Willis hair were still cutting his hair and then we cut mayor (Stephen) Wukelas hair. Cut his hair since he was in high school. Then there were the kids. I wish I had taken a picture of every kids first haircut, Phillips said. He did with some, and theyre back there in the shops back room. I have folks I gave them their first haircut and Ive given their kids their first haircut, he said. WORKING IN THEIR OWN MUSEUM Hanging from one of several hat racks in the shop is one of the original electric clippers. It was designed to hang between barber chairs so that two barbers could use it, though only one at a time, Phillips said. Look at that wall. Its marble. The countertops are marble, Myrtle Phillips said of one side of the shop. The wall, the mirrors, the countertops and the cabinets came out of the Sanborn Hotel. The barber chairs also came from the hotel. Then there is the huge hat rack in the front of the store, built by the same company that manufactured the chairs, Dan said. If its not one of a kind, it might be close, he said. On a buffet in the shop there is a box of hair tonic bottles that have been there since the 70s, Dan said. The design of the display, though, might indicate the bottles predate the 70s. The salesman, Dan said, marveled at what his company had sent and offered to take them back. They stayed. That is the color they should be, and thats faded by the light, Dan said as he held up a bottle of the tonic from the back and compared it to a bottle of tonic at the front. The colors dont even come close to matching. And thats just evaporation. Theyve never been opened, he said of the missing tonic from several of the bottles. There is a shoeshine box on the floor in the shop and a shoeshine stand in the back room, Dan said. There is a cabinet of old barbering implements that are no longer in use at the store, and possibly some elsewhere still in use. A box of slightly used singe sticks that date back to the shops early days are on hand and a rack of empty, mostly anyway, soda bottles sits in the shop a relic of days when there was a soda machine that dealt in glass bottles. A low-to-the-floor dining room table holds a collection of magazines, and a checkers game sits off to the side in the waiting area right beside a flat-panel television. CUSTOMERS WERE LIKE FAMILY, CLOSING LIKE A FUNERAL Myrtle showed off a picture of a barber and a beautiful woman in the barber chair that a customer who hadnt been in the shop for 20 years found somewhere and gifted to the couple. Thats just the kind of customers we have, she said. Theyre like one big family. The parents of two children whose hair the couple clipped gave them a church Christmas ornament. And we kept it, Myrtle said as she showed it off from its place of pride in the shop. The couple has a 50-year-old Christmas tree in the back that they break out and use every year, she said. That means a lot because those two little boys are grown and have become very successful people. The father was in yesterday saying his goodbyes, Myrtle said. Wed planned to skip out and not tell anybody. Its been like a funeral, Myrtle said of customers stopping by to say their goodbyes. We had a customer today who was a 57-year-customer. They are upset. The couple has been slowing down this past year, taking more time for socializing in the shop and spending less time on hair. People come in sometimes and just play checkers, she said. In their retirement, Dan and Myrtle plan to travel while theyre still young enough to enjoy it. Dan will be 79 years old in August; Myrtle is a few years younger. She says she wants a VW bus with flowers painted on the side in which to travel and on the backroads of America. Dan said hed planned on passing his customers along to two other barbers in town only to discover their shops had closed. Ultimately Florences hair will be in good hands with places like the Mail Room a newer Florence barber shop, he said. I dont know whats around the next curve, but well deal with it, no matter what, Myrtle said as she packed up a cake a customer dropped off. She and the cake were headed home. STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) Mention the words summer school to any student and the reaction you receive isnt likely to be overflowing with enthusiasm. But after enduring more than a year of abnormal educational settings because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students of all ages in Storm Lake seem to be taking to the added time in school this summer. They just bound in the building, Storm Lake Community Schools superintendent Stacey Cole said of some of the students attending her districts expanded summer sessions. School districts across Siouxland spent the past year teaching kids during challenging circumstances, and superintendents acknowledged the need for beefed-up summer programs to help students who had fallen behind because of missed classroom time caused by COVID-related disruptions. The summer classes are important, of course, to help students catch up academically. Also important, Cole told the Sioux City Journal, is that students who spent so much time isolated from one another are getting to socialize and boost their emotional health. With a big assist from Buena Vista University students, Cole said its been satisfying to watch children begin to deal with the educational and emotional challenges. I definitely believe that we are better because were offering the programs were offering, Cole said. As Cole and her teachers pondered the best summer school set-up, they faced a problem: lack of staff available to teach all the extra kids expected to attend. Cole looked across town to Buena Vista, wondering if education students there would want to gain some hands-on classroom experience as student-teachers this summer. It wasnt a tough sell, said Brittany Garling, dean of Buena Vistas School of Education. I think its a win-win on both ends. To be honest, I think my students are getting the better end of it, Garling said. Storm Lakes school district hired 26 college students, most of them from Buena Vista, the others local students attending college elsewhere, to work with students from kindergarten through high school. The universitys Value-Added Fund, which helps students pay for internships and international travel opportunities, is providing funds so the Buena Vista students can live on the Storm Lake campus for free. Garling said shes watched the future teachers gain experience that will benefit them after they graduate. They, too, have dealt with disrupted learning environments for a year, and the chance to teach in a classroom has been a big emotional boost. I think this is the first time theyve felt normal for a year, Garling said. Its really helped normalize things. With more than 300 Storm Lake students taking part in summer school, Cole said, those college students have been invaluable, working side by side with district teachers. Theyre also helping meet students emotional needs. Four Buena Vista social work students are among those on the summer staff, sitting in on morning social/emotional sessions in which students are free to talk about whatevers bothering them. Kids are suffering from some mental health issues that they dont know how to deal with, Cole said. It stems from many sources: the disruption of their normal school routine, being separated from one another, watching family members get sick with COVID-19. Cole said school counselors noticed increased signs of anxiety, depression and quick-to-anger behaviors among kids as this past school year progressed. Its one reason why Cole expects to use federal COVID relief funds to pay for expanded summer school sessions and the salaries of those who teach them for a couple more years. We really think this year and the following year are probably going to be the toughest years to get through, she said. Having the extra hands this summer has boosted the number of kids the district can help begin to heal. Cole said some of those smiling students she saw entering the doors each morning in June are the same ones who couldnt wait for a school day to end in May. The lessons will continue in July with week-long science and technology camps taught by college students. Everyone -- students and staff -- needed the emotional boost this summer is providing, Cole said. Our goal is to come back better than normal. We hope we can come back with a lot of lessons learned, she said. This is what we needed. We feel like a fully operational school again. RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) Local school boards around the country are increasingly becoming cauldrons of anger and political division, boiling with disputes over such issues as COVID-19 mask rules, the treatment of transgender students and how to teach the history of racism and slavery in America. Meetings that were once orderly, even boring, have turned ugly. School board elections that were once uncontested have drawn slates of candidates galvanized by one issue or another. A June school board meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, that dealt with transgender students and the teaching of critical race theory became so unruly that one person was arrested for disorderly conduct and another was cited for trespassing. In Rapid City, South Dakota, and Kalispell, Montana, nonpartisan school board races devolved into political warfare as conservative candidates, angered over requirements to wear masks in schools, sought to seize control. In Pennsylvania, a Republican donor is planning to pour $500,000 into school board races. Were in a culture war, said Jeff Holbrook, head of Rapid City's Pennington County GOP. In South Carolina's Lexington-Richland school system, a new majority of board members upset over pandemic restrictions forced out the superintendent, Christina Melton, who had pushed to keep a mask requirement in place through the end of the academic year. She had been honored just weeks earlier as the states superintendent of the year. Melton broke into tears at a meeting in June as she offered her resignation. A board member also quit that day, complaining the body decided behind closed doors to force Melton out and avoid a public vote. The board censured the departed member at its next meeting. Now were known as the district with the crazy school board, said Tifani Moore, a mother with three children and a husband who teaches in the district. Moore is running for the empty board seat and promises to tamp down the political split, which she worries has crippled the board. Its so thick, even the kids feel it, she said. School boards are typically composed of former educators and parents whose job, at least until recently, mostly consisted of ironing out budgets, discussing the lunch menu or hiring superintendents. But online meetings during the pandemic made it easier for parents to tune in. And the crisis gave new gravity to school board decisions. Parents worried their children were falling behind because of remote learning or clashed over how serious the health risks were. I saw over and over again frustrated parents, thousands of parents, calling into their board meetings, writing letters and getting no response, said Clarice Schillinger, a Pennsylvania parent who formed a group called Keeping Kids in School. She recruited nearly 100 parents to run in November for school boards across Pennsylvania. While the group coalesced around pushing for schools to fully open, its candidates have also sought to bar the teaching of critical race theory, which among other things holds that racism is embedded in Americas laws and institutions Schillinger said the group is split 70-30 between Republicans and Democrats. But its priorities are unmistakably conservative. She said it is trying to counter the sway teachers unions have over school boards: Its really less government thats what this comes down to. Paul Martino, a venture capitalist who donates to Republican candidates and pledged a half-million dollars to the movement and the creation of a statewide political action committee, said the new PAC will support candidates committed to keeping schools open no matter what, even if there is the dreaded fall COVID surge. Conservative slates of candidates elsewhere across the country have also set their sights on school boards. In Rapid City, four recently elected school board members will hold a controlling vote on the seven-member body, which oversees the education of roughly 14,000 students. In an area where Trump flags still fly, the four candidates for the usually nonpartisan board secured an endorsement in the June election from the local GOP. In previous elections, seats on the board were often filled in uncontested elections. But this year, the campaigns turned into political battles, complete with personal attacks. Critical race theory is not a part of the Rapid City school curriculum. But that didnt stop candidates from making it a central issue of the campaign. I believe with all my heart this is how they are going to slip socialism and Marxism into our schools, newly elected member Deb Baker said at a campaign event. Curt Pochardt, who was unseated as the school board president in the election, said he worries the new partisan dynamic will hurt students education. It doesnt help kids when theres tension on a school board," he said. Education experts warn that school boards are squandering time that could be spent tackling issues such as recruiting teachers, ensuring students have internet access at home or improving opportunities for youngsters with disabilities. Every time were not talking about those issues and were talking about something else thats divisive and it may not be happening at all or at least not to the level its being portrayed is lost opportunity for what we really need to be focused on, said Chip Slaven, chief advocacy officer for the National School Boards Association. In Kalispell, one losing school board candidate who campaigned against mask mandates made it clear he is not finished. I am the barbed spine of the jumping cholla cactus, Sean Pandina told the board in May. Im the cholla in your flesh that you cannot remove. Im comfortable with losing the election because I have latched on and am not going away. ___ Associated Press reporters Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina and Iris Samuels in Helena, Montana contributed. Samuels 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. COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) Police say a fatal April drive-by-shooting in Columbus stemmed from a brawl at a nightclub the night before. Local news outlets report that police obtained surveillance video showing 33-year-old Quintion Williams was one of the men involved in the fight before the April 11 shooting. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) A thrill ride at a popular festival in northern Michigan was dismantled and an investigation started after the machine appeared to tip and pitch with riders aboard. Bystanders recorded the incident with cellphones Thursday night during the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. No serious injuries were reported. The Magic Carpet Ride came off the blocking, said Joe Evans of Traverse City-based Arnold Amusements. It was being sent back to the Ohio company that manufactured it. Obviously there was a malfunction, Evans said. We dont know as of yet what it was. Joy Ogemaw told WPBN-TV that she looked up at the ride after hearing a loud bang. It was like scraping, and then it started going faster, she said. And then it started like rocking a little bit back and forth." The rides operator switched off the power and jumped to safety, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported. Bystanders grabbed a guardrail attached to the rides main base to hold it down. Rides at the midway are inspected daily by Arnold Amusements employees, annually by the state and three times a year by a third party, the company said. A spokeswoman with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs told the Traverse City Record-Eagle that records showed the carnival ride that malfunctioned was last inspected in 2019 and the result was satisfactory. "Rides with a satisfactory permit from the previous season are temporarily permitted to operate under their prior permit until their inspection in the current season, Suzanne Thelen said in an email. There was no carnival season during the pandemic, and the ride was operating at the Cherry Festival on a temporary permit based upon the satisfactory previous inspection. The National Cherry Festival started July 3 and was scheduled to end Saturday. TACOMA, Wash. (AP) A federal jury has convicted a timber thief who authorities said started a large forest fire in Washington state, a case that prosecutors said marked the first time tree DNA had been introduced in a federal trial. The jury deliberated for about seven hours before convicting Justin Andrew Wilke, 39, on Thursday of conspiracy, theft of public property, depredation of public property, and trafficking and attempted trafficking in unlawfully harvested timber, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington said in a news release. The wood he sold to a mill in the city of Tumwater had been harvested from private property with a valid permit, Wilke said. But a research geneticist for the U.S. Forest Service, Richard Cronn, testified that the wood he sold genetically matched the remains of three poached trees. Wilke used gasoline to destroy a wasps nest in the base of a maple tree he was stealing, prosecutors said, though jurors did not convict him of charges related to the fire. Some witnesses testified that, although Wilke was standing next to the nest when the fire began, they did not actually see his actions in the dark. Wilke and others conducted an illegal logging operation in the Elk Lake area of the Olympic National Forest, near Hood Canal, between April and August 2018, according to records filed in the case. He poached maple trees prized as wood for musical instruments and brought them to lumber mills. In July 2018, a man who had just been released from prison, Shawn Williams, joined the conspiracy; he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than two years in prison. In August 2018, the group decided to cut the maple tree that had the wasp's nest near the base, prosecutors said. The poachers sprayed insecticide and gasoline and then lit the nest on fire starting a 5.2-square-mile (13.4-square-kilometer) wildfire that came to be dubbed the Maple Fire, according to authorities. Firefighting efforts cost about $4.2 million. Williams testified during the trial that it was Wilke who set the blaze, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. When people steal trees from our public lands, they are stealing a beautiful and irreplaceable resource from all of us and from future generations, Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman said in a news release. That theft, coupled with the sheer destruction of the forest fire that resulted from this activity, warrants federal criminal prosecution." Wilke faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in October. Alexander Vershinin/AP ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) Turkmenistans autocratic president has promoted his only son to a key government post, a development seen as laying the foundation for a political dynasty in the energy-rich Central Asian nation. The appointment of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedovs son, Serdar, as deputy prime minister in charge of economic and financial issues was announced Saturday in the governments daily Neutral Turkmenistan. BUCHAREST (AP) Moldova is set to receive half a million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the United States to help the small nation combat the coronavirus pandemic. The first 150,000 doses of J&J are to arrive in Moldova a country of 3.5 million, Europes poorest sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine on July 12, the U.S. Embassy officials in Moldova said.. Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked the U.S. for the vaccines and said that they will "help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic. Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated, Sandu, a former World Bank official, wrote online. The announcement came days ahead of an early) parliamentary election in Moldova that pits pro-Western reformists against a Russia-friendly bloc of Socialists and Communists, with recent polls giving a lead to the former. This donation could not come at a more important time, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova said in a statement. The U.S. remains Moldovas steadfast partner in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and saving Moldovan lives. Only 305,000 people in Moldova have been fully inoculated against COVID-19, around just 11% of the population. The embassy said the U.S. has so far donated more than $4 million (3.3 million) of COVID-19 related assistance to Moldova, including equipment and staff training. Neighboring Romania has also donated more than 400,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to Moldova. Moldova has reported more than 257,000 coronavirus infections and 6,207 deaths. ___ Follow all AP stories on the global pandemic at h ttps://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) The Vermont Air National Guard will be training with its F-35 fighter jets in Nevada for three weeks starting next week. The airmen, F-35 aircraft and support equipment will be leaving on Wednesday for Nellis Air Force Base for the exercise known as Red Flag, the Guard said. That means there will be no local flying of F-35s in Vermont from this coming Friday through Aug. 6, the Guard said. We have prepared since the first F-35s arrived in Sept 2019, Lt. Col. John MacRae, the 134th Fighter Squadron commander, said in a statement. This Red Flag is our Wings capstone exercise to test our pilots and maintenance professionals ability to accomplish the mission. Other Air Force and Navy aircraft will be participating, he said. This Red Flag will be the first time two F-35A squadrons have participated together," MacRae said. MOOI RIVER, South Africa (AP) Supporters of former South African president Jacob Zuma are protesting his imprisonment, burning trucks, commercial property, and blocking major roads in KwaZulu-Natal province. They are demanding that he be released from prison. Zuma started serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court earlier this week. His bid to be released from the Estcourt Correctional Center was rejected by a regional court on Friday and he is set to make another attempt with the countrys apex court on Monday. CHILOQUIN, Ore. (AP) The two wildfires in southern Oregon doubled in size by Saturday morning, bringing widespread smoke across the southern half of the state. The Bootleg Fire in Klamath County grew from 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) on Friday to almost 119 square miles (308 square kilometers) on Saturday in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land. The Jack Fire east of Roseburg was burning about 14 square miles (36 square kilometers). Forest service campgrounds were also under mandatory evacuations, including Apple Creek, Horseshoe Bend and Eagle Rock. Although many people have been evacuated, the fires are burning in remote enough locations that impact to human life and property has been somewhat limited, the Statesman Journal reported. Oregons wildfire season began early this year due to a deepening drought and record-high early summer temperatures. Gov. Kate Brown in late June declared a state of emergency because of what she called the imminent threat of wildfire across the state and has declared emergency orders on both the Jack and Bootleg fires. Smoke from the growing blazes moved to the north on Friday night, giving people on the edges of the Willamette Valley a view of the haze being produced by the two fires in southern Oregon. However, northwest Oregons air quality is not expected to be impacted this weekend and it wouldnt be until Monday that there might even be a chance of some haze, National Weather Service meteorologist John Bumgardner said. Its a different story in southern Oregon, where the air quality monitors have already dropped to moderate in the Klamath Falls area. In this weeks roundup, the Transportation Security Administration is encouraging travelers to join its PreCheck program as screening lines grow longer; the U.K. opens the door a bit to international travel, but not yet for American visitors; Delta and Virgin Atlantic move at London Heathrow as a terminal there reopens; Virgin and British Airways prepare procedures for bringing vaccinated travelers to London; the FAA issues a public service ad to shame rowdy passengers and issues heavy fines against nine more of them; United and Delta will boost service to leisure destinations for the winter; low-cost Avelo Airlines will drop two routes out of Burbank; American expands at its Miami hub; Australia is tougher than ever to get to; new international routes opened up by United, Delta and Air France; SFO offers free COVID-19 test kits for inbound international travelers; EVA Air launches a digital health app for SFO-Taipei flights; and Mineta San Jose is making library e-books available to travelers for free. As the number of U.S. air travelers continues to rise toward pre-pandemic levels, the Transportation Security Administration is encouraging passengers to avoid long security lines by joining its PreCheck trusted traveler program, which provides expedited processing at the airport. The agency said this week that over the July 4 holiday weekend, the number of passengers screened on one day July 1 topped 2,147,000, exceeding the number for the same date in 2019. TSA is hiring hundreds of new airport screeners as it tries to keep up with the growing demand. Overall, TSA screenings during the holiday weekend reached 83% of pre-pandemic levels, TSA said, but there was a big difference in wait times between PreCheck versus non-PreCheck passengers. Over the course of the long weekend, 99.7% of passengers in standard screening lanes waited less than 30 minutes, and 99% of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than 5 minutes, TSA said. Joining PreCheck requires filling out an online application and then visiting one of hundreds of enrollment centers nationwide for a personal interview. The $85 fee provides a five-year membership; enrollees get a membership number to include on future airline reservations, guaranteeing access to the faster screening lanes. With some airports already exceeding 2019 travel volumes and many not far behind, we expect the summer to remain busy for travel, said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. TSA In a side note, Pekoske reported on a disturbing trend in these days of irate air travelers. Youd expect that by now, everyone heading to the airport would know enough to leave their firearms at home or pack them in their checked luggage, but they dont. The TSA chief said that over the holiday weekend, TSA inspectors found 70 guns in passengers carry-on luggage. As airlines and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic become more frantic about the continued shut-down of U.S.-U.K. travel during the peak summer season, there was a sign of progress last week toward reopening the corridor. Under current rules, everyone entering the U.K. from a country on that governments medium-risk amber list (which includes the U.S.) whether U.K. residents or foreigners is subject to a 10-day quarantine regardless of COVID-19 status. But effective July 19, U.K. residents who are fully vaccinated are exempt from quarantine when they return from an amber list nation, the countrys transport secretary said this week (although theyll still have to take a COVID test before and after their return flight). That wont be much help for Britons who want to come to the U.S., since the U.S. government still doesnt allow them to travel here. And it still subjects Americans to the quarantine requirement. But U.K. Transport Minister Grant Shapps said more changes are in the works, as the government plans to extend our approach to vaccinated passengers from important markets and holiday destinations later this summer, such as the United States and the E.U. Even though travel to the U.K. remains restricted for now, airlines and airports are preparing for a surge in traffic when it resumes. At London Heathrow, for instance, Delta and its partner Virgin Atlantic said they will move back into Terminal 3 on July 15 when that facility reopens after being shuttered for more than a year. Virgins clubhouse in that terminal will also reopen, available to Virgins elite-level fliers and eligible Delta customers. Both airlines had moved to Terminal 2 during the pandemic. American Airlines, which formerly used Terminal 3, now operates out of partner British Airways home base in Terminal 5 and will stay there. Other airlines that had moved from T3 to T2 and T5 are expected to come back to the reopened terminal in the weeks ahead. Virgin Atlantic Meanwhile, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow Airport are teaming up to test new COVID clearance procedures that can speed up processing of fully vaccinated travelers, hoping to give the U.K. government another reason to open up to visitors from countries on its amber list. The pilot project will seek vaccinated volunteers on flights to LHR from Los Angeles and New York and will verify their health status upstream and away from the border, ensuring no further pressure in U.K. immigration halls, the airlines said. Vaccine verifications will be provided by government-recognized paper certificates or digitally through apps like VeriFly (British Airways) or a new tool developed by Virgin and Delta. As the proof-of-concept develops, the options for customers to show vaccine status will rapidly be expanded, across physical, digital and integrated formats, including IATA Travel Pass, the airlines said. The Federal Aviation Administration is trying everything it can think of to stem the tide of bad in-flight behavior by irate airline passengers. First it adopted a zero tolerance policy for such activity, slamming violators with five-figure fines. More recently, the Transportation Security Administration revived self-defense classes for cabin crew members. And now the FAA has come out with a new public service announcement apparently intended to shame travelers from giving in to their terrible tempers. The ad, available on YouTube, is a series of filmed comments from young children who speak out about why its a bad idea to disrupt a flight. They should know better if theyre, like, adults, one kid remarks. The FAA also released a summary of its most recent enforcement actions against fliers who violated its in-flight regulations, assessing a total of $119,000 in civil penalties against nine more individuals, some of whom were arrested upon landing. As usual, most of the incidents involved face mask violations and excessive drinking. A typical case cited a woman who refused to wear a mask and who was traveling with a group that continued to play loud, obscene music and used obscene language against the flight attendants and other passengers, the FAA said. When the captain took the plane back to the gate and came down the aisle to tell the woman she would have to deplane, she began to argue and use obscene language with the captain. As she stood up to leave the aircraft, she punched the female passenger who was seated in front of her, holding a small infant, in the back of the head, the FAA said. She drew a fine of $18,500. In another case, a man who apparently changed his mind about taking his flight called 911 as it pulled away from the gate and claimed the aircraft was being hijacked by someone holding a flight attendant at knifepoint. He asked the dispatcher to stop the flight, and it worked up to a point. The pilot taxied to a cargo ramp where law enforcement boarded the aircraft armed with rifles and evacuated passengers and crew. But this guy wasnt finished: While at the cargo ramp, the passenger called the FBI and made mention of a bomb. The aircraft was temporarily taken out of service for bomb screening, causing a delay of several hours. His fine was $10,500. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Since business trips are coming back much more slowly than vacation travel, major airlines are continuing to focus on the leisure market in their upcoming winter schedules. United said this week it will significantly increase its operations to warm-weather and beach destinations this winter in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. That will include up to three additional flights a day from San Francisco to Orlando and Fort Myers, and up to four additional daily flights from Los Angeles to Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers. And Delta is planning winter ski service to 10 Rocky Mountain destinations this winter, including daily flights from Los Angeles to Aspen, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The new California-based low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines (read more about it here), which operates out of Hollywood Burbank Airport, is taking a second look at its route network. The company plans to drop two of its 12 current routes in the months ahead, including Burbank-Grand Junction, Colorado, on Aug. 16 and Burbank-Bozeman, Montana, on Sept. 15. On some other routes, Avelo will reduce flight frequencies as it tries to get a better handle on its market. But its hardly unusual for an airline to make schedule adjustments from time to time, and the carrier also suggested that it expects to announce more West Coast destinations in the near future. Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Avelo Air American Airlines big hub at Miami International has been under assault lately, with competitors introducing new service there e.g., Southwest entered the Miami market last fall and now has a dozen routes there; JetBlue, Americans partner in the Northeast, made its own foray into MIA this spring, introducing five routes there; and Spirit Airlines recently announced plans to fly to 30 destinations from Miami International despite its large presence at Fort Lauderdale, just up the road. Now American is striking back, adding new routes of its own this winter. That includes twice-weekly service from MIA to Chetumal, Mexico, and San Andres Island, Colombia, starting in December; seasonal daily Miami-Salt Lake City service beginning Dec. 16; and seasonal weekly flights starting in November between Miami and Albany, N ew York; Burlington, Vermont; Madison, Wisconsin; and Syracuse, New York, along with year-round weekly flights to Miami from Tulsa. And flight frequencies will be increased on some existing routes. With todays announcement, American further solidifies its position as the largest airline at MIA, operating 341 peak daily flights this winter, the airline said. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images Getting to Australia is tougher than ever now that the Australian government has sharply reduced the number of travelers allowed into the country to just a few hundred a day and only Australian citizens effective July 14 through Aug. 31. As a result, American Airlines will no longer carry passengers on its LAX-Sydney flight starting July 12 (although it will carry cargo and will take both passengers and cargo for the Sydney-LAX segment). United is planning to resume LAX-Sydney service three days a week Sept. 10, but apparently the flight will be mainly for cargo, with no more than 50 passengers allowed per flight. Bob McCullough/For the Express-News In other international developments, both United and Delta this month started new service to Dubrovnik, since Croatia was one of the first European nations to reopen to American visitors. Both are flying there four times a week with 767-300ERs United from its Newark hub and Delta from New York JFK. United has also kicked off daily service from Washington Dulles to Athens, continuing through Oct. 3. Delta partner Air France has launched a new route from Denver to Paris Charles De Gaulle, which will operate three times a week through Oct. 29. And Canadian low-cost carrier Flair, anticipating that transborder travel restrictions cant last forever, is planning to start service Oct. 31 to six U.S. airports from eight Canadian cities. In California, that will include flights to Hollywood Burbank from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto; and to Palm Springs from Vancouver. San Francisco International Airport already has several COVID testing options for outbound passengers, but now it has one for arriving travelers. The airport has teamed up with the California Department of Public Health to offer free COVID tests for inbound international travelers. The five-week pilot program is voluntary and is intended to help the state monitor for COVID-19 variants and plan mitigation strategies. Inbound travelers who want to participate will be given two free self-test kits from Abbot as well as a PCR test kit. The first test is to be self-administered on the day of arrival, and the second test 3-5 days later, SFO said. The Abbot BinaxNOW test kits return results in about 15 minutes. If either result in a positive test, the participant will be directed to use the PCR test and send results to a state laboratory that monitors variants of COVID-19. SFO said it is the first airport in the country to offer such a program. SFO also announced that Taiwans EVA Air has introduced a digital health app called the ICC AOKPass, available for travel between SFO-Taipei and LAX-Taipei. Using the app, travelers will be able to securely verify their COVID-19 test results with EVA from laboratories approved by local health authorities. They will benefit from fast-track channels in San Francisco and Los Angeles, while retaining the privacy of their personal health data, the airport said. Travelers to and from Taipei are required to take a COVID PCR test 72 hours before departure. Travelers who forgot to bring reading material for their flight out of Mineta San Jose Airport have a new option thanks to a partnership between the airport and the San Jose Public Library. Its a digital Pop-Up Library near gates 12 and 24, with 400 e-books available for download. Theres no fee, and travelers dont need a library card or a special app to use the service just go to the pop-up library and connect to its Wi-Fi network, SJPL Free eBooks. Passengers of all ages can download up to four eBooks using their smartphone, tablet, or laptop device and can enjoy them for 3 weeks, the airport said. Once the books are installed and downloaded, passengers can instantly open them and save them to read offline. Selections include best-sellers, fiction, nonfiction, childrens and young adult titles. Books are available in Spanish and English, and new selections will be added every month. Sharon, PA (16146) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 82F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. "Overall, the positive flows came in spite of significant gold price weakness in the latter half of the month on the heels of a relatively hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) outlook, suggesting that investors may have taken advantage of the lower price level to gain long gold exposure," it said. A report by World Gold Council (WGC) said that inflows into North American and Asian funds were primarily offset by outflows from European funds. New Delhi: Flows into global gold ETFs were mostly flat in June, with slight inflows of 2.9 tonne, worth $191 million. Global Assets Under Management (AUM) stands at 3,624 tonne ($206 billion), approximately 7 per cent shy of the October 2020 record high of 3,909 tonne. US funds, as well as low-cost gold ETFs in Europe, were the primary source of inflows, while larger European funds, particularly in the UK and Germany, led outflows. North American funds added 10.5 tonne ($646 million) in contrast to European funds, which saw outflows of 9.4 tonne. Low-cost gold ETFs contributed $222 million (3.8 tonne) to the combined flows seen in North America and Europe. Asian-listed funds reversed a recent trend to post inflows of 1.7 per cent (2.3 tonne, $136 million) supported by positive flows in India and China, while fund flows in 'Other' regions fell by 0.8 per cent. After dropping 6 per cent in the second week of June following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, gold finished the month 7.2 per cent lower at $1,763 per ounce, erasing price gains from May. Gold daily trading averages fell during June to $163 billion per day compared to $176 billion in May, led by lower COMEX volumes. Trading volume during the month remained in line with the year-to-date average of $165 billion per day, but below the 2020 average of $183 billion. Net long positioning, via the recent Commitment of Traders report for COMEX gold futures, fell to 522 tonne ($29 billion), near April-end levels and in line with its historical weekly average net long positioning of around 500 tonne ($31 billion). As gold prices rebounded throughout most of the second quarter, flows into gold ETFs followed suit, led by North American and European funds which added a combined 43.8 tonne over the period. In Europe, German funds represented nearly half of all European inflows (27.2 tonne), led by Xtrackers IE Physical Gold which gained $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, Amundi Physical Gold ETC in France added $583 million to help French-based funds grow by 20 per cent over the quarter. In North America, SPDR Gold Shares and SPDR Gold MiniShares led inflows, adding $615 million (1.1 per cent) and $225 million (5.7 per cent) respectively, while Sprott Physical Gold Trust added $124 million (2.8 per cent), and iShares Gold Trust gained $100 million (0.4 per cent). By Dr Rais Hussin / Dr Margarita Peredaryenko / Ameen Kamal The nationwide full Movement Control Order (MCO) 3.0 has been in place since 1 June 2021. Although it has brought some respite and easing of the pandemic situation in some of the states, the condition has been seriously worsening recently in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Selangor with record numbers reportedly contributing more than 60% of the new cases in the country. KL and Selangor's consistent R-naught value of above 1.0 may be reflective of increasing transmission, and the increasing cases are pushing healthcare capacities in the region to a breaking point. The spread between new cases and recovered cases that started to widen early this week (July 4) was the red alarm indicating healthcare systems struggling to cope with surging cases. This prompted the authority to enhance MCO in most areas in KL and Selangor from July 3 to July 16. The overall testing intensity nationwide has been on a general decline while test positivity rate has been soaring higher (Figure 1). Though according to the state breakdown figures published earlier, some states are testing more than others, including KL and Selangor. Despite KL and Selangor testing more than most states (especially Selangor with testing numbers roughly 2-3 times that of KL), the corresponding high test positive rates could indicate that the spread may already be too wide. Therefore, Selangor should focus on containment strategies and vaccination while ideally maintaining the relatively higher levels of testing. Other states, including KL, may need to increase testing alongside strict containment and vaccination. In consideration of resource allocations, we refer to our suggestion that the testing exercise ride on the vaccination campaigns, utilizing the same place and manpower available. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that KL and Selangor is the busiest business area. Every day of the prolonged and stringent lockdown brings more Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) closer to the cliff. Therefore, the situation requires urgent, strategic, multiprong and unprecedented response to not only alleviate the situation but to minimize possibility of its painful recurrence. To achieve this, EMIR Research builds on our earlier "Exit Strategy Building Blocks for Malaysia" published on Jun 17, 2021. The three main goals remain: 1. Complete lockdown 2. Extending safety net to KL and Selangor, and 3. Speed up vaccination. However, given the urgency of the situation whereby every day matters, we bring in new and important strategic tactic based on robust scientific evidence. Firstly, the total lockdown is crucial. If done correctly i.e., a real "total" lockdown in KL and Selangor for at least 2 weeks to a maximum of six weeks as was intended at the start of MCO 3.0, it will help cut transmission, slow down new infections and ease the distressful healthcare situation in these states. Secondly, extended strictness and time of the lockdown will require to deepen the social safety net for the vulnerable lives and businesses in KL and Selangor. Among the specific recommendations which EMIR Research would like to reemphasize again is the automatic opt-out loan moratorium and enhanced renters' protection for allindividuals and MSMEs in KL and Selangor. The basic principle of financial management tells us that it is possible to survive the income downfall if you can reduce your operating and financial leveragethis is where the Government will need to deepen its approach. Therefore, to mitigate the proposed total lockdown in the KL and Selangor, the Government should mandate and closely monitor the implementation of a true automatic opt-out loan moratorium for all with no change of terms or interest/fee charge attributed to the months of the moratorium period. This is a serious issue as some banks may still try to leverage the "opt-in" feature. At least for the KL and Selangor, the Government should also consider changing the incentive approach with the landlords into the form of temporary law measures similar to other countries. For instance, the Government could temporarily mandate equitable co-sharing of rental obligations between the Government, landlords and tenants and make eviction illegal, at least until we transit into Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan. The biggest share should be by the Government, followed by the landlord, and minimally (or none) born by the tenants. Lastly, but not least, is to increase the rate of vaccination as thus far it has been our best bet against the raging pandemic and the only hope for speedy return to some form of normalcy. The objective of massive vaccination is to at least protect larger proportion of population from the disease severity, hospitalizations, and deaths, even if infection was to happen. However, given, and only given the urgency of the situation, the same objective can be achieved through exploiting natural immunity to COVID-19 to win precious time and save lives and livelihoods. Notably, this idea has been mooted by the scientists since the start of 2021. To date, there are at least eight credible peer-reviewed studies published in reputable medical journals that aim to ascertain whether natural COVID-19 infection offers protection against this infection and how lasting it is. All eight studies are done in various periods during the year 2020 (before the vaccines), in various countries such as Austria [1], Denmark [2], Qatar [3], Switzerland [4], United Kingdom [5, 6], United States [7, 8]. Two were done among the healthcare workers while the rest on a nationwide samples. To trace infection or reinfection these studies used PCR tests, serological tests or both. Importantly, those who used both approaches found remarkable similarity in their results. Unanimously, these studies established the strong empirical evidence of protection from COVID-19 following natural infection (estimated efficacy ranging from 79% to 95%) lasting 7 months at average among these studies (as seen from the range of the observed period where this estimated efficacy was measured). Interestingly, both studies at the lower side of the efficacy range have been done in the medical setting where lower efficacy could be explained by higher levels of exposure to viruses and higher viral load received. Furthermore, three out of eight studies observed the protection rate increasing towards the end of observation period. Importantly, the majority of reinfections were asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. Only five cases of hospitalization after re-infection were reported across the studies and only one study reported one death out of 14,840 previously infected people, involving a 72 year old person. These findings are especially important in the view that available antibody assays measuring neutralizing antibodies may observe lowering antibody titre after a few months post infection, which is also a scenario that has been reported for COVID-19. However, the protection against severe symptoms, strong evidence of which we observe in the above studies, could be manifestation of the fact that the protection of the immune system involves more than just antibodies and include other important immune actors such as T cells and B cells, which may not be measured in current COVID-19 assays and may play an important role in what we observe. This is a well-established mechanism of immune response to many diseases. Due to significant cost involved in capturing this deeper immune response, the relevant studies are rather scarce. One such very recent longitudinal study published in Science, a peer-reviewed academic journal, assessed the immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2. By continuously examining blood of 254 COVID-19 confirmed cases (age 19 to 81) the scientists established that despite antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike and receptor binding domain (RBD) declined moderately over eight months, memory B cells against SARS-CoV-2 spike actually increased between one month and eightr months after infection. About 95% of subjects retained immune memory at about six months after infection. Therefore, all these findings very plausibly suggest the possibility to exploit natural immunity and prioritize vaccination for those never been infected at least in the short-term (which can be as long as seven months post infection) in the situation of shortage of either vaccine or time or both. The only exception should be naturally infected elderlies (as one study did find significantly lower protection of those 65 and above), people with comorbidities and those whose vascular and other vital systems have been severely damaged during the first infection. This approach also capitalizes on the vast number of people infected in KL and Selangor, which may be excluded first, to make way for others to be vaccinated. In other words, there are justifiable grounds based on empirical studies that most of the infected people would retain infection immunity within the said months, or at least, would still have protective immunity against severe symptoms. Therefore, in practice, particularly in an extraordinary emergency setting, these individuals may be treated like "vaccinated" individuals for a set period of time. Thus, by temporarily excluding these individuals, the target of maximizing protection to the population of KL and Selangor may be significantly expedited. As vaccine doses arrive in the span of the coming months, these naturally infected people that were postponed for their vaccination, can then start to receive their jabs. The efforts to increase throughput of vaccination in KL and Selangor such as door-to-door vaccination for the bedridden can also supplement the vaccine prioritization/postponement strategy. It must be stated here that this does not mean getting infected is a good strategy, especially when we have vaccines. It is only an emergency measure in view of the need to speed up population protection and/or in the backdrop of vaccine scarcity. Fatality rates of infections without prior immunity (be it from vaccines or natural infection) appear to strongly suggest COVID-19 to be more lethal than your average flu. Some sources estimate the fatality rate is ten times more than the common cold. Therefore, doing nothing and taking infection lightly will not be the solution and would be detrimental in the grander scheme towards recovery. Following the above tactic, while in full lockdown the authorities should start with the factories, various service companies and construction sectors in KL and Selangor as they continue to be the largest cluster contributors. Therefore, and favorably enough to this strategy, the large number of workers might be already protected with the natural immunity. The authorities may start with first screening workers IC / ID in the national epidemiological reporting system among previously PCR-confirmed cases and exclude those who are falling within the aforementioned protection period. For example, if the postponement period target is one month for the naturally-infected population, then we can consider only those that were infected and recovered in the last six months. Beyond 1 month of this strategy, the infected people can then be treated normally given the assumption that we have no vaccine supply issue and that by this time most, if not all population in KL and Selangor have been protected. For conservatism and in leaning even more towards safety, authorities may even consider a shorter period than the seven-months average duration, though the trade-off would reduce the number of eligible naturally-infected people that can be considered for exclusion. One particular aspect that has not been directly addressed by the sources mentioned or studied is the impact of new and emerging virus variants against the immunity of naturally infected and recovered people. It is postulated that these individuals may confer some level of protection against some variants (at least those that have not mutated too significantly) since natural infection may illicit not only the production of neutralizing antibodies based on only one target antigen (like the spike, for example), but also triggering immune response involving other crucial immune components such as T and B cells by involving not only the spike but other parts of the virus that may be less susceptible to mutations. One way to begin elucidating and verifying this hypothesis is to also conduct antibody measurements and virus sequencing as mentioned earlier. Similar to the vaccine postponement strategy, any negative findings here may call for the approach to be reconsidered. Overall, this strategy has very calculated risk given the ample empirical support. Furthermore it can be treated as case study and if successful extended to other states of Malaysia to near our recovery. The rakyat is suffering and it requires urgent, strategic, multiprong and unprecedented response guided by science and economic needs. (Dr Rais Hussin, Dr Margarita Peredaryenko and Ameen Kamal are part of the research team of EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.) To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! No red carpets, no art-directed social media feeds and most definitely no badly-scripted reality television series have gone into the creation of a new type of star which has emerged courtesy of the pandemic: the COVID celebrity. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Just like the Kardashians, Paris Hilton and pretty much every other reality TV celebutant before them, these new media superstars have come thick and fast over the past 18 months. Even politicians are queuing up to be photographed with them. The federal Liberal member for Goldstein Tim Wilson uploaded a shot on Instagram after he bumped into Karen from Brighton, real name Jodi Grollo, who shot to fame after moaning about having to walk the same streets of the well-heeled Melbourne suburb during that citys long lockdown. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In her latest role for the ABC drama The Newsreader, actor Anna Torv is transported back to 1986 as she portrays a glamorous newsreader with ambitions as big as her shoulder pads. But in real life, Annas time travel happened months before filming. Returning from Los Angeles to the Gold Coast in early 2020 as the first waves of COVID-19 were creating worldwide ripples, she was taken back to the mid-80s. I grew up on the Gold Coast: we moved there in 85 or maybe 86, she recalls. When I got back last year, the country was in a bit of a lockdown, and it was reminiscent of what the Coast was like back then. There were families at the beach and outdoors. People were on bikes with their kids and surfing. It was really quite beautiful. Anna, 42, had been calling Los Angeles home, on and off, for more than a decade since scoring a lead role on the popular sci-fi TV series Fringe, which ran from 2008 to 2013. Shed only recently wrapped another job, playing an FBI consultant in the US crime drama Mindhunter, when the call went out for Australians to return home. I just booked a flight straight away, she says. What followed was like a scene from Fringe. I got on the plane and there was nobody on the flight. Like, no one. It was completely empty. Within months of being home, Anna knew that this wasnt going to be a short visit. She had been considering returning for a while, but COVID became the catalyst to make it happen. I am here now, she says firmly, speaking via phone from Melbourne. I gave up my house in LA. I had to do that all remotely. When I left, I didnt think Id be making all those decisions from here. But after a few months, I went, You know what, just stop straddling. I would have done that in the next few years but this was just a big kick in the arse. Advertisement It was in Mudgeeraba, in the Gold Coast hinterland, where Anna first discovered her love of theatre, leading to performances in school productions and in festivals on the Gold Coast. Some may assume Annas aspirations for a career in showbiz came from her fathers side. Her paternal aunt, Anna Murdoch Mann, was married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch for 31 years and her cousins are Elisabeth, Lachlan and James Murdoch. Not only does Anna share her aunts maiden name, there is a striking resemblance between the two classically beautiful women. Loading But Anna explains that her ambitions were influenced by her mothers side of the family, hailing from Chinchilla in western Queensland. Her grandmother was the president of the arts council there, and would regularly host local theatre. So I was exposed to it from a young age, Anna recalls. At just 17, Anna made the huge leap from the quiet Gold Coast hinterland to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in bustling Sydney. It felt like a big step but not really, she says, somewhat paradoxically. Youre still so selfish at that point. The world is really your world. So what you dont know, you dont know. It was a bit of a shock, not the drama school, but the people in the city. But you work it all out. She did indeed work it all out. Graduating from NIDA, Anna had roles here on hit TV series such as The Secret Life of Us and Young Lions, before spending years working in London. Advertisement Anna wears an E Nolan velvet suit. Credit:GK photography It was while she was back in Australia in 2007, filming the blockbuster TV miniseries The Pacific, that she sent off an audition tape for Fringe and landed the gig by beating more than 300 other actors. She would go on to film 100 episodes over the next five years. The expectation when you sign on to something like that is that youll do a pilot and they rarely get picked up, she explains. You do a season and it rarely goes to two. Then all of a sudden its five years later. You would work 18 hours a day every day of the week for eight or nine months of the year. I dont know how people manage to do projects in between because all I would do is curl up in the foetal position, take a breath and then go again. The success of the show and the cult following it gathered would also give Anna her first taste of fame on a grand scale, an aspect of the job that she doesnt actively nurture. Shes conspicuously absent on all social media, though she does acknowledge its merits. Its done some fantastic and beautiful things for a lot of people in the world, particularly artists, she says. All of the sudden theres this free forum where you can express and promote if youre a musician or an artist who has a show on. Im always surprised that actors are so open with their lives. You want people to believe what youre putting on-screen and you dont want them to be constantly seeing you. Im always a bit confused by that. Anna rarely opens up about her personal life she married Fringe co-star Mark Valley in December 2008 before divorcing after a year and views her abstinence from social media as a way of keeping a distinct line between private and public personas. Advertisement I dont want it to seem like Im judging people who do it, really I am not, because I get it and I understand it, she clarifies. But I do think you cant put what youre eating for breakfast on the internet and then be upset when people are invading your space. If you just dont do it, then you are given an element of respect and they dont talk about it. For Anna, inviting the public into her personal space would not be conducive to her acting, either. Im always surprised that actors are so open with their lives, she says. You want people to believe what youre putting on-screen and you dont want them to be constantly seeing you. Im always a bit confused by that. Youve got A-list stars putting their breakfast on there, or Heres me with my baby or Ive just given birth. I just dont understand, but thats me and again, no judgment. But I get to do my own thing, and just talk to the press about shows that Im doing. She who heals silk top, bralette and skirt. Credit:GK Photography Which brings us back to the purpose of our chat: The Newsreader. The series is set in the pressure-cooker environment of a commercial TV newsroom. Annas character, Helen, is a difficult star newsreader craving credibility who teams up with Dale Jennings (Sam Reid), a hard-working reporter desperate to become a newsreader. Together they cover huge news events, including the Challenger space shuttle explosion and the AIDS crisis, all against the backdrop of their personal struggles. The series is created by Michael Lucas of Offspring fame and directed by Emma Freeman, whom Anna worked with on The Secret Life of Us and 2016s Secret City. By authentically re-creating the era and its attitudes, The Newsreader casts light on then-topical social issues such as homophobia, sexism and sexual harassment. Watching it through a 2021 lens, the first reaction may be to pat ourselves on the back for how far weve come in 35 years but have we really? Advertisement Loading Yes, this is set in the 1980s, and if you transported the story to today there would be quite a few things that are different, but the kernels of it no, answers Anna matter-of-factly. No, in terms of sexism. No, prior to #MeToo. Even today, no. Just as her return home last year reminded Anna of the beauty of a simpler time, The Newsreader reminds viewers of a darkness that still exists despite nostalgias rose-tinted glasses. Its easy to think weve moved forward in leaps and bounds, but no, we havent. Photography by GK photography. Styling by Melissa Boyle. Hair and make-up by Karen Burton. The Newsreader premieres on August 15 at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iView. This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale July 11. To read more from Sunday Life, visit The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Couture fashion doesnt pretend to be anything but pure, grandiose escapism. Gowns meticulously hand sewn to the measurements of a private jet-owning set of customers. It seems fitting that as we endured yet another round of austere travel restrictions and lockdown measures in Sydney, this week saw the first fully fledged fashion festival since Covids beginning; fall 2021 haute couture. Virginie Viard with models on the runway during the Chanel Couture Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2021/2022 show as part of Paris Fashion Week, 2021. Credit:Getty There were all the trimmings youd expect from a typical fashion week; the unofficial street parade, the Kanye West front row antics, the hedonistic after-parties, all back at a time when we needed to escape most. Via Instagram albeit. Emerging from a total absence of any real lived experience, designers naturally looked to the past for inspiration. I won the lottery this week. Not the $20 million Oz Lotto prize drawn on Tuesday. But a Pfizer jab for next week at the new Pitt Street vaccine hub, to be inoculated against the coronavirus. Since Hamilton stopped being performed at the Lyric Theatre, this is now the hottest ticket in town. I felt like Id won Wimbledon or a stage of the Tour de France when I scored a relatively soon appointment while up late watching both these sporting events, as Id had no luck at all during business hours other than a booking for mid-September. Long queues of people were seen at the NSW Vaccination Centre in Homebush this week. Credit:Getty Now I appreciate the degree of difficulty for cyclists struggling up Mount Ventoux in Provence, traditionally one of the most difficult ascents in the 21-stage tour de France, but all I can say is they have never done battle with the vagaries of the Australian Governments Department of Health website trying to book a vaccine. Taking inspiration from the SBS On Demand theme song for the tour I wont quit, not backing down I continued puffing, panting and cursing under my breath until I won the trifecta: Pfizer, July booking, in the city. Maillot Jaune, sil vous plait. The last time Raymond Chan saw his fiancee, Thi Dung Nguyen, he had so little annual leave after flying to Vietnam to see her each month that he could only be with her for 24 hours. It was March 2020 and although the visit was brief I flew 15 hours to stay one night Dr Chan said that when he left it still felt like the kind of regular farewell they had made since they met in December 2018. Dr Raymond Chan speaks on Facetime with his Vietnamese fiancee, Thi Dung Nguyen, who has a prospective spouse visa but cannot get a travel exemption. Credit:Penny Stephens It was supposed to be just a brief goodbye because I was going to go back at Easter... we didnt know the gates would close in two weeks, said Dr Chan, a junior doctor at a large Melbourne public hospital. Dr Chan met Thi Dung at a function held by a church affiliated with the one he attends in Melbourne while he was travelling. The pair fell in love and kept their long-distance relationship alive with nightly video calls before becoming engaged in Hanoi on January 1, 2020. Shoppers walk on George Street in Liverpool on Saturday. Credit:SAM MOOY Health authorities also revealed that of the 47 COVID-19 patients in the states hospitals, 37 had not received a single vaccine dose. Loading No-one who has received two doses is in hospital, and thats a key message with this Delta variant, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said. Please go and get vaccinated. If you have access according to the eligibility checker, make that appointment now. Five people in hospital who are fully vaccinated are aged care residents of SummitCare, who are in hospital as a precaution. Only four people in hospital have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and one their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The total number of people in ICU is now 16, including one teenager. Dr Chant said people were being admitted to hospital without other significant underlying health issues. There are currently more than 350 staff in NSWs centralised contact tracing team, in addition to those from public health units around the state. The team has more than doubled since May last year. Epidemiology chair at Deakin University, Catherine Bennett, said it was essential that people get tested as soon as they noticed symptoms. Professor Bennett said the problem was by the time people were being identified as positive cases, they had already passed on their virus to their close contacts and delaying testing by just a day could be enough to thwart the efforts of contact tracers. Their contacts are already infectious by the time the health department knows about it, Professor Bennett said, adding in that scenario, it didnt matter how perfect contact tracing was. Contact tracing expert Marion Kainer, who is the head of infectious diseases at Western Health in Melbourne, said shopping centres had been a place of significant transmission during outbreaks in Melbourne and closing retail stores in Sydney could help with the key step needed to help contact tracers bring the outbreak under control - reducing movement. Loading There was the appeal for people to just go in and out and not to linger and not to browse, but people are human, she said. They may have gone in with the best of intentions, and then they get distracted and they just linger for a longer period of time. The majority, 37, of Saturdays cases were linked to a known case or cluster - either household or close contacts - but 13 remain mystery cases. There were about 42,000 tests processed in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday. Of the cases reported yesterday, 29 are from south-west Sydney and 16 are from south-east Sydney. Police issued 167 infringement notices on Friday, including eight at a gathering in Randwick, six guests at a hotel on Kent Street in Sydneys CBD were fined for breaching the current public health orders and another six people were found at a Central Coast party. This type of behaviour is nothing short of disrespectful weve already seen how easily the virus spread following the unlawful party at Waterloo, Deputy Commissioner Worboys said. The state received 101,790 Pfizer doses from the federal government by Friday, however last week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced 300,000 extra vaccine doses would be fast-tracked to NSW to boost inoculations in south-west Sydney. On Saturday Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone said he had written to the federal and state governments offering to host a mass vaccination hub at Fairfield Showground. Cafe owner Sam Aldoumany at the deserted Liverpool mall on Saturday. Credit:Sam Mooy The Showground is accessible to those wanting a vaccination. This would bring testing and vaccination to the one easily accessible location, Cr Carbone said. Loading On Saturday the Public Health Order was amended, which places additional requirements on mask wearing, and restrictions on entering Greater Sydney. Masks are now required in all indoor areas of construction sites throughout NSW and in all indoor common property areas (such as lifts and lobbies) of residential premises in Greater Sydney. The Premier tightened lockdown restrictions on Friday, with exercising in group limited to two people within their local government area or 10 kilometres of home. People over 18 must carry proof of their address when heading outdoors for recreation and show it to a police officer if required. There were 167 infringement notices issued on Friday. Epidemiologist Meru Sheel said it was likely transmission will bubble away and that stemming non-essential contact between households is critical while boosting involvement of community leaders. We can expect more and more cases and the challenge is people are still out and about in the community. Transmission is still going on and we will see more cases, the problem is the speed at which transmission is happening. People need to be empowered to stay at home. Community engagement is the major challenge. It was meant to be a top winter weekend in the holiday town of Kiama, with festivals to cap two weeks of busy winter holidaymakers filling the streets and vacation rentals. Instead, the winter school holidays have been a kick in the teeth, said Cathryn Lyall, board member of the Kiama District Business Chamber. Business is very quiet in Kiama and the south coast which relies on visitors from Sydney. Credit:James Brickwood Its dead, it is like the worst two weeks of last year. Kiama isnt included in Sydneys lockdown. But its biggest source of business is: people from the Greater Sydney metropolitan area, including neighbouring Shellharbour, are stuck at home. Frustrated doctors are calling on the federal government to provide clarity on whether pregnant women should receive priority access to COVID-19 vaccines after medical bodies advised they should be offered Pfizer inoculations routinely during pregnancy. Sivan Stern is one of the thousands of pregnant women facing the same dilemma: she has been advised by the guidelines to get the vaccine but has no easy path to accessing a jab. Sivan Stern is currently pregnant and cant get a Pfizer vaccination even though her GP is recommending it. Credit:Steven Siewert There are so many hurdles right now for pregnant women getting the vaccination safely and easily, said Ms Stern, 29, a childcare worker from Chifley who is almost four months pregnant with her second child. Ive been told by my doctor I should book a vaccination, but when I try and make an appointment, it blocks me because Im too young. My midwife told me there is a huge baby boom at the moment and I know so many women who want to get vaccinated. It took more than an hour for about 60 firefighters to gain control of a large building blaze that sent smoke across Melbournes north-west on Saturday morning. Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called out to the site of a Clark Rubber store at Niddrie on Keilor Road just after 10.45am on Saturday, after a passerby reported an explosion and flames coming from the building. Fire crews outside the Clark Rubber shop front in Niddrie on Saturday. Credit:Chris Hopkins Firefighters arrived at the scene within six minutes to find the store fully alight. Large plumes of black smoke were billowing from the building. They were able to bring the fire under control at 12.05pm. On Saturday, two senior Victorian cabinet ministers, speaking to The Age on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk publicly, said the conditions were ever-changing and confirmed a decision could be imminent. Mr Weimar said an exposure in regional NSW or any sign of COVID-19 in sewage testing in border communities could trigger a hard closure. Any decision on closing the border will be on the advice of the states acting Chief Health Officer, Dan OBrien, who joined the public health team in January and is filling in while Brett Sutton is on leave. As of Saturday afternoon, greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast of NSW were considered red zones, meaning non-Victorians in the zones are not allowed to enter the state, and Victorians must quarantine for 14 days after leaving the zones. Victorians in other parts of regional NSW considered orange zones are only required to isolate until they receive a negative test. Mr Weimars warning on Saturday echoed that of Health Minister Martin Foley in late December when he urged Victorians holidaying in NSW to come home to avoid being trapped by border closures. Within hours of that warning, Victoria slammed shut its border to NSW, forcing thousands of families to drive through the night to avoid being shut out of their home state. The situation continues to evolve very, very quickly, Mr Weimar said on Saturday. There is no other warning point we are going to provide. Victorian travellers queued for hours in January after the government announced the NSW border would be slammed shut. Credit:Rachel Mounsey If the situation gets to a point where its beyond critical, we will make it red. Victorian authorities confirmed they did not know how many Victorians were currently in NSW but said between 200 and 300 people were returning to Victoria from Sydney each day on red-zone permits. Thats a pretty small number and has been fairly consistent for a few days, Mr Weimar said. Epidemiologist Adrian Esterman said Victoria should shut its border to NSW, with the exception of border communities straddling both states. COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar says the NSW border could be closed soon. Credit:Chris Hopkins All the time this outbreak is getting bigger and bigger in Sydney. That means that its more and more likely to be spread outside of Sydney into the regional areas. And theres more and more risk to Victoria, said Professor Esterman, chair of biostatistics at the University of South Australia. Eventually, they are going to shut the borders ... why not do it now and not take that risk? Almost 300 police officers are patrolling the border between NSW and Victoria, with increased patrols near Echuca, Wodonga and Mildura assisted by the Victoria Police air wing. Mr Weimar said more than 1200 travellers on average were being checked at the Victoria-NSW border each day and authorities had reported high levels of compliance. Victoria Polices acting superintendent of the north-east region, Brett Coloe, said police would not hesitate to take action against people travelling without a permit. We wont be giving any more warnings if you are coming to Victoria without a permit from one of the designated zones, you will be fined, he said. No ones off-limits here. Every vehicle that comes through will be checked, whether youre from Victoria, NSW [or] Queensland. Loading On Saturday, Victoria reached 10 consecutive days without recording a locally acquired case of coronavirus, with more than 23,000 people coming forward for testing. But health authorities issued a warning for passengers who travelled from Launceston to Melbourne on QF1542 on July 2 after a Tasmanian traveller on board the aircraft later tested positive to COVID-19 when he landed at his final destination in London. Mr Weimar described the chance of the man being infectious while transiting through Melbourne as an exceptionally long shot. Victoria will shut its border to all of New South Wales and the ACT from 11.59pm Sunday, but the border bubble will remain in place. State health officials have grown increasingly concerned about the deepening coronavirus crisis in NSW, which reported the death of a woman in her 90s and 77 new local COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Australias top medical experts met at 1.30pm on Sunday to discuss the situation in Greater Sydney and advise state and territory leaders on whether the border should be sealed shut to NSW entirely. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews offered NSW any support or personnel the state needs to deal with its worsening second wave earlier in the afternoon as he warned Victorians to be quick about getting home. Australias plan to end COVID-19 lockdowns and begin reopening state and international borders will rely on at least 75 per cent of over-70s getting vaccinated but a lower proportion of younger Australians will need to have had the jab. The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald have learnt there will be no move from phase one to phase two of the plan which the government hopes to achieve by the end of 2021 before the number of over-70s who are fully vaccinated has passed at least 75 per cent and probably higher. Currently, 72.9 per cent of people over 70 have had at least one jab. Vials of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The number of people who will have to be fully vaccinated in younger cohorts is expected to be broken down into three age groups potentially 50-70-year-olds, 40-50-year-olds and 18-40 -year-olds which broadly reflects the current age groups of the rollout. Vaccination thresholds for younger Australians will be lower than for the over-70s before the move to phase two but will still be high. Washington: Over recent weeks, Americans have been revelling in what many here are calling their post-vax summer. Bars and nightclubs are packed again; Bruce Springsteen is back playing to packed crowds on Broadway. Americans are embracing opportunities to get out-and-about, as shown by the fact theres a national shortage of rental cars. Its increasingly rare to see anyone wearing a face mask, except on a plane or public transport. Bruce Springsteen has returned to the Broadway stage, signifying a return to pre-pandemic normality in the United States. Credit:Invision Coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and death rates have been falling steadily since April, a testament to the effectiveness of the free and widely-available COVID-19 vaccines. But the sense of progress has been punctured by a series of reminders that the pandemic is not over. Surfside: Binx the cat, who had lived on the ninth floor of the South Florida condo building that collapsed last month, has been found safe and returned to its family, officials said on Saturday (AEST). Gina Nicole Vlasek, co-founder of The Kitty Campus, posted on Facebook that a black cat resembling Binx was found near the rubble of the Surfside building on Thursday night and brought to the groups nearby facility in Miami Beach. A former Champlain Towers South resident visited The Kitty Campus on Friday and confirmed that the feline was hers, Vlasek said. We are so grateful to be able to help in any small way, Vlasek wrote. Somerset, KY (42501) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Marconi Smith, age 89, of Somerset, KY, passed away on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at Hospice of Lake Cumberland Jean Waddle Care Center. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 from 11:00am until 12:00pm at Lake Cumberland Funeral Home. His funeral service will follow on Wednesday at 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 2021 cancellation season has proven to be a brutal one, with numerous shows getting the axe: Good Girls, Manifest, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, MacGyver but no fandom is as insistent as the one rallying behind Prodigal Son. Two months after Fox cancelled the crime drama, the #SaveProdigalSon campaign has trended consistently in the United States and countries across the globe. Though the campaign parties have changed tactics with tweetstorms scheduled throughout the week, it's clear that the cult following is not backing down anytime soon. #SaveProdigalSon began immediately following the news on May 10th. A petition circulated, a website was formed, cupcakes were sent (and received) by executives, and a fundraiser brought over $5,000 to TWLOHA in an effort to bring attention to mental health struggles. Daily Tweet Parties took Twitter by storm for the first month and a half; hashtags ranging from #BewareTheHeels to #SerialKillerCleanse trending in multiple countries on a daily basis. The fans are loud, persistent, and hopeful. Manifest which continues to hold an impressive streak of staying on top of the Netflix trending list got an average of 15,000 tweets under #SaveManifest at the height of their campaign, now slipping down to 8,000. Comparatively,* Prodigal Son got an average of 40,000 tweets a day for their first month of #SaveProdigalSon (getting up to nearly 100,000 on one night). Even two months in, #SaveProdigalSon hits higher engagement milestones than #SaveManifest on their off days garnering 10,000 tweets a day, while getting 17,000+ on their party days. #SaveProdigalSon is the loudest, but #SaveManifest has been a media darling with prominent articles published by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety. It's a shame that the HBO Max viewership numbers are never made public, as the first season of Prodigal Son has spent significant time in the platforms most watched rankings following its debut in March 2021, still supposedly in the Top 10. #SaveZoeysPlaylist and #SaveGoodGirls initially had a lot of attention and a big burst of fans trying to save their show, never sufficiently organized watch parties or tweet storms, and within a week of cancellation, both hashtags petered out, they now average less than 1,000 tweets a day. Good Girls and MacGyver have been cancelled, and despite the ardent fanbase of the latter, there is no road ahead for resurrection as contractual disputes prevent any continuation. Manifest, despite exhausting their shopping options only 8 days after cancellation, still hopes to greenlight a movie given their exponentially growing viewership (it seems foolish not to make it happen). Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist might have released the cast from their contracts, but Lionsgate continues to look for a new home. Prodigal Son, on the other hand, has remained startling silent. The last official news that was released was that WBTV was still shopping, despite the HBO Max pass up which they reiterated a week later. With support echoed by Channing Dungey, WBTV chair in the Hollywood Reporter, everyone seemed positive and hopeful of the show's chances. Since then, it's been nothing but crumbs. Even the cast is unsure of the show's fate. The closest to official news anyone has gotten in a month and a half is the show's Executive Producer, Sarah Schechter, occasionally liking encouraging tweets about the hopeful success of shopping the show. Additionally, sources** inside AppleTV+ claimed in the later half of June, that there were internal conversations about the #SaveProdigalSon campaign. But, at this time, it is not clear if these deliberations have led anywhere, or if there were any meetings scheduled to discuss Prodigal Son with WBTV in the weeks that have followed. The silence could mean anything; from ending shopping without notice (when every other show has had transparency? Give the fandom some closure!), to negotiations taking longer than expected, to temporarily shelving it until a streamer has room on their slate it sounds like HBO Max could be back on the market soon. Following the mid-year earnings of media IP, a re-evaluation of budgets should make its way down the corporate chain and increase HBO Max IP spending. Continued strong user engagement, subscriber growth, and increased revenue streams from ad-sales could see HBO Max return to the negotiation table in the fall. So, the question remains... WBTV, when will we officially hear about the final fate of Prodigal Son? Have any tips about the status of Prodigal Son (or any other show left in limbo after cancellation)? Email zoe@spoilertv.com! *Disclaimer #1: I am a big fan of all of the shows mentioned in this article and hope they all somehow find a new home. I strongly believe that fan campaigns are not a competition I'm just a big stats person. **Disclaimer #2: Any insider info, while coming from legitimate sources, cannot be officially endorsed. ***Disclaimer #3: This article is not here to discuss the legitimacy of fan campaigns it is simply observing the data of fan movements. (Though, I do point you to #SaveTimeless, which undeniably got two extra chances due to persistent fans. Money is the key factor, but fans can push it in the right direction.) The cast of HBO/BBCs investment banking drama Industry is adding three new series regulars for Season 2. Alex Alomar Akpobome (Twenties, For All Mankind) and Adam Levy (The Witcher) have joined the series, from creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay. Additionally, Indy Lewis, who guest starred in an episode of Season 1, has been named a series regular.Akpobome will play Danny Van Deventer, a wonder-kid Executive Director who recently landed in London from Pierpoint New York. Handsome, loquacious and charming Danny is a head-turning presence on the trading floor and a potential role model for the banks younger recruits.Levy will play Charles Hanani, a jet-setting playboy looking to reconnect with his daughter, Yasmin (Marisa Abela).As briefly glimpsed in Season 1, Lewis plays Venetia Berens who joins Yasmins Foreign Exchange Sales Desk as its newest recruit. Bright-eyed, razor-sharp and not afraid to talk back to those in power, she provides a strong generational counterpoint to the desks old school ways. 5 1 of 5 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 While Tropical Storm Elsa has come and gone, the chance of additional rain showers lingers in Connecticuts weekend forecast. The National Weather Service predicted a 20% chance of showers after 11 a.m. Saturday and a 30% possibility of rain and thunderstorms Sunday after 2 p.m. The skies are expected to be partly sunny through Monday with temperatures peaking at 81 degrees Sunday. Top finance officials representing most of the world's economy have backed a sweeping revision of international taxation that includes a 15% global minimum corporate levy to deter big companies from resorting to low-rate tax havens. Finance ministers from the Group of 20 countries endorsed the plan at a meeting Saturday in Venice. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the proposal would end a self-defeating international tax competition in which countries have for years lowered their rates to attract companies. She said that had been a race that nobody has won. What it has done instead is to deprive us of the resources we need to invest in our people, our workforces, our infrastructure. The next steps include more work on key details at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and then a final decision at the Group of 20 meeting of presidents and prime ministers on Oct. 30-31 in Rome. Implementation, expected as early as 2023, would depend on action at the national level. Countries would enact the minimum tax requirement into their own laws. Other parts could require a formal treaty. The draft proposal was approved July 1 in talks among more than 130 countries convened by the OECD. Italy hosted the finance ministers meeting in Venice because it holds the rotating chair of the G-20, which makes up more than 80% of the world economy. The event also attracted around 1,000 protesters under the banner We Are The Tide, an umbrella group of environmental and social justice activists, including opponents of large cruise ships and the hordes of tourists they bring to the lagoon city. A small group scuffled Saturday with police after breaking away from an approved demonstration area. The U.S. already has a minimum tax on overseas earnings, but President Joe Biden has proposed roughly doubling the rate to 21%, which would more than comply with the proposed global minimum. Raising the rate is part of a broader proposal to fund Biden's jobs and infrastructure plan by raising the domestic corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%. Yellen said she was very optimistic that Bidens infrastructure and tax legislation will include what we need for the United States to come into compliance with the minimum tax proposal. Republicans in the Congress have expressed opposition to the measure. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, has blasted the OECD deal, saying, This is an economic surrender to China, Europe and the world that Congress will reject. The international tax proposal aims to deter the world's biggest firms from using accounting and legal schemes to shift their profits to countries where little or no tax is due and where the company may do little or no actual business. Under the minimum, companies that escape taxes abroad would pay them at home. That would eliminate incentives for using tax havens or for setting them up. From 2000-2018, U.S. companies booked half of all foreign profits in seven low-tax jurisdictions: Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland. A second part of the tax plan is to permit countries to tax a portion of the profits of companies that earn profits without a physical presence, such as through online retailing or digital advertising. That part arose after France, followed by other countries, imposed a digital service tax on U.S. tech giants such as Amazon and Google. The U.S. government regards those national taxes as unfair trade practices and is holding out the threat of retaliation against those countries' imports into the U.S. through higher import taxes. Under the tax deal, those countries would have to drop or refrain from national taxes in favor of a single global approach, in theory ending the trade disputes with the U.S. U.S. tech companies would then face only the one tax regime, instead of a multitude of different national digital taxes. ___ McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. NEW CANAAN Parking Commission Chairman Keith Richey is unsure if commuter parking lot permit numbers will return to the pre-pandemic level, which could impact town revenue. Speaking at the groups July 8 meeting, Richey said I dont know if we will ever see the commuter parking lots generate the same type of revenue as they were. The commission discussed revenue implications surrounding two scenarios if a full pre-pandemic train schedule is not restored, or if only 50% of pre-pandemic commuters return to the towns commuter lots. The worry for commission members centers on the potential for a lack of direct transportation for residents who must commute to New York City daily via the railroad and the likelihood that many commuters may not be returning to commuting full-time. That could possibly result in a drop of permit renewals. Renewals, according to Stacy Miltenberg of the Parking Department, will be issued fully for those who have requested them and then enforced by Sept. 1. Miltenberg plans to send out the permits by the last week of July or in August. Will people still buy permits even if they werent taking the train? Richey asked. I dont think they would. He suggested that the drop could be as much as 50%. Richey said town revenue derived from permits for the Lumberyard Parking Lot, between Elm Street and Pine Street is estimated to be over $400,000 annually. So a cut in half, Richey said, would be a $200,000 loss for the town. Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Laura Budd said that town officials would be making decisions on how to make up for lost revenue, such as that from the possible drop in permit renewals. Richey said that commercial parking lots made a significant return to form, but a full calendar year of no commuter parking lots used by residents may mean the town lost out on an estimated $700,000. Parking Commission members also discussed the lack of a direct connection in railroad access between New Canaan and Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Miltenberg cited a conversation she recently had with a new New Canaan resident who recently trekked from New Canaan to New York City via a transfer at Stamford. Miltenberg said the resident claimed the trip was not bad at all, but was not aware of the towns former direct connection to Manhattan. Commission member Jen Donovan quipped, wait to ask her until its snowing or raining. The commission also said that some residents may travel to other towns to hop on a train that has a direct connection to Manhattan. Richey said that he travels to Darien when he needs to use the train. Richey also mentioned the Boxcar bus as a possible alternative that could come to New Canaan. Boxcar Transit is a company that provides commuter buses from various suburbs to New York City. It wouldnt be a bad alternative for someone commuting one to two days a week, Budd said, adding that she has heard the price would stand at $20 each way with a guaranteed seat, ample space, charging capabilities and WiFi connectivity. ROCKPORT, Texas (AP) South Texas began to dry out Saturday after several days of drenching showers that inundated some areas with more than 18 inches of rain. The heavy rainfall, which began Monday, caused flash flooding in various cities and communities along the South Texas Gulf Coast. Portions of the coastal city of Rockport received more than 18 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The heavy rainfall caused an overflow at the city's wastewater treatment plant on Wednesday and flooded streets and homes. Rockport Mayor Patrick Rios issued a disaster declaration. In 2017, Rockport was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. Roland Solis, who lives in Rockport with his mother, told KRIS-TV he had never seen anything like this. We encountered water up to my knees or ankles, all over the house, Solis said. My mother is an elderly person which I had to carry like a baby and walk around the whole time. Parts of Corpus Christi had received more than 13 inches since Monday. Residents in Sun George Village, a subdivision in Corpus Christis London area, couldn't leave or return to their homes Friday due to flooding. This isnt the first time that has happened, Wasan Abu-Baker, who, with her family, has lived in the neighborhood since 2017, told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. In May, we werent able to leave the house for two days because of the bad drainage system." No significant rainfall was expected over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. Milton, PA (17847) Today Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 60F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Ogden jazz icon Joe McQueen may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on. One physical reminder of his life, McQueen's lifelong home at 3158 Grant Ave., has now become available for sale. The house received extensive remodeling, but as investor Richard Casperson has said, "Joe's energy is Ashtabula, OH (44004) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 64F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (881) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (897) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (851) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (477) But with no industry partners entering such an agreement, Spire used its own affiliates to serve as both the pipeline developer and the entity that committed to buying gas from the project. That set up Spire to collect the 14% return allowed by regulators for building the pipeline, but also opened up the company to lines of attack about alleged self-dealing because opponents argued that there was still no demonstrated need for the line. The Environmental Defense Fund, which spearheaded the legal challenge against the pipeline, said the entirely in-house arrangement raised concerns about both the projects necessity and impacts on the companys captive customers, creating a situation where ratepayer costs which may not be justified by ratepayer demand are being converted into shareholder return. FERCs approval relied on the agreement between Spire affiliates as proof of a need for the pipeline. But the new court ruling accused FERCs decision-making of taking an ostrich-like approach rejecting calls for market studies and ignoring arguments about anti-competitive behavior, for instance conduct that flies in the face of its policy guidelines, the court said. Dr. George Turabelidze, a state epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Senior Services, said at a briefing that parts of the St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City areas are now seeing increases in COVID-19. Do not assume it is over. It is not over, by far. And get vaccinated, Turabelidze said. That is what we can do as a community to stop this outbreak from going out of control. The virus has spread rapidly throughout southwest Missouri in recent weeks. In Greene County, home to Springfield, the seven-day average of new cases hit 171 on Friday, the highest level since Jan. 13. The county reported 205 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, nearing the peak of 237 seen on Dec. 1. Garza warned that because the St. Louis metro region is behind on vaccinations and because there is a more transmissible variant of the virus circulating, the coming weeks will likely bring more cases and hospitalizations. The delta variant recently became the most common strain in the U.S. And the region that includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska is reporting the highest proportions in the nation, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Five days a week, from before sunrise to past sunset, Rosalie Truong is a gentlewoman farmer on 90 acres of land she owns in Labadie. I prefer to be called a producer, she says, emphasizing that she produces food products for consumption and fiber products to wear. Nearly every day, Truong, 53, pulls up in her Tacoma pickup, boots on, ready to put her diminutive frame to work. She collects eggs from her 500 quail, 500 chickens, 120 ducks and 60 geese. Then she takes the eggs and returns 50 miles to her home in Lafayette Square where she has lived since 1988 with her husband, Dr. James McCarter, and their two sons, Alex, 15, and Ernest, 20. In the morning at 4:30 she wakes up to begin the task of washing the eggs by hand. It is like my meditation time. If I do not do it, the rest of the day seems awkward, she says. Shell use that time to consider her plans for the day, for her farm, for her animals. Sometimes I sing along to the tunes of the Statler Brothers, the Eagles, George Strait. Then she returns to the farm where afternoons may find her shearing some of her 30 sheep or a few of her 100 or so German angora rabbits, a breed known for high fur yields. Or she may be hand spinning the sheared wool before dyeing it and sending it off to be turned into the socks, scarves, earmuffs, mittens or angora yarn, all of which she sells. Dyeing is where her chemistry background comes in handy, helping her gauge how different dyes will bond with the fiber. No one can match what I do with fabric colors, she says. Secretly I really want to be a fiber artist. Or she may be delivering her chickens or picking up her processed chickens in Versailles, Missouri. Or she might be delivering goats (she has a herd of 100) for processing to a plant in Dittmer, Missouri. Or she might be delivering goats to the Muslim, Bosnian, Filipino or Pakistan communities which do their own processing. Or she may be dropping off eggs to the restaurants she serves in the St. Louis area. Or she may be making French madeleine cookies, or Vietnamese coffee or Vietnamese pastries. On Saturdays she, with a little help from her family, will be selling her food and fiber products at a booth at the Tower Grove Farmers Market from 8 a.m. until noon. Or you will find her at the S.O.L. Maplewood Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6 p.m., and periodically at the Wildwood or Labadie Point Farmers Markets. If you think those chores are enough to fill a week, you might be surprised what she does the two days of the week she is not at the farm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I do my doctor thing, she says. That would be when she morphs into Dr. Rosalie M. Truong, dons her scrubs, and becomes an obstetric anesthesiologist at St. Lukes Hospital in Chesterfield. I can get by with only four hours of sleep, Truong volunteers anticipating the question as to whether she ever sleeps. Watching his mother go-go-go has been enlightening for son Ernest, who will be a sophomore at Princeton University. My mother is definitely a role model for me, he says. I would say that both of my parents have inspired me to push myself inside and outside of academia. What I admire the most about my mother is how she pursues the things that make her happy. I think her work ethic is indicative of the amount of love she has for what she does. How her unusual combination of jobs came about, and how she ended up in the United States and in St. Louis is a remarkable story unto itself. Truong was born in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive in 1968 to parents who were both physicians. By 1975 the new government had shifted to Communism and her parents decided to depart Saigon and immigrate to France so Rosalie and her two brothers would have a better opportunity to thrive. We all had French citizenship and passports even though we had never been to the country, she remembers. Years earlier our family had been granted French citizenship due to my great-great grandfather. It was a thank-you for his efforts to establish a peace treaty between Vietnam and France. After living seven years in France, her parents sent Rosalie to California along with her 21- and 18-year-old brothers to become U.S. citizens, and build their futures on their own. It is not uncommon in the Vietnamese culture to send children to a country where they might have a better life, Truong says. My older brother watched after me in our apartment, but I have been pretty much on my own since I was 14. In high school in California, her love of animals led to an animal science major at the University of California at Davis in 1990. However, two years before graduating she had attended a summer program for students who want to immerse themselves in genetics and genomics research where she met Dr. Edward Birkenmeier from the Washington University Medical School. He encouraged her to come to St. Louis and study to become a doctor. He was unknowingly reinforcing what my father wanted me to do, she recalls. In the Vietnamese culture you always want to please your parents, and my father had been afraid I would have to pull calves out of cows as a veterinarian and had tried to dissuade me from the profession. Truong enrolled in Washington University Medical School in 1991 on a full scholarship, arriving in town with 12 angora rabbits, two dogs, two cats and a litter of baby rabbits. She rented a house in Richmond Heights and kept the rabbits in the garage. She earned her medical degree as well as a doctoral degree in cell and molecular biology in 2002 and has worked at St. Lukes in Chesterfield ever since. But her love of animals and a desire to own a farm never diminished. In 2008 at age 40 her double life as a physician and as a farm-to-fiber and farm-to-table producer began after she purchased 6 acres in Labadie, which she refers to as the little farm. A few years later the big farm of 82 acres was acquired just up the road. The first hooved animals she purchased were 12 angora goats in 2012. Today the farms have grown to where she needs assistance. With over 2,000 animals, just to deliver their food I was walking seven miles a day, she says. Now she has four people she refers to as feeders, and a property manager who lives in the 1930-era white frame farmhouse on the property. Her degree in animal science helps her maximize the production of her animals, yielding an optimum crop of everything from eggs to offspring to production of a healthy yield of wool. I understand them, she says. If they are happy and content, they produce eggs, wool and babies. Recently she gave in to her plan to not use mechanized machinery when it became too much wheelbarrow work moving food and manure up and down the hills on her property. A tractor now helps ease the workload, and an ATV is being considered. Four Anatolian shepherd dogs help protect the farm animals, which for the most part are able to roam the farm. The dogs ward off any fox, bobtail cat or coyote, she says. However, we will occasionally lose an animal to a bird of prey. Those losses touch Truong, who has a special place for each of her animals. Mom loves and cares about every single one of her animals, says son Ernest. She sees things that I would never notice. She can look at a flock of birds and recognize which ones are sick or have an injury, and shell go out of her way to help each and every one. She has a very deep passion for animals and helping them. So maybe its not that different than being a doctor after all. And by the way, if you want to rent her goats to graze your property and clear a field, or learn how to dye fabric, or purchase some nutrient-rich goat manure, or camp next to her five-acre lake, or take a farm tour, call her. I like my days to be full. When I die, I want to know I have lived a productive life, Truong says with a big smile and a laugh that can be heard throughout her farm. Her younger son, Alex, 15, also appreciates his moms work ethic, but maybe not all of her ideas. She cannot seem to just sit still at home. She is always talking about doing something new. Lately she has been talking about getting a water buffalo, but I do not think that is a good idea. For more information ST. LOUIS From Interstate 44 south of downtown, its easy to overlook historic St. Mary of Victories Catholic Church, tucked just feet from the highway among a cluster of graffiti-covered warehouses. But go inside the church, established in 1843 and the second oldest in the city of St. Louis, and its pretty tough to hear the roar of the interstate. Maybe its the soft whir of the floor fans, which oscillate in the summer to keep the nonconditioned air moving. Maybe its the deep baritone of the chaplain, the Rev. Brian Harrison, an Australian who sings his heart out during services that include Latin and a touch of Hungarian. Though there may only be 20 people in attendance. Maybe its Rose Marie Koerner at the organ, who divides her time playing at three parishes, and at age 83 wonders if she should retire. Usually, a total of about 60 people attend the churchs three Masses on weekends, leaving most pews empty. And Harrison, 76, would like to retire next year and move back to Australia. We have an old newspaper clipping that says we are the church that refuses to die, said Harrison. Were like a cat with nine lives. Were hoping we can keep it going after I leave, but its still a big question mark here. Harrison thought he would retire last year, but COVID-19 travel restrictions and his desire to keep St. Mary of Victories running kept him from leaving. Hes a member of a small order of priests called the Oblates of Wisdom, and before coming to St. Louis in 2007 he spent much of his career teaching theology in Puerto Rico. Hed like to get back to his siblings and family, and more study and writing in his retirement. Because of the priest shortage, its tough to justify sending another live-in priest to serve such a small congregation. Harrison knows a priest in Chicago who might be available. Another option to save the church would be if it gained status as a shrine. That means visiting priests would come to celebrate an occasional Mass and a committee would oversee the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. That wouldnt be our first option, obviously, but anything to keep this beautiful old church open and running, Harrison said. Deep roots The church at 744 South Third Street is one of the oldest buildings in St. Louis and the second-oldest church in the city behind the Old Cathedral; members laid the cornerstone in 1843, and it was completed in the 1860s. It was built to serve the growing German immigrant population, who lived and worked in the bustling riverfront neighborhood. The church adapted to the needs of residents; an early priest, the Rev. Joseph Melcher, founded St. Vincents German Orphan Society to serve the German children orphaned during the 1849 cholera epidemic. In 1872, a group of five nuns emigrated from Germany to serve the sick here and lived at the church convent. The neighborhood knew them as the smallpox sisters, who walked the streets ringing bells to warn others to stay away in case they were contagious. During Mass they sat in the two-tier choir loft to keep their distance. They took their name from St. Mary of Victories church, and became known as the Sisters of St. Mary, the founders of SSM Health, now a vast network of hospitals and health care workers in four states. The parish began to decline by the early 20th century as immigration slowed and children and grandchildren of immigrants moved away from the working-class neighborhood. Starting in the late 1930s, the government began clearing land on the riverfront the homes and workplaces of some church members to build a monument to progress: the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, later known as Gateway Arch National Park. Construction of Interstate 55 in the 1950s cut the neighborhood in half, just feet from the church door. Traffic was able to travel faster, but more parishioners also moved away. (Last year, a tire from a passing tractor-trailer fell off and bounced from the highway, striking the front door frame. Thankfully, Harrison noted, it didnt hit one of the historic stained glass windows.) The church prides itself on its Hungarian roots, though those didnt take hold until the late 1950s, when the church took on immigrants who fled Hungary after World War II and the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. A 1958 newspaper account details a welcome Fourth of July barbecue the parish hosted. German parishioners who had been uprooted by highway construction turned out, as well as Mexican residents, who appreciated the churchs shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The women prepared the goulash but called in an experienced barbecuer to handle the other department, the Rev. Stephen Vrabely, church pastor at the time, told a reporter. They know Americans do not treat barbecue techniques lightly. Of the 60 or so regulars now, only a handful are Hungarian. At the end of a recent Mass, before the few who knew the words sung the Hungarian national anthem, Harrison blessed Imre Jim Jokuti and his wife, Anna, in honor of his 86th birthday. Jokuti is Hungarian, and as a young man during the uprising he swam across a freezing river to flee Hungary. Its a harrowing story he cant tell anymore because he has dementia. The couple have been married 60 years and have three children, eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Many were baptized or married here. Anna Jokuti, 80, came here from Germany as a young woman, and when the couple dated theyd come to St. Mary of Victories for picnics and dance in the courtyard. I wore holes in the soles of my shoes, she said. The couple live in south St. Louis County, but St. Mary of Victories is home, she said. She tries not to worry too much about its future. I always say, I leave it in Gods hands, she said. Why its home Some people come here because they like the Modern Latin Mass offered by Harrison at 9 a.m. Sunday. (Veils by Lilly, which sells mantilla-style chapel veils, advertises in the church bulletin.) Another group sits in the choir loft offering Gregorian chants at the 7 p.m. Saturday and the 9 a.m. Sunday Masses. The 11:30 a.m. Mass is the Modern Rite in English with a touch of Hungarian. Jim and Lisa Hooper, 51, of OFallon, Illinois, started attending the church about seven years ago after meeting Harrison at a conference. We just fell in love with the place, Jim Hooper said. Were literally trying to save it. He is now the parish council president. Daughter Celine, 17, is a part-time organist, and Lisa Hooper works to prepare the church for Mass, arranging flowers and washing linens. Jim Hooper has built up the parish website and Facebook page, in part to attract visitors. The church has arranged events like a downtown Rosary Run. Theres a new hiking group dedicated to prayer and fellowship in the wilderness. Congregants even hosted a murder mystery dinner theater in the church hall. Everyone seemed to love it and gave high marks, said Jim Hooper. But man, they didnt come back for Mass. Harrison wonders if development downtown can breathe new life into the parish. It always draws tourists who stay downtown and find St. Mary a convenient spot for Mass the church added the Saturday evening service this spring, partly to attract people who are coming to and from downtown events. Tour groups come for the churchs historic and religious value: It holds one of the largest collections of relics in the archdiocese. Among the more than 280 items are reported to be a fragment of the true cross, a piece of the Virgin Marys veil and a thorn from Jesus crown. Harrison would like someone to tear down the surrounding abandoned warehouses, if only to add more attractive green space or new housing. Thats why we want this church to be kept open, even on a pilot light basis, he said. In the future there could be a lot of people living here. This church could take a new lease on life. But for now, life goes on at the parish, where they host a monthly Hungarian luncheon after the 11:30 a.m. Mass. Parishioners and visitors line up in a hallway, where Klara Schwarcz spoons chicken paprikash, saucy noodles, homemade pickles and chocolate coconut rolls onto Styrofoam plates. A group seated at the table reminisces about what it was like here years before, when men would gather to play cards and there was always someone to talk to. It was a real camaraderie. I never saw anything like it, said Ingeberg White, 84, who is German but says she was adopted by the Hungarians. Thats why we stayed. As they talked, Lisa Hooper carried in two homemade cakes for Imre Jokutis 86th birthday. The group sang, and Anna Jokuti helped him blow out the candles. They cheered. In a nearby hallway hangs a timeline of the parish history. On one end, the first entry notes the year 1839, when Bishop Joseph Rosati bought the land and started raising money for a building; he died before he was able to complete the task. At the other end, the last entry marks the year 2018, when Archbishop Robert Carlson came to the church to celebrate its 175th anniversary. After that, theres an empty space. And outside, the traffic on the interstate roars on. 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. Since 2016, the department has run a co-responder program similar to what St. Louis launched in January that has mental health professionals accompany police officers on calls that could turn dangerous, such as cases where someone might be armed. And last summer, the department launched its Outreach Case Coordinator program that employs seven case managers who follow up with people who contact police for mental health or other nonviolent calls. The coordinators help them find long-term help including jobs, housing and health care, Pazen said. The STAR program has gotten most of the attention and its been successful, the follow-up is just as impactful if you want to have long-term results, he said. Pazen said officers in his department embraced STAR. In its first six months, about 35% of STAR calls came from police calling the team to incidents after determining their resources would be a better fit. Unlike St. Louis, however, Denver had a special funding source that provided the $200,000 needed to cover STARs first six months. In November 2018, Denver voters approved a 0.25% sales tax to create a fund specifically for behavioral health services in the city. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Gov. Mike Parson pumped the brakes Friday on legislation that would have ended a vehicle emissions testing program in counties surrounding St. Louis. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Parson cited the potential loss of $52 million in federal funding when he vetoed the legislation. It called for excluding Franklin, Jefferson and St. Charles counties from vehicle emissions inspections that are mandated by the federal Clean Air Act. Supporters of the plan said the testing is unpopular in the suburban areas they represent and should be jettisoned. But doing so would have put the state out of compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency, which said in a May letter to the Republican governor that it would strip money that helps build roads and bridges if the state eliminated the inspections. Because of high ozone levels, the St. Louis region is the only area in Missouri where emissions testing is required. While demonizing the defund-the-police movement on the left, Republican legislators last session passed their own version of it, with a law that would heavily fine Missouri police departments if they enforce federal gun restrictions. The measures supporters know fully well it wont last three minutes in court. This is what government looks like in the hands of a party that has nothing but contempt for it. As your mother used to say, this is why we cant have nice things. Things like comprehensive health coverage, good roads, sane gun policies and a responsible approach to the worst public health crisis in a century. It could be argued that this is how Missourians want it, otherwise why would we keep sending this Republican supermajority back to Jefferson City? But that argument collapses when you consider all the ballot initiatives that have passed in recent years over the opposition of these officeholders. Election after election, we vote this crowd into office, then we turn around and pass referendums seeking to do what they wont do, or undo what theyve done. Its a disconnect that indicates many Missouri voters choose their representatives based not on policy but on partisan tribalism. They may want what are essentially Democratic policies, but heaven forbid they vote for a Democrat. As long as thats the mindset, expect continued dysfunction from one of the most broken states in the union. Views from the editorial board, opinions from guest and national columnists plus the latest letters from our readers. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The U.S. Navy has had considerable success in developing and testing large ocean-going USVs (unmanned surface vessel). This is the Ghost Fleet Overlord program that is developing Class 4 USVs (those over 50 meters/160 feet long). The navy has built two development Ghost Fleet vessels (Nomad and Ranger) for testing, each displacing about 2,000 tons. Both have made autonomous voyages, travelling about 8,000 kilometers from the American Gulf coast to the West coast, including transit through the Panama Canal. These voyages had the ships in autonomous mode 98 percent of the time. A small crew was on board in case of problems, but there were none. Each vessel picked up a pilot for going through the Panama Canal. The navy wants to buy ten of these Ghost Ships for operational use, mainly in the Pacific where China has a growing number of anti-ship missiles, including a ballistic missile, for use against American ships. The autonomous ships will be armed with a dozen or more VLS cells carrying anti-ship and land-attack and anti-aircraft missiles as well as RWS (remote weapons stations) armed with machine-guns or autocannon for defense. The main function of the Ghost Ships would be ELINT (Electronic Intelligence), ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and similar support functions. Encrypted satellite communications would handle sending data and receiving commands from manned ships or land bases. Sensors include the usual array of vidcams, radar and acoustic sensors to help with navigation and security. On the open ocean these ships could be boarded by hostile forces seeking to take over the USV or just plunder it (as in pirates) of anything valuable and portable. There will probably be a landing pad for manned or unmanned helicopters. The unmanned aircraft would assist with the mission while manned helicopters could land to deal with any malfunctions if a ship was not close enough to take care of this. These larger USVs take advantage of technology already used on smaller coastal and harbor USVs as well as tech already in use by commercial firms for large ferries and cargo vessels. Commercial ships have pioneered the use of automation on large ocean-going container and tanker ships. That means a crew of about 30 for ships as large as an aircraft carrier but only carrying cargo. Most of the time these ships navigate autonomously and the crews are for maintenance, including quickly dealing with equipment problems. Commercial ships, like commercial airliners and transports are more heavily used than military ships and aircraft. Time is money for the heavily used commercial ships and aircraft and both spend most of their time in the air or at sea. Automation, including navigation and open-seas movement is already largely automated and human intervention is only needed to complex maneuvers, like getting into or out of a crowded harbor or getting through canals (like Panama or Suez), For the canal transits the canal operators provide pilots, as do many harbors that handle very large cargo or tanker ships. The Ghost Fleet Overland program builds on decades of development and use of smaller military USVs, including autonomous ocean-going UUVs (Unmanned Underwater vessel) the size of a torpedo and able to stay at sea up to year at a time. Originally developed for scientific research, these autonomous USVs were seen by the navy as an ideal tool for monitoring undersea conditions constantly and inexpensively. This data is important to detecting submarines. These smaller USVs and UUVs have gone through several generations of development and use. For example, in 2019 an Israeli firm introduced its new Seagull coastal USV. This USV is equipped with a HELRAS (Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar) active low-frequency dipping sonar that is normally used by a helicopter to pinpoint the location of a submarine before launching a lightweight torpedo. Seagull can carry and launch one of those torpedoes after HELRAS has located a target, usually a naval mine sitting on the ocean bottom in coastal waters. While Seagull development concentrated on mine detection and destruction, the remotely controlled boat can carry 2.5 tons of specialized equipment and has been tested with many systems, usually in the presence of officers from various navies as well as representatives from the European and American companies that build the mine-clearing, anti-submarine, EW (Electronic Warfare) and anti-swimmer (frogman) systems Seagull users can purchase and use. Improved relations between Israel and the Persian Gulf Arab states make those nations potential customers. Iran is a mutual enemy and Iran poses several naval threats to its Arab neighbors. Seagull offers a cost-effective way to deal with numerous Iranian threats like small submarines, naval mines and armed speedboats. Standard equipment on Seagull enables it to operate safely in areas containing other ships, both large and small. Seagull navigation sensors can automatically detect and avoid other ships as well as underwater obstacles. In mid-2017 Seagull demonstrated its ability to perform MCM (mine countermeasures) missions (finding and destroying bottom mines) off the Belgium coast in rough weather. Seagull was designed to operate in Sea State 5 (six-meter waves and 38 kilometer an hour winds) conditions and survive Sea State 7 (nine-meter waves and 59 kilometers an hour winds). Each Seagull system consists of two Seagulls and a base station. The Seagull is based on a small manned boat and retains the wheelhouse. From a distance, it looks like a manned boat. In fact, Seagull is either operating autonomously or remotely by human operators using base station control equipment that can be up to a hundred kilometers away on land or a manned ship. The base station crew includes the three people needed to operate Seagull and its equipment. For MCM work, one Seagull carries several types of sensors (onboard, towed and autonomous sonars) while the other Seagull carries a minisub for getting a closer look at bottom mines. Small wire-guided torpedoes are used for destroying subs or bottom mines. A Seagull USV is 12 meters (39 feet) long, has a top speed of 57 kilometers an hour and can stay at sea for up to 100 hours (four days) at a time. Each Seagull system will cost from $12 million to $30 million depending on installed equipment. Seagull can do the work of a manned MCM (mine countermeasures) ship costing three times as much or, when it comes to ASW (anti-submarine warfare) operations, a frigate or corvette costing ten times as much. Seagull is a lot cheaper to maintain and operate and puts far fewer personnel at risk. Seagull also has an RWS (Remote Weapons Station) armed with a 12.7mm machine-gun. When a threat is detected, an operator can control the machine-gun or if Seagull communications are jammed the USV can be programmed to fire on certain types of targets autonomously. This makes Seagull an effective way to guard ports and offshore facilities. The Israeli Navy plans to use them to guard Israeli offshore natural gas wells in addition to the pipeline carrying the gas to shore. Seagull is not a radical new concept but rather the result of decades of unmanned aerial, land and naval vehicle development. The Israelis have been in the lead in most categories. The American Predator UAV was based on Israeli designs. Israeli firms continue the development of these autonomous systems. For example, in 2013 an Israeli firm presented a larger (11 meter/34 foot) version of their original nine-meter Protector USV. This one was armed with a water cannon and Spike missiles. The 2013 model was more stable in rough seas and can stay out for over 12 hours at a time. The original Israeli USV was the 2005 version of the Protector, a four-ton, 9 meter (30 foot) long speedboat that could move at up to 72 kilometers an hour and was armed with an RWS 12.7mm machine-gun using night vision and a laser rangefinder. Both versions of Protector were equipped with radar, GPS, and vidcams, as well as a public address system, to give orders to boats that should not be there. All these features were carried over to the Seagull. Protector has been used since 2005 in places like the Israeli coast, the Persian Gulf, and Singapore for port and coast patrol. Protector can be controlled from an operator ashore or in a nearby ship, usually out to the horizon or at least 10-20 kilometers distant. The original Protector could stay out eight hours at a time. The one big shortcoming was Protector being built for speed, not rough seas. So when the weather turns bad, and the waves get higher, Protector has to be brought in. Protector is used to patrol the Gaza coast and the waters around the Lebanese border. These USVs were also used off Gaza during the several wars with Hamas in Gaza. Seagull development was driven in part by the need to guard the new Israeli offshore natural gas fields and the pipelines moving the gas to shore. Most of these natural gas operations are near the maritime border with Lebanon. Seagull is being offered to trusted allies who need a less expensive way to deal with MCM and ASW operations. NATO nations, especially those with coasts bordering the North Sea and Baltic Sea are particularly concerned about MCM and ASW capabilities now that Russia has become more aggressive. The United States has also developed similar small USV systems but so far Israel is in the lead and the Americans have cooperation agreements with Israel to share tech, some of which is jointly developed. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2021) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed NextSource Materials Inc. (TSX: NEXT) (OTCQB: NSRCF) ("the Company"), a battery materials development company based in Toronto, Canada that is intent on becoming a fully integrated, global supplier of critical battery materials needed to power the sustainable energy revolution. The Company's Executive Vice President, Brent Nykoliation, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by commenting on a recent press release detailing the Company's commercial offtake agreement with German steel and materials conglomerate, thyssenkrupp Materials Trading GmbH. "We signed a strategic offtake agreement with one of the world's largest materials traders and steel companies," said Nykoliation. "This was a five year process and we have now executed a binding offtake with thyssenkrupp to purchase 35,000 tonnes per year of our SuperFlake graphite in Madagascar," shared Nykoliation. "You announced last month that you have also secured an exclusive partnership with the Tesla supply chain to produce battery-grade graphite. Can you explain the details of that some more?", asked Jolly. "We announced a month ago that we had signed a collaboration with the key processors of battery-grade graphite for the Tesla supply chain," said Nykoliation. "That is a very significant addition to what began as an offtake agreement to purchase our graphite for use in Tesla's batteries. We have now grown this agreement to a collaborative partnership, where we have teamed up with the Japanese and Chinese partners currently supplying graphite to the Tesla supply chain to construct and duplicate the exact facility in China that currently processes much of the battery-grade graphite for Tesla in a location outside of China, with NextSource as a key partner," he continued, adding that currently 100% of battery-grade graphite for electric vehicles is processed in China. "We are looking at several locations for this battery anode facility, including South Africa, Europe and North America," said Nykoliation. "NextSource will build and own the plant and then license the proven technology of these partners to supply the Tesla supply chain with our graphite," he added. "Our partners are providing us with a turn-key plant with their Intellectual Property (IP) as part of this collaboration." This allows us to produce battery-grade graphite using an already established and verified process with key automotive OEMs." Jolly then asked about the Company's recent equity coverage with Cormark Securities. "Cormark is Canada's leading mid-tier investment bank and are experts in the battery materials space," said Nykoliation. "Mr. MacMurray Whale, their battery materials analyst, is regarded as one of the best analysts in the battery materials space and has initiated formal research coverage on NextSource," continued Nykoliation. "I encourage investors to contact MacMurray at Cormark Securities and read his independent analysis of our project, the Company's potential and his valuation of NextSource relative to others in the industry". To close the interview, Nykoliation elaborated on the potential of the Company as the battery materials space continues to expand. "Graphite is a critical mineral and essential in batteries. Graphite in particular is at the top of the agenda for many governments and countries around the world, because of its economic importance and its critical role in the electrification of the automobile," said Nykoliation. "NextSource is fully funded to build the initial phase of our graphite mine in Madagascar, which will be commissioned in the second quarter of 2022," he continued. "Construction of our battery anode facility, which will be producing battery-grade graphite for the Tesla supply chain, is expected to start in 2022," shared Nykoliation. "We recently press released to the market that we have also initiated a technical study to expand the mine in Madagascar to a minimum of 150,000 tonnes per year based on the expected demand of our graphite from our offtake partners." To hear Brent Nykoliation's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7900997-nextsource-materials-inc-discusses-the-expansion-of-its-molo-graphite-mine-in-madagascar-and-off. Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at:https://investorshangout.com/. ABOUT NEXTSOURCE MATERIALS INC. NextSource Materials Inc. is a battery materials development company based in Toronto, Canada that is intent on becoming a fully integrated, global supplier of critical battery and technology materials needed to power the sustainable energy revolution. The Company's Molo graphite project is one of the largest known and highest-quality graphite deposits and the only one with SuperFlake graphite. NextSource Materials is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "NEXT" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "NSRCF". For further information about NextSource, visit the website at: www.nextsourcematerials.com or contact +1.416.364.4911 or email Brent Nykoliation, Executive Vice President, at: brent@nextsourcematerials.com. About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. SOURCE: Stock Day Media (602) 821-1102 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/89765. PHILADELPHIA, July 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ENRICH in the USA is pleased to announce the winners of the Funding Summit during BIO Digital 2021. A total of 10 global startups participated at the pitch competition following a strict selection process. The speakers and judges (20) were well-known investors (angel networks, early-stage venture capital firms, and R1 university incubators and accelerators), as well as city, state and US/EU governments/agencies representatives. The top winner (best score of the two Zoom rooms) won US$500. The top three startups in each category won a direct access to the ENRICH in the USA Virtual Landing Program (no interview and first month offered) at top US research universities. These universities include Temple University (PA), George Mason University (VA), UC Berkeley (CA), Cal Poly University (CA), and Purdue University (IN). Biotech & Medtech: (First place) Keto Swiss - Basel, Switzerland | Biotech | www.keto.swiss | Keto Swiss is a Swiss biotechnology start-up that develops "brain fuels", a product that improves brain energetics ("MigraKet"), as 1) nutraceuticals (supplements) and 2) pharmaceuticals for the therapy of migraines. MigraKet is safe and contains a human identical metabolite, close to the root cause of migraine, and according to proof-of-concept data is also efficacious and without adding intolerable side effects. In later stages of development, the portfolio can be extended to other neurological diseases characterized by metabolic dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's Disease. The company is currently looking for US$10 million (possibly in two tranches of US$3 million and US$7 million) for further clinical trials, product development & go to market | Elena Gross, CEO/CSO. | Biotech | www.keto.swiss | Keto Swiss is a Swiss biotechnology start-up that develops "brain fuels", a product that improves brain energetics ("MigraKet"), as 1) nutraceuticals (supplements) and 2) pharmaceuticals for the therapy of migraines. MigraKet is safe and contains a human identical metabolite, close to the root cause of migraine, and according to proof-of-concept data is also efficacious and without adding intolerable side effects. In later stages of development, the portfolio can be extended to other neurological diseases characterized by metabolic dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's Disease. The company is currently looking for US$10 million (possibly in two tranches of US$3 million and US$7 million) for further clinical trials, product development & go to market | Elena Gross, CEO/CSO. (Second place) PlasFree - Nazareth, Israel | Medtech | www.plas-free.com | Plas-Free is a clinical stage company specialized in the development and commercialization of vital fluid absorbent devices for blood purification. The company has as strategic partner, one of the world leaders in dialysis, apheresis, blood transfusion products - Asahi Kasei Medical (AKM). Plas-Free's goal is to provide improved treatment to patients with its proprietary extracorporeal plasma adsorbent device. Plas-Free's first two products target two main clinical indications with clear unmet needs: (1) CLearPlasma for massive internal bleeding and (2) AAPC-300 for HyperAmmonia (liver cirrhosis). Plas-Free is a private medical device company founded in 2017. | Zeev Dvashi, CEO. | Medtech | www.plas-free.com | Plas-Free is a clinical stage company specialized in the development and commercialization of vital fluid absorbent devices for blood purification. The company has as strategic partner, one of the world leaders in dialysis, apheresis, blood transfusion products - Asahi Kasei Medical (AKM). Plas-Free's goal is to provide improved treatment to patients with its proprietary extracorporeal plasma adsorbent device. Plas-Free's first two products target two main clinical indications with clear unmet needs: (1) CLearPlasma for massive internal bleeding and (2) AAPC-300 for HyperAmmonia (liver cirrhosis). Plas-Free is a private medical device company founded in 2017. | Zeev Dvashi, CEO. (Third place) Brenus Pharma - Lyon, France | Biotech | https://brenus-pharma.com | The company develops allogeneic cellular vaccines to treat cancer thanks to its unique, patented and scalable technology. The unique platform allows derisking strategies with multiple candidate generation, cost and time effective scale-up, non-competitive market entrance in combination with standards of care, strong IP worldwide spread and a highly skilled team backed by world-renowned MD oncologists from top cancer institutes in the EU and US. | Sebastien Petitet, CBDO. Electronic Medical Devices and Equipment: (First place) HeartKinetics - Charleroi, Belgium | EMD | https://heartkinetics.com | Developing OKCARDIO, https://www.okcardio.com/ | OKCARDIO is a smartphone application and cloud artificial intelligence for cardiac monitoring and diagnostic. Allows patients with potential heart failure to be diagnosed and become engaged with regular monitoring to ensure daily treatment follow-up and improve the quality of their daily life. | Pierre-Francois Migeotte, CEO/Co-Founder. | EMD | https://heartkinetics.com | Developing OKCARDIO, https://www.okcardio.com/ | OKCARDIO is a smartphone application and cloud artificial intelligence for cardiac monitoring and diagnostic. Allows patients with potential heart failure to be diagnosed and become engaged with regular monitoring to ensure daily treatment follow-up and improve the quality of their daily life. | Pierre-Francois Migeotte, CEO/Co-Founder. (Second place) IVis Technologies - Taranto, Italy | EMD | www.ivistechnologies.com | The iVis Suite, consists of hardware (Precisio, pMetrics and iRes) and software products (CIPTA, CLAT and iVerify). iVis Suite utilizes cutting edge technology to execute full automated, no-touch, remote controlled, customized refractive surgery to optimize vision quality and minimize surgical invasiveness for the treatment of corneal pathologies and refractive diseases. | Giuseppe D'Ippolito, CEO. | EMD | www.ivistechnologies.com | The iVis Suite, consists of hardware (Precisio, pMetrics and iRes) and software products (CIPTA, CLAT and iVerify). iVis Suite utilizes cutting edge technology to execute full automated, no-touch, remote controlled, customized refractive surgery to optimize vision quality and minimize surgical invasiveness for the treatment of corneal pathologies and refractive diseases. | Giuseppe D'Ippolito, CEO. (Third place) Adiposs - Geneva, Switzerland | EMD | https://adiposs.com Adiposs develops medical imaging products and technologies for early detection of cachexia, a fatal body wasting syndrome. | Andrej Babic, CEO. "We are excited to recognize and celebrate again this unique online format as the selected high growth startups from Europe (and associated countries) showcased this time innovative breakthroughs in the health space," said Sebastien Torre, Director of San Francisco-based ENRICH in the USA Center. "I also want to thank Invest EU, Enterprise Europe Network, Green & Spiegel and Angel Launch for their great support and partnership. See you at our next virtual/hybrid Funding Summit!" "In terms of deal scouting, I prioritize finding qualified healthtech companies that are in the correct stage with a clear competitive advantage in the US marketwhich can be tricky. ENRICH's Funding Summits are so valuable, and even more so in context of the health and life science focus of bio, because they help address two of the most critical areas in a company's successful entry in the US: streamlined connections with relevant investors and entry into a network of soft-landing centers to maximize capital efficiency. Coming from the investment and business side, this considered approach means we see some of the most phenomenal technologies across Europe," added Elizabeth Jennings, Board of Directors, SWAN Impact Network; VP, SWAN Impact Fund; Principal, Venture Atlas Labs. "The ENRICH events provide an excellent occasion to promote the opportunities of new Invest EU program among US investors and institutions, and to learn more about US ecosystems," said Michael Feith, Policy Officer, European Commission, DG ECFIN L2 InvestEU Governance. About ENRICH in the USA Launched in April 2017, the mission of ENRICH (European Network of Research Innovation Centres and Hubs) in the USA (ENRICH in the USA) is to provide collaboration and commercialization support services to European researchers and innovators (from the EU and Associated Countries), and facilitate their access to university centric Soft Landing ecosystems, to maximize their chances of success in the United States. ENRICH in the USA, funded by the European Commission through Horizon 2020, is represented in the USA by Temple Small Business Development Center - Fox School of Business, based in Philadelphia, PA, and NCURA based in Washington, DC. Maura Shenker, Director of the Temple University Small Business Development Center, added "Temple SBDC is proud to be supporting this outstanding group of successful entrepreneurs from Europe participating at BIO Digital 2021, and we look forward to our strong collaboration with ENRICH in the USA to offer more transatlantic services and connections." About Temple University, SBDC The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are the only statewide, nationally accredited program providing high quality, one-on-one consulting, training and information resources to empower new and existing businesses. The SBDC program is a public/private partnership with the US Small Business Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and 16 universities and colleges across the Commonwealth. The Temple University SBDC is an outreach center of the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University that has been serving Philadelphia and the surrounding communities since 1983. the highly trained and experienced staff provides startup and small businesses with professional knowledge and assistance. Its mission is to help small businesses grow and succeed. Media Contact: Neal Leavitt Leavitt Communications (760) 639-2900 neal@leavcom.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enrich-in-the-usa-announces-winners-of-funding-summit-at-bio-digital-2021-301328379.html SOURCE ENRICH in the USA A section of I-90 is down to one lane due to heavy smoke near Cataldo, Idaho caused by fires in the area, Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review via AP) BOISE, Idaho Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday mobilized the Idaho National Guard to help fight wildfires amid an ongoing drought and extreme heat. The Republican governor issued an emergency declaration allowing soldiers to help fight fires on the 9,700 square miles in mostly northern Idaho where the state provides fire protection. "Wildfire is presenting an imminent threat to life, property, and the environment, and we need all hands on deck," Little said in a statement. "I appreciate our firefighters and fire managers for working so hard under such challenging conditions, and I am grateful that our guardsmen are able to step in once again to support Idaho communities." It's the first time the Idaho Department of Lands has requested the governor issue such an emergency declaration. The agency said the soldiers will help with fire suppression and logistics support. State officials didn't say how many soldiers might be deployed to help with wildfires. Officials also said National Guard Blackhawk helicopters could be used to drop water or other suppressants on fires as well as transport firefighters and supplies. Besides tapping the National Guard, the Lands Department has also requested workers in the agency with fire line qualifications to make themselves available for fire assignments. Fire crews in north-central Idaho were facing extreme fire conditions and gusty winds as they fought two wildfires that threatened homes and forced evacuations in the remote and tiny community of Dixie about 40 miles southeast of Grangeville. Efforts were complicated in part because firefighting resources were stretched thin nationwide, and in part because the area has very challenging terrain covered with trees and plants that are dry from an ongoing drought, fire managers said. The fires near Dixie, covering a combined 19.5 square miles, were among several that started after lightning storms swept through the region earlier this week. The Lands Department said stage 1 and 2 fire restrictions can be expected in the coming days. Stage 1 restricts using fires to within designated recreation sites. Smoking is limited to within an enclosed vehicle, a designated recreation site, or while stopped in an area cleared of flammable materials. Stage 2 restrictions prohibit campfires and operating motorized vehicles off designated roads or trails. Other restrictions include using a chainsaw for firewood gathering between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. A B-17 crashed on the side of Mt. Tom killing 25 troops. A memorial was built at the crash site in 1996. July 10, 2021, marked the 25th anniversary of the memorial. (Dave Canton | dcanton) (Tribune News Service) On the evening of July 9, 1946, a group of men flew together toward Long Island from Goose Bay, Labrador, after serving in a long war. The Coast Guard and Army Air Corps troops, most in their late teens and early 20s, and a couple of civilians rode in a converted B-17 bomber toward Mitchell Field, there to be discharged and sent home. Their war was over. At about 10:20 p.m. that night, the plane was cleared to land at Westover Field in Chicopee for a quick scheduled stopover. The four-engine B-17 had been experiencing engine problems and had been circling over Holyoke for almost two hours when it lined up on the runway several miles out and began its descent. As it made its landing run the plane clipped small trees at the summit of Mount Tom, crashed into a rock outcropping and exploded some 300 feet below the top of the ridge. All 25 men aboard were killed. On the morning of July 10, 2021, more than 100 people stood at the very spot the plane crashed to pay homage to those on board the plane that night many of them family members the dead never knew. Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of a memorial set on the side of Mount Tom in July 1996. Organizing Committee member Rick Lee said the push for the memorial started with Norman Cote of Holyoke and a small cairn of stones hikers left at the crash site, along with bits and pieces of metal from the crashed bomber. Lee said, He saw the little cairn and said to himself, We have to do something about this. He felt that such a tragic sacrifice deserved more recognition. He started working on getting Bob Cahillane, the veterans agent in Northampton, on board with the idea and Bob brought each of us. At Saturdays anniversary ceremony, State Rep. Patricia Duffy thanked the families who lost members in the crash. I extend a huge thank-you to the families, she said. You shared the loss of your family members. This accident has become imbued with meaning thats bigger than all of us. State Sen. John Velis, himself an Army Reserve officer, said the men who died in the 1946 plane crash left a legacy that is kept to this day. Those who volunteered, those who were on this mission and those who still valiantly serve their country, the willingness of men and women to raise their hand and take the oath to defend this nation, as long as we have those who will, we will be OK as a nation. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, pointed to the irony of the deaths memorialized on Mount Tom, men who died just after their work was done but their lives not completed. Think of the irony of these men returning after having participated in the greatest success story in the history of the world, he said. Then they die in a peaceful return mission. The story is not over, certainly for their families, as we cannot call out those spectacular achievements of lives never been lived out. Helen Swahn and her older brother Ralph McFadden, both from Erie, Pennsylvania, never knew their dad, Ernest Gillis. Ralph was 1 year old when his father died and Helen not yet born. My mother was pregnant with me when he died, Swahn said Saturday. I was born three months later on my dads birthday. Their mother remarried a few years after the crash, so the pair didnt hear much about Gillis as they grew. I heard a few stories, but the family didnt talk too much about him, Swahn said. We knew we had a dad who was killed in a plane crash in the war. Actually, we heard very few stories until my mother received a flag in the mail after the first ceremony. The first ceremony Swahn mentioned was in 1996, when a formal memorial was created at the site 50 years after the crash, organized and maintained by a group of people who had little direct knowledge of the men they venerate. The memorial has the name of each of the victims etched on its front. In some ways that craving makes her fathers death real to her, Swahn said. Yeah, it makes me feel kind of odd. The only thing I ever knew about him was he made a record for my mom and sent it, she said. It was kind of scratchy, but I could put a voice to him. Seeing his name there on the memorial makes it real. Swahn and McFadden will travel to Beverly later this week to meet with cousins they havent seen in almost 65 years, Swahn said. There they will get to see Gillis Park, named for her father and his brother John, who was killed earlier in the war in a bomber crash. Saturdays master of ceremonies, Alfred Stettner, is the nephew and namesake of Alfred Warm, a 19-year-old Coast Guardsman from Brooklyn, New York, who was killed in the crash. Stettner said his mothers brother worked at a long-range radio navigation station on the southeast coast of Greenland. She was 15 when he died and it was a real tragedy for her. They were very close. Among the artifacts a searcher recovered the morning after the crash site was a pinkie ring that belonged to Warm. Stettner wears the ring on his own finger. Susan Miller flew into Holyoke from Champaign, Illinois, for the ceremony Saturday. She said she didnt know much about her uncle Arthur Miller. My grandparents always had Arthurs picture, but they rarely talked about him, Miller said. When I grew up, he was an uncle who was, sadly, just a picture of my dads brother who died in a plane crash in the war. I think it was so painful for them to talk about it they didnt. Then I became a military mom and sent my son off to war, and thats when my uncle started to become a little bit more real to me, and I understood the pain that the loss meant. Miller said the carving of her uncles name on the memorial changed the sense of family. Its one thing to see pictures of it, but as soon as we got here, I went straight to the memorial and bent down the touched it in tears. 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An 1816 engraving shows the naval battle of Plattsburg on Lake Champlain on Sept. 11, 1814, between American and British forces. Among the Americans was a young doctor from Maine, John Briggs, who was severely wounded in the ankle but managed to keep on caring for the wounded in his charge. (Library of Congress) (Tribune News Service) Cannon shots crackled and snapped through the ships rigging, high overhead. Furious shells exploded all around. The dead and dying lay strewn across the U.S.S. Saratogas wooden deck while the Battle of Plattsburgh raged on Lake Champlain in the fall of 1814. Amid the chaos was a young doctor from Maine, John Briggs, doing what he could to save lives. The wooden battleship was still unfinished. Briggs was forced to care for the wounded out in the open, near the mainmast, amid the heat of war. While lifting an incapacitated man, a British broadside slammed into the ship. Briggs assistant was killed instantly. At the same time, the explosion drove a large wooden splinter deep into Briggs ankle. Despite his bloody injury, the doctor carried on until the battle was won and the British retreated back into Canada. The wound was serious. Briggs was unable to wear a boot for a year and it hobbled him for the rest of his life. He died in 1837 at the age of 46. Afterwards, Briggs wife remarried and most of his family moved off to greener pastures in Illinois. His marble stone, worn by nearly 200 Maine winters, is now almost unreadable in Portlands Eastern Cemetery. Over the years, Briggs, and his service to his young country, were forgotten. Now, 207 years after his heroic deeds thanks to a loose-knit network of unpaid volunteer history sleuths in Maine, Wyoming and Texas Briggs story is coming to light. This month, a family member will visit his bones for the first time in more than a century. Theyll come thousands of miles to say thank you and place a War of 1812 medallion on his no-longer-forgotten grave. I wish I could shake his hand and thank him for his service so long ago, said Portland historian Ron Romano, who helped research Briggs life and recently wrote a scholarly paper about him. He was clearly a caring soul. Briggs life and service was first rediscovered in Sheridan, Wyo., where Auburn native Tammy Mansfield is state president of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812. The organization is dedicated to preserving history and increasing understanding of the United States least-known official war. To join, members must prove direct lineage to someone who served in a civil or military capacity during the conflict. While helping a friend, Daphne Weitzel, research her family for that purpose, Mansfield came across Briggs, one of Weitzels distant ancestors. As a War of 1812 researcher, Mansfield specializes in getting military tombstones for previously unmarked veterans graves. Shes done it dozens of times. To see if Briggs needed one, she hopped on the popular website findagrave.com, where millions of burial sites have been cataloged and photographed. But there was no online picture of Briggs grave. Thats where Romano comes into the story. He likely knows more about Portlands Eastern Cemetery and its permanent residents than anyone else alive. Romano literally wrote the book on the burial ground and is the author of numerous other historical research papers. It truly started with a phone call from Tammy, he said. Romano told Mansfield that Briggs had a stone but no official War of 1812 marker. As he looked further into the matter, a picture of Briggs life emerged. Briggs was born in Gorham in 1791 and married Dorothea Boynton of Cornish while both were still teenagers. They would go on to have at least 10 children together. In 1813, near the start of the war, Briggs was commissioned a surgeons mate. By the next year, he was listed in military records as a doctor. After the war, he practiced medicine in Portland and sold his own blend of medicinal bitters. In 1832, he applied for a military disability pension. He had trouble getting it because hed forgotten to list himself among the wounded after the battle. It was eventually approved at $25 a month but Briggs died soon after of unknown causes. Dorothea remarried and was widowed a second time before moving west to LaSalle, Illinois, with most of her children. Romanos research eventually led him to Steven Strout of Fort Worth, Texas. Briggs was my fourth great grandfather, Strout said. Strout is also a history buff and the keeper of his familys lore. He provided Romano with a trove of documents, including a letter Dorothea wrote to Briggs on Oct. 13, 1814, just after the Battle of Plattsburgh. In it, she asks him to come back to Maine soon. I hope you will think of the unhappiness of your wife and get discharge[d] and come home, she wrote. Your little children are well and [talk] much about you and [ask] when will Par come home. Strout also had a drawing of Briggs, which is as close as anyone can come to meeting him, face-to-face. Together, the three former strangers Mansfield, Romano and Strout managed to pull Briggs and his wartime service out of historical darkness. On July 31, Strout will fly further north than hes ever been before, to mark his ancestors grave with a simple gold medallion showing an eagle and anchor. A flag will then be placed in it, letting passersby know Briggs served in the War of 1812. Its moving that people are still thinking about him, Strout said. Its brought him back to life. Its exactly the kind of sentiment that keeps Romano and Mansfield digging through historical records, one grave at a time, in their unpaid labor of love. Its documenting the past and preserving it for the future, Mansfield said. Education is everything, so you dont forget to remember. As for Weitzel, whose quest for a genealogical link to the War of 1812 started the whole process: It worked. Yes, Im a member, she said. Weitzel now counts herself among the volunteer history detectives who bring veterans like Briggs back to life. Im the newbie but now Ive got the bug, Weitzel said. Im going through boxes and looking at old photo albums and Im proud were doing this. Romano waxes a bit more philosophical on the subject. They say you die three times, he said. Once when your heart stops beating, once when the last person who remembers you dies and again the last time someone utters your name and I dont think anyone had said John Briggs name in a long, long time. The public is invited to the medallion ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 31, at Portlands Eastern Cemetery. The rain date is the following day. To read Romanos full paper on Briggs visit the Spirits Alive website. (c)2021 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A Haitian police asks a woman to move away from a gate at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, July 9, 2021. A large crowd gathered outside the embassy amid rumors on radio and social media that the U.S. will be handing out exile and humanitarian visas, two days after Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home. (Joseph Odelyn/AP) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Haiti's interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moise's assassination. The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haiti's last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation which lasted nearly two decades as a way to avert anarchy. Mathias Pierre, Haiti's elections minister, defended the government's request for military assistance, saying in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press that the local police force is weak and lacks resources. "What do we do? Do we let the country fall into chaos? Private properties destroyed? People killed after the assassination of the president? Or, as a government, do we prevent?" he said. "We're not asking for the occupation of the country. We're asking for small troops to assist and help us. ... As long as we are weak, I think we will need our neighbors." On Saturday, a senior Biden administration official said the U.S. has no plans to provide military assistance at this time. The administration will send senior FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials to Port-au-Prince on Sunday to assess the situation and how the U.S. may be able to assist, said the official, who wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Saturday. The letter asked for troops and security at key installations, according to a U.N. source speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the letter are private. "We definitely need assistance and we've asked our international partners for help," Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph told the AP in a phone interview late Friday. "We believe our partners can assist the national police in resolving the situation." On Friday, a group of lawmakers announced they had recognized Joseph Lambert, the head of Haiti's dismantled Senate, as provisional president in a direct challenge to the interim government's authority. They also recognized as prime minister Ariel Henry, whom Moise had selected to replace Joseph a day before he was killed but who had not yet taken office or formed a government. One of those lawmakers, Rosemond Pradel, told the AP that Joseph "is neither qualified nor has the legal right" to lead the country. Joseph, who assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military, said he was "not interested in a power struggle." "There's only one way people can become president in Haiti. And that's through elections," he said Meanwhile, more details emerged about what increasingly resembled a murky, international conspiracy: a shootout with gunmen holed up in a foreign embassy, a private security firm operating out of a warehouse in Miami and a cameo sighting of a Hollywood star. Among the arrested are two Haitian Americans, including one who worked alongside Sean Penn following the nation's devastating 2010 earthquake. Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombia's military. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on Taiwan's Embassy where they are believed to have sought refuge. National Police Chief Leon Charles said another eight suspects were still at large and being sought. The attack at Moise's home before dawn Wednesday also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to Miami for surgery. She issued a statement Saturday implying the president was killed for trying to develop the country. "The mercenaries who assassinated the president are currently behind bars," she said in Creole, "but other mercenaries currently want to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology." Colombian officials said the men were recruited by four companies and traveled to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are often recruited by security firms and mercenary armies in conflict zones because of their experience in a decades-long war against leftist rebels and drug cartels. The sister of one of the dead suspects, Duberney Capador, told the AP that she last spoke to her brother late Wednesday hours after Moise's murder when the men, holed up in a home and surrounded, were desperately trying to negotiate their way out of a shootout. "He told me not to tell our mother, so she wouldn't worry," said Yenny Capador, fighting back tears. Colombia's government said they're seeking to repatriate the bodies of those killed by police following the attack: "they have the right to a dignified burial." "We express our solidarity with the families of the ex-military personnel who died in confusing circumstances that should be clarified for the good of Haitian democracy," the foreign ministry said. It's not known who masterminded the attack. And questions remain about how the perpetrators were able to penetrate the president's residence posing as U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, meeting little resistance from those charged with protecting the president. Capador said her brother, who retired from the Colombian army in 2019 with the rank of sergeant, was hired by a private security firm with the understanding he would be providing protection for powerful individuals in Haiti. Capador said she knew almost nothing about the employer but shared a picture of her brother in a uniform emblazoned with the logo of CTU Security a company based in Doral, a Miami suburb popular with Colombian migrants. The wife of Francisco Uribe, who was among those arrested, told Colombia's W Radio that CTU offered to pay the men about $2,700 a month a paltry sum for a dangerous international mission but far more than what most of the men, noncommissioned officers and professional soldiers, earned from their pensions. CTU Security was registered in 2008 and lists as its president Antonio Intriago, who is also affiliated with several other Florida-registered entities, some since dissolved, including the Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy, the Venezuelan American National Council and Doral Food Corp. CTU's website lists two addresses, one of which is a gray-colored warehouse that was shuttered Friday with no sign indicating who it belonged to. The other is a small suite under a different company's name in a modern office building a few blocks away. A receptionist said Intriago stops by every few days to collect mail and hold meetings. Intriago, who is Venezuelan, did not return phone calls and an email seeking comment. Besides the Colombians, those detained by police included two Haitian Americans. Investigative Judge Clement Noel told Le Nouvelliste that the arrested Americans, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, said the attackers planned only to arrest Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent were acting as translators for the attackers, the newspaper reported Friday. Solages, 35, described himself as a "certified diplomatic agent," an advocate for children and budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in south Florida to assist residents of his Haitian hometown of Jacmel. He worked briefly as a driver and bodyguard for a relief organization set up by Penn following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that killed 300,000 Haitians and left tens of thousands homeless. He also lists as past employers the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. Calls to the charity and Solages' associates went unanswered. Joseph refused to specify who was behind the attack, but said that Moise had earned numerous enemies while attacking oligarchs who for years profited from overly generous state contracts. Some of those elite insiders are now the focus of investigators, with authorities asking that presidential candidate and businessman Reginald Boulos and former Senate President Youri Latortue meet prosecutors next week for questioning. No further details were provided and none of the men have been charged. Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished amid corruption and drug trafficking. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory. Hundreds of Haitians gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince Friday pleading for a way out of the country. "This country has nothing to offer," said 36-year-old Thermidor Joam. "If the president can be killed with his own security, I have no protection whatsoever if someone wants to kill me." Goodman reported from Miami. AP Writers Evens Sanon and videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince, Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jonathan Lemire in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is administered for the first time at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Dec. 28, 2020. (Juan Torres/U.S. Air Force) Several of Japans biggest municipalities, including parts of Tokyo and Osaka, have stopped taking new reservations for COVID-19 vaccinations in the latest hiccup for the countrys effort to vaccinate its people, with the Tokyo Olympics just two weeks away. The bottlenecks in distribution are sowing confusion among vaccine seekers, complicating a vaccination campaign that has sped up rapidly in recent weeks after criticism over a slow start. Theyve prompted Japans vaccine czar to ask some municipalities to curtail their pace to keep up with supply. Unlike many places around the world, Japan has an abundant supply of vaccines nationwide as of the end of June, the country had received 100 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine, of which 44 million had been administered. Rather, the issue appears to be a misallocation of shots, with too many doses going to places where demand is low, while others run out. Vaccine minister Taro Kono said Friday some locations have been going extremely fast and should optimize their speed. In total Japan has given 54.9 million doses, enough to cover about 22% of the population, according to Bloombergs vaccine tracker. Japans inoculation rollout is in the spotlight as infections rise again, particularly in Tokyo, prompting the return of a state of emergency in the capital that will cover the entirety of the Olympics. The worsening picture has driven organizers to ban spectators from Olympic events held in Greater Tokyo, reversing an earlier decision to allow some fans in. Nerima, the second most populous of central Tokyos borough-like wards, is getting less than half the number of doses it requested for the period from July 5 to August 1, according to a spokesman. The ward has had to suspend new reservations at the vaccination centers it runs, as well as instruct private clinics to keep new appointments to a minimum as supply wanes. Since we cannot foresee the specific amount of vaccine supply at the moment, we would like the government to quickly show us when and how much vaccine will be supplied, said Yuta Okano, public relations strategist at the mayors office in Nerima, which is home to about 740,000 people. To combat the asymmetry in distribution, the government said late last Friday it would prioritize shipping vaccines to municipalities that have little inventory left for its shipments in August. According to the health ministry, locations with more than six weeks of inventory will have their future shipments cut by 10%. Until recently, doses had been dispensed based on municipal requests and population. From now on well distribute more doses to places that are ahead in vaccinations, and well make the size of the shipments clear to them as early as possible, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday. The speed of vaccine administration in municipalities is now faster than the pace of supply coming through from the national government, said Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura last Friday. He added that urban centers should be prioritized for faster vaccinations as the virus spreads faster in those areas. Further complicating the task is the fact that a centralized vaccination registry system has not been updated promptly, according to reports from the Asahi Shimbun and other local media. The arcane recording system relies on individuals receiving vouchers by mail to confirm their eligibility for shots. Some places are vaccinating people without vouchers first, assuming theyll receive them later, and these doses arent promptly reflected in the system. Moderna Incs vaccine is also being deployed, with most of the 50 million doses set to go to inoculation campaigns through workplaces and universities. Vaccine minister Kono revealed on Tuesday that the number of Moderna shots coming into the country through end-June had been cut to less than half of an initial target, but the remaining doses will arrive by the end of September. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Aerial porters work with maintainers to load a CH-47 Chinook into a C-17 Globemaster III during the drawdown of troops and equipment in Afghanistan, June 16, 2021. The U.S. has completed more than 90% of its withdrawal from the country, a U.S. Central Command statement said July 6, 2021. (Corey Vandiver/U.S. Army) WASHINGTON President Joe Bidens decision to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan means placing a heavy burden on the shoulders of Afghan security forces. In a speech Thursday, Biden expressed confidence in the Afghan military to face a resurgent Taliban a view that remains contested within the executive branch. Bidens case for withdrawal does not hinge on Afghan readiness: Let me ask those who want us to stay: How many more how many thousands more Americans, daughters and sons are you willing to risk? Biden said. I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome. But the question of the Afghan governments ability to face looming threats of Taliban gains, which have surged since the U.S. withdrawal began, along with the specter of civil war, continues to loom over the withdrawal. Here are some of the points of tensions within the U.S. government over how to assess the strength of Afghan forces in the face of rising chaos. What Biden said The United States did what we went to do in Afghanistan: No U.S. forces were lost in the withdrawal, and the United States has provided and will continue to provide its Afghan partners with tools to succeed, Biden said Thursday, emphasizing that the countrys fate, in his view, was in the hands of its leaders, not predetermined. The Taliban is at its strongest militarily since 2001, he said. But relative to the training and capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces and federal police, he said, the Taliban are not even close in terms of capacity. We have trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current serving members of the Afghan military, Biden said. The United States has provided our Afghan partners with all the tools let me emphasize all the tools, training and equipment of any modern military, including advanced weaponry. He noted a trillion dollars spent training and equipping hundreds of thousands of Afghan troops. I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped and more competent in terms of conducting war, he said, adding, The Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped as well-equipped as any army in the world and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. Pessimistic perspectives An April 30 report by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the U.S. oversight body for reconstruction in Afghanistan, warned that Afghan security forces face critical capability gaps, including for aircraft maintenance, that require long-term international support. In March 16 testimony before the House Oversight subcommittee on national security, Inspector General John Sopko emphasized the Afghan governments heavy reliance on foreign assistance, the fact that Afghan security forces are nowhere near self-sufficient, according to the report. Despite some improvement, the force still faces long-term capability and sustainability challenges that require various forms of continued U.S. military support, Sopko said in his remarks. Persistent [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] weaknesses in mission-critical areas continue to hinder the forces effectiveness, readiness and sustainability, he said, adding, Though some ANDSF capabilities have improved since the last High-Risk List, the force still faces long-term capability and sustainability challenges that require various forms of continued U.S. military support. Without U.S. forces to provide counterterrorism support or to advise and assist Afghanistans security institutions, insurgency and insecurity will increase, Sopko said. In an appearance on ABC News on Sunday, Gen. Austin Scott Miller, the top American military commander in Afghanistan, warned that the pullout would be a psychological blow for demoralized Afghan forces. Sayed Babur Jamal, an Afghan provincial legislator, told The Washington Post last month that government forces dont have the will to fight. Their morale is weak, and there is little coordination among the forces, he said. His words came after Col. Sohrab Azimi, a field commander in Afghan special forces, and his team of 22 men were massacred by Taliban forces while defending a base in northern Faryab province. The Taliban continue to overrun military and police bases, seizing vehicles and weapons from surrendering local forces, Jamal said. And some 1,500 Afghan troops have fled into Tajikistan. When asked during the Thursday conference about a U.S. intelligence assessment that the Afghan government could collapse within six months of U.S. withdrawal, an assessment U.S. officials described to The Post, Biden denied the finding. That is not true, he said, saying they did not reach that conclusion. The Pentagons top spokesman, John Kirby did not comment on the intelligence assessment but said that security in some areas of Afghanistan is certainly deteriorating, and thats of concern. Tens of thousands of families have fled Taliban onslaught to major cities, Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh tweeted on July 4. Some have found refuge in homes of relatives thanks to our traditions & others are in makeshift tents or street corners awaiting a hand of help. We are doing what we can & with what we have. On Friday morning, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, along with Saleh, visited Bagram Airfield, which was the most important U.S. airfield in Afghanistan until the U.S. military vacated it last week. Saleh tweeted that he was deeply impressed with the professionalism of the Afghan army officers who had taken charge there. I salute the Afghan army for handling this mammoth job with calm & discipline. They had very little time to prepare & get in, the vice president wrote. Aerial porters work with maintainers to load a CH-47 Chinook into a C-17 Globemaster III in Afghanistan, June 16, 2021. (Corey Vandiver/U.S. Army) As Western forces exit Afghanistan, Iran is watching with alarm. The resolution of one longstanding aim, the withdrawal of U.S. troops, is unleashing a separate challenge: what to do about the Taliban, another longtime problem for Iran, swiftly regaining power and territory next door. The Afghan government said Friday that the Taliban had captured a key border crossing between Iran and Afghanistan. Iran, ruled by Shiite clerics, and the Taliban, a radical Sunni movement, are at fundamental odds, and Iran has long bristled at the Talibans treatment of non-Sunni minorities. Tehran fears both Taliban rule and Afghanistan returning to civil war, a destabilizing prospect likely to imperil the countrys ethnic Persian and Shiite communities, send more waves of Afghan refugees across the border and empower Sunni militancy in the region. Seeking an upper hand, Iran has cultivated ties with some Taliban factions and softened its tone toward the extremist group, which it sees as all but certain to remain in power. That gamble has elicited fierce debate in Iran, where the repressive Taliban is viewed unfavorably and skepticism of U.S. intentions runs high, even as the Biden administration makes slow headway in talks to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, from which then-President Donald Trump withdrew. Iran is going to be harmed immensely by chaos and civil war in Afghanistan, said Fatemeh Aman, a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, citing in particular Tehrans fear of the Islamic States Afghanistan affiliate gaining ground. They see partial rule, as the best-case scenario, with the Taliban in power. But Irans increasingly public overtures to the Taliban could be a miscalculation, said Aman, as Iran believes they are using the Taliban, but some could argue that the Taliban is using Iran to present themselves as more powerful, worthy of ruling a country. Iran was excluded from U.S.-Taliban talks in Doha, Qatar, which last year led to a troop withdrawal deal to end two decades of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. Biden set a Sept. 11 deadline, but the U.S. military said this week that the exit was more than 90 percent complete. The Taliban, thought to control around a third of Afghanistan, has so far largely gained ground without full-scale fighting and has instead relied on cutting deals with local leaders. Still, more than 1,500 Afghan soldiers fled across the border to neighboring Tajikistan in recent weeks to escape Taliban advances, while some 200,000 Afghans have fled their homes this year. The Talibans fast-paced advances have left Tehran fearing the possibility that the Taliban could retake Kabul but even more so the specter of widespread violence emboldening the flow of extremists, narcotics and weapons, said Aman. In recent weeks, some Iranian hard-liners aligned with Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President-elect Ebrahim Raisi have gone on the offensive and publicly painted a rose-tinted picture of a changed Taliban. In late June, the ultraconservative Kayhan newspaper, tied to the supreme leader, declared, The Taliban today is different from the Taliban that beheaded people. Kayhan argued that the Talibans recent gains have not involved horrible crimes similar to those of the Islamic State in Iraq, and noted that the Taliban has even said it has no issues with Shiites. Similar statements followed. Hessam Razavi, the foreign news editor at the hard-line Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard Corps, told an Iranian TV program last month that there has been no war between Shiites and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Some hard-liners rejected this conciliatory take. Last week, the front page of conservative newspaper Jomhouri Eslami criticized Iranian leaders for playing down the threat of Taliban terrorists along Irans border. On Persian-language social media in Iran and Afghanistan, others condemned Irans leaders over perceived efforts to whitewash the Talibans bloody history of attacking Hazaras, a Shiite minority, and repressing women and personal freedoms. In one incident seared in Iranian memory, Taliban insurgents in 1998 attacked the Iranian Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan and killed nine Iranians. The two sides nearly went to war. The outgoing government of centrist Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, meanwhile, has been more circumspect regarding the whiplash developments across the border. We are seriously considering the issue of Afghanistan and talking to all Afghan groups, Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said late last month, the Aftab Yazd newspaper reported. A genuine dialogue between Afghans is the only lasting solution, he said. We are ready to facilitate talks. While the Iranians do care about Afghanistan . . . there is no clear strategy for how they are going to handle it, said Vali Nasr of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Some in Iran celebrated the withdrawal as a U.S. failure, said Nasr. But others have argued that the United States welcomes Afghanistan becoming a quagmire for Iran, and that withdrawal is priming Afghanistan for sectarian rule, he said. Even before the Doha deal, Iran cultivated ties with Tehran-friendly Taliban factions, as Afghanistans other neighbors, especially Pakistan, have done for decades. Forging such ties was encouraged by the rise of the Islamic States Khorasan offshoot in Afghanistan in 2015. Iran began to see it as a bigger threat than the Taliban, which also opposes the ultraviolent group. Irans long-simmering Taliban ties have become increasingly public. In 2016, a U.S. drone strike killed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as he returned to Pakistan after a stay in Iran. In the most high-level meeting between the parties, senior Iranian officials hosted a Taliban delegation in Tehran in late January. The new head of Irans Quds Force in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ismail Qaani, also has extensive ties and experience in Afghanistan. Iran and the United States, however, have in the past found common ground around fighting the Taliban. As the United States prepared to invade Afghanistan in 2001, Iran, then led by reformist President Mohammad Khatami, provided intelligence. Then-Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani reportedly oversaw the contact. After the Taliban fell, Iran continued to help build a new Afghan government and mediate among warlords filling the security void. But that cooperation ended in January 2002, when President George W. Bush named Iran, North Korea and Iraq an axis of evil, offending Tehran. Now, Aman said, Washington and Tehran have a small window of time to cooperate again in Afghanistans interest. I hope they dont wait for a civil war to sit down and talk as much as they can over Afghanistan, said Aman. Afghanistan has suffered so much from the differences and animosity between Iran and the U.S., and Iran and Saudi [Arabia] and Arab neighbors. Buy Photo Retired Marine Maj. Fred Galvin speaks during a briefing on Capitol Hill at the House Cannon building on Feb. 16, 2017. Galvin was the commander of a Marine Corps special operations unit which deployed to Afghanistan in February 2007 and was accused of firing indiscriminately after a car-bomb attack. Looking on are former Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C., left, and retired Marine Col. Steve Morgan, who was one of the three officers on the Marine jury that exonerated Galvins unit. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON A retired Marine has filed a lawsuit against the Navy and Defense Department for denying him a promotion after he was falsely accused of war crimes, according to court documents. Maj. Fred Galvin of Platte City, Mo., is suing acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington, D.C., District Court to overturn a decision in 2018 by the Board of Correction of Naval Record not to award him a post-service promotion to lieutenant colonel, according to court documents. Galvin was first denied promotion after receiving a poor fitness report the first ever in his career following accusations of his team firing indiscriminately at civilians in Afghanistan in March 2007 when he led a Marine special operations company there, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday. The accusations, which were later disproven, stemmed from a March 2007 incident when Galvin and 29 other Marines in his company were ambushed by a suicide bomber and roadside fighters before Galvins company returned fire and escaped, according to court documents. But as the convoy returned to their base, disinformation spread and initial media reports in Afghanistan accused the company of killing eight civilians and wounding 31 others in the firefight. Within [30] minutes of the convoys return, internet reports falsely claimed that the convoy indiscriminately fired on civilians, killing and wounding many, according to the lawsuit. The following day, March 5, 2007, Afghan President Hamid Karzai publicly condemned (Galvin) and his Marines. An initial investigation first upheld the claims, leading to Galvins poor fitness report. However, a 2008 court of inquiry exonerated Galvin and his company, finding they defended themselves appropriately and proportionately, according to the lawsuit. The court of inquiry also found the investigators findings and conclusions ran counter to the weight of the evidence and faulted military leaders who had reviewed the case for being unable or unwilling to respond appropriately to what was described as an enemy information operation, according to the lawsuit. But despite the exoneration, Galvins poor fitness report remained in his service record, affecting his subsequent reviews for promotion, his lawyers argued in the suit. [Galvin] was due to be considered for promotion to lieutenant colonel in August 2010, and fitness reports are a very significant factor in promotion selection, according to the suit. Following the April 2007 adverse fitness report, the reports [Galvin] received were exceptional. Still, he was not selected for subsequent promotion selection boards and involuntarily retired in 2014 due to service limitations because he was not promoted, according to court documents. In 2017, Galvin submitted his case for review to the naval records correction review board, which recommended his service record be reviewed without the adverse fitness report, noting the false accusations had corrupted the judgment of promotion review boards previously, according to court documents. [Galvin] had served in several key leadership billets, a significant marker for promotion. He had extensive combat experience and had been forward deployed for more than three years, which also are significant markers for promotion, according to the lawsuit. He had received multiple awards, including a Bronze Star with Combat V, and received glowing comments recommending him for promotion. But when a special selection board convened to review Galvins record without the adverse report and compared him to the records of others considered for promotion that year, he was still denied a corrective promotion and the board did not provide an explanation of their reasoning, according to court documents. Galvin is now asking the court to find the promotion denial unlawful and send the matter back to the Navy for further review. The Navy and Pentagon have yet to file responses to the lawsuit, according to online federal court records. Federal government agencies typically have up to 60 days to submit their response to a complaint in district court. DAYTON, Ohio (Tribune News Service) Dayton police officer Ryan Nabel withstood a 9-G F-16 ride like an authentic G machine, Air Force Thunderbirds Advance Pilot Maj. Jason Markzon declared Friday, a day before the opening of the CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show. Nabel enjoyed the ride as a hometown hero at Dayton International Airport, a day before the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team is set to perform at the show. It was amazing, Nabel said after the ride, once he found his legs. It was a lifetime experience, and the Thunderbirds were more than accommodating to me today. Everyone has been really great, he added. Nabel was one of the officers who responded to the mass shootings in the Oregon District that left nine people and the shooter dead in the early morning of Aug. 4, 2019, going on to receive the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor from President Donald Trump in September that year. Sworn in as a Dayton officer April 8, 2016, Nabel was one of the officers who regularly patrolled the Oregon District on weekends and was nearby when the shooting began that night. Within 20 seconds, officers were firing on the shooter, police later said. It means a lot, he said of Fridays ride. There were six of us. For me to be chosen out of the guys, I mean, a lifetime experience. Its more than anything I could really imagine. Ryan Nabel is a police officer with the Dayton Police Department in Dayton, Ohio. Hes also an Army veteran and Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor recipient. (Air Force Thunderbirds/Facebook) (Air Force Thunderbirds/Facebook) The other five officers were Sgt. William C. Knight, Officer Brian Rolfes, Officer Jeremy Campbell, Officer Vincent Carter and Officer David Denlinger. Nabel, an Army veteran who served in Iraq with the First Calvary Division, said he refrained from greasy food before the ride as instructed and worked until midnight Thursday night. Ive been in all sorts of vehicles and things like that in the Army, he added. But Ive never been in anything like that. The Thunderbirds were thoughtful enough to give Nabel a little sack to throw up in, but the officer said he didnt need it. Officer Nabel did awesome, Markzon said. Ryan is a great guy. Hes very humble, very mild-mannered. But once you get him in a jet, he had an absolute blast just smiles and laughter the whole time. Markzon, who is also the narrator for the Thunderbirds, said Nabel absolutely crushed a ride that employed some unforgiving maneuvers. We pulled 9 Gs, the major said. Went upside down, loops and everything. It was great. He crushed it. The guy is built for this. Spectators can expect a full slate of performers besides the Thunderbirds, including the Army Golden Knights parachute team, an Air Force C-17 demonstration, the AeroShell aerobatic team, a U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet Demonstration and more. (c)2021 the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) Visit the Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) at www.journal-news.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Search and rescue workers along with K-9 units search the site of the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla. (Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS) MIAMI (Tribune News Service) First responders continuing the search and recovery mission in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo tower on Saturday morning worked through a thunderstorm that brought heavy downpours and strong wind gusts at times. The recovery effort which overnight uncovered seven more bodies from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South briefly paused at 7 a.m. after a lightning strike, and inclement weather is expected the rest of the day. The grueling, gut-wrenching task of finding victims went on as police-escorted trucks carrying debris from the site were seen on the Julia Tuttle Causeway and the Florida Turnpike earlier in the day. The death toll in the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South now stands at 86, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters Saturday morning. Of the 86 victims, 62 have been identified. There are potentially 43 people still missing following what may be the worst building failure in U.S. history, Levine Cava said. We can only truly account for a missing person who is deceased once an identification is made. Officials are still working on making the missing list as accurate as possible, by cross-referencing addresses from the U.S. Postal Service, drivers license records and the condo building roster. Saturdays work continued in efforts to recover the bodies of victims in the rubble of the oceanside condo building, which partially collapsed at 1:30 a.m. the morning of June 24. The pace of finding victims has increased substantially since the demolition of the remaining part of the building nearly a week ago, as rescue workers access a wider area. Significant removal of the debris pile has freed up the space for rescuers to search areas they couldnt get to before. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told media Saturday that the pace of the operation makes it very likely that the site will be clear sooner than expected. The progress there remains intense, he said. Much of the original pile is at ground level or below. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said he didnt have a timeline for when the site will be cleared. Burkett said the pace of work at the site is creating a significant amount of dust despite the rainy weather. There are two different operations underway, Burkett explained. The first is the recovery effort to find victims at the original collapse site. The second is rubble removal process around the section of the building that was demolished last Sunday. Construction sites are usually required to have a dust control plan, a spokesperson for the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources for Miami-Dade County told the Miami Herald last month. At construction sites, silica dust in the air is a common hazard. When silica particles are inhaled, they can cause irreversible lung damage, according to OSHA. Levine Cava said Saturday that hazardous material technicians are constantly sampling and monitoring the air quality at the site, and all first responders working on the debris pile and in the surrounding areas are wearing proper protective gear, including masks. When workers come off the debris pile, they are sprayed clean so as to avoid cross contamination. As you can see, the debris pile is enormous, Tony Trim, of Miami-Dade Fire Rescues Florida Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, said in a video posted on the fire departments Twitter Saturday. There are 150 workers breaking and breaching concrete and steel. The video panned to workers using hand-picks and small tools to work through the debris, and then showed a line of workers in a staging area, wearing pink respirators. The mayor said the crews are monitoring asbestos levels, but that none has showed up in tests. In the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue video, Trim narrates as bulldozers and cranes lift colossal chunks of debris off the pile. The concrete piles are dense, with iron and other material strewn throughout, and workers on top of the pile are dwarfed by the sheer amount of material. In front of the site, hand tools sit in charging stations powered by generators, and are frequently changed out as batteries die. Pallets that line the street near the collapse site are stacked with rebar cutters, chipping hammers and electric saws. The size and scope of this operation, along with the large amounts of concrete and steel that we have to move ... theres no way humanly possible that we can move all of it without this heavy-duty equipment, Trim said. Riviera Beach Fire-Rescue firefighters Elizabeth Hautamaki and David Morrison finished their first shift Saturday afternoon. While first responders up until now have been working in a search and rescue mode, they have only been concentrating on finding the dead. I really dont know how to explain it, Hautamaki said. Morrison said the experience has been unlike anything hes come across over the course of his career. Its a lot more overwhelming than you would imagine, he said. Its a lot more than I would have thought. As they were finishing their shift, they were met by members of the Lutheran Church Charities Confort K-9 Ministries from Northbrook, Illinois, who had emotional support golden retrievers with them for the firefighters to pet. They are trained to remain really calm in every situation, said Bonnie Fear, response coordinator for the group. and, their vest says, please pet me. So, thats an invitation to pet them and either cry or release their emotions. The rain Saturday also didnt keep people away from the growing memorial wall set up to honor victims of the building collapse on Harding Avenue. Flowers, candles, written prayers and inspirational messages and photographs are added to the wall every day. Cyclists, joggers and other well-wishers stopped to pray, observe a moment of silence and to deliver more items to the memorial. Michelle Toussaint drove down from Boynton Beach Saturday to place a laminated prayer to St. Francis of Assisi, the Catholic Churchs patron saint of animals, in memory of all the pets that were lost when the building fell. Ive been a huge pet lover all my life. I have a dog that I rescued almost 11 years ago, and hes my world, Toussaint said. And, I think what hits me about the pets is they are family. You hear a lot of people who say, Why would they want to rescue pets? theyre just pets. And theyre not. Thats their family. Toussaint said she was inspired to make the trip to Surfside after hearing news that rescuers found a surviving familys cat, Binx, on Friday. Its a miracle. Its a total miracle, and thats going to help that family get through this, Toussaint said. So, I wanted to come down here and pay my respects, not only for the people, but for the pets too. Meanwhile, Dallas, Texas-based artist Roberto Marquez continued work on an untitled mural that is around 10 feet tall and spread over nine canvases. Marquez, who arrived in Surfside on June 28, worked throughout the storm Saturday, painting underneath a blue tarp. I need to finish it regardless, he said. 2021 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A Military Police Officer with the 172nd Law and Order Detachment of the Vermont National Guard coaches a Macedonian soldier during The Vermont Adjutant Generals Combat Marksmanship Competition, Sept. 10, 2016, at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site, Jericho, Vt. (Ashley Hayes/U.S. Army National Guard) COLCHESTER, Vt. Soldiers from North Macedonia and Senegal will be visiting Vermont for training with the Vermont National Guard starting next week. The two countries have been paired with Vermont through the National Guard State Partnership, the Guard said Thursday. The Senegalese Fire Brigade soldiers will participate in demonstrations and training events with various Vermont National Guard, state and local disaster response organizations during the week, the Guard said. The soldiers from North Macedonia will participate in a 14-day course at Camp Johnson designed to provide hands-on defense cyberspace operations training, officials said. The State Partnership Program is designed to be a mutually beneficial relationship, Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermonts adjutant general, said in a statement. The sharing of ideas, best practices and training opportunities is just one facet of our strong relationships with both North Macedonia and Senegal. The Vermont National Guard and North Macedonias state partnership began in 1994 and has included over 350 military-to-military activities, including collaborative events in Europe and the United States, the Guard said. The pairing with Senegal started in 2008. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins participates in a press conference just after receiving the Medal of Honor at the White House, Sept. 15, 2014. (Bernardo Fuller/U.S. Army) ENTERPRISE, Ala. A new state veterans home in southeast Alabama will be named for Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins, who received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War and died of COVID-19 last year, officials said Friday. The new home, with space for 175 veterans, will be to be located in Enterprise, said a statement from the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs. Adkins was well-known statewide for his bravery and heroism, especially in southeastern Alabama with his close ties to the community, said Chad Richmond, the vice chair of the board. Adkins, a resident of Opelika, received the nations highest military honor from then-President Barack Obama during a 2014 White House ceremony. A sergeant first class at the time, he was credited with braving fire to drag troops to safety and fighting off waves of Viet Cong attackers in the A Shau Valley of South Vietnam in 1966. He died of the illness caused by the new coronavirus in April 2020. He was 86. Col. Carl Magnusson, 914th Air Refueling Wing commander, presents Randy Wilson, 914th Security Forces chief of plans and programs, the Air Force Civilian Award for Valor on April 27, 2021, at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y. The medal was awarded for heroic action in saving a mans life in 2018. (Peter Borys/U.S. Air Force) Air Force veteran and civilian employee Randy Wilson pulled a driver from a burning truck before it blew up, an act of courage the service has recognized with a valor medal, the military said this week. Wilson and his wife were traveling on the Ohio Turnpike outside Sandusky one August morning three years ago, when one semitruck ahead of them crashed into another one parked on the right shoulder, sending a debris field into the roadway and toppling one of the trucks. It seemed like we were in a 3D movie with tires and gas tanks rolling down the highway toward our vehicle, Wilson said in a statement. I came to a stop on the far left shoulder. My wife immediately got out her rosary and started praying for all involved. I got out and started running to the semi that had flipped over several times and was on fire. Wilson, the chief of plans and programs for the security forces squadron at New York's Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, was the first and only one on the scene for 10 to 15 minutes, the 914th Air Refueling Wing said in a statement this week. As he ran up, he saw that the driver of the other semi and a third truck seemed to be OK, Wilson said. When he reached the overturned rig, which was on its side, that driver was going in and out of consciousness and asking for help. At first, I tried to pull him out by lifting him under his armpits, but he was stuck by his seat belt and belt loop, said Wilson, who had over 36 years of security forces experience. I asked God to give me one more minute. It all seemed to be happening in slow-motion to him as he kept praying for one more minute, he said, likening the feeling of stretching time to the beach-storming scene early in the film Saving Private Ryan. After the incident, I asked my wife if I was moving slowly and she said quite the opposite, moving extremely fast, the retired master sergeant said in the statement. He eventually got the driver out and to a safe distance within minutes of the truck exploding, he said. The thought of being killed never crossed my mind, he said. A truck is on fire while two other trucks lay in ruins on a highway near Sandusky, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 2018. Randy Wilson received the Air Force Civilian Award for Valor after he helped pull the driver from the burning rig just before it exploded. (Courtesy) A bystander who was a nurse arrived at some point, and when paramedics began treating the driver, Wilson and his wife continued home to Getzville, N.Y. Earlier this year, wing commander Col. Carl Magnusson presented Wilson with the Air Force Civilian Award for Valor for his actions rescuing the trapped driver. The medal recognizes acts of heroism with voluntary risk of personal safety in the face of danger, either on or off the job, a regulation states. Wilson exemplifies the words of Winston Churchill, who called reservists twice the citizen, Magnusson said at an April ceremony. Randy lives his dual lifetime commitments to his community and to the defense of our great nation every single day, he said. Henry E. Ellis (DPAA) ROANOKE, Va. Trudy Neely found herself tearing up when she heard the tale of her uncle's final, harrowing moments in war. Neely had never met her mother's older brother, Henry Edward Ellis, of Roanoke. The 22-year-old Marine was killed in action in 1950 four years before Neely was born during a firefight that erupted when his unit's convoy encountered an enemy roadblock near Koto-ri, North Korea, just five months after the start of the Korean War. Ellis and his compatriots found themselves surrounded. "We just wanted to cry for him because you think, here is a young 22-year-old, he had to be terrified, knowing there was no way out," Neely said. "And he lost his life," she said. "I'm just about to cry now. But we are blessed that we can bring him home now." Ellis, a private first class with Headquarters Company, 1st Service Battalion, 1st Marine Division, was until recently one of the more than 7,500 Americans still unaccounted for almost seven decades after the end of the Korean War. An extensive federal effort has been launched to identify and repatriate the remains of the nation's fallen service members from this and other wars. That includes a years-long push to discover the names of nearly 850 people whose remains were returned to the U.S. during Operation GLORY an exchange of military war dead organized with North Korea after the conflict's armistice but not successfully identified at the time. Neely and her family were notified of the identification project almost a decade ago. She and her daughter traveled to Washington, D.C., and submitted DNA for the research. It was there that she first learned more about her uncle's service. She had always known that she had an Uncle Henry who died in battle. But until that trip, she had few details to fill in that image an old, sepia-toned family snapshot of a tall young man, smiling for the camera in his uniform. Her mother's memories of a kind-hearted older brother who never left her behind. Neely's mother, who was one of seven children, died in 2004. Ellis' last sibling died a year before the Department of Defense first reached out to Neely. Ellis would be positively identified in late 2020 through a process that involved laboratory tests, historical research and anthropological analysis, according to the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The news was announced Wednesday after his family had been briefed and arrangements for his memorial service made. Ellis' final resting place will be in a national cemetery in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he was born before he moved to Roanoke with his father, and where Neely lives. He will be buried next month in a ceremony with full military honors. Neely and her family will be there. "It was emotional when they told us," she said by phone Wednesday. "This has just been an unbelievable journey." "I know my mother is smiling down from heaven right now," she said. "This would have done her heart so much good." Neely now has stacks of papers shedding light on her uncle's remarkable life. He was drafted into service in 1943 when he was just 15. His father wrote letters pleading for the error to be corrected but to no apparent avail. Ellis would serve in the Pacific theater of World War II. How the mistake about his age came about is unclear, Neely said. But when his tour of duty ended, he voluntarily reenlisted and continued to serve, until he was deployed to the new war brewing along the 38th parallel. "He still had a heart to serve his country, I guess," Neely said. "That just shows me that he was dedicated to what he was doing." Neely said she's grateful that her uncle will finally be at rest and that his memory will be honored. "I just feel like his story needs to be told," she said. For years, Ellis' name has been inscribed on the Courts of the Missing, a memorial erected at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, where a federal lab has been leading the identification project. Federal authorities said Wednesday that a rosette will now be etched next to his name there a signal that Marine Pfc. Henry Edward Ellis is missing no longer. That he is finally home again. Stillwater, OK (74074) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view. On Friday the Government cancelled flights that were to bring New Zealanders stuck in New South Wales home, less than 12 hours before the flights were due to begin. People arriving from the state, where a Covid-19 outbreak continues to grow, will now have to stay in managed isolation for two weeks. Flights for Kiwis stranded in Queensland were still to start today. Sydneysiders face tough new Covid restrictions, after another 44 cases of the disease were confirmed in New South Wales on Friday. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the vaccination rate in NSW was too low for the state to consider trying to live with Covid. The ship carrying two Covid-positive mariners is expected to return to New Zealand early in the coming week, the Ministry of Health says. Crew members with the disease will be taken off using standard infection prevention and control protocols, and transferred to a quarantine facility. The ship has been barred from returning to Port Taranaki. On Friday, the Ministry of Health reported no new community or imported cases of Covid-19. A person who tested positive in early July after arriving from Russia via the United Arab Emirates has been classed as a historical case. Medsafe is seeking information from drug company Pfizer after it declared its intent to seek approval for a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine in the US. A spokesman for Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the science had "increasingly led to an understanding" that booster shots would likely be needed. A Government survey has found more than half of New Zealanders are worried about opening the border to countries beyond Australia and the Cook Islands, while 91 per cent felt they would not return to a pre-Covid life after having the vaccine. "It's good news the public recognise that New Zealand is entering a new phase and the vaccine will not be a silver bullet when it comes to moving on from the pandemic," says Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet chief executive Cheryl Barnes. Immigration NZ has confirmed people who applied for visitor visas to be reunited with their partners have had applications cancelled. Some couples, especially those in arranged marriages, cannot meet the criteria to have lived together, which would enable them to apply for a partnership visa. The Ministry of Health has turned down a plea from taxi companies that wanted their drivers prioritised for the Covid vaccine. It comes after a limousine driver in Sydney was identified as 'patient zero' in the New South Wales outbreak. More than 250,000 measles vaccines ordered to protect young people after 2019's deadly outbreak will expire before they can be used as authorities divert focus to the coronavirus vaccine roll-out. Global toll The number of people officially counted as having died of Covid-19 worldwide was nearing 4.015 million this morning, with nearly 185.9m cases of the disease confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins University. Top three countries for confirmed deaths were the US with 606,781, Brazil with 530,179 and India with 405,939. The US had about 33.8 million confirmed cases, India nearly 30.8 million cases and Brazil nearly 19 million cases. What should I do? Anyone who wants to get tested can find their local testing centres by visiting the Ministry of Health website. If you are sick, call your GP before you visit, or Healthline on 0800 358 5453. To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow and throw tissues away immediately. Reach out, find support from people who care, connect with your community or help a neighbour in need. This years Fieldays 2021 was the second biggest in the events 53-year history, with a total of 132,776 people attending over the four days to experience the true essence of New Zealand agriculture. On Friday June 18 alone, 44,044 people came through the gate a record day that will go down in Fieldays history. New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation says that getting to opening day was no small feat and he was thrilled with the publics response to this years event. Along with our loyal sponsors and exhibitors, the team of 5 million did the hard yards to get us to opening day, and we are extremely grateful for the support, says Peter. The events industry is a huge part of our DNA, and this was reflected by the astronomical numbers of people coming through the gate. Beyond the numbers, the intangible factors that cant be measured, such as the smiling faces and people reuniting and having a good time, tell me this years event was a huge success. Many people opted for alternative transport options to get to Fieldays this year. Over 14,000 people took the bus, with 292 trips taking place. Around 1,100 visitors also travelled to Fieldays in the Waikato River Explorer, with 536 catching the Camjet, and over 100 people took to the skies, flying to Fieldays in a helicopter with Helicorp. It was also the first time that Fieldays had staged a hybrid event bringing the best of the physical and virtual events together. The virtual extension of the event, Fieldays Online, returned off the back of last years success to connect with rural communities that are more isolated, or werent able to attend the physical event. Fieldays is based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek ten minutes from Hamilton and is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. Fieldays draws people from around the globe both as exhibitors and visitors. Fieldays Online, launched in 2020 as a world first during COVID-19, attracted 90,455 total visitors and viewership from more than 75 different countries. Fieldays 2019 saw 128,747 people visit the event, generating $549M in sales revenue for New Zealand businesses. Once again, Fieldays Online this year was successful in bringing New Zealand agriculture to the world, with high visitation from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Korea. Some of the primary sectors greatest minds put their ideas to the test at the Fieldays Innovation Awards, with a total of 64 entries on display in the Innovation Hub. Winners included Springarm Products Limited with their ballcock arm that flexes and wont break (Prototype Award), Cropsy Technologies with their AI enabled hardware that helps winegrowers monitor their crops (Early Stage Award and Young Innovators Award). IGS Limited was the winner of the Growth & Scale Award for their vertical farming technology. As they are based in Scotland and the United States, IGS Limited couldnt make it to Fieldays due to border restrictions, though they were well-represented by the British High Commission. Co-founder and inventor of Springarm Ric Awburn with his team at Fieldays 2021. Photo: NZNFS. Co-founder and inventor of Springarm, Ric Awburn, says hes been overwhelmed by the high levels of interest and support theyve received since their Innovation Award win. Weve gone from exhibiting at Fieldays with a few ballcock arms and a bit of signage, to lots of emails and calls from people wanting to buy our product, news articles, and conversations with manufacturers. Its a lot to take in! Ric manages a 500-cow farm in Te Kawa by day, and now, he makes ballcock arms by night. The Springarm, also known as the farmers little saviour, is now available to purchase on the Springarm website, and Ric says he and his wife Marianne are working hard to keep up with the demand. Another aspect of the event in high demand this year was the Fieldays Health and Wellbeing Hub, run in collaboration with Mobile Health. An astonishing 33,000 plus people visited the Hub and received free check-ups and advice to meet every aspect of physical and mental wellness. Fieldays 2021 Health and Wellbeing Hub. Photo: NZNFS. During Fieldays, 673 skin cancer spot checks, 364 hepatitis C tests, over 1,200 blood glucose tests, 722 blood pressure checks, and around 550 atrial fibrillation checks were just a portion of the check-ups completed at the Hub. It has been calculated that the primary sector needs 50,000 skilled workers by 2025. To address this, the Fieldays Careers and Education Hub highlighted the wide scope of training and career opportunities on offer, inspiring school students or those rethinking their career options. Over 1,600 school students visited the Careers and Education Hub, a fun and interactive zone to learn and be inspired by the wealth of opportunities available in the primary sector, hosted by GrowingNZ and supported by Inspiring the Future. A new feature of the Hub this year was the mystery panel event. School students played guess who to figure out the careers of four mystery role models in the food and fibre sector. This broadened their awareness of the wide range of options on offer as a result. Careers and Education Hub at Fieldays 2021. Photo: NZNFS. The iconic Fieldays competitions entertained the masses and demonstrated the high levels of skill and finesse from the best in the business. The boy racers of farming went head-to-head in the Fieldays Tractor Pull and the skills and endurance of New Zealands top fencers were put to the test in the Fieldays Fencing Competitions. Waikato and Bay of Plenty excavator operators raced the clock to complete tasks to challenge their skill and precision in the Civil Contractors New Zealand Excavator Competition. The crowds at Fieldays 2021 enjoyed the competitions. Photo: NZNFS. Those who missed the Fieldays action or want to explore more inspiring and educational topics can still do so through Fieldays TV, which is available on demand all year round at www.fieldaysonline.co.nz . Tune in to conversations surrounding latest news in the primary sector, learn a new recipe from New Zealand's top chefs, or watch heart-warming stories from our rural communities. Fieldays is run by New Zealand National Fieldays Society, a charitable organisation founded in 1968 for the purpose of advancing the primary industries. The New Zealand National Fieldays Society thanks their key partners Hyundai, Farmlands, Massey University, and Vodafone for their continued support. For more information about Fieldays head to www.fieldays.co.nz. Protection from biosecurity threats on the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes has been boosted, with Te Arawa Lakes Trusts - TALT- Biosecurity Officers now monitoring the lakes boat ramps year round. Last week, Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council extended its contract with TALT, which will also see an increase in the number of hunga tiaki undertaking the mahi. The Trusts Biosecurity Officers will now monitor the lakes boat ramps year round rather than just during the peak summer months. Rotoruas Te Arawa lakes are a taonga for everyone to enjoy and their protection from invasive aquatic pests is critical to ensure they can be protected and used for generations to come, says TALT Biosecurity Manager, William Anaru. Our extended contract with the Regional Council will see five new hunga tiaki trained and warranted, bringing the total number to seventeen Te Arawa Biosecurity Officers. This invaluable team will help to prevent the spread of aquatic pests, the water quality of our lakes is treasured, and lake users from far and wide are aware of the steps they need to take. William says New Zealands COVID-19 response had a significant impact on the Rotorua economy, particularly in the tourism sector, which has traditionally been a high employer of Maori jobs. With the borders still closed, many of these jobs literally disappeared overnight, so its exciting to see whanau now employed in this vital role and developing a new career through environmental mahi at the same time. We [locals and manuhiri] all need to be accountable for our actions and need to work collectively to help stop the spread of invasive species. The team works to ensure both locals and manuhiri are aware of whats required of them before they head out on the water. Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council Biosecurity Manager, Greg Corbett, says the extension of the lakes monitoring contract is a reflection of a strong working partnership with Te Arawa Lakes Trust. Contracting the Trust year round to educate lake users on how they can prevent aquatic pests from spreading and ensure increased compliance of boat ramp self-certification across the Rotorua Te Arawa lakes is something that we can all celebrate, says Greg. We look forward to this summers 98 per cent success rates of clean boat inspections being replicated and to be accompanied by consistently high compliance rates of the new self-certification rules. Rules introduced in December 2020 as part of the new Bay of Plenty Regional Pest Management plan state that vessels and trailers must be free from freshwater pest fish and plants, no ballast water is transported between locations and that trailers arent left in the water other than for launching or retrieval. Self-certification checkpoints were set up in January 2021 at popular boat ramps around Rotorua, with it being clearly signposted that the certification forms should be completed and displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle used to launch the vessel. More information about the responsibility of lake users is available here. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Seminole, FL (33772) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds light and variable. Seminole, FL (33772) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds light and variable. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. vigsom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NSEW Posts: 2,863 Thanked: 8,910 Times Re: Car audio brands | Are there any decent ones left? Quote: Bass&Trouble Originally Posted by I still have to hear an OEM system that can outshine even a well setup 1 lac aftermarket ICE setup Among the older cars, I found the OEM Clarion set up on the Grand Vitara quite good for a no-frills SUV with a 4" DVC active underseat subwoofer, and simple full range woofers. Quote: I dont think the choice has diminished in any way. I remember seeing that Sony was a strict no no on this forum when I first seriously started understanding HUs, but their current offerings of the XAVs, even the 1500, is worth considering in my view. A friend has a slightly older XAV in his Renault Scala and that sounds superb in my view. The user interface and the screen resolution is also good. The Pioneer 5290 is another hit, but no "maal" in the market for the last few months. Kenwood has unfortunately gone to the dogs since 2015. The choice has become even wider with the latest craze being Android Head Units, which I somehow desist, because of the full touchscreen controls (I would always like a few hard buttons to override touchscreen controls). But I'm told they put out better sound output than entry level double din touchscreen units. Quote: greenhorn Originally Posted by Infinity seems to have been repositioned to lower than JBL here Quote: GTO Originally Posted by Even cheaper cars are getting better & better ICE from the factory (Tata has been a frontrunner here). I agree. While OEM systems have improved over the last decade or so, aftermarket audio still rules. However, some of the marquee brands like Volvo, Lexus, BMW have great OEM ones that generally need no upgrades. I heard that the Mark Levinson sound system on the 2021 Lexus RX is just outstanding.Among the older cars, I found the OEM Clarion set up on the Grand Vitara quite good for a no-frills SUV with a 4" DVC active underseat subwoofer, and simple full range woofers.Yes; somewhere around late 2000s, when the standard Double and Single DIN slots in cars gave way to sculpted fit OEM head units, I wondered if that was the end of standard size head units. But no. Dash kits came, some of them even running down to the AC control surrounds, and touch screen HUs ruled the roost.I remember seeing that Sony was a strict no no on this forum when I first seriously started understanding HUs, but their current offerings of the XAVs, even the 1500, is worth considering in my view. A friend has a slightly older XAV in his Renault Scala and that sounds superb in my view. The user interface and the screen resolution is also good. The Pioneer 5290 is another hit, but no "" in the market for the last few months. Kenwood has unfortunately gone to the dogs since 2015.The choice has become even wider with the latest craze being Android Head Units, which I somehow desist, because of the full touchscreen controls (I would always like a few hard buttons to override touchscreen controls). But I'm told they put out better sound output than entry level double din touchscreen units.True, @greenhorn. I was surprised to see this downgradation of Infinity during a recent enquiry at a local accessory store.I second that view. I travelled a 320 km distance in a 2019 DZire Vxi and was blown away by how a humble Maruti offering had such a clean sounding OEM ICE set up - a huge departure from the stock sx4 or the stock older Swift Dzire set ups. Last edited by vigsom : 10th July 2021 at 09:03 . ashish2nd Newbie Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Pune Posts: 7 Thanked: 57 Times A drive through memory lane Team, Hope you all are doing well and taking good care of yourselves in this Covid-19 situation. As a weekly routine in this lock down, I was giving a quick spin to my new car within society premises today. While I was moving in circles in my society, I saw many expensive cars standing still, as if, they are waiting for this Covid situation to improve and to hit road again. Newer cars are covered, few of the (relatively) old cars are soaking up the sunlight and dust. Few cars are getting daily good luck from birds . There are old cars which are literally ignored by their owners are few of them have flat tyres. I am sure your locality will have similar condition. On one the turns, I saw a white colored Premier Padmini. Doesnt matter how modern todays cars are, Premier Padmini always attracts me and takes me back to my school days. So finally, I decided to pen down my childhood memories about brand and cars of that era. Hope you will like it. Feel free to share your childhood memories. Disclaimer: - 1) Before I start, let me tell you that, this is my first full length post on Team-bhp. So please forgive me for any mistakes. 2) I am avoiding posting any pictures in this post. I dont want to download pictures from google and pasting them in my post. So, if you have original pics of any of the below models, please feel free to reply. Here we go..... I am a 1982 born. I spent my childhood in a mid sized town named Beed in Maharashtra state. In my childhood (i.e. 1982-1998) a car was a matter of prestige. There used to be one or two cars in locality. We kids used to roam around those cars just catch glimpse of it. Below were few important cars manufactures and their models that still have special memories in my mind. 1) Premier Automobiles Limited PAL was one the successful car manufactures in those days. Premier Padmini was really a good car and it is still one of my favorites. Later they launched 118-NE which was squarish is shape and had a real premium appeal to it. In late 90s they collaborated with Peugeot motors and launched PAL Peugeot 309. 2) Hindustan Motors Hindustan Motors tested a runaway success with Ambassador. Ambassador was a solid built. Powerful engine planted ride and strong highway manners were key contributors to the success of this car. The car was counted as luxurious car of that time and was popular in government sectors official fleet. Later HM launched Contessa. Contessa was one the modern cars launched by HM. 3) Bajaj Tempo (Todays Force motors) - This brand was behind the most popular peoples mover vehicles 1) Tempo Matador and 2) Tempo Trax . Matador was very rigid. It was like a strong metal box installed on wheels. I still remember, I had a road trip with my family members from Beed to Tirupati and that was very comfortable ride. Later the company launched Trax. It was a runaway success. Tempo Trax was one of the fastest vehicles of that time. 4) Ford India Ford was taking baby steps in late 90s. Ford fusion was one their initial launches It was a great car. Specious cabin, powerful engines and strong road presence was its USP. It was not an era of compact SUV else that would have brought a great success to Ford. But one point still stands true, Ford was the pioneer of crossovers in India, let it be Fusion of EcoSport. Later Ford launched their contemporary sedan Ford Escort. It was fords answer to Maruti Suzukis Esteem and had a descent success. 5) Fiat India I am not too sure about Fiats presence in 80s and 90s but one thing I do recall is Fiat launched their first hatchback named Uno in Indian market. It was marketed as modern European car introduced to India. But it had moderate sales as Indias most favorite manufacture Maruti Suzuki had started writing their success story 6) Maruti Suzuki The company known as producers of tin cans now a days, was a choice of modern India in 80s and 90s.MS was having largest model line-up in Indian market. Maruti 800 (modern hatchback), Maruti Zen, Maruti Gypsy (the ultimate off roader), Maruti 1000 and Maruti Esteem (Modern sedans) and Maruti Omni were few popular cars by the brand. No need to say, MS tasted a great success with all these models and established themselves as biggest car manufacture in the country. The trend is still going on. 7) Tata Motors Tatas were having a descent share in Indian car market. They had few sophisticated and modern models like Estate and Sierra. Tata is Sierra is still one my favorite models. The huge glass area was unmatchable to any tiny sunroof in modern days cars. I am excited that Tata is planning to launch the model again and he concept shown in auto Expo was awesome. Tata did try their hand on SUVs. Tata SUMO was a good SUV but got popular as peoples mover in later stage. Tata Safari was the first modern SUV from the brand and received well in market. Then came the Indica. That car wrote a great success story for the company. While I am writing this, I realized that Tata Motors had produced many good vehicles. Their SUV were ahead of the time. Sierra, Safari, SUMO. Hope they can achieve similar success with Harrier, Nexon and HBX 8) Hyundai Motors India While Indian manufactures were enjoying mix bagged success, this Korean brand was getting ready to capture the market. They launched Santro the tallboy call with a big bang. This was treated as real competitor to Maruti Suzukis monopoly. Hyundai selected Sharukh Khan as their brand ambassador. I still recall printed advertisement where SRK was holding a bolt with Hyundai brand. Santro had few minor facelifts with Santro Xing. Hyundai also tried their hands in on sedans like Accent. 9) Mahindra and Mahindra M&M were busy and focusing on commercial vehicles in 90s. They did have few models like Commander, Marshal and Armada but all of them were popular in rural India. Few of them are still used as peoples mover. 10) Apart from these brands, few other brands tried their luck in Indian market but had a tough luck. Daewoo motors (Matiz,Cielo), Opel (Corsa,Sail) were couple of them. Situation has evolved since then. Most of these manufacturers have enabled them to adapt rapidly changing automobile world. Those who could adapt the change, are still standing tall with their modern cars. We all own modern cars now a days, but childhood memories still have a special place. Which one was your favorite car/car manufacturer in your childhood? The big picture: U.S. President Joe Biden is putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to act on ransomware groups operating in Russia, even suggesting that the United States is prepared to respond if cyberthreats aren't stopped. The exchange between the two world leaders came in an hour-long phone conversation, which marked the first time Biden and Putin had discussed the ransomware attacks since Geneva's summit in June. Biden told reporters, "I made it very clear to him that the United States expects, when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil even though it's not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is." He added that the two governments have now established a method of regular communication "when each of us thinks something is happening in another country that affects the home country." Biden added: "And so it went well. I'm optimistic." Also read: The Evolution of Ransomware: How Did We Get Here? President Biden suggested that U.S. retaliation would be digital, indicating that government agencies would target Russian servers if cyberattacks continued unhindered. That being said, Biden is indeed hopeful that such measures won't be required. With another meeting between the pair scheduled for July 16, he told reporters: "I believe we're going to get cooperation." With Russian ransomware attacks only getting worse, let's hope this will be the case. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued School Guidelines for 2021, as they anticipate the reopening of the learning institutions this fall. Face masks are still required for those that are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, and the physical distancing rule of at least three feet is required for everyone at all times. The CDC is confident that the school year can reopen this September's Fall season, bringing all schools at a full blast of opening, amidst the period of COVID-19 and the prevalence of the Delta variant in the country. CDC School Guidelines: Key Takeaways CDC recently released a guideline for schools and its reopening this Fall, especially as the health agency anticipates the return of youngsters back to the learning institutions across the country. This includes those from pre-school levels, until those who are in the collegiate level or taking their masters in different colleges or universities in the country. One of the key takeaways here is that fully vaccinated people are not required to mask up, but are recommended to still wear one amidst the massive threats of the Delta strain in the country. It is a different story for the unvaccinated, as they are required to wear face masks, at all times. These people would need to protect themselves at all times, especially in airconditioned rooms, as air particles stay. Moreover, schools would need to implement social distancing of at least three feet, and not the six-foot rules when in public. This is because schools and their buildings are somehow smaller compared to public spaces, and the six-foot distance may not be applicable. Several layering may be required of a school to ensure that the students, teachers, and staff are all safe from the virus, especially for non-eligible ages for vaccination like pre-school to grade school stages. Personal hygiene and cleanliness etiquette is also something that CDC promotes, as it may help in keeping the virus away. Read Also: New Vaccine for COVID Can Be Inhaled School Reopening is a Go This Fall The CDC is convinced to continue every school's reopening this year, and it starts to be on the regular time for September's fall. What the agency wants to happen is for everyone to maintain safety and clean etiquette to prevent any outbreaks from happening, especially for children. School Vaccination for Eligible Children? According to NBC News, vaccination may also be something that will be promoted by schools, especially for eligible-aged children in the country. And while there are studies that point out to lowering the age of eligibility to have more children immunized, it is not yet established as of the moment. Additionally, the possibility of vaccinating children in school is something that is being studied and considered, so that the vaccination process may be fast-tracked. Related Article: CDC Claims New Deadly Soil Bacteria In the US; Here are the People Mostly At Risk This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Screenshot From Commons.Wikipedia.org) NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman Explains Why Elon Musk Wants 'Everything to Look Cool' NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman explains why SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants everything to "look cool." Although looking cool might not have anything to do with the functionality of things, especially in aerospace, it actually does have a positive impact on the industry itself! NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman Explains Why Looking Cool is Beneficial Garrett Reisman, whose Twitter description notes just a typical kid who grew up in New Jersey and really studied hard and was able to get good grades and, well, somehow became a NASA astronaut, tweeted out a statement explaining why Elon Musk wants everything to look cool. The statement explained the importance of the space industry being attractive to everyone. According to the tweet, when Garrett Reisman started over at SpaceX, Elon Musk actually insisted that everything should look cool. As an engineer, however, Garrett Reisman noted that he did not actually care how they would look as long as everything would work. Making Space Attractive Reisman then noted that what he did not actually grasp during that time was that Elon Musk just really wanted to get the whole world really excited about flying in space! He noted that this won't happen if everything doesn't work great as well as "look cool too!" Elon Musk then replied "absolutely" confirming the statement. The concept is basically that although space can be beneficial for humanity, in order for it to get the support of the majority, it has to look attractive to the majority as well. Although it wasn't really specified how they were supposed to "look cool," as seen in the pictures posted by Reisman, this could also mean "look fun." High School Teacher Confirms The discussion continued in a thread and the importance of space being attractive was stretched. A high school teacher Clint Thomsen joined in the discussion on the Twitter thread giving an interesting insight as to why aerospace needs to be attractive. Thomsen then noted that as a high school teacher, Thomsen is able to confirm that the aesthetics are very vital when in play. In particular, it's the whole sleek look as well as the launch websites that Thompsen says gets the students very excited to learn the teacher's material (Linux) and even work in the aerospace field. Read Also: Chang'e 5 Moon Mission Landing Site Name Has Been Revealed Increase in Popularity for Space Tourism The teacher then noted that there was an attempt to get the students interested in Boeing and ULA for the sake of diversity but somehow, it just didn't really spark the students quite like SpaceX does. Forbes notes that an interest in Space Tourism is now booming as more and more people are looking to space as not just "science" but something they are now finding more interesting. Although aerospace is extremely reliant on engineering in general, Elon Musk's point is that aerospace should also be interesting for the general public as well. NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman seems to agree with this particular point as well. Related Article: Kepler Captures 27 Signals Coming From Exoplanets--How This Telescope Detected the Cosmic Objects Despite its Blurred Vision? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Madisonville, KY (42431) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Theft of catalytic converters such as the one pictured here has been an ongoing problem around the county for the past year or so. James Finn writes for The Advocate as a Report For America corps member. Email him at JFinn@theadvocate.com or follow him on Twitter @RJamesFinn. To learn more about Report for America and to support our journalism, please click here. GREENSBURG St. Helena Parish officials want to spend federal coronavirus aid on a brand-new library they hope will expand literacy resources for youngsters and internet accessibility for residents of all ages. A library jumped to the forefront of early-stage discussions about how the parish should spend money headed its way through President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan. Parish leaders figured the one-time construction costs would be well-suited to the one-time cash infusion, officials said. Later on, the librarys service costs could be covered by a tax that already exists in the parish. The goal is to invest in something thats self-sustainable, said Roderick Matthews, director of the St. Helena Police Jurys Office of Emergency Preparedness, who has informed COVID-19-related decisions in the parish. And in a parish with so many kids behind on reading levels, a new library is critical. Around the U.S., the size of federal relief payouts to local governments coupled with the sometimes-murky terms on which the money must be spent have posed big questions for local leaders like those in St. Helena unfamiliar with allocating hefty grants. The St. Helena Police Jury is treading carefully before deciding how to spend the money, and remains in early talks about possible ARPA-funded projects, said Frank E. Johnson, the police jury president. But because a new library would fill such an urgent need for the parish, the idea has moved to the top of the list of projects leaders are discussing. Greensburg currently has a small library housed in a rented space on Main Street. That facility is part of the Audubon Regional Library system, which shares branches with East Feliciana Parish. A newly-constructed library would remain part of that partnership, Johnson said. But putting the partnership in its own facility could offer more computers for residents of the broadband-strapped parish in addition to larger book collections and more space for visitors to get lost in a book, he said. It would help our kids by giving them more opportunities to further their education, Johnson said, which is the right thing to do. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In total, Bidens plan will deliver $1.7 billion to parishes, cities and towns in Louisiana. Localities received one tranche of the money in June. A second is expected in 2022. Governments have until 2024 to spend the money and must use the cash for projects that fall into one of four categories: ongoing COVID-19 mitigation, replenishing accounts depleted in the pandemic in order to revitalize public services, household and business stabilization, or addressing systemic public health problems. Rural, sparsely-populated St. Helena is set to receive $227 for each of its 10,132 residents. Of the $2.3 million headed to the parish, $300,000 could go towards the $1.4 million library construction, according to Matthews. The parish tentatively plans to spend $1.1 million in state-allocated funds on the project. The remaining cost, covered by the federal cash, would match what the parish is required to supply out of its general fund, Matthews said. The parish has been discussing how to build a new library for a long time. But for a rural parish with a low tax base whose general fund was further depleted by the pandemic-induced recession, finding money to create that match may not have been possible without the federal aid. When your general fund is already depleted and you have to come up with that match, the question becomes, Where do you pull it from?, Matthews said. A lot of the funding has just not been there to be able to do things like this. During the pandemic, a surge in construction material prices spurred by a home-building boom sent the projected cost of the library project soaring, Matthews said. So the parish is deciding on a construction site for the new building as it waits for those costs to dissipate, which experts project will happen beginning in 2022. Other infrastructure areas the parish hopes to bolster with its remaining allocation of federal cash include broadband and flood-prevention projects, according to Johnson. The rural area has for years struggled with those issues. We want to make sure we use it the right way, Matthews said, because this opportunity may not come again in the parish. Gov. John Bel Edwards' veto of a bill touted as a way to ensure taxpayers can see how local school boards are spending their money will be one of the targets of an override attempt if Louisiana lawmakers convene on July 20. The measure, House Bill 38, was vetoed by Edwards July 2 along with 27 others. John Bel Edwards vetoes 28 'simply unnecessary' bills. Will lawmakers override him? Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Friday he vetoed 28 bills, signed into law 477 others, and he is now done with the 2021 Regular Session of the House and Senate members have until July 15 to decide whether to return to the State Capitol for the state's first ever session strictly to review vetoes. An override would allow the bill to take effect despite the governor's objections. Any such effort requires the support of two-thirds of the House and Senate 70 and 26 respectively and the Legislature has only done so twice. HB38, which is sponsored by state Rep. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, would add most of the state's local school boards to the current website known as Louisiana Checkbook. The site, which is modeled after one in Ohio, spells out financial details on how state agencies are spending tax dollars. Ohio Checkbook website wows business crowd at Louisiana Association of Business & Industry conference The movement to create a more user-friendly budget transparency website in Louisiana keeps growing, and its backing likely got a hefty boost t The legislation would require school boards with enrollments of 2,500 and more to provide information on their budgets, debt, employment, payroll and tax data. "We passed a bill that was transparent for the people," Edmonds said earlier this week. "Every parent would be able to look in at what we are doing with every dollar," he said during a legislative committee hearing. The key dispute is whether the new rules would impose unfair financial burdens on local school boards. In his veto message dated July 1, Edwards said the state has spent years developing the current system that covers state agencies and "taken millions and millions of state taxpayer dollars to accomplish." "Our local school systems simply do not have the resources or technology to comply with this unfunded mandate," he said. Edmonds and other backers of the measure said the $37 billion operating budget includes $317,000 to help defray costs of spelling out school board expenses for the public. But the Louisiana School Boards Association, which opposed the measure, said while the state's share of expenses is included in the budget, costs to local school boards were not. Janet Pope, executive director of the LSBA, said those expenses will rise even more if the software used by local school board officials is not compatible with the state system. She said the new requirements would be especially burdensome for some small districts. In addition, Pope said plenty of information on school board spending is already available to parents and others. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "School boards are the most transparent local government agency," Pope said. The LSBA represents boards in all 69 school districts, and 643 individual board members. 90% of Louisiana school districts want to pause letter grades, 'show grace' in pandemic Amid rising concerns, officials in 90% of public school districts in Louisiana oppose the issuance of school letter grades because of the uphe The bill is backed by The Pelican Institute, which calls itself the state's "free market think tank," the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the state's powerful business lobby, and the education advocacy group Stand For Children. John Kay, vice-president for advocacy for The Pelican Institute, said the governor's comments about affordability are off target since public schools are getting about $4 billion in federal dollars to help with coronavirus pandemic expenses. $4B in federal aid is headed to Louisiana public schools, but how will it be spent? Public schools in Louisiana are getting more than $4 billion from three rounds of federal stimulus dollars to help combat the coronavirus pand "There has never been more money flowing through schools, not to mention the fact that money to implement it was in House Bill 1," Kay said, a reference to the $37 billion budget bill. He said the new rules would cover boards that oversee 91% of students statewide. Pope said the idea that schools will be getting $4 billion in federal aid to spend as they please is wrong. "The language out there is school systems have all this money," she said. "But our school systems can only spend this money on COVID-related items." The estimated state costs of the bill puts the tab at nearly $310,000 initially, then quickly drops to about $32,000 per year. "The proposed legislation will also result in increased costs for local public school systems for upfront system modifications and programming costs as well as ongoing support and maintenance costs," according to the document. State budget analysts estimated the costs to the 50 school boards would be $15,000 each around $750,000 in all plus annual maintenance costs of $25,500. The bill won final Senate approval 20-14 and cleared the House 76-27. The closeness of the Senate vote it passed with the minimum number needed for approval raises questions on whether backers could round up 26 votes for an override. Edmonds said late-session questions on whether the bill would unfairly penalize local school boards held down the "yes" votes, and that gathering the two-thirds majorities in both chambers is feasible. In the first votes the House backed the measure 99-0 and the Senate did so 27-10. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission When children are victims in, say, a car wreck and are awarded substantial damages by the court, judges generally appoint someone to ensure the money is spent on medical care and education rather than on a new boat for Dad. Minnesota in the 1980s discovered that because of how differently courts were funded across that state, some judges hired lawyers to be the childs guardian ad litem, and others used volunteers. In Florida, the counties were so unevenly funded in the 1990s that a judge collected leftover pens to give to trial courts in have not counties, according to a National Center for State Courts draft report commissioned by a Louisiana task force. Louisiana is aiming to figure out how to get state taxpayers to pay for courts that are now primarily funded through whatever revenues they can raise themselves. Minnesota, Florida, and almost all the other states reorganized their court systems and put the state in charge of paying to ensure equal justice regardless of venue. Only then can the courts be unified in their policies and functions all the way down to court furnishings and equipment, the report states. National Center for State Courts draft report National Center for State Courts draft report commissioned by the Louisiana task force on state funding for courts Today, Minnesotas judicial branch is nearly totally state-funded, with 2,100 employees moved from county payrolls to the state, along with responsibility for $137 million in expenditures. Last week, the Louisiana Commission on Justice System Funding met for first time in person during the pandemic they video-conferenced with a goal of corralling Louisianas courts, which have grown over time into independent entities. The first step is to get a handle on the number of courts, what they do, and just how they get their revenues. Various fees from traffic tickets to asset forfeitures to pretrial diversions to criminal court costs to restitution were set up by local courts and parishes. Each jurisdiction is different. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor reported Tuesday that their auditors had collected during their annual review of local governments data from an astounding 1,150 courts statewide, including justices of the peace and constables. And that doesnt include the better-known judicial district courts, which dont have to report until Dec. 31. The overall picture, with everybody in there, will be early next year, said Judith Dettwiller, a senior analyst for the auditors office. Already Rep. Tanner Magee, the Houma Republican who chairs the task force, was surprised to learn from preliminary data that many courts had contracted private firms to do collections and added up to 30% onto the fees owed. That never really dawned on me before, Magee said. Its not just a good government exercise. Federal courts already shot across Louisianas bow a warning portending that if the state doesnt deal with the issue soon, the federal government will. One federal court in 2018 didnt dispute the characterization that state courts run something akin to a debtors prison for defendants who cant afford to pay the fines and fees. In a 2019 case, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower-court ruling that found New Orleans criminal court judges had erred in jailing six defendants for up to two weeks because they failed to pay fees ranging from $148 to $901 to the Judicial Expense Fund, which helps pay for local court operations. During difficult economic times, the judges have attempted to increase their collection efforts, the 5th Circuit opined. The shift from local to state financing of trial courts occurred primarily between 1970 and 1995 as the cost of operating a trial court system increased, the National Center for State Courts draft report stated. Louisiana is beginning now to move responsibility for hundreds of millions of dollars to state taxpayers and require a reorganization that inevitably will stir up existing fiefdoms and butt up directly against weve always done it this way thinking. Beginning in 1973, Alabama moved to unify a judicial system seen as fragmented, corrupt and inefficient, only to run into a wall of municipal officials who were OK with the old system. Alabama allowed municipal courts, if they chose, to stay independent on their own dime. But the rest were put under a unified, largely state-funded system that led to statewide consistency in access, salaries, processes and equipment. Though its beginnings bubble under the surface now, whats being undertaken in the basement of the State Capitol is nothing short of a complete revamp of Louisianas judicial system over the next few years. Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, at lectern, answers questions in Memorial Hall at the State Capital Building, as members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference to address ongoing controversies with the Louisiana State Police and the next steps to restore public trust in the agency Tuesday July 6, 2021, in Baton Rouge, La. ACTs Chief Minister Andrew Barr has slammed Victoria for restricting travel by designating the ACT as a red zone the same rating as Sydney despite Canberra being COVID-free. After more than a year without local COVID cases, it is incredibly disappointing and frustrating that state borders are again being shut to Canberrans. Canberra is not part of Greater Sydney, Mr Barr wrote on Twitter. At this time, there is very little justification to consider the ACT as a COVID-affected jurisdiction that requires the highest level of travel restrictions. We understand that winter is a higher risk period for COVID transmission and states that have experienced extended lockdowns themselves will have low risk appetites for interstate travellers. We are asking all states to remove the restrictions on the ACT as soon as possible. So why is the ban in place? The short answer, according to the Victorian government, is because the ACT does not have a hard border in place with regional NSW. And given health authorities are growing increasingly concerned about the potential of COVID-19 to leak into regional NSW, Victoria decided to go hard and take no chances by shutting the border with the ACT. This change is about anticipating the potential for transmission in the near future in regional NSW and the ACT, which are closely connected, Acting Chief Health Officer Daniel OBrien said. Shoring up the border and managing our inbound risks gives us more confidence when reducing restrictions here. Theres going to be some complexities at the border and we recognise that but it will be far less complex than managing an outbreak. A man has been charged with manslaughter after reporting his friends disappearance to authorities on Friday, before police pulled the missing mans body from the Albert River. The man was reported missing by his friend about 7am, with the friend telling police the victim disappeared under the waters surface in the Logan suburb of Eagleby, south of Brisbane. The scene on the Albert River in Eagleby on Friday after police found a missing mans body. Credit:Nine News Queensland Officers searched the area on foot and water police were called in to search the river itself, with the 27-year-old mans body found about 7.30am. However, after investigations throughout Friday, police will allege the two men in fact had a fight on the bank of the Albert River before the victim fell in and failed to resurface. In the wild west, sheriffs pinned up wanted posters in saloons to catch an outlaw. These days, law enforcement relies on Facebook to help identify a suspect. But what happens when someone is falsely accused of a crime online and wants to restore their reputation? An image from the Victoria Police Facebook post which Dr Prassanan Ponganamparambile is taking legal action over. Credit: Thats the question at the centre of two court cases unfolding in Victoria which will test how police use social media to publish photographs of alleged offenders to track them down. In one case, Melbourne doctor Prasannan Ponganamparambile believes he was defamed when Victoria Police uploaded a CCTV still of him to Facebook along with the words ID REQUIRED THEFT IN PAKENHAM. I thought, I need a break and I need to shut off from home lets do something I know will definitely happen, he said. But others are holding out, banking as much leave as they can during the pandemic in hopes of a mega overseas holiday or to see family once international borders reopen. Like many Australians, 45-year-old IT worker Bala Ram hasnt bothered to take any large chunks of annual leave since the start of the pandemic. Credit:Rhett Wyman Data released by market research company Roy Morgan in May showed eight million workers in paid employment now have 174.9 million days of annual leave due up almost 16 per cent from a year ago prior to the pandemic. The data collated shows the largest cohort of paid workers, including casuals, have no leave at all. Bala Ram, a 45-year-old IT worker from Sydney, has banked up six weeks of leave since the start of the pandemic and purchased an additional two weeks that were on offer from his employer. He says while hes taken a few days off here and there, he hasnt felt the need for a long holiday now that working from home is the new normal. Previously when we worked five days a week travelling into the office each day we needed that break in the monotony, but the workplace is changing, he said. Hes holding out hope hell be able to travel to his native India next year planning to spend six weeks with family, and a two-week spiritual eco-trek in the Himalayas in the Indian summer before the Monsoon rains. Quality time with family will mean a lot last year Mr Ram was unable to travel to India for the sudden death of his sister. Hes keen and ready to go as soon as he can. The leave is booked with his workplace and he received his second vaccine dose two weeks ago. Im hoping all the antibodies have kicked in now, he says. But human resource experts have warned those of us hoarding leave about the risk of burnout. I dont blame people for wanting to be protective of their leave, said Dr Amantha Imber, founder of management consultancy Inventium and host of the How I Work podcast. But the issue is we dont even know when borders will be opened up, so it can lead to people really banking up a lot of leave. And its really hard when your mental health is not great to just keep on pushing through work because were trying to bank up leave to take an international holiday when the border is open. Dr Imber said workplaces should be encouraging shorter and more frequent mini-breaks both to guard against employee burnout and running down leave liabilities from their books. Where the greatest amount of satisfaction comes from in terms of having a holiday is an anticipation that you feel leading up to the holiday, as opposed to actually on the holiday itself, she said. Deborah Peppard, director of Melbourne-based human resources firm HR Staff nStuff, said businesses would need to prepare for a possible increase in leave requests once international borders re-opened. I think business is going to have to put out some forward-thinking communication around what that looks like to people, she said, suggesting example rules around only two people being able to take leave at any one time from each department or encouraging teams to discuss amongst themselves their plans. We want to do it in the most consultative and collaborative way that you can with everybody, she said, adding that businesses could make an open date well in advance for leave so every person has the same chance to get leave requests in. A record number of new companies were registered last month, with experts saying the tens of thousands of extra businesses launched in 2021 is due to a boom of entrepreneurs and contractors spurred on by the coronavirus crisis. There were 34,868 new businesses formally signed up with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission nationally in June, including 11,373 in NSW, 10,053 in Victoria and 7206 in Queensland. In the first six months of 2021 about 152,000 companies were registered, compared to almost 110,000 for the same period in 2020 and 113,000 in 2019. Contracting from home and a boom in entrepreneurs is expected to have led to a jump in company registrations. Credit:iStock An analysis of the publicly available ASIC data by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age shows June had the most new business registrations than at any other point in two decades of available records. June is typically the busiest month for registrations, marking the end of the financial year, and it was the busiest month of 2021 in line with this historical trend. Registrations slumped modestly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic but have been steadily improving since mid-2020. In June last year there were 26,804 new businesses registered, including 8863 in NSW, 7873 in Victoria and 5545 in Queensland. NSW has reported 50 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, as the Premier warns things will get worse before they get better in Sydneys growing outbreak. Thirty-seven of the cases were in the community for at least some of their infectious period, including 26 who were in the community for all of their infectious period. Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned Sydneys coronavirus outbreak would worsen, after 37 cases spent some time in the community while infectious. Credit:Rhett Wyman Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the number of people infectious in the community was the number we need to get down to as close to zero as possible. The only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better, she said. Brasilia: Brazils presidential election is 15 months away, yet barely a day passes without President Jair Bolsonaro raising the spectre of fraud and warning that he will be entitled to reject the results unless Congress overhauls the voting system. He has mentioned potential vote fraud more than 20 times in the past two months and even floated the idea of cancelling the election altogether. I dont mind handing over the government next year, to whomever it is, but with an honest vote, not with fraud, Bolsonaro told supporters July 1 outside the presidential residence. Later that day, he was harping on the issue again. They say I dont have proof of fraud. You dont have proof that theres no fraud either! President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro is already claiming election fraud. Credit:Getty The relentless attack on Brazils electronic voting system has prompted an outcry and closed-door meetings between lawmakers and Supreme Court justices to defend the system. And the nations electoral tribunal last month ordered the president to provide proof of the fraud he has repeatedly claimed to possess, but so far hasnt presented. Conway, AR (72032) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 84F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Emily Alexander, 37, shows her COVID-19 vaccination card shortly after getting the vaccine in the parking lot of the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Terry Tang / AP Up for debate: Live legislation tracker Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics. Staff Reporter Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times. Traffic passes a construction zone at the interchange of U.S. Highway 65 and Interstate 80, Friday, May 30, 2014, in Altoona, Iowa. A high school classroom with empty desks and no students is seen June 2, 2020, in West Lislip, New York during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during a hearing on preparedness for and response to the coronavirus outbreak on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Nuvision Credit Union's first Cheyenne Freedom Ride was a big success, Saturday, July 3, and raised over $7,900 for area Veterans and First Responders. The event had 100 motorcycle riders participating, and some riders had passengers. The estimated crowd was between 200-250 people supporting Veterans and First Responders. Participants began at High Country Harley-Davidson at 10 a.m., then returned at 12:30 p.m. and received a barbequed meal, courtesy of Pioneer BBQ and live music featuring Sunshine James. The Freedom Ride supports programs that make veterans and first responders' lives easier, including, Dogs & Tags of Wyoming and its mission to supply service dogs to individuals with PTSD, and High Plains Honor Flight, dedicated to providing all-expense-paid trips for veterans to Washington, D.C., to see memorials established in their honor. The Freedom Ride is part of the NuvisionCares community program, providing free gas, meals, social events, and more to military members across its western-states network, covering Wyoming, California, Arizona, Alaska, and Washington. Spokesperson Emily Jackson said the company supports veterans, first responders, and the police. "This specific hub (for High Plains Honor Flight) serves Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska," she said. "They take World War II, Koren War, Vietnam Vets, and Veterans from more recent war conflicts." Jackson said the event was new for the company in Wyoming, and they wanted to do something that would resonate, honor, and show appreciation for the military and first responders. "We chose these two organizations because we believe in their mission, and we like what they do in our communities," she said. "We've supported both of these groups in the past and continue to because of the great things they do." When Nuvision reached out to Honor Flight, she said the group was thrilled. "They have a lot of participation with their Honor Flight Veterans, Legion Riders, and Combat Veterans," she said. "When we said we were going to do it and we wanted Honor Flight to be involved, they spread the word." Jackson was thrilled to be part of the event. "When you get into something like this, there are a lot of moving parts, and it takes a lot of hands to do the work," she said. "We have team members who worked hard on this. There's a lot of things that we learned, and I think everybody enjoyed this. Our Wyoming crew was awesome and helped set up, tear down, and welcomed all the people." She said the company's Vice President of Small Business and Investment Services, a veteran, flew in from Camp Washington for the event. "It was great to have him here, and we had another team member come in from Southern California," she said. "When we do these big things, we want to do them well, and it's an all hands on deck event." Nuvision SVP of Marketing & Public Relation Tom Sweet is proud to be part of the effort. "The tremendous sacrifices these servicemen and women make are immeasurable," he said. "This Freedom Ride event is our way of thanking them for incredible sacrifice, service, and bravery." Former Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak came out to support the Veterans. "It's the 4th of July, and I wanted to get out here with the vets, ride with them, and tell them how much I appreciate their service," he said. Front (L-R) Sam Graham, LCCC Faculty; Matt Nolan, Cheyenne East High School; Chase Metzler, LCCC Faculty; Joel Cannon, LCCC Faculty; and Garrett Koslosky, LCCC graduate. Middle (L-R) Gordon Karney, Hemingford, NE; Jim Watson, Casper, Beth Day Anton, CO; Brandi Hutton, Potter, NE; Shannon Baylie, Colorado; Jessica Brown, Briggsdale, CO; Ryan Hudson, Rifle, CO; Jack Frost, Hemingford, NE; and Josh Miller, Laramie. Back (L-R) C.R. O'Hara, Cheyenne. Jon Vance, Casper, Dusty Hudson, Casper, Nicole Sorensen, Minatare, NE; Rhiley Fiene, Cambridge, NE; Kady Meyer, Delores, CO; Jacob Wright, Walsh, CO; Josh Christiansen, Harrisburg, SD: Robby Adams, Gillcrest, CO; Dylan Rose, Grover, CO; and Caleb Green, Burns. In the last 10 years, more than 700 law enforcement officers have been killed in traffic incidents, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Read more Instant unlimited access to all of our E-Editions and content on thechronicleonline.com. The Chronicle E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Towanda, PA (18848) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. High 67F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. Oneonta, NY (13820) Today Cloudy with occasional rain during the afternoon. High 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Oneonta, NY (13820) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low near 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom. Follow Melanie Tucker 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 Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Daily Times, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com. 12-Year-Old Boy Defending Mother Fatally Shoots Armed Home Intruder A 12-year-old boy in Louisiana fatally shot an armed home intruder who was threatening the boys mother, according to the local sheriffs office. East Feliciana Parish Sheriff Jeffery Travis said in a statement that his office received a report of a shooting at 5807 Winchester Lane, east of Clinton, around 7:21 a.m. on June 30. A person forced entry into the home and had a gun, and at some point was fatally shot by a resident, the statement said. The sheriffs office later shared a news report on its Facebook page confirming that a 12-year-old boy had shot Brad LeBlanc, 32, during the incident. Upon further investigation, two others were found to be involved in the home invasionJohnathon Barker and Jennifer Bondboth of whom were arrested and booked into East Feliciana Parish Prison, per the sheriffs statement. Barker was charged with second-degree murder, principal to aggravated burglary, and principal to aggravated kidnapping. Bond was charged for accessory after the fact. At this time, the East Feliciana Sheriffs office has no evidencewhether it be physical evidence at the scene or testimony from witnessesthat would incriminate the 12-year-old, and therefore, at this time, we have no plans to bring charges against the 12-year-old child, Travis told The Advocate, Louisianas largest daily newspaper. He told the paper that witnesses told authorities that LeBlanc forced a woman inside her house and a struggle ensued between them, after which the unnamed 12-year-old child shot LeBlanc with a hunting rifle in fear for his mothers life. Travis said that while Barker is not accused of directly killing anyone, his participation in the attempted burglary led to the death, reported the outlet. LeBlanc received CPR after first responders arrived at the scene, and he was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The boy will be receiving therapy or counseling after his mother sought help after the incident, Travis told multiple news outlets. He added that when the investigation into the case is completed, the findings will be sent to the district attorneys office, which will decide whether the 12-year-old was justified to have shot the intruder. A Defeat in the Courts for Bidens Racist Equity Policies If you were an Armenian Christian who fled your home to Glendale, California in 1915 to escape a genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks that killed roughly 1 million of your countrymen and women, how would you feel about paying reparations for black slavery that ended more than 50 years before you arrived? Not so good, I would imagine. The whole concept of so-called reparations in America is mired in such contradictions. Tens of millions of people have migrated to this country from all over the world and are continuing to do so more than a century after slavery ended. Many of these people suffered from oneroussometimes extremely onerous, even life-threateningconditions of their own. Yet, the Biden administrationunder, among other things, the meretricious mask of something called equity, as opposed to equalityis asking millions of our fellow citizens to pay for an acknowledged evil, slavery, in which they didnt remotely participate. President Biden and his people relentlessly pursue this equityessentially a euphemism for reparationslargely for political reasons, further dividing the races in our society in a calculated manner and nurturing a grievance culture without end. Gandhis An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind means nothing to them. One particularly egregious way in which they were doing it was through a recently enacted program of forgiving loans for farmers based on the color of their skin. It always sounded unconstitutionalbesides being unremittingly racistand it turned out that on July 8, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee declared it to be so. The case was brought by Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) and Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) on behalf of Rob Holman, a farmer from Union City, [Tennessee], whose family had been farming the same land in Obion County for generations, according to SLFs website. SLF Director of Litigation Braden H. Boucek had this to say regarding the case: Todays victory again proves that the Constitution does not allow the government to treat its citizens differently based on their skin color. State-sanctioned discrimination is wrong and unconstitutional. Race preferences cannot be allowed to rise again under the name of equity. The Constitution is strong and has held again in the face of yet another challenge to its guarantee of equality under the law and the self-evident truth that all men are created equal. How old-fashionedand correctof Boucek! Perhaps the administration should have dressed up their racism, as they have before, under a more high-toned, pseudo-intellectual name such as critical agriculture theory. Since during the election, really, theyve lied to us and to themselves constantly about race, either swallowing critical race theory whole or not commenting on the racism inherent in it to give themselves deniability from ultimate evil. The roots of this behavior go way back, further back even than the obvious Obama administration and into an exploitation of black people inherent in the Democratic Party since Lyndon Johnson and well before when they could be overtly racist. We find this playing out in our time in an extreme though covert manner. Whether Biden is stupid (doesnt understand the implications of what he does) or is senile is moot. Those around him understand. They see race as the royal road to power. Nothing could be more reprehensible, more retrograde, and more dangerous for the future of our country. They should be opposed at all costs. Bravo to the Southeastern Legal Foundation. Roger L. Simon is an award-winning novelist, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, co-founder of PJMedia, and now, editor-at-large for The Epoch Times. His most recent books are The GOAT (fiction) and I Know Best: How Moral Narcissism Is Destroying Our Republic, If It Hasnt Already (nonfiction). He can be found on Parler as @rogerlsimon Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Abandoned Blind Horse Found Near Death in SoCal, Saved by Animal Services, Now Spunky, Sweet Girl A blind abandoned horse, found in horrific condition, was rescued and placed in good hands, thanks to animal services and concerned locals. The horse was discovered in a sorry state in an unincorporated area east of Lake Elsinore, California, by members of the equestrian community, who called the County Department of Animal Services on June 4. Animal control officer Adam Haisten responded to the call and attended to the near-starving mare. I found a Home Depot bucket nearby and filled it with water and she drank at least two gallons, said Haisten, Patch reported. In addition to her severe condition, the horse also had a large wound to the neck that appeared to still be in a healing stage. The horse, guessed to be 1820 years old, was rated a two on a scale used by equine experts to assess an animals health; in plain terms, she was in dire straits. County animal services then handed her over to Far From Perfect Mustang Rescue in Cherry Valley. The horse, appropriately named Hope, was given a second shot at life. I will try to work together as much as we can and so I am glad that I was able to play a small part and just get her cut on time today to get her to Far From Perfect and they are an amazing rescue, said animal rescue worker Britany Pinch in a video that was posted on YouTube. I came out for them and I appreciate everything they do and they are gonna do everything right. The horse rescue provides weekly updates on the progress of the now-recovering mare on their social media pages. They offered The Epoch Times some encouraging news: With food, we find that she is particularly spunky now that she has the energy. She is such a sweet girl for having been so neglected. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Adrians Kickback Ricochets as Police File Charges Authorities in Huntington Beach, California, submitted charges July 8 against 35 minors in connection with an unruly beach gathering that garnered internet infamy. To the Adrians Kickback crowdI hope you didnt think we forgot about you, Huntington Beach police said in a Facebook post. This is just the beginning. The charges stemmed from a May 22 gathering prompted by a viral TikTok video about a birthday party on the beach, dubbed Adrians Kickback, which garnered nearly 200 million views. An unlawful assembly was declared after hundreds of people gathered around a lifeguard tower, dancing, taking videos, and lighting illegal fireworks. Police in riot helmets, armed with batons, began to break up the crowd after fireworks were used, various media reported. Social media posts showed members of the crowd jumping on cars and throwing objects at police. Property damage included a smashed rear window of a police cruiser, a broken glass door at the CVS store at Pacific Coast Highway and 6th Street, and overturned and damaged tables and chairs. Also damaged were EZ-Up canopies associated with the Surfin Sundays market. Some of the merchandise left in the canopy tents overnight was stolen, and there was minor damage to the roof at Lifeguard Tower 13. Three police SUVs suffered graffiti damage; more graffiti was found on the Pacific Coast Highway side of the condo complex Pacific City. Police said more charges are to come for both adults and minors. We will also be making additional arrests in the coming weeks for those that have been identified by our detectives since the event, police said. The takeawaysome of you shouldve just stayed home. Migrants walk to climb into the back of lorries bound for Britain while traffic is stopped upon waiting to board shuttles at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel site in Calais, northern France, on Nov. 19, 2020. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images) Afghan Man Arrested in London Over People-Smuggling Ring An Afghan national believed to be a leading member of an international people-smuggling network has been arrested in north London. Gul Wali Jabarkhel, 32, who was in the UK illegally, was detained by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in Colindale on Thursday evening. Jabarkhel is suspected of being a high-ranking member of a significant Afghan organised crime group involved in transporting migrants from northern France and Belgium into the UK in the backs of lorries. The group allegedly had contacts with organised gangs in Belgium, and planned to use lorry drivers to smuggle migrants across the Channel on a regular basis. He faces two charges of conspiracy to facilitate illegal migration to the UK and will appear at Willesden Magistrates Court on Saturday. NCA Branch Commander Andy Noyes said: This is a significant arrest. Jabarkhel is suspected of running a criminal enterprise which involved migrants being moved across the Channel in lorries in dangerous circumstances. Organised immigration crime sees people treated as a commodity to be exploited and profited from, and tackling it is a priority for the NCA. This arrest is another example of the success we are having in targeting those suspected of involvement in people smuggling impacting on the UK. Others engaged in this kind of activity should take note. By Ted Hennessey Arizona Lawmakers Approve Funding to Study Correlation Between Marijuana, Mental Illness Arizona lawmakers on June 30 approved a Republican-led spending plan to study possible links between marijuana use and mental illness, a move widely criticized by cannabis advocates as political. The bill, SB1847, earmarks $250,0000 for specific use in research on the correlation between marijuana use and mental illness, including psychosis and violent behavior. It also contains $2.5 million for suicide prevention and a provision that requires the development of a warning label that includes a statement that marijuana use may affect the health of a pregnant woman and the unborn child. The bill stems from a larger spending bill introduced a year ago by Republican House Speaker Rusty Bowers, which draws upon his reading of a book titled Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence by former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson. Hailed among conservative circles as a definitive work on the dangers of cannabis, the book has been criticized by marijuana advocates as being unscientific, while confusing correlation and causation with regard to mental illness. It is a debunked book. Theres no mention at all about causation. What does correlation really tell us? said Mike Robinette, state director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in Arizona. We just feel [the bill] is a political statement. We feel its kind of a biased statement that creates the findings, Robinette said. The book drew criticism from some 100 scholars and clinicians in an open letter that accused Berenson of engaging in junk science and cherry-picking the books findings. Berenson, in an email to The Epoch Times, defended the work for its original research, interviews with the preeminent researchers in the field, and a 17-page bibliography so readers can judge the accuracy of my use of primary source materials for themselves. I have been invited to speak about its findings by psychiatrists in several countries, and presented alongside Dr. Nora Volkow, the head of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Berenson added. I encourage people who are interested in the subject of the psychiatric risks of cannabis to read and judge the book for themselves. They will find that the industry hates Tell Your Children because it is meticulously researched and accurate, not the reverse. In 2010, Arizona legalized medical marijuana and in 2020 Proposition 207 was passed, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. There are currently about 130 licensed cannabis dispensaries for medical and adult use in Arizona. In 2011, the Arizona Department of Health Services published an article titled Marijuana Use & Earlier Onset of Psychosis? which stated that a number of published studies have found that using marijuana (and other psychoactive substances) is associated with an earlier onset of psychotic illness. National mental health surveys have repeatedly found more substance use, especially cannabis use, among people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, according to the article. Robinette noted again that association is not the same as causation. What I see happening is the next phase of [political] pushback against marijuana law reform, Robinette said. I am not against good research. This study is political in nature. Susan Sisley, president and principal investigator for the Scottsdale Research Institute in Phoenix, a clinical trial site currently running a phased study of medical cannabis for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, said the state funding plan falls short in terms of providing long-term random human control trials. As a scientist, I support anything that supports rigorous research, Sisley said. Im hoping its enough to look for some signals regarding links between cannabis use and mental illness to do more rigorous control trials. I just want to make sure the money goes into the hands of true science and doesnt end up in the hands of a political agenda, Sisley said. Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are unsealed to be examined and recounted by contractors working under a contract with the Arizona Senate, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo/Pool) Arizona Senate Conducting New Count of Maricopa County Ballots The ballots cast in Arizonas largest county in the 2020 election will be counted for a third time on orders from the states Senate. Nearly 2.1 million ballots submitted in Maricopa County for the presidential contest were tabulated, as normal, by election officials. They were recounted by hand by audit teams hired by the state Senate in a process that was completed late last month. Now the Senate will do its own recount, which will provide a number to compare with those from the county and from the auditors. Maricopa County says theres 2,089,563 ballots. We did the hand count, and theyre finalizing that number, but we just wanted a third number to tie everything together, make sure we have morethe more data points, the better, former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the Senates audit liaison, told The Epoch Times. The new count will focus on the number of ballots and not the actual votes, unlike the first two tabulations. The Senate will use two counting machines that it purchased to complete the count, Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, told the Arizona Republic. Were going to run all the ballots through to see how they match up, she said. If there ends up being a difference, wed have another count. The machines, which arrived on July 9, appear to be from U.S. Paper Counters. The machines are said to be able to count up to 2,000 sheets per minute. The count will go quickly, likely wrapping up in less than a week, audit officials say. Audit teams led by Florida-based Cyber Ninjas began counting ballots and doing other work in April. They finished recounting and examining the ballots at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix in late June. The state Senate is paying $150,000 for the audit, which likely costs much more. A nonprofit and the Republic have asked courts to compel the body to make public records detailing outside parties that are helping to shoulder the cost. County officials oppose the audit. The county Board of Supervisors called for it to end in May. County officials announced recently that they would replace all of the election machines afterward because of concerns about the equipment being probed by auditors. A fourth ballot count is still on the table. That would involve contracting with a California-based nonprofit called Citizens Oversight, which uses what founder Ray Lutz described as a set of computers that would do a total retabulation of the election. Were still working on that, Bennett said. Poll workers count ballots inside the Maricopa County Election Department in Phoenix, on Nov. 5, 2020. (Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images) The audit has run past the projected time. Cyber Ninjas said in a document from March that it expected its work should be done in 35 days, followed by a five-day period to produce a final report on its findings. Teams have other duties besides the third ballot count. Theyre working on a process to check signatures from mail-in ballot envelopes using images from the county. Auditors are double- and triple-checking everything, Pullen said. The final report is still expected in August. The ballots and 385 tabulators used by the county to count the votes were shifted to the Wesley Bolin Building, a smaller 19,344-square-foot facility that fairground officials recommended against using during the summer due to high temperatures. Bennett said the building was warm amid 112 degree Fahrenheit temperatures but that officials were working on air conditioning to deal with the conditions. Fresh air conditioning units were in place on July 8 and 9. He also challenged an assertion by Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who said observers tapped by her office werent allowed to watch the audit last week. He said the observers have been in the building most days. The observers, who include Ryan Macias, former acting director of certification and testing for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, have reported witnessing a number of problems, including alleged issues with security procedures. Audit officials have denied the accusations or said policies have been changed when problems have been identified. Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard attends the state memorial service for the late former Australian PM Bob Hawke. June 14, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Australia Has Moral Obligation to Assist Afghan Interpreters: Former PM Former Prime Minister John Howard has spoken out on the need to fast-track visas for Afghan workers who assisted U.S. and allied forces during the Afghanistan War. He made the comments amid growing concerns that thousands of Afghans will face violent retaliation from the Taliban, who are now advancing across the war-torn country. Where it is clearly the case that they could be in danger of retribution, we have an obligation to help them, if necessary, by giving them visas to come to live in Australia, Howard told SBS News. That is a moral obligation we have. It was a moral obligation that we shamefully disregarded many years ago when we pulled out of Vietnam, he added. I do not want to see a repetition of that failure in relation to Afghanistan. Revelations have emerged that one Afghan interpreter was denied a visa to Australia on the grounds that he was not employed directly by the government. Howard said the government should not deny the visa based on narrow legalism or a technicality. A U.S. Marine looks on as Afghan National Army soldiers raise the Afghan National flag on an armed vehicle during a training exercise at the Shorab Military Camp in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Aug. 28, 2017. (Wakil/Koshar/AFP via Getty Images) If a group of people gave help to Australians such that their lives and that of those immediately around them are in danger, we have a moral obligation to help them, he said. Current Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government was doing everything in its power to expedite the visa applications for hundreds of Afghans. Hundreds are in that process right now, he told ABC radio on July 9. Were doing that as fast and as safely as we can. Its obviously an environment in which it is difficult to operate, people would appreciate that, he added. Morrison also said Afghan subcontractors could apply through the humanitarian visa stream rather than the one dedicated to workers. We work through both channels, he said. So far, 1,400 Afghan workers and their families who worked with the Australian government have been granted visas in recent years. Since April 15, 230 visas have been granted. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said no eligible Afghan would be left behind. Were not going to leave behind anyone who worked for us and who is properly eligible, she said. The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated after allied forces began withdrawing from the country. Regional officials in northern Afghanistan say the Taliban recaptured government buildings in a provincial capital it was stormed earlier this week. Band of Patriotic Teens Scale Mountain Near Their Home to Replace Fallen American Flag in SoCal American flags sprang up in high and low places around July 4spray-painted on peoples lawns, in the news (lamentfully), and atop the mountains of Southern California. A band of friends from Santa Clarita ensured a flag would fly atop a mountain near Pico Canyon Park, near their homes, replacing the old and torn one that had previously fallen. Brandon Park, 18, used to see that old flag flying every day from his bedroom window when he woke up. One day, he saw it was gone. Park and his friends, then high school seniors, toyed with the idea of restoring the Stars and Stripes that had become a landmark of Stevenson Ranch. The said mountain in Stevenson Ranch near Pico Canyon Park. (Screenshot/Google Maps) Andy Chaidez, 17, went so far as to scale the mountain for a closer look; it was no small feat, as he learned, breaking his finger in the attempt. But the friends persisted, fancying the idea akin to a military op, and set about formulating a plan. Weve tried to just stick it back in the ground up several times, and that just wasnt working, Reid Twitchell, 18, told The Epoch Times. So, we had to make a more permanent solution. And so what I came up with was, basically, to cement the flag up there. Grasping the scope of the effort, which would involve hauling 30 to 40 pounds of concrete and gallons of water to the summit, Twitchell enlisted a few friends. Lugging all of the material would still prove quite difficult due to the steepness of the slope. When I hiked up there with Andy it was just like free rock climbing, said Twitchell. There wasnt really any ropes to grab on to. And so, I had to rock climb up there and set up ropes so that way it could be easy to climb up. After prepping the ropes, the friends planned to set out around midday, reach the summit, erect the flag, and climb down before dark set in. However, not everything went according to plan. Brian Gonzalez, 17, explained, That whole rope section, it normally takes, if youre not carrying anything, like five minutes, I think that day took around 30. After reaching the peak, to their dismay, they found that the new flag, which was 3 by 6 feet, was too large for the old flagpole. The flag would have been like dragging on the ground, Park told The Epoch Times. Scrambling, they had to improvise constructing the flagpoleand hustle in order to get the job done before nightfall. Utilizing the concrete stirring stick theyd brought with them, they lengthened the original pole by drilling holes into it and securing the two pieces using zip ties. Adding to the difficulty, mixing the concrete itself was tedious. We were kind of like rushing towards the end, Twitchell said. And basically, every eight people were doing a specific thing and right when someone finished doing something, I would put them on doing another thing. But the team managed it and got the new flag up and flying. Trudging back down the mountainside, they were exuberant, saying it felt like a movie experience, with a mix of relief, pride, and adrenaline. They were somewhat worried, though, that the flag might come down before the concrete had set; but the next day, Park looked out his window and saw the flag was still there. To this day, its been holding really, really strongly, he said. Meanwhile, the boys parents were more than a little impressed with the feat of their sonsafter they learned about what theyd done. I kind of underplayed it, said Gonzalez. And theyre like, Oh, youre in the news? or like, Oh, yeah, all he did was replace a flag. I didnt actually tell them. And then when they read this story, actually figured out what happened. They were really surprised. Chaidez added, My dad said, quote, Cool, my son. (Courtesy of Matthew Chan and Elizabeth Chaidez) Park sees special significance in the act, in the wake of tumult in 2020: Weve faced a lot of challenges as a nation, but through a lot of painstaking work, we were able to rebuild in a sense and make the thing we had even better and stronger. Gonzales said, Ive come from an immigrant family, so the whole America thing to me is more important than someone else that was born in here, I guess. So, I actually, Im pretty grateful for the American flag and what it represents and everything like that. For me, its like a sense of pride for me, Twitchell adds. Yeah, I would describe myself as a little patriotic, and its just makes me very proud to see it every day. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Miguel Cardona speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of Education, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Susan Walsh/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Admin Cancels $55.6 Million in Student Loan Debt The Biden administration said on July 9 that its canceling about $55.6 million in student loan debt for 1,800 people who attended three institutions that the Department of Education found had defrauded them. The eligible borrowers, who attended Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty, and the Court Reporting Institute, will receive 100 percent loan discharges amounting to about $55.6 million in relief, the Department of Education announced. The latest round of student loan debt relief brings the Biden administrations total loan cancellation, based on borrower defense, to more than $1.5 billion for nearly 92,000 borrowers. Its the first time it has announced approved borrower defense claims for students who attended institutions other than the Corinthian Colleges, ITT Technical Institute, and American Career Institute since 2017, according to the department. The cancellations are being granted under the borrower defense to loan repayment forgiveness rule, a federal regulation that lets student loan borrowers seek debt relief if theyve been defrauded by their college, university, or career school. Todays announcement continues the U.S. Department of Educations commitment to standing up for students whose colleges took advantage of them, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. The Department will continue doing its part to review and approve borrower defense claims quickly and fairly so that borrowers receive the relief that they need and deserve. We also hope these approvals serve as a warning to any institution engaging in similar conduct that this type of misrepresentation is unacceptable. The bulk of the relief goes to more than 1,600 claims from former students of Westwood College, which closed in 2015 and was found by the Education Department to have engaged in widespread misrepresentations about the ability of students to transfer credits. Despite claims by Westwood, students were generally unable to transfer their credits to other institutions. The inability of Westwood students to transfer their credits meant that they had toor would have torestart their education at a different school, according to the department. For Marinello Schools of Beauty, more than 200 claims were approved, amounting to about $2.2 million in relief for former students. The schools with campuses across the country had made widespread, substantial misrepresentations about the instruction that would be offered starting from 2009 until their closure in 2016. Borrowers regularly asserted that the [Marinello] schools failed to train them about key elements of a cosmetology program, such as how to cut hair, the department said in its statement. The Department found that Marinello left students without instructors for weeks or months at a time as part of a pattern of failing to provide the education it promised. As a result, students found it extremely difficult to pass necessary state licensing tests and receive any return on their educational investment. Lastly, the department forgave loans of $340,000 for 18 borrowers who attended the Court Reporting Institute, which had from 1998 through its 2006 closure made widespread, substantial misrepresentations about the time it would take to complete its court reporting program, the department found. The majority of CRI students were never able to complete the court reporting program and, therefore, could not become court reporters, the department said of CRI. Only 2 to 6 percent of students graduated, and those who finished the program took much longer to do so than the institution claimed, the department said, citing data it reviewed. Previously, in mid-June, the Department of Education announced about $500 million in loan discharges for about 18,000 students who attended ITT Technical Institute. And in March, the department announced it would grant $1 billion in relief to 72,000 borrowers with approved borrower defense claims from Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute. New York businessman Andrew Saul testifies before the Senate Finance Committee during his confirmation hearing to be commissioner of the Social Security Administration in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Oct. 2, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Biden Admin Fires Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul, Who Says He Wont Leave President Joe Biden on Friday fired Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul, according to the former commissioner, who said he wont leave his post and will log into work on Monday morning because his term isnt over. Saul was one of the few remaining holdover officials who were appointed by former President Donald Trump. The White House confirmed to Fox News and other news outlets that it terminated Sauls employment after he refused a request to resign. In an interview with the Washington Post, Saul said he received an email from the White House Personnel Office on Friday morning about the decision. However, Saul added that he will not leave his post, challenging the legality of the Biden administrations decision to remove him. This was the first I or my deputy knew this was coming, Saul told the newspaper, referring to the email. It was a bolt of lightning no one expected. And right now its left the agency in complete turmoil. Sauls six-year-long term was slated to expire in January 2025. I consider myself the term-protected Commissioner of Social Security, he said, calling his ouster a Friday Night Massacre and an abuse of power. The White House also released a statement on the decision, alleging that Saula longtime GOP donorpoliticized the Social Security Administration (SSA). Since taking office, Commissioner Saul has undermined and politicized Social Security disability benefits, terminated the agencys telework policy that was utilized by up to 25 percent of the agencys workforce, not repaired SSAs relationships with relevant Federal employee unions including in the context of COVID-19 workplace safety planning, reduced due process protections for benefits appeals hearings, and taken other actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and the Presidents policy agenda, the White House said in a statement to Fox News and other news outlets in confirming the decision. Republican lawmakers criticized the White Houses move to oust him. This removal would be an unprecedented and dangerous politicization of the Social Security Administration, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wrote in a tweet. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) noted that Saul was confirmed by a wide, bipartisan margin and had several years remaining in his term. President Biden is overtly politicizing the SSA, Grassley said in a statement. People dont want their retirement and benefits politicized, they just want an agency that works. We had that under Commissioner Saul. But Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee overseeing the agency, said his removal was necessary. Theyve been trying to destroy Social Security, he wrote on Twitter of his firing. Reports citing anonymous sources claimed Biden has appointed Kilolo Kijakazi, the deputy commissioner of retirement and disability policy, as the acting Social Security commissioner. The Epoch Times has contacted the White House for comment. A pregnant Honduran immigrant stands in line with fellow immigrants for a bus to a U.S. destination from McAllen, Texas, on Aug. 15, 2016. (John Moore/Getty Images) Biden Administration Halts Detention of Most Pregnant, Postpartum Illegal Immigrants U.S. immigration agents will no longer detain most pregnant or postpartum illegal immigrants, in the latest loosening of border enforcement by the Biden administration. An updated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy, announced July 9, states that agents should not detain, arrest, or take into custody for an administrative violation of the immigration laws individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist. Agents should also carefully weigh the decision to order such a person to be detained, arrested, or otherwise taken into custody, the directive states. The acting director of the agency, Tae Johnson, said in a statement that ICE is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system and preserving the health and safety of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing individuals. Given the unique needs of this population, we will not detain individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist. This reflects our commitment to treat all individuals with respect and dignity while still enforcing our nations laws, he said. Officials told news outlets that 13 pregnant illegal aliens were in custody as of July 8. They may be released under the new directive. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) applauded the move, which follows a series of relaxations of other border enforcement policies. This action by the Biden administration is a welcome step in the right direction, Eunice Cho, a senior staff attorney at the ACLUs National Prison Project, said in a statement. This move brings us closer to more humane treatment by ICE of people who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing. ICE should stop detaining or arresting people who would be at particular risk in detention, must implement robust oversight of detention facilities, and ensure the release of all people who would be particularly vulnerable in detention. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) also backed the move, but said it should be made permanent by their bill, the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. But Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said ICEs directive would lead to more illegal immigration amid a border crisis. We can expect the illegal arrival of more pregnant, nursing, and postpartum women, he wrote on Twitter. Under current U.S. law, children born on U.S. soil are automatically granted U.S. citizenship. According to the center, approximately 300,000 children are born to illegal immigrant mothers each year. Virgin Galactic co-founder Sir Richard Branson, CEO George Whitesides and Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya pose together outside of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, on Oct. 28, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Billionaire Branson Set to Fly to Space Aboard Virgin Galactic Rocket Plane Decades after burnishing his reputation as a wealthy daredevil mogul in a series of boating and hot-air balloon expeditions, Richard Branson is poised to promote his burgeoning astro-tourism venture by launching himself to the final frontier. Bransons Virgin Galactic Holding Inc is due on Sunday to send the companys passenger rocket plane, the VSS Unity, on its first fully crewed test flight to the edge of space, with the British billionaire founder among the six individuals strapping in for the ride. The gleaming white spaceplane will be borne by a twin-fuselage carrier jet dubbed VMS Eve (named for Bransons mother) to an altitude of 50,000 feet, where Unity will be released and soar by rocket power in an almost vertical climb through the outer fringe of Earths atmosphere. At the apex of its flight some 55 miles above the New Mexico desert, the crew will experience a few minutes of weightlessness before making a gliding descent back to Earth. If all goes according to plan, the flight will last about 90 minutes and end where it beganon a runway at Spaceport America near the aptly named town of Truth or Consequences. Virgins Unity 22 mission marks the 22nd test flight of the spacecraft, and the companys fourth crewed mission beyond Earths atmosphere. But it will be the first to carry a full complement of space travelerstwo pilots and four mission specialists, Branson among them. Milestone and Publicity Although the mission is seen as a potential milestone in helping transform citizen rocket travel into a mainstream commercial venture, spaceflight remains an inherently hazardous endeavor. Jeff Bezos with a model of Blue Origins Blue Moon lunar lander in Washington (L) in 2019 and Richard Branson with Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo space tourism rocket in Mojave, Calif., in 2016. (Patrick Semansky, Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo) An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over Californias Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. If successful, Sundays flight will also give Branson bragging rights to besting rival Jeff Bezos and his space company, Blue Origin, in what has been popularized as a billionaire space race. Bezos, founder of online retail giant Amazon.com, is slated to fly aboard Blue Origins suborbital rocketship, the New Shepard, later this month. Bransons official job on his flight is to evaluate the private astronaut experience, and his observations will be used to enhance the journey for all future astronaut customers, according to Virgins press materials. But Marco Caceres, a senior space analyst for the Virginia-based consulting firm Teal Group, said the Branson and Bezos ride-alongs were each a bit of a publicity stunt. If they succeed, their ventures will be taken more seriously, Caceres said. Theres plenty of multimillionaires in the world that would like to go up on an adventure, so long as they see it as relatively safe. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, along with fellow billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musks SpaceX, are competing head-to-head in the emerging business of space tourism, though Musk has a big head start. In a Twitter exchange with Branson early on Saturday, Musk said that he would attend the launch to wish you the best. It was not immediately clear if Musk would be present at the launch site or join online. SpaceX, which plans to send its first all-civilian crew (without Musk) into orbit in September, has already launched numerous cargo payloads and astronauts to the International Space Station. Branson, 70, insists there is plenty of demand from wealthy would-be citizen astronauts to go around, and that he had no intention of trying to upstage Bezos. Not a Race Its honestly not a race, Branson told Reuters in an interview earlier this week. If its a race, its a race to produce wonderful spaceships that can make many more people be able to access space. And I think thats both of our aims. (L-R) Chief Pilot Dave Mackay, Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett, Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses, Founder of Virgin Galactic Richard Branson, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations Sirisha Bandla, and pilot Michael Masucci. (Virgin Galactic via AP) The spaceplanes two pilots, Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci, will control the ignition and shutoff of the ships rocket engine, and activate the vehicles feathered tail maneuver for re-entry. The three other mission specialists are Beth Moses, the companys chief astronaut instructor; Virgin Galactics lead operations engineer Colin Bennett; and Sirisha Bandla, a research operations and government affairs vice president. The Virgin brand, including Bransons airline and former record label, has long been associated with exploits of derring-do by its flamboyant founder. Branson set a new record for the fastest boat crossing of the Atlantic in 1986, a year after his initial attempt ended with a Royal Air Force helicopter rescue when his vessel capsized. In 1987 he made a record-breaking Atlantic crossing by hot-air balloon, though again he had to be rescued from the sea. He went on to break at least two other air-balloon speed records but failed to complete any of three bids to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. As for Sundays flight, Branson said this week that he is excited, and I really dont think theres anything there to be scared about. Assuming the mission goes well, Virgin has said it plans two further test flights of the spaceplane before beginning commercial service next year. The company has said it has received more than 600 flight reservations, priced at around $250,000 per ticket, but hopes eventually to slash the cost of each seat to $40,000. By Steve Gorman Specialists of the Russian Emergencies Ministry are seen at the crash site of a Russian An-26 passenger plane near the village of Palana in the north of the Kamchatka peninsula, Russia, on July 7, 2021. (Russia's Emergencies Ministry/Handout via Reuters) Bodies of All Plane Crash Victims Recovered in Russia MOSCOWRescuers have recovered the bodies of all 28 people who were on a plane that crashed in a remote area in Russias Far East this week, local officials said Friday. One of the planes black boxes was also recovered along with fragments of another. The Antonov An-26 crashed Tuesday near its destination in the Kamchatkatown region town of Palana, apparently as it came in for a landing in bad weather. The plane was en route from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana when it missed a scheduled communication and disappeared from radar. None of the six crew members or 22 passengers on board survived the crash. Wreckage was found Tuesday evening on a coastal cliffside and in the sea. The remote, hard-to-access crash site and the weather hindered the search and rescue operation, and rescuers had only found the remains of 19 victims as of Wednesday. The rest of the bodies were found Friday, along with one of the black boxes and fragments of the second one. It wasnt immediately clear whether the recovered box was the planes voice recorder or flight data recorder. In the aftermath of the crash, authorities in Kamchatka declared three days of mourning. Officials said that families of the victims will receive payments of more than 3.5 million rubles (about $47,200) that includes compensation from the airline, an insurance payment and a subsidy from the regional government. Police have opened an investigation and are looking at three possible causes of the crashweather, equipment malfunction or pilot error. In 2012, an Antonov An-28 plane belonging to Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise crashed into a mountain while flying the same route as Tuesdays flight. Ten of the 14 people on board were killed. Blood tests found alcohol in the systems of both pilots, who were among the dead, Russian news agency Tass reported. By Daria Litvinova A man walks by a Black Lives Matter mural showing Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey law enforcement officer in 1973, in Palo Alto, Calif., on July 8, 2020. (Dave Price/Palo Alto Daily Post via AP) California Police Officers Sue City for Permitting Black Lives Matter Mural A group of police officers is suing the city of Palo Alto, California, for allowing a Black Lives Matter mural to remain in place for months after it was painted on a city street in June 2020. City officials permitted and encouraged artists to create 16 different anti-police murals on city property that were placed together and spelled out Black Lives Matter, the officers said in the 12-page civil suit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The mural reportedly featured an image of Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, who was convicted in 1977 for the murder of a state trooper in New Jersey but escaped from prison and fled the United States. Chesimard is a wanted fugitive who is regarded highly by some racial activists. The mural also contained a logo attributed to the New Black Panthers, which is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against the whites, Jews, and law enforcement officers. The officers were forced to pass by the mural every time they reported to work, which amounted to a discriminatory and harassing work environment, the suit stated. Not only did the defendants allow the harassing and discriminatory iconography to exist in the workplace, but they also sanctioned, approved, encouraged, and paid for it. Officers raised concerns about the messaging in the mural to city and police officials but were told the mural would remain in place. That was a violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act, according to the suit. The mural was painted by different artists. In the letter E, Cece Carpio, who works at the San Francisco Arts Commission, painted the likeness of Chesimard. She said on Facebook last year in response to criticism for portraying Chesimard that the fugitive has always maintained her innocence and she was never going to get a fair trial. If were painting huge letters of Black Lives Matter on the streets, its important to know the history of the unjust treatment of Black Lives and Black Movements, she wrote. But the National Police Association, a nonprofit that supports law enforcement, called the painting reprehensible. For law enforcement required to enter the building, is there any description other than a hostile work environment? it said last year, calling on people to sign a petition asking for the murals removal. The Palo Alto Police Department and city officials didnt respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment about the lawsuit. In a statement to news outlets last year, a city spokeswoman said the mural is one aspect of a larger City dialogue taking place on race and equity and connects to the Citys thoughtful conversations on the role of policing. The mural is temporary, and the City has no plans to expedite the removal of the mural sooner than currently planned. In no way does the mural take away from the value we have in our police officers who serve our community every day. Temporary art is a means of expression on difficult issues and the Black Lives Matter mural is thought-provoking and is inspiring conversation, she said. The mural was removed in November 2020. Students sit behind barriers and use tablets during an English class at St. Anthony Catholic High School in Long Beach, Calif., on March 24, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) California to Require Masks for All Children in Schools, Despite CDC Guidance California will force children to wear masks in schools in the fall, despite federal guidance released last week that recommended against requiring face coverings for kids who are fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in-person instruction, said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly in a statement. At the outset of the new year, students should be able to walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out for being vaccinated or unvaccinatedtreating all kids the same will support a calm and supportive school environment. The state made the announcement hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in updated guidance, recommended that all schools fully reopen in the fall and advised against forcing children who get fully vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus to wear masks. Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated, the agency said. No COVID-19 vaccines are currently authorized in the United States for children younger than 12. The recommendations drew support and negative reactions. Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist at the University of CaliforniaIrvine, called the masking strategy sensible policy, at least unless and until we have new variants that evade the vaccine. Some said no kids, even the unvaccinated, should be made to wear masks. The focus should be children and their needs. No masks. Normal, normal ASAP, said Dr. Shvete Raju, a primary care doctor in Georgia. California officials said their masking policies stemmed from many schools being unable to accommodate distancing of at least three feet between people, another part of the CDC guidance. Given Californias science-based approach and the fact that the states school facilities cant accommodate physical distancing, we will align with the CDC by implementing multiple layers of mitigation strategies, including continued masking and robust testing capacity, Ghaly said. CDC guidance is typically not in the form of mandates but has been adopted by many states during the COVID-19 pandemic with few changes. The federal agency, which didnt include any citations in support of its masking recommendations, also didnt respond to an inquiry about studies that contributed to its masking guidance. Children are at much lower risk of contracting COVID-19 than adults are and, when they do, are at much lower risk of suffering severe cases of the disease, according to federal data and a score of studies (pdf). The World Health Organization also updated its recommendations on COVID-19 vaccinations last month, saying that children should not be vaccinated for the moment. Call for Sydneysiders to Be Truthful With Contact Tracers Amid 50 New Cases New South Wales (NSW) Chief Health Officer Dr. Kerry Chant has made an impassioned plea for people to be truthful with contact tracers after the premier said the vast majority of Sydneys 50 new CCP virus cases were being obstructive. We know that everyone is human and makes poor decisions at certain times, but please dont compound that initial mistake by not telling us the truth the first time, Chant said. At the moment, as were trying to get ahead of the spread of the virus, we havent got time to waste unpicking stories, going back and cross-checking and verifying. This comes as NSW Health recorded 50 new locally acquired CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. on Friday, most concerningly including 26 who were infectious in the community. The CCP virus is commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Thats the number we need to get down to as close to zero as possible, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklean told reporters on Saturday. The only conclusion we can draw is that things are going to get worse before they get better, she added. The number of new cases who were in the community for all or part of their infectious period prompted Berejiklian to again warn that the lockdown will likely be extended. She again appealed for Sydneysiders to stop bending the lockdown rules, citing at least two people who police caught holding illegal gatherings overnight. The vast majority of those (new) casesand I cant stress this enoughare close family or friends of people who have COVID, she said. She added, If you truly love your parents, your sisters, your best friends, please stick to the rules. Police handed out 167 fines or infringement notices to people over the past day, including 67 in south-western Sydney and about a dozen in the states north. The premier stressed that for the lockdown to be effective in a shorter timeframe that everyone had to work together to do the right thing and she encouraged people to hold one another accountable. Cutting corners, flouting the rules is going to prolong the lockdown, and thats the last thing any of us want to see, the premier said. This comes as the premier announced tough new restrictions on Friday, saying that a premature reopening of Greater Sydney would result in thousands of COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths. The new rules, limiting exercise to groups of two and banning browsing at shops, came into effect as the states health department on Friday issued more alerts for retail stores across Sydney. Among them are Woolworths stores in Mascot and Ashfield, Aldi stores in Hoxton Park, Quakers Hill and Ashfield, a Beacon Lighting shop in Bankstown, and KFC in Rockdale. Several places are listed as close contact exposure sites for periods of seven hours or longer. They include an Ikea at Tempe, where a staffer worked whilst infectious, and a construction site at Homebush. Seven furniture stores along the same road in Campbelltown have also been identified as venues of concern for visitors on Sunday afternoon. The new restrictions also permit only one person per household to leave the home for shopping each day, and limit funerals to 10 people. AAP contributed to this report. Calling Out Hollywoods China Problem; Can Rationality Return; Sowing Kindness (1:04) Movie industry executive Chris Fenton warns about Hollywoods relationship with communist China. He says wed better put American values ahead of rampant capitalism or it will be too late. (25:12) In America Q&A, we ask how aware people are of the Chinese Communist Partys influence over Hollywood films. (28:12) Guess what? The deep divide between left and right isnt new. Business world CEO turned historian, Seth David Radwell, explains how it all started and how we can fix it in his new book, American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation. (38:31) Do you believe in creatures from another planet? In our second America Q&A, we ask if it would change your outlook on life if you knew for sure wed been visited by extraterrestrial life. (42:04) Finally, we meet Rodney Smith Jr., a young man whose one spontaneous good deed sprouted into a movement that is inspiring thousands of kids to help neighbors in need. Be sure to watch all previous episodes of The Nation Speaks! Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, returns to B.C. Supreme Court after a break from her extradition hearing, in Vancouver, B.C., on March 31, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) Canadian Judge Denies New Evidence in Meng Extradition Case VANCOUVERA British Columbia Supreme Court judge will not allow new evidence to be admitted in the United States extradition case of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes said on July 9 that the application by Mengs lawyers to use the documents obtained from HSBC through a Hong Kong court is denied. Ms. Meng applied to induce evidence in the extradition hearing a number of documents she received from HSBC. My decision is that the application is denied, the HSBC documents will not be admitted, Holmes said. Her reasons for the decision will follow, she added. Lawyers for Meng told the judge in June that the documents include internal email chains and spreadsheets that undermine the allegations of fraud against Meng, proving the United States misled the court in its summary to Canada of the case against her. Mark Sandler and his colleague Scott Fenton, lawyers for Meng, argued that the record of the case prepared against their client by U.S. prosecutors, and shared with Canadian officials to justify her arrest, was not an accurate description of HSBCs knowledge about Huaweis control over the company Skycom. Meng is accused of lying to HSBC about Huaweis control of Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating American sanctions against Iran. Both she and Huawei deny the allegations against them. Lawyers for Canadas attorney general asked the judge to dismiss Mengs application to allow the new evidence, saying the argument is more appropriate for her fraud trial expected in the United States, not her extradition hearing in Canada. The judges decision is the latest in a series of applications and arguments by her lawyers introduced to prevent Meng from being extradited. Mengs original extradition hearing had been scheduled for last April but the judge granted her lawyers more time to review the documents from the Hong Kong court. The extradition case is now set to begin Aug. 3. Mengs arrest at Vancouvers airport in December 2018 at the request of the United States has created friction in relations between Canada and China. The arrests and detentions of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig shortly after Mengs arrest are widely seen as retaliation by the Chinese government. Meng remains out on bail, living in one of her two multimilliondollar homes in Vancouver with her husband and children. By Nick Wells A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is removed in Charlottesville, Va., on July 10, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Charlottesville Removes Confederate Robert E. Lee Statue A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was taken down in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, nearly four years after protests over plans to remove it led to clashes in which a woman was run down by a car and killed. Shortly after the removal of the Lee statue, a statue of Confederate General Thomas Stonewall Jackson was also removed from its base in another city park. Statues honoring leaders of the pro-slavery Confederate side in the American Civil War have become a focus of protests against racism in recent years. The college towns planned removal of the Lee statue in 2017 prompted a rally that turned deadly when a car driven into a crowd by a self-described neo-Nazi killed a counter-protester, 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Weeks later the Charlottesville city council unanimously ordered the Jackson statue to be removed. A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, is removed after years of a legal battle over the contentious monument, in Charlottesville, Va., on July 10, 2021. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Citizens including the Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans sued Charlottesville over the removal plans. In April, Virginias highest court ruled the city could remove both Confederate statues, overturning a state Circuit Court decision that had upheld the citizen lawsuit. Charlottesville will keep the statues in storage until it makes a final decision about what to do with them, officials said in a statement on Friday. The city installed protective fencing and designated no-parking zones around the parks in anticipation of Saturdays removals, the statement said. Asked whether the city was aware of any planned protests, city spokesman Brian Wheeler said, an indication of how we feel about this is, were inviting the public to join us in the park. We think a lot of our community members really want to be there to see this happen. By Julia Harte Police investigate the scene in which police opened fire during an arrest near 109 S Kilpatrick in West Garfield Park in Chicago, Ill., on July 9, 2021. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Chicago Police Shoot Suspect After Pointing Gun During Arrest Warrant Chicago police fatally shot a man wanted on two warrants after he pulled a gun and pointed it at law enforcement officers as they tried to take him into custody on Friday, authorities said. The police superintendent in the Illinois city, David O. Brown, said during a press briefing on Friday that one of the 33-year-old suspects warrants was for aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm. His second warrant was for escaping electronic monitoring after he cut off his ankle bracelet, Brown said. The warrant was served by multiple agencies that included Chicago police, U.S. marshals on a fugitive task force, and Cook County Sheriffs deputies, who located the suspect, who was not cooperating, in a vehicle in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The shooting occurred about 9:40 a.m. after the man refused to get out of his vehicle and pulled a gun as officers moved closer to him. The offender produced a firearm and pointed it at officers. According to preliminary reports, three CPD officers and one U.S. marshall discharged their weapons striking the offender, Brown said. Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown briefs and answers questions from the media regarding the recent police shooting in West Garfield Park on July 9, 2021. (Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times via AP) No officers were wounded, but the four who fired shots were taken to a hospital for evaluation, Brown said. It wasnt immediately clear if the suspect fired any shots. The citys Civilian Office of Police Accountability said officers turned on their body cameras during the shooting. The video will be released within 60 days. Its a very dangerous time to be in law enforcement, Brown. These officers face death day in and day out to protect the people of Chicago. There is no regard for law enforcements presence. Investigators said the suspect was wanted on 15 counts of aggravated sexual assault with a firearm, as well as the electronic monitoring violation. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News Colonial Pipeline Co. faces a $200,000 a day fine if it fails to improve monitoring of its U.S. pipeline system after a massive gasoline leak in Huntersville, North Carolina. (John Spink/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS) Colonial Pipeline Faces Enormous Fine After Huge NC Gasoline Leak, Federal Officials Say By Joe Marusak From The Charlotte Observer RALEIGH, N.C.Colonial Pipeline Co. faces a $200,000 a day fine if it fails to improve the way it detects leaks in its U.S. pipeline system, after a massive gasoline leak in Huntersville, according to a recent settlement in the case with the U.S. government. The agreement orders Colonial to find and use a better leak detection system across its entire network, citing several newly disclosed leaks over the years. Colonial, meanwhile, faces separate potential action by the state Department of Environmental Quality for the August 2020 leak in Mecklenburg Countys Oehler Nature Preserve, state Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Huntersville, told The Charlotte Observer. Two teenage ATV riders chanced upon and reported the Huntersville leak in August. The spill was among the worst in the state, Michael Regan, then-NCDEQ secretary, said in September. Regan now heads the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company eventually reported that almost 18 times more gasoline leaked from its pipe than its original estimate, according to the June 15 settlement with the U.S. Department of Transportations Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). An administration spokesman wouldnt say why the agency didnt issue a fine for the spill as part the settlement. In an email, he instead pointed the Observer to the potential $200,000-a-day fine in the agreement. But the leak in Mecklenburgs Oehler Nature Preserve was just the latest of several large spills in Colonials pipeline system, the settlement revealed. Colonial has experienced several other accidents that were not detected by its leak detection system or by Colonial personnel., federal officials wrote. Leaks included 309,540 gallons of gasoline near Pelham, Alabama, in September 2016; 588 gallons in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in February 2016; and 4,000 gallons in Centreville, Virginia, in September 2015, according to the settlement. The company has until Oct. 15 to show how and by when it will improve its leak detection process, according to the settlement with PHMSA. In a statement emailed to The Charlotte Observer on Thursday, a Colonial Pipeline spokesperson said: In accordance with our safety management practices, Colonial Pipeline began to implement learnings from the Huntersville incident almost immediately after it occurred. The consent agreement outlines a number of steps that Colonial has agreed to undertake and we appreciate the opportunity to settle this matter following consultation with PHMSA. Colonial Pipeline Co. crews have recovered at least 1.2 million gallons of gasoline and continue to determine how much more may be in the ground, according to a July 1 update posted on the companys website. In September, NCDEQ ordered the company to restore groundwater quality to state standards and submit detailed monthly reports on everything from the results of soil, surface water and well water sampling to its excavation and disposal of contaminated soil. Colonial said weekly tests continue of water supply wells for homes within a 1,500-foot radius of the leak. No petroleum constituents have been detected in water supply well samples. Environmental monitoring, including air quality and noise, continues, the company said. Colonial remains committed to protecting human health and the environment and we will be here for as long as it takes to recover product and safely remediate this area. Marcus, the state senator who represents the Huntersville area, said she expects the company, at some point, to separately face a stiff financial penalty from North Carolina environmental regulators. The state was not involved in the June 15 settlement, Marcus said in an email to the Observer. The federal settlement will not impact DEQs decision about the appropriate amount of penalties, she said, referring to the state Department of Environmental Quality. That decision will be made when all of the relevant facts are known, such as how long the pipe was leaking, why it was leaking, why Colonial did not detect the leak, and how much gasoline leaked into the soil and water in Huntersville. A state DEQ spokeswoman couldnt be reached on Friday for an update on the state inquiry into the spill. We know its more than 1.2 million gallons, but do not yet have an estimate of how many gallons are in the newly discovered deeper pocket, Marcus said. When all the facts are known, Im confident that NCDEQ will assess significant penalties as are appropriate given the stunning size of the leak and the disruption it has caused for residents. 2021 The News & Observer. Visit at newsobserver.com. Distributed at Tribune Content Agency, LLC. How to Read the Constitution: A Lively Lesson on Americas Most Famous Document We all know of the historical significance of the U.S. Constitution, but have you actually read it? The language of Americas most famous document may seem a bit out of date in the 21st Century, but what about its content? How does it relate to our lives today? The Fourth of July and the Declaration of Independence these go hand in hand with the U.S. Constitution. But some say the Constitution is out of touch with our times, while others say it is what makes America America, and what should protect America. So to get our Constitutional facts straight, Kay Rubacek, host of NTDs Life & Times program, took a lesson from Paul Skousen, a former CIA intelligence officer, journalist, author, and instructor on the U.S. Constitution. A still photo of NTD host, Life and Times, Kay Rubacek sitting with Paul Skousen , former CIA intelligence officer, journalist, author and instructor on the U.S. Constitution (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, What is the difference between a Republic and a Democracy? Paul gives Kay a reminder on the significance of the distinction. (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, We may be afraid to fail, but the Founding Fathers of America believed that we needed that ability to be able to grow strong individually, in our family units, and as a nation. (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, Paul describes how as a CIA intelligence officer under President Ronald Regan, he interacted with defectors from countries without freedom and why so many of them couldnt handle American freedom. (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD,Who does the Constitution really represent? How does the Constitution handle the needs of minority and majority groups in the United States? (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, How is the Constitution relevant to our modern world? How could the Founding Fathers of America have the foresight to create something that would not go out of date? (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, The Constitution uses the term Natural Law, but what does that mean? How did the Founding Fathers use it and can it relate to Americans today? (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, Is anything really perfect? There must be some flaws or weaknesses in the U.S. Constitution. Paul gives examples of key areas of where some of the Founding Fathers saw potential weakness and how it has been taken advantage of in modern times. (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, Paul describes how he teaches his students to read the Constitution so that they are able to then question it. As people begin to understand it, their questions become informed and they are able to see the brilliance behind the document and its content. (Sunny Yang/NTD) Screen image from a video released by NTD, Where is the American culture of freedom and Liberty today? (Sunny Yang/NTD) In a still image from a video released by NTD, Life and Times Host Kay Rubacek, takes a lesson from Pauls book, How to Read the Constitution, and finds that its not so difficult after all. (Oliver Trey/NTD) The crowd reacts near the Petionville Police station where armed men, accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being detained in Port au Prince on July 8, 2021. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images) Crowd of About 1,000 Haitians Outside US Embassy In a sign of mounting fear and desperation in Haiti, a large crowd gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince Friday. An estimated 1,000 people flocked to the grounds around the building, following unsubstantiated rumors on radio and social media that the United States will be handing out humanitarian visas. Wednesdays assassination of President Jovenel Moises has turned what was already a country in turmoil into a nation running scared. Many shops as well as some government offices remain closed despite Prime Minster Claude Josephs call on Thursday to remain calm and get back to business. The bold attack in the middle of the night at the presidents residence that cost Moise his life and critically injured the first lady is the latest expression of the insecurity felt by the Haitian people. Weeks before the assassination, authorities estimated that 60 percent of the country is subjected to gang violence that includes rape, killings, and kidnappings. Armed with high-caliber weapons, gang members roam the streets of the capital with impunity. Several sections of Port-au-Prince are so dangerous that not even the police dare enter. More than 14,000 people have left their homes in search of safety, many ending up in shelters. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of United Kingdom and his wife, Carrie Johnson react prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Semifinal match between England and Denmark at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, 2021. (Frank Augstein/Pool/Getty Images) Downing Street Defends Johnson Over Maskless Car Ride Downing Street has defended Boris Johnson after he was seen leaving Englands Euro 2020 semifinal in his official car without wearing a face covering. A No 10 spokesman confirmed that ministers were supposed to wear a mask while travelling in their Government cars. However, the spokesman insisted the Prime Minister had put his mask on shortly after he got in the vehicle. Mr Johnson had been at Wembley with his wife, Carrie, to cheer on England in their 21 victory over Denmark on Wednesday evening. Photographs of their departure in Mr Johnsons ministerial Range Rover showed that while Mrs Johnson, his driver and his security detail were all masked, the Prime Ministers face was uncovered. The spokesman said: He was getting into the car and, in line with the guidance, put his mask on very shortly afterwards. Asked if ministers were supposed to wear masks in their official vehicles, the spokesman said: That is the guidance, yes. By Gavin Cordon Faith and Freedom: One Shen Yun Dancers Escape From China A young man's family was torn apart by the Chinese communist regime because of their spiritual beliefs Zhao Jihengs life turned upside down when he was just 8 years old. One day, I came home, and my parents had disappeared, Zhao said. His parents, like tens of millions of others in China, had been targeted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because of their religious faith. Overnight, the estimated 70 million to 100 million adherents of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, would go from being known to the general public as kind people who practiced meditation and followed truthfulness, compassion, tolerance to being branded enemies of the state in 1999. Zhaos father would be subjected to torture and then spend the next several years on the run, and his mother would be illegally arrested and detained for varying lengths of time, randomly and frequently. This meant Zhao could come home from school one day and find the door locked, only then realizing that the police had taken his mother again. Home life had been upended; Zhao stayed with his disabled grandmother at times and also, at other times, with any relative who could take him in. The 8-year-old Zhao would ask, Why is my mother gone? Why is my father gone? They didnt tell me because I was so young and couldnt understand, Zhao said. But slowly, I began to understand. It was because they stood up for the truth and dared to say Falun Dafa is good that they were targeted by the state. Those who are unfamiliar with communist societies find Zhaos story incomprehensible and shockingthat a nations supposed government could turn an entire people against a particular group of good citizens at the drop of a hat. As society started to repeat the CCPs slander about Falun Dafa, Zhao started to face bullying and abuse in school, and the police began ransacking his house. The times when his mother was home, police would try to manipulate him into telling her that she was being cruel to him by not giving up her faith so that he could have an easier life. The CCP utilized the entire state apparatus toward its goal of ruining the reputations, lives, and livelihoods of these spiritual believers, thinking it could eradicate a belief system within just a couple of years. But the truth and the kindness of the human heart has prevailed. 2nd Chance at Life You wouldnt know it today, but Zhao was a very sickly young boy. He was frequently ill, and he had a recurring condition of random seizures and blackouts that resulted in emergency room visits. At the hospital, confounded doctors suggested a lobotomy. When modern medicine failed to provide answers, Zhaos mother turned to physicians of traditional Chinese medicine, who proved equally stymied. Zhaos miraculous turn toward health was one of his first encounters with Falun Dafa. The spiritual practice includes five meditative exercises in addition to adhering to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, tolerance, and when it was introduced to the Chinese public in the early 1990s, it caught on like wildfire. There were mental, spiritual, and physical health benefits, and Zhao was one of many who reported that the illnesses that long plagued him all but disappeared. It certainly hadnt been an easy life back when he knew that he could black out and hit his head on the ground at any moment. With sincerity, Zhao said, Falun Dafa gave me a second chance at life. When his parents took up the spiritual practice, he did too, because the three principles of Falun Dafa made it clear to him that this was teaching people how to be good and kind. It made the sudden persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners all the more confusing and heartbreaking for Zhao. Its not uncommon for people in China to know someone who practiced Falun Dafa and was killed by the CCP for it, he added. Eleven of his mothers friends have died. The CCP is an atheistic regime, and its motto is to struggle against heaven, struggle against the earth, and struggle against your fellow man, Zhao explained. From its beginning, the CCP has tried to root out religion and spiritual belief. It wants people to be materialistic and only self-interested. As a result, its made the morality of modern China very bad, he said. Because of their faith, Zhaos family members were blacklisted and werent able to obtain passports. But in 2007, when he was 16, an opportunity to leave the country arose. His family followed a group of other people trying to get out of China and make their way into Thailand, seeking their chance at freedom. I knew it would be dangerous, but I dont think I could have imagined what the experience would be like, Zhao said. In the dead of night, dozens of people packed into the back of a truck, lying flat under cargo, and would be dropped off in the middle of nowhere to wait for who knows how long for the next vehicle to pick them up. He should have been scared, Zhao acknowledged in retrospect, but he felt, somehow, that he was being protected by God. Even when he was waiting in the dark out in the wilderness, not knowing whether the next person he met would be the police or the smugglers, or if the next leg of the journey would proceed at all, he thought the risk was worth it. Life without the freedom to practice your faith is not life at all, he said. The hours passed, and the journey continued. Zhaos family and several others made it across the border and then into Thailand, ready to begin life anew. The 2020 banner for Shen Yun Performing Arts. (Courtesy of Shen Yun Performing Arts) A Mission In Thailand, Zhao would regularly go to the tourist attractions with fliers containing information about Falun Dafa, and tell visiting mainland Chinese the truth about the persecution taking place. He wanted them to know Falun Dafa is good, Zhao said, and every person who showed a spark of understanding gave him more hope. It was in Thailand that Zhao had his first encounter with Shen Yun Performing Arts, the worlds premiere classical Chinese dance company, through a special New Years program of classical Chinese dance. There, he saw a storytelling dance about modern China. Imagine the emotions Zhao felt when he saw a tale that could have been his own played out onstage. In the story of a family who believed in truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and were torn apart by the CCP, the child was left without parents. Zhao wasnt shocked at the similaritieshe knew that the cruelty of the communist regime extended to families across Chinabut he was deeply moved that others were using art to tell the world the truth about this brutal persecution. To be part of this effort became Zhaos goal. Based in New York, Shen Yun is filled with artists whose stories are similar to Zhaos. Many of them left China and made their way to America, pursuing the freedom to practice their faith and express their beliefs in life and art. And contrary to what one might expect, Shen Yuns mission is not political. It is one of restoring traditional culture. The principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance guide the artists, and the dances and stories on the stage show Chinas authentic culture, from back when the civilization was believed to be divinely inspired and society centered around the idea of harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind. It was a culture with a saying that there are gods three feet above ones head, Zhao said, meaning that the heavens are always watching, and thus people strove toward a high moral standard. From the music, to the style of dance and movements, to even the backdrops, the color coordination, the costumesthe production is rooted in traditional cultures aesthetics, Zhao said. We present something bright and filled with hope. Traditional culture fosters a compassionate heart, and I believe these arts rooted in traditional culture do the same, he said. And this is also good for society. Today, Zhao is one of the dancers in Shen Yuns seven touring companies, and he gets to perform all around the world, except in China, where Shen Yun and Falun Dafa are still banned. He has even played a part in one of the storytelling dances that touches on the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in Chinabut not in a role resembling his own life. Actually, I played one of the bad police officers, Zhao said lightly. The ones in Shen Yun portrayals are stock antagonists, he explained, and not nearly as evil as those he encountered in real life. By the time the role came around, he had long stopped harboring any ill will toward them. He talked about being able to help the female dancer portray a young girl who would lose a parent to the brutal persecution, sharing his own experience in hopes of contributing to the team. There was a time when he did hate the police and CCP agents who tore his family apart, Zhao said. But the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and his encounter with Shen Yun turned that hate into something else, something beyond forgiveness. Zhao said he realized that these policemen who tried to pit him and his mother against each other, who ransacked his home and stole the money he carefully saved, and who harassed the family on holidays were themselves deceived. Theyd been drowned in CCP propaganda and were just following orders, not knowing the truth of their situation. Zhao hopes deeply that these people can still encounter the truth. And if he could, he would invite them to see Shen Yun. Everyone has a good side in their hearts, which is just covered up by the evil CCP. When they understand the truth, I think they will wake up. They will not choose to do this kind of thing [the CCPs bidding], Zhao said. Audiences leave our performances with joy and an uplifted heart, because this divinely inspired culture shows something upright and full of beauty. NTD contributed to this report. The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org The late president of Haiti Jovenel Moise (R) arrives with the first lady Martine Moise (L) for the official ceremony of Haiti's 10th earthquake anniversary in Port-au-Prince, on Jan. 12, 2020. (Photo by Chandan Khann/AFP) First Statement by Haitis First Lady After Attack The hospitalized wife of Haitis assassinated President Jovenel Moise has given her first public statement since being wounded in the attack that killed him, accusing enemies of wanting to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology. Martine Moise issued the recorded statement in Creole from the Miami hospital where she was being treated for wounds suffered in the attack early Wednesday, and she also posted a version on her Twitter account Saturday. Im alive, thanks to God, she said in the recording, which also played on local radio stations. But I love my husband Jovenel. We fought together for more than 25 years. During all these years, love radiated within the home. But suddenly, the mercenaries came and pelted my husband with bullets. You have to be a notorious criminal without guts to assassinate a president like Jovenel Moise with impunity without giving him the chance to speak, she added. You knew who the president was fighting against. These people hired mercenaries to kill the president and his family because of the projects of roads, electricity, drinking water supply, organization of the referendum and elections The mercenaries who assassinated the president are currently behind bars, she added, but other mercenaries currently want to kill his dream, his vision, his ideology. Police say they have arrested more than a dozen peoplemost of them retired Colombian soldiersand are searching for more, but it remained unclear who had hired the team that attacked the presidents house, or why. School shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz sits in the Broward County courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 8, 2018. (Taimy Alvarez/Pool/File/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Florida High School Shooting Defendant Wants Hearings Closed FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.Attorneys for the man accused of killing 17 people at a Florida high school in 2018 want a judge to close all future hearings to the media and the public to ensure a fair trial. A motion filed Thursday by lawyers for Nikolas Cruz says news coverage of pretrial hearings could instill bias among prospective jurors in the death penalty case. For example, they say, the hearings could discuss evidence later found inadmissible at Cruzs trial. Hearings for Cruz, 22, have drawn extensive news coverage since his arrest in the Valentines Day 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In addition to the 17 fatal shootings of students and staff, 17 other people were wounded. Parkland school suspect Nikolas Cruz listens during a hearing at the Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 5, 2019. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Students mourn during a community prayer vigil for victims of the previous days shooting at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, at Parkridge Church in Pompano Beach, Fla., on Feb. 15, 2018. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters) Closure is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice, wrote Broward County Public Defender Gordon Weekes and other defense lawyers in a motion. Public disclosure of inadmissible evidence is detrimental to the truth-seeking function of a criminal trial, they added. The Broward state attorneys office will oppose the defense effort to close the pretrial hearings, spokeswoman Paula McMahon said in an email Friday. She said prosecutors will respond in their own court filing. The next status hearing is set for Tuesday. Cruz has pleaded not guilty, but his lawyers say he would change his plea to guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence. Prosecutors have rejected that offer. No trial date has been set. The U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Dec. 29, 2020. (Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images) Former Senate Aide Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography Case A man who recently worked for the Senate Republican Conference pleaded guilty on Friday to receiving child pornography. Ruben Verastigui, 27, entered a guilty plea during a virtual hearing on Friday before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. Verastigui was part of a ring that was trading child porn on a website that has not been named publicly. Homeland Security Investigations agents recovered chat messages from the group after obtaining, through search warrants, electronic devices used by some of the members. The seized devices shows Verastigui shared child porn videos with another member of the group and made numerous comments about sexually abusing children, according to a court document crafted by prosecutors and signed by the defendant. After agents executed a warrant on his Washington home on Feb. 5, Verastigui admitted to being a member dubbed Landon who used the username @somethingtaken. He also acknowledged using the Internet to view, receive, and distribute child porn, according to an affidavit filed earlier this year. A forensic examination of Verastiguis phone showed 162 videos and over 50 images of child porn. He received many of the files between April 13, 2020, and Feb. 5. The plea agreement saw another charge, possession of child porn, dropped. Verastigui, who was arrested on Feb. 5 and remains in custody after being ordered held without bond, faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Verastigui will be sentenced on October 12. A final pre-sentencing report shall be due on or before September 28. Verastigui worked for the Senate Republican Conference for over a year starting in March 2019, according to his LinkedIn. In recent years, he also spent time working for the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee and the Republican National Committee. The probe into the child porn ring has ensnared at least one other political staffer. Adam Hageman, who worked for the Commerce Department during the Trump administration, was arrested late last year on receiving and possessing child porn charges. Details in the criminal complaint against Hageman match those in the documents in the Verastigui case, including the ring having 18 members and the website in question being referred to as Application A. Hageman, who was ordered held without bond, was set to have a plea agreement hearing on April 9, but court records do not indicate if that hearing took place. Gunmen Kill at Least 45 People in Northwest Nigerian Town MAIDUGURI, NigeriaMilitants killed at least 45 people in an attack on the town of Faru in northwest Nigeria, residents and a hospital worker said on Friday. The armed bandits stormed Faru town on more than 100 motorbikes, shooting sporadically on the people at about twelve noon yesterday, said Abubakar Iliyasu, a resident who witnessed the attack. Another resident, Musa Dan Auta, also said the gunmen killed 45 people, while a local hospital worker who declined to be named for fear of official retaliation said corpses were brought in. Yesterday evening, security forces and the local militia vigilantes brought 29 dead bodies and 11 other injured people into the hospital, the worker said. Raids, killings, and mass kidnappings for ransom, particularly of school children, have become commonplace in northwest Nigeria. The rampant violence has sparked concerns that the region is fallow ground for extremist groups to move in and take advantage of the absence of governance to foment insurgency. Nigeria is already fighting a 12-year battle with terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISISs West African branch, a war that shows little sign of ending. A crowd surrounds the Petionville Police station where armed men, accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being held in Port au Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images) Haiti Seeks Help From US, UN Forces After Presidents Assassination BOGOTA/PORT-AU-PRINCEHaiti has requested U.S. and U.N. security forces to help it protect key infrastructure like the airport and ports after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by foreign mercenaries, a government minister said on Friday. The assassination of Moise by a squad of gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday morning at his home in Port-au-Prince pitched Haiti deeper into a political crisis which may worsen growing hunger, gang violence and a COVID-19 outbreak. President Jovenel Moise sits at the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince, Oct. 22, 2019. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images) Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said a request for U.S. security assistance was raised in a conversation between Haitis interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. Haiti also made a request for forces to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Pierre said. We were in a situation where we believed that infrastructure of the countrythe port, airport and energy infrastructuremight be a target, the minister told Reuters. Another aim of the request for security reinforcements would be to make it possible to go ahead with the scheduled presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 26, Pierre said. Haitis interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph addresses the audience after suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, were shown to the media, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti July 8, 2021. (Estailove St-Val/Reuters) A letter from Josephs office to the U.N. offices in Haiti, dated July 7 and reviewed by Reuters, requested the dispatch of troops to support the national police in reestablishing security and protecting key infrastructure across the country following Moises assassination. A similar letter, also dated July 7 and seen by Reuters, was sent to the U.S. embassy. The 15-member U.N. Security Council would need to authorize a deployment of U.N. peacekeepers or police to Haiti. The United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. Asked about the request, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the Haitian government had requested security and investigative assistance and said it would remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist. The United States and Colombia had already said they would send law enforcement and intelligence officials to assist Haiti after a number of their nationals were arrested for Moises murder. Police in Haiti said the assassination was carried out by a commando unit of 26 Colombian and 2 Haitian-American mercenaries. The two Haitian Americans were identified as James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, both from Florida. Suspects in the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise are presented to the media by Hatian authorities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Seventeen of the men were capturedincluding Solages and Vincentafter a gun battle with Haitian authorities in Petionville, a hillside suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince where Moise resided. Three others were killed and eight remain at large, according to Haitian police. Authorities are hunting for the masterminds of the operation, they said. A judge investigating the case told Reuters that Moise was found lying on his back on the floor of his bedroom. The front door of the residence had been forced open, while other rooms were ransacked. His body was riddled with bullets, Petionville tribunal judge Carl Henry Destin said. There was a lot of blood around the corpse and on the staircase. Commando Unit The United States on Thursday pledged to send senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Haiti as soon as possible to assess the situation and see how best they can assist, the White House said. A State Department spokesperson said: We are aware of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and are monitoring the situation closely. The head of Colombias national intelligence directorate and the intelligence director for the national police will also travel to Haiti with Interpol to help with investigations, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday. Haitian officials have not given a motive for Moises killing or explained how the assassins got past his security detail. He had faced mass protests against his rule since taking office in 2017first over corruption allegations and his management of the economy, then over his increasing grip on power. Moise himself had talked of dark forces at play behind the unrest: fellow politicians and corrupt oligarchs who felt his attempts to clean up government contracts and to reform Haitian politics were against their interests. Investigators in Colombia discovered that 17 of the suspects had retired from Colombias army between 2018 and 2020, armed forces commander General Luis Fernando Navarro told journalists on Friday. Jorge Luis Vargas, director of Colombias national police, said initial investigations had shown that 11 Colombian suspects had traveled to Haiti via the resort city of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Two others traveled via air to Panama, before flying to Dominican capital Santo Domingo and then Port-au-Prince, Vargas said. Confusion Over Political Control In Haiti, the government declared a 15-day state of emergency on Wednesday to help authorities apprehend the killers but has since urged businesses to open up again. Stores, gas stations and commercial banks re-opened on Friday. The streets were quiet, although some supermarkets bustled with people stocking up amid the uncertainty. Police patrol the streets the day after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise near the National Palace in Port au Prince on July 8, 2021. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images) Moises killing has sparked confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, the poorest in the Americas. The assassination has provoked a political and institutional vacuum at the highest level of state, said Haitian opposition politician Andre Michel. There is no constitutional provision for this exceptional situation. The 1987 constitution stipulates the head of the Supreme Court should take over. But there is no one currently in that role. Nor is there a sitting parliament, following the postponement of elections in 2019. Just this week, Moise had appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from Joseph, although he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed. Joseph has appeared to take charge of the situation, but Henrywho is viewed more favorably by the oppositiontold Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister. By Luis Jaime Acosta and Andre Paultre Police search the Morne Calvaire district of Petion Ville for suspects who remain at large in the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 9, 2021. (Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo) Wife of Suspect in Assassination of Haitis President Says Husband Was Recruited BOGOTA, ColombiaThe wife of a former Colombian soldier arrested in Haiti in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise says her husband was recruited by a security firm to travel to the Dominican Republic last month. The woman told Colombias W Radio on Friday that her husband, Francisco Uribe, was hired for $2,700 a month by a company named CTU to travel to the Dominican Republic, where he was told he would be providing protection to some powerful families. She says she last spoke to her husband Wednesday at 10 p.m.almost 24 hours after the raid on the presidents homeand said he was on guard duty at a house where he and others were staying. The next day he wrote me a message that sounded like a farewell, the woman, who identified herself only as Yuli. They were running, they had been attacked. That was the last contact I had. The woman said she knew little about her husbands activities and was unaware he had even traveled to Haiti, where Colombians need a visa to enter. Another arrested Colombian suspect, Manuel Antonio Grosso, last month posted on Facebook snapshots of himself visiting tourist spots in the Dominican capital, including the presidential palace. Uribe has been under investigation for his alleged role in a spate of extrajudicial killings carried out by Colombias U.S.-trained army more than a decade ago. Colombian court records show that he and another soldier were accused of killing a civilian in 2008 who they later tried to present as a criminal killed in combat. The director of Colombias police, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, says that four companies had been involved in recruiting and gathering suspects implicated in the assassination of Moise, though he did not release the companies names, saying they were being verified. He said Friday that the Colombian suspectsseveral of whom were earlier identified as military veteranstraveled to the Caribbean nation in two groups by way of the Dominican Republic. Vargas said Duberney Capador Giraldo and Alejandro Rivera Garcia travelled from Colombia to Panama on May 6 and then to Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital. He said they then went to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on May. 10. A second group of 11 Colombians followed later. Police released a document indicating they had travelled on June 4 from Bogota to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and two days later crossed into Haiti. It was not yet clear who had sponsored the mens recruitment. Guests pose for photographers during the unveiling ceremony for Olympic Flame of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay at empty Komazawa Olympic Park, in Tokyo, Japan, on July 9, 2021. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo) Hashimoto: Tokyo Paralympics Could Still See Some Fans TOKYOTokyo Olympic organizers are holding out hope that the Paralympic Games might allow some fans. Organizers and the International Olympic Committee on Thursday banned all fans from Olympic venues in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures because of surging COVID-19 cases. A smattering of Olympic venues in outlying areas of Japan will allow some fans. Fans from abroad were banned several months ago as too risky. Organizing committee President Seiko Hashimoto, speaking at a Friday briefing, said a decision on Paralympic fans would be made after the Olympics close on Aug. 8. The Paralympics open on Aug. 24 and will involve 4,400 athletes. The Olympics involve 11,000. A state of emergency imposed by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga goes into effect on Monday and ends on Aug. 22. After the Olympics Games closeas soon as possiblewe would like to make a decision, Hashimoto said. Because if its postponed any further it will impact the preparations for the Paralympics. Japans Kyodo news agency said Friday that a Lithuanian swimmer, who tested negative upon arrival in Tokyo on Wednesday, tested positive after traveling to a pre-Olympic training camp at Hiratsuka near Tokyo. Kyodo cited Hiratsuka city officials. The city said the swimmer trained Friday before receiving the positive result. Authorities were trying to trace his movements in the camp. Tokyo reported 822 new COVID infections on Friday. It was the 20th straight day that the number was higher than seven days previously. New infections on July 2 was 660. Japans prime ministers office said Friday that 16.8 percent of Japanese have been fully vaccinated. The Olympic flame arrived on Friday in Tokyo and was unveiled at the Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium. It will not circulate around the city. The torch relay, which began in March in northeastern Japan, has been pulled from all streets in Tokyo leading up to the opening ceremony on July 23. The relay will take place on a few Tokyo islands off the coast of the mainland. Search-and-rescue efforts resume the day after the managed demolition of the remaining part of Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Fla., on July 5, 2021. (Marco Bello/Reuters) Heartbreaking: Death Toll in Florida Condo Collapse Now 79 SURFSIDE, Fla.The death toll in the collapse of a Miami-area condo building rose to 79 on Friday, a number the mayor called heartbreaking as recovery workers toiled for a 16th day to find victims in the rubble. Another 61 people remain unaccounted for. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the work to recover victims was moving forward with great urgency in order to bring closure to the families of victims who have spent an agonizing two weeks waiting for news. This is a staggering and heartbreaking number that affects all of us very deeply, Levine Cava said of the latest death toll. All those who have passed are leaving behind loved ones. Theyre leaving behind devastated families. The magnitude of this tragedy is growing each and every day, she said. Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, prays along with other officials in from of the rubble that once was Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, on July 7, 2021. (Jose A Iglesias/Pool/Getty Images) Rescue workers and emergency support teams from Florida and several other states have labored in 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day at the site of the devastated beachfront condominium in Surfsidephysically and emotionally taxing work performed amid oppressive heat and in dangerous conditions. We know that there will be long-term impacts for the teams on the front line, Levine Cava said. They have given so much of themselves in these first two weeks. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said taking care of the mental health and well-being of the first responders is a priority. He said it is critical that the first responders communicate with each other. Its important for us to talk, he said. To that end, Levine Cava said officials have added peer support personnel at the fire stations. No one has been found alive since the first hours after a large section of the 12-story Champlain Towers South came crashing down on June 24. Momentos and flowers are seen displayed at the Surfside Wall of Hope Memorial on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP) Hope of finding survivors was briefly rekindled after workers demolished the remainder of the building Sunday night, allowing access to new areas of debris. Some voids where survivors could have been trapped did exist, mostly in the basement and the parking garage, but no one was found alive. Instead, teams recovered more than a dozen additional victims. On Wednesday, workers shifted their mission from search and rescue to recovery after concluding that there was no chance of life in the rubble. Levine Cava said the high death toll is an aching hole in the center of this close-knit family here in Surfside. She said that with 61 people still listed as missing, detectives are continuing to audit the list to verify that all of those people were actually inside the building when it collapsed. We want to get this right, she said. Search-and-rescue personnel work on the debris of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Fla., on July 5, 2021. (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department/Handout via Reuters) Miami-Dade Fire Chef Alan Cominsky said it is unclear how the long the recovery effort will take, but said crews are making progress. On Thursday, Paraguays foreign minister said in a radio report that the body of the sister of that countrys first lady was among those found. Several Latin American citizens were reported in the building when it collapsed. Rescue workers now focused on finding remains instead of survivors have pledged to keep up their search for victims until they clear all the debris at the site. State and local officials have pledged financial assistance to families of the victims, as well as to residents of the building who survived but lost all their possessions. On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order indefinitely suspending laws that would require the payment of property taxes for residents whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable in the collapse. The order also requests that the state legislature explore additional acts that may be needed to alleviate their property tax obligations. Meanwhile, authorities are launching a grand jury investigation into the collapse. And at least six lawsuits have been filed by families. By Bobby Caina Calvan House Republicans Call for Comprehensive Audit of Pandemic-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud Thirty House members, all Republicans, asked the Labor Department acting inspector general to do an official audit of unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is past time we learned how much of American taxpayers dollars have actually been given to fraudulent claims, the lawmakers wrote in a letter (pdf) to Acting Inspector General Larry Turner on July 8. We therefore urge that United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General conduct an official audit to determine to what extent did fraud occur in COVID-related unemployment assistance programs. Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), and 25 other House Republicans coauthored the letter. The Republicans said that fraudulent activities are still running rampant across the country in unemployment insurance programs, citing a report from Turners office and a media report. In the report (pdf) issued on May 28, the Labor Department Office of Inspector General said that the department and states were struggling to implement three pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs including the $600 supplemental unemployment payment. As a result, unemployed individuals cant get timely payments. Meanwhile, states also have a hard time detecting improper payments and recovering overpayments. Twenty states didnt perform certain required improper payment detection measures and 19 states didnt perform required overpayment recovery activities, the report stated. Around $5.4 billion in unemployment insurance benefits was likely paid to potentially fraudulent individuals between March 2020 and October 2020, the Labor Department said in an alert memorandum (pdf) back in February 2021. Blake Hall, CEO of ID.me, told Axios that about $400 billion, as much as 50 percent of all unemployment payments, might have been stolen. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) told The Epoch Times that they cant provide any further information beyond the public information on their website. As a matter of policy, the DOL-OIG does not confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on the existence or non-existence of any audits or investigations beyond what is published on our website, the spokesperson said. The public information on the DOL-OIG website doesnt show an active comprehensive audit as sought by the lawmakers is ongoing. Many unemployment insurance fraud cases have been charged by U.S. attorneys during the pandemic, according to information released by the Justice Department (DOJ). Antwine Demon Hunter, 24, from Las Vegas pleaded guilty to filing two dozen fraudulent unemployment insurance claims for over $250,000 on Wednesday. Several days earlier, a male from Massachusetts, 68-year-old Alan Neal Scott, pleaded guilty in a case connected to pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud. Scott submitted these [fraudulent] claims using his own identity as well as the identities of various individuals, including some who were not eligible for unemployment benefits as they were incarcerated at the time and could not have been employed as reported, the DOJ said in a press release. The DOJ lists unemployment insurance fraud as one of the four major scams related to COVID-19 on their website. Staffers distribute food to migrants on the deck of the Ocean Viking rescue in the Mediterranean Sea, on July 5, 2021. (Flavio Gasperini/SOS Mediterranee via AP) Hundreds of Rescued Migrants Disembark in Southern Italy ROMEHundreds of migrants disembarked from a humanitarian rescue ship in Augusta, Sicily on Friday after Italy offered a safe port in response to warnings that food was running out and tensions were rising on board. The SOS Mediterranee rescue group said the sick and young were the first of the 572 migrants to disembark from its ship, the Ocean Viking. Among those on board were a boy in a wheelchair and other young children. All are being tested for the coronavirus on land. Italy had agreed on Thursday to let the ship dock in Augusta after the crew reported worsening conditions on board. The Ocean Viking said five requests to maritime authorities in Italy and Malta to assign a port of safety had gone unmet. Migrants sleep on the deck of the Ocean Viking rescue in the Mediterranean Sea, on July 5, 2021. (Flavio Gasperini/SOS Mediterranee via AP) The European Commission said Friday it welcomed Italys decision to let the ship dock and added that it was prepared to coordinate a voluntary relocation of the migrants to other European countries. Commission spokesman Adalbert Jahnz urged EU member states to step up in a spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility to manage migration flows in Europe. Italy and Malta insist that other European nations also take a share of the migrants, insisting that its unfair to leave the two Mediterranean nations to care for them while they apply for asylum. Because most in recent years have tended to be economic migrants, many are found ineligible for asylum, and their homelands are often reluctant to take them back. The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 25, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) If the Cyber-Scammer Says Im With the Brand, You Could Be a Prime Sucker The email smelled as bad as week-old fish: It was a screenshot of a $1,000 cellphone I had supposedly bought on Amazon. I quickly checked my Amazon account. No purchase was recorded. Then I checked my credit card account. Ditto. This was clearly a scam and the real action was the Amazon order number and phone number, with a Philadelphia area code, included on the email. I dialed the number. The man who answered sounded unprofessional but he was all business: He immediately wanted to know my credit card information to verify. I asked him how he got my email. Agitated, he repeated his demand for a card number. When I told him I knew he wasnt legit, he hung up. Turns out, I had been caught up in one of the largest ongoing scams on the planet. Its estimated that hundreds of millions of potential marks are targeted by the confirm-your-Amazon-transaction ruse each month by email or robocall, according to YouMail, a phone security company. Although media attention focuses on high-tech operations, such as the recent spate of ransomware attacks on big enterprises, these consumer-based scams appear far more ubiquitous and are less sophisticated than the headline-grabbing cybercrimes. They illustrate how cons preying on peoples trust have evolved from one of the oldest tricks in the bookbrand fraudwhich used to mean knockoff Rolexes, Louis Vuitton handbags and, much earlier, cattle rustling. Caveat emptor, pilgrim. Now, after the global coronavirus pandemic made people more homebound, scammers have turned to trusted brands including Amazon, Apple, and warehouse retailer Costco as decoys in their relentless quest. The torrent of fake online inquiries and offers reached spectacular levels during the last year when millions were stuck at home and ordered online. Costco, for example, is falsely cited in at least 13 different scams targeting online shoppers. Cybercriminals have used a number of methods to gain customer information including a fake customer satisfaction survey promising exclusive awards of up to $500, giveaways, free HDTVs, and a 2% reward redemption and overcharge reimbursement. The retailer provides screen shots of the fraudulent offers on its customer service website. It is an unfortunate fact of the Internet that at any given time there are numerous illegitimate pop-up ads, surveys, websites, emails, social media posts and advertisements that purport to be from or authorized by Costco, the company states on its website. Unsolicited electronic communications from Costco do not ask for your personal information. Scammers are also invoking smaller trusted names. Mary Johnson, an analyst for the Senior Citizens League, found that her name was used as a decoy in one scam. The emails were impersonating me, using a fake phone number, she said. These scamsters are getting extremely brazen. I cant say if the scammer who was impersonating me was part of an Amazon scam. I only know that a scammer had contacted a supporter of The Senior Citizens League, and that individuals daughter contacted me to check out the phone number used. Traditional cons have long played on peoples desire to be the lucky one in the crowd who gets something for nothing, and so these clickbait frauds often invoke key words such as exclusive, survey, reward, redeem and gift cards. The swindles fall into broader consumer theft categories of identity theft, fake prizes/sweepstakes, Internet merchandise and spoofing. Swindlers often use a technique called pharming that directs Internet traffic from a legitimate site to a look-alike homepage explicitly designed to grift personal account information, Social Security numbers, PINs and addresses. The scammers dont require much more than cheap router to blast out emails and robocallsit costs $100 to $200 to make 1 million callsand the unauthorized use of corporate logos. These frauds are part of an unrelenting, metastasizing cybercrime trend that targets consumers, businesses and government 24/7. And theres plenty to be worried about: Online consumer threats rose 82% in 2020, according to Atlas VPN, a cybersecurity firm. Apples website warns consumers about fake calls or emails that pretend to alert potential victims through pop-ups and ads that say your device has a security problem. They may also issue bogus warnings of an iPhone calendar virus, iCloud locked email, or a breached account, according to scam-detector.com. Despite the variety of approaches, the core emotional trap of these scams typically is to scare and implore you to call, click or email to quickly reveal account information. Criminals may even send fake texts with the same intent, a practice known as smishing. They may also pretend to be from Apple, Costco or other large retailers. Although exact numbers are difficult to come bysince the majority of these come-ons are never reportedit was clear that scamsters took advantage of the blizzard of online commerce during the pandemic lockdown. Plugging Amazon into the Better Business Bureau Scamtracker site, which tracks complaints made to the organization, shows reported scams more than doubling between March 14, 2020 through June 14, 2021 from the comparable period starting in 2019the rise coming roughly from the start of the pandemic to the reopening date for most businesses and organizations. This is just a tiny sampling of the larger problem, though: Online purchase scams made up 38.3% of all scams reported to the BBB site in 2020, up from 24.3% in 2019. Fraud merchants have gotten more creative over the past year in bamboozling Amazon customers. There are several variations of these swindles out there now, according to scam-detector.com: Free gifts. These fake offers range from PlayStations to massage guns. These fake offers range from PlayStations to massage guns. Gift cards. They may be falsely tied into Amazon Prime or the companys anniversary. They may be falsely tied into Amazon Prime or the companys anniversary. Locked Account. The ruse is similar to other scams that claim to freeze your account. They get you to call out of fear. They even may state that your Amazon Prime Account was breached. The ruse is similar to other scams that claim to freeze your account. They get you to call out of fear. They even may state that your Amazon Prime Account was breached. Login attempts, shopping credits, reviews. Again, no one from Amazon will call you on these illegitimate messages. Many of the scams can be spotted by scrutinizing for misspellings. Again, no one from Amazon will call you on these illegitimate messages. Many of the scams can be spotted by scrutinizing for misspellings. Shipping. The scammer will steal an order and ship you an empty box or an email with an incorrect shipping address with a phishing link. The scammer will steal an order and ship you an empty box or an email with an incorrect shipping address with a phishing link. Confirm a Recent Transaction. This is the one I mentioned above. You call and they want to steal your personal information. The swindles are a numbers game. Even though the vast majority of people do not take the bait, even a tiny fraction of hundreds of millions is still large. Since consumers do so many transactions online, it can be hard for distracted shoppers to keep track of their online retail orders, even those made by people using their stolen information. John Breyault, vice president of public policy telecommunications and fraud for the National Consumers League, said that three Amazon-linked scams his organization hears from consumers often about involve clicking on [email phishing] links, compromised accounts and updating payment information. The Federal Trade Commission has frequently warned against the scamsand is empowered to police thembut they are too numerous to crack down on or shut down. Keep in mind that, like similar swindles falsely invoking the IRS, Medicare or Social Security, giant retailers and government agencies seldom call you directly unless you call them first. The FTC did not respond to a request for comment. (RealClearInvestigations filed a Freedom of Information Act request for specific reports on these retail scams. The FTCs FOIA system noted that the request was closed without delivering any information requested.) All government watchdog agencies have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of scams, many involving relentless robocalls and even fake unemployment claims. The FTCs resources are woefully inadequate to shut down these frauds, Breyault notes. People were stuck at home and disconnected from their social networks during the pandemic while these complaints increased. Wed like to see stronger enforcement, Johnson says. Theyre destroying lives when they clean out accounts. And Johnson would like to see technical solutions that could block robocalls, except in emergencies. On its website, Amazon makes clear that its concerned about all this. We take fraud, scam, phishing and spoofing attempts seriously, says the retailer. If you receive correspondence you think may not be from Amazon, please report it immediately. Note: Amazon cant respond personally when you report a suspicious correspondence to stop-spoofing@amazon.com, but you may receive an automatic confirmation. If you have security concerns about your account, please contact us. All well and good, but shortly after I finished my phone interview with Mary Johnson, she emailed me with a fresh incident: I received a phone call to tell me that someone had made a $354 purchase on my Amazon account. I hung up and checked. No such Amazon purchase was showing on my account. This article was written by John F. Wasik for RealClearInvestigations. The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 25, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Judge Ends Amazon Challenge to $10 Billion Cloud Contract After Pentagon Cancellation WASHINGTONA judge on Friday dismissed Amazon.coms legal challenge to the Defense Departments 2019 decision to award a $10 billion JEDI cloud-computing project to rival Microsoft Corp after the Pentagon canceled the contract. Amazon.com had accused then-President Donald Trump, alleging that the former president exerted improper pressure on military officials to steer the contract away from Amazon. The Pentagon said on Tuesday it expected the new multi-billion dollar contract would be split between Amazon and Microsoft. Amazon did not object to dismissing its 2019 lawsuit. Judge Patricia E. Campbell-Smith of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims agreed to dismiss the lawsuit at the governments request, saying the case was now moot. 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 on Tuesday he expects both Microsoft and Amazon will get cloud contracts. Microsoft said in a statement that the company was confident it will continue to be successful as the DoD selects partners for new work. Amazons Amazon Web Services cloud unit said it agreed with the Pentagons decision to cancel the contract. It said the initial 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. In April, Campbell-Smith refused to dismiss Amazons claims alleging the Trump administration interfered in the Pentagons award to Microsoft after putting it on hold indefinitely in February 2020. The now-canceled 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. By David Shepardson Lithuania Toughens Belarus Border With Razor Wire to Bar Migrants VILNIUSLithuania began building a 550-km (320-mile) razor wire barrier on its border with Belarus on Friday after accusing Belarusian authorities of flying in migrants from abroad to send illegally into the European Union. The government said the military-style wire coil would cost 4.9 million euros ($5.81 million) to put up and run along most of the frontier, which passes over sparsely populated areas and large stretches of forest and marsh. At a later date the barrier will be reinforced with a two meter (6.5 ft) high border fence topped by razor wire, costing an additional 41 million euros, the interior ministry said. Hundreds of migrants have crossed from Belarus in recent days, most of them Iraqi citizens, Lithuania has said. Belarus in May decided to allow migrants to enter Lithuania in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the bloc after Minsk forced a Ryanair flight to land on its soil and arrested a dissident blogger who was on board. If someone thinks we will close our border with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine and will become a holding site for those running from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Tunis and further down Africaif someone thinks so, he is misguided, to say the least, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday. Belarus is guarding the border now only as much as it is profitable to it, and as much as it can financially, the president said. Lithuania responded on Wednesday by announcing it would put up the frontier barrier and deploy troops to prevent migrants crossing illegally into its territory. In a related move, Lithuanias parliament will meet on Tuesday to urgently pass legislation streamlining asylum application reviews, including shortening their initial review to no more than 10 days, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said. All people who crossed the border illegally would be kept locked up, the draft law says, meaning an end to occasional short trips outside detention that are currently permitted. Just over 1,500 people crossed the frontier illegally from Belarus this year, with 900 of them coming over in the first nine days of July. The first stretch of the new barrier, to be completed on Friday, will run 500 metres (1,640 feet) in length and measure 1.8 metrers (six feet) in height, the army defense chiefs spokeswoman Ruta Montvile told Reuters. Simonyte told the national broadcaster she did not expect the migrant flow from Belarus to subside on its own. As the Belarus regime is making money from these people for visa charges and, I think, gets other income from them as wellit would be difficult to expect any positive trend without additional means of impact, she said. Simonyte said on Wednesday Belarus had been offering migrants flights to Minsk, citing documents found on at least one migrant who had reached Lithuania. She said the main airport from where people flew into Belarus was Baghdad, and her foreign minister said people also came Turkey. The Lithuanian-Belarus border is 679-km (420-mile) long. About 78 km (48 miles) was fenced in preceding years, and about 258 km (160 miles) are monitored electronically, according to the interior ministry. By Andrius Sytas Man Takes His Dying Labradoodle Up His Favorite Mountain for One Last Walk in a Wheelbarrow A series of touching photos shows a man taking his beloved dog who was dying from leukemia up on his favorite mountain for his last walk in a wheelbarrow. Ten-year-old Monty enjoyed exploring hills and walks all over the country with his owner, Carlos Fresco, a hotelier from London. The adventurous pair, according to Carlos, had visited the Brecon Beacons many times over the years and had even summited the three peaks. However, 18 months ago, when the labradoodle fell ill, Carlos became aware that he had only a certain amount of time left with Monty. I knew Monty was dying as his cancer had returned. He was diagnosed 18 months ago and responded very well to chemotherapy, Monty said. But unfortunately his leukemia returned eight weeks ago and he declined very rapidly. Carlos thus decided to go with Monty on one last journey together and the duo thus returned to the beacons, staying with friends in Brecon. He loved hill walks and we improvised and took him on trips around your wonderful beacons, Carlos recalled. Carlos and Monty traveled up to the peak of Pen y Fan, where many walkers stopped to say hello and meet Monty. Carlos said that although Monty was weak due to his deteriorating health condition, he enjoyed all the fuss and attention that he received from so many well-wishers. People on the hills were really kind and sympathetic. In fact total strangers asked if they could share in pushing Monty on his last journey, Carlos said. Many total strangers shed a tear as we all love dearly our little four-legged friends. Carlos expressed his gratitude to people for their support, encouragement, and genuine concern for Monty. Unfortunately, on the morning of June 21, Monty passed away at the foot of Carloss bed. The little fella hung on for Fathers Day and is now at peace, Carlos said. Recalling Montys wonderful memories, Carlos said he had touched so many peoples lives. [He] made everyone he came into contact with smile and just take a moment to reflect how sometimes lifes not that bad, Carlos said. Our little companions are never judgemental, are always there waiting for you, and offer comfort when things havent gone well. Monty, according to Carlos, was truly a special boy. Epoch Times Staff contributed to this report. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Cast member Matt Damon signs autographs at a press conference for the film "Stillwater" at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on July 9, 2021. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters) Matt Damon Unveils Amanda Knox-Inspired Film at Cannes CANNES, FranceMatt Damon said on Friday he had immersed himself for weeks in Oklahoma with oil rig workers for his role as a disoriented American who travels to France to help his jailed daughter, in a new film loosely inspired by the real-life Amanda Knox case. Damon said he spent time driving around and living with the so-called roughnecks in Oklahoma to grasp his characters mindset in Stillwater. Being invited into their homes, into a backyard barbecue, a guitar comes out and they start singing church songs. Its a very specific place.. and very different to where I grew up, Damon told a news conference after Stillwater held its red carpet premiere at the worlds biggest cinema festival. It was really eye-opening for me. In the film, which was screened out of the festivals main competition, Damon plays oil worker Bill Baker, who travels to Marseille, France to visit his estranged student daughter Allison in prison. She is serving time for the murder of her roommate, echoing the story of American student Knox and her then boyfriend who were convicted and later acquitted of killing British student Meredith Kercher at a flat in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. Amanda Knox, center, is escorted by Italian penitentiary police officers from Perugias court after a hearing, central Italy, on Sept. 16, 2008. (Antonio Calanni/AP Photo) The film explores the struggles faced by Baker in a foreign country, as he tries to overcome cultural and language barriers to help Allison, played by Abigail Breslin, when a new lead comes to light. Damon said having children of his own had also helped him relate to Baker, who is struggling to repair his broken relationship with his daughter. Since Ive had kids I feel like everything is a lot more available in my job, emotionally speaking, Damon said. On one visit to Marseille, his character forges a new bond with a French child, eight-year-old Maya, played by first-timer Lilou Siauvaud, and her mother. A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters) Michael Hiltzik: He Spent 24 Years Building His Business. A Ransomware Attack Blew It to Smithereens By Michael Hiltzik From Los Angeles Times Fran Finnegan was on vacation in New York just before the Fourth of July weekend when he received a disturbing text message from one of his customers: How come his website was down? Finnegan quickly searched out a computer to remotely examine his site, which provides access to millions of documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There he discovered a disaster unfolding in front of his eyes in real time. Hackers had breached his sites security and had taken over. He watched helplessly as they encrypted all his files, placing them beyond reach. As soon as I could, I shut them off, Finnegan, 70, told me from his San Francisco Bay Area home. But the damage was done. The attack had started the previous weekend, so for four days the hackers had free access, ransacking the raw material of Finnegans business like burglars raiding a museum without fear of capture. I lost everything that essentially makes up my whole operation. When the hackers were done, they left Finnegan a message with a skull and crossbones on a sinister black background, reading Your Files Are Encrypted and providing an email address to which he could write to learn the cost of a decryption key to restore his files. It was yet another extortionate ransomware attack, in which hackers effectively kidnap a businesss digital lifeblood and offer to restore itfor a price. These attacks are becoming almost daily occurrences, though theyre typically aimed at big businesses with the wherewithal to pay a multimillion-dollar ransom (generally demanded in bitcoin or another digital currency). The targets often to have the sort of commercial, political or economic footprintthink hospital systems, universities and government agenciesthat make prompt resolutions imperative. Notable ransomware attacks this year have struck Colonial Pipeline, which had to curtail gasoline deliveries to customers in the Northeast during the episode, and JBS Foods, an international meat processor. Both companies paid ransom$4.4 million and $11 million, respectively, though much of the Colonial payoff was recovered by the FBI. Out of service fuel nozzles are covered in plastic on a gas pump at a gas station after a gasoline supply crunch caused by the Colonial Pipeline hack, in Waynesville, N.C., on May 11, 2021. (Martin Brossman via Reuters) The most far-reaching attack appears to be the one that hit Kaseya, an information technology company whose clients serve thousands of small businesses, just before the July 4 holiday weekend. But most attacks seem to fly under the radar. The consumer information service Comparitech documented 92 ransomware attacks in the U.S. healthcare field in 2020, affecting more than 600 clinics, hospitals and other organizations and more than 18 million patient records. Comparitech estimated the cost of those attacks, including ransoms paid, downtime and recovery, at some $21 billion. Ransomware is everywhere, cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs says. There isnt a single industry that isnt dealing with this problem right now. That doesnt mean theyre having much success. There are a lot of predators out there doing this, and the reason we have so many of them is because theres a lot of easy prey, Krebs says. We either have to do something about the volume of prey out there, or start taking some of the predators off the board. Its not a fair fight at the moment for a lot of companies. The attack on Finnegans site is a twist on what might be considered traditional ransomware, which generally involves the implanting of malicious software in a target system and using it to wreak havoc from within. Finnegan believes that his attackers gained access to his data through a different method, the use of a stolen password. But it does fall into the broader category of digital extortion. Finnegan hasnt reached out to the hackers via the email address they left because he discovered via an internet search that its associated with a group accused of taking victims money but not delivering a decryption key. So hes left with restoring his data virtually by hand. Finnegans business, secinfo.com, provides his subscribers with access to every financial disclosure document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissionannual and quarterly reports, proxy statements, disclosures of top shareholders and much more, a vast storehouse of publicly available financial information. These documents are all available for free directly from the SECs website or those of issuing companies. But secinfo.com is valuable as a one-stop shop for the data. The service was making more than 46 million documents available, their more than 1.6 billion pages easily searchable. Subscribers could set up alerts for any time a company or major investor filed another document, and crunch the embedded information in myriad ways. For anyone doing research on public companies, secinfo has been a time-saving tool for finding what they need, for a nominal quarterly fee. (Ive been a subscriber for years.) Not the only threat: Russian President Vladimir Putin has been blamed for major hacking campaigns in the U.S., but the danger is far more widespread. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, on June 30, 2021. (Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) For now its inoperable. Finnegan estimates it may take weeks for him to restore everything to its pre-hack condition. Finnegan launched secinfo.com in 1997. He had studied computer science at Notre Dame and earned an MBA at the University of Chicago, then spent about a dozen years on Wall Street as an investment banker at E.F. Hutton and First Boston. I got bored with that, Finnegan told me. Software was much more fun, so I decided to get back into software. With a staff of 15 to 20 people, he hired himself out as a software designer for big corporations. Then, in the mid-1990s, a sea-change came upon the SEC. An insurgent campaigner for free access to government documents named Carl Malamud persuaded the agency to place its EDGAR database of corporate filings online for free, breaking the near-monopoly then held by the commercial Lexis/Nexis service. The agency, which initially resisted the initiative, soon learned that free access opened the database to a multitude of innovative formats developed by nonprofits and profit-making services, vastly expanding its usefulness to the public. Finnegan was a pioneer in making the database more accessible. I thought, I know software and I know Wall Street, and I can do a better job than the SEC, he says, so I shifted to doing the EDGAR thing, and thats what Ive been doing for the last 24 years. Eventually he became one of the largest third-party vendors of SEC filings. The secinfo.com website has a utilitarian appearance, yet is so complete and provides so many parsing and downloading options that it looks like the product of a sizable staff. But its a one-man operation, thanks to Finnegans skill at automating its functions. His system is set up to poll the SECs database two or three times per second, and to grab any new filing that shows up. Finnegans database of filings, 15 to 20 terabytes in size, was stored on a pair of large-scale servers at a data center in San Francisco. (One terabyte is the equivalent of 1,000 gigabytes; a digital version of a feature film can take up 1.5 to 3 gigabytes of space.) The two servers were redundant, so if one melted down the other would work as a backup. I thought I was covered, Finnegan says. The problem was that his fail-safe arrangement had a couple of holes. One was that the redundancy protected him against a hardware failure by either server, but not a security breach. The second was more dangerous. When Finnegan originally set up secinfo, he gave himself administrative privileges so he could manage the system, and protected his access with a password. The password he used, however, was the same as the password he was using for his Yahoo email account. A Yahoo sign at the companys headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) That password was probably stolen in a massive hack in 2013 that also compromised the names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and security questions and answers of 3 billion Yahoo account holders. Yahoo had advised its users to change the passwords on their Yahoo accounts, but Finnegan had long since forgotten that he had also used it as his administrative password. Had I remembered that I was using a password from 24 years ago, he says, I certainly would have changed it. He conjectures that it was sitting around as a ticking time bomb in the hands of anyone with access to the stolen Yahoo data. If youre a hacker, he says, you take a long list of passwords and keep going back and testing every password, and maybe youll get a hit. Finnegans firewall service, which would protect him from a random breach attempt, wouldnt protect against the use of a legitimate password. As he later discovered, beginning on June 26 his hackers pinged his system 2.5 million times before they finally hit on the right password. He says the firewall logs established that the hacking originated in Russia. That doesnt mean the hackers were acting on behalf of the Russian state, but it does point to the conclusions by cybersecurity experts that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a home to hackers such as REvil, which is thought to have launched the Kaseya and Colonial Pipeline attacks, as long as they dont aim at Russian targets. President Joe Biden issued an indirect warning to Putin about his tolerance of hackers during their meeting in Switzerland on June 16. Responsible countries need to take action against criminals who conduct ransomware activities on their territory, Biden said after the meeting. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool Photo via AP) Once the hackers were inside secinfo, they were able to encrypt everything on both serversnot only the database of documents but also Finnegans email system and even his list of users and their contact information. That means that once secinfo.com is back in operation, he wont be able to proactively inform his customers what happenedhell have to wait for them to get in touch with him. There are no indications that his more than 500,000 customers, who he says have included individuals and financial services firms such as Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co., have been placed at risk. If theres a saving grace, the hackers werent able to breach another set of servers on which he has stored his software for automating the search function and other features of his website. But other than that, Finnegan says, I have to re-create everything, and that takes time. I hope its not more than a month, but theres no way of knowing right now. He says he doesnt think the restoration will cost him too much out-of-pocket, but the toll on his time and the aggravation cost, as well as the loss of users, is incalculable. Theres a ton of stuff to do, he says. You wouldnt believe how complicated it is. Until Thursday, he wasnt even able to post a message on his website informing visitors that the service is down due to a ransomware attack and will be up as soon as possible. Up to then, the secinfo.com address just returned a blank screen. Then theres the question of where to find a remedy to the ransomware frenzy. Finnegan and Krebs both observe that the crime has been facilitated by the rise of virtual currencies such as bitcoin, which are harder to trace than traditional forms of payment. The only way this is going to stop is if the U.S. outlaws bitcoin, Finnegan says. That would take away the anonymous payment mechanism, and that takes away the incentive. In the meantime, the threat is only going to get worse. Michael Hiltzik is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. 2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Students walk around the University of New South Wales campus in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) New Australian Cyber Security Laws to Protect Students From Beijing Spying Chinese students at Australian universities could soon be protected from Beijing spying under new cyber security laws. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security said university leaders were not doing enough to protect students who fear for their families while under pressure from China. At the hearing on Friday, committee chair Sen. James Paterson said universities had a legal duty to care for the welfare of students and a moral responsibility to uphold academic freedoms. If theyre being spied upon by their fellow students or others, and youre not taking steps to protect them from it, then youre letting them down, he said. Incidents in the University of Technology Sydney were recounted, where students were threatened into silence by other students on social media. Luke Sheehy, the executive director of Australian Technology Network of Universities, said their group valued freedom of speech, student safety, and open institutions. Its deeply concerning to us, Sheehy said. However, he said it was hard to intervene because students operated their own networks across universities to communicate and coordinate the harassment of their targets. Paterson cited a recent report from the Human Rights Watch that revealed how universities failed to protect the freedoms of Chinese students and academics who criticise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report revealed the various incidents and thoughts of 24 students and 22 academics and their experience in Australia under Beijing surveillance. Australian universities rely on the fees that international students bring while turning a blind eye to concerns about harassment and surveillance by the Chinese government and its proxies, the author of the report, Sophie McNeill, said. Innovative Research Universities (IRU) said in its opening statement that universities played a significant part in national infrastructure. Cybersecurity targets an area of great concern where the university commitment to openness and sharing of information to advance knowledge, runs against actors who would disrupt our operations, IRU executive director Conor King said. Disruption to our operations could cause significant harm if prolonged. The newly proposed laws would incorporate universities as critical national infrastructure and make it compulsory to promptly report cyber-attacks. AAP contributed to this article. Officer Issues Warning, Then Prays for Driver Upon Finding Out That Hes Battling Cancer A father who is battling cancer had a moment of respite in an unlikely setting when a Texas police officer pulled him over. The driver shared his story, and the trooper then offered a prayer. On May 31, Alex and his wife Ada Chavez from Brownville were en route to Houston when they were stopped by an officer from Williamson County. The officer, who planned on dispatching a warning to Alex, got more than he bargained for when he asked the 35-year-old to step out of his car. Officer Palacios noticed Alexs scars and felt compelled to ask what had happened. Alex Chavez with his family. (Courtesy of Ada Chavez) Alex explained to him that for over a year hes been battling cancer, and told him we were on our way to Houston for his next chemo treatment, Ada told The Epoch Times. However, what unfolded next surprised both Ada and her husband. The officer asked us if we believed in God, Ada said. We both said yes, and he asked if he could pray for us. We said yes. I grabbed my phone and started recording him. It was amazing! Ada later shared the moving footage on social media, with the caption, Good cops do exist. (Courtesy of Ada Chavez) While deeply moved by the encounter, Ada claimed that she and Alex havent had any further contact with Palacios. But their shared prayer by the roadside has touched hundreds of thousands of social media users. Ada met Alex, a welder, at work eight years ago. Married for five years, the couple have three children together: Alexie, 6; Adaiz, 5; and Alex Jr. Alex was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma while working as a welder [in May 2020], Ada said. The cancer spread to his neck up to the collar bone. So we decided to travel to Houston for a second opinion, and unfortunately, it was confirmed that the cancer had spread. Alex, a nonsmoker, had almost half of his tongue removed. Skin from his arm and veins from his neck were harvested so that doctors could reconstruct as much as possible. At the hospital, Alex rang the bell, declaring himself cancer-free on Nov. 24, 2020, not knowing at the time that his battle would continue. An active person who loved working out and lifting weights before his diagnosis, Alex underwent a massive physical transformation and his family struggled with their separation during treatment. Sometimes the kids have to stay behind, or there have been times where he has to travel on his own, Ada told The Epoch Times. But we remind him every day he has to keep fighting, and that we are waiting for him to get back. Their kids, she continued, dont know exactly whats going on because they wouldnt understand. All they know is that Daddy has to leave to go see the doctor to get better, she explained. Alex has undergone surgery for two tumors. To date, he has completed his fourth session of chemotherapy and needs two more. His devoted wife was initially confused by her familys fate, but believes that everything happens for a reason. I believe God gave him a second chance, she said. Every day I thank Him for having Alex with us another day. Were just living day by day. Alex will be a living testimony. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Online car shopping in Canada In todays age where we buy everything from TVs to groceries on the internet, the question becomes: why not vehicles? Well, in fact there are already options to do just that right here in Canada, and two of the key players are Canada Drives and Clutch, both recently expanding their reach across the nation to serve a larger demographic and address the rising consumer demand for e-commerce solutions in the industry. Clutch, headquartered in Ontario, was the first to market, launching in Halifax back in 2016 then transitioning to Toronto, and finally the Lower Mainland earlier this year. Co-founder Dan Park, formerly heading the Uber Eats Canada team, says the goal is simply to make the automobile shopping experience as straightforward as ordering a pizza. Online car shopping on Clutchs website. (Courtesy of Clutch) Were a fully vertically integrated online platform where people can buy and sell cars. As Canadians right now, the only real alternatives you have are to go to a dealership or meet a stranger from Kijiji in a McDonalds or Tim Hortons parking lot, said Park. We are kind of an Amazon of cars in the sense that every car we have in stock (currently about 1,000) has been pre-qualified and certified by our mechanics. We do a full 210-point inspection on every single vehicle, take high resolution photos and provide those on the website for a 360-degree tour. And because every vehicle we have has gone through our process, we can offer a 10-day money-back guarantee and a 90-day warranty with free delivery to your door 24 to 48 hours out. Clutch is headquartered in Ontario. (Courtesy of Clutch) Though buyers cant inspect the body panels up close beforehand, this is precisely what the so-called test-to-own period is for, giving drivers a chance for a thorough evaluation rather than just doing the traditional zip around the block. And if for whatever reason the fit isnt right, the purchase can be sent back for a complete refund, no strings attached. Seem too good to be true? Companies like Clutch can afford to innovate in such a manner via eliminating the overhead of operating a traditional brick-and-mortar store. Another homegrown business blazing a trail in the virtual automotive retail space is Vancouver-based Canada Drives, led by founder and co-CEO Cody Green, which actually started out in 2010 in a slightly different role. Browsing Canada Drives website. (Courtesy of Canada Drives) Our original solution was to allow Canadians to get approved for financing online, and we were the first of our kind to bring that to Canada. It was super well-received, and what that also did was give us a direct line to the consumer and their shifting thoughts about buying cars on the web. And so our roadmap always had selling directly to consumers 100 per cent online I think COVID was really just an accelerant, but we really benefited from knowing what things customers liked about shopping for cars and where there were some areas of opportunity, said Green. Although Canada Drives continues to provide their original service, they now also allow visitors of the site to browse through hundreds of different makes and models ranging between nearly new and six years old pick one out and complete the transaction right down to, unsurprisingly, securing financing if necessary, using a nifty Fintech-driven (no pun intended) automated backend system. We work with the major banks and alternative auto finance providers to find the best approval possible for the consumer, so thats the advantage of choosing us, he said. Canada Drives in-house delivery. (Courtesy of Canada Drives) Similar to Clutch, Canada Drives products are subjected to a multi-point inspection, include a full vehicle history report and numerous photos of the good and the bad, have a seven-day love-it-or-return-it policy, and delivered through in-house same-day service where available. Initially offered primarily to buyers in Metro Vancouver, as of May its been opened up to urban centres in Ontario as well. Green added the goal is to cover 80 per cent of the country by the end of 2021. Benjamin Yong is a freelance writer from Vancouver, B.C. and a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Follow him on Twitter @b_yong. Montenegrin schoolchildren wearing protective masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in Podgorica, on Sept. 30, 2020. (Savo Prelevic/AFP via Getty Images) Pennsylvania Lawmaker Calls for Training Teachers to Recognize Student Trauma Caused by Extended School Closures A Pennsylvania lawmaker has drafted legislation to spend $50 million for training teachers to recognize and respond to students experiencing trauma in their homes and from COVID-19. According to experts, the COVID-19 pandemic qualifies as a traumatic experience, which only further contributes to trauma in many individuals, including children, Democratic state Rep. Joe Ciresi said in a recent memo announcing the proposal. The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California found that many students described their current mental states as lonely, overwhelmed, and anxious at the height of the pandemic. For some students, school is a place to escape certain traumatic experiences at home, such as food insecurity, neglect, poverty, violence, etc. The pandemic only exacerbated these traumas when it temporarily shut down that safe-haven for many students. As written, the measure, House Bill 1713, would have enough funding to offer every Pennsylvania School District a minimum of $20,000 in grant money to train teachers. Funding will be available to public, charter, career, and technical schools and nonpublic schools. It will not go to cyber charter schools. I think my colleagues understand the need for something like this, Ciresi told The Epoch Times. In the long run, we dont know how children will be affected by COVID. We needed this before, but with COVID, we really need it now. The legislation was urged by Colleen Lelli, associate professor in the Educational Specialists Department at Cabrini University, who says children living through traumatic experiences may suffer mental and physical symptoms immediately or later in life. Adverse childhood experiences are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance abuse problems in adulthood, possibly affecting education, job opportunities, and earning potential. Teachers spend more time with children sometimes than parents. They are with the child eight hours a day, Lelli told The Epoch Times. This (training) helps teachers recognize if something is going on at home. Teachers would be trained to look for behaviors in students that could indicate they are experiencing trauma at home. Perhaps parents are going through divorce, addiction, food insecurity, domestic violence, or someone at home is undergoing serious medical treatments. A child acting out in school may be labeled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but may instead be responding to problems in the home. They are teachers, not therapists, but they can be trained on how can we use best practices and address some of these issues, Lelli said. In some cases, it would mean helping families connect with services in the community. For example, families with a member experiencing mental illness may benefit from being connected to community mental health services. The $50 million in funding would come from federal COVID-19 relief money through the American Rescue Plan. This funding wont go on forever, but Ciresi hopes this legislation sparks some discussion about funding continued trauma-informed training for teachers or requiring mental health training as a requirement of Pennsylvania teaching degrees. The newly proposed bill is in the House Education Committee. People Who Recover From COVID-19 at Very Low Risk of Reinfection: Study People who have contracted COVID-19 and recovered should know that the risk for reinfection is very low, a doctor said after the publication of a study he worked on. Researchers analyzed records from Curative, a clinical laboratory based in San Dimas, California, that specializes in COVID-19 testing and has been conducting routine workforce screening during the pandemic. None of the 254 employees who had COVID-19 and recovered became reinfected, while four of the 739 who were fully vaccinated contracted the disease. The big takeaway was that if you are not vaccinated, and were not previously infected, one, you have a very high risk of getting infected24 percent of employees over a year tested positive. However, on the flip side, if you were vaccinated or previously infected, your risk was near zero, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, clinical professor of preventive medicine and medicine at the University of Southern Californias Keck School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times. Klausner and Dr. Noah Kojima of the University of CaliforniaLos Angeless Department of Medicine joined with Curative workers to analyze the records. They released a pre-print, or pre-peer-reviewed version of the study online last week. Researchers found that of the 4,313 employees who werent previously infected or fully vaccinated, 254 became infected. The findings add to the growing body of research that indicates that people who had COVID-19 and recovered enjoy a similar level of protection as those who have gotten a vaccine, following a study in the United Kingdom and one by Cleveland Clinic researchers. It should give confidence to people who have recovered that they are at very low risk for repeat infection, and some experts including myself believe that protection is equal to vaccination, Klausner told The Epoch Times. And were trying to update policy such that people who have recovered have the same privileges and access as people who are vaccinated. According to federal guidance, vaccines should be administered to people irrespective of whether theyve had COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said officials are aware of evidence suggesting natural immunity among those who have been infected, but it hasnt altered its recommendations to incorporate that evidence. We do not comment on non-CDC authored papers. We continually evaluate the science that leads to our guidance, and if it needs to be changed, we will base that on our own research and studies, a spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email last month. A transmission electron micrograph shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. (NIAID) The limitations of the new study, which has been submitted to a journal and is being peer-reviewed, include the possibility that employees could have tested positive for COVID-19 outside of the routine screening, or employee testing program. The group plans to conduct more analysis on the Curative data. Dr. David Boulware, professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, told The Epoch Times via email that the study adds to the body of literature that generally healthy adults <65 years old with prior COVID-19 infection are generally not at risk of recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infection in short term after initial symptomatic infection. SARS-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Boulware, who wasnt involved in the research, noted that the median age of those tested was 29 years old and very likely included few people 65 years old or older, or many people without immune system problems. Thus, this may not apply to elderly persons or persons with substantial co-morbiditiesbut does likely apply to adults 1865 years of age without major medical problems, he said, adding that because the follow-up time period of those studied was relatively short, the paper doesnt give insight into longer-term protection. Long term protection is more unknown, which is why persons with prior infection still are recommended to receive at least 1 vaccine dose, but there is not any urgency to receive the vaccine (and waiting ~3 months likely would be fine), he said. Klausner said that besides bolstering the idea of natural immunity, the study shows that vaccination in the workplace is important. We need to continue to promote workplace vaccination requirements. Businesses have the authority and have the ability and have the legal power to require employees to get vaccinated, he said. And I think our study supports that benefit. Police Warn England Fans to Celebrate Within the Law or Face Action Police will have to intervene if the behaviour of England fans goes beyond what would be reasonable on Sunday, a senior officer has warned. Large crowds of supporters are set to amass in London over the weekend as the Three Lions look to make history in the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley. The Metropolitan Police said a considerable number of officers will be in place across the capital. Speaking to the PA news agency outside Scotland Yard on Friday morning, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: I think the big challenge has been large numbers of people gathering in breach of COVID regulations. England fans leave Wembley Stadium along Wembley Way after England qualified for the Euro 2020 final, in London, UK, on July 7, 2021. (Zac Goodwin/PA) On occasion behaviour going a little bit beyond what would be reasonable. Wednesday was busy, lots of people around, lots of excitement, we fully anticipate Sunday to be even busier. Weve got a large policing plan in place, with a very experienced command team across London. Its not just at Wembley, its not just central London, but pubs and other venues will be very busy across the whole capital. Mr Taylor called on supporters to behave responsibly and celebrate within the law following the scenes on Wednesday after England beat Denmark to book their place in the final. The force said 23 arrests were made by officers across London following the match for offences including common assault, public order, and assault on police. Asked how many officers will be in place in the capital on Sunday, he said: Weve certainly got a considerable number of officers on duty across the capital, we dont talk specifically about numbers. We have an enhanced policing plan and Im confident its a robust enough plan to deal with what we may have to deal with. Mr Taylor went on to say the force had more than sufficient numbers of officers available to help policing efforts. He spoke of how staff are trained and equipped to deal with violent clashes among fans. Mr Taylor added: I will ask that people work with the police, that they respect the people around them and they understand that its important to celebrate responsibly and recognise that if the law is broken, whilst we dont want to, the police will have to intervene. By Ted Hennessey Review Prompted by Building Collapse Closes Miami Courthouse MIAMIThe Miami-Dade County Courthouse will begin undergoing repairs immediately because of safety concerns found during a review prompted by the deadly collapse of a nearby condominium building, officials said. An engineering firm that examined the 28-story courthouse recommended that it undergo immediate structural repairs and that floors 16 and above be closed. All courthouse employees, including those who work on lower floors, will return to working from home, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other leaders said in a joint statement late Friday. In its report, engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc. said that during its June 30 inspection, it found structural distress in various structural members such as support beams and joists, including steel columns that are in poor condition and concrete columns that have numerous cracks. In general, we observed numerous members with visible signs of structural deterioration that have been documented and reported by this and other firms for quite some time now. Many of these members are in an advance state of deterioration, inspector Jose Toledo wrote in the firms Tuesday letter to Miami-Dade County officials. The announcement about the courthouse, which is in Miami, came during the third week of the search for victims of the collapsed Champlain Towers South building in nearby Surfside. On Saturday, authorities raised the confirmed death toll to 86, with 43 people still missing. A rescue worker walks away from the remains of the collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., on July 8, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The courthouse, which was completed in 1928 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, is where most civil cases are heard and contains some administrative offices. Separate courthouses for criminal, childrens, and family cases are not affected. Workers only recently returned to the building after working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Court operations will go back to a remote format until the safety concerns are addressed. The court planned to notify people with upcoming court proceedings of the changes. They had only been back in that building about a week, Levine Cava said at a Saturday news conference. So they have everything they need to continue to operate remotely and also at other locations, so it should not disrupt substantially. Authorities didnt disclose details about the specific types of repairs that are needed, and they still plan to inspect its basement to determine if additional ones are required. In its report, the engineering firm warned that one column on the 25th floor needed immediate attention and urged that it be repaired within 30 days. It also found overhead beams and slabs that had cracks and spalling, which is when pieces of concrete break off and potentially allow water in. In addition, it advised officials to remove heavy items such as books, office supplies, and sandbags that were stored on upper floors. Miami-Dade County is in the early stages of constructing a new civil courthouse and had been planning to sell the current one, which has been beset by leaks, mold, and issues with its facade over the years. Its unclear how the new findings might affect those plans to sell the building. The building underwent a review following the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building, where efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies of those missing and presumed dead. Levine Cava said those efforts would continue throughout the day Saturday despite bad weather, though work was paused for about an hour Saturday morning due to a nearby lightning strike. She also said no asbestos has been found during the search of the rubble. Please pray for all those whove lost loved ones and for those whose hearts are broken by this unspeakable tragedy, she said. Mementos and flowers are seen displayed at the Surfside Wall of Hope Memorial, on July 7, 2021. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP) Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were making good progress, especially in clearing debris from the section of the building that didnt collapse but was later demolished. That section will likely be cleared sooner than originally expected, he said. Its astounding the pace at which theyre working in getting that rubble out of there, he said. Several other buildings have been reviewed to search for any structural concerns, and somesuch as a condo building in North Miami Beachhave been evacuated. By David Fischer Haiti's interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph addresses the audience after suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, who was shot dead early Wednesday at his home, were shown to the media, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (Estailove St-Val/File Photo/Reuters) Rival Haitian Leaders Battle for Power After Presidents Assassination PORT-AU-PRINCEA power struggle is brewing in Haiti as the man appointed prime minister shortly before the assassination of Haitis president this week said henot the acting premiershould lead the Caribbean nation and was forming a government to that effect. Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon who was named prime minister by President Jovenel Moise on Monday, two days before Moise was killed by a squad of gunmen in his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince, said he was now the highest authority in Haiti, not interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph. After the presidents assassination, I became the highest, legal, and regular authority because there was a decree nominating me, Henry told Reuters in a phone interview late on Friday. Henry had not been sworn in to replace Joseph at the time of the assassination, which has created confusion over who is the legitimate leader of the 11 million people in Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Joseph, who was named interim prime minister in April after the resignation of Joseph Jouthe, has taken the reins of power so far, spearheading the governments response to the assassination, appealing to the United States for support, and declaring a 15-day state of emergency. A crowd surrounds the Petionville Police station where armed men, accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, are being held in Port au Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images) Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said Joseph would keep that role until presidential and legislative elections are held on Sept. 26. Henry said the new government he was forming, however, would instead create a new electoral councilgiven the previous one had been considered too partisanand the council would determine new dates for elections. I dont know what date they will be, all I know is that we cannot take too long to do these elections. We need to do them as soon as possible, Henry said. Haitis Senate, which currently comprises just a third of its usual 30 senators, nominated its head Joseph Lambert on Friday to be interim president, a document reviewed by Reuters showed. Henry said he would be ready to lead the country with all those who wanted to move forward when asked if he was willing to rule alongside Lambert. Haitis 1987 constitution stipulates the head of the Supreme Court should take over as interim president. But amendments that are not unanimously recognized state that it be the prime minister, or, in the last year of a presidents mandateas was the case with Moisethat parliament should elect a president. Further complicating the situation, the head of the Supreme Court died last month after contracting COVID-19 amid a surge in infections in one of the few countries yet to start a vaccination campaign. Haitis President Jovenel Moise (C) leaves the museum during a ceremony marking the 215th anniversary of revolutionary hero Toussaint Louvertures death, at the National Pantheon museum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 7, 2018. (Dieu Nalio Chery/File/AP Photo) There also is no sitting parliament as legislative elections scheduled for late 2019 were postponed amid political unrest. Colombian Connection Haitian authorities have said that Moise was killed by a group of foreign, trained assassins comprised of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans. Suspects in the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise are presented to the media by Haitian authorities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Seventeen of the men were captured after a gun battle with Haitian authorities in Petionville, a hillside suburb of Port-au-Prince, while three were killed and eight are still at large, according to Haitian police. Colombian investigators took a Friday evening flight to Port-au-Prince to help Haitian authorities with the probe into the assassination, General Jorge Luis Vargas, head of Colombias national police, said on Twitter. Traveling are the head of the National Intelligence Directive, and on behalf of the Police, the director of intelligence brigadier general Norberto Mujica and a most high-level official from INTERPOL Colombia, Vargas tweeted. The United States has no plans currently to provide military assistance to Haiti, according to a senior administration official in Washington, after Port-au-Prince made a request for U.S. troops on Friday. By Andre Paultre and Sarah Marsh Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to the media after the Senate Democratic policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on June 22, 2021. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Schumer: Democrats Prepared to Expeditiously Fill Any Supreme Court Vacancy Senate Democrats are ready to quickly fill any Supreme Court vacancy that arises, the bodys top Democrat said in a letter to colleagues on July 9. Senate Democrats stand ready to expeditiously fill any potential vacancies on the Supreme Court should they arise, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated in the note. Schumer also promised that the upper chamber would continue to confirm President Joe Bidens nominees for lower courts, calling it critical work. Nine justices make up the Supreme Court, with just three of its current members having been nominated by Democrat presidents, including two during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president. Republicans were able to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett last year before the election, after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, tilting the court further to the right. Democrats have increasingly suggested or outright called on Justice Stephen Breyer, the oldest Democrat nominee on the court, to step down since Biden has been sworn in. Democrats fear theyll lose the ability to confirm justices in the latter half of Bidens term if Republicans flip the Senate, which is currently divided 5050, but controlled by Democrats through Vice President Kamala Harrisespecially after Ginsburg refused to heed to calls to step down during the Obama era. Justice Breyer, its time to put the Courts long-term membership ahead of your long and distinguished career, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) wrote on Twitter last month. Justice Breyer is wonderful on SCOTUS & before that on 1st Circuit, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) added. But for goodness sake HE SHOULD RETIRE NOW. Breyer, 82, has been a justice since 1994. He was appointed by President Bill Clinton. Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. Seated from left: Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Standing from left: Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett. (Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images) Biden is among other Democrats who have said they wont pressure Breyer to retire. Besides Breyers age, critics dont like that he warned against expanding the size of the Supreme Court, an idea favored by a number of Democrats in Congress. Schumer didnt mention Breyer by name, but the only other ways a vacancy can arise are by a surprise retirement from another justice or a sudden death. The next-oldest justice is Justice Clarence Thomas, 73, and the two Obama appointees, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, are in their 60s. Democrats are still upset that the Republican-controlled Senate, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), refused to consider former President Barack Obamas nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, citing the upcoming presidential election. When Trump proved victorious over Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, he was able to nominate Justice Neil Gorsuch, who won confirmation. Trump also nominated Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who replaced retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. McConnell said last month that he likely wouldnt move to confirm a Biden nominee if Republicans control the Senate after the 2022 midterm elections. I think its highly unlikelyin fact, no, I dont think either party, if it were different from the president, would confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the middle of an election, he said. Stirring the Pot With Frank Brigtsen The award-winning New Orleans chef on his mother's cooking, giving back, and red beans and rice One of New Orleans most beloved chefs, Frank Brigtsen is recognized for revitalizing Creole Acadian cooking at his namesake restaurant Brigtsens, now celebrating 35 years. Located in a Victorian cottage on a quiet street in the citys uptown Riverbend neighborhood, Brigtsens Restaurant pays tribute to traditional Louisiana cooking and local ingredients, with dishes such as shrimp and okra gumbo with andouille sausage, pan-fried gulf fish with roasted pecans and meuniere sauce, and roast duck with dirty rice and tart dried cherry sauce. Frank Brigtsen. (Rebecca Todd) Many customers are devoted regulars who say dining at Brigtsens is like eating in someones private home. This admiration extends beyond locals: Brigtsen has been honored with numerous awards, including being named James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southeast, and Restaurateur of the Year by the Louisiana Restaurant Association. Shrimp and grits at Brigtsens Restaurant. (Melanie Young) Pecan-crusted red drum at Brigtsens Restaurant. (Melanie Young) Despite his national recognition, what brings Brigtsen the most joy is teaching Creole Acadian cooking classes at The John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. He also serves as chef-in-residence at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. Brigtsens Restaurant in New Orleans. (Rebecca Todd) Culinary Inspirations Before opening his namesake restaurant in 1986, Brigtsen worked for seven years with legendary chef Paul Prudhomme, owner of K-Pauls Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter. Prudhomme, who died in 2015, popularized Creole and Cajun cuisines to a broader audience with dishes such as blackened redfish and Cajun popcorn (batter-fried crawfish). Legendary New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme with Frank Brigtsen. (Courtesy of Frank Brigtsen) It was Prudhomme who encouraged Brigtsen to open his own place, even lending him money and arranging for a lawyer and CPA to help him get started. Paul [gave] me a chance and then taught me all these life lessons, not just cooking. Thats why I decided to give back and teach, Brigtsen said. It was especially important after Hurricane Katrina when I was worried about preserving traditions. I called Nicholls State University in Thibodaux and said, I want to teach Creole Cajun cuisine. They created a class for me. As for many chefs, Brigtsens earliest food memories and inspiration came from his mother. I asked him to share some of those memories and a favorite recipe. The Epoch Times: What do you remember about your mothers cooking? Frank Brigtsen: My mother, Ernie Yelverton, came from Uniontown, Alabama, and moved to New Orleans to attend nursing school. While caring for an elderly lady with cancer, she met the womans son and they hit it off. That man, Frank Brigtsen Sr., became my father. His grandfather had settled in New Orleans from Bergen, Norway, and my dad grew up eating traditional Creole cooking, which reflects the multicultural diversity of the city itself. Mom had to learn how to cook New Orleans dishes, and she had a great repertoire of recipes from gumbo to fried catfish in cornmeal and amazing grits. We still serve a version of her fried catfish with stone-ground grits and Creole sauce on the menu at Brigtsens as an appetizer or entree. But one of my favorites is her red beans and rice. Frank Brigtsen with his mother, Ernie Brigtsen. (Courtesy of Frank Brigtsen) The Epoch Times: What comes to mind first with this dish? Mr. Brigtsen: It starts with the aroma. As a child, Id come home from grade school in the afternoons, flop on the sofa, and watch television. Around 4 oclock, the aroma coming from the kitchen would get me up from the sofa and into the kitchen. I learned the greatest appetizer in the world is aroma. You may not even be hungry when you walk into a kitchen or restaurant, but when the aromas like garlic and spices get to you, all the senses come into play. The aromas are central to family home cooking; they are a unifier. When we finally sat down to eat, I never left the table without two or three servings. My dad insisted on having his red beans and rice with French bread with lots of butter. The Epoch Times: How did your mother prepare her red beans? Mr. Brigtsen: My mother would cook her beans in a magnum Dutch oven, which I still have in my office. Red beans in New Orleans almost always require some kind of pork, typically smoked pork, to add flavor and sustenance to the dish to make it a complete meal. You can use ham hocks and smoked sausage, but my mom used salt pork, which is pork belly cured in salt. First, she would render the salt pork and add bell peppers. Often, she would use pickled pork, which is pork shoulder or pork butt cured in a sodium nitrate solution. Shed simmer the pickled pork to make a richer stock. Then shed add the beans and spices. All the richness of the pork and the little bit of acid build overall savory goodness and complexity in the dish. Brigtsens mothers Dutch oven. (Courtesy of Frank Brigtsen) The Epoch Times: Were there any other ingredients that stood out? Mr. Brigtsen: Well, it so happens toward the end of her life, I was visiting my mom at home one afternoon and she was making red beans. It was early in the process, and I noticed she was adding canned tomatoes to the red beans. I said, Mom, you put tomatoes in the red beans? And she just nodded. I had no idea she added canned tomatoes. Here I was at 50 years old, and I am just finding this out! So, I started adding canned tomatoes to my version of red beans and rice, a brand called Ro*Tel. The Epoch Times: Do you still make red beans and rice? Mr. Brigtsen: From 2009 to 2013, we owned a restaurant near River Ridge called Charlies Seafood. This was a real neighborhood institution. One of my first childhood memories was peeling boiled crabs at Charlies Seafood. The restaurant was along our drive home from Brigtsens. One night my wife, Marna, saw a For Rent sign posted and took down the number. We ended up buying the restaurant. Wed make red beans and rice on Mondays at that restaurant. While we dont serve red beans and rice at Brigtsens, I hold the memory of my mom cooking them close. Red Beans and Rice: A Monday Tradition In New Orleans Serving red beans and rice on Mondays in New Orleans is a longstanding tradition dating back to the 19th century. Families would serve large Sunday suppers with pork as a main course, and the leftovers would be repurposed to cook with local red kidney beans in a large pot the next day. Monday was laundry day, and before modern-day washing machines, women did everything by hand. The pot of beans would simmer for hours while women went about their cleaning and laundry, becoming a convenient way for housewives to feed a family at the start of the week. Every family has its own special recipe. According to New Orleans native Liz Williams, founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, originally red beans were made with a ham bone and whatever still clung to it or, pigs feet (trotters). The gelatin gave a rich mouthfeel to the beans. Ham bones are harder to come by these days, and people often make their red beans with sausage or sometimes pickled pork. Of course, she added, people do argue about sides now. In the past, whatever meat was left on the ham bone was the meat that you had. Now you can get various types of sausage, fried chicken, a pork chop, or even fried fish with your red beans as a side. That is a restaurant thing, and probably not a home practice. Red beans and rice is the main event. To evoke the rich, smoky flavor of cured pork without using meat, you can substitute vegan sausage, and add 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika and a small amount of red vinegar. Melanie Young writes about wine, food, travel, and health. She is the food editor for Sante Magazine, co-host of the weekly national radio show The Connected Table LIVE! and host of Fearless Fabulous You! both on iHeart.com (and other podcast platforms). Instagram@theconnectedtable Twitter@connectedtable RECIPE: Frank Brigtsens New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Firefighter Kyle Jacobson monitors the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burning in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on July 9, 2021. (Noah Berger/AP Photo) Surging California Wildfire Prompts Nevada Evacuations BECKWOURTH, Calif.A Northern California wildfire exploding through bone-dry timber prompted Nevada authorities to evacuate a border-area community as flames leapt on ridgetops of nearby mountains. The Beckwourth Complexa merging of two lightning-caused firesheaded into Saturday showing no sign of slowing its rush northeast from the Sierra Nevada forest region after doubling in size only a few days earlier. The fire was one of several threatening homes across Western states that are expected to see triple-digit heat through the weekend as a high-pressure zone blankets the region. On Friday, Death Valley National Park in California recorded a staggering high of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. If verified, it would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when the same Furnace Creek desert area hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit, considered the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth. Californias northern mountain areas already have seen several large fires that have destroyed more than a dozen homes. Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire prompted evacuation orders or warnings for hundreds of homes and several campgrounds in California along with the closure of nearly 200 square miles of Plumas National Forest. Firefighter Kyle Jacobson monitors the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, burning in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on July 9, 2021. (Noah Berger/AP Photo) On Friday, ridgetop winds up to 20 mph (32.2 kph) combined with ferocious heat as the fire raged through bone-dry pine, fir, and chaparral. As the fires northeastern flank raged near the border, the Washoe County Sheriffs Office asked people to evacuate some areas in the rural communities of Ranch Haven and Flanagan Flats, north of Reno. Evacuate now, a Sheriffs Office tweet said. Hot rising air formed a gigantic, smoky pyrocumulus cloud that reached thousands of feet high and created its own lightning, fire information officer Lisa Cox said Friday evening. Spot fires caused by embers leapt up to a mile ahead of the northeastern flanktoo far for firefighters to safely battle, and winds funneled the fire up draws and canyons full of dry fuel, where it can actually pick up speed, Cox said. Nearly 1,000 firefighters were aided by aircraft but the blaze was expected to continue forging ahead because of the heat and low humidity that dried out vegetation. The air was so dry that some of the water dropped by aircraft evaporated before reaching the ground, Cox said. Were expecting more of the same the day after and the day after and the day after, Cox said. The blaze, which was only 11 percent contained, officially had blackened more than 38 square miles but that figure was expected to increase dramatically when fire officials were able to make better observations. A firefighter burns vegetation while trying to stop the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, from spreading in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on July 9, 2021. (Noah Berger/AP Photo) Meanwhile, other fires were burning in Oregon, Arizona, and Idaho. In Oregon, pushed by strong winds, a wildfire in Klamath County grew from nearly 26 square miles Thursday to nearly 61 square miles on Friday in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land. An evacuation order was issued for people in certain areas north of Beatty and near Sprague River. That fire was threatening transmission lines that send electricity to California, which along with expected heat-related demand prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to issue an emergency proclamation suspending some rules to allow for more power capacity. The states electrical grid operator also issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, calling for consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity by reducing the use of appliances and keeping the thermostat higher during evening hours when solar energy is diminished or no longer available. In north-central Arizona, increased humidity slowed a big wildfire that posed a threat to the rural community of Crown King. The 24.5-square-mile lightning-caused fire in Yavapai County was 29 percent contained. Recent rains allowed five national forests and state land managers to lift public-access closures. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency Friday and mobilized the states National Guard to help fight fires sparked after lightning storms swept across the drought-stricken region. Fire crews in north-central Idaho were facing extreme conditions and gusts as they fought two wildfires covering a combined 19.5 square miles. The blazes threatened homes and forced evacuations in the tiny, remote community of Dixie about 40 miles southeast of Grangeville. People protest against the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise near the police station of Petion Ville in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 8, 2021. (Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo) Taiwan Says 11 Arrested at Its Haiti Embassy TAIPEI, TaiwanTaiwans foreign ministry says Haitian police have arrested 11 armed suspects who tried to break into the its embassy in Port-au-Prince. It gave no details of the suspects identities or a reason for the break-in. As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the President of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou told The Associated Press in Taipei. Officials said police were alerted by embassy security guards while Taiwanese diplomats were working from home. The ministry said some doors and windows were broken but there was no other damage to the embassy. Haiti is one of a handful of countries worldwide that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of the rival mainland Chinese regime in Beijing. Police in Haiti said the assassination of President Jovenel Moise was carried out by a commando unit of 26 Colombian and two Haitian-American mercenaries. The two Haitian-Americans were identified as James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, both from Florida. Seventeen of the men were capturedincluding Solages and Vincentafter a gun battle with Haitian authorities in Petionville, the hillside suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince where Moise resided. Three others were killed and eight remain at large, according to Haitian police. Authorities are hunting for the masterminds of the operation, they said. Reuters contributed to this report Members of Taliban political office Abdul Latif Mansoor (L), Shahabuddin Delawar (C) and Suhail Shaheen attend a news conference in Moscow, Russia, on July 9, 2021. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters) Taliban Says It Controls Most of Afghanistan, Reassures Russia MOSCOWA Taliban delegation in Moscow said on Friday that the group controlled over 85 percent of territory in Afghanistan and reassured Russia it would not allow the country to be used as a platform to attack others. Foreign forces, including the United States, are withdrawing after almost 20 years of fighting, a move that has emboldened Taliban terrorists to try to gain fresh territory in Afghanistan. That has prompted hundreds of Afghan security personnel and refugees to flee across the border into neighboring Tajikistan and raised fears in Moscow and other capitals that Islamist extremists could infiltrate Central Asia, a region Russia views as its backyard. At a news conference in Moscow on Friday, three Taliban officials sought to signal that they did not pose a threat to the wider region however. The officials said the Taliban would do all it could to prevent ISIS terrorist group operating on Afghan territory and that it would also seek to wipe out drug production. We will take all measures so that ISIS will not operate on Afghan territory and our territory will never be used against our neighbors, Taliban official Shahabuddin Delawar said through a translator. The same delegation said a day earlier that the group would not attack the Tajik-Afghan border, the fate of which is in focus in Russia and Central Asia. Moscow has noted a sharp increase in tensions on the same border, two thirds of which the Taliban currently controls, the Interfax news agency cited Russias foreign ministry as saying on Friday. Russias foreign ministry called on all sides of the Afghanistan conflict to show restraint and said that Russia and the Moscow-led CSTO military bloc would act decisively to prevent aggression on the border if necessary, RIA reported. By Polina Nikolskaya Hervis Rogers, on left, in a booking photograph. On right, a file picture shows "I Voted" stickers in Texas. (Montgomery County; Getty Images) Texas Man Charged After Allegedly Voting While on Probation A Texas man is facing felony charges for allegedly voting illegally in two elections. Hervis Rogers of Harris was recently indicted on two illegal voting charges for voting in the 2018 midterm elections and the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contest, according to court records. Rogers is accused of violating state law that prohibits voting in an election in which the person knows the person is not eligible to vote. Rogers was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 1995 for burglary and intent to commit theft, according to local media. He was released in 2004, but remained on parole until June 2020. Texas law bars convicted felons from voting until theyve finished their sentence, including probation. Hervis is a felon rightly barred from voting under TX law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a social media statement. I prosecute voter fraud everywhere we find it! he added. Rogers attracted media attention for waiting in line for hours to vote last year. The Texan, a media outlet, found that Rogers was convicted of a felony, which would mean Rogers voted illegally. Harris County Republican precinct chair and attorney Rachel Hooper later filed a formal complaint with the Texas Secretary of States office. Hooper noted that a voter registration form that Rogers signed stated that he must not have been convicted of a felony or, if he was, he must have completed his sentence or have received a pardon. Rogers bail was set at $100,000. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is helping represent the defendant. Mr. Rogers made headlines after waiting hours for what he thought was his civic duty, and was very proud of that, Andre Segura, an attorney with the union, told The Associated Press. We shouldnt be prosecuting people for innocent mistakes. The Chinese Regime Versus the US, and the Battle for Scientific Dominance Commentary According to Joe Augustyn, a decorated veteran of the CIA, when graduate students from China come to the United States, officials in Beijing brief them before they depart and brief them when they come back. This makes the U.S. Embassy and Consulates recent decision to reject the visa applications of 500 STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] students, all of whom were graduate students, a wise one. After all, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) appetite for intellectual property theft and acts of espionage, which are really two sides of the same coin, is insatiable. The infiltration of key American institutions has been, and continues to be, a major goal of the CCP. Targeting the epicenters of scientific advancements makes complete sense, as the wars of tomorrow will be won in cyberspace, not on remote battlefields. The CCP knows this better than most, hence the desire to send so many STEM students to the United States, the world leader in science. But what about U.S. students? Are they interested in pursuing STEM careers? The answer appears to be a rather resounding no. American students, according to Pew researchers, find STEM daunting . Science, math, and engineering, they contend, are just too difficult. More recently, the author Marco Sanau warned that the country is on the verge of a significant technology crisis, as it has fallen behind both China and India in producing math, science, and engineering graduates. This, writes Sanau, will have significant implications for the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and the effectiveness of Washingtons technology-dependent national defense strategy. The STEM crisis, were told, threatens Americas national security. As social sciences majors such as anthropology and sociology increase in popularity, hard sciences fade into oblivion. Educating the Children of Today for the World of Tomorrow Malcolm X famously called education the passport to the future. Tomorrow, he argued, belonged to those who prepare for it today. Considering that the future is inextricably linked with STEM, and that many Americans are ill-equipped for the challenges that await, the future looks rather uncertain. Meanwhile, in China, the most popular college majors include software engineering, electronic information engineering, automation, computational science and technology, and applied mathematics. Now, before I am accused of praising China, let me state one thing: Just as adults shouldnt be praised for seeing the wisdom in brushing their teeth, countries shouldnt receive praise for recognizing the importance of math, science, and engineering. Its common sense. However, when countries ignore the importance of STEM, consciously or otherwise, criticisms are most definitely warranted. The United States currently is getting torn apart by critical race theory. As Christopher Rufo has so expertly shown, young children across the country are being exposed to radical, fact-free ideas. Education has been replaced by indoctrination. Nefarious ideologies now permeate every aspect of American education, from public schools right up to elite universities. At Yale, for example, a psychiatrist was recently invited to give a talk to students, and talk she most certainly did mostly about her fantasies of executing white people. Students walk on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in Oct. 2009. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) Is this really the best way of preparing students for the world of tomorrow? What valuable skills are being learned? Who stands to benefit when the country is divided and distracted by racialized nonsense? Not the United States. All is not lost, however, far from it. There is a reason why so many foreign students pursue degrees with U.S. universities, and thats because the United States is home to some of the best universities in the world. Furthermore, its still the world leader in scientific research. However, when prestigious universities such as Yale are turned into intellectual cesspools, questions need to be asked. If children are being taught that math is racist, rather than the fundamentals of math, who benefits? The children? Not at all. The Chinese regime? Yes, and any other country that seeks to do harm to the United States. To equip the children of today for the world of tomorrow, a thorough knowledge of science and mathematics is absolutely vital. To counter China, as I have proposed elsewhere, a reacquaintance with science is desperately needed. This year, President Joe Biden promised to spend $250 billion on scientific research. Last year, China spent $128 billion more than the United States on research and development. With Xi Jinpings aggressive calls to accelerate the countrys scientific achievements, expect the sizable investments to continue, and to increase in size. The United States is clearly now in a position of scientific power. Nevertheless, the Biden administration must do everything in its power to address the STEM crisisnow, before its too late. Its in the best interest of every American, regardless of skin color or political affiliation, to be prepared for the opportunities, as well as the threats, that await. For this, STEM skills arent just necessary, theyre absolutely critical. John Mac Ghlionn is a researcher and essayist. His work has been published by the likes of the New York Post, Sydney Morning Herald, The American Conservative, National Review, The Public Discourse, and other respectable outlets. He is also a columnist at Cointelegraph. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Fate of the 15 Comrades at CCPs First National Congress Commentary On July 23, 1921, under the control of the Communist International (Comintern), the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held its first national congress meeting in Shanghai. It was a time when China suffered from regional warlords and the government fought the CCPs red terrors. A total of 15 CCP comrades joined the meeting, namely: Comintern representatives: Nikolsky (Vladimir Abramovich Neumann, pdf), and Maring (Henk Sneevliet); Shanghai representatives: Li Da, Li Hanjun; Beijing representatives: Zhang Guotao, Liu Renjing; Changsha representatives: Mao Zedong, He Shuheng; Wuhan representatives: Dong Biwu, Chen Tanqiu; Jinan representatives: Wang Jinmei, Deng Enming; Guangzhou representative: Chen Gongbo; Japanese student representative: Zhou Fohai; In addition, Chen Duxiu (the co-founder of the CCP) assigned Bao Huiseng to bring his letter to the meeting. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the CCP, I would like to briefly review the final outcome of the above 15 people. Seven Were Killed by the Communist Parties or Their Political Opponents The Comintern Envoys Nikolsky, a Soviet intelligence officer, and Maring, a Dutchman and a representative of the Russian Comintern, were both ordered by the Communist Party of Russia (Bolsheviks) to carry on their mission of subverting the Chinese government, the Republic of China. In June 1921, Nikolsky was sent to China by the Cominterns Far Eastern Bureau. With the instruction and funding of the Comintern, he met another Comintern envoy, Maring, in Shanghai. They both got hold of Li Da and Li Hanjun (both were founding members of the CCP). On July 23, 1921, both Nikolsky and Maring joined the congress and did a lot of work in China before, during, and after the meeting. However, on Sept. 21, 1938, Nikolsky was recalled to Moscow and shot after being charged with espionage in Khabarovsk Krai during the Great Purge in the Soviet Union. Maring was executed by the Nazis who occupied The Netherlands on April 12, 1942. Four Killed by the Political Opponents, One Tortured to Death by the CCP Li Hanjun, from Qianjiang, Hubei, studied at Tokyo Imperial University. He was fluent in four languages, Japanese, German, French, and English. He was one of the first to introduce Marxism in China. On Dec. 17, 1927, Li was arrested as a CCP chief member and executed that night by Hu Zongduo, commander of the Wuhan Garrison District. Deng Enming was sentenced to death by the Shandong Provincial Provisional Military Law Trial Committee of the Republic of China and executed on April 5, 1931. He Shuheng jumped off a cliff and fell to his death when he tried to escape from the governments National Revolutionary Army (NRA) siege in Changting, Fujian in 1935. Chen Tanqiu was secretly executed by the warlord Sheng Shicai in Dihua, Xinjiang (now Urumqi) on Sept. 27, 1943. Li Da was tortured to death by the CCP after being charged as a representative of the bourgeoisie and a reactionary academic that sneaked into the Party on Aug. 24, 1966. When the Cultural Revolution started on May 16, 1966, the intellectuals in the Party were taken down one after another. For example, the three big pens in Beijing, Deng Tuo, deputy secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, Wu Han, deputy mayor, and Liao Mosha, head of the United Front Work of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, were purged. CCPs well-known Marxist theorist, Li Da, then president of Wuhan University was also one of them. On Aug. 1, Li was expelled from the Party, removed from his positions inside and outside the Party, labeled as the landlord element (class), and subject to supervision and reform. After that, Li went through abusive interrogations in various meetings both large and small. He was denied any public or private medical attention. He wrote to Mao Zedong seeking urgent help, but to no avail. Finally, he died of a serious illness. Six People Defected or Withdrew From the CCP Zhang Guotao, along with Chen Duxiu and Li Da, was elected as members of the Central Bureau at the congress. Since then, Zhang held many important positions in the CCP and was one of the main leaders of the Fourth Division of the Red Army. After the NRAs fifth encirclement and annihilation campaign against the CCP troops, the CCP was forced to take on the so-called Long March to evade the defeat by the NRA. The Red Army was in a split in 1935 because Zhang Guotao and Mao Zedong had a disagreement on the issue of going north or going south. Zhang and his southbound army formed a separate central, known as the second central committee in CCP history. After suffering from defeat, he had to go north. Under the order of the Comintern, the second central was dismissed and Zhang was relieved of command of the Fourth Division. The Fourth Division was reorganized into the West Route Army and went northwest. The entire troop was almost completely annihilated in the Hexi Corridor. At the end of March 1937, the CCP held a Politburo meeting in Yanan. At the meeting, Mao Zedong, Zhang Wentian, Kai Feng, and others severely criticized Zhang Guotao. The meeting passed the resolution on Zhang Guotaos mistakes, accusing Zhang of having disobeyed the Party and Central Committee, splitted the Red Army, and engaged in the path of right opportunism and warlordism. Zhangs subordinates such as Xu Shiyou etc. were also implicated. They were attacked and labeled as Xu Shiyou counter-revolutionary group. Xu Xiangqian, the former commander-in-chief of the Fourth Division, wrote in his memoirs in his later years complaining that the case was unjust. In November 1937, Wang Ming, head of the CCP delegation to the Comintern, returned to Yanan. Wang Ming told Zhang Guotao frightening news: Zhangs cronies such as Li Te, who was the former deputy chief of staff of the Fourth Division, had been secretly executed in Xinjiang on the charge of Trotskyites. In his later years, Zhang Guotao wrote about his state of mind at this time in My Memories. I recall the past and feel that in the past I did not approve of this or that policy, opposed this or that measure, and was busy with this or that matter. Its a minor thing. I hate things like struggle and power, and I believe theyre just ridiculous. I think theres a dark side in everything in this world. There are sins in politics, and revolution does not necessarily mean holiness. As for those who abandon morale for the sake of a certain political need is even more despicable. I had not decided to leave the circle of my own creation, but I had realized the threat of this dark side. I had realized the fundamental flaws of the communist movement were too big. This extremely reactionary dictatorship will destroy all ideals. In Sept. 1937, Zhang Guotao was appointed as the vice chairman of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government under the second united front policy between the CCP and KMT during the resisting war against Japanese invasion. It was a position with no real power. On April 5, 1938, during the Ching Ming Festival, Zhang Guotao took the opportunity of leaving Yanan to attend the ceremony at the Huangdi Mausoleum in central Shaanxi, rebelling against the Party and surrendering to the government of the Republic of China. Zhang said in his withdrawal statement: This Communist Party is no longer the one I have longed for and fought for in my life! After the CCP came to power in 1949, Zhang fled to Hong Kong. In 1966, after the Cultural Revolution broke out, Zhang Guotaos former party comrades such as Liu Shaoqi and others went through beaten, fried, fired, and stepped on by 10,000 feet. The fire even spread to Hong Kong. Zhang Guotaos three sons have all moved abroad and developed their own careers, a teacher, an engineer, and a doctor. In 1968, Zhang moved to Toronto, Canada. When his former CCP comrades were either killed or imprisoned one by one in Qincheng Prison, wounded, handicapped, and families torn apart, Zhang spent 11 years in Canada in his old age. On Dec. 3, 1979, he passed away peacefully. Communist Party cadres hang a placard on the neck of a Chinese man during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. The words on the placard state the mans name and accuse him of being a member of the black class. (Public Domain) Zhou Fohai withdrew from the CCP in 1924. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he joined the puppet regime in eastern China led by Wang Jingwei under the support of the invading Empire of Japan, and served as the vice president of the Executive Yuan. He also served as the minister of finance, the secretary-general of the Central Political Committee, the president of the Central Reserve Bank, the mayor of Shanghai, the Shanghai security commander, and the chairman of the Material Control Committee. After Japan surrendered, Zhou Fohai was arrested and sentenced to death on Nov. 7, 1946. Chiang Kai-shek ordered Zhou Fohais death sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment because of his effort to maintain local stability during the time when Japan surrendered. On Feb. 28, 1948, he died of a heart attack in Nanjing Laohuqiao Prison. Chen Gongbo withdrew from the CCP in 1922. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he also joined Wang Jingweis puppet regime and served as the first legislative chairman, acting chairman of the National Government, president of the Executive Yuan, and chairman of the military committee. He was the second person in the regime of Wang Jingwei. After Japans defeat, he fled to Japan and was extradited back to China. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to death in 1946 and executed on June 3 of the same year. Li Hanjun seceded from the CCP in 1922 and was expelled from the CCP in 1924. Li Da separated from the CCP from 1923 to 1949. Bao Huiseng, who withdrew from the CCP in 1927, died of illness in Beijing in 1979. One Killed by a Bus In 1921, Liu Renjing was only 19 years old and studying in the Department of Physics of Peking University. He joined the first national congress of the CCP as a representative of the Beijing Communist Group. In Sept. 1922, Liu went to Moscow to participate in the fourth congress of the Comintern; after that, he attended the third congress of the Young Comintern; in 1923, he was the general secretary of the Communist Youth League. In 1926, Liu Renjing was selected to study at the Lenin Institute in Moscow. During this period, Trotsky lost his struggle against Stalin and was expelled from the party and the country as a counter-revolutionary. Liu was impressed with Trotskys ideal. In the summer of 1929, after graduation, Liu Renjing made a special detour on his way back to China in order to see Trotsky. In August 1929, Liu went to Turkey to meet Trotsky secretly. After returning to China, he established the October Society, a Trotskyist organization. At the end of 1929, he was expelled from the CCP for his Trotskyist activities. After the CCP took power, Liu confessed his mistakes in a newspaper to Mao Zedong. In 1950, Liu taught at Beijing Normal University. In 1951, he became a translator working at Peoples Publishing House. During the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Liu Renjing was unable to escape, suffering from criticism, brutal beatings, and house ransacking. In June 1967, he was imprisoned in Qincheng Prison. He was not released until the end of 1978 and was detained for 11 years. At about 5:20 in the morning on Aug. 5, 1987, while he was crossing the street to his morning exercise at the campus of Beijing Normal University, he was run over by a city bus and died. Four Died of Illness In addition to the aforementioned Bao Huiseng, the other three who died of illness are: Wang Jinmei died in Qingdao on Aug. 19, 1925, at age of 27. Dong Biwu died in Beijing on April 2, 1975. Mao Zedong died in Beijing on Sept. 9, 1976. Conclusion Of the 15 people at the first national congress of the CCP, two foreigners were eventually shot to death, eight Chinese comrades died of abnormal causes. In fact, seven of them died before the CCP took power. Mao was the only one who made it through the Cultural Revolution without being persecuted among the surviving comrades. Why would it happen like that? This question is worth pondering. In November 2011, The Epoch Times published a series of editorials Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, which provided an in-depth discussion on the ins and outs, characteristics, and nature of the CCP. Readers are suggested to read this book carefully, which may provide great enlightenment. Wang Youqun graduated with a Ph.D. in Law from the Renmin University of China. He once worked as a copywriter for Wei Jianxing (19312015), a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee from 1997 to 2002. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. UK Couple Refuse to Abort Baby With Down Syndrome; Now Son Is Heathy Toddler and a Model In 2016, a couple were heartbroken after receiving news that their expected baby might have Down syndrome; but they defied the doctors advice to terminate the pregnancy and gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Sarah Ojar and her husband attended the 12-week scan eager to see their baby, and put little thought into consenting to the screening, as they thought the birth would be straightforward, just like with their firstborn girl. We were told, There is a 1/29 chance of your baby having Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). We were offered a termination, a more accurate screening that cost around 550 dollars, a diagnostic CVS test, or to just carry on as normal, Sarah said in a story submitted to LoveWhatMatters, adding that they chose to carry on normally. At 16 weeks, she began feeling the baby kicking, and taking it as a good sign, she started bonding with him. During her 20-week anatomy scan, the doctor informed them that their baby, Zephy, had fetal hydrops, a buildup of fluid around his heart, lungs, and brain. We were advised to terminate the pregnancy, as they didnt believe it to be viable, said Sarah, adding that the doctors said he had no chance of surviving. Though the couple had previously decided they would never have amniocentesis due to the risk of miscarriage, they saw the situation at hand as forcing them to do it. It wasnt a comfortable procedure, and I was terrified of having a miscarriage, said Sarah. I rested as much as I could in the days after while awaiting the results. Days later, the results confirmed that the baby had Down syndrome, putting the family through a range of emotions: from disbelief and denial to anger and pain, and finally acceptance. Our families were so supportive, and he was so loved and accepted from before he was even born, said Sarah. After weeks of worrying, a scan confirmed that all the fluid had gone, allowing his organs to continue growing. This scan gave them hope that the baby would make it. We sadly did not get a lot of support from the hospital, the mom said. I found the rest of my pregnancy quite a lonely and daunting experience. After induction on Christmas Day, the baby was born healthy the day after, and spent two weeks in the special care baby unit. Fortunately, Zephy does not have any clinical conditions associated with Down syndrome; so Sarah and her husband have not had any serious illnesses to attend to, boosting his overall health significantly. Zephy is doing very well, generally. He has even been signed into a modelling agency in London, signed by a baby food advert and Down syndrome awareness campaigns. Sarah advises people in similar conditions to remain encouraged and know there is a wonderful community out there, waiting with open arms to help navigate what is to come, practically and emotionally. Sarah adds: Down syndrome is not something we specifically think about every day. It is everywhere, like the air we breathe, but not something we continuously focus on. I am so excited to see what his future holds. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, in Washington on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) US Deeply Concerned by Suppression of Falun Gong in Russia: State Department The United States is deeply concerned by a Russian courts recent decision to suppress a regional branch of the Falun Gong faith group by branding it as extremist, the State Department said on July 9. The court decision criminalized the peaceful practice of [the groups] spiritual beliefs, the department said. Russian authorities harass, fine, and imprison Falun Gong practitioners for such simple acts as meditating and possessing spiritual texts, Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement one day after a Russian court upheld a ban on the Khakassia regional branch of Falun Gong. We urge the Russian government to end its practice of misusing the extremist designation as a way to restrict human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said, adding that the court decision was another example of Russian authorities labeling peaceful groups as extremist, terrorist, or undesirable solely to stigmatize their supporters, justify abuses against them, and restrict their peaceful religious and civic activities. He noted that a Moscow court last month moved to classify three groups linked to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as extremist, which he said further demonstrated Russias arbitrary and expansive application of this label. In China, the meditation discipline Falun Gong has faced continued repression at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party since 1999, with adherents subjected to imprisonment, forced labor, physical and psychiatric torture, and even organ harvesting for persisting in their belief. Falun Gong practitioners hold a rally to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong, in Vancouver, Canada, on July 19, 2020. (Da Yu/The Epoch Times) Over the years, more than a dozen Falun Gong practitioners have been forced to leave Russia even though some of them were granted U.N. refugee status. In 2007, Russian immigration officers forcibly put Falun Gong practitioners Ma Hui and her 8-year-old daughter, both designated refugees, on a plane to deport them back to China. In a report titled Inventing Extremists in 2018, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted that the vague and problematic definition of extremism had given Russian authorities broad powers to persecute religious believers. Between 2011 and 2017, there were at least three cases related to distributing or possessing Falun Gong-related materials. In 2013, prosecutors issued a warning to Vladimir Sheremetyev, a local official for the United Russia Party, the countrys largest political party, after he used the Falun Gong book Zhuan Falun in group lessons. The book was banned in the country in 2011. In a 2012 resolution, the European Parliament censured Russia for its improper banning of the practices literature. FAA Requiring Emergency Inspections for More Bell Helicopters WASHINGTONThe U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it was requiring emergency inspections for more than 500 additional helicopters worldwide after a fatal Bell helicopter crash in Canada. On Wednesday, the FAA issued an emergency directive requiring main rotor inspections for some Bell model 212, 204 and 205 helicopters covering 140 U.S. helicopters and about 400 worldwide before further flights. The new directive affects another 359 helicopters in the United States and approximately 529 worldwide. Helicopter maker Bell, a unit of Textron Inc, on Friday confirmed the expansion noting it covers military variants. The new directive covers various restricted category helicopters that were originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter. The restricted aircraft are primarily used by the military and law enforcement. They are also used for forest and wildlife conservation, mineral exploration and other tasks requiring specialized aircraft. Bell said on Wednesday that even though the investigation was still under way, to ensure fleet safety, the main rotor strap pins identified should be removed from service before the next flight. It added it was not at liberty to discuss details of the Transport Safety Board investigation. Bell issued a service bulletin on Wednesday, saying, pins may not have been manufactured in accordance with the engineering design requirements and may therefore shear. A 48-year-old pilot died in the June 28 crash near Evansburg, Alberta, as he battled a wildfire, Canadian media reported. Transport Canada said earlier this week that its investigation into the Bell 212 helicopter accident found that one of the outboard main rotor hub strap pins sheared off during flight, leading to detachment of the main rotor blade and the main rotor head. An inspection of another Canadian Bell 212 helicopter found a main rotor hub strap pin of the same part number to be deformed after only about 29 hours in service, Transport Canada said. By David Shepardson (LR) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) arrives at the Capitol on May 13, 2021, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images); Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 12, 2019. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) Venue Cancels Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene Speaking Engagement An Orange County, California, venue has canceled plans to host an America First Rally featuring Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The Pacific Hills Banquet and Event Center in Laguna Hills backed out of hosting a July 17 event with the Congress members, The Orange County Register reported. According to the Register, the general manager of the event center, Javad Mirtavoosi, said he wanted to stay clear of hosting the politicians. He wasnt aware they would be speaking at the time of the booking, he said. As soon as we found out who the speakers were, we immediately canceled it, Mirtavoosi told the Register. Controversially, an employee at the center told The Epoch Times that it never confirmed plans with America First Rally organizers to host the event. The venue didnt respond to The Epoch Times request for further comment. Greenes spokesperson told The Epoch Times that these claims were inaccurate. Although the accounting of the venue cancellation is totally inaccurate, were very close to securing a location that will proudly host our America First Rally with Congresswoman Greene and Congressman Gaetz, Nick Dyer said. The America First Rally will still be held in Orange County on its scheduled date, but the pending location remains unknown. While the venue is being moved out of Laguna Hills, registered residents are eager to attend as the event has received an overwhelming influx of requests for tickets, Dyer said. The response from Orange County has been massive, he said. Gaetz and Greene began the America First tour May 7 in Florida, and have been making continuous stops around the country. Xi Jinpings Call for Rejuvenation Means Taking Indian Territory: Analyst News Analysis NEW DELHIAs the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated its 100-year anniversary on July 1, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the rise of the East. These agendas that the regime in Beijing is likely to relentlessly pursue will have a direct effect on India, with which Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has been engaged in a fierce confrontation since last year, an Indian analyst says. Xi said, in a speech that repeated the word rejuvenation at least 24 times, All the struggle, sacrifice, and creation through which the Party has united and led the Chinese people over the past hundred years has been tied together by one ultimate themebringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Namrata Hasija, a research fellow with the New Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, told The Epoch Times that India shouldnt forget that every time Xi gives a speech, particularly since the CCPs 19th National Congress in 2017, he mentions the Chinese dream, which includes the rejuvenation of the great Chinese nation. That agenda has direct implications for India because it involves the recovery of so-called lost territory, some of which today is a part of the Indian nation, she said. Xi said in his Party centenary speech: The victory of the new democratic revolution put an end to Chinas history as a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society, to the state of total disunity that existed in old China, and to all the unequal treaties imposed on our country by foreign powers and all the privileges that imperialist powers enjoyed in China. It created the fundamental social conditions for realizing national rejuvenation. Hasija said the Chinese communist leadership and Party cadres have been repeating their rhetoric about unequal treaties again and again, and they arent going to give that up. An important component of the China dream is the recovery of lost territories in the unequal treaties, which include Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, South China Sea, East China Sea, the Diaoyu Islands, and Taiwan, she said. Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh are Indian territories that the CCP claims were taken from China by unequal treaties and where India has experienced repeated Chinese incursions. In Ladakh, a heavy military standoff intensified after a bloody conflict at Galwan in June 2020 left both sides with casualties. Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on July 1, 2021. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP) (Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) In the Indian context, unequal treaties refer to the McMahon line formalized during the Shimla Convention of 1914 between Great Britain, which ruled India at the time, and Tibet, which was yet to be annexed by the CCP. While a draft convention had been initiated between the three countries, the Chinese regime refused to accept it and didnt sign the revised convention that was signed between Britain and Tibet. After Mao Zedong annexed Tibet, the regime overruled the mandate of the former Tibetan administration regarding the border with India that had become sovereign by then. Hasija said that Indian policymakers should keep in mind that Xi isnt going to back off from asserting Chinas ownership of Indian territory. To do so, he is instilling deeply in the cadres and common people alike, that they have to continue using the three magic weapons that the CCP has. And what are they? United front, armed struggle, and Party building, she said. Hasija pointed to Xis speech, noting that he said: We will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people. Xi mentioned about how they [Chinese people] should be ready for war with anyone that bullies China, and the days of bullying China are over, Hasija said. Again, hes harping on the same narrative. And that is what Xi Jinping and his Party have made people believe, that [the] time has come. The East is rising, and the West is declining. And by the East rising, hes not talking about any other country, hes talking about China. Since the Galwan incident last year, India and China have had 11 commander-level meetings, in which both sides talked about withdrawing militarily from the border, but thats not happening, she said. China is building massively when it comes to the border issue. Especially the IndiaChina border, theyre building massively there, Hasija said, citing a report stating that at least 448 pieces of military equipment, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, had been found in position near Rudok. Chinese regiment commander Qi Fabao shouts at an Indian soldier who wants to negotiate with him in the Galwan Valley, an IndiaChina border region, in June 2020. (Screenshot/Weibo) The deterioration of IndiaChina relationships started much before the Galwan incident, according to Hasija. She said it began when the Chinese regime began its ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor Project, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project that passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. If you read the Chinese-language media during the Doklam crisis, they have left no stone unturned to humiliate India, write ill about India. They attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ajit Doval [Indias current national security adviser], Sushma Swaraj [Indias then-foreign affairs minister]everyone, Hasija said. Doklam refers to a military standoff between the Indian army and the PLA in June 2017 over the construction of a road the Chinese were building in Doklam, a tri-junction between India, Bhutan, and China in the central Himalayan region. Two important things emerge from the Doklam crisisone, the Chinese said they are going to take back the recognition from Sikkim. Second was that they will restart the insurgency movement in the northeast of India [that borders China], Hasija said. Sikkim is a northeastern Indian state that borders Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal. It joined the Indian union in 1975, well after Indian independence from the British in 1947. Sandeep Kaur (C) and her brother Prabhjot Singh (2R) react after laying the wreaths of flowers on the coffin of their father and soldier Satnam Singh who was killed in a clash with Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley area, during a cremation ceremony at Bhojraj village near Gurdaspur in 2020. (Narinder Nanu / AFP via Getty Images) CCPs Agendas in Tibet The action points under the CCPs planned rejuvenation of the Chinese nation also include infrastructure projects in Tibet, which mean the massive deployment of the PLA in the region, Hasija said. That has direct repercussions on Indias security, since India shares a long border with China along the Tibetan plateau. Any project in Tibet, we all know, needs approval from the PLA, and its for the PLAs benefit, she said. Now all these massive infrastructure projects and events will enable the PLA to rapidly transport troops, military cargo, hardware into Tibet. Under the plan, the Chinese regime aims to build dams on the cross-border rivers that originate from Tibet and flow into India, and this will adversely impact the populations in the downstream regions in India, Hasija said, adding that the regime is building a massive dam on the river Brahmaputra or Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and at least 17 other dams on its lower reaches. Thats estimated to affect at least 1 billion people in the lower riparian countries who are dependent on the river and the tributaries that feed it, she said. The huge influx of people and the large-scale construction activities in Tibet, including building border airports and 200 border defense villages, will certainly result in warming of temperatures. In turn, this will accelerate the retreat of glaciers and drastically reduce the flow of water in the glacier-fed rivers that irrigate the IndoGangetic plain, where the majority of Indias population resides, she said. (Diana Hubert-Benedetti/The Epoch Times) Historical Uneasiness Hasija said India and China have always had an uneasy relationship, and contrary to the belief that the period prior to 1950 was a honeymoon between the two countries, her research shows that it was never so. When India got independence, our main problem has always been Kashmir and Pakistan. Now, India was the first non-communist country to give recognition to the PRC [Peoples Republic of China]. There were, of course, calls at that time in our Parliament that we should wait, she said. According to my analysis, Kashmir is a factor that contributed majorly towards Nehrus [Indias first Prime Minister] policy toward China, she said, adding that the Indian government would have thought that if they recognized the PRC, the Chinese leadership would support India over Kashmir. Theres one letter that Nehru wrote to Mohan Singh Mehta [dated] 20 September 1952. In this letter, he says that India is only threatened by Pakistan, and he is not in the least worried about China. And hes been advised that China would be a major support to Indias stance on Kashmir in the coming years. Mehta was Indias ambassador to Pakistan during that time. India followed a policy of appeasement toward the Chinese regime after the annexation of Tibet for this reason, according to Hasija. And then Chinas claim on Formosa Taiwan, of course, India always said during that time that it is an extension of the Chinese Civil War, and we are not bothered if Formosa is a part of China, Hasija said. The Chinese regime never supported India, Hasija said. She believes the Indian leadership wasnt able to understand the Chinese communist leadership, and said its time India invests in research to understand CCP thought. We have hardly invested in China studies, we do not have enough scholarship on understanding and knowing Chinese, she said, adding that India can also build new partnerships and strategic alliances to counter the Chinese agenda of great rejuvenation. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) The Navajo Nation reported 14 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday and one recent death. The figures released by the Navajo Department of Health bring the total number of cases on the reservation to 31,081 since the pandemic began. The death toll is 1,358. CHICAGO (AP) Police in Chicago have identified a 34-year-old man fatally shot by law enforcement officers after he reportedly pointed a gun at them as they tried to arrest him. The Chicago Police Department released Klevontaye Whites name late Friday. Officials initially said the man who was killed was 33. POINT ROBERTS, Wash. (AP) Washington states governor traveled to the exclave of Point Roberts on Friday to visit residents who have been voicing concern for months about the border closure between the U.S. and Canada that has essentially cut them off from both countries. Point Roberts is on the tip of a peninsula south of Vancouver, British Columbia, that juts into U.S. territory. Its part of Washington, but separated from the rest of the state. Gov. Jay Inslee was greeted Friday by a few dozen residents at the towns library, some of whom suggested that Inslee push the White House to allow for an exemption to the closure, or approval for Canadians to return to the point, KING-5 reported. There is no reason not to allow vaccinated Canadians to come here from the north, Inslee said. Before the pandemic, residents frequently traveled into Canada to shop, work or drive the 25 miles (40 km) through southern British Columbia to reach the U.S. mainland. And Canadian shoppers and tourists are a big source of revenue for Point Roberts' businesses. In March 2020, the northern border was closed to nonessential crossings in both directions to control the spread of the coronavirus. Community leaders say there is no reason to restrict their border crossing anymore because most everyone living on the five-square-mile peninsula is fully vaccinated. Point Roberts Fire Chief Christopher Carleton reiterated Friday that he has helped to vaccinate 85% of the more than 1,000 residents. International Marketplace owner Ali Hayton thanked Inslee for the recent $100,000 emergency grant to keep her business, the towns only grocery store, afloat. The supermarket depends on Canadian visitors and second-home owners to make a profit, and those shoppers have been unable to come over for more than a year. Inslee told the group that he believed the problem with reopening involved people from the north side of the border, and that hes open minded about allowing vaccinated Canadians to return to their homes and businesses. Our infection rate, vaccination rates are close enough now, that there is not a huge enough difference, he said of both counties. Were in the same boat right now. Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, said she has asked every resident to get the names and badge numbers of agents who have restricted even essential travel, so that she can present them to Canadian officials for evidence of the unique circumstances. We should be able to do something for the folks to come across the border, she said. Both Inslee and DelBene have written letters to U.S. and Canadian security officials urging a border reopening. The joint international ban on non-essential travel at the U.S.-Canadian border remains in effect through July 21. PHOENIX (AP) A fiery crash that killed a mother and her five children happened after she made a U-turn in an interstate median and a semi-trailer hit her vehicle from behind, authorities said Friday. The crash split Natisha Moffett's car in half, and it burst into flames, killing the 35-year-old Phoenix resident and her children, all of whom were 18 or younger, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. Moffett had been traveling on Interstate 10 west of Phoenix ahead of a friend who was in another vehicle. That woman got a flat tire and called Moffett to say she was going to cross the median to get to a safer location to seek help. She told Moffett to follow her, according to court documents. Although there was enough space on the side of the interstate to pull off safely, the two vehicles crossed the median in a no U-turn zone, authorities said. They pulled into one of the traffic lanes and were going about 15 mph (24 kph) when they were struck by the semi-trailer that was going under the speed limit at 73 mph (117 kph), authorities said. Everyone in Moffett's car died in the July 2 crash. The surviving friend and her four children, who range in age from 2 to 14, suffered injuries that included cuts, fractures and a brain bleed, according to court documents. Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said Friday that the children remain hospitalized. The friend is not facing any charges related to the deaths of Moffett or her children, Graves said. The details of the crash weren't released until Thursday, when the friend was released from the hospital and arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, the agency said. The four assault charges relate to her actions while driving and the injuries of her children, Graves said. The two drug charges apparently stemmed from a white powdery substance and a partly melted straw that a hospital security guard found in the woman's purse, according to court documents. ___ The story has been updated to correct the spelling of the deceased woman's last name to Moffett. On Thursday evening (July 8), a 24-year-old bicyclist was killed when the driver of an SUV barreled through a red light on Houston Street, near Attorney Street, and fled from the scene. Borkot Ullah was found in the street suffering severe trauma, with his e-bike by his side. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Ullah was a delivery worker and an activist with Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), a group that advocates for the rights of undocumented workers. Ullah came to the U.S. from Bangladesh and was seeking asylum. A GoFundMe campaign organized by DRUM has raised about $13,000: We are working with the community to arrange Borkots janaza, to have his body sent home to Bangladesh, and to have his body transported to his village. We are working with Borkots friends and family to arrange a vigil along with the janaza and will share once it is set. 100% of donations will go directly to supporting Borkots family both here and in Bangladesh whom he supported financially through his food delivery work. As Streetsblog reported, the driver of a Subaru Outback SUV was apparently being chased by police: A video from the scene showed clearly that the cyclist had the light and that the driver swerved around stopped traffic to run the red light and strike Ullah. After the crash, the driver is seen racing away at a high rate of speed as two cops in an unmarked police car which was right behind the hit-and-run driver and might have been pursuing the driver before the crash pulled over to check on the victim. When Streetsblog sought more details about whether the officer was chasing the suspect before the crash, NYPD spokeswoman Det. Sophia Mason said, The circumstances of the pre-collision fact pattern are under full review.' The safe streets advocacy organization, Transportation Alternatives, pointed out that there is no protected bike lane on East Houston Street only a painted line. And City Council member Carlina Rivera, while noting that the citys Department of Transportation plans to install a protected bike lane this summer, added, this hit-and-run shows why protective measures are installed too slowly & why dangerous driving laws must be strengthened. Cops have not found the driver. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip here. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Here AirAsia suspends domestic flights PHUKET: AirAsia has suspended all domestic flights in the country, with the hope of resuming operations from Aug 1. tourismtransportCOVID-19 By The Phuket News Saturday 10 July 2021, 08:30AM Image: AirAsia A notice posted yesterday (July 9) announced the suspension of services. Adhering to the Governments Covid-19 prevention measures, Thai Air Asia will temporarily suspend operations on all domestic flights (FD Flights) from 10 July to 31 July 2021, the notice said. We hope to resume operations from 1 August 2021 onward, it added. Guests who have booked flights during the above period will be contacted by AirAsia, the airline noted. We will reach out to you via SMS or email, to discuss your flight recovery options, per our Terms and Conditions, the notice explained. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we thank you for your continued support, the notice concluded. Airlines scramble to allow passengers to reschedule flights PHUKET: Four major domestic airlines Nok Air, Vietjet, Bangkok Air and Thai Smile have announced emergency measures for passengers needing to reschedule flights due to the restrictions now imposed in Bangkok and its surrounding five provinces. COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourism By The Phuket News Saturday 10 July 2021, 01:02PM Four major domestic airlines have announced options for travellers affected by the Bangkok restrictions to reschedule flights. Four major domestic airlines have announced options for travellers affected by the Bangkok restrictions to reschedule flights. Four major domestic airlines have announced options for travellers affected by the Bangkok restrictions to reschedule flights. Four major domestic airlines have announced options for travellers affected by the Bangkok restrictions to reschedule flights. The announcements follow the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) imposing travel restrictions on those living in the greater Bangkok area, effective today (July 10). Bangkok and the surrounding five provinces have been designated dark red zones, as have four southern border provinces. All people in dark red zones are asked to refrain from travel. They are also asked to stay at home from 9pm to 4am each night, leaving their residence only for essential reasons. Interprovincial travel is to be restricted to minimise the movement of people, the CCSA announced yesterday. The scramble to allow passengers to reschedule flights also follows the announcement that AirAsia has suspended all domestic flights from today (July 10) through to July 31. AirAsia hopes to resume services from Aug 1. Nok Air in their announcement "Nok Air understands today said, For passengers whose travel schedule is between 10 - 24 July 2021, there is a policy of assistance as follows. Able to change the travel date without a change fee 1 time. - If the ticket price of the new flight is higher than the original flight passengers must pay the difference in ticket price. - The new travel date must be within December 31, 2021 and must be on the original itinerary only. - The flight change must not be less than 12 hours before the original scheduled departure. Can use an Open Ticket until December 31, 2021 - If the ticket price of the new flight is higher than the original flight passengers must pay the difference in ticket price. - The new travel date must be within December 31, 2021 and must be on the original itinerary only. - The flight change must not be less than 12 hours before the original scheduled departure. Can be stored as Credit Shell until March 31, 2022. - If the ticket price of the new flight is higher than the original flight passengers must pay the difference in ticket price. - The new travel date must be within March 31, 2022. Vietjet, Bangkok Airways and Thai Smile all also issued similar notices, and urged passengers affected by the travel restrictions to contact their offices. The flurry of announcements by the domestic airlines explaining the options to reschedule flights follows the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) last year being forced to issue a reminder for all domestic airlines to uphold terms and conditions for refunds and rescheduled flights due to COVID measures after the industry was flooded with reports of vouchers being issued without any means of foreseeable redemption in the wake of the lockdown last year. All schools in Phuket ordered closed for two weeks PHUKET: All schools in Phuket have been ordered to close from July 12-23 by order of the Phuket Governor. COVID-19Coronavirushealth By The Phuket News Saturday 10 July 2021, 08:45AM A copy of the order posted online last night. Image: PR Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew issued the order yesterday (July 9) after slew of schools had announced that they were to close over concerns of COVID infections spreading among students, staff and teachers at their respective schools. In announcing that Baan Talad Neua School, located on Chao Fa Rd in Phuket Town and operated by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), will close for two weeks, PPAO Deputy President Anuphap Wetwanitsanong explained that a student in the Kindergarten 2/1 class has been confirmed infected with COVID-19. Other schools announced that they were closing as a precaution. In total, five schools in Phuket Town had announced their intention to close by end of day yesterday. Three more announced their intention to close yesterday evening. The provincial order, No. 3859/2564, issued by Governor Narong was signed and dated yesterday, and marked to be in effect from July 12-23. The order applies to all educational institutions in Phuket, and includes those under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and the Office of Vocational Education Commission. It applies to all under the local government organisation schools and kindergartens. All tutoring institutions refrain from teaching and learning. and refrain from organizing any activities that require a gathering of students, the order noted. All schools were ordered to make arrangements so that classes could continue online. Private sector committee slashes economic growth projection BANGKOK: Thailands Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) have slashed the forecast for the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year to 0-1.5%, from an earlier estimate of 0.5-2%. economicsCOVID-19 By National News Bureau of Thailand Saturday 10 July 2021, 10:15AM Photo: NNT Thai Bankers Association (TBA) chairman Payong Srivanich said the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak and spread of the virulent Delta variant have led to stringent measures being rolled out by the government to contain the outbreak, reports state news agency NNT. The stronger measures have impacted economic activity, employment and workers incomes. Moreover, travel restrictions and quarantine measures will significantly impact domestic tourism in the third quarter of this year, the agency said. FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree said the government should speed up vaccine procurement and distribution. In particular, laborers in the manufacturing sector must be vaccinated to maintain the countrys export sector, which is a key engine for the Thai economy during the crisis. Additionally, Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Sanan Angubolkul said the government should have a clear stance on alternative vaccines as a third booster dose. This will build the confidence of Thais, foreign tourists and offshore investors and support Thailands economic momentum. Seniors, including foreigners, to get jabs donated by Japan BANGKOK: Senior Thais and foreigners based in Thailand will be given priority for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine that arrived in the country from Japan on Friday (July 9), according to the COVID-19 taskforce. COVID-19CoronavirushealthVaccine By Bangkok Post Saturday 10 July 2021, 08:00AM A health worker takes a swab from a woman at Mahanak market in Dusit district on Friday. More testing centres will be opened in Greater Bangkok. Photo: Apichart Jinakul / Bangkok Post Thais and foreigners aged 60 or more and those with seven chronic diseases would be among the groups to receive the vaccine, said Dr Apisamai Srirangson, the assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Other targets will be students, diplomats, athletes and people in need of jabs before travelling overseas, she added. The shipment that arrived in the capital on Friday contained 1.05 million doses of AstraZeneca, Dr Apisamai said. The government is trying to inoculate more senior citizens, especially those living in high-risk Bangkok, to contain the rapid spread of the virus as the highly transmissible strain of the Delta variant is gaining ground. The CCSA meeting on Friday, with lockdown measures high on the list, also agreed to give vaccinated healthcare personnel the Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot. As well, more testing centres will be opened in Bangkok and five neighbouring provinces to identify infected people. People have overwhelmed several screening centres in Bangkok in recent days, with some camping out outside Wat Phra Sri Maha That in Bang Khen district on Wednesday, for mass testing after the jump in new transmission cases in Bangkok. Wet roads bring accidents PHUKET: The heavy downpours that have strafed the island since yesterday saw wet roads overnight leading to several accidents on Phuket roads. transportSafetyaccidentsweather By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 10 July 2021, 11:41AM In Kamala, two people were injured, one critically, after their motorbike hit a tree that had fallen across the road. Photo: Courtesy of Sob Kamala Rescuea In Kamala, two people were injured, one critically, after their motorbike hit a tree that had fallen across the road. Photo: Courtesy of Sob Kamala Rescuea The car hit the roadside sign south of the heroines Monument just after 4am. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The car hit the roadside sign south of the heroines Monument just after 4am. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The car hit the roadside sign south of the heroines Monument just after 4am. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The car hit the roadside sign south of the heroines Monument just after 4am. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The car hit the roadside sign south of the heroines Monument just after 4am. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Rescue workers were called to the curve on Thepkrasattri Rd near the Tha Reua Shrine, just south of the Heroines Monument, at 4:15am, where a car had slid on the wet road surface and hit a road sign bedside the road. Police and rescue workers arrived to find a Phuket-registered Honda City sedan had suffered heavy damage after hitting a sign. The driver, a man, was injured and rushed to Thalang Hospital, rescue workers reported. The car was taken to Thalang Police Station while police continued their investigation, noting that government property had been damaged in the incident. In Kamala just 15 minutes earlier, rescue workers were called to the Patong-Kamala road after a motorbike hit a tree that had fallen across the road. At the scene rescue workers found Sumarin Sirisaen, 30, had suffered critical injuries. The rescue workers administered CPR and an ambulance from Patong Hospital was called. However, due to the severity of Ms Sumarins injuries, she was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, rescue workers confirmed. Also injured in the accident as Anucha Panyachai, 16. He was unable to remember the accident, rescue workers said. Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 102F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 62F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. Near record high temperatures. High 104F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Mostly cloudy with rain ending for the afternoon. High 26C. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 19C. Winds light and variable. BERLIN (AP) Esther Bejarano, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp who used the power of music to fight antisemitism and racism in post-war Germany, has died at 96. Bejarano died peacefully in the early Saturday at the Jewish Hospital in Hamburg, the German news agency dpa quoted Helga Obens, a board member of the Auschwitz Committee in Germany, as saying. A cause of death was not given. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid tribute to Bejarano, calling her an important voice in the fight against racism and antisemitism. Born in 1924 as the daughter of Jewish cantor Rudolf Loewy in French-occupied Saarlouis, the family later moved to Saarbruecken, where Bejarano enjoyed a musical and sheltered upbringing until the Nazis came to power and the city was returned to Germany in 1935. Her parents and sister Ruth eventually were deported and killed, while Bejarano had to perform forced labor before being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943. There, she volunteered to become a member of the girls orchestra, playing the accordion every time trains full of Jews from across Europe arrived. Bejarano would say later that music helped keep her alive in the notorious German Nazi death camp in occupied Poland and during the years after the Holocaust. We played with tears in our eyes, she recalled in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press. The new arrivals came in waving and applauding us, but we knew they would be taken directly to the gas chambers. Because her grandmother had been a Christian, Bejarano was later transferred to the Ravensbrueck concentration camp and survived a death march at the end of the war. In a memoir, Bejarano recalled her rescue by U.S. troops who gave her an accordion, which she played the day American soldiers and concentration camp survivors danced around a burning portrait of Adolf Hitler to celebrate the Allied victory over the Nazis. Bejarano emigrated to Israel after the war and married Nissim Bejarano. The couple had two children, Edna and Joram, before returning to Germany in 1960. After once again encountering open antisemitism, Bejarano decided to become politically active, co-founding the Auschwitz Committee in 1986 to give survivors a platform for their stories. She teamed up with her children to play Yiddish melodies and Jewish resistance songs in a Hamburg-based band they named Coincidence, and also with hip-hop group Microphone Mafia to spread an anti-racism message to German youth. We all love music and share a common goal: Were fighting against racism and discrimination, she told the AP of her collaborations across cultures and generations. Bejarano received numerous awards, including Germanys Order of Merit, for her activism against what she called the old and new Nazis," quoting fellow Holocaust survivor Primo Levi's warning that it happened, therefore it can happen again. While addressing young people in Germany and beyond, Bejarano would say, You are not guilty of what happened back then. But you become guilty if you refuse to listen to what happened. She also didn't shy away from criticizing present-day German officials, such as when tax authorities canceled the charitable status of the country's biggest anti-fascist organization. The decision was later reversed. In a letter of condolence to her children, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote that Bejarano had experienced first-hand what it means to be discriminated against, persecuted and tortured, and lauded her educational work. We have suffered a great loss in her death, he added. "She will always have a place in our hearts. ___ Kirsten Grieshaber contributed to this report. BECKWOURTH, Calif. (AP) A California wildfire that closed nearly 200 square miles of forest forced evacuations across state lines into Nevada on Friday as winds and scorching, dry weather drove flames forward through trees and brush. The Beckwourth Complex which began as two lightning-caused fires in Plumas National Forest showed extreme behavior," fire information officer Lisa Cox said Friday evening. Hot rising air formed a gigantic, smoky pyrocumulus cloud that reached thousands of feet high and created its own lightning, Cox said. Spot fires caused by embers leapt up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) ahead of the northeastern flank too far for firefighters to safely battle, Cox said. Winds up to about 20 mph (32 kph) on ridgetops were funneling flames up draws and canyons full of dry fuel, where it can actually pick up speed," Cox said. By evening, the fire was approaching U.S. 395, a main interstate in the northern Sierra Nevada not far from the border. Although the flames hadn't crossed that divide, the Washoe County Sheriffs Office told people to evacuate some areas in the rural communities of Ranch Haven and Flanagan Flats, north of Reno. Evacuate now," a Sheriff's office tweet said. Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire already prompted evacuation orders or warnings for hundreds of homes and several campgrounds in California along with the closure of nearly 200 square miles of Plumas National Forest. The blaze, which was only 11% contained, officially had blackened more than 38 square miles (98 square kilometers) but that figure was expected to increase dramatically when fire officials were able to make better observations. Nearly 1,000 firefighters were aided by aircraft but the blaze was expected to continue leaping through trees and chaparral that already are bone-dry because of low humidity and a heat wave forecasted to continue through the weekend. Were expecting more of the same the day after and the day after and the day after, Cox said. The air was so dry that some of the water dropped by aircraft evaporated before it reached the ground, she said. The fire was one of several burning in the West, including several that destroyed dozens of California homes in recent days. In the region between the Oregon border and the northern end of the Central Valley, the big Lava and Tennant fires were significantly contained, and progress was reported at the Salt Fire as containment improved to 45%. The Salt Fire has burned 27 homes and 14 outbuildings north of Redding, which hit 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) before 11 a.m. The Lava Fire destroyed 20 structures, including 13 homes, and damaged two structures. The Tennant Fire destroyed five buildings, including two homes. In north-central Arizona, increased humidity slowed a big wildfire that posed a threat to the rural community of Crown King. The 24.5-square-mile (63.5-square-kilometer) lightning-caused fire in Yavapai County was 29% contained. Recent rains allowed five national forests and state land managers to lift public-access closures. Climate change is considered a key driver" of a trend that is creating longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire," the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said recently. Fire crew officials will be briefing the community on progress Friday evening at the Chiloquin Community Center. The meeting will be streamed on the Facebook page for the Fremont-Winema National Forest beginning at 7 p.m. In Oregon, pushed by strong winds, a wildfire in Klamath County grew from nearly 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) Thursday to nearly 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) on Friday in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land. It was 0% contained, according to a Facebook post by the incident management team. Klamath County Emergency Management on Friday issued an immediate evacuation order for people in certain areas north of Beatty and near Sprague River. California dispatched two strike teams with wildland engines to help. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency Friday and mobilized the state's National Guard to help fight fires sparked after lightning storms swept across the drought-stricken region. Fire crews in north-central Idaho were facing extreme conditions and gusts as they fought two wildfires covering a combined 19.5 square miles (50.5 square kilometers). The blazes threatened homes and forced evacuations in the tiny, remote community of Dixie about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Grangeville. Efforts were complicated in part because resources were stretched thin, fire managers said, and the area has very challenging terrain covered with parched trees and plants. Meanwhile, forecasters warned that much of California will see dangerously hot weekend weather, with highs in triple digits in the Central Valley, mountains, deserts and other inland areas because of strengthening high pressure over the state. Heat warnings did not include major coastal populations. On Friday, Death Valley National Park recorded a staggering 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 Celsius). If verified, it would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when the same Furnace Creek area hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.6 degrees Celsius), considered the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth. Californias power grid operator issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to avoid disruptions and rolling blackouts. Flex Alerts call for consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity by reducing the use of appliances and keeping the thermostat higher during evening hours when solar energy is diminished or no longer available. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed an emergency proclamation suspending certain requirements so the state could obtain additional power capacity. July 10, 1952 Honesdale hit hard by disastrous flooding Flooding along the Lackawaxen and Dyberry rivers trapped 12 families in their homes and isolated Honesdale from the rest of Wayne County. The rivers started going over the banks shortly after midnight. The flooding was caused by two days of rain. Honesdale police evacuated more than 200 people who lived near the flooding rivers. The flooding crested shortly after 3 a.m., but the damage was already done. Families, including Honesdale Police Chief Nicholas Stapleton, were trapped in their homes on Fair Avenue. The floodwaters also caused the rear wall of Hussco Shoe Co., at Park Street and River Road, to collapse. The 12 employees who were in the building in the morning at the time of the collapse narrowly missed injury or death. Before the wall collapsed, workers were inside moving records, equipment and business documents to the high ground in the building. The damage from the flooding in Wayne County was estimated to be at least $750.000. A Pennsylvania Highway Department spokesperson announced that 4,700 miles of state roads throughout Northeast Pennsylvania were damaged by flash flooding. This was the third time since 1936 that Wayne County was hit hard by flooding. Boy hits roadblock in city on Broadway trip Sheldon Kurtz, a 15-year-old from Detroit, hit a roadblock on his trip to see Broadway when he reached Scranton. Kurtzs father William called Scranton police on July 9, 1952, to alert them Sheldon was traveling to Manhattan and asked that he be stopped if he arrived in Scranton. Scranton Patrolmen Earl Kugler and Thomas Flanagan picked him up when he arrived in Scranton the morning of July 10 at the bus station. Sheldon told Kugler and Flanagan he financed the whole trip by working an after-school job during the past two summers. Sheldons father was called and arrangements were made to send him back to Detroit. Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribunes expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140. SCRANTON With an increasingly diverse population, the city plans to make interpretation and translation services available to all municipal departments of City Hall, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said. The Police and Fire Departments already use contracted interpretation and translation services when needed, she said. But other departments that also often interact with the public including Licensing, Inspections and Permits and the Department of Public Works also would benefit from having language interpretation/translation services available, the mayor said. The city issued a request for proposals, called an RFP, in the June 26 edition of The Times-Tribune seeking interpretation and translation services, with a submission deadline of July 14. We need interpretation services across all of our departments in the city. So this is an effort to have interpretation thats readily available for code enforcement, public works beyond police and fire (departments,) which have had access to those language services, Cognetti said. Were trying to broaden that and make sure that were able to communicate with our residents, especially in real-time when there are emergency situations. Non-English speaking residents interacting with police during emergencies sometimes have found it easier to try to communicate through one person speaking for others, police Chief Leonard Namiotka said. But officers often need to speak directly with victims or suspects and cannot use a family-member intermediary, and thats when an interpreter gets called upon for translation. Its a valuable tool for our officers, especially if its a crisis situation, Namiotka said. Many times, they (residents) want to use a family member (to communicate), but we cant do that. In Scranton, 10.6% of residents, or 8,121, were born in a country other than the U.S., according to the 2018 U.S. Census American Community Survey. That number has tripled since the year 2000. During fall of the Scranton School Districts 2020-21 academic year, the number of English learners or those who spoke a different language and were unable to communicate fluently in English continued to grow. Students spoke 52 languages other than English and came from 62 different countries. Scrantons population now includes many Bhutanese-Nepali and Congolese refugees who fled strife and violence. Some communities also may speak different dialects of the same language, Namiotka said. We talk about diversity in the city, the range of languages spoken is so broad, you cant just stop at one or two for interpretation/translation services, Cognetti said. There are a lot of languages out there. Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti seems to have pulled off something that many veteran politicos probably considered impossible. Cognetti raised more than $331,000 in campaign contributions since she took over at City Hall in January 2020 without accepting a dime from a city contractor or employee. We looked among her contributors and we couldnt find any employee or anybody on her campaign finance reports who does business with the city, though only about 45% of the money contributed to her campaign comes from within Pennsylvania. Cognetti boasted in a May 16, 2021, election campaign newspaper advertisement in The Times-Tribune: No campaign contributions from city employees or contractors. It is the right way to do business because it takes the politics out of government, a process that started decades ago with civil service protection and employee unionization. We have covered politics regularly for more than 20 years and routinely have seen employees contribute to their bosses campaigns. Name a county commissioner, Scranton mayor or other local politician and there is a good chance that employees have ponied up a contribution when the boss has asked. Its not illegal for an elected official to ask an employee or vendors to contribute, and its perfectly legal for an employee or vendor to contribute. If the elected official forces an employee or vendor to contribute or threatens an employees job or a contractors contract for not contributing, well, thats against the law. We just havent heard of an elected official actually rejecting employee or vendor contributions. Maybe we missed someone, but asking employees for contributions reflects the norm. Cognetti remembered reviewing campaign finance reports of incumbent local elected officials two years ago as she prepared to run for mayor the first time. She saw a lot of people running for an office where theyre the head of the organization, and people that worked in that same government organization were contributors. I just dont feel like that was right, Cognetti said. I think that if youre employing somebody that its perfectly fine ... if somebody asks your campaign for a sign and they put it in the yard. Thats perfectly fine. But I just dont like the appearance of having employees financially contributing to the campaign of the person they work for. To me, its just not something that I could choose to do. She extended that to current city contractors. I think those things are parallel, where you just ... would never want there to be an actual conflict. And you certainly wouldnt want even the appearance of any sort of conflict, Cognetti said. Politics has enough politics in it by itself. And I think, why further complicate it by taking the contributions from employees within your own organization or vendors who are doing business with your organization? Cognetti said she returned contributions in December from two employees who apparently were unaware of the policy. We had set the policy but not broadcast it too widely, she said. Some contractors wanted to contribute, Cognetti said. By January, when the campaign was kind of officially up and running, we made it (the contributions policy) clear, she said. I still had conversations or people called and said, You know, hey, Id love to contribute. And I said, I appreciate that, but were not taking contributions from contractors. Now, remember that Cognettis campaign asked county employees for campaign cash last December. In a letter Jan. 6, county chief of staff Brian Jeffers blasted Cognetti for that, but Cognettis campaign manager Allison Boyer said only three employees got the emailed solicitations and all were unintentional. Boyer said the campaign purges its email list of anyone with a .gov address to prevent solicitations from going to government accounts. The campaign missed the county email addresses because they end with .org, and deleted them after Jeffers complained. After that, it happened again. County director of elections Beth Hopkins got email solicitations for campaign contributions. After interactions with Hopkins on election matters, Cognetti said Hopkins county email inadvertently was added to her fundraising database because someone didnt uncheck a box meant to highlight potential contributors and separate them from non-contributor email addresses. It was addressed to, like, Dear Lackawanna, this Lackawanna (being) the first name of this person. My team didnt uncheck, she said. I think theres a box that says you can uncheck so that they dont get solicitations. And theyve done that now. Interest in 113th Add a couple more Democratic names to the list of potential candidates for the 113th state House District seat next year: William J. Schoen and Joseph Matyjevich. Ive had communications with Chris Patrick (Lackawanna County Democratic chairman) about the 113th seat after having been urged by many friends, business and civic leaders to get involved, Schoen wrote in an email. Living in West Scranton and being familiar with tracking business and government affairs activities through my consulting work; my past work with the (Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce) and Allied Services; and my work with many other businesses, too, have spurred me to think about this. I plan on exploring the whole process over the next several months to determine if I should get involved during the next primary election cycle. Meanwhile, Ill be backing Thom Welby all the way. Efforts to reach Matyjevich, who has lost a couple of city school board races, were unsuccessful. BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, The Times-Tribune politics reporter, writes Random Notes. Pennsylvania had a nurse shortage even before the COVID-19 pandemic. That emergency heightened the stress on the medical community, especially nurses. As the COVID crisis recedes, the state government should use the experience to prepare for the next large-scale public health crisis. One easy measure that could help to alleviate the nurse shortage and thus the stress on nurses already has been enacted by 35 other states. They have joined the Nurse Licensure Compact, which enables any nurse licensed in any the participating states to practice, by telemedicine or in person, in any of those states. State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, a Democrat from Lackawanna County, is the only nurse in the Legislature. She introduced a bill in the House under which Pennsylvania would join the interstate compact, which was introduced in the Senate by Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola of Northampton County. It now has passed both chambers. The bill is beneficial in multiple ways. It, in effect, creates a larger pool of nurses to deal with localized or regional disasters. It enables nurses who live near borders in adjacent compact states to work in either or both states without separate licenses. Nurses with specialized skills will be able to work in multiple states. And nurses will be able to work in the rapidly expanding field of telemedicine without seeking individual licenses in participating states. Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to sign the bill into law, when it will become a catalyst for more efficient and more comprehensive health care in more places, while allowing nurses to focus on care rather than license restrictions. In Northeast Pennsylvania, so often a microcosm of national trends, communities face workforce challenges as pandemic life gradually recedes. In the Poconos, the hospitality sector struggles to find workers. The co-owner of a Scranton-based grocery chain noted that he could probably hire about 100 people today. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted, the pandemic era will contribute to major employment declines among occupations that dont require advanced education. This includes major industries such as food services, retail and transportation. Meanwhile, occupations in medicine, technology and the health sciences are expected to grow. But in Northeast Pennsylvania, communities were grappling with economic challenges before COVID-19, notably shortages of skilled workers, low wages, and problems attracting and retaining talent. As they emerge from the pandemic, its important for communities to develop strategies that address this past years economic challenges while accounting for long-term effects. Northeast Pennsylvanias economy dramatically has changed since anthracite coal mining fueled Americas industrial growth. After World War II, when the industry collapsed, community-driven economic development revived the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton corridor with industrial parks and manufacturing growth. Today, the health care sector is a major regional employer. Community and social-service occupations, moreover, have the second-highest projected annual growth rate. And since the 2000s, the logistics, distribution and warehousing industries have established a major presence. But as retirees exit the workforce, there arent enough younger people to fill the vacancies. As hiring continues at a brisk pace, its important for communities to embrace workforce-development measures that attract and retain those younger workers who, even before the pandemic, were inclined to relocate elsewhere. Northeast Pennsylvania is well positioned to attract and build its labor force. Through talent incentives, communities and employers can recruit employees seeking a low cost of living in an area boasting beautiful scenery and a rich culture. The region is close to major metros, including New York and Philadelphia. Educational entities, particularly school districts, also can play a crucial role in retaining young graduates. Teacher-in-the-workforce programs, for example, can connect K-12 schools with employers. In high school, work-based learning can help prepare students for college while summer employment and internship programs can boost graduation rates. Northeast Pennsylvania boasts many post-secondary schools, from universities to technical institutions, that can train students in the skills required among many regional employers. Workforce retention has a marketing component, too. Internships at local employers, such as nonprofits, can create serendipitous moments for students through networking and community events. Marketing initiatives, such as Discover NEPA, promote quality of life through engagement on social media and small-business promotion. Those initiatives could expand by connecting students with local job opportunities. Area employers play an important part. They can offer training and advancement opportunities to their workers efforts that, in turn, can help retain talent, build a skilled workforce, and create opportunities for new employees. Improved resources, particularly access to child care, would improve labor-force participation, productivity and educational attainment. Such initiatives, though, arent possible without the state, which should consider supporting loan repayment or forgiveness programs that attract and retain graduates in high-demand occupations. Its also important for communities to account for the pandemics disproportionate impact on minorities and women. In light of past systemic barriers to jobs and training programs, communities should consider equitable solutions. As recovery from the pandemic continues, Northeast Pennsylvania can demonstrate how workforce development succeeds through regional efforts. Like elsewhere in the Rust Belt, this storied pocket of Pennsylvania continues to adjust to economic transition. Coordinating efforts can maximize opportunities for all. London, KY (40741) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 78F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. London, KY (40741) Today Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 78F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Normally, I do not like fashion fads, as they tend to lead to next year's disasters. However, I am willing on this occasion to find some exceptions. One of these is the selling of record back catalogues, in which the value of nostalgic music can compensate for the fashion embarrassments of that time where did I leave those flared trousers? On song: In 1997 British musician David Bowie (pictured) sold 'Bowie bonds', which gave investors a share in his future royalties for 10 years Why Does It Matter? There is nothing new about artists selling access to their folio of creativity. After all, you may recall the enthusiasm for 'Bowie Bonds' when the late Starman raised cash backed by the future income of his music. The success of such structures, though, is based upon the quality and longevity of the music or whatever art form is being sold. The other factor is the control of the rights to this music. With free downloading so commonplace, effective measurement of your potential earnings is vague, to say the least, even though there will no doubt be litigation and other action to try to ensure artists do not lose out to freeloaders. What Should I Do? In 2018, a company called Hipgnosis was formed precisely to address this market and raised money to go out and purchase back catalogues of work, including those from Neil Young, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Beyonce. Technically this company is an investment trust, so it trades as any other standard stock although you always have to watch the discount value that such trusts tend to have against their underlying assets. You might think that such a business is a 'banker' and what could possibly go wrong? Well to start with, your stars of yesterday could just become unplayable. More importantly, suppose all those clubs, pubs and other outlets playing music are forced to shut down for some reason. Sound familiar? Any Suggestions? This company has come back to the markets to raise more money with the direct intention of doing more of the same. It is a simple model and one that I like. The share price has not been that dramatic, but it provides a decent yield, currently at 4.27 per cent, which is better than any high street deposit account that I can see. The concept of listening to the music and making money out of it is most appealing to me, although I think I would be happy to avoid Barry Manilow. However, there is a passive fund which may be a good alternative, and that is the Invesco Dynamic Media ETF, although this does focus on US media companies. Marlboro-maker Philip Morris International has swooped on British inhaler firm Vectura in an audacious 1billion takeover. The world's largest tobacco group said the move on the FTSE 250 outfit was part of its long-term strategy to rebrand as a 'wellness company'. But it is another setback for UK plc and the latest example of pandemic plundering that has seen innovative British companies become the targets of overseas vultures. Philip Morris, the world's largest tobacco group said the move on FTSE 250 outfit Vectura was part of its long-term strategy to rebrand as a 'wellness company' The AA, G4S, Aggreko and Morrisons are among the major firms that have succumbed to takeovers since the coronavirus crisis struck. Vectura has accepted Philip Morris' offer and urged shareholders to get behind it too. The London-listed company's shares rocketed 14 per cent, or 19p, to 154.6p on the news. Philip Morris' offer gazumped a 958million buyout that Vectura bosses had previously agreed with US private equity house Carlyle. Vectura has withdrawn support for the Carlyle bid and scrapped a vote on the tie-up. Senior bounces back Senior proved why it rejected five private equity bids in two months as it reported a stronger-than-expected rebound from the pandemic. The British engineer said there were clear signs of recovery in its major markets. Senior fended off a string of approaches from Lone Star before spurning a final 840million takeover offer last month prompting the US private equity house to walk away. Bosses were adamant that the offers fundamentally undervalued the firm because it is set to thrive when Covid has passed. The company is worth 680million, or 161p a share far lower than Lone Stars final 200p proposal. Based in Chippenham in Wiltshire, Vectura specialises in making inhalers and nebulisers. But it also helps top drug companies to convert their medicines into powders that can be inhaled. Its customers include Glaxosmithkline and Hikma Pharmaceuticals and during the pandemic it has been working with Inspira Pharmaceuticals to develop a Covid vaccine. Philip Morris' enthusiasm to buy a company that focuses on treating lung conditions comes as tobacco companies are racing to move away from selling traditional cigarettes. Chief executive Jacek Olczak said it was part of a plan to become a 'broader healthcare and wellness company'. Terminally declining sales in the western world where smoking has been banned in many public spaces has led all companies in the sector to plough cash into developing new product lines such as vaping. Philip Morris' main new product has been IQOS, a cigarette-like device that heats, rather than burns, tobacco, giving users a nicotine hit without any of the damage delivered by smoke. The company has pledged to make 722million in sales per year by 2025 from what it calls 'Beyond Nicotine' products. In 2016 it first promised to eventually stop selling cigarettes altogether. But last year it sold 263bn Marlboro cigarettes outside the US and China. And it also owns other popular brands such as Chesterfield and Parliament. Philip Morris said it intends to run Vectura as an autonomous business that form 'the backbone' of an inhaled treatments division. Vectura employs 400 people and generated revenues of 191million last year. The deal is worth 150p per share with a 19p dividend, handing Vectura's bosses around 1million and 400,000 to chairman Bruno Angelici, a former Astrazeneca executive. Analysts at US brokerage Stifel said they were 'surprised' Philip Morris made a higher offer than Carlyle. They added it was 'hard to see a competing bid or raised offer from Carlyle'. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'There seems to be an element of poacher turned gamekeeper for Philip Morris in this deal as it looks to use its expertise in inhalation for good making Vectura's inhaled drug delivery solutions a good fit.' Exports to the European Union have bounced back following a slump in trade after Brexit. Britain sold 14.2billion of goods to the bloc in May, a rise of 1.1billion or 8.8 per cent since April, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. The May haul was the biggest since October 2019 and followed a sharp fall in trade after the UK finally left the EU at the end of 2020. In January, goods exports to the EU fell to 7.9billion. On a roll: Britain sold 14.2bn of goods to the European Union in May, a rise of 1.1bn or 8.8 per cent since April, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics But the recovery makes a mockery of claims that Brexit has done irreparable damage to British exporters. Exports of goods to the rest of the world were also up 5.5 per cent to 15.2billion, the highest level since January 2020. However, imports from the EU to Britain totalled 18.5billion. While that was the most this year, it was still well below pre-pandemic and pre-Brexit levels and less than the 19.4billion of goods shipped in from the rest of the world. Britain typically imported more than half of its goods from the EU until January this year when new barriers to cross-border trade went up as a result of Brexit. A separate report from the ONS showed a global shortage of microchips has hit car production in the UK and held back the recovery from the coronavirus recession. The ONS said output in the manufacture of transport equipment tumbled by 16.5 per cent in May the biggest fall since April last year when the first lockdown hammered business. The slump came as microchip shortages disrupted car production, the report added. Other areas of the economy performed better in May, with the accommodation and food services sector growing by 37.1 per cent following the reopening of pubs, restaurants and hotels. But overall, gross domestic product rose by just 0.8 per cent following a 2 per cent leap in April. That was much weaker than the 1.5 per cent growth expected by economists and means the economy was still 3.1 per cent smaller than it was before the pandemic struck. Paul Dales, an economist with Capital Economics, said: Of course, the pace of the recovery was always going to slow as the economy climbed back towards its pre-crisis level. But we hadnt expected it to slow so much so soon. Britain suffered one of the biggest hits from the pandemic among advanced economies last year with output falling nearly 10 per cent the sharpest decline for over 300 years. The Bank of England expects the economy to grow by 7.25 per cent this year, the fastest annual growth since 1941 when Britain was rearming during the Second Word War. But a shortage of computer chips is wreaking havoc in the world of manufacturing as they are now crucial in smartphones, computers, cars and even fridges. Supply chains have been hit by the pandemic. MPs have slammed the Government for defying widespread calls to crack down on scam financial ads in its forthcoming Online Safety Bill. They said the present law was 'toothless', and allowed 'scammers to advertise with impunity while tech giants line their pockets from the proceeds of crime'. The Government has rejected demands from influential backbench MPs to cover paid-for ads, such as those on search engines like Google, in its new legislation - despite backing for this also coming from regulators, top financial firms and consumer group Which?. Online menace: Government is facing widespread calls to crack down on scam financial ads User-generated internet content will be included in the bill, however. Meanwhile the Government told MPs it is looking into how advertising can enable online fraud and will hold a consultation later this year. The Financial Conduct Authority, which recently threatened to take legal action against Google if it doesnt do more to tackle online fraud, has repeated its view that paid-for advertising should be covered in the new law. The finance industry and crime experts have raised the alarm over the past year about soaring cases of sophisticated fraudsters 'cloning' their legitimate operations and products to steal people's cash. Fraudsters are using bogus websites, forged documents, fake adverts on social media and search engines, and the names and near-identical email addresses of people working in the finance industry to impersonate real companies. Even reputable websites can be targeted through third party advertising exchanges by fraudsters constantly changing adverts to get through blocks. The Work and Pensions Committee of MPs urged the Government to listen to its own financial regulator and legislate to ensure global tech firms are 'held properly responsible for hosting pension scam adverts online'. What does Google say? 'Protecting consumers and legitimate businesses operating in the financial sector is a priority for us,' says a spokesperson. 'We have been working in consultation with the FCA for over a year to implement new measures and have recently announced further restrictions, requiring financial services advertisers to be authorised by the FCA as part of our efforts to tackle this evolving issue. 'We are the first technology company to join Stop Scams UK to develop and share best practices with existing members from financial services and telecoms industries.' According to Google, it has strict policies on what ads are allowed which it enforces vigorously, and those in violation are removed. It has also announced new policies and funding to crack down on fraudulent ads. Chairman Stephen Timms said: 'Ministers claim to understand the devastating impact of illegal activity online, but by constantly failing to act against paid for adverts online they remain at odds with their own enforcement agency and totally ambivalent to what the FCA warns is a major source of harm. 'The FCA sees the damage being done to consumers by online scams day in day out. It doesnt think it has enough powers to protect people, yet still the Government cannot be cajoled into action. 'A vague promise to consult later this year is too little too late. Without backing words with action, the law will remain toothless.' In its response to the committee's report on pension scams, the FCA said: 'It is online advertising that is the major source of the problems leading to very significant consumer harms. 'The outcome we want to see is that platforms have an obligation to identify and remove fraudulent content regardless of its format. 'We do not agree with the arguments made by some platforms that such a measure would undermine competitiveness of the UK technology sector as we do not consider a business model which acts as a gateway to large scale fraud against consumers constitutes a sustainable business model.' The FCA revealed this week that 2.24million has been lost to pension scams so far this year, and has just launched a new advertising campaign to raise public awareness - find out more about its new psychological approach to putting people on their guard below. The Government's response to the committee outlined its efforts to combat online financial scams, including a ministerial roundtable with the tech and banking sectors, police and regulators last April, where it was agreed to work on a tech sector charter to tackle fraud. Meanwhile, an economic crime board co-chaired by the Chancellor and the Home Secretary has agreed the framework of a fraud action plan for 2022-25, which will include the Government working with industry to remove vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit. But the Government added regarding its online safety legislation: 'The Bill will not tackle fraud facilitated through paid-for advertising, such as adverts on search engines. Criminal gangs are using legit-looking clone sites to steal 'big money' Phil Rolfe, a financial crime expert, calls for urgent action to fight the fraud menace and explains how to protect yourself here. Clone fraud: Criminals are luring investors to fake comparison sites touting bogus products in order to steal their cash 'The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is considering how online advertising is regulated through its online advertising programme. 'This work will look at ensuring that standards about the placement and content of advertising are effectively applied and enforced online to reduce consumers exposure to harmful or misleading advertising. 'This work will look at the role advertising can play in enabling online fraud and help inform our future efforts to tackle it. DCMS will be consulting on this issue later this year.' Gareth Shaw, Which? head of money, says: 'Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to trick consumers into handing over the pension savings they have built up over decades. 'Search engines like Google are awash with adverts for investment schemes promising returns far greater than the paltry rates on offer from most savings accounts - and they are often designed to look just like the websites of well-known financial firms. 'Because pension scams often start on the internet, online platforms must be given legal responsibility, through the Online Safety Bill, to identify, remove and prevent fake and fraudulent content, including adverts, from appearing on their sites in the first place.' Kate Smith, head of pensions at Aegon, says: 'Its really important that we keep pension scam awareness at the front of peoples minds. We therefore welcome the FCAs latest ScamSmart campaign. 'Unfortunately, this comes a day after the Government rejected MPs calls for including measures to tackle fraud facilitated by online advertising in the Online Safety Bill. 'Although disappointing, this hasnt been entirely kicked into the long grass, as the Government has committed to consult on this later this year looking at how online advertising is regulated. 'The Government needs to move quickly on this, as clamping down on the rogue online advertisers trying to separate people from their money will be part of the toolbox to protect peoples pension savings from scams.' Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, says: The FCAs research suggests that all too often, people incorrectly assume they can trust what they see online to be genuine. 'They trust that because a pension "opportunity" appears on a website or a search engine that it must be the real deal. Often, however, it is a scam. Online financial fraud: Cases are soaring, according to top financial firms 'Awareness is one of the most powerful weapons against scammers. Spotting a pension scam can be tricky and it is absolutely critical for savers to have their guard up when approached with an offer to transfer into unusual assets promising outlandish returns, or take advantage of a scheme offering early access.' He adds: 'Its not just fraudulent pension transfers that people need to be aware of. Millions have embraced pension freedoms with open arms, but when people take their tax free cash it is often a pot of money bigger than they have received before, and often people will search online for what to do with it. 'This is partly whats fuelling the rise in investment scams. In the year to May 2021, Action Fraud received 506 reports of pension fraud, with the reported loss estimated to be 8.1m. Over the same period, reports of investment fraud reached over 24,000 with over 630 million lost. 'And awareness alone is not the answer. Consumers need more protections from pension and investment scams when they go online. The way we regulate adverts in newspapers and adverts online are worlds apart. 'Its time the government added fraudulent online advertising to the Online Safety Bill so that technology companies face legal requirements to tackle the scams that appear on their sites.' What is the FCA doing to combat pension scams? The FCA has launched a new awareness-raising ad campaign on TV, radio, online and via paid search. The watchdog is trying to change the mindset of people when they encounter scams, after research showed people are five times more likely to take up a 'free pension review' from a stranger online than someone in their local pub. Five common warning signs of a scam The FCA says the following should put people on their guard. 1. Being offered a free pension review out of the blue 2. Being offered guaranteed higher returns claiming they can get you better returns on your pension savings 3. Offered to help to release cash from your pension, even though youre under 55 (Read more here about the calamitous dangers of doing this - HMRC can impose a 55 per cent charge on a pension pot even after it has vanished in a scam) 4. High-pressure sales tactics scammers may try to pressure you with time-limited offers, or even send a courier to your door to wait while you sign documents 5. Unusual investments which tend to be unregulated and high risk. It has signed up psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos to help people 'flip the context' of receiving a pension offer to another setting like a pub or shop and be more suspicious when assessing them. She says: 'Scammers will use behavioural tactics to trick you into a false sense of security. 'It is important when approached with a financial offer on your pension, to take yourself out of the context or pressure of that moment. 'We know that people wouldnt accept a free financial product in a pub or would be unlikely to make a purchase in a random flash sale so why risk it with your pension?' Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement at the FCA, says: 'Imagine a stranger in a pub offering free pension advice and then telling you to put those savings into something they were selling. It is difficult imagining anyone saying yes to that. 'Its no different online. Whether youre on social media or checking your emails, if someone offers you free pension advice, "flip the context" and imagine them doing the same thing in real life. Stop and think how you would react. 'Check the status of a firm before making a financial decision about your pension by visiting the FCA register. Make sure you only get advice from a firm authorised by the FCA to provide advice, before making any changes to your pension arrangements.' Tifton, GA (31794) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) CUMBERLAND Dora Mae Arnold, 72, passed away Monday, July 12, 2021. In accordance with her wishes, her body was cremated. Memorial services will be held at later date. Scarpelli Funeral Home, P.A., is entrusted with arrangements. Cresaptown, MD (21502) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High around 85F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thomasville, GA (31792) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Thomasville, GA (31792) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Irene Levy Baker is author of the newly-published second edition of 100 Things To Do In Philadelphia and Unique Eats & Eateries of Philadelphia. For more information about the books visit www.100ThingsToDoInPhiladelphia.com. Looking for fun things to do this summer? Need a fathers day gift? Get signed copies of books on the website. Readers of this newspaper can use promo code NEWSPAPER for a discount. Though there are no written requirements stipulating what kind of chair you should circle around a fire pit or place at on a great lawn at the edge of a lake, its pretty much a given that youll find an Adirondack chair in either one of these scenarios. After all, its been the unofficial chair of summer for over a century. If youre sitting in any version of an Adirondack chair, theres an exceptionally good chance that youre in a beautiful place, possibly surrounded by people you love, and definitely headed toward a deep state of relaxation, said Jay Haws, owner of Dartbrook Rustic Goods, a furniture manufacturer and home store in Keene thats been building its version of the original Adirondack chair ($345), known as the Westport chair, for decades. One of the main reasons the chair has become so synonymous with outdoor leisure is the history of the Adirondacks as a wild escape. It was one of the earliest areas in the country where people came to recreate, said Haws. Wealthy New York City residents began traveling to Adirondack Great Camps in the late 19th century, and by the early 1900s, they would have reclined in the earliest Adirondack chairs. The idea of the Adirondack chair just spread far and wide, says Haws, who took over the family business 12 years ago. In that time, the company has had three different makers who did not so much as change the original design as improved upon it. Each one learns from the last, improving production methods and building techniques, resulting in a better and better chair. Iteration, as it turns out, is as much a part of the Adirondack chairs legacy as its clean, angular lines, wide, paddle-esque arm rests, low profile, and high back. In fact, Thomas Lee, the chairs inventor, came up with multiple versions of his recliner in 1903, which he was inspired to create while on a vacation with his family in Westport, New York, near the Adirondacks, which is how the chair got its name. On that U.S. patent, which Lees friend Harry Bunnell, a local furniture maker, filed on July 18, 1905, Bunell wrote: The object of this invention is a chair of the bungalow type adapted for use on porches, lawns, [and] at campsA further object of the invention is to produce a strong, durable chair adapted to withstand rough usage and exposure to the weather. Bunell goes on to describe in great detail and imagery the dimensions and specs for building one, and those are largely the same instructions people are using nearly 118 years later to reproduce this popular piece of outdoor furniture with one notable modification. In 1938, an inventor in New Jersey named Irving Wolpin applied for, and received, his own patent for a version of the Adirondack chair produced with slats for the seat and back, rather than single slabs or wood for each. Its now the more recognizable model in most parts of the country. Today, youll find options on the market with rounded, rather than straight edges, as well as ones made in myriad materials (from real wood to composite to plastic), and at various price points. You can even find them with extended seats for laying out or rocker bottoms. Currently, an original chair made by Bunnell himself in the 1910s is for sale on the antique and vintage e-commerce site 1stDibs for $8,500, a hefty price tag for a piece of lawn furniture to be sure. New Adirondack chairs produced from either natural materials, namely wood, as well as synthetics, start at about $20, depending on the material and manufacturer. Modern takes on a classic Ana Claudia Schultz Among the crop of current designers producing new takes on the Adirondack chair is Ken Landauer, founder of the sustainable design studio Fn Furniture in Stone Ridge, Ulster County, whos been working on ways to bring the historic design into the 21st century without losing any of the details that have contributed to its longevity. He specializes in making modern furniture out of materials like weatherproof, marine-grade HDPE, using zero-waste techniques. I think its better, in some ways, as a symbol of leisure than as a functional chair, says Laundauer of the original design. Adirondack chairs, posture wise, the back is pitched back too far, generally. So [with] mine, the backs are a little bit more vertical. Theyre still casual, and they're still pretty low to the ground, but theyre more vertical so you dont feel the need to put your head back. His version, known as the F2 Lounge ($725) feels like a cooler cousin to Lees original design a little more laid back and less stiff, but every bit as sculptural. It also comes across as less rustic or recreational than the slatted, pre-fab plastic ones youll see stacked outside of your local home goods store or supermarket. Landauers ability to strike this balance is something that caught the eye of Hudson Valley interior designer Ana Claudia Schultz, co-founder of The Beck, a design gallery in Rhinebeck that features work by local makers and designers, including Landauers take on the ADK chair. To Schultz, the versatility of the Adirondack chair in any of its iterations is a major part of its enduring appeal. For a lot of homes, whether you have a contemporary house or a traditional house, the Adirondack chair doesnt really conflict with any form of architecture, says Schultz, who has four at her Rhinebeck home, which is a mid-century style. It just blends into the environment or landscape. This is something about the Adirondack chair that Landauer appreciates as well: As soon as you put the furniture out in the landscape, it becomes a place as opposed to an open space its almost inhabited, he says. The back and the seat is a negative space for your body, so you can almost see a figure there. As soon as theyre there, then you kind of, at least in your imagination, you can then inhabit it. You can be there. And its the transportive quality of an Adirondack chair that Schultz believes elevates it from a piece of furniture to a symbol of leisure itself. What it does is it creates more of an emotion than a statement, she says. It creates an emotion of relaxation. Which is second only to the real thing. LENOX, Mass. A dead weight at the center of Shakespeare & Company's production of "King Lear" drags down the entire show. Its name is Christopher Lloyd. The announcement of the 82-year-old Lloyd's casting to star as the aged, raging monarch for a two-month run certainly raised interest, and eyebrows. The actor, after all, is best known for playing kooks, including Jim Ignatowski on the sitcom "Taxi" and Doc Brown in the "Back to the Future" films. The character of Lear may be interpreted in many ways, but lovable weirdo isn't among them. Just maybe, the thinking went, the powers that be at Shakespeare & Company and the production's director, Nicole Ricciardi, who has a nine-year record of directing excellence in Lenox, knew something the public didn't. Lloyd performed extensively on New York City stages in the 1960s and '70s, and reviews from a 2010 production of "Death of a Salesman" that had a short New England tour report he acquitted himself well as Willy Loman, another monumental role as a failing older man. But right from his entrance on Shakespeare & Company's handsome new outdoor Spruce Stage, it's clear that Lloyd isn't up to Lear. He may have full understanding of the character, but he doesn't convey it to the audience, and so the principal reaction is puzzlement. It's rarely clear why Lear does what he does, whether it's his initial dismissal of his youngest daughter, Cordelia (Jasmine Cheri Rush), or the famous mad scene. In a mind-bending anachronism, Lear appears to have used Doc Brown's DeLorean to zoom to 1980, watched a few episodes of "Taxi," then zoomed back to his own era to channel Jim Ignatowski on the storm-ravaged heath. His foggy voice and diction better suited for screen work further diminish Lloyd's intelligibility and deny the pleasure of hearing some of the play's most memorable lines delivered well. All of this makes "King Lear," always a long haul even in fine productions, a slog most of the time at Shakespeare & Company. Friday's opening was lengthier still: A rainstorm that started an hour after the performance began required relocating the audience into the nearby Tina Packer Playhouse. The move stretched a projected running time of two hours and 45 minutes into a full evening of three and a half hours. Perhaps Lloyd will improve over the remaining 35 performances. (And perhaps he won't need a prompter to call out lines, as happened twice on opening night.) Were the central character even a bit stronger, it seems likely the full production would be significantly more successful, because Ricciardi has surrounded Lloyd with a supporting cast of impeccable professionals, including the company's artistic director, Allyn Burroughs, spot-on as Lear's Fool; MaConnia Chesser, always powerful, as scheming daughter Goneril; the peerless Jonathan Epstein as Kent; Nigel Gore as Gloucester; and Jennie M. Jadow, who like Chesser excels at Shakespearean comedy but here, as Regan, becomes an imposing daughter in the play's battle for family and country. While chatting with a friend before Friday's opening, I mentioned the Shakespeare scholar Jonathan Bate's familiar comment about the role of Lear, that by the time you are old enough to play it, you're too old to play it. Not necessarily. Laurence Olivier was 76 when he gave a legendary performance for a 1983 television production of "King Lear," and Glenda Jackson was 83 when her turn as Lear, on Broadway in 2019, was described as powerful and deeply perceptive. Lloyd has had a long and successful career. His acclaim and enduring audience appeal are deserved. But his Lear won't further burnish either. ALBANY Kathy, forever 58 years old. Jacob, forever 32 and Brittany, forever 22. They were just three of names on the more than 100 gravestones set up in West Capitol Park on Saturday to represent New Yorkers who lost their lives to drug overdoses. The gravestones were the backdrop for a protest over the states refusal to set up overdose prevention centers that were promised three years ago. Organized by the group NO OD NY, the protest is a month-long campaign to push Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration to follow through with the creation of a pilot program of five centers. The groups organizers, including Ryan Thoresen Carson, began walking from Brooklyn to Buffalo on July 1 to raise awareness. The protesters were joined by advocates from Vocal NY and several local elected officials. Thoresen Carson, NO OD NYs executive director, called the centers a common sense solution to prevent overdose deaths. The governor has really done a very good job of deflecting why it is we dont have overdoes prevention centers, he said. People are dying every single day, and this is because the governor wont take action. Advocates have argued for years that safe injection sites, or overdose prevention centers, are a way to prevent drug overdose deaths. The centers provide a space for users to inject illicit drugs while under the supervision of medical professionals. They also provide additional services to users, including clean needles, testing drugs for fentanyl and other substances before they are used, as well as a path to medical and substance abuse treatment. The spike in overdoses during the coronavirus pandemic only added to the urgency of setting up these sites, they said. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were more than 81,000 drug overdoses nationwide from May 2019 to 2020, the highest death toll ever recorded in a year. Opponents argue that the sites amount to the implicit approval of illegal drug use. In 2018 the state Health Department said it would create a pilot program, with sites in Ithaca and New York City. The state has since said it needs authorization from the federal government before it acts after federal prosecutors sued a Philadelphia group that moved to create a similar program. We are waiting for legal clarity from the U.S. Department of Justice before we can consider opening similar facilities here," the state said in a statement to CBS New York after NO OD NY began its march. There are no operating safe injection sites in the United States. But there are other states moving forward with overdose prevention centers and safe injection sites. On Wednesday, Rhode Island authorized a two-year pilot program, according to the Providence Journal. California and Massachusetts are also considering similar programs. A federal appeals court earlier this year blocked a municipal drug-consumption center proposal in Philadelphia, citing a 1986 federal law that makes it illegal to provide a place for people to use drugs. Advocates compared the fight to open the centers to the push in the early 1990s to authorize needle exchanges. The idea of providing substance abusers with clean needles was controversial because opponents believed it implicitly supported drug use. But the programs have been shown to decrease infection rates for diseases such as HIV. Latoya Melendez, a community health worker with Truth Pharm, a Binghamton-based, opioid overdose prevention program, lost her mother to an overdose on Dec. 30, 2020. Creating these centers and ending the war on drugs will specifically help Black and brown New Yorkers who have disproportionately suffered from addiction, she said. The only way that people that look like me, people that look like you, are going to stop dying is when this drug war is over, she said. Im tired of seeing Facebook posts of people so young losing their lives when it could have been prevented because they could be safe in an overdose prevention center. ALBANY The city police department is adding 10 automatic license plate readers throughout the city. Unlike typical license plate readers that are attached to police cars, these devices will be stationary. Spokesman Steve Smith declined to say where the cameras would be located, but said they'll be an additional tool in combating crime in the city. Were adding to some of our existing technologies, he said. Weve made several investments recently in technology for fighting crime. The department will pay $12,000 to Rekor Systems from a state Gun Involved Violence Elimination grant for the monitoring system that operates the cameras. The citys cameras will not be actively monitored, but will send alerts to officers if they pick up a license plate the department is searching for. The exact date the cameras will be installed and active is unclear. License plate readers automatically scan the plates of cars that pass within their view, checking them against databases of stolen vehicles, car owners with warrants for their arrest, and suspended or revoked registrations. Departments can also search databases of known gang members or other violent individuals. The cameras capture the license plate number of a car as well as its date, time and location. Police officers can also enter the plate number of a car theyre searching for and will get alerts when a camera catches sight of that car. The department already has license plate readers installed on some squad cars. The data can be uploaded to the Albany Crime Analysis Center, which shares data with other police departments in the area. The cameras can also support Amber and Silver alerts, which tell the public about missing or endangered children or adults, respectively. The American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy groups have repeatedly raised concerns about automatic license plate readers, arguing that it sweeps up the data of innocent drivers and essentially creates a roadmap of their daily activities. But courts have repeatedly upheld police departments ability to use the cameras. The city police department keeps five years worth of license plate data on file, according to the policy overseeing its use. The system that Albany will use are similar to the system that Rotterdam put in place in 2019 on its existing traffic and surveillance cameras. NEW YORK (AP) Last year, companies around the U.S. scrambled to figure out how to shut down their offices and set up their employees for remote work as the COVID-19 virus suddenly bore down on the world. Now, in a mirror image, they are scrambling to figure out how to bring many of those employees back. Most companies are proceeding cautiously, trying to navigate declining COVID-19 infections against a potential backlash by workers who are not ready to return. Tensions have spilled into the public at a few companies where some staff have organized petitions or even walkouts to protest being recalled to the office. Many workers in high demand fields, such as tech or customer service, have options amid a rise in job postings promising remote work an alluring prospect for people who moved during the pandemic to be closer to family or in search of more affordable cities. A lot of people have relocated and dont want to come back, said Chris Riccobono, the founder of Untuckit LLC, a casual mens clothing company. Theres a lot of crazy stuff that is a big day-to-day pain point." Riccobono said he cant wait to get his 100 corporate staffers back to the office in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood because he believes that productivity and morale are higher that way. Starting in September, the company will require those employees to report to the office Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on the hope that the flexibility of a hybrid schedule will keep everyone happy. Many others are similarly introducing a gradual return. Companies like Amazon and automakers Ford and General Motors have promised to adopt a hybrid approach permanently for their office staff, responding to internal and public surveys showing an overwhelming preference for work-from-home options. But implementing a hybrid workplace can be a headache, from identifying which roles are most conducive to remote work to deciding which days of the week employees need to be in the office. There are client meetings to consider. And some business leaders argue newer employees need more face-time as they begin their careers or start new at at company. Thursday is the new Monday," according to Salesforce, a San Francisco-based technology firm, which found that Thursday was the most popular day for employees to report to the office when the company reopened its Sydney offices back in August. Riccobono, on the other hand, insists employees show up on Mondays to get organized and set the tone for the week. Like many employers, however, he acknowledges he is still figuring things out as he navigates uncharted territory. We will revisit in January, he said. We will see how it works. Across the country, office buildings in the top 10 U.S. cities had an average occupancy rate of about 32% in late June, according to estimates from Kastle Systems a security company that monitors access-card wipes at some 2,600 buildings. In Manhattan, just 12% of office employees had returned as of late May, according to the latest survey by the Partnership for New York City, a non-profit organization of major business leaders and employers. Romina Rugova, an executive at fashion brand Mansur Gavriel, enjoyed the tranquility as she sat on a riverside bench in lower Manhattan after a rare day back at the office for a meet-and-greet with the companys newly hired head of e-commerce. A mother of two, Rugova had mixed feelings about returning to the office. Seeing colleagues in person after so long was invigorating, and she did not always enjoy blurring her family and professional life. The challenge is you have to be three people at the same time. You have to be a professional, you have to be a cook, you have to be a cleaner, you have to be a mom, Rugova said. Being in the office after a while was so nice and refreshing. Its completely different experience, you dont realize it. But she doesnt want to completely give up the three hours of extra time she saves without the commute. Many of her colleagues feel the same way, so Mansur Gavriel will likely implement a flexible policy when most of its 40 employees return to the office after Labor Day. We are still figuring it out, Rugova said. While most employers will accelerate their return-to-office plans over the summer, nearly 40% of office employees will still be working remotely in September, according to the Partnership for New York City's survey. The trend has raised concerns about an unequal economic recovery, given that working remotely is an option available to a privileged few. Only about 15% of workers teleworked because of the pandemic in June, according the U.S. Department of Labor's monthly jobs report. Most work jobs at restaurants, schools, hospitals, factories and other places that require them to show up in person. Some of large investment banks, which are top employers and office space tenants in New York City, are leading the push to bring employees back, taking a hardline approach in comparison with tech giants that have rolled out generous remote work policies. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said at a conference earlier this month that he would be very disappointed if people haven't found their way into the office by Labor Day. If you can go a restaurant in New York City, you can come into the office, Gorman said, though he acknowledged that there should be flexibility for parents still struggling with childcare logistics that fell apart during the pandemic. Gorman also made clear that he was not open to the work from anywhere mentality that some companies have adopted, saying employees who want to earn New York City salaries should work in the city. The CEOs of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have made similar comments, sparking furious debate about whether they would push employees out the door. It remains to be seen how deeply remote work policies will influence recruitment and retention. But professionals looking for flexibility are finding they have options. Brecia Young, a data analytics scientist and mother of a 1-year-old child, had choices when she was looking to switch jobs from a small Chicago firm. She accepted an offer from Seattle-based real estate company Zillow in part because the company allowed her to work from home and stay in Chicago, where she and her husband have relatives to help with child care. Moving to the West Coast was on the table but it would have been a real hardship, said Young, adding that her husband also would have had to look for a new job. I love the time savings just in terms of the commute. It's like 90 minutes of saved time that I can repurpose. ____ Associated Press writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this story from New York. ____ This story was first published on July 7, 2021. It was updated on July 8, 2021 to correct the title of Chris Riccobono. He is the founder of Untuckit LLC, not the CEO. ALBANY -- Ex- Guilderland town justice Richard Sherwood has not had quite the federal prison experience he expected. And he wants out, with more than two years left on his term. The 61-year-old Sherwood -- who as an estate and trust attorney ripped off elderly clients, including one with dementia, in a nearly $12 million swindle -- referred to himself as a "victim," according to a recent court filing seeking Sherwood's compassionate release from the minimum-security Otisville prison camp in Orange County. "While I certainly recognize that I am in prison and that the conditions will never be similar to life on the outside, nor should they be, these were never the conditions under which it was intended that I live when my plea was negotiated and I was sentenced," Sherwood told his lawyer, Lauren Owens, in February, after being rejected for release by the prison's warden. "They are far beyond the pale." Sherwood said it was "pure nonsense and inexcusable" for the prison system to blame his ordeal on COVID-19. Sherwood's letter to Owens was included in her written request to Senior U.S. District Judge Lawrence Kahn asking him to release Sherwood. The lawyer said Sherwood suffers from multiple health issues which place him at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. In June 2018, Sherwood pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money and filing a false tax return, the latter for underreporting his income by $4.7 million. His current release date is in October 2023. Sherwood voiced frustration he could not serve his four-and-a-half-year sentence at the Otisville camp. He fumed he spent hundreds of days alongside killers, robbers and drug dealers in maximum-security prisons in Brooklyn and Pennsylvania, in protective custody and special housing units typically designated for disciplinary-plagued inmates. Sherwood said he was "essentially locked in my cell every day 24-7 for almost a full year" and experienced scant privacy to use the toilet. He said he "endured extremely limited or long stretches of no use of TV, radio, computer or phone," lacked human contact and could not see his family in person for more than a year. Kahn, who has agreed to grant compassionate release to a number of defendants during the pandemic, has previously rejected a bid for leniency sought by Sherwood's former business partner, Thomas Lagan, who is serving a six-and-a-half year sentence. On Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett asked Kahn to reject Sherwood as well. The former town judge has "betrayed the dead and deceived the dying," the prosecutor said. He noted Sherwood is now vaccinated against COVID-19. "Sherwood seeks to convert his 54-month term of imprisonment into a 19-month, time-served term but his crimes are no less despicable with the passage of time, and a 54-month term of imprisonment remains the correct sentence," the prosecutor stated in a memo. "Even assuming the truth of Sherwoods assertions," Barnett said, "they do not give rise to an extraordinary and compelling reason for his release. Sherwoods complaints may be valid, but they are rooted in the near-past, and arise from general conditions of confinement that thousands of inmates experienced during an unprecedented pandemic." Sherwood wrote that even when he was finally sent to the Otisville federal prison camp, he was locked in his cell round-the-clock with under-whelming meals. He said meals at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were "scalding hot, severely overcooked and reheated way too long and were essentially inedible" and food at the prison in Allenwood, Pa. was "stone cold." Sherwood's crimes were considered cold in a less literal way. Since 2006, Sherwood and Lagan provided estate planning and financial advice to late Niskayuna philanthropists Walter and Pauline Bruggeman. Sherwood admitted he conspired to steal millions of dollars from the estate of Pauline Bruggeman and her sisters, Anne Urban and Julia Rentz, who both died in 2013. Rentz, of Ohio, had dementia at the time. Sherwood and Lagan wrote a total of eight checks -- each for $14,000 -- to each other, their wives and children, and later sent tens of thousands of dollars from client estates to pay college tuition for Lagan's daughter. In addition to Kahn's sentence, state Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch sentenced Sherwood to 3-to-9 year term for second-degree grand larceny to run concurrently with the federal sentence. If Sherwood did not satisfy his state sentence by the time his federal term was completed, Lynch was expected to allow Sherwood to apply to be re-sentenced, effectively allowing the sentence to be four-and-a-half years. In his gripe, Sherwood said a "retainer" was placed on him by the federal Bureau of Prisons which led him to not be placed in the Otisville camp, as he had expected. "Unfortunately for me, I was the victim of very bad timing in not being able to address and rectify this mistake in a timely fashion as soon thereafter, the New York State courts shut down with the onset of the pandemic," he stated, For now, Sherwood remains at Otisville, the lock-up that has housed Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer for ex-President Donald Trump; former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate leader Dean Skelos, among others. Referring to Otisville, the prosecutor said: "While not a country club, the camp is hardly a rough-and-tumble prison. " Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch the boss when Richard Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend. The self-described tie-loathing adventurer and troublemaker will join five company employees for Sundays test flight from New Mexico's southern desert the companys fourth trip to the edge of space. Branson assigned himself to Virgin Galactics first full-scale crew, jumping ahead of Blue Origins Jeff Bezos, an even richer rocketeer looking to launch himself into space. Bezos liftoff is set for July 20 from West Texas. A brief look at Bransons ride and company: BOSS ON BOARD Just a week shy of turning 71, the London-born founder of the Virgin Group says he's "not apprehensive at all and it is the dream of a lifetime to ride into space. The longtime fitness fanatic put in extra effort to prepare for the brief up-and-down flight. Im in my 70s now so you either let yourself go or you get fit and enjoy life. His wife, children and grandchildren will be there as he climbs aboard the rocket plane thats attached to a dual-fuselage aircraft for takeoff. During the three to four minutes of weightlessness, Ill be looking back at our beautiful Earth and taking it all in and realize that only 500 other people have done this. Closer to 600, actually, but still a relatively small number. Upon landing, hell celebrate with a great, great grin on my face. WHO ELSE IS FLYING Two pilots are needed to fly the rocket plane from the time its released from the mothership to shoot into space until it glides down to a runway. It will be the third trip to space for chief pilot David Mackay, a Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Bransons Virgin Atlantic, and the second for chief flight instructor Michael Masucci. Chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, a former NASA engineer, is also launching for the second time. Joining Branson as space rookies are lead operations engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, a vice president. The six will grab a lift from mothership pilots C.J. Sturckow, a former NASA astronaut, and Kelly Latimer. ROCKET PLANE Virgin Galactics space plane, Unity, will take off attached to a specially designed double aircraft nicknamed Eve after Bransons late mother. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), the plane will be released and drop for a moment or two before its rocket motor ignites to send the craft on a steep climb toward space, exceeding 3 Gs, or three times the force of Earths gravity. The motor will shut off once the craft reaches space a maximum altitude of about 55 miles (88 kilometers) is anticipated enveloping the ship in silence as everyone but the pilots unbuckle, float and gaze out the 17 windows at Earth and the black void of space. After a few minutes of weightlessness, the occupants will strap back in as the plane reorients itself for entry folding up its wings, then folding them back down in unique technique known as feathering. The rocket plane will glide back, NASA space shuttle style, to conclude about 15 minutes of free flight. TRACK RECORD Founded in 2004, Virgin Galactic got its start when Branson teamed up with aircraft designer Burt Rutan to provide the necessary spaceship technology. A 2007 rocket motor test in Californias Mojave Desert left three workers dead and three more injured. Then in 2014 the rocket plane Enterprise named after the Star Trek ship broke apart during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. Unity, the replacement ship named by the late physicist Stephen Hawking, began flight tests in 2016. It made its first trip to the edge of space with two pilots in 2018 and the second in 2019, both times from Mojave. The operations moved to New Mexicos Spaceport America, with the plane soaring from there on May 22 to achieve the companys third spaceflight. WHATS NEXT After Branson's launch, Virgin Galactic plans two more test flights this summer and fall before inviting paying customers on board. The next one will include more company employees, and the last will have Italian Air Force members conducting research. If all goes well, the first of the more than 600 confirmed ticket holders will climb aboard next year. The company plans to reopen reservations once Branson soars. Initial tickets went for $250,000; no word on whether that will change. Branson promises a surprise after his ride to give more people the chance to become an astronaut because space belongs to us all. In the meantime, scientists are lining up for research rides, including Southwest Research Institutes Alan Stern, who was behind NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. NEW YORK A federal judge has scheduled the sentencing of former NXIVM president Nancy Salzman for Aug. 2 while rejecting her bail modification request to be with her daughter for the birth of her first grandchild. Salzman, who co-founded the cultlike personal growth company in Colonie with Keith Raniere in 1998, will be sentenced for her March 2019 guilty plea to one count of racketeering conspiracy in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Her attorney, Robert A. Soloway, asked the judge for a later sentencing date, noting his plans to be on vacation and time needed to prepare. Salzman, 66, of Halfmoon, known within NXIVM as Prefect, was the second-most powerful figure in the shadowy organization behind Raniere, the reputed cult leader and longtime Halfmoon resident known as Vanguard. NXIVM and its Executive Success Programs (ESP) had locations in Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest, Mexico, Canada and Florida, spreading the now-notorious teachings of Raniere, who portrayed himself as a deeply ethical and intellectually powerful being whose presence and energy could impact computers and affect the weather. Salzman lived for decades in a large upscale home on Oregon Trail, a short drive to the Knox Woods townhouse complex where more than two dozen top members of NXIVM resided, including Raniere. In her guilty plea to racketeering conspiracy, Salzman admitted to underlying acts that included conspiring to commit identity theft to get the names and passwords of email accounts of perceived enemies of NXIVM. The names of the company's so-called enemies were kept in boxes in Salzmans basement that were seized by federal investigators, along with more than $515,000. The basement was decorated with several photos of Raniere. Salzman also admitted to conspiring to alter records for use in an official proceeding, which was a lawsuit against cult expert Rick Ross. "I am pleading guilty because I am, in fact, guilty," Salzman told Senior U.S. Judge Nicholas Garaufis on March 13, 2019. "It has taken me some time and some soul searching to come to this place," she told the judge. "When I began working with NXIVM, I believed that we would be helping people. I still believe that some of what we did was good. The problem began when I compromised my principles and did things which I knew or should have known were wrong. I justified them to myself by saying that what we were doing was for the greater good. Now, having had time to step back from the community I was immersed in for nearly 20 years, I accept that some of things I did were not just wrong but criminal." Salzman was charged in 2018 in a case that also included Raniere; NXIVM operations director Clare Bronfman, the Seagram's fortune heiress; television actress Allison Mack; NXIVM bookkeeper Kathy Russell; and Salzman's daughter, Lauren Salzman, a high-ranking member of the organization. All the defendants pleaded guilty except Raniere, 60, who went to trial and was convicted in June 2019 of all charges, including sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy and racketeering counts with underlying acts of possessing child pornography, extortion and identity theft. The judge sentenced Raniere last October to 120 years in prison, which Raniere is serving in Tucson. Ariz. Bronfman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain, and fraudulent use of identification, was previously sentenced to nearly seven years in prison. On June 30, the judge sentenced Mack, an ex-member of Raniere's "master/slave" group Dominus Obsequious Sororium (DOS) and who cooperated with prosecutors, to three years in prison for racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. Lauren Salzman, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, is scheduled to be sentenced July 28. She could receive major leniency as she was the star witness for prosecutors at Raniere's trial. Nancy Salzman's other daughter, Michelle Salzman, is expected to soon give birth to a child, according to a recent letter to the judge from Nancy Salzman's attorney. Soloway asked Garaufis if Salzman, who is on home confinement, could accompany her daughter to a local hospital for the baby's birth and delivery, "including staying overnight with her daughter as desired during the infancy of the child so as to help her daughter and son-in-law, and to bond with her first grandchild." Garaufis rejected the request, court papers show. Half the time police in New York say they wielded force it was used on a person who is Black, newly released state data show, highlighting a rate that is substantially disproportionate to the state's overall population, which is 18 percent Black. Some Capital Region police departments, including Albany, Troy and Schenectady, reported that Black people accounted for more than 60 percent of cases in which they used force from officers using chokeholds to deploying Taser-like devices and chemical agents to brandishing and shooting firearms. At least 10 people statewide died after police used force out of more about 7,000 use of force cases between July 2019 and October 2020, according to data reported by police agencies to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and released Thursday. However, that tally does not include deaths that followed force used by the New York City Police Department, the state's largest police department, which refused to report such figures to the state. The data has been long-awaited by lawmakers, who mandated police to report use of force data to the state nearly two years ago to the date. The lead up to the release of the data has been mired by lawsuits and pushback from conservatives and some law enforcement officials who said reporting the data would hamstring officers' work and cause streets to be less safe. The initial data has its share of shortcomings, DCJS, which is tasked with collecting and reporting the data, acknowledged. It is at the mercy of how police departments interpreted a variety of types of use of force, according to division spokeswoman Janine Kava. In one instance, the NYPD advised the division it would not report instances of use of force that resulted in serious bodily harm or death, according to Kava. The NYPD declined to respond to Times Union questions including whether it viewed reporting serious bodily harm or death as an admission of guilt and instead referred reporters to its own reporting dashboard on use of force data. The city's data showed that seven people died after NYPD use of force incidents between Jan. 1, 2020 and Oct. 31, 2020. Data for 2019 was not available. Meanwhile, is unclear if police departments declined to provide data on incidents that remain under investigation, but, anecdotally, some events that were reported in the press do not appear in the lengthy data set. Despite some of the acknowledged shortcomings of the data, it provides the first statewide look at use of force by police, and reveals widespread racial disparities. Ending in death All 10 of the use of force deaths included in the state data were men. Seven were white, while three were black. Their average age was 44 years old. Of the 19 officers involved in these incidents, 17 were male and two were female. Fifteen of the officers were white, two were Black and two were of unknown race. Their average age was 33 years old. Two of the deaths occurred while police were providing medical, mental health of welfare assistance. Six took place while police responded to unlawful or suspicious activity. For two deaths, the circumstances were labeled as just other. The data does not always make clear what kind of police conduct resulted in the death. Two of the incidents reported by the Syracuse City Police Department in December 2019 and March 2020 list conduct that resulted in death to describe the type of force used, instead of a specific type, like with a chokehold or gun. Most of the other death incidents indicate that a gun was brandished, used or discharged. One death reported by Elmira City Police in August 2019 indicates that a Taser was used and conduct that resulted in death occurred. But Elmira City Police Chief Tony Evans said Weve never had a Taser kill anybody. He said that incident referred to the death of Gary Strobridge. In that case, an Elmira police officer has been charged with assault by New York Attorney General Letitia James after Strobridge became unresponsive after the officer allegedly pressed his foot on the mans neck and slammed his head onto the hospital floor, according to an Associated Press report. One death involved the Schenectady City Police Department. A 34-year-old white male died after a firearm was discharged by two officers on March 24, 2020. Earlier this year, James' office determined that the police's justification of the shooting of Michael Wallace "could not be disproven beyond a reasonable doubt." Capitol Region data The Troy City Police Department had the sixth-highest number of use of force incidents among any police department in the state, according to the data. Out of 131 people that the Troy police used force on in the 15-month reporting window, 61 percent of the time the person was Black, above the statewide average, based on a Times Union analysis of the data. About 18 percent of Troy residents are Black, according to US Census Bureau data. The Schenectady City Police Department had the ninth-highest tally of use of force cases. Out of the 102 people the department used force on, 62 percent of them were Black. About 20 percent of city residents are Black. Thirty-one of the 37 people that Albany City Police reported using force against were Black, in a city with an overall population that is 29 percent Black. Police departments did not return requests for comment Friday. Efforts to improve data collection The state division is mandated to collect and report the use of force data, based on a 2019 executive order from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, but it does not have a mechanism to enforce the reporting of data by law enforcement agencies. The division said it reached out to police departments to offer additional checks of the data they were reporting. The reporting requirements were intended to "bring additional accountability to policing throughout the state," according to a 2019 budget memorandum prepared by Cuomo's office. Since then, the governor has wrestled with issues that have arisen not only statewide, but nationally: Black Lives Matter protests calling for substantial reforms to policing practices and escalations in violent crime that has, in part, led Cuomo to declare a state of emergency this week in response to gun violence. The initial data collection used different definitions of use of force, while it was debated in the courts, and used a data reporting system the division has now updated. As of November 2020, the data has a standardized set of safeguards to ensure the accuracy of the data, the division said. State law requires the data to be reported annually, but there is no date certain for when the next detailed data set is to be released. ALBANY A petty officer killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has finally been identified. Navy Metalsmith 1st class Leonard F. Smith, 29, of Albany, was on the USS Oklahoma when it sank on Dec. 7, 1941. The ship went down less than 12 minutes into the surprise attack. Japanese pilots targeted the USS Oklahoma at the start of the attack, hitting it with numerous torpedoes. Although the USS Oklahoma was moored in the harbor, it was not an easy task to escape the sinking ship while it was under attack. Many crewmen were trapped inside the hull. Others had to jump 50 feet into the water which was burning hot and covered in oil slicks. Despite the daylight, it was so dark inside the ship that many sailors gave their lives guiding others out. Those who survived the initial bombardment and the sinking of the ship, but were trapped inside, lived in flooded conditions for up to two days while Navy rescue crew drilled holes in the hull. They were able to rescue 32 people that way. In total, more than 500 people survived the attack. But Smith, and 428 other sailors and Marines, did not make it. Smith enlisted in Pennsylvania, but was living with his wife, Doris, in Long Beach, California before the war, according to military records. He is now listed as having family in Albany. The Navy recovered the bodies of all 429 people lost on the USS Oklahoma, but it took two and a half years and most of them could not be identified. They were all temporarily buried in Hawaii. Those remains were first disinterred in 1947 in an effort to identify each person. But the remains of 394 people were buried as unknowns, with a list of every persons name nearby. In 2015, all those remains were exhumed again in an effort to identify them using modern DNA analysis. Thats what led to Smiths identification. More than half of the sailors and Marines from the USS Oklahoma have now been identified and sent home to be buried by their families. Smith was identified on April 16, 2020, and his family was called, said Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency spokesman Sean Everette. But due to restrictions on travel and gathering during the pandemic, the Navy Casualty Office was unable to meet with the family in person until recently. That (phone call) notification is just to let them know hes been accounted for. They dont get the full breadth of information at that time, Everette said. That is always done in person, he said. That happened at the end of June. The family has asked to not be contacted by the media. They have also declined a funeral. Smiths remains will be cremated on Sept. 1. NKANDLA, South Africa (AP) Former South African president Jacob Zuma turned himself over to police early Thursday to begin serving a 15-month prison term. Just minutes before the midnight deadline for police to arrest him, Zuma left his Nkandla home in a convoy of vehicles. Zuma handed himself over to authorities to obey the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court, that he should serve a prison term for contempt. President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN (KwaZulu-Natal province)," said a tweet posted by the Zuma Foundation. Soon after South Africa's police confirmed that Zuma was in their custody. Zuma's imprisonment comes after a week of rising tensions over his sentence. Zuma, 79, was ordered to prison for contempt because he defied a court order for him to testify before a judicial commission investigating widespread allegations of corruption during his time as the countrys president, from 2009 to 2018. The Constitutional Court ordered that if Zuma did not voluntarily hand himself over to the police then the police should arrest the country's former president by the end of the day Wednesday. In a last-minute plea to avoid going to prison, Zuma's lawyers had written to the acting chief justice requesting that his arrest be suspended until Friday, when a regional court is to rule on his application to postpone the arrest. Zumas lawyers asked the acting chief justice to issue directives stopping the police from arresting him, claiming there would be a prejudice to his life. Zuma had also launched two court proceedings to avoid arrest after his sentence last week. He applied to the Constitutional Court to rescind his sentence and that application will be heard on July 12. On Tuesday, his lawyers were in the Pietermaritzburg High Court seeking to stop the minister of police from arresting him until the Constitutional Court rules on his application. The regional court will rule on that application on Friday. Political tensions have risen in KwaZulu-Natal province as a result of Zumas conviction, sentence and pending arrest. Hundreds of his supporters gathered at his home over the weekend and vowed to prevent his arrest, but they left on Sunday. The judicial inquiry into corruption during his term as president has heard damning testimony from former Cabinet ministers and top executives of state-owned corporations that Zuma allowed his associates, members of the Gupta family, to influence his Cabinet appointments and lucrative contracts. Zuma refused to comply with a court order to appear before the commission, which brought the Constitutional Court to convict him of contempt and sentence him to prison. In a separate matter, Zuma is standing trial on charges of corruption related to a 1999 arms deal, where he allegedly received bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales. His financial adviser has already been convicted and imprisoned in that case. Zuma has had other legal woes. In 2005, he was charged with rape but was acquitted in 2006 after the court found the sexual intercourse was consensual. Zuma bounced back from that to become president in 2009. But by 2018 mounting evidence of rampant corruption in his administration brought his party, the ruling African National Congress, to force him from office. Although tarnished by scandal now, Zuma had built up a reputation as a staunch opponent of apartheid, South Africa's previous regime of harsh white minority rule. He was jailed for 10 years at the Robben Island prison where political prisoners including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were held. When he was released in 1973, Zuma left the country to continue his work in the African National Congress, traveling through countries like Swaziland, Zambia and Mozambique. By the time South Africa legalized the ANC in 1990, Zuma was a high-ranking official in the party and was part of negotiating the political settlement that led to the countrys first democratic elections in 1994. Zuma's reputation in the new South Africa was further enhanced when he was deployed to his home province of KwaZulu-Natal where he helped to resolve political violence that was threatening to derail the countrys progress toward a democratic and non-racial society. Zumas political reputation will be marred by the corruption scandals surrounding him, said Lesiba Teffo, lecturer in politics at the University of South Africa. It is very disappointing to see a man who has done so much for the country, a liberation hero, now reduced to zero," said Teffo. This is a man who fought hard for the liberation of this country, but like many African leaders in our continent, he fell at the altar of money. Will Waldron/Albany Times Union The recent meeting in Saratoga Springs that was held by Assistant Police Chief John Catone and Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton was, in my opinion, an inflammatory, rambling and tone-deaf lecture. It began with concerns about a drunken brawl but pivoted to blame being placed on social/racial justice movements and promoting a you are with us, or you are against us mentality that has something to do with how long youve lived here. The message was clearly that people of color are not welcome in Saratoga Springs because they bring gangs and drugs. How many white members of our community and surrounding areas are arrested for selling drugs or for physical or sexual violence? Why pick the narrative that our problems are all the result of racial/social justice movements and outsiders from Albany? Because blaming the other is historically a very powerful narrative that has effectively divided us throughout history. April 23, 1969 - June 15, 2021. Join us in celebrating Robin's life. Memorial will be July 24 at 1PM at the Cross of Christ Community Church (Monongah) with a dinner following at the Monongah Town Hall. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Orlando Sentinel. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Hastings Tribune. A former Georgia school administrator accused of poisoning his wife with cocaine has been denied bail after prosecutors told a judge that recorded telephone conversations showed him trying to gather a passport and cash NASHVILLE, Tenn. Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced he will travel to the U.S. Southern border this weekend to meet with Tennessee National Guard troops and evaluate needs in securing the border. The men and women of the Tennessee National Guard are playing a significant role in quelling the most severe border crisis weve seen in 20 years, said Gov. Lee. I want to personally commend the more than 300 Tennesseans who are serving our country and on the front lines of this crisis. Currently, there are 300 Tennessee National Guard members stationed at multiple sites throughout the border region of Texas to provide support to Customs and Border Protection. These personnel are members of three units: 269th Military Police Company Routinely augments law enforcement by conducting training and providing a presence along the border 913th Engineer Company Capabilities lend to myriad road building efforts and border wall projects 2-151 Aviation Battalion Provides an aerial platform to assist Customs and Border Protection with a number of their logistical and operational priorities Gov. Lee will be accompanied by Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard. Upon their return, Gov. Lee and Holmes will provide more details about the visit. ### As always we pay tribute to hottie Siri and her groundbreaking pr0n & social media comeback along which inspires us to check pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check-it . . . Kansas City Underground Check Kansas City identifies problems with parking garage under City Hall Kansas City has identified a problem with a parking garage under City Hall."You can see some exposed, of what would be rebar, structural rebar that is a little bit rusted and of course the concrete that is chipped off a little bit," said Maggie Green, Kansas City's public information officer.In the parking garage underneath City Hall, failed waterproofing is blamed for the leaky roof, causing the concrete to chip.Soon the garage will be closed as a precaution. Counting Money Amid Plague Burned out: KC paramedics piled on overtime through pandemic A donation to The Beacon goes beyond the newsroom. We amplify community voices, share resources and investigate systems, not just symptoms. The Beacon in your inbox. In-depth reporting delivered every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Thirty minutes. That's how long it takes Kansas City Fire Department paramedics to sterilize an ambulance after responding to a COVID-19 emergency. KCPD Helps Out Rural Po-Po Homicide investigation continues in quiet Raymore neighborhood after woman killed RAYMORE, Mo. - Raymore police and detectives from the KC Metro Squad returned to a home on South Lakeshore Drive on Friday to continue their homicide investigation of 39-year-old Katie Kellen. That home in a quiet neighborhood on Silver Lake is now a crime scene. Police were called to the house just before 8:30 p.m. Smartest Pr0n Babe Of Them All Siri Dahl Pens Essay on Sex Work Discrimination for The Daily Beast LOS ANGELES - The Daily Beast has published a long essay by Siri Dahl that gives a personal context to society's pervasive and endless vilification of sex work. Prez Biden Pokes Vlad Biden tells Putin to 'disrupt' ransomware groups operating out of Russia President Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to "disrupt" ransomware groups operating out of Russia amid another series of attacks this week. "I made it very clear to him that the United States expects when a ransomware operation is coming from his soil, even though it's not sponsored by the state, we expect them to act if we give them enough information to act on who that is," Biden said. Todays Lesson In Free Money Biden administration cancels additional $55.6 million in student debt Department of Education announced an additional $55.6 million of student loan debt canceled Friday. Biden administration has now canceled $1.5 billion of student loan debt. The Department of Education canceled an additional $55.6 million in student loan debt for 1,800 student who were victims of a for-profit college fraud, bringing the total amount of canceled student loan debt by the Biden administration to $1.5 billion. Latest Coup News Haiti assassination allegedly involved Americans and retired members of Colombian military, officials say The armed group who assassinated Haiti's President, Jovenel Moise, were "professional killers" consisting of more than two dozen people, including two American citizens and retired members of the Colombian military, authorities have said. Rich White Woman Problems Exposed Hilaria Baldwin, the Rachel Dolezal of the Hamptons, just won't let it go How you say . . . totally bats-t loca? Hilaria Baldwin, outed late last year as neither Spanish nor interesting, has now doubled down on Instagram, claiming that she - as Walt Whitman and Bob Dylan before her - contains multitudes. "When you are multi, it can feel hard to belong," she wrote in part. Help Out With Doggie Style KCPP needs help getting a record number of pets adopted Some of the adoptable pets at KC Pet Project. // Courtesy KCPP The pet adoption craze of 2020 has slowed, and with that comes a large influx of pets in Kansas City shelters. On Wednesday, July 7, 84 new pets arrived at the Kansas City Pet Project shelter. Inner Suburban Connection Coming Soon Bus service connecting Blue Springs and downtown Kansas City expected to return in October by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - The KCATA plans to resume bus service from eastern Jackson County into downtown Kansas City, Missouri, as soon as October. RideKC announced its 570 Blue Springs Express route will return with service between Blue Springs and Union Station. Chop Shop Chatter COVID-19 delta variant a 'discussion with every client' at Kansas City barber shops KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As the COVID-19 delta variant spreads in the Kansas City metro, it's becoming a hot topic in coffee shops, bars and barber shops. "The virus is a daily conversation in the barber shop," said Phyllis Manley, owner of Phyllis' Barber Shop in Kansas City. Storms Forecast Tonight Severe thunderstorms possible Friday night, Saturday in Kansas City AIR YOU NCA WR.EA THAT SON IS GOING TO CAUSE OUR TEMPERATURES TO SOAR. WE ARE AT 82 KANSAS CITY, 88 ALREADY IN OTTAWA. 77 IN TRENTON SO YOU CAN S THEEE WARM AIR COMING OUT OFHE T IT WILL GET TO 93 TODAY IN LIBERTY, 91 IN LAWRENCEBURG AND 93 ILEN VENS WORTH BUT THE HUMIDITY WILL MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 100-210 DEGREES. And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. The debate betwixt local government and Kansas City homeless activists persists. Accordingly . . . CITIZEN MEDIA REPORTS ARRESTS OF KANSAS CITY HOMELESS ACTIVISTS LAST NIGHT ATTEMPTING TO SET UP CAMP DESPITE THE NEW FENCE AT 12TH & OAK!!! Special thanks to KICK-ASS TKC READERS for these notes . . . First a description of the scene . . . Homeless Breach City Hall Fence Thought you might find it interesting. About 12:30 this morning, three males were arrested in front of city hall. They were cutting open sections of the new fence. Preview of things to come? ############ More detail here . . . City Hall Fence Well you called it TKC; a group showed up to City Hall late last night checking the integrity of the fence. A couple were apparently were arrested after they started taking it apart to set up camp. Mayor Q and Platts failure to address the homeless issue and actually have a plan moving forward is the precursor to how they are or will address crime with the police budget money. Still no plan. Still no transparency. Its easy, for them to throw a bunch of free federal money at a problem but when its time to be transparent and step up to the table, they and many other progressives are unprepared to deal with these issues which generally get worse before they get better. ################### Speaking of getting worse as this cowtown's "homeless motel" program comes to an inevitable conclusion . . . The "pallet community" ordinance for the homeless was reintroduced for discussion this week and our blog community has a lot to say about this issue as the Kansas City homeless crisis worsens. Developing . . . Here's today's round-up from the wrong side of the state line as ongoing protest against police overshadows an escalating homicide count. Check-it . . . Detectives investigate KCK's 19th homicide of the year KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are currently investigating the city's 19th homicide of the year. Officers were called about 9:40 a.m. Thursday to the 1400 Block of North Eighth Street to assist firefighters on a medical call regarding a woman in respiratory arrest. Activists call for US Justice Department to investigate Kansas City, Kansas police department by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Kan. - An activist organization asked the US Department of Justice to investigate the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. The Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, or "MORE Squared," gathered outside police headquarters to announce its intention to file a formal request with the Justice Department. KCKPD investigating city's 19th homicide of 2021 The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is investigating the city's 19th homicide of 2021 after being called out to assist with a medical incident Thursday morning.Officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of North 8th Street around 9:40 a.m. Local faith leaders and justice advocates petition for federal review of KCK Police KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- A group of faith leaders and justice advocates is calling on the US Department of Justice to investigate the KCK Police Department. The Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, or MORE2, demonstrated across the street from the departments headquarters at 7th and Minnesota Friday afternoon, praying alongside families who say their loved ones have been the victims of police injustices. Developing . . . Sorry, just linking this note because it's silly . . . An award winning Kansas pay-for-play "news" propaganda donation scheme offers some scintillating journalism that reveals, gasp, that a nearby college town is exceptionally liberal. Given that every year about 30k liberal arts majors crowd local streets and attend a university that's mostly an excuse to watch kick-ass b-ball games for 5-6 years . . . That shouldn't be a surprise. However, here's one more reason to tell your aunt to stop donating to this rag and let the DNC pay for their own messaging . . . Conemaugh School of Nursing students Allison Becker (left) and Delaney Mack (center) and Conemaugh Health System employee Beth Freedling wait to register participants for the second vaccine clinic at The Galleria in Richland Township on Monday, March 29, 2021. The clinic was sponsored by Conemaugh Health System, the Cambria County Department of Emergency Services and the Cambria-Somerset COVID-19 task force. Kathleen Wilkinson, a Philadelphia attorney and president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, had just graduated from Villanova University School of Law when President Ronald Reagan announced in July of 1981 that he was nominating Sandra Day OConnor to be the first woman to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Lorraine May Roberts passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 27, 2021. She was a devoted wife and mother and friend to all who knew her. Born on October 7, 1925 to Dorothy Weust and John Henry Ennen of Terre Haute, Indiana. Lorraine graduated from Terre Haute Honey Creek High School. After gr Canton, GA (30114) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on triplicate.com. The Triplicate's E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping Indias aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. A shipment of more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other health devices arrived from Singapore on Friday, followed by another 1,000 ventilators from Australia, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister in charge of Indonesias pandemic response. Beside those donations, Indonesia plans to buy 36,000 tons of oxygen and 10,000 concentrators devices that generate oxygen from neighboring Singapore, Pandjaitan said. He said he is in touch with China and other potential oxygen sources. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates also have offered help. We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. In addition to sending vaccines, the U.S. is working to increase assistance for Indonesias broader COVID-19 response efforts, she said, without elaborating. Overall, Indonesia, the worlds fourth-most populous country, has reported more than 2.4 million infections and 64,631 fatalities from COVID-19. Those figures are widely believed to be a vast undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures. Indonesia reported the highest toll of 1,040 deaths on Wednesday and nearly 39,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and Friday. Hospitals are swamped, with growing numbers of the ill dying in isolation at home or while waiting to receive emergency care. On Java, Indonesias most populous island, hospitals began setting up makeshift intensive care units in mid-June. Many patients are waiting for days to be admitted. Oxygen tanks were rolled out onto sidewalks for those lucky enough to get them, while others have been told they have to find their own. Emergency rooms at a public hospital in Bandung city closed earlier this week after running out of oxygen amid panic buying fueled by soaring infections in the West Java provincial capital, said Yaya Mulyana, the citys deputy mayor. Panicked people bought oxygen tanks even though they didnt need them yet, Mulyana said. That has led to oxygen supplies running out. At one hospital in Yogyakarta, in central Java, 63 COVID-19 patients died in one day -- 33 of them during an outage of its central liquid oxygen supply, though the hospital had switched to using oxygen cylinders, spokesman Banu Hermawan said. Indonesia donated 3,400 oxygen cylinders and concentrators to India when a brutal outbreak ravaged the country. As its own cases surged, Jakarta then canceled a plan to send another 2,000 oxygen concentrators to India in late June. The daily need for oxygen has reached 1,928 tons a day. The countrys total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day, according to government data. I asked for 100% of oxygen go to medical purposes first, meaning that all industrial allocations must be transferred to medical, said Pandjaitan, the government minister. We are racing against time, we have to work fast. Given the rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant, he warned that Indonesia could face a worst-case scenario with 50,000 cases a day. The next two weeks will be critical, he said. The Ministry of Industry responded by issuing a decree that all oxygen supplies be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients, and asked industry players to cooperate. Oxygen is used in making many products, including textiles, plastics and vehicles. Oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and steel makers also use it. But industry leaders have fallen in line in supporting government efforts to maximize supplies for hospitals. The government has redirected oxygen supplies from industrial plants in Morowali in Central Sulawesi, Balikpapan on Borneo island, and Belawan and Batam on Sumatra islands, Pandjaitan said. Smaller oxygen industries have also been directed to produce pharmaceutical oxygen. Police chase ends in the arrest of a Nelson Street man; officers arrest a man for marijuana trafficking in Arima and seize a shotgun and ammunition in Arouca. More in tonight's Crime Wrap. Despite not having received permission, and mere hours after being released from jail, UNC activist David Welch says the massive motorcade he's been planning is still on! And he's advising Top Cop Gary Griffith to prepare his court clothes! Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland have discussed in a phone call the situation in Belarus and expressed concern over the current developments in the country. The newly appointed presidential press secretary, Serhiy Nykyforov, said this at a briefing on Friday, July 9, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Andriy Yermak and Ms. Victoria Nuland discussed the situation in Belarus and expressed concern about what is happening there now. They also discussed some security issues related to Russia's West-2021 exercises and moved on to the topic of Ukraine," he said. He specified that Yermak and Nuland had talked about the progress that Ukraine has made over the past two weeks. "This applies to documents on the HQCJ [High Qualifications Commission of Judges], the HCJ [High Council of Justice], the law on corporate governance, the law on the SBU. It is clear that all these documents are at different stages of adoption, but the work on them continues. The situation in Naftogaz was also discussed," Nykyforov said. op Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has said that she had an informal meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Lithuania. According to Ukrinform, Tikhanovskaya said this in an interview with the Segodnya online news site. "Yes, we are in touch, of course, with Ukrainian government representatives. I once met online with Mr. Kuleba [Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba]. The day before yesterday I came across Mr. Zelensky at an event in Lithuania. We did not have official meetings, but you know how we strongly feel the support of Ukraine," Tikhanovskaya said. "The fact that Ukraine joins the EU sanctions [against Belarus] indicates that Ukraine stands by the Belarusian people," she added. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on July 5 accredited the Belarusian Democratic Representation, thus granting official status to the Vilnius-based team of Belarus' exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Mass protests have been going on in Belarus since August 2020 against the rigging of the results of a presidential election in which Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner. The European Union, the United States, Ukraine and most democratic countries have not recognized the legitimacy of the Lukashenko regime. Tikhanovskaya is forced to live in Lithuania where she represents the Belarusian opposition at the international level. Photo: Pul Pervoi At least 78 people in Washington state died in recent heat wave, with 1 in Walla Walla County Officials close parts of Umatilla National Forest east of Walla Walla as firefighters work to contain two fires Alex Churchman takes part in a trans march and rally in Arkansas. The 13-year-old says he found support from Seattle-based Beloved Arise, an organization for queer youth of faith around the country and world, when he felt rejected by his church. (Courtesy Ashley Churchman/TNS) (@FahadShabbir) VIENTIANE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) --:Lao Ministry of Health Saturday reported 93 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total in the country to 2,630. Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under the Lao Ministry of Health Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference in Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday that the country reported 91 new imported COVID-19 cases and two new locally transmitted cases over the last 24 hours. Among the imported cases, 45 cases were reported in Savannakhet province, 43 cases in Champasak, two in Bokeo, and one in Khammuan province. The Lao government has instructed local authorities to carefully monitor borders to prevent the illegal entry of Lao laborers returning from neighboring countries. The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said it was monitoring 4,979 people at 49 accommodation centers across the country. WINDHOEK, July 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jul, 2021 ) --:Namibia's Directorate of Veterinary Services said on Friday that a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in northeast Zambezi region has spread to four other villages, infecting 795 cattle in total. The first FMD case in the latest outbreak was confirmed at Kasenu village, in Zambezi region's Kasika area, on June 3. The Agriculture Ministry's chief veterinary, Albertina Shilongo, said the FMD infection is suspected to be due to either the contact of cattle with free-roaming buffaloes in the area or smuggling of infected cattle from neighboring countries. "The investigation to ascertain the source of infection is ongoing. The spread of the disease to other villages is due to the movement of livestock to areas in the flood plain in search of better grazing," she said. Control measures are being instituted and will be in force for the next 14 days, Shilongo said, adding that after the 14-day period, the measures will be reviewed. Emergency vaccination of cattle against the FMD has started in high-risk areas, she said. (@FahadShabbir) Tehran, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :Iran's authorities said Saturday they are investigating a midnight blast in northern Tehran that caused no casualties or damages, local media reported. The blast occurred at 00:52 AM (2022 GMT) at the capital's Mellat park, according to deputy Tehran governor Hamidreza Goudarzi. "The cause of the blast is under investigation. It caused no financial damages or loss of lives," he was quoted as saying by the state TV's website. Asked whether it was a "terrorist attack", Goudarzi said they will announce their findings "after making sure". A state tv report said the blast was a "sound bomb," with one of its reporters on the scene saying it "occurred in an area with no buildings or facilities". Tehran's fire department said it dispatched several units after receiving reports of an explosion, but its firefighters found no fire or debris. Mellat park is located close to the headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, responsible for domestic radio and television services in the country. ULAN BATOR, Jul 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jul, 2021 ) :The 14th International Conference on Mine Closure will be held here in Mongolia's capital on Aug. 17-19, the first time it will be held in Asia, organizers said Thursday. The annual event is a platform that brings together all stakeholders in the mining industry to explore the latest mine closure methodologies, best practices, achievements and new technologies, exchange information and ideas, and establish business relationships. The conference will be held in both virtual and physical formats, organizers said. During B2B meetings and exhibitions within the framework of the Mine Closure 2021, at least 36 research papers and best practices from 26 countries are expected to be presented, and experiences and business offers will be shared. Bangkok, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :A prominent ethnic rebel group in Myanmar suspended one of its key leaders this week, a spokesman said Saturday, as it investigates an alleged massacre of civilians on its territory. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, sparking huge protests among civilians and renewing clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in its border regions. The Karen National Union (KNU) -- one of Myanmar's largest rebel groups in its east, which has tussled with the military for decades -- has been locked in renewed conflict with the army since the coup. In May, state-run media accused fighters from one of the group's armed wings, the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), of a May 31 massacre of 25 construction workers -- an allegation the KNU had said it would investigate. Spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee confirmed Saturday that the KNDO's head, General Ner Dah Bo Mya, and his subordinate Lieutenant Saw Ba Wah have been "suspended temporarily". "According to the Geneva Conventions, even if they are our enemies, we just arrest them, you cannot kill like that," he said. "We stand firmly on our commitment to the Geneva Conventions and the international community, and we have to deal with this carefully."The decision -- made on Monday by KNU leaders -- will inject more discord within the rebel group, whose political divisions over the handling of the junta have spilled out in recent months to the public. Padoh Saw Taw Nee defended the suspension as "part of our procedures". Harare, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shadman islam scored centuries as Bangladesh declared at 284-1 in their second innings to build a colossal 476-run lead over Zimbabwe in a one-off Test in Harare on Saturday. Needing to surpass the West Indies' world record fourth innings run chase of 418 set 18 years ago, Zimbabwe reached 25-1 by tea with Milton Shumba back in the change room after making just 11. The first and second sessions of the fourth day saw the unbeaten Bangladeshi left-handers wreak havoc with Najmul finishing on 117 and Shadman posting a Test career-best 115. Batting at number three, Najmul averaged a run a ball for a total which included five fours and six sixes behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. Shadman was more cautious, facing 196 deliveries to compile his finest Test innings that was laced with nine fours. He was the first to reach a century with a flick to deep square leg off the bowling of Shumba at Harare sports Club. Twenty-two balls later, Najmul reached the 100 mark for the second time in a Test, striking a full toss to long-on. Zimbabwe deployed six bowlers, led by fast medium pair Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, and the sole success came when the latter had Saif Hassan (43) caught at gully by debutant Dion Myers. Bangladesh are touring Zimbabwe for the first time since 2013 and will also play three one-day and three Twenty20 internationals, all in Harare. Brief scoresBangladesh 468 and 284-1 (Najmul 117 not out, Shadman 115 not out) vs Zimbabwe 276 (T. Kaitano 87, B. Taylor 81; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5-82, Shakib al Hasan 4-82) and 25-1Zimbabwe need 452 runs to win with nine second-innings wickets standing Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :Russia reported 752 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a national record of pandemic-related fatalities over a 24-hour period, as the country battles a third wave. Russia has now set seven new pandemic highs for Covid-19 deaths in the last 12 days as it fights a surging outbreak driven by the highly infectious Delta variant and a sluggish vaccination campaign. The country's official virus caseload passed 5.75 million on Saturday, making it the fifth-worst hit nation worldwide, according to an AFP tally. As of Saturday, just 18.9 million of Russia's population of some 146 million people had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions. In Moscow, the epicentre of Russia's outbreak, just 1.8 million of the city's some 12 million people had been fully vaccinated despite free jabs having been available since December. 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-19 jab. But the pace of the vaccination drive has nonetheless picked up after Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin last month mandated that 60 percent of service industry workers must be fully inoculated by mid-August, with a number of Russian regions since following suit. On Friday, Sobyanin said 3.5 million Muscovites will have received at least their first dose of a vaccine by the end of the weekend. The mayor has also ordered offices in the Russian capital 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 six months. The Kremlin, however, has rejected mandatory vaccinations for all groups of the population as well as suggestions of reimposing a nationwide lockdown. With 142,253 deaths from the virus, Russia has the highest official Covid-19 toll in Europe -- even as authorities have been accused of downplaying the severity of the country's outbreak. Under a broader definition for deaths linked to the coronavirus, statistics agency Rosstat at the end of April said that Russia has seen at least 270,000 fatalities. Banjul, GAMBIA (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) -:Thirty-eight Gambian health workers concluded a five-day training course on Saturday by a Turkish aid agency on emergency response as the small African nation's health ministry plans to set up its first national emergency service unit. The training, organized by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), concluded in the Gambian capital, Banjul. Three doctors and two paramedics from Turkey conducted the training. The team was led by an official from the Turkish Health Ministry. The training was the second since 2019 as Gambian authorities work to establish a national emergency services unit. The first event trained 28 health workers who learned skills, including basic and advanced life support. "We want to have a national emergency service unit. The training is to equip our health workers for that task. Now, we will select a number of people who are part of this training to train others," said Dr, Abubacarr Jagne, the head of Gambia's coronavirus treatment. "A training like this is very significant in improving our capacity for emergency preparedness." Abdoulie Bah, a Gambian doctor who participated, thanked Turkish officials for the opportunity. "It is very difficult to travel during this time of the pandemic and you have taken the risk to give out all you have. We want to say thank you," said Bah. TIKA has been a longstanding partner of Gambia's Health Ministry. The agency has also supported Gambia's virus response efforts through several projects. It is currently working with the Health Ministry to build an oxygen plant, said the group's Banjul coordinator, Mehmet Akif Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :The US and French defense chiefs signed a new "roadmap" for cooperation between their special operations forces Friday as both seek to build international efforts to counter non-state threats like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. French Defense Minister Florence Parly signed the pact at the Pentagon with her counterpart Lloyd Austin, on a visit that came as the US pulls out of Afghanistan and France cuts its counter-terror operations in Africa's Sahel region. "In the face of terrorism, our special forces have developed a true brotherhood of arms. This convention will deepen the exceptional ties that they have forged," Parly said in a tweet after the two met. Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton Semelroth called the roadmap "a statement of intent to broaden cooperation in all areas of special operations." He said there was no specific regional focus of the agreement. But both countries are said to be looking for ways for allies to continue working together to battle Islamic jihadist groups even as they reduce the presence of their troops in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the near two-decade US military involvement in Afghanistan would end by August 31. Earlier Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would start closing military bases in northern Mali by year-end, as the jihadist threat in the Sahel begins to shift south and exposes more countries in the region to Islamist attacks. Both countries remain deeply concerned about non-state extremist insurgents in Africa, with Biden saying the US counter-terrorism effort needs to shift from Afghanistan to the continent and other hotspots. In a discussion at the Atlantic Council after her Pentagon visit, Parly said the Takuba task force, nine European and African countries' special forces working together in the Sahel, was a model for future cooperation. Takuba "is a remarkable and concrete example of Europeans taking their responsibilities by accompanying the Malian armed forces in combat," she said. "This task force has already achieved major successes against terrorism," she said, adding: "The US support to our operations in the Sahel is crucial." Citing other joint missions in recent years, she said: "Our operational cooperation delivers concrete results. And it will continue to deliver."Ahead of their discussions, Austin called France an "ideal partner" in the Indo-Pacific, where Washington is trying to build stronger partnerships to counter China. In Washington, Parly also visited US Cyber Command, which is the Pentagon's cyber warfare body. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the prospects of the two countries cooperating to support the peace process in Afghanistan, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2021) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the prospects of the two countries cooperating to support the peace process in Afghanistan, State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Friday. "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and underscored the shared desire for a stable and sustainable bilateral relationship," Price said in a statement. "The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the importance of continued US-Pakistan cooperation on the Afghanistan peace process following the visit to the United States by Afghan President Ghani and Chairman Abdullah." The Biden administration has been calling on Afghanistan's neighboring countries to play a bigger role in ensuring the stability of the war-torn country. US forces are expected to complete the withdrawal process by August 31. Violence in Afghanistan has increased as Taliban forces fight to gain control of territory as US and NATO forces pull out. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby confirmed this week that the Taliban have taken over dozens of district and provincial centers and are expected to threaten other provincial centers. On Thursday, President Joe Biden said he does not believe it is inevitable that the Afghan government will fall to the Taliban after the US leaves Afghanistan. The US president said he trusts Afghan security forces have the capacity to prevent a civil war, adding that the Afghan people must control their own fate. As many as 16 more patients of Coronavirus died overnight lifting the death toll to 5,599 and 1,091 new cases emerged when 16,929 tests were conducted KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2021 ) :As many as 16 more patients of Coronavirus died overnight lifting the death toll to 5,599 and 1,091 new cases emerged when 16,929 tests were conducted. This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here Saturday. He added that 16 more patients of COVID-19 lost their lives lifting the death toll to 5,599 that constituted 1.6 percent death rate. Syed Murad Ali Shah said that 16,929 samples were tested which detected 1,091 cases that constituted 6.4 percent current detection rate. He added that so far 4,662,921 tests have been conducted against which 346,343 cases were diagnosed, of them 91.6 percent or 317,411 patients have recovered, including 551 overnight. The Chief Minister Sindh said that currently 23,333 patients were under treatment, of them 22,511 were in home isolation, 56 at isolation centers and 766 at different hospitals. He added that the condition of 704 patients were stated to be critical, including 51 shifted to ventilators. According to the statement, out of 1,091 new cases, 834 have been detected from Karachi, including 249 from East, 195 Central, 152 South, 113 Korangi, 82 Malir and 43 West. Sukkur has 33, Hyderabad 29, Thatta 25, Mirpurkhas 20, Shaheed Benazirabad 19, Badin 17, Tharparkar 14, Jamshoro 12, Dadu 11, Sujawal 9, Matiari 8, Umerkot 7, Tando Allahyar 5, Sanghar, Kashmore and Larkana 2 each, Nausheroferoze and Shikarpur 1 each. The Chief Minister urged people of the province to follow COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). Following his July 4 surgery at Romes Gemelli Hospital, Pope Francis on Thursday resumed work and celebrated Mass with those who assist him. Vatican News staff reporter Pope Francis spent a quiet day, Thursday, with normal clinical progress. He continued to eat regularly and continued his scheduled treatment, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said in a brief statement on Friday. The Holy Father is recovering normally after a scheduled surgery for diverticular stenosis of the colon on Sunday at Romes Gemelli Hospital. In his update on the Popes convalescence, Bruni said he walked in the corridor and resumed his work, alternating it with moments of reading texts. Thursday afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of his private apartment in the hospital, attended by all those assisting him during his hospitalization. Following a slight increase in temperature the previous evening, the Holy Father did not have any more fever. Bruni said that on Sunday, the Pope would recite the Angelus prayer from the 10th floor of the hospital. The Holy Father gives thanks for the many messages of affection and closeness that he receives daily and asks that we continue to pray for him, he added. Following the surgery, Sunday evening, Bruni had said the Pope was expected to remain in hospital for approximately seven days, barring any complications. Diverticular stenosis of the colon is the constriction (stenosis) of the intestine due to the diverticula, or pouches or sacs, that form on the wall of the large intestine narrowing the passage. During the surgery that lasted some 3 hours, the Pope had "a left hemicolectomy," which is the removal of the descending colon. Pope Francis continues his hospital stay following his surgery last Sunday. He expresses his gratitude to the Gemelli Hospital medical staff caring for him and his closeness to all who are suffering. Vatican News The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, issued a statement on Saturday with the daily medical update on how Pope Francis is doing. In his statement he notes that Pope Francis day was calm, with the expected clinical progress. His blood tests are satisfactory and he is continuing the prescribed treatment. The Pope is gradually resuming work and continues to stroll in the corridor of the apartment. In the afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the private chapel and in the evening he dined with those who are assisting him during these days. The statement concludes noting that The Holy Father, experiencing first-hand the human dedication of the medical and health personnel assisting him, has addressed a special thought to all those who with care and compassion choose the face of suffering, engaging in a personal relationship with the sick, especially the most fragile and vulnerable. On Sunday, Pope Francis, is scheduled to lead the recitation of the Angelus prayer from Gemelli Hospital, which will be broadcast live by Vatican Media. The Colombians implicated in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise had been recruited by four companies and traveled to the Caribbean nation in two groups via the Dominican Republic, the head of Colombia's police said Friday. Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles said 17 suspects have been detained in the killing of Moise. At a news conference in Colombia's capital, Bogota, General Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia said four companies had been involved in the "recruitment, the gathering of these people" implicated in the assassination, although he did not identify the companies because their names were still being verified. Two of the suspects traveled to Haiti via Panama and the Dominican Republic, Vargas said, while the second group of 11 arrived in Haiti on Sunday from the Dominican Republic. Vargas pledged Colombia's full cooperation after Haiti said about six of the suspects, including two of the three killed, were retired members of Colombia's army. U.S.-trained Colombian soldiers are heavily recruited by private security firms in global conflict zones because of their experience in fighting leftist rebels and powerful drug cartels. Recruited to provide 'protection' The wife of one former Colombian soldier in custody said he had been recruited by a security firm to travel to the Dominican Republic last month. The woman, who identified herself only as Yuli, told Colombia's W Radio that her husband, Francisco Uribe, had been hired for $2,700 a month by a company named CTU to travel to the Dominican Republic, where he was told he would provide protection to some powerful families. She last spoke to him, she said, at 10 p.m. Wednesday, almost a day after Moise's killing, and he was on guard duty at a house where he and others were staying. "The next day he wrote me a message that sounded like a farewell," the woman said. "They were running. They had been attacked. ... That was the last contact I had." The woman said she knew little about her husband's activities and was unaware he had even traveled to Haiti. Uribe is under investigation for his alleged role in extrajudicial killings by Colombia's army more than a decade ago. Colombian court records show that he and another soldier were accused in 2008 of killing a civilian whom they later tried to present as a criminal slain in combat. Besides the Colombians, among those detained by police were two Haitian Americans. Some of the suspects were seized in a raid on the Taiwan Embassy, where they are believed to have sought refuge. Plan allegedly was to arrest, not kill Investigative Judge Clement Noel told the French-language newspaper Le Nouvelliste that the Haitian Americans arrested, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, had said the attackers originally had planned only to arrest Moise, not kill him. Noel said Solages and Vincent had been acting as translators for the attackers, the newspaper reported Friday. The attack, which took place at Moise's home before dawn Wednesday, also seriously wounded his wife, who was flown to the U.S. city of Miami, Florida, for treatment. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports that Haitian Americans were in custody but would not comment. Solages, 35, described himself as a "certified diplomatic agent," an advocate for children and a budding politician on a now-removed website for a charity he started in 2019 in South Florida to assist residents of his hometown of Jacmel, on Haiti's southern coast. Solages also said he had worked as a bodyguard at the Canadian Embassy in Haiti, and on his Facebook page, which was also taken down after news of his arrest, he showcased photos of armored military vehicles and of himself standing in front of an American flag. Canada's foreign relations department released a statement that did not refer to Solages by name but said that one of the men detained for his alleged role in the killing had been "briefly employed as a reserve bodyguard" at its embassy by a private contractor. Calls to the charity and Solages' associates went unanswered. However, a relative in South Florida said Solages did not have any military training, and that he didn't believe Solages was involved in the killing. "I feel like my son killed my brother because I love my president and I love James Solages," Schubert Dorisme, whose wife is Solages' aunt, told WPLG in Miami. The Taiwan Embassy in Port-au-Prince said police had arrested 11 individuals trying to break into the compound early Thursday. A Vatican spokesman said Pope Francis is continuing to recover from intestinal surgery performed earlier this week and will deliver his Sunday noon blessing from the hospital. In a statement, Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the 84-year-old pope walked in the corridor of Romes Gemelli Hospital Thursday and resumed his work, alternating it with moments of reading texts. He said the pope celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of his private apartment in the hospital, attended by all those assisting him during his hospitalization. Bruni said the pope had fully recovered from a slight fever he had Wednesday. Francis underwent three hours of planned surgery Sunday to treat severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis, or a hardening of the sacs that can sometimes form in the lining of the intestine. The Vatican spokesman went on to say the pope would recite the Angelus prayer from the 10th floor of the hospital Sunday, indicating he was not quite well enough to leave the hospital yet. Bruni added, The Holy Father gives thanks for the many messages of affection and closeness that he receives daily and asks that we continue to pray for him. Francis had been considered healthy overall and this is the first time he has been admitted to the hospital since he became pope in 2013, though he lost the upper part of one lung in his youth because of an infection. He also suffers from sciatica, or nerve pain, that makes him walk with a pronounced limp. The Vatican has continued normal operations in his absence, though July is traditionally a month when the pope cancels public and private audiences. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Stowe, VT (05672) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 69F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Fort Payne is one step closer to tearing down an old hospital which has sat vacant for years. The City now owns the property at the corner of Forest Avenue and 13th Street. And with money they got from a grant, the mayor says they can finally start to demo the former DeKalb General Hospital. "Everybody here is ready to see it go. It's time for something new. Obviously it has history, but I think it's done it's part. It's time for something better, something that we can put to use because that's a huge spot of land just kinda going to waste," said Joycelyn Evans, who works at The Gathering Place across the street from the hospital. "It's obviously an eyesore. I just think that we could benefit from having something a little bit prettier to look at during the day and on the way to work," said Evans. "A lot of homeless have went in and stayed and there's been some, we expect some drug activity that's went on there," said Fort Payne Mayor Brian Baine. This week, the city bought this property at auction. Earlier this year, the city was able to secure money from a grant so they can now tear it down and build something for people to enjoy. "Now that we own it, we are able to let that thing out for bid to demolition companies. They'll come in and tear that thing down," said Baine. What can people in Fort Payne look forward to seeing in it's place? The mayor tells me there's not a definite plan just yet. "I think we can have a green space. That's been some of the things that's been brought up, a dog walking park....It has been talked about doing some senior housing, there. It's been talked about doing like a youth center, like a YMCA of some sort," said Baine. "I think our community could really benefit from a dog park. That's not something we've ever had offered here," said Evans. The mayor said he wants to hear from people in the community to get their ideas for this land. He also said there isn't a specific time line for when the building will come down, but he is hoping this area will see major changes before the end of this year. Pfizer and BioNTech are looking to get emergency use authorization on a third vaccine booster shot in the coming months. The booster shot is now going through clinical trials. A third dose of the vaccine is aimed at giving another layer of protection against variants. Dr. Karen Landers, with the Alabama Department of Public Health, said Pfizer is planning for when a booster shot is needed. She said once more data is released, experts will be able to pinpoint who gets a booster shot. "Pfizer that is manufacturing the vaccine is going ahead and submitting for emergency use authorization based on its data, recognizing once this is submitted and considered, we may have additional research that recommends boosters," said Landers. The CDC and FDA released a joint statement saying, "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time." Landers said this isn't mixed messaging. Pfizer is making sure a booster shot is authorized, if and when needed. If Pfizer gets emergency use authorization for a booster shot, Landers said not everyone may need it. "Would we be in a situation where certain people might need a second dose based on their medical history, perhaps suppressive conditions and other underlying factors, but persons who didnt have those factors may not need a booster shot," said Landers. Tyler Crumpton lives in Huntsville. He says he'd get a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine if it were authorized for emergency use and recommended by the CDC. "If they have the studies to prove its effective and its going to reduce the number of cases from the delta variant, I think theyll follow that," said Crumpton. Another Huntsville native Mike Ryan said based on the variants in the state, he can see a booster shot being needed in the coming months. "The first round of the vaccine was under the emergency use authorization so it makes sense to me that they would try to do something similar," said Ryan. Pfizer said in the coming weeks it will provide data on a booster shot to the FDA. They will then seek emergency use authorization in August. Decatur, IL (62521) Today A few isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 64F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Pontiff remains in Rome hospital as he recovers from surgery. Pope Francis will recite the Angelus on Sunday from Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he underwent colon surgery last weekend, the Vatican announced. The 84-year-old pontiff is making "normal clinical progress" after a scheduled three-hour operation for diverticular stenosis of the colon on Sunday night. The pope is eating regularly, has resumed his work and walked in the corridor, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, in a brief statement on Friday. "The Holy Father gives thanks for the many messages of affection and closeness that he receives daily and asks that we continue to pray for him," Bruni added. This support includes drawings and get-well cards sent to the pope from children, some of whom are patients themselves. The pope will recite the midday Angelus from the 10th floor of the hospital in a section reserved exclusively for popes, in the same ward that hosted Pope John Paul II after he was shot in 1981. John Paul II recited the prayer from the Gemelli several times, the last of which was during his final days, on 6 February 2005, when the ailing pontiff was only able to impart the blessing. It is not known when Pope Francis will be released but a statement earlier this week the Vatican said he would remain in hospital for at least seven days, "barring complications." I like the way vinyl forces you into a more attentive way of listening. A 1983 box set of Verdis Aida by the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti keeps me as close to the phonograph as my seat would keep me to the stage. I follow along with an amply sized libretto in my lap, waiting to hand-sequence the sides (this three-LP set is sequenced to be played by an autochanger). It feels a little extra, sure, but also feels like tending a fireplace, complete with crackle. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Most cases of ALS are classified as limb onset because they initially affect the extremities, often the legs. But about 30 percent are bulbar-onset because they first manifest in the head, specifically in muscles that control speech and swallowing. Fasciculations, or persistent muscle twitches when accompanied by muscle weakness, are a common sign of all forms of ALS, but occur later in bulbar-onset disease. (They should not be confused with benign fasciculations like an eye twitch, a nearly universal, harmless phenomenon.) I always call it the prison of our hair, and I didnt want my daughter to be imprisoned the way I was, she says. I didnt want her to have that life. I wanted her to be free. And it makes me cry because I just think of all the strife my hair caused me when it was relaxed, and I wonder, What would my life have been like at twenty if I had just loved my hair? Cunningham started a petition against the fence as soon as she heard of the proposal for making it permanent by the Capitol Polices acting chief, Yogananda D. Pittman, at the end of January. Garnering over 34,000 signatures from across the region and country, Cunningham said she heard from other neighbors who wanted to work together to find better security solutions, which led to the creation of their community-based group, Dont Fence the Capitol. Harris listened intently about the incentives available like the $51 gift cards given to everyone vaccinated at Anacostia High School, Ron Brown High School and the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center and the transportation resources available to help her get to the vaccination site if needed. She filled out a form with her contact information for someone to follow up in a few days. On the universitys website, she is quoted as saying: I never again want to see the face of a starving child or hear the weeping of a mother who has lost her son to war. Peace, this is what my husband gave his life for, and I want the world to know that he did not die in vain. Peace, this is what will make me very happy. Mrs. McMillan, who was then known as Priscilla Johnson, later went into journalism and moved to Moscow, where she drew on her fluency in Russian to file stories for the North American Newspaper Alliance. In November 1959, a friend at the U.S. Embassy mentioned that a boy named Oswald was in town trying to defect. He was staying at her hotel, the Metropol, where she spent five hours interviewing him over tea. Its generally hard for poor people to access the benefits theyre entitled to, but we did not know it would be this difficult, said Allison Hrabar, a tenants advocate who has helped train and organize volunteers. The program is supposed to be for anyone who was financially impacted or lost income during covid, which I think covers most people. But the reality is, its so much more complicated than losing a job. Maybe your hours got cut. Maybe youre paying more to support family members. Maybe you just werent able to sell food on the street like you have been your whole life. Its about time, said the Rev. Brenda Brown-Grooms, who was born and raised in Charlottesville and is now a pastor at New Beginnings Christian Community. The removal of the statues means we are one step closer to accepting the historical fact of slavery and what it means for not just the people who were enslaved, but for those who were the enslavers. Land has said the rule allowed private hospitals to decline the most challenging cases because the public hospitals had no choice but to admit them. Since the rule went into place in 2014, she said, daily admissions at public hospitals increased from about 4 to more than 18. The cause of the fire is not known, but police official Abdullah Al Mamun said that three police teams had been dispatched to probe the incident and that legal action would be taken against those responsible. Woodcock, who has headed the FDAs powerful drug division for many years, was named acting commissioner in January. She has been considered one of the front-runners for the permanent job but faces a wall of opposition from a small group of Senate Democrats including Sens. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.) and Edward J. Markey (Mass.) whose states have been hit especially hard by the opioid crisis. They accuse the FDA of being overly permissive in approving the addictive painkillers for years and say Woodcock, whom they consider too close to the drug industry, deserves much of the blame. Right now, the focus is on the Senate. Staffers for a group of bipartisan senators have been at work fleshing out that agreement. The work on the budget resolution is moving, but perhaps without the urgency that will be needed. Senate Democrats and White House officials would like to see the bipartisan bill hit the Senate floor the week of July 19. After that will come the budget resolution, presumably ahead of the August recess, setting up an intense post-Labor Day period on Capitol Hill that will also include debate over regular appropriations bills and the debt ceiling. Last month, Portuguese companies cheered when the country was placed on the U.K.s green list, permitting British tourists to skip quarantine when returning home. Three weeks later, amid a surge in COVID-19 infections, Portugal was axed from the list and the British market dried up. I was born during the time my family lived in the house, the Grahams daughter Ruth said in a press release announcing the house being for sale. The Los Angeles Crusades and (my fathers) tour of England happened during those years it is where it all began. Angela Wilson, 62, is another descendant volunteering on the dig. She heard about the St. Inigoes dig when Masur posted about it on a Facebook group for GU272 descendants living in southern Maryland. This is her first dig. She has spent several mornings shoveling through dirt. On her first day, she found a piece of brick. It may have been part of a chapel, she said, adding that these archaeological digs bring a lot of emotions. The diocese had my rape story, a second abuse story and a nine-year-olds abuse story. So the people all the way at the top knew for sure of three different sexual abuse or assault stories And they didnt make any moves to bring in any kind of third-party (investigation), Rudenborg told RNS in an interview. They also didnt take any steps to notify the congregation at Church of the Resurrection that a man who has been involved with the church for years in various capacities was now credibly accused of three different really serious things. The nations largest Protestant denomination has been struggling with how to respond to abuse over the past two years. In 2019, the Houston Chronicle published the results of an investigation that found hundreds of cases of abuse in SBC churches. That led the SBC to change its bylaws to allow churches that have mishandled abuse claims or hired known or accused perpetrators to be thrown out of the denomination. He said the festival had seemed progressively busier and more frenetic in each of the 20 years he attended. But the pandemic forced a fundamental rethink, he said, looking out onto the Mediterranean Sea and the anchored mega-yachts in the bay. A lot of people are saying: Im not going to have a crazy Cannes with 25 appointments a day. Im going to have more deep discussions with people and this quiet Cannes will give me the opportunity to have real discussions with people and to make real connections. [font=font81931]GREENSBURG - [/font]Juanita S. Moffett Tomson, of Greensburg, Pa., formerly of Washington, Ind., went to be with her Savior on Monday, July 12, 2021. She was born May 25, 1939, in Washington, Ind., to the late Paul and Viola Teitsort Moffett. She was a member of Lighthouse of Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on. A tiny Leonardo da Vinci sketch sold Thursday at Christies for 8.9 million pounds with fees, or about $16.5 million, a record price for a Leonardo drawing at auction. Leonardos delicate silverpoint study Head of a Bear, measuring just under 3 inches by 3 inches (about 7.5 centimetres), and thought to date from the early 1480s, was included in Christies summer Exceptional Sale of high-value historical works of art assembled from a range of collecting categories. Estimated to sell for 8 million pounds to 12 million pounds, or about $14.9 million to $22.3 million, the drawing was bought by a single bid from an as-yet-unidentified buyer in the auction room. There was no competition from any telephone or internet bidders. The final price of $16.5 million was marginally better than the $15.5 million given in 2001 for Leonardos slightly larger silverpoint study Horse and Rider, the previous auction high for a drawing by the artist. Leonardo da Vincis Head of a Bear: Youre buying a name. Its nothing to do with the love of drawings, said Jean-Luc Baroni, a dealer in museum-quality old master drawings. Credit:AP These prices are absurd, said Jean-Luc Baroni, a dealer in museum-quality old master drawings, based in London and Paris. Baroni said that if he had been asked to price the work, he would have valued it at about $2.7 million. Youre buying a name. Its nothing to do with the love of drawings. New warning statements will be added to Pfizers vaccines after a potential link to a small increased risk of heart inflammation, particularly among young men, was identified in international data. There have been no deaths linked to the syndrome. Australias health department and independent experts said the benefits of Pfizers vaccine continue to strongly outweigh the risks for all age groups. Pfizer is about to seek US authorisation for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. The link is likely to be causal, said Professor Jim Buttery, head of epidemiology and signal detection at the Victorian immunisation safety service. However, he emphasised that the link had not been conclusively proven, and it was possible the findings could just be down to random chance. On the initial information the benefit far outweighs risk - even in young males. There may be small subsets of young males, like those with a past history of cardiac inflammation, where that risk-benefit equation may be different, and those discussions would be had with their treating physician prior to getting vaccinated. Australias response to COVID-19 at the state and national level has been to follow the health advice. Despite some differences in approach, the objective in all jurisdictions has been to completely control community transmission and not allow the virus to circulate. The ongoing Sydney outbreak, with more than 400 cases over the last month and no evidence control is imminent, has apparently led some within the NSW government cabinet to agitate for a different strategy one in which we would presumably accept its time to live with the virus. St Vincents drive-through clinic at Merrylands , busy with many people getting tested for COVID. Credit:Nick Moir Globally, we will be living with COVID-19 for many years probably decades to come. However, the case that it is not yet time to live with the virus in NSW and Australia is compelling. With vaccine coverage at its current levels in Sydney, a rapid spread of the virus would be inevitable if we changed course now and would bring with it the risk of our hospital system being overwhelmed. Mr Stock is one of two senior managers at the Office of the Special Investigator who will report to the investigatory bodys chiefs, former Queensland Police deputy commissioner Ross Barnett and senior Victorian Court of Appeal judge Mark Weinberg, QC. Mr Stock is a highly experienced criminal investigator who previously served as a senior policy adviser to Mr Dutton when he was home affairs minister, and as a senior officer in the Australian Border Force. Former senior Queensland detective and one of Australias leading corporate investigators, Graham Newton, previously worked with Mr Stock and said he was highly regarded in policing circles. Hes a quintessential detective who is made for this role. He loves the chase and he doesnt let go, Mr Newton said. Matt Stock during his time as an Australian Border Force commander. Another former police colleague of Mr Stock said even experienced state homicide detectives were missing the cut as the Office of the Special Investigator seeks elite officers prepared to take on unpopular, gruelling investigations that may take years to wind through the courts. The Office of the Special Investigator confirmed the agency had recruited investigators with significant experience in managing complex investigations, including historical and overseas crimes from the NSW, Queensland, South Australian, West Australian and Victorian police services as well as the AFP. The final Brererton inquiry report provides no clues as to the identity of the alleged kill squad patrol, when it served in Afghanistan or if it involved SAS or Commando soldiers. But Justice Breretons inquiry found unnamed officers up the chain of command bore moral command responsibility for the conduct of soldiers engaged in what the senior judge described as possibly the most disgraceful episode in defence force history. Converting the exhaustive Brereton inquiry, which included classified interviews with hundreds of soldiers and officers, into criminal charges is a monumental task for the Office of the Special Investigator and the AFP. Not only did many of the alleged murders occur years ago, experts are warning of a rapidly deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan that could interfere with evidence gathering. Afghanistan is falling into Taliban hands again. Here an Afghan woman begs for money on the Bagram-Kabul highway, north of Kabul. Credit:AP Australian National University Professor William Maley, who specialises in Afghan politics, warned this week that the Taliban were on a roll and were placing Afghan towns they were capturing under totalitarian control. However, the joint taskforce is not coming off a standing start. Several SAS insiders who served in Afghanistan, as well as local Afghan villagers, have already provided detailed sworn statements to the AFP. They include SAS soldiers who allege they observed or participated in unlawful executions. Those statements have been gathered by a small AFP team of investigators which, since June 2018, has been probing some SAS members over allegations they directed the murder of Afghan prisoners. The AFP investigations were triggered by what the final Brereton inquiry report described as an exceptional referral by Justice Brereton to the defence force and onto federal police in late May 2018. That referral and the subsequent investigations have produced two briefs of evidence, which have sat with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Sarah McNaughton, SC, for more than a year. The interplay of war crimes investigation and prosecution officials, powers and jurisdiction are a potential bureaucratic quagmire that no agency or politician envisaged when the Brereton inquiry began its four-year investigation in 2016. In addition to the Office of the Special Investigator staff and state and federal homicide investigators, the personnel now involved in the sprawling investigations include a special counsel, Tim Begbie, SC, who is advising on what evidence from the Brereton inquiry is admissible. Ms McNaughton has appointed David McLure, SC, a former special forces officer turned Sydney silk, to advise the Commonwealth prosecutions agency on whether the evidence gathered by police is strong enough to charge suspects. And AFP commander Anthony McClement has also been appointed to oversee the AFPs war crimes work with the Office of the Special Investigator. AFP Commissioner Kershaw has assigned overall oversight of war crimes and related inquiries to two of the AFPs highest-ranking officers, Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney and Assistant Commissioner Scott Lee. Officials dealing with aspects of the investigation and prosecution structure, but who are not authorised to speak publicly, told The Age and Herald that critical decisions were at risk of being stalled. They include deciding which ex-special forces soldiers should receive immunity from prosecution and how to safeguard witness safety in Afghanistan and Australia. The Brereton inquiry in November recommended several soldiers receive immunity because they had confessed to crimes that otherwise would have remained hidden and in doing so implicated more senior personnel. Loading While it is ultimately a matter for the CDPP, the inquiry considers that the interests of justice and public policy in holding to account those in positions of authority in the defence force, who have caused their subordinates to commit crimes, makes these cases appropriate ones for such immunities, Justice Brereton wrote in his final report. The evidence of such individuals is likely to be crucial in the prosecution of their superiors which should take priority, both because of the greater criminal responsibility of the superiors, and because of the greater national importance in holding the superiors to account, and showing that they are held to account. In the 15 minutes before the ambulance arrives, Daniel Macklin sits with the young woman in the middle of the night, in the middle of a road, in what feels like the middle of nowhere. When the ambulance arrives, throwing more light onto the scene, he realises with a lurching panic that this might be the woman he is currently dating. Shes wearing similar clothing. He spots her handbag, sitting upright in the opposite lane, and searches for a phone, desperate to call an emergency contact. The screen comes alive with an image of the woman and an older man. This is not his lovers father, he thinks. This is not my lover. On the phone he sees no missed calls or messages. He hits the brakes. Everything slingshots towards the windscreen: the dogs slam against their cage, Macklins collarbone snaps, his teeth chip against the steering wheel. Hell be unaware of these injuries until a day later: right now hes desperate to find his phone to call triple zero. He finds it and steps out into the inky black. Are you okay? he calls out, the thin white phone light revealing bits of his car everywhere. Then he falls over the womans body , cutting his knees on the bitumen. I tried to help, he says. But it was too late. A girl has just popped out of the middle of nowhere, he tells me. But not just popped out, she ran in. He follows Metung Road up a hill, leaving behind the town lights. He passes the dog kennels that care for Jasper and Kiro and is now deep into farmland that gently undulates between Metung and the Tambo River. Then, rounding a soft bend 4.5 kilometres from Metung, a woman appears out of the pitch-black, running across the opposite lane towards his car. Macklin loads the dogs into the back of his brand-new, $60,000 Toyota RAV4 (lovely car, great car), into which hes sunk his entire recent divorce payout. He cruises past the Metung shops, past the yacht club, and in a decision that still haunts him past the Rosherville Road turnoff, his regular shortcut home to Swan Reach, 10 minutes away. The musics on, but not too loud. And hes driving just under the 70-kilometre speed limit because, as a local, he knows this is wombat territory. Its just before 1am, an odd time to be walking dogs. But Daniel Macklin has just clocked off from a forklift-driving shift in Bairnsdale, in eastern Victoria. Now, early on this Monday morning in October 2019, the 33-year-old has driven to Shaving Point, a picnic area in nearby Metung, to give Jasper and Kiro a run and quick sausages cooked up on the public barbecue. Ashleighs mother Theresa and brother John (both pseudonyms) were left not only with unrelenting grief, but with many unanswered questions about that night about what Ashleigh was doing alone on that road, and what they see as Higginss odd behaviour that night and his hurtful actions since. In all honesty, I dont think it was just the media that tipped Ashleigh over the edge, says John. I think theres more to it. Then, the day after Ashleigh died, there was silence. The media noted no suspicious circumstances and moved on. The coroner found Ashleigh Petrie took her own life by deliberately running in front of a car. His report, which Good Weekend has seen, has not been made public. Higgins returned to the bench and a few months later to his long-term partner, Lurline Le Neuf. In all honesty, I dont think it was just the media that tipped Ashleigh over the edge. I think theres more to it. Nineteen days earlier, the woman Macklin hit 23-year-old Ashleigh Petrie had gone from an unknown court clerk to the focus of a media storm and legal controversy. On October 9, 2019, in a front-page story, Melbournes Herald Sun newspaper had revealed her relationship with then 68-year-old magistrate Rodney Higgins, 45 years her senior. The story went viral, and sparked serious questions about power and workplace culture in Victorias court system. The relationship was raised in the Victorian parliament and a complaint later dismissed was fired off about Higgins to the Judicial Commission, the oversight body for judges in the state. Eventually Macklin is taken to Bairnsdale, where he clears an alcohol and drugs test. The detective said: Mate, Michael Schumacher couldnt have stopped. Youve done nothing wrong. Then he said: I dont want you watching the news. This girls well known. I wish I could have protected her, says Theresa. She was 23 and you cant go kidnap her. I would have loved to have kidnapped her and spoken sense into her. And when your trusting, big-hearted daughter becomes an adult, theres only so much you can do. Ashleigh was a lover of inside jokes; bubbly, happy, generous. About seven months before she died, Ashleigh dragged her mother and brother around the city streets until 10pm, handing out hot cross buns to the homeless. We werent allowed to eat before we gave out all the buns, remembers Theresa. But with this generous heart came a trusting soul. She was young and naive, very naive, I probably sheltered her a bit too much in life, says Theresa. She trusted everybody. In years 11 and 12, at her high school in Hoppers Crossing, Ashleigh hit the books. Post-it notes bloomed around the house as she committed her studies to memory. She was uninterested in partying or boys. Id take her to a party and say, Dont ring me for a few hours, says Theresa. But within an hour shed be home, saying she had to study. It paid off: Ashleighs marks got her into a psychology degree at RMIT University (she switched to criminology after six months). Ashleigh Louise Petrie was born in 1995, in Melbourne. John followed two years later. Theresa and then-husband Peter (they separated in 2015), lived in the citys outer-western suburbs and the kids grew up under her protective watch. I never took my eyes off my kids, she says. Ashleigh was Daddys little girl, but mother and daughter were also close, only 16 years apart. I was like her big sister, Theresa laughs through tears. Actually, she hated that comparison! Ashleigh loved watching Keeping up with the Kardashians. She was chubby then, after a health kick, skinny. This is my second interview with Theresa, both conducted with a lawyer present. Her wariness is understandable: she partly blames the medias scorching spotlight for her daughters death and guards her own privacy strenuously. This is why Good Weekend has changed her and her familys names. Theresa Petrie lives alone in a regional town an hours drive west of Melbourne. Hers is the back flat in a row of four small, 1980s-style brick units. On a Saturday in early March, Theresa straight blonde hair, striped top, jeans welcomes me into her spotless unit, where the floorboards are shiny and Ashleigh is everywhere. Framed on the wall, in a soft apricot dress, shes with Theresa and John on Mothers Day. In a corner, in a shrine-like setting, shes pictured with a gold garland crowning her long brown hair. She looks almost like a forest nymph; a beauty from another world. In late 2015, after his marriage ended, Gowty moved back to Shepparton, his home town, and bought a picture-framing business. Ashleigh followed about four months later, commuting to Melbourne to study. Then in late 2016, she landed a job as a court clerk at Shepparton Magistrates Court. She seemed to excel at it. Everyone thought she was wonderful, says Gowty. She eventually switched to studying law online at the University of New England. There were challenges. For a start, he was married. Also: mismatched energy levels. Ashleigh wanted to party until 5am. He was ready for a cup of tea and bed by 10pm. She made me feel younger and I made her feel more mature. So we averaged out somewhere in the middle. Gowty and Ashleigh met at Hoppers Crossing Bunnings in 2014. He was an account manager there, she a casual salesperson. He was 44, she 18. She was very smitten with me and I liked that, he says. Certainly, there was an element of liking attention from a young girl and a very attractive girl. So it just blossomed from there, I guess. Before everything soured, the two couples were friends here, often socialising with neighbours on the lawn. It was not uncommon to sit outside on a nice Friday night in summer and open a bottle of wine and suddenly its two in the morning, Gowty says. We climb the timber stairs to his outdoor alcove. Gowty stands, chain-smoking next to the barbecue. Hugo, his one-eyed black-and-brown cat, watches from an inside window ledge. Through the window I can see the closed roller blinds that block any view of Higgins and Le Neuf on their deck. In late February I drive to Shepparton, a rural hub two hours north of Melbourne, to meet a man that Ashleigh trusted implicitly: Stuart Gowty, 50, her former boyfriend of five years. After lunch, Gowty soft, friendly face, blue eyes, chambray shirt stands with me on a Goulburn River walking track. We look across an expanse of lawn to a row of riverfront houses. The smaller corner house is Gowtys rental. Next door, with its extensive balcony, belongs to Higgins and Le Neuf. As you can see, his is bigger than mine, Gowty says wryly, as a flock of cockatoos roughly announce themselves in the river gums behind us. Despite the hurt, a post-relationship friendship blossomed between Ashleigh and Gowty. Stop worrying about having a boyfriend, he says he told her. Go to work, do your studies. I pray for nothing more than for you to meet a nice guy your own age. Higgins was first posted to the Gippsland courts and, in late 2017, Higgins and Le Neuf moved to Mirboo North, a South Gippsland town two hours east of Melbourne. Back in Shepparton, Gowty grew ever more suspicious. Ashleigh seemed to always know when Higgins and Le Neuf were visiting Shepparton. Then, on New Years Eve 2018, there was another lawn party incident. Rod went inside to use the bathroom and Ashleigh followed him in, or something like that, says Gowty. Lurline realised something was going on. In January, Ashleigh and Gowty broke up over the affair and she moved out, transferring her job to the Melbourne Magistrates Court. In 2013 and 2014, Higgins ran for Labor in the federal and state elections respectively. He had little chance of winning over the conservative-leaning Shepparton locals in either election, but Labor needed to be on the ballot and someone had to do it. (They should vote for me because I stand for social justice, Higgins told The Shepparton News in 2014.) In September 2017, when the Andrews government appointed Higgins to the bench noting his proven ability to navigate complex and sensitive legal issues the Liberal Party cried jobs-for-the-boys. Higgins elevation, shadow attorney-general John Pesutto complained, undermined the judiciarys independence. Born in 1951 , Rodney Higgins worked for decades as a wharfie and union official. He joined the Labor Party in 1978 and was later a local branch president. Through the 1990s, Higgins studied arts and law part-time and was briefly mayor of Moreland, an inner-north municipality. In 2001, after separating from wife Lee (with whom he has three daughters now aged in their 40s), Higgins moved to Shepparton as a criminal lawyer and 16 months later met Le Neuf. Then, in late 2017, he noticed something between Ashleigh and his neighbour Higgins. It was at one of the neighbourhood gatherings, a bogan-themed party. Gowty, who went in footy shorts and fake love-bites, remembers he wasnt the only one who noticed. Even Lurline made a comment like: Well have to keep an eye on these two. Three years into the relationship, Gowty inked a sign of his devotion into his skin: three cursive capitals ALP Ashleigh Louise Petrie in a forearm tattoo. But the relationship was not smooth sailing. They broke up several times. Ashleigh, he says, was easily led by others and suffered from depression and mood swings (she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19). There was one suicide attempt, which Gowty saw more as attention-seeking than a definite decision to end things. The inner-east suburb of Richmond was now where Ashleigh called home. On the Saturday night of March 2, 2019, she went out to a local pub. She met a man there, and later that night an incident occurred that was deeply traumatising. In distress, Ashleigh rang Gowty, who drove to Melbourne the next day. She rang Higgins, too numerous times but he was away with Le Neuf. On Tuesday March 12, Ashleigh sent Theresa and John a text: I love you. Sensing something was wrong, they rushed to Richmond. A friend had pulled Ashleigh back after shed climbed over a barrier to jump off a balcony. The catalyst, John and Theresa believe, was Ashleighs belief that Higgins had decided to stay with Le Neuf. But Ashleigh was also extremely distressed about the Richmond incident, says John. I was driving her to the hospital and she had to tell my old man what happened over the phone, because he was worried. She was a mess. She was bawling her eyes out. Ashleigh went to police about the incident but according to Theresa, John and Gowty was torn about proceeding: shed seen in her job how victims of such experiences are treated in the justice system and worried how a court case would affect her legal-career ambitions. So at some point, she wrote to police requesting no further police action. Their investigation ended. But the trauma didnt end. Researchers have recently found clear links between traumatic events and the worsening of mood disorders such as bipolar, and the coroner later found the incident detrimentally affected Ashleighs mental health until her death. Ashleighs social media accounts documented her relationship with Higgins. Credit:Jennifer Soo In late March 2019, Le Neuf returned to Shepparton from Mirboo North, her partnership with Higgins over. Gowty, friends and neighbours gathered around her. Ashleigh and Higgins were now officially a couple, but Ashleigh continued to struggle. On June 3, a distressed Ashleigh rang Gowty. She was feeling insecure about her relationship with Higgins. Late that night, Gowtys phone rang again. It was Higginss number. He braced for a conversation with the magistrate, but instead heard Ashleigh talking very slowly, her breathing laboured. She had taken a knife to her wrists while Higgins slept. Gowty called an ambulance to the Richmond apartment Ashleigh shared with a flatmate, and she was taken to hospital. She discharged herself later that night and took an Uber home. By now, Theresa who had in the past viewed Ashleighs self-harming as largely attention-seeking was extremely worried about the Higgins relationship and despairing of the states mental health system (in its final report in February, a royal commission found the system had catastrophically failed to live up to expectations). I said to her: Just come home. But she wouldnt come home. Two more significant acts of self-harm followed in June and July, the coroner noted. In late June, Ashleigh saw a psychotherapist who later told police she thought Ashleighs self-harm took place in the context of excessive drinking after conflict with Higgins. She saw in Ashleigh a pattern of involvement with older, more influential and powerful adults and that while Ashleigh appeared capable and confident she was also extremely vulnerable, especially given her addictive behaviour with alcohol. Theresa and John never saw Ashleigh as struggling with alcohol and certainly not drinking alone. But they did witness Ashleigh and Higgins drinking heavily at places such as Crown Casino. After the June suicide attempt, Ashleigh took leave from the Magistrates Court to recover. Around this time, Le Neuf took out a restraining order against her (Good Weekend asked why, but received no response). By July, Ashleigh had moved in with Higgins in Mirboo North. Things had been rocky, but in a few months, Ashleigh would get something she deeply coveted: a marriage proposal. When Higgins popped the question on a Fijian holiday in late September 2019, Ashleigh took to Instagram. I said YES! [diamond ring emoji]. In the picture, Ashleigh, showing off her ring, has the sort of blemish-free, even-toned skin lent only by youth and a generous application of foundation. Higgins skin is a mottle of pink and brown sun damage. What an amazing 10 days it has been here in Fiji! Firstly I arrived as Rods (sic) girlfriend and I leave as rod (sic) fiance! , the caption reads. I cannot wait to become Mrs Higgins! It started with a crush and now I have a ring on my finger. The love of my life asked me to marry him and I said YESSSS. (In another post Higgins holds his seniors card: Dating a senior citizen my community work is done, Ashleigh jokes.) Theresa congratulated her daughter but still harboured deep concerns about the age gap. It started with a crush and now I have a ring on my finger, Ashleigh wrote of her engagement. On October 8, Gowty won a restraining order against Ashleigh: he could no longer deal with her constant calls. I told her: I love you, but I cant do this. Late that night, Gowtys mobile burst into life: Herald Sun court reporter Shannon Deerys first article on Ashleigh and Higgins had hit the internet. The couples engagement, it said, had triggered an email warning to Magistrates Court staff about inappropriate relationships. Deery, who declines to speak to Good Weekend, had been digging into the Magistrates Court culture for months. In March, a magistrate was stood down following Deerys report of allegations that hed sexually assaulted a woman at a Christmas party. Deery knew of several inappropriate relationships between magistrates and young clerks but could only confirm the Higgins/Petrie relationship, as Ashleighs social media posts were publicly accessible. Deery went on to expose a rumoured X-rated romp between a magistrate and a clerk in the Childrens Court and report that three magistrates were spoken to about dealings with younger clerks. (Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan, who was appointed in November 2019, did not respond to questions about the court culture under her predecessor Peter Lauritsen, but told Good Weekend she is unwaveringly committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive workplace.) The Higgins-Petrie story took on a life of its own. Everyone had an opinion: she was a gold-digger, he the shallow opportunist. Ashleighs social media accounts were mined for pictures, including her bikini-clad on a beach. In a leaked staff email, then Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston praised Deery for the scoop and noted the articles had attracted 30 new subscriptions. Following Ashleighs death, the ABCs Media Watch program asked Johnston how the story was in the public interest. The paper had been told of concerns raised with Lauritsen, including a perceived power imbalance between the pair. Several senior legal figures and court sources, Johnston added, believed the relationship could compromise court operations and Higgins sentences may have been influenced, or had the potential to be. (This idea originated from an event at a legal conference where Ashleigh allegedly described Higgins as too soft and boasted that she helped him decide sentences. According to media reports, a clash with a senior criminal barrister ensued and Ashleigh threw a glass of wine over him.) Two weeks after the Herald Suns report, shadow attorney-general Ed ODonohue, a state Liberal MP, made a complaint against Higgins to the Judicial Commission, breathing fresh life into the story. He alleged Higgins lacked judicial independence due to his relationship with Ashleigh (partly based on media reports of the legal conference incident), was involved in a drunken incident at Crown Casino and that his appointment was politicised. (In April last year, the Commission dismissed the first two complaints due to lack of supporting information, and the third because it was beyond its jurisdictional scope.) For Ashleigh, the media storm was suffocatingly intense. Shed be ringing me crying, says Theresa. One day she said: Oh my god, [the media] are at my door. She walked out of her legal exams, unable to concentrate. Higgins later told police that on the evening of October 20, Ashleigh left his Mirboo North house, texting that she would walk in front of a truck. He says he found her walking down the middle of a road in Leongatha, a 20-minute drive away. (Higgins declined a request to be interviewed for this story and did not respond to written questions.) But heres the complex bit: Ashleigh, though not involved in Deerys first story, began regular contact with him soon after, even providing the information for another story, published on October 19, about her one-month relationship with magistrate (and former The Castle actor) Costa Kilias, then 59. The Herald Sun provided Media Watch Facebook Messenger texts to prove Ashleighs involvement. These show her offering to anonymously confirm or deny any tips and provide goss. On the Kilias article she said: Anyway good luck [thumbs up emoji] its a good article (not flattering for me) but its good!.. And its true! In another exchange, Deery said: Ill do it tomorrow. Only if youre sure. Ashleigh replied: Im certain right now! I wont change my mind! On October 25, two days before her death, Ashleigh wrote: Im going to the mint [a bar frequented by Melbourne court staff] tonight which Ill be able to get goss! Ill keep it for when your [sic] back. The Daily Mail, which ran seemingly endless digital reams on the relationship, and the Herald Sun told Media Watch Ashleigh wanted to raise concerns about the courts culture. Theresa and John agree. She told me she had a lot of dirt on the courts and she wanted to go public with it, says Theresa. John adds: She wanted to make a difference. But it backfired and it turned into an article about her. According to the coroners report, Theresa said that although Ashleigh liked attention, she was unsure whether her daughter liked the level of attention she received. Its one thing to like attention, quite another to accurately predict the life-altering impacts of a viral story: the loss of anonymity, the taint of public shame, the harm to job prospects. Theresa wonders why the Court didnt issue an off-the-record warning to Deery that Ashleigh was off work recovering from a mental-health issue. Chief Magistrate Hannan declined to answer this question, but a court spokeswoman said Ashleigh received extensive support from court staff and management both before and after the news of her relationship made headlines. While Ashleigh was concerned about court culture, its important to remember she never framed her own relationship as one of sexual harassment. She was a consenting adult who genuinely appeared to love Higgins. They did not work in the same courtroom or building. In April this year, former Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights commissioner Helen Szoke released her report, commissioned by the Andrews government, into sexual harassment in the Victorian courts. The report, which was not prompted by the Higgins-Petrie relationship, found sexual harassment an open secret in the Victorian legal profession and that court staff faced significant barriers in making complaints. Szoke tells Good Weekend that power imbalances are stark in court workplaces because judges are not bound by public service guidelines. Judges also administer justice, so their professional and private behaviour need to be beyond reproach. But people, including judges, meet their partners at work, so its a matter of handling any power imbalances and potential conflicts transparently. Once these are addressed, says Szoke, it comes down to the age gap. And thats tricky. Wade into these waters and its difficult not to emerge dripping in accusations of sexism (if you contend Higgins took advantage of Ashleigh, are you infantilising a grown woman?) or ageism (whats wrong with older men?). But, says Szoke, its less about age and more about the status gap. Its important to bear in mind that when things go wrong, its always the person whos the least powerful who bears the consequences. Szoke says she would feel uncomfortable about a 60-something female magistrate with a 20-something court worker, but personally she feels intrinsically uncomfortable about a younger woman taking up with an older man in a significant position of power. Men, after all, still continue to hold the majority of powerful positions. It feels more like an indulgence on his part than generating some sort of equal relationship. While Ashleigh Petrie wanted to make a difference by exposing the culture in the court system, she was overwhelmed by the media coverage of her relationship. On her last Friday afternoon, Ashleigh dropped by her mothers workplace, revealing she was flying to Sydney for a media interview with the ABC the following week. She seemed happy. But that night, Higgins and Ashleigh went out drinking, and everything ended in chaos. Called to their Melbourne CBD hotel room, police found them alcohol-affected and concluded that Ashleigh had committed a minor assault on Higgins. (Theresa was told by police that her daughter ended up in hospital with a head injury, but has been unable to confirm this.) The next morning, police asked if Higgins wanted to make a statement. He declined. They requested to interview Ashleigh, which worried her, the coroners report says. On Sunday, the couple drove to the Gippsland Lakes and checked in to McMillans of Metung, a 3.2-hectare property of 20 luxury cottages and villas. That afternoon, they ended up at the local pub, the Metung Hotel, where owner David Strange remembers them distinctly. You think its father and daughter, but then theyre holding hands and hugging. The age difference just shocked us all a bit. Ashleigh mostly had her head down, he says, texting, texting, texting. Bartender Sue Haupt remembers Ashleigh crying with someone on the phone. I ask if she saw the couple fight. No, she says. He was actually comforting her the whole time, rubbing her back. They finished dinner, bought a takeaway bottle of wine and settled the bill at about 8pm. There are conflicting reports on Ashleighs state of mind that night. Higgins later told police shed confessed to being in a dark place and didnt know if she could cope with the publicity. She worried no one would employ her. But Theresa spoke to her daughter as she was getting into the cottages spa and says she sounded really good. Higgins told police Ashleigh got a bit teary in the spa recounting things that happened to her years before but noted she was fine. Higgins left to buy another bottle of wine and returned to find Ashleigh on the phone with the detective whod investigated the Richmond incident back in March. The pair spoke twice that night and exchanged messages. The detective, in his coronial statement, said Ashleigh told him police wanted to interview her about Friday nights assault of Higgins. He was unable to provide legal advice, but told Ashleigh police generally have a zero-tolerance approach and take action. She texted the detective saying the previous month had been the hardest of her life: a close family member and some friends were distancing themselves. He reassured her but could see no indication she was in trouble more than the media and trust issues that had plagued her for the past month. I first meet Daniel Macklin in late May, at a pub in Northcote, in Melbournes inner-north. You could mistake him for a tough guy: tall, solidly muscular, a sleeve of tattoos. But its soon clear his heart is gentle. His girlfriend of one year, Amy, is here too. She puts a hand to his back when he breaks down. She has witnessed the pain in him, the sleepless nights and low motivation. Hes particularly on edge tonight he hit a fox on the drive from Gippsland. The sudden flash in the headlights reminded him of the night that changed his life. There are not many days that I dont think about her, he says, releasing a sharp exhalation and straightening his spine. I never knew her, but I feel like shes like a little sister. Ill always be connected with her. After the accident, he couldnt work. Then the bushfires hit and accommodation got scarce. He was briefly homeless. His collarbone healed, his teeth were fixed, the car repaired. Hes retraining for a security job. But the trauma continues to stalk him. He knows, intellectually, that Ashleighs death is not his fault. Yet he feels responsible. He feels sure it was a deliberate act: the way she ran like she was pushed or dived across a lane. It did not seem, he says, like she was trying to flag down his car. But he also hates it when, trying to make him feel better, people blame Ashleigh. Its the mental health state she was in, he says. The poor girl. Some things still puzzle him. The police gave him a typed note from Higgins that said something like mate, she had mental-health problems, it was not your fault. He thought it oddly lacking in emotion. Higgins told the police they went to bed and that around midnight Ashleigh got up, dressed, and said she was going for a walk. She agreed to his request to walk within the propertys fences. I begged her to stay, Higgins told Media Watch. But she said she needed to clear her head. Over the next hour she sent me four or five texts and voice messages, one of which said, I cant cope with all the coverage. She apologised to me and said she loved me, but Id be better off without her. After waiting for Ashleigh to return for an hour, Higgins went looking for her, and came across the accident, the ambulance already there. She was a lovely, young, fragile, impressionable girl. I have no doubt at all that the Herald Sun and Daily Mail articles tipped her over the top, he told Media Watch. He also dismissed the idea that Ashleigh saw herself as a whistleblower on court misconduct and was co-operating with the media. She was devastated by the salacious revelations of her private life and had absolutely no intentions of commenting on the Magistrates Court. At the scene, the coroners report says, Higgins stated that he had deleted some of the messages between himself and Ashleigh that night. He told Senior Constable Chelsea Maxwell that there had been a verbal argument and that Ms Petrie had left on foot. But later, Higgins denied a fight. Macklin is puzzled by how Ashleigh found herself so far out of town. At an average walking pace, it would have taken her an hour to walk the 4.5 kilometres there from McMillans, in the pitch-black, up a significant hill, with a mixture of alcohol (forensic toxicology tests recorded 0.12 per cent) and antidepressants in her system. (Macklin wonders too why he didnt see Ashleigh while driving into Metung; walking the dogs had only taken 30 minutes.) Ex-boyfriend Stuart Gowty is also bewildered by how far she had gone. Ashleigh doesnt walk. I couldnt get her to walk that far even if I took her shopping. Theresa, meanwhile, is puzzled about Ashleighs suitcase. Higgins told her hed returned to McMillans and thrown Ashleighs stuff in her suitcase before driving to Mirboo North that night. But when he returned the suitcase to Theresa it was packed like Ashleigh had packed it, the make-up perfect in the bag. It was as if shed skipped her pre-bed skincare routine. More significantly, Theresa remains hurt that Higgins didnt immediately chase after Ashleigh that night. You dont let her go for an hour and then go, Where is she? If [a person is] not okay, make sure they are okay. This hurt was only the beginning. In the months ahead, Theresa would struggle with the actions of the man who almost became her son-in-law. At about 8.30am on Monday October 28, seven-and-a-half hours after Ashleigh died, Stuart Gowty found his neighbour Lurline Le Neuf madly knocking on his back door. Shed heard rumours on the court grapevine that something bad had happened to Ashleigh. Gowty rang Theresa and suggested she call Ashleigh. Theresas calls went to voicemail. Theresa then called Higgins, but it rang out. About 20 minutes later, Gowty called Higgins, who picked up first ring. Gowty urged him to call Theresa immediately. He goes, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will. Ive got to go. And then he hung up and proceeded to turn his phone off. Theresa tried Higgins about 10 times. Around 9.30am, she says, he finally returned her call. He says: Oh, shes dead. I mean, who says, Oh, shes dead? says Theresa, crying in gulping, big breaths. Loading Within three days of her death, Good Weekend has confirmed, Higgins had called Rest Super about Ashleighs $180,000 death benefit. The magistrate, who earns $324,000 a year, then made a successful claim, despite Ashleigh having bequeathed the money to Theresa, who earns a modest income in an accounts job. (An appeal process against Rests decision, now in its 16th month, is still afoot and Theresa is raising funds for her legal fees via a GoFundMe page.) Higgins refused to let Theresa and John see and listen to Ashleighs last messages. Putting his garbage out a few months after Ashleighs funeral, Gowty needed more space and opened the Higgins/Le Neuf bin. He spotted some of Ashleighs mementos, including her Western Bulldogs hat. When Gowty tells me this, I notice his usual joviality has leached away. I still love her and I still miss her, he says. He regrets his restraining order every day that he wasnt there for Ashleigh when she needed him. I suggest that living here, next to Higgins, might not be good for his mental health. Hes already decided to move, he says, and does so a few months later. Ashleigh had a generous heart, says her mother, and trusted everybody. As Higgins is a sitting magistrate, the Victorian coroner asked NSW magistrate Ian Guy to independently investigate Ashleighs death. In his report, which concluded that an inquest was not needed, Guy says the family was consulted about holding one. Theresa, however, denies that she was consulted, and says she would have welcomed a more public investigation. She is also disturbed by what she sees as a conflict of interest in the local police putting together the coroners brief on a case that involved a magistrate who sits in their area. Guys report misspelled Ashleighs first name and omitted where she died on Metung Road. It made much of Ashleighs mental-health history, including an eating disorder while at school which Theresa characterises as healthy eating. She was young and naive, very naive, I probably sheltered her a bit too much in life. She trusted everybody. Ashleigh Petries mother Indeed, both Theresa and John say they felt pressure from police to speculate that Ashleigh took her own life due to her mental ill health, a conclusion they reject. Says Theresa: She would have texted us and said I love you. She had holidays booked and all these new dresses that I still have in my wardrobe with the tags still on. Guy noted that several of Ashleighs suicide attempts and self-harm episodes happened prior to the media exposure. But the media interest was undoubtedly intense and despite her initial enjoyment of the spotlight, it became a burden. The press, he said, were unaware of her fragile mental state and at least one media organisation would have seen Ms Petrie as a willing participant. As Media Watch host Paul Barry concluded, this was a salutary tale for everyone in the media. With so many people living their lives on social media, he said, journalists have unprecedented power to expose, ridicule and judge. And they need to be a lot more careful about how they use and abuse it. On a midweek morning in November, 2019, Rod Higgins approached the lectern at Tobin Brothers in Werribee, in Melbournes west, and loomed over it. The white casket containing Ashleighs body stood just metres away. At first, Higgins voice faltered as he described this as the saddest time of my life. Ashleighs beauty, he said, was more than skin-deep, though she was externally as attractive as a woman could possibly be. She had dreams of being a Legal Aid lawyer. She had wanted a child and he was willing to try. But the second half of his six-minute speech took a turn. Her zest for life, he said, contrasted against problems of anxiety and depression. Ashleigh, he said, was taking medication for a chemical imbalance in her brain. The black dog of depression magnified her shortcomings, driving her constant need of reassurance. At this, fellow mourners started to mutter their annoyance. Theresa sat a metre from Higgins in the front row, her back bent over in grief, her eyes fixated on her daughters casket. When I view the video footage of Higgins speech with Theresa, she explains her fury in this moment: it was a time to celebrate Ashleigh, not highlight her struggles. Put it this way, me and John had to hold each other, she tells me, in tears. Because we just wanted to get up and belt him. All Theresa knew was that Higgins must stop. I think thats enough, she said out loud. And, with that, Higgins sat down. Lifeline: 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. The best of Good Weekend delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Sign up here. For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Leaning in the doorway of his sweets and pastry shop a short walk from Fairfield station, 54-year-old Jan Israel surveyed the passing foot traffic on Thursday and declared the lockdown a joke. The small-business owner has worked seven days a week since buying his brother-in-law out and going solo last year. But he said he was willing to close up and wear the financial pain if it meant helping pull Sydney back from the brink of a prolonged COVID-19 outbreak. People are still visiting each other and people are still on the street, the Iraqi-born shop-owner told the Herald, hours after Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant had issued their impassioned pleas to Sydneysiders to only leave home for the absolute necessities. Small-business owner Jan Israel took his own advice and shut up shop. Credit:Kate Geraghty Maybe only 10 per cent of these people on the street here are essential [going out] and the rest are not, he added. I understand that some people get stressed about staying home and they are not used to it, but if they want to be safe they have to. Supermarkets were essential, he said, but coffee is not, takeaway food from restaurants is not. You can make that at home. By Friday morning he had taken his own advice and shut up shop. For all the governments complaints about citizens not doing the right thing it was clear by weeks end that giving so many retail outlets the option of staying open has sent a confusing message to the NSW public. Advertisement Even with tightened restrictions on movement announced on Friday morning, it was not apparent how a ban on browsing, and insisting that only one person leave the home to do household shopping, was going to be enforced. People wait for buses at Fairfield during Sydneys COVID-19 lockdown. Credit:Kate Geraghty Fridays numbers a new high of 44 cases, of which 27 had been out and about in the community while infectious have stunned the government which once prided itself on being the countrys most lockdown-resistant. Just over a year ago Melbourne began its descent into a gruelling three-month winter hibernation. Now Sydney sits on the brink of its own precipice, with the highly transmissible Delta variant threatening to overwhelm the states defences. Loading Gone is any hubris that might have percolated through the government corridors in Macquarie Street. In its place is trepidation, a recognition that the enemy has vastly increased its ability to skip several steps ahead of the states much-celebrated contact tracers. Please do not think that the New South Wales government thinks we can live with this when our vaccination rate is only at 9 per cent, Berejiklian warned on Friday, quashing reports that some of her ministers were thinking it might be possible to abandon the zero transmission strategy if case numbers proved stubbornly resistant to suppression. Advertisement No country on the planet can live with the Delta variant when our vaccination rates are so low. Using the strongest language shes deployed to date, she said that to do otherwise would risk seeing thousands and thousands of hospitalisations and deaths. Its now hard to recall that as recently as June 22, state Treasurer Dominic Perrottet had walked jubilantly into the bustling Legislative Assembly and declared NSW is back, touting a jobs resurgence and a predicted surplus by 2024-25. There was a jovial atmosphere that had not been in the Parliament since the pandemic had begun, recalls one forlorn government member of budget day. It was almost like a dream, it was there and then it was taken away. Its been a shock, its come hard and its come fast, Perrottet said. Fridays numbers lent a new stridency to Berejiklians messaging about the need for people to stay home, unless they absolutely had no alternative, and for them to accept no one outside their household into their home, unless there was an equally pressing need for that person to be there. The Premier was determined to put paid to several days of headlines suggesting division within the state crisis cabinet about how long the lockdown should extend and whether it might as Health Minister Brad Hazzard speculated on Wednesday morning be an option to accept that the virus has a life which will continue in the community if people did not curtail the spread. Advertisement Hazzard quickly walked that back the next day, but not before Deputy Premier John Barilaro had endorsed the remark. Perrottet wont discuss the debate which took place inside the state crisis cabinet earlier in the week as he, Berejiklian, Barilaro, Hazzard, Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello and the minister responsible for overseeing hotel quarantine, Stuart Ayres, sweated over whether to extend the fortnights lockdown for at least another week. Senior government sources now portray that debate as more akin to war-gaming than a split, though the pro-business Perrottet had been widely reported as initially opposing the lockdowns extension. Premier Gladys Berejiklian at Fridays update on the COVID-19 situation in NSW. Credit:Wolter Peeters Dominello, weighing in on Friday, said: In my view there will be a live debate as to when we can live with the virus but that is contingent squarely on much higher vaccination rates. From the other side of the continent, Perth-based AMA president Omar Khorshid added his voice to warnings that we are going to see a disaster if NSW opened up before eliminating the virus while vaccination rates were still so low. Chant had been desperately hoping that case numbers would be declining, and chains of transmission stamped out by now. Instead health authorities are bracing for a further increase in cases in the coming days. I am incredibly concerned, Chant said on Friday, highlighting the risk posed by households continuing to mingle. When we find a case in a family, we find that everyone in that household [already] has the disease. Advertisement The numbers of very ill are also creeping up, with nearly 10 per cent of those diagnosed with the Delta variant requiring hospitalisation. And where contact tracers were chasing down 7000 close contacts of cases on Thursday, by Friday that number had swollen to 14,000. Berejiklian knows from her own migrant background how deeply ingrained the culture of regular contact with extended family is in many ethnic communities. She referenced this when urging people to recognise this week that immediate family means whose you live with, it does not mean extended family or friends. People walk along the near empty streets of Fairfield during lockdown. Credit:Kate Geraghty The government has drawn flak for singling out three local government areas in south-west Sydney Liverpool, Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown as the latest hotspot of greatest concern. This was, after all, an outbreak which began in the citys east, with a Bondi limousine driver ferrying international air crew under a gaping regulatory loophole which did not require him to wear a mask or be vaccinated. But Berejiklian said she was making no apologies for being direct. Imagine going home and giving the virus to your partner, to all of your children and then if you happen to go and visit your cousins, to all of that family, and that is what we are seeing, unfortunately that is what we are seeing. NSW police launched a high-visibility mission into south-west Sydney on Friday morning, with Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke warning that where we do not get compliance, we will enforce. Advertisement Wilmington, DE (19810) Today Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 81F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 67F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Top finance officials representing most of the world's economy have backed a sweeping revision of international taxation that includes a 15% global minimum corporate levy to deter big companies from resorting to low-rate tax havens. Louisville, KY (40203) Today A few hit or miss storms and a touch less humid.. Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a few showers and patchy fog What an amazing year for World's Best! This competition has never been as competitive as it was for 2021! The community known competition saw more than 13,000 nominations in round 1 which made up more than 2,300 businesses, people, and places across our community. CHECK OUT THE WINNERS SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- It's been quite a wet start to the month of July, and as we begin to forget what the sun even looks like, many are wondering how long is this going to last and exactly how rare is it, or how about what's even causing all the rain to begin with? Life outside the city limits comes with quite a few perks, including sprawling views of fields and neighbors who wave at each passing. The lifestyle is known for its 'slow pace,' but Hoosier Farmers say their internet connection leaves them at a standstill most days. "It is easier for me to drive 10 miles down the road to use the internet than to actually use it on our own farm; which is insane," explains Ben Kron. Kron is the manager of his second-generation family farm, Kron Farms, in northern Vanderburgh County. Despite being just 25 minutes from Downtown Evansville, he says the internet speeds can cost him hours on the farm. "It takes a 20-minute project and turns it into an all-day project," continues Kron. And while the way of life is rooted in years of tradition, technology has crept into every aspect of crop production. "It's not just dragging a tractor out to a field anymore," explains Kron. "The stuff we have runs off iPads and things like that. It's hard to plant without an iPad now." But that expanding technology also means, with a few clicks, farmers like Kron can look up the exact water content of their fields, spread seed more accurately, and use the land and resources more efficiently. Those apps need high-speed internet to function effectively and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch is among state lawmakers working to get farms like the Kron's connected. "In years to come. We are going to have to produce more with the same amount that we have today and that means utilizing technology more. Having that internet access is absolutely key," explains Lt. Gov. Crouch, who also services as the Indiana Secretary of Agriculture. The effort began in 2018 with a Purdue University study that revealed 400,000 Hoosier were in 'internet darkness.' To date, the state has invested $79 million which is expected to connect 22,000 businesses and families across the state. In the last budget, Indiana set aside another $250 million to support the project. Lt. Gov. Crouch says there is also federal funding that will be available. Right now, the state is asking all Hoosiers to log onto the Indiana Speed Test to gather better data about where the expansion is needed. Even if you don't have the internet, you can log on at a local library or business and enter your address to make sure your home is accounted for in the project. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close An exotic cat that was roaming parts of Atlanta has been captured, but the owner is being forced to give up her pet because its illegal to keep such cats as pets in Georgia CRAIG: By what authority did those in Matthew 7 and Luke 9 succeed? Jeff Saenz got home late the night of June 1st. Hed spent a long day at Modern Electric Sound Recorders, the recording studio he owns in Dallas, Texas, and was just settling in with his family when the power went out a little after 10 oclock. Like many of his neighbors up and down the street, Saenz stepped outside to investigate. What happened next nearly killed him: While walking through his yard, he came in contact with a downed electric line in the dark and got electrocuted. Jeff was literally on fire in his front yard with 400 volts of electricity going through him for minutes until [his girlfriend] Monica and the neighbors could get him freed with a broom, say Beau Bedford, a fellow producer and partner of Saenzs who has worked with him at Modern Electric since it opened in 2012. Saenz was rushed to nearby Parkland Hospital with third- and fourth-degree burns throughout 25 percent of his body, the worst of which was on his hands. He spent five weeks in the ICU and, devastatingly for someone who makes his living playing and recording music, had his left arm amputated below the elbow. Doctors are preparing to amputate his right arm as well, possibly all the way up to his shoulder. Musicians in Dallas and several other parts of the country are now rallying around Saenz to help his family, including his and Monicas two-year-old daughter Lola, and to protect the studio. This weekend there will be a benefit concert dubbed Jeff Fest held at the Double Wide bar in Dallas, with performances by Paul Cauthen, Jonathan Tyler, David Ramirez, and Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit, among others. Jeff is the nucleus of this whole movement of Dallas music, says Cauthen, who recorded both of his albums and an EP at Modern Electric. Hes kind of the heartbeat of it. And hes just as selfless as can be. Hes the last person that ever asked about [getting] credit. He just wants to make it happen. Saenz, an avid motorcyclist, came to Dallas from Los Angeles, where he worked as an A&R talent scout for Warner Bros. and served an apprenticeship under Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb. Since the opening of Modern Electric, the studio has produced or engineered artists like Cauthen, Tyler, Nikki Lane, Leon Bridges, and Joshua Ray Walker. It also birthed the Texas Gentlemen, who got their start as the house band. When the Gents played backup for Kris Kristoffersons return to Newport Folk Fest in 2016, Saenz joined them on guitar. But, as Bedford points out, Saenzs contributions extend well beyond the work he does behind the mixing board or onstage. Hes been sober for six and a half years and its been such a blessing to a lot of my friends that have struggled with addiction. Hes always been there for them to be able to talk to, Bedford says. Even Saenzs horrific present circumstances havent dampened that spirit. When I was in the hospital with him, all he wanted to do was talk about other peopleand see how they were doing, Bedford says. (If faced with the same situation, Cauthen admits, I wouldve been wanting to jump out a damn window.) Jeff Fest is intended to be the first of many fundraisers to be held for Saenz. Bedford, whos worked closely with local salon owner Ric Bowden, says hes in talks to hold similar events in Austin, Nashville, and Los Angeles. The Gents are putting together their own show in Dallas later this summer. Theres also the Jeff Saenz Recovery Project Facebook page to help coordinate online donations and keep friends and supporters up to date. I have a soft-target goal of raising a half-million dollars over the next two years, Bedford says. Though still in the hospital, Saenz is already looking toward his future, one that will likely see him operating with prosthetic limbs. While in the ICU, he even proposed to Monica. [Hes like,] I got my mind, I got my baby, I got my wife. Theres more to life,' says Cauthen. To be able to look at it from that perspective, it just shows hes a hero. For those in the Dallas metro area, Jeff Fest kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Double Wide. Others can donate to Saenzs recovery here. President Joe Biden has nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as ambassador to India, the White House said Friday, selecting a high-profile ally to serve in one of the most difficult diplomatic posts. Garcetti, if confirmed, would be dispatched to India as it has been overwhelmed by a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths. The White House also announced Friday that Biden is nominating Democratic fundraiser Denise Bauer to serve as ambassador to France and Monaco, career foreign service officer Peter Haas to serve as ambassador to Bangladesh and former Obama-era national security aide Bernadette Meehan to serve as ambassador to Chile. Garcetti, who considered a 2020 White House bid and later became part of Bidens inner circle, emerged as a widely discussed possibility to join Bidens Cabinet last year. But he took himself out of the running, saying the raging coronavirus crisis made it impossible for him to step away. The two-term mayor would leave LA with an uneven record. He has been credited with continuing a transit buildup in a city choked with traffic, establishing tougher earthquake safety standards for thousands of buildings and steering the city though the deadly pandemic as it became a hot spot for infections. Cases have fallen steeply in the city and some restrictions have been rolled back, consistent with the trajectory in the state. But Garcetti was overmatched by a crisis of homelessness that became a national embarrassment despite the massive jump in government spending to fight it. Many streets and sidewalks remain cratered and crumbling, despite his early pledge to make fixing them a cornerstone of his administration. A lawsuit alleges that a former top staffer sexually harassed one of the mayors police bodyguards while Garcetti ignored it or laughed it off. The mayor denies the claims. One of his former deputy mayors was also indicted on corruption charges in an ongoing federal investigation at City Hall. And as is the case in many large cities, the crime rate in LA is spiking. In picking Garcetti, Biden is rewarding a loyalist who was one of his national campaign co-chairs, who served on the committee that vetted his pool of vice presidential contenders and who served as one of several co-chairs for Bidens inaugural committee. Garcetti said in a statement that the nomination presents him with another opportunity at public service in a career that also includes 12 years in the Los Angeles City Council, several years as a Naval Reserve officer and time as an assistant professor of diplomacy and world affairs. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call, Garcetti said. "And should I be confirmed, Ill bring this same energy, commitment, and love for this city to my new role and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles. Bauer, who served as ambassador to Belgium, is a prominent Democratic fundraiser. She served as executive director of Women for Biden during his last run for the White House. She served in a similar role in President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign. Haas, whose career at the State Department includes stints across five geographical bureaus and as consul general in Mumbai, currently serves as acting assistant secretary of state and as principal deputy assistant secretary for economic and business affairs. Meehan, who is the executive vice president of global programs for the Obama Foundation, spent over a decade as a foreign service officer and was a National Security Council spokesperson during the Obama administration. Biden has stepped up ambassadorial nominations in recent weeks. Among his other picks are former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar as ambassador to Mexico, former Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides as ambassador to Israel, and retired airline pilot Chesley Sully Sullenberger, most famous for negotiating the emergency landing of a US Airways plane on the Hudson River in 2009 with no fatalities, to serve as U.S. representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Biden is also expected to nominate former longtime State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as ambassador to Japan, according to a person familiar with the decisions who was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. ___ Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report. WILTON With a ceremonial handing over of the captains helmet by Deputy Chief John Plofkin, the Wilton Fire Department named William Wilson as the new town fire captain on Friday at its headquarters on Danbury Road. Wilson started with the Wilton Fire Department in 2005, when he was just 19. It is almost 16 years to the day (I was hired) that Ive been promoted, Wilson said on Friday. His last promotion was in 2015, earning the title of fire lieutenant within the department. Prior to that, he served under various captains and, upon Capt. Jim Gies retirement, gained experience serving as the acting captain in the interim, before Capt. Brian Elliot was assigned to the unit. Initially, Wilson had no intent of becoming a full-time fire department member. At first, he chose to volunteer his time with the Trumbull Fire Department while in pursuit of a different goal. Actually, I wanted to be a high school math teacher, Wilson said. But as soon as I joined the volunteers, I really fell in love with the fire service. Wilsons huge pivot in life, as he deemed it, came because of an appreciation for the work that he found fulfilling. You know, you do all the small things for somebody, it makes a huge difference in their life, Wilson said. It is very rewarding in that way. He added that, especially as a young man, there was an excitement about answering the call. That adrenaline rush, Wilson said, really called to him as a 19-year-old. Even now, he said he still feels that adrenaline rush when the departments help is beckoned, but his focuses remain what they always have been, which is to carry out each procedure as carefully as possible and professionally responding to every call received. Wilson said he felt a special bond with many of his department cohort and superiors that made his decision to pursue this career choice full-time a bit easier. He said he has learned from all of the officers he has worked with, and appreciates each of their contributions and will also have a bond with anyone who graced the firemans helmet. And the guys at firehouse in Wilton, that goes without saying, Wilson said, explaining how close his department is. We are with each other for 24 hours at a time. I know whats going in in their life at all times, and they know what is going on in mine. Wilson has earned various certifications, including as a fire officer and incident safety officer. He also serves as an EMT, serves on the departments Health and Safety Committee, oversees its hazmat meter program and is the most recent member of the Fairfield County Hazardous Materials Team. After being told he would rise to the ranks of captain just over a month ago, Wilson said he wanted to thank all of the captains and leiutenants that helped him get to this position. Reflecting back, that is what he remembers most. I think of the support Ive had from other officers, and with past captains and leiutenants, he said. Various members of the department and Wilsons family were in attendance and congratulated him at the event. A number of retired fire department officers even made the trip to see Wilson sworn in. When asked what a 19-year-old Wilson would have said if told of Fridays news, 16 years after starting in the department, the new captain was candid. I probably wouldnt have believed you, he said. BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Brazils presidential election is 15 months away, yet barely a day passes without President Jair Bolsonaro raising the specter of fraud and warning that he will be entitled to reject the results unless Congress overhauls the voting system. He has mentioned potential vote fraud more than 20 times in the past two months and even floated the idea of canceling the election altogether. I dont mind handing over the government next year, to whomever it is, but with an honest vote, not with fraud," Bolsonaro told supporters July 1 outside the presidential residence. Later that day, he was harping on the issue again. They say I don't have proof of fraud. You don't have proof that there's no fraud either! The relentless attack on Brazil's electronic voting system has prompted an outcry and closed-door meetings between lawmakers and Supreme Court justices to defend the system. And the nation's electoral tribunal last month ordered the president to provide proof of the fraud he has repeatedly claimed to possess, but so far hasn't presented. The assault also raises concern that Bolsonaro, who is far behind in early polls, is cribbing from former U.S. President Donald Trump and laying the groundwork for his own version of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in Washington. His strategy seems to be that if he can cloud the results of the election by claiming it is fraudulent or rigged, then he has a better chance of overturning the results, said Robert Kaufman, a professor of political science at Rutgers University, whose research has focused on democracies and dictatorships in Latin America. Brazils electoral tribunal organizes and oversees elections, not the executive branch. The presidents press office did not immediately comment on whether he will present evidence of past electoral fraud, with the deadline looming in August. At Bolsonaro's order, his administration has tasked the federal police with scouring Brazils states for reports of fraud from the past 25 years he can use to support his claims, according to one of his ministers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. It is also part of his strategic response to opponents of a constitutional reform proposal that would add printouts of each vote to the electronic system, the minister said. Were the proposal implemented, a receipt for each electronic vote would be visible to the voter before being deposited into a sealed ballot box. In the event of alleged irregularities with the electronic vote, the president argues, results could be checked by manually counting the printouts. Opponents of the proposal, including the current and future presidents of the electoral tribunal, all three of whom are also Supreme Court justices, say the electronic system that began taking shape in 1996 already allows for an audit and that the change would merely open the way for baseless fraud claims. The tribunal's president, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, has been on a mission to quash the proposal in the congressional committee that is expected to vote on it next week. Last month, he and two other Supreme Court justices met with more than 40 politicians from across the political spectrum to prevent the bill from advancing. The printed vote is a risky solution to a problem that does not exist," Barroso told The Associated Press. He said it increases the risk of coercion and breaches of vote secrecy by drug traffickers and militias. Criminal organizations have been known to corral support for candidates and buy votes. Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes, a former president of the electoral tribunal, said by phone that the current moment calls for caution. People close to the government have used as an argument that, if it isnt their way, there cant be an election, Mendes said. It became a topic to cultivate crisis. We saw what happened in the United States. Bolsonaros push for voting reform precedes his 2018 election, after which he claimed many votes cast for him were diverted to the Workers Party candidate. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of the Workers' Party, is widely expected to run against Bolsonaro in 2022. In recent weeks, the far-right president has ratcheted up the frequency and intensity of his comments. Either we do clean elections in Brazil or we dont do elections at all, he told cheering supporters on July 8. The next morning, he told them: We run the risk of not having elections next year. It's your future that's at risk. On Friday, the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, said elections were nonnegotiable and that anyone who attempts to take a step backward "will be singled out by the people and history as the enemy of the nation. The cause has become a family affair. His sons Eduardo, Flavio and Carlos, all politicians, have joined the campaign using their widely followed social media accounts and sometimes posting more than once a day. The escalation coincides with record-low approval ratings for Bolsonaro, street protests against him, mounting pressure from a parliamentary inquiry into his administration's handling of the pandemic and allegations of corruption in the acquisition of vaccines. Early polling shows da Silva as a heavy favorite next year. Stirring doubts about election results under these circumstances "could aim to make people believe an election isnt necessary, said Diogo Rais, professor of electoral law at Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo. If the special committee of Lower House lawmakers approves the reform proposal next week, it would proceed to the floor, marking the start of a drawn-out process involving several votes. If concluded by October, the system would be in place for the October 2022 election. Doing so in time would be an uphill battle, especially since 11 political party leaders last month banded together to oppose the reform. More likely is a scenario akin to what happened in the U.S., where a significant percentage of the population believes the election was neither free nor fair, said Anya Prusa, senior associate at the Wilson Centers Brazil Institute in Washington. In some ways, that is more dangerous to a democratic system than an outright power grab, which is easier to defend against," Prusa said. It will further erode Brazilians confidence in their democratic system, at a moment where there is a lot of polarization and distrust. ___ Jeantet reported from Rio de Janeiro. The delta variant of the coronavirus has been found in Connecticut, but determining exactly how common the more-infectious strain of the virus is has been difficult for a simple reason there arent a lot of cases for researchers to test. The strain, first detected in India, is thought to be about 60 percent more infectious than the alpha strain first found in the U.K. that led to a second lockdown in that country last winter. The variant has also shown some resistance to antibodies, whether in people who have recovered from the virus, antibodies created by vaccines or in monoclonal antibody treatments given to sick patients. The companies behind the three vaccines approved for use in the U.S. have all said their products are effective against the variant. Delta made up 52.4 percent of cases genetically sequenced by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and Jackson Laboratory in the past week, up nearly 39 percent from the week before. But Nathan Grubaugh, who heads the genetic sequencing efforts at Yale wrote in a tweet Thursday the data are noisy because overall infections have remained low. Estimating the frequency of delta at the local levels is a bit challenging due to the low cases (which is obviously a good thing), Grubaugh wrote. He suggested the data is more helpful in determining trends. As delta rises, it is displacing cases of the alpha strain of the coronavirus along with the iota variant first found in New York, Grubaugh wrote. That will likely continue based on events elsewhere, he noted. Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the delta variant now accounts for more than 51 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. But Deidre Gifford, the states acting commissioner for the Department of Public Health said Thursday the strain is not predominant in Connecticut as it is in other parts of the country. Why is that? Probably its because we dont have a lot of virus circulating in Connecticut, thank goodness. And thats because... people are vaccinated, she said during a press conference in Bristol. Statewide, 171 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Connecticut Friday, with a daily positivity rate of 0.82 percent out of 20,963 tests. The number of people hospitalized fell by one, bringing the statewide total to 25. The death toll, last updated Thursday, stood at 8,279. As of Friday, 67.7 percent of the state population has received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to CDC data, with 61.5 percent of residents considered fully-vaccinated. But demand for vaccines has declined dramatically in recent weeks. The most recent week of data available from the state shows 36,218 doses administered, far below the peak of more than 315,000 reported in one week in April. And vaccinations are still lagging in some communities. Data from the state shows a swath of communities along the eastern side of the state have half or less of their populations at least partly vaccinated. In Mansfield, less than 35 percent of residents have started vaccination. In Sterling, Thompson and Hartford, less than 45 percent of residents have received at least one dose. Meanwhile, Salisbury, Lyme Old Saybrook and Kent all report more than 80 percent of residents have received a first dose. And in Canaan, more than 99 percent of the towns 1,053 residents have begun vaccination, state data shows. WASHINGTON (AP) Two high-ranking Trump political appointees at the Environmental Protection Agency engaged in fraudulent payroll activities including payments to employees after they were fired and to one of the officials when he was absent from work that cost the agency more than $130,000, a report by an internal watchdog says. Former chief of staff Ryan Jackson and former White House liaison Charles Munoz submitted official timesheets and personnel forms that contained materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements" to mislead EPA personnel and facilitate improper payments over multiple months, according to a report by EPAs Office of Inspector General. The two men, who have since left the EPA, arranged for former agency employees to continue collecting nearly $38,000 salaries even after they were fired, the report says. Separately, Munoz also received an improper raise and submitted fraudulent timesheets during periods when he was not at his work station that cost the EPA almost $96,000, the report said. The March 31 report was released this week. In a statement Friday to The Associated Press, Inspector General Sean O'Donnell said, Continuing to pay fired political staff, creating fraudulent records and authorizing improper pay increases represent serious waste of taxpayer funds.'' While the Justice Department has declined to prosecute the former Trump-era officials, the EPA OIG will do everything within its power to ensure that public officials are held accountable for acts of misconduct during their service, O'Donnell said. A spokesperson for EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the agency is evaluating the report and potential next steps.'' The 25-page report blacks out the names of the two former employees who received payments after being fired. The Washington Post, citing an earlier version of the report, named the fired employees as Madeline Morris and Kevin Chmielewski. Morris was terminated from her job as a scheduler for former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in August 2017, while Chmielewski is a former EPA deputy chief of staff who was forced to leave the agency in February 2018, the newspaper said. Federal prosecutors declined to press charges over any of the inspector general's findings. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Friday. Jackson, a former aide to Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., left the EPA in February 2020 to become vice president for government and political affairs at the National Mining Association. He could not be reached for comment, and a spokesperson for the mining group did not return calls and emails. Munoz, who left the EPA in January when the Biden administration took office, also could not be reached for comment. The report follows years of controversies at the EPA throughout President Donald Trump's term in office. His first EPA administrator, Pruitt, resigned in 2018 following a series of scandals and ethics investigations, including frequent first-class flights, heavy spending on personal security and a sweetheart condo lease connected to a fossil-fuel lobbyist whose firm had sought regulatory rollbacks from EPA. Chmielewski, one of the fired employees, provided detailed information to House and Senate lawmakers about alleged wrongdoing by Pruitt. Chmielewski has filed a lawsuit alleging that Pruitt and other officials violated his free speech and due process rights. The inspector general's report said Jackson, the former chief of staff, met with the scheduler on Aug. 31, 2017, to tell her well take care of you by providing severance pay, even though he knew severance pay was not allowed. Jackson directed Munoz to tell EPA's human resources division that she was on an extended telework schedule, even though she was no longer working, the report said. Munoz amended her time-and-attendance reports so she could continue being paid. Munoz told investigators Jackson also directed him to provide severance pay to the other employee on the condition that he resign, even though the EPA cannot provide severance packages, the report said. The employee told investigators he refused to resign and was escorted from the building by armed security guards. The inspector general's report also faults Jackson and Munoz for an improper raise for Munoz granted by Jackson when Munoz was transferred to a regional office in Las Vegas. Munoz grew up in Nevada and was the Trump campaigns Nevada state director in 2016. "Pursuant to federal law, regulation and EPA policy, when a federal employee is appointed to a new position at the same grade level without a break in service, an increase in (pay) is not permitted,'' the report said, adding: No justification had been given to support the increase.'' Winchester, VA (22601) Today Overcast. High 81F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping Indias aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. A man leaves with his full oxygen canister as others wait to refill their tanks at a recharging station in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands tanks of oxygen. Now, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping Indias aid with thousands of tanks of oxygen. Today, the Southeast Asia country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. A shipment of more than 1,000 oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators and other health devices arrived from Singapore on Friday, followed by another 1,000 ventilators from Australia, said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister in charge of Indonesias pandemic response. Beside those donations, Indonesia plans to buy 36,000 tons of oxygen and 10,000 concentrators devices that generate oxygen from neighboring Singapore, Pandjaitan said. He said he is in touch with China and other potential oxygen sources. The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates also have offered help. In this photo released by Indonesian Armed Forces, a military personnel uses a forklift to unload relief goods from a Singaporean Air Force cargo plane at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, July 9, 2021. The world's fourth most populous country is running out of oxygen as it endures a devastating wave of coronavirus cases and the government is seeking emergency supplies from other countries, including Singapore and China. (Indonesian Armed Forces via AP) We recognize the difficult situation Indonesia currently finds itself in with a surge of COVID cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. In addition to sending vaccines, the U.S. is working to increase assistance for Indonesias broader COVID-19 response efforts, she said, without elaborating. Overall, Indonesia, the worlds fourth-most populous country, has reported more than 2.4 million infections and 64,631 fatalities from COVID-19. Those figures are widely believed to be a vast undercount due to low testing and poor tracing measures. Indonesia reported the highest toll of 1,040 deaths on Wednesday and nearly 39,000 confirmed cases on Thursday and Friday. Hospitals are swamped, with growing numbers of the ill dying in isolation at home or while waiting to receive emergency care. On Java, Indonesias most populous island, hospitals began setting up makeshift intensive care units in mid-June. Many patients are waiting for days to be admitted. Oxygen tanks were rolled out onto sidewalks for those lucky enough to get them, while others have been told they have to find their own. Emergency rooms at a public hospital in Bandung city closed earlier this week after running out of oxygen amid panic buying fueled by soaring infections in the West Java provincial capital, said Yaya Mulyana, the citys deputy mayor. Panicked people bought oxygen tanks even though they didnt need them yet, Mulyana said. That has led to oxygen supplies running out. At one hospital in Yogyakarta, in central Java, 63 COVID-19 patients died in one day -- 33 of them during an outage of its central liquid oxygen supply, though the hospital had switched to using oxygen cylinders, spokesman Banu Hermawan said. Indonesia donated 3,400 oxygen cylinders and concentrators to India when a brutal outbreak ravaged the country. As its own cases surged, Jakarta then canceled a plan to send another 2,000 oxygen concentrators to India in late June. The daily need for oxygen has reached 1,928 tons a day. The countrys total available production capacity is 2,262 tons a day, according to government data. I asked for 100% of oxygen go to medical purposes first, meaning that all industrial allocations must be transferred to medical, said Pandjaitan, the government minister. We are racing against time, we have to work fast. Given the rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant, he warned that Indonesia could face a worst-case scenario with 50,000 cases a day. The next two weeks will be critical, he said. The Ministry of Industry responded by issuing a decree that all oxygen supplies be sent to hospitals overflowing with coronavirus patients, and asked industry players to cooperate. Oxygen is used in making many products, including textiles, plastics and vehicles. Oil refiners, chemical manufacturers and steel makers also use it. But industry leaders have fallen in line in supporting government efforts to maximize supplies for hospitals. The government has redirected oxygen supplies from industrial plants in Morowali in Central Sulawesi, Balikpapan on Borneo island, and Belawan and Batam on Sumatra islands, Pandjaitan said. Smaller oxygen industries have also been directed to produce pharmaceutical oxygen. TORONTO - Ontario movie theatres will be back in business on Friday as the province moves into Step 3 of reopening in the heat of summer movie season, but strict capacity limits have sent a chill through exhibitors' hopes of drawing the big crowds for the latest blockbusters. A few customers watch a movie at a Cineplex movie theatre in Laval, Ont., Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Ontario movie theatres will be showing movies again starting next Friday as the province moves into Step 3 five days earlier than planned. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz TORONTO - Ontario movie theatres will be back in business on Friday as the province moves into Step 3 of reopening in the heat of summer movie season, but strict capacity limits have sent a chill through exhibitors' hopes of drawing the big crowds for the latest blockbusters. It's another twist in the storyline for movie exhibitors that hope to recover whatever business they can from what's usually the busiest time of the year. Making those goals tougher are the province's new COVID-19 rules which say cinemas can operate at a maximum capacity of 50 per cent inside each auditorium and a cap of 1,000 people within the entire building. Ellis Jacob, chief executive of the country's largest exhibitor, Cineplex Inc., said it's those overarching capacity limits that he considers "unfair," as they put all theatres no matter their size under the same restrictions. Smaller cinemas with fewer screens, for instance, will need to follow the same guidelines as megaplexes that often have more than 20, which could mean Cineplex will be forced to turn away moviegoers at some of its bigger locations. Jacob said he anticipates the summer will be characterized by pent-up demand similar to what he's observed in other reopened Canadian markets. Theatres in Ontario have been closed longer than anywhere else in North America, with locations in the Greater Toronto Area shuttered for nine months. With titles such as "F9," the latest in the "Fast & Furious" franchise, and Marvel's "Black Widow" already on standby, and "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and G.I. Joe action flick "Snake Eyes" set for later this month, Jacob suggested some cinemas might near capacity limits for Stage 3. "It's going to be a full slate of films," he said. It's a problem Canadian exhibitors didn't need to consider last summer as the virus gripped Hollywood. At that time, only a handful of notable new releases were sent to North American theatres, which forced exhibitors to pad their schedules with old favourites, including "Jurassic Park" and "The Goonies." So much is different this year: U.S. theatres have been open for months, distancing measures stateside have been relaxed and vaccinated ticketholders don't require masks at many of the big chains. Ontario isn't expected to take similar steps any time soon. All moviegoers will be required to wear masks and Stage 3 rules will be in effect until at least early August. The Movie Theatre Association of Canada responded to Ontario's latest reopening plan with a statement that at once celebrated the return of Ontario cinemas while lambasting the government for "arbitrary and unreasonable" restrictions. The organization has pushed for cinemas to reopen for months, highlighting a lack of consultation from the province or consistency across the country. The association said Alberta has no capacity limits on theatres, while Saskatchewan won't when it moves into the next stage of reopening on Sunday. Quebec allows 250 people in an auditorium, while British Columbia's rules fall in line with Ontario's 50 per cent limit. The Atlantic provinces vary in capacity from 50 per cent to full capacity, while Manitoba cinemas are still closed. "Cinemas in Canada have welcomed more than seven million guests during the pandemic and not a single case of COVID-19 has been traced back to the movies," the association said. Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, explained on Friday that while the reopening plans move forward, he remains concerned about the presence of the Delta and Lambda variants. The Delta strain is currently dominant in the province. Follow @dfriend on Twitter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2021. MIAMI (AP) The Miami-Dade County Courthouse will begin undergoing repairs immediately because of safety concerns found during a review prompted by the deadly collapse of a nearby condominium building, officials said. Rubble and debris of the Champlain Towers South condo can be seen in Surfside, Florida on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. The rubble shown here is from the front portion of the condo towers, which was demolished 11 days after the back part of the tower collapsed with people inside.(Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP) MIAMI (AP) The Miami-Dade County Courthouse will begin undergoing repairs immediately because of safety concerns found during a review prompted by the deadly collapse of a nearby condominium building, officials said. An engineering firm that examined the 28-story courthouse recommended that it undergo immediate structural repairs and that floors 16 and above be closed. All courthouse employees, including those who work on lower floors, will return to working from home, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other leaders said in a joint statement late Friday. In its report, engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc. said that during its June 30 inspection, it found structural distress in various structural members such as support beams and joists, including steel columns that are in poor condition" and concrete columns that have numerous cracks. Vehicles that were pulled from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South are transported on Saturday, July 10, 2021 in Surfside, Fla. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were making good progress, especially in clearing debris from the section of the building that didnt collapse but was later demolished. That section will likely be cleared sooner than originally expected, he said. (AP Photo/David Fischer) In general, we observed numerous members with visible signs of structural deterioration that have been documented and reported by this and other firms for quite some time now. Many of these members are in an advance state of deterioration, inspector Jose Toledo wrote in the firms Tuesday letter to Miami-Dade County officials. The announcement about the courthouse, which is in Miami, came during the third week of the search for victims of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in nearby Surfside. On Saturday, authorities raised the confirmed death toll to 86, with 43 people still missing. The courthouse, which was completed in 1928 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, is where most civil cases are heard and contains some administrative offices. Separate courthouses for criminal, children's and family cases are not affected. Workers only recently returned to the building after working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Court operations will go back to a remote format until the safety concerns are addressed. The court planned to notify people with upcoming court proceedings of the changes. Vehicles that were pulled from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South are transported on Saturday, July 10, 2021 in Surfside, Fla. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were making good progress, especially in clearing debris from the section of the building that didnt collapse but was later demolished. That section will likely be cleared sooner than originally expected, he said. (AP Photo/David Fischer) They had only been back in that building about a week, Levine Cava said at a Saturday news conference. So they have everything they need to continue to operate remotely and also at other locations, so it should not disrupt substantially. Authorities didn't disclose details about the specific types of repairs that are needed, and they still plan to inspect its basement to determine if additional ones are required. In its report, the engineering firm warned that one column on the 25th floor needed immediate attention and urged that it be repaired within 30 days. It also found overhead beams and slabs that had cracks and spalling, which is when pieces of concrete break off and potentially allow water in. In addition, it advised officials to remove heavy items such as books, office supplies and sandbags that were stored on upper floors. Miami-Dade County is in the early stages of constructing a new civil courthouse and had been planning to sell the current one, which has been beset by leaks, mold and issues with its facade over the years. It's unclear how the new findings might affect those plans to sell the building. The building underwent a review following the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building, where efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies of those missing and presumed dead. Levine Cava said those efforts would continue throughout the day Saturday despite bad weather, though work was paused for about an hour Saturday morning due to a nearby lightning strike. She also said no asbestos has been found during the search of the rubble. Please pray for all those whove lost loved ones and for those whose hearts are broken by this unspeakable tragedy," she said. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said crews were making good progress, especially in clearing debris from the section of the building that didnt collapse but was later demolished. That section will likely be cleared sooner than originally expected, he said. Its astounding the pace at which theyre working in getting that rubble out of there, he said. Several other buildings have been reviewed to search for any structural concerns, and some such as a condo building in North Miami Beach have been evacuated. Associated Press writer Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report. The Ford F-150 Lightning is making a splash as the electric vehicle that could move the mark forward for a big segment of motorists across the country. The Ford F-150 Lightning is making a splash as the electric vehicle that could move the mark forward for a big segment of motorists across the country. Ford is far from alone on the electrification stage, as automakers around the world have been making big shows this year of their latest electric models and new technology. SUPPLIED NFI Groups zero-emission Excelsior Charge bus. Advances in battery technology mean NFIs new-generation electric buses can travel 300 kilometres on a charge. Fords F-150 pickup stands out because it has been the best-selling vehicle and not just in the truck segment in Canada and the U.S. for years, and is being touted as the one that could shift electric vehicles from the niche market to the mainstream. However, whether its Fords widely popular truck or Winnipeg-made buses, every inch of the electric transportation industry is underpinned by one thing: batteries. For people who arent regularly tuning in to the advancements in this realm, it can be confusing, dense and full of misinformation. The same technology that powers the smartphone in your hand also powers electric vehicles the lithium-ion battery. This battery technology was first put into commercial production by Sony in 1991 but has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last three decades. "The ways that batteries differ are in their chemistries. And so whenever you see a major revolution in batteries, its because the chemistry is completely 100 per cent changed," explains Michael McDonald, the operations manager at NFI Group Inc.s innovation centre. NFI, previously known as New Flyer, is an electric bus manufacturer based in Winnipeg. Batteries using other chemical combinations, like the lead-acid battery, are still used in internal combustion vehicles. That technology was invented in 1859. So revolutions in battery technology happen in leaps, but infrequently, McDonald says, with most of the advancement and innovation more incremental. SUPPLIED Michael McDonald, the operations manager at NFI Group Inc.s innovation centre. "Its the lithium-ion battery, right now, thats just taking everything to a whole new level. Looking back to the 90s, it was really rudimentary. There was a lot of promise in them, but no one really cared about batteries that much. And what made people start caring and what drove the innovation of them was the proliferation of personal electronics," McDonald says. Smartphones, laptops, tablets all sparked the charge to advance batteries and to make them smaller and more powerful. But in the last decade or so, the industry has gained new motivations; the critical nature of the climate crisis has come into focus, along with the need to quickly taper the use of fossil fuels. "The main investors have been really the car manufacturers," says Christian Kuss, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. "And petrochemical companies as well who are trying to find a new niche inside the energy market." Advancements in the last decade have been remarkable. According to the Canada Energy Regulator, the average range of a passenger electric vehicle grew from 219 kilometres to 386 km between 2013 and 2019. Those advancements were principally due to battery-technology improvements, though structural vehicle improvements have also played a role. At NFI, these battery advances have meant the newest generation of electric transit buses has an increased range of 13 per cent, and is now capable of driving more than 300 km on a charge. Range increases have moved electric vehicles from impractical tokens to a desirable means of transportation in many markets though, sales in Manitoba have lagged. "The perception here is that you go a couple of miles in a vehicle and it just dies. But theres a lot of energy you can pack in now. This aint your grandpas battery," McDonald says. Even in Winnipegs cold winters, batteries will have a decreased range, but will hold up very well, he says. "Its a myth that the cold kills your batteries," McDonald says. "Thats not really an issue at all. The problem with the cold climate is that we just have higher energy demands in the cold simply because we have to heat the vehicles." "When you have an internal combustion engine, you get a ton of wasted heat, because the process of combustion is extremely inefficient. And so we can very cleverly wrap some coolant around the engine and blow that heat into the (passenger) compartments its like getting free energy. But because the electric drive system with batteries is so efficient, you dont really get as much heat as youd need to be comfortable. And so you have an electric heater, which basically just means that youre adding a big energy consumer on there, and that just drains your battery faster than it would in summertime." For a few years now, the term solid-state battery has been floating around a technology that promises to be the next leap forward in the battery realm. Volkswagen, in March, had a showy investor event called Power Day, in which the company QuantumScape promoted the solid-state battery theyre manufacturing for the carmaker. But details of the new technology were sparse (since theyre proprietary). But despite the demonstrations, experts in this arena remain skeptical that the industry is going to immediately crest the wave into the next battery revolution. "Weve been two years away from solid-state batteries for about 10 years now Until its commercially proven, Im going to kind of remain a bit skeptical," McDonald says. "So it has been moving very quickly, solid-state batteries, over the past, I guess, five years or so," Kuss said. "So there has been a lot of progress made. And sometimes theres the step changes that really make a big impact in the feasibility." But Kuss finds suspect any promises that this technology will be imminently deployable. "At the moment, I dont see it. We have to (be able to assess) the long-term performance of the solid-state batteries, right? That, at the moment, we just dont have. One of the problems is that once you buy a car with a solid-state battery, you expect it to be running for a good number of years, right? So, any new technology that were developing today, in two years from now, we only know how its performing after two years. We dont know how its going to be in five years." For now, lithium-ion is where long-term performance is known, Kuss explains, and its where consumer confidence can be high. Different fine-tunings in the ingredients of lithium-ion batteries will continue to yield smaller improvements in the meantime, which will continue to make electric vehicles and electric transit more appealing. And when it comes to climate-focused transportation policy, batteries are the whole ball game. "Its the single most important thing," McDonald says. "Its the source of the energy. In a full comparison, it is the analogous part to replacing gasoline and fossil fuels." sarah.lawrynuik@gmail.com Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik VANCOUVERAs she entered the fifth wheel, Michelle Feretos hit a wall of heat. It was a little RV, she recalls. It was just scorching hot. But the manager of a mobile home and RV park in Surrey, B.C., didnt have time to dwell on it. Her tenant, a man in his 70s, was unconscious with a fading pulse. She told his roommate to wrap cold towels around his feet. Then she put her first-aid training to work performing mouth to mouth and chest compressions. Feretos had already lost one of her other elderly tenants earlier that Monday: a man in his 80s whose mobile home had similarly turned into a furnacelike hotbox. She was determined not to lose another. The roommate dialed 911 and switched to speakerphone. Its all a bit of a blur now, Feretos says, but the automated greeting said some thing like: Were dealing with higher-than-normal call volumes. If this isnt an emergency please hang up, but if it is an emergency please stay on the line. It would take an agonizing 40 minutes before a dispatcher came on the line. But Feretos didnt have time for anger. She kept doing CPR for a good half-hour until exhaustion and the heat were just too much. We literally couldnt carry on. It was too hot. I have systemic lupus. I was already suffering from the heat. Its like, Im done. I give up. I cant I cant fight for him anymore, she said. When the dispatcher finally came on, we were just like, You know what? It was an emergency, but now its someone whos passed away. Its been two weeks since an unprecedented heat wave, with temperatures surpassing 40 C, consumed southern British Columbia for days, and a clearer picture has emerged of the grim human toll and the level to which the provincial emergency response system was overwhelmed. Over the span of six days, nearly 800 sudden deaths were reported almost half the total number of people whove died from COVID-19 in British Columbia during the entire pandemic. The BC Coroners Service says a significant number of those who perished were elderly, though it stresses its observations are purely preliminary. The service says it is investigating every death and intends to release a full report in the coming months. In the wake of the deadly heat wave, there has been political finger-pointing and growing calls for a complete overhaul of the way emergency response is managed. Representatives of the provinces paramedics say chronic understaffing left them unable to keep up with the workload. Firefighters warn the gaps in service spell real trouble in the event of an even bigger disaster. And some front-line workers cant help but wonder: If its this bad during a heat wave, what happens when a major earthquake hits? But experts warn heat waves are not to be underestimated, as they can have dire effects on the body and may no longer be a rare occurrence. The World Weather Attribution Group, an international collaboration of universities and agencies studying climate change, released a report this week explaining that the heat wave was brought on by man-made climate change. The heat was caused by a slow-moving high-pressure system known as a heat dome. It was weather that had been predicted days in advance. Usually such an event would happen once every 1,000 years, but the planet may see heat domes once every five to 10 years if global warming continues, the study said. The prospect of such heat waves means B.C. needs to come up with a plan to help vulnerable people, observers say. The human body is designed to work in a narrow temperature range that hovers around 36.8 C, says Dr. David McVea, a public health physician with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. When the weather heats up, the body works hard to try to keep its temperature in that range. If its hot enough, its like your body is exercising even when youre sitting at home, McVea said. Sweating and other measures to keep the body cool strain it, which can lead to problems with kidneys, the heart and nerve cells, among other issues. If the body fails to cool itself, direct heat can prevent the heart or nerve cells from functioning properly, potentially causing heart attacks, seizures or strokes. Blood vessels near the skins surface will dilate to try to expel heat, and fluid is lost as sweat. Both factors drop blood pressure, causing the heart to work harder, leading to heart attacks. The elderly are more likely to already have heart disease, and their hearts may not be able to cope the way those of a 35-year-old can, he said. Seniors in sweltering apartments with mobility problems may not even have been able to get up to close their drapes or get a drink of water, says B.C. seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie. People living in apartments with poor ventilation and large front windows were susceptible to the greenhouse effect, she said, creating a potentially deadly situation. Mackenzie said air conditioning isnt common in Metro Vancouver, where the bulk of the deaths occurred. The region typically has mild temperatures throughout the year and a heat warning will often be issued around the 30 C mark, she said. What I think was underappreciated was the degree to which these temperatures, which we had never experienced before, were going to move from This is uncomfortable to This is dangerous and potentially fatal, she said. Feretos saw it all first-hand at the RV park. As temperatures began to soar the weekend of June 26 and 27, Feretos said she made sure to call all the seniors in the complex in the morning, afternoon and evening. If they didnt answer, she would knock on their doors. She implored them to stay close to home, soak their feet in cold bath water to stay cool and brought ice to some residents. The tenant in his 80s, an easygoing, dog-loving fan of the B.C. Lions, seemed fine each time she checked in. Thanks for checking on me, hed tell her. Im just sitting in the trailer, watching my shows. Then, on the morning of June 28, he didnt answer the phone. I found him passed away in his living room, she said. He looked like he was sitting comfortably and went to sleep. There were fans in his mobile home, but they werent blowing. He had all his blinds open, so he was basically in a hotbox. Later that evening, Feretoss father, who also lives on site, alerted her to a resident who was frantic and pleading for help. I went outside to see whats going on and hes like: My roommate, my roommate. She didnt know the second victim well, only that he was a man in his 70s and down on his luck. I went in and started doing CPR because he had a faint pulse. It was obvious he was overheating, she said. He was probably gone while I was doing it, but I was just trying to keep him alive. After finally connecting with a dispatcher after 40 minutes, Feretos said it took almost another hour for a fire truck to show up. The guys got out and I said, Its a dead body and its been sitting there for two hours now. Emergency services had really failed, she said. We had lots of warning its not as if the heat wave that was coming was something that just happened. Feretos said shes thankful for first responders who busted their butts and did the best they could during the heat wave. She doesnt hold them responsible for the slow response. Its the system they operate by. Paramedics say they did the best they could. BC Emergency Health Services employs nearly 5,000 people in a variety of roles including as paramedics and dispatchers. On June 28, paramedics were called to a highest-ever 1,975 patient events an umbrella term for all types of calls, not necessarily heat-related in a day, followed by 1,956 the next day, officials say. In the month of June, paramedics attended 824 calls specifically deemed heat-related, compared with 14 in the same month last year. At his paramedic station in Langley, a suburb east of Vancouver, Shane Sander saw co-workers breaking down in tears, removing their shirts to cool down and even vomiting from the effects of the heat. Some crews were going to a half-dozen unresponsive patients that had heatstroke who ended up going into cardiac arrest, he said. Its a treatable cause that we have solutions for, but when an ambulance is delayed thats what happens. Sometimes a single call to 911 for a relative succumbing to the heat would end with two or three more people at the residence in need of help by the time he arrived at the home, he said. At one point, there were more than 100 calls in the ambulance queue, he said. Sucking back water while trying to stay ahead of dehydration between calls was a priority for paramedics. The backup led to paramedics arriving at scenes where, on top of a person needing medical attention, irate family members demanded to know why it had taken the first-responders so long to get there. They are paying for a service in this province and they have an expectation of what that service should be, he said. As paramedics, when you walk into these hostile environments sometimes youre having to defuse and youre having to take on the burdens of the system. He said he knows seasoned and proven co-workers who have taken stress leave from their experiences that week. One shift saw 11 cardiac arrests, according to the Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers of B.C., the union representing the first responders. According to Bob Parkinson, health and wellness director for the union, requests for mental health assistance from paramedics and dispatchers have spiked since the heat wave. Parkinson said on top of stress or trauma from the job, theres a moral distress paramedics are hit with in such a situation, because they arent able to help everyone who needs it in time. In one day, there were 21 activations for the services critical incident stress-management team, where members can seek help due to stress or trauma on the job. In a statement to the Star, BC Emergency Health Services said it is continuously adjusting staffing levels and is hiring more emergency responders. The service said it will conduct a review of events in hope of improving the service. Some frustrated residents took matters into their own hands. Jacqueline Merandi says her niece found Merandis 95-year-old father semi-conscious in his Burnaby home. It had taken her niece about half an hour to get through to a 911 dispatcher, she said. When she finally connected she was told it would take another two hours for paramedics to arrive. In the meantime, theyd send a fire crew. By the time I got there to meet my niece, his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. He wasnt coherent, Merandi said. Knowing it was going to take some time before an ambulance arrived, Merandi said they decided to put her father in her nieces car. He was dead weight and to be able to get him down the stairs the firemen were unable to do it from underneath their arms they put him on one of our kitchen chairs, she said. The firefighters had given him some oxygen and placed cold compresses under his arms and around his groin and neck. It was then left to Merandi and her niece to get him to the hospital unescorted. If his condition worsened, they were told to call 911 again. Vancouver firefighter Gord Ditchburn, president of the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association, said he and fellow firefighters waited with families for more than three hours in some cases for paramedics to arrive to a scene to transport a patient to hospital. We saw patients in peril, patients who were literally dying, family members distraught because they were not getting a service they put their faith and trust in, which is the emergency 911, pre-hospital care system, he said. Many of the calls he responded to were for patients in older buildings without air conditioning. In some cases, they found patients surrounded by feces and urine because they didnt have the energy to get to the washroom. In other cases, they found patients suffering from mental confusion. One man had failed to shed his clothes in time and was found wearing two sweaters, a jacket and long underwear. Fire crews would ask dispatch when paramedics might arrive. Sometimes the response was: B.C. Ambulance is not giving ETAs because they have no ambulances available, he said. We were often told youre 10th, 15th, 20th in queue waiting for an ambulance. Firefighters are not permitted to put patients in their own rigs, though Ditchburn confirms he heard reports that happened. Some desperate families, he said, put loved ones in Ubers or taxis. This was a portrayal of what a disaster would look like. We had our roads intact, our infrastructure intact But the system broke down and it failed all of us, he said. What are we going do when the Big One hits? This is a much bigger problem than just four days of a heat wave this is a service that is in bad need of review and repair. Patients and their families arrived at hospitals to find what some described as scenes of chaos. Merandi and her niece took her father to Burnaby Hospital. At the hospital entrance, someone was checking visitors for COVID-19 symptoms and handing out fresh masks. Merandi said she begged for that person to find someone who could help get her father out of the car. He came back and said no one was available. At that point, Im sure my voice was raised, she said. Paramedics nearby overheard her pleas and helped to wheel her father into the hospital through another entrance, bypassing the triage station. He was semi-conscious this whole time, she said. His speech was slurred and he was continuously throwing up. Medical staff gave him fluids and cooled him down. He was released the next day. A relieved Merandi said she is grateful for the intervention of the paramedics. Looking back on that incident though, she is struck by how crowded the hospital was. The waiting room was at capacity. People were lined up down the sidewalk just to get through the entrance. What really was upsetting was when I saw this elderly lady slumped over her sons shoulder. And he just ran straight through. He didnt stop for anything. While Merandi had nothing but praise for first responders and front-line workers, the whole episode has shaken her faith in how the province manages emergency response and provides care to societys most vulnerable citizens the elderly, people in care homes and the homeless. As a community we want to feel whatever happens were going to be OK. I dont think they instilled that in us, she said. My dad, hes 95. Hes had a wonderful life. But I dont want him to die because of the heat. I dont want to not to be able to get to a facility that could help him, and (where he could) at least die peacefully if he had to. Can you imagine dying in a chair outside a hospital? Dr. Craig Murray, interim regional medical director of emergency at the Fraser Health Authority, the provinces largest health authority, worked part of the heat wave at Surrey Memorial hospital. It was one of the more challenging days Ive worked in memory, for sure, in terms of the volume of patients and how sick they were, Murray said. On a typical summer day, the regions 12 acute-care hospitals see an average of 1,600 patients a day. On June 28, one of the peak days of the heat wave, the hospitals took in 2,246 patients, Murray said. During a hot day, people can experience symptoms ranging from minor heat cramps to heat exhaustion (feelings of dizziness and thirst) to life-threatening heatstroke, where the bodys temperature exceeds 40 degrees, and people become confused, suffer seizures or lose consciousness. There were a lot of those serious cases, he said. At Surrey Memorial alone, the hospital might see three patients in a 24-hour period in need of immediate resuscitation. On the second day of the heat wave, the hospital saw 24 such patients. They came in one after another, he said. Murray said the heat wave highlighted the importance of opening up cooling centres and the need for municipalities to advertise them well. Individually, people need to think of family and friends who are the most vulnerable the elderly and people with limited mobility then plan to check on them and check on them often. I think perhaps all elements of society maybe underappreciate how serious a heat emergency can be. Calls for accountability have intensified in recent days. The paramedic unions president, Troy Clifford, says paramedics were already understaffed when the heat wave hit and what he describes as a lack of preparedness by BC Emergency Health Services was felt. Had the service opened an emergency operations centre earlier to support planning, resources and non-emergency transfers, among other measures, it would have loosened up more resources to get ambulances to people who needed them, he said. If we would have been prepared for a resource and staffing challenge prior to it, we would have been able to respond to the excess workload in a better manner, he said. Would we have been able to meet the incredible call volumes and that? Probably not, but we could have hopefully not had the delays that we did. BC Emergency Health Services did not respond to those criticisms. Clifford said the public could have been better advised of what to do in a heat emergency to look after themselves, or what to do if an ambulance is delayed. Ditchburn, of the firefighters association, said the province needs to blow up the whole pre-hospital emergency care framework. Its broken, he says. Waiting for ambulance crews to show up at a scene is nothing new, he said. Its been a recurring problem throughout the opioid overdose epidemic, he said. B.C.s Ministry of Health declined the Stars request for an interview with Minister Adrian Dix. In a statement, the ministry said we have to do better and we will do better when it comes to ambulance service response. Recent events tell us there is more work to do to make sure that when people call for help, they get help in a timely way. It said total investment in ambulances reached $560 million this year compared to $424 million in 2017. The BC Liberal opposition, meanwhile, has called for an independent review of the provinces response to the heat wave. The opposition cited a 2019 report to the provincial New Democrat government warning of the chance of more than 100 deaths in the event of a serious heat wave. The study pointed to a 2009 heat wave in the province where temperatures in some regions peaked at 36 C and 200 people died. At the time it was published it said the province had a medium risk of such an event occurring. According to the BC Liberals, the NDP failed to heed the advice. But in its response to the Star, the ministry blamed long-standing challenges resulting from a decade of the B.C. Liberals underfunding the ambulance service when they were in power. The NDP has been in government since 2017. Against the backdrop of the political squabble, back at the RV park, Feretos is thinking about something else. She cant help but wonder if there was more she could have done for her tenants. My mindset doesnt turn that off: What more could I have done? Theres really nothing more I could have done, she says. But our system is definitely broken when youre on hold with 911. Douglas Quan is a Vancouver-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dougquanJeremy Nuttall is a Vancouver-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @Nuttallreports VANCOUVER - A British Columbia Supreme Court judge will not allow new evidence to be admitted in the United States extradition case of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, returns to B.C. Supreme Court after a break in her extradition hearing, in Vancouver, on Monday, March 29, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER - A British Columbia Supreme Court judge will not allow new evidence to be admitted in the United States extradition case of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes said Friday the application by Meng's lawyers to use the documents obtained from HSBC through a Hong Kong court is denied. "Ms. Meng applied to induce evidence in the extradition hearing a number of documents she received from HSBC. My decision is that the application is denied, the HSBC documents will not be admitted," Holmes said. Her reasons for the decision will follow, she added. Lawyers for Meng told the judge in June that the documents include internal email chains and spreadsheets that undermine the allegations of fraud against Meng, proving the United States misled the court in its summary to Canada of the case against her. Mark Sandler and his colleague Scott Fenton, lawyers for Meng, argued that the record of the case prepared against their client by U.S. prosecutors, and shared with Canadian officials to justify her arrest, was not an accurate description of HSBC's knowledge about Huawei's control over the company Skycom. Meng is accused of lying to HSBC about Huaweis control of Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating American sanctions against Iran. Both she and Huawei deny the allegations against them. Lawyers for Canadas attorney general asked the judge to dismiss Meng's application to allow the new evidence, saying the argument is more appropriate for her fraud trial expected in the United States, not her extradition hearing in Canada. The judge's decision is the latest in a series of applications and arguments by her lawyers introduced to prevent Meng from being extradited. Meng's original extradition hearing had been scheduled for last April but the judge granted her lawyers more time to review the documents from the Hong Kong court. The extradition case is now set to begin Aug. 3. Meng's arrest at Vancouvers airport in December 2018 at the request of the United States has created friction in relations between Canada and China. The arrests and detentions of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig shortly after Meng's arrest are widely seen as retaliation by the Chinese government. Meng remains out on bail, living in one of her two multimillion-dollar homes in Vancouver with her husband and children. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2021. LYTTON, B.C. - Residents of Lytton, B.C., got a first glimpse of the charred remains of their community on Friday, at the same time that the Transportation Safety Board announced an investigation into the cause of the fire, saying new information pointed to the possibility a freight train set off the inferno. A helicopter flies past a wildfire burning in Lytton, B.C., at dusk on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Lightning continues to challenge wildfire crews in British Columbia but the BC Wildfire Service is also reporting some progress on at least one of the 15 most threatening fires in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck LYTTON, B.C. - Residents of Lytton, B.C., got a first glimpse of the charred remains of their community on Friday, at the same time that the Transportation Safety Board announced an investigation into the cause of the fire, saying new information pointed to the possibility a freight train set off the inferno. The safety board said in a statement the information came as a result of investigations by the RCMP and BC Wildfire Service into the cause of the fire. It is not yet known which rail line is linked to the train in question, it said, and neither Canadian Pacific Rail nor Canadian National Rail has filed any occurrence reports related to the Lytton fire. Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra had ordered all train traffic through Lytton to halt for 48 hours, effective immediately, while residents were taken on escorted tours through the village. Residents only had minutes to leave the community on June 30 as flames tore through with "ferocious speed," an early statement from the Village of Lytton said. Two people died and several others were hurt. Shortly after residents saw the community for the first time, media followed in another bus. Blackened, discoloured pine trees are the first indication of the blaze, their needles bent north to the will of the wind and fire. Debbie Sell, emergency operations centre officer for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said the trees show which way the fire sped through. Burned cars and structures are seen in Lytton, B.C., on Friday, July 9, 2021, after a wildfire destroyed most of the village on June 30. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck "The fire started at the south end of town but then it travelled north," she said, pointing to the trees. Sell described the area as "eerie" where there is no sound of birds or insects, and the heavy smell of burned wood hangs in the air. Once white picket fences are now burned, lying along charred and blackened sidewalks. Most homes and businesses in the community are recognizable only by their foundations. Twisted metal, skeletons of shops and blackened cars with burst windows continue for blocks. But the St. Barnabas Anglican Church and the post office remain intact. "The post office doesn't look like anything ever happened," Sell said. "It's sitting right in the middle of town and it's perfectly fine." Fires don't take a straight path, she noted. "They'll just move, and it can just be that one place has green around it," Sell said. "Maybe the grass is green, and things are not combustible around it. Maybe roofs are tin. They are not combustible either. It moves and shifts, and sparks go." The statement earlier this week from the Village of Lytton said there are extreme challenges in the rebuilding process. There are no electricity, sewer or water services, and the infrastructure that hadn't been "incinerated" was too unsafe to use. More than 200 wildfires are burning in B.C. as a recent heat wave and parched conditions combined to raise the fire risk in many parts of the province to high or extreme. Lightning also continued to challenge wildfire crews in the province, but the BC Wildfire Service reported some progress on at least one of the 15 most threatening fires in the province. But the wildfire service said slightly cooler weather and modest rainfall earlier in the week helped crews build guards around the entire perimeter of a roughly three-square-kilometre fire that forced evacuation orders and alerts near Durand Lake, southwest of Kamloops. Strong winds this week near Lytton also spawned a spot fire on the west side of the Fraser River, but the wildfire service said crews responded aggressively. It said firefighters, including 40 recently arrived from New Brunswick, are making progress laying guards and protecting buildings along other flanks of the fire that destroyed Lytton. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said fires across B.C. have devastated many communities and families. "At this critical juncture, it is imperative that we all listen to the voices of Indigenous leaders and engage meaningfully on a path forward that respects their needs and priorities, while ensuring rail safety and security," Miller said in the Transport Canada statement ordering the two-day halt to trains on tracks between Kamloops and Boston Bar. Sell said the residents were "emotional" after seeing what remained of their homes and were unavailable for interviews. "I mean it's quite devastating to go in and look at," she said. "It was very important for it to be their moment. And their moment as a community. So, that's why we kept it as just their community together." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2021. Governments around the world should shun Iran's incoming president based on his long-standing record of human rights abuses, a former Canadian prime minister argued Saturday in a speech to an international conference on the state of the middle-eastern country. Former prime minister Stephen Harper addresses delegates during the 2016 Conservative Party Convention in Vancouver, B.C. on Thursday May 26, 2016. Harper is urging the international community not to give Iran's incoming president a seat at the negotiating table. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Governments around the world should shun Iran's incoming president based on his long-standing record of human rights abuses, a former Canadian prime minister argued Saturday in a speech to an international conference on the state of the middle-eastern country. Stephen Harper's remarks came at a virtual sitting of the Free Iran World Summit. Canada's 22nd prime minister told attendees that hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi's rise to power is further evidence of escalating extremism at play in Iran. The judiciary chief is set to formally take power next month, becoming the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. "Ebrahim Raisi is a criminal, guilty of crimes against humanity. He is a living symbol of the folly of trying to appease (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's) regime," Harper said during his brief speech. "Shame on any government in the world that would sit down and try to negotiate anything with an administration led by Ebrahim Raisi." Raisi, a protege of the supreme leader, vaulted to Iran's highest civilian position in a vote that saw historically low turnout after his strongest competition was disqualified by a panel under Khamenei. Harper said this "sham" election shows how efforts to salvage the since-tarnished 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran have only emboldened extremist forces. "All pretenses of a so-called moderate candidacy were dispensed with," said Harper, who served as Canada's prime minister from 2006 to 2015. "The government I led was never fooled by the supposed existence of a phantom moderate faction." Harper, whose Conservative government severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, has been a vehement critic of the nuclear deal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals have supported the agreement, which puts limits on Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for some relief from sanctions. But the nuclear deal foundered in 2018 when former U.S. president Donald Trump pulled out of the agreement, a decision Harper publicly backed. President Joe Biden and his team have made a U.S. return to the deal one of their top foreign policy priorities. But hopes that the agreement could be revived and expanded were dashed shortly after the vote that saw Raisi named Iran's president-elect. Raisi has rejected the possibility of meeting with Biden or opening negotiations on Tehran's ballistic missile program and support of regional militias. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2021. with files from the Associated Press As a child Lora-Lee Miller was often up at dawn, traversing a muddy barnyard in her typical attire rubber boots and a long dress to milk the cows on the family farm. As a child Lora-Lee Miller was often up at dawn, traversing a muddy barnyard in her typical attire rubber boots and a long dress to milk the cows on the family farm. Later, she might be atop a tractor, hauling bales, only to help prepare dinner afterward for her dad, uncle, grandfather and others, who tended to the large dairy operation near Clavet, Sask. Supplied Lora-Lee and Jeff Miller at their wedding in 2003; the two were inseparable since meeting in the 1990s at a local nightclub. To boot, Miller would take care of her younger brother, Dallas, while often doing homework for older brother Mark because he was busy doing farm work. This was a typical day for Miller from age 10 onward until she moved to Winnipeg in her teens. In the Manitoba capital, she worked her way up through the investment industry to become one of Canadas leading experts on financial market regulation. Be it the muck of the farm or the boardroom table, Millers life was marked by one characteristic, older brother Mark Tisdall says: "She was a very incredibly hard worker." Supplied photos Lora-Lee Miller rose to prominence as a regulator in Canadas financial industry from humble beginnings on a Saskatchewan farm. That steadfast work ethic served Miller until her death in November at age 49, of pneumonia at St. Boniface Hospital, a complication of a months-long illness. Reserved yet fiercely determined, Miller quietly rose to prominence in the financial industry over three decades, serving as chairwoman of the board and chief compliance officer of the Canadian affiliate of R.J. OBrien & Associates LLC, the worlds largest commodity futures brokerage. As well, she served in a volunteer role for several years with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), the nations regulator for stock, bonds and futures markets. "She was very, very thorough and smart as a whip," says colleague Keith Riddoch, president and chief executive officer of R.J. OBrien in Canada. The two worked together in the industry in Winnipeg prior to R.J. OBrien launching its Canadian affiliate in 2011, which Miller was instrumental in getting operational. "She is really the one who did the necessary research, filled out all the paperwork and submitted everything to the regulators," Riddoch says. Supplied At age 12 she participated in a community event in Clavet, SK, where her family ran a dairy farm with more than 200 cows. The launch went without a hitch, Riddoch notes, made all the more remarkable given Miller started in a clerical position in the 1990s with little industry experience. Yet, she had an aptitude for the business and quickly rose to leadership roles in compliance, charged with ensuring trading operations stayed onside of the rules. Supporting her along the way was husband Jeff Miller, who found a match in the "goal-oriented, driven" woman he met in the early 1990s at Scandals, a now-defunct southside Winnipeg nightclub. They hit it off both ambitious and career-minded; over the years, he found success in construction, and she rose to prominence in the investment industry. "In that mostly male world, she thrived not to show people up, but to show that a woman could do it," he says. Miller was well-suited to work as a regulator, equipped with the strength of character to stand up for what is right. It didnt hurt that she had a great sense of humour, too. "Compliance folks have this reputation for being stuffy," Riddoch says. "But she was the opposite: witty, and had no problem snapping back at the brokers." Supplied From a young age, Lora-Lees determined, all-in nature was evident, be it at play or doing chores on the farm. At the same time, she was "approachable and down to earth." Equally important, Miller had an unparallelled depth of knowledge of investment regulations, able to "recite IIROC rules off the top of her head no problem," Riddoch says. "She was really a trail blazer." In turn, her extensive experience made her "an excellent chair of our Manitoba district council," says Richard Korble, vice-president for Western Canada at IIROC. "Someone with that knowledge of not only the rulebook but its practical application is really valuable, and she brought those two things together well." Miller led an equally rich life outside work. The couple designed their dream home together along the river near Bridge Drive-In and travelled extensively, be it spending weekends at the Miller family cabin at Lake of the Woods, Ont., or globetrotting to Costa Rica and the Canary Islands. "She always loved excursions," Jeff says, recalling one recent trip to an active volcano, an interest of his she was happy to indulge despite involving a 15-hour day. No matter the task, Miller was all-in whether it was showering nieces and nephews with gifts and love or putting her celebrated culinary skills to work, preparing dinner "for 40, even if it was a party of four," her husband recalls. Miller also had a deep affection for animals; Marty, the familys rescue cat, was equally fond of her. When Miller was convalescing last year, recovering from what had begun in May as an abdominal infection, Marty remained by her side. Unfortunately, she never regained her health, eventually hospitalized when the infection spread to major organs. "She just wanted to get better but she couldnt, for whatever reason," Jeff says. Her death at the height of her career was made all the more difficult by COVID-19 restrictions, limiting hospital visits and attendance at her funeral, Tisdall says. Still, the older brother finds solace in a "heart-to-heart" they had poolside at her home last summer. "She said: Ive had a fantastic career; my husband is my world, and I have had so much good fortune in my life that I could die tomorrow, and I would feel complete and very lucky." Frank Nausigimana sought joint custody of his three-year-old daughter just months before he allegedly stabbed her to death. Frank Nausigimana sought joint custody of his three-year-old daughter just months before he allegedly stabbed her to death. In a petition filed Feb. 12, Nausigimana applied for "periods of care and control" of Jemimah Bundalian and "mutual decision-making authority" with the girls mother, Jasmine Bundalian, whom he was convicted of assaulting in 2017 in a failed attempt to induce an abortion. Nausigimana also sought an order from the court barring Bundalian from travelling with Jemimah outside the province without his permission. "The petitioner (Nausigimana) is concerned (Bundalian) may seek to move with the child abruptly and without the consent of the petitioner," court records say. Photo of Jemimah Bundalian from the family's GoFundMe page. (GoFundMe) Nausigimana alleged he had regular visits with the child at the home her mother shared with her parents, until Jan. 8, 2021, when the mother "began to unilaterally refuse access to (him)." In court documents filed three weeks later, the mother agreed to provide Nausigimana with more access to the girl and periods of care and control, but rejected his bid for joint custody and mutual decision-making authority. "Due to previous and ongoing domestic violence issues with (Nausigimana) while she was pregnant and currently, (Bundalian) no longer wishes to communicate with (him)," court documents say. "It is not possible for the parties to co-parent effectively and joint custody would not be appropriate under the circumstances." Related Items Click to Expand Articles Jul 8, 2021: Man accused of killing daughter assaulted mother when she was pregnant Dean Pritchard and Erik Pindera Nausigimana denied the domestic violence allegations in a subsequent court document, saying he "has been involved in the childs life since birth and as allowed by (the mother)." Police arrested Nausigimana on Wednesday after he allegedly kidnapped Jemimah from her mother at knifepoint in the North End and stabbed the child inside a car. Paramedics performed CPR on the child in a desperate attempt to save her life after she was found in the car at Jefferson Avenue and King Edward Street in the northwest part of the city. Police said a motorist had called 911. Nausigimana has been charged with first-degree murder and remains in custody. In 2019, Nausigimana pleaded guilty to assaulting Bundalian two years earlier when she was pregnant and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation. Nausigimana admitted to trying to force a liquid mixture down the womans throat that he believed would induce an abortion. The intersection of Jefferson Avenue and King Edward Street where police apprehended the suspect they allege kidnapped and killed his three-year-old daughter. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Days later, and weeks before Nausigimana was arrested, Bundalian secured a three-year protection order against him. "Im afraid that potentially Frank will come after me again, so Im trying to be careful," she said, according to court documents. Just over a month later, the woman sought to revoke the protection order, writing in an affidavit: "I accepted his forgiveness. He wont hurt me again I trust him that he wont do it again to me. I will take care of child alone." Child deaths The three-year-old girl who was stabbed to death Wednesday is the second child allegedly killed by their mother's estranged partner in Winnipeg in less than two years. Winnipeg police allege the father took the girl from her mother at knifepoint. Jemimah Bundalian, 3, was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later. Frank Nausigimana, 28, charged with first-degree murder. On October 30, 2019, three-year-old Hunter Haze Straight-Smith was stabbed in his home. He died three days later after he was taken off life-support. "Theyre devastated... broken-hearted," said a spokesman for the family at the time, Darryl Contois. "They lost their baby." click to read more The three-year-old girl who was stabbed to death Wednesday is the second child allegedly killed by their mother's estranged partner in Winnipeg in less than two years. Winnipeg police allege the father took the girl from her mother at knifepoint. Jemimah Bundalian, 3, was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later. Frank Nausigimana, 28, charged with first-degree murder. On October 30, 2019, three-year-old Hunter Haze Straight-Smith was stabbed in his home. He died three days later after he was taken off life-support. "Theyre devastated... broken-hearted," said a spokesman for the family at the time, Darryl Contois. "They lost their baby." Dan Jensen, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Hunter's mother, was charged with second-degree murder. Jensen's accused of assaulting her at an address on Main Street, and then showing up at a Pritchard Avenue rooming house and stabbing Hunter repeatedly, likely while the toddler was sleeping. Jensen, who was 33 at the time, is charged with second-degree murder. On Wednesday, Const. Jay Murray said Hunter's slaying was "an incident that still to this day I think about all the time." In 2020, three tots were killed. On Jan. 11, emergency responders were called to a Lord Roberts home, where an infant boy was unconscious. They administered first aid and took him to hospital in critical condition, where he died of internal injuries four days later. Mathieu Moreau, 29, is charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault. In March of that year, two-and-a-half-year-old Brett White was taken off life-support and died two days after he suffered a traumatic brain injury at his Snowdon Avenue home. Stepmother Victoria Reane Thiessen, 21, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Tuesday and is expected to be sentenced in the fall. Thiessen was "feeling overwhelmed" as she cared for Brett and two other young children, and "lost her temper" and threw Brett across the room, Crown attorney Debbie Buors told court. On July 28, the Winnipeg police child abuse unit started investigating an incident involving a severely injured three-month-old. The infant was transported to hospital in critical condition and later died. No one was charged. Three days later, the only suspect, a man, was found dead at a home in Silver Heights. Police didn't suspect foul play. Erik Pindera Close At a family court hearing in July 2017, Bundalian told a judge she wanted criminal charges against Nausigimana dropped. The protection order prohibited Nausigimana from contacting her, including by attending the same church. "I just want us to be able to go to church together, Bible study together, to be able to socialize with one another," she said. "The way it is right now, it created a very awkward situation, and it doesnt seem normal." The judge agreed to vary the protection order to allow Nausigimana and Bundalian to attend the same church; in September of that year, the judge revoked the protection order. As of 5 p.m. Friday, a gofundme page set up to raise money for Jemimahs funeral expenses and other family supports had raised more than $5,000. "Jemimah suddenly left us in a circumstance we had never imagined," wrote aunt Karla Chingcuangco, who organized the fundraiser. "Jemimah was a victim of an unfortunate event and her life on this Earth had untimely ceased. She's such a smart girl at the young age of three and has accomplished so much in the little time she had with her loved ones. "She loves spending time outdoors on her scooter, biking, dancing, singing, reading, swimming and making crafts. She is the sunshine amongst everyone she encounters," Chingcuangco wrote. "Jemimah (Maimai) will always be in our hearts, forever and always." Donations can be made at a gofundme page set up for the family. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Polls show Canadians want a reckoning for the current and past wrongs suffered by Indigenous people. The biggest barrier to reconciliation in Manitoba, however, could be Premier Brian Pallister. Polls show Canadians want a reckoning for the current and past wrongs suffered by Indigenous people. The biggest barrier to reconciliation in Manitoba, however, could be Premier Brian Pallister. Thats the understanding of ministers, bureaucrats and Indigenous leaders who have worked with the premier since he took office in spring 2016. "There's no reconciliation whatsoever with Brian Pallister. There might be with the (Progressive) Conservative party but with Brian at the helm, it's pretty much dead in the water," said Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches. "He has no inkling of what our people went through." This week, the Manitoba premier reignited a firestorm over residential school atrocities. He responded to the Canada Day toppling of monarch statues in Winnipeg by urging unity before arguing colonial settlers were not destructive people. "The people who came here, to this country before it was a country, and since, didnt come here to destroy anything they came here to build," Pallister said July 7. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES This week, the Premier Brian Pallister reignited a firestorm over residential school atrocities. The premier had sought to unite Manitobans around building a more equitable and educated society, acknowledging Indigenous people are left out of too many opportunities. But those remarks were overshadowed when portrayed those who colonized the country as simply wanting to build farms, businesses and churches. Historian Sean Carleton said the comments distort policies expressly meant to take the best parcels of land from Indigenous people and force them to integrate into a new society. "They perpetuate a myth of Canada as the peaceable kingdom," said the University of Manitoba professor. "Especially here in Manitoba, Canada was built on the back of conflict and Indigenous genocide." The premier's office argues the comments have been deliberately misrepresented. Yet, numerous First Nation chiefs say those remarks are a dog whistle, meaning they hint at stereotypes such as Indigenous people being lazy and having underdeveloped societies until Europeans arrived. Some chiefs say its actually the premiers sincere understanding of Indigenous issues causing the problem. "We know him well at Long Plain," said Meeches, whose relatives went to school with the premier in Portage la Prairie. "To me, he's a dangerous individual to Indigenous people." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES "To me, he's a dangerous individual to Indigenous people," said Chief Dennis Meeches of Long Plain First Nation. Meeches said the comments cant just be chalked up to the PCs shoring up their rural, mostly white voting base. He contrasted Justice Minister Cameron Friesens urging for calm after statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II were pulled down by protesters at the Manitoba legislature grounds. Friesen argued those who committed vandalism were violent, and need to face prosecution. Yet, he suggested officials would leave some time before arresting people or hoisting statues back up. "In those moments of extreme emotion, it's more important than anything to just calm the waters," he said. Two days later, the premier suggested both statues would be put back. Pallister stressed the province is consulting with Indigenous leaders on that plan. But he raised eyebrows for suggesting Canadas first Indigenous person to be designated governor general, Mary Simon, be present as the Queen Elizabeth statue is put back in place. Three weeks ago, Manitoba was among the last provinces to announce funding to help Indigenous groups detect potential residential school burial sites, at the behest of Indigenous Relations Minister Eileen Clarke. "I asked the premier and my colleagues if we could please have some announceable information for Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21)," she said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES First Nations chiefs and Metis ministers say Indigenous Relations Minister Eileen Clarke is easy to reach. First Nations chiefs and Metis ministers say Clarke is easy to reach, and commended work by a handful of PC ministers, particularly Cliff Cullen during his recent term as justice minister. They also note the former NDP government had serious shortcomings in Indigenous relations, from disastrous child-welfare outcomes to a rise in Manitobans living in poverty. Yet, civil servants working under NDP and PC leaders say the former Doer and Selinger administrations vetted major policy decisions through an Indigenous lens, such as whether bands had been consulted or how the policy would impact remote reserves. Some bureaucrats, who are not authorized to speak with media, believe a shift occurred in 2017, around the time Pallister warned tensions over night hunting could escalate, "becoming a race war." One former senior public servant recalls colleagues being caught off-guard a few months later, when the premier took a reconciliation-themed bike ride to the Peguis reserve from the First Nation's former home in East Selkirk to commemorate the injustice of that displacement. Officials werent briefed on the trip; locals complained they werent invited to meet with the premier and said the journey dug up a painful history. "We should be collaborating together, to arrive at solutions," said Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson. "Our initial understanding is we were to build this country together, and not tear down each other." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES "We should be collaborating together, to arrive at solutions," said Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson. Meanwhile, last years Manitoba 150th-year commemoration came under fire for the scant mention of Metis leader Louis Riel, a founder of the province. In May, a statement commemorating Indigenous nurses mentioned First Nations and Inuit care providers, but forgot to mention the Metis. Last fall, Pallister was said to be at the forefront of premiers pushing Ottawa to make sure Indigenous people got prioritized access to COVID-19 vaccines. He then caused an uproar when he suggested Ottawa's original plan to not allot an extra quota for Indigenous people "puts Manitobans at the back of the line," suggesting Indigenous people aren't actually Manitobans. Pallister's relationship is particularly toxic with the Manitoba Metis Federation, which has tied itself tightly to the Trudeau government. It's secured federal recognition as an Indigenous government, and launched multimillion-dollar partnerships on education and ecological preservation. All that occurred after Pallisters infamous fallout with MMF president David Chartrand after the premier thwarted an interim compensation deal Manitoba Hydros board had inked over a Minnesota transmission line. The premier had argued it was inappropriate for the Metis to promise not to contest hydroelectric projects for decades in exchange for $67 million. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Pallister's relationship is particularly toxic with the Manitoba Metis Federation and MMF president David Chartrand. Such deals are commonplace for resource projects, yet the Manitoba premier isnt alone in arguing this model takes away rights from future generations to intervene in megaprojects. He phrased it as "persuasion money" and "hush money," being paid to a "special interest group" instead of the body that represents the founding people of Manitoba. Privately, ministers and senior bureaucrats express frustration these clashes distract from real progress in diverting children from foster care, giving autonomy over court workers and northern airports, and for being a leader in Canada for involving First Nations in managing COVID-19. Theyre left wondering how much further reconciliation would be advanced in Manitoba without the constant squabbles and racially charged remarks. To commemorate treaties signed in Manitoba and across Canada, First Nations forged medallions which feature a man dressed like European nobility, facing an Indigenous man in a headdress. The two shake hands, and below their feet is a buried hatchet. The symbol makes up the logo for everything from the former Kapyong barracks project in Winnipeg to the northern Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak group of reserves. Meeches said its how Indigenous people show Manitobans they want to move forward as equal partners. "I think Canadians in general are starting to appreciate and understand the hell that we went through," said Meeches, who instead fears a looming culture war. "Brian has been basically at war with Indigenous people, before he was elected to political office." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca WHAT is the role of faithful Christians during the COVID-19 pandemic? How should the church talk about matters of public health? And how can church leaders engage members who are vaccine hesitant? WHAT is the role of faithful Christians during the COVID-19 pandemic? How should the church talk about matters of public health? And how can church leaders engage members who are vaccine hesitant? Those are some of the questions that will be addressed Tuesday evening during an online event titled "Vaccines, Restrictions and the Church." Sponsored by Providence University College and Seminary, with support from the Manitoba vaccine task force, it will feature Niverville Dr. Chris Burnett; Rebecca Dielschneider, an immunologist and professor of biology at Providence; Robert Dean, who teaches theology and ethics at Providence; and former pastor Terry Kaufman, who is now involved in leadership with the Evangelical Free Church of Canada. For Nicholas Greco, a professor at Providence who is moderating the discussion, the event is an opportunity to talk about issues people in rural Manitoba disagree about when it comes to vaccines and restrictions. "We want our community to be healthy, but we understand not everyone sees vaccinations as the way to go," he said. Through the event (info or register at www.prov.ca), he hopes people can get answers to questions they may have about the development of vaccines and their impact, along with addressing some of the theological issues some may have about getting vaccinated. "We want to be seen as a resource on this issue for people in this area," said Greco, noting as a rural-based school, Otterburne-based Providence will be seen as a more trustworthy source of information about the pandemic for Manitobans outside of Winnipeg. (Otterburne is some 50 kilometres southeast of the capital city.) "We want to talk about what we should be doing as Christians in dealing with the pandemic," Greco said, adding: "We are called to serve our neighbours, and that means not getting sick ourselves so we dont spread the virus around." Burnett served as a missionary doctor in Africa before moving to Niverville. For him, the event is a chance to "give people more information so they can make an informed choice." He also hopes to "address any misinformation out there," but not by being preachy or lecturing. Burnett, who attends the Word of Life Church in Niverville, believes there are a number of people who have concerns, but who arent "dead set against" vaccines. "They are sitting on the fence and could be persuaded," he said. "We want to be helpful, to see what we can do to calm fears" in order to move people towards getting vaccinated while respecting their decision. For more information and to register, click here. faith@freepress.mb.ca Manitobans will have to wait to receive their secure COVID-19 immunization card, after overwhelming demand and a shortage of blank, wallet-sized plastic has put the provinces program temporarily on hold. Manitobans will have to wait to receive their secure COVID-19 immunization card, after "overwhelming" demand and a shortage of blank, wallet-sized plastic has put the provinces program temporarily on hold. "There is a limited supply of blank cards at the global level," a provincial spokesperson said Friday in a statement. "The pandemic has had major effects on the supply chain for goods and materials that are not manufactured in this country. "Additional cards are on order and printing is expected to resume later in the month. Individuals can continue to request their digital and physical cards." Fully vaccinated Manitobans can request the proof-of-immunization card two weeks after they have received a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The plastic card displays an individuals name and a unique QR code that can be scanned by a provincial mobile application to verify vaccination status. Previously, the province had said Manitobans could expect the card to arrive in the mail within two weeks of making a request. Manitoba NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara called the delay in issuing immunization cards unacceptable. "At every step of the way, the PC government has failed to plan ahead for the pandemic. And now, 16 months into the pandemic, the PCs have created yet another roadblock," Asagwara said in a statement. "Weve had vaccines in Manitoba for months and yet the PCs failed to secure enough physical immunization cards. Now, seniors and Manitobans who do not have access to a cellphone are not able to use the card they were counting on." To date, the province says it has printed more than 250,000 physical copies of the secure immunization card that have either been delivered or are on their way to Manitobans. It was unclear Friday how many requests for physical cards were outstanding. At least 655,000 Manitobans have received two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to provincial data. In the meantime, people who need the secure immunization card to dine indoors with friends, visit personal care homes and hospitals or attend special events can download the digital version of the card at immunizationcard.manitoba.ca The digital card, which also includes an individuals name and QR code, can be saved or screenshot to a smartphone, or printed and presented as proof of immunization. Vaccination records, which are available online through the Shared Health portal (sharedhealthmb.ca), can also be saved or printed to show proof of COVID-19 immunization where required. However, Manitobans have also hit snags accessing their vaccine cards after data entry errors and delays meant some immunizations weren't recorded or were recorded incompletely in the province's system. On Wednesday, officials with the vaccine task force said they were working through the backlog and about one per cent of people who had been vaccinated were still experiencing issues with their record. The province said Manitobans who do not have internet access can now phone the vaccine hotline (1-844-626-8222) to request a secure immunization card or to ask for a record to be corrected. As of Friday, 55.2 per cent of eligible Manitobans had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Provincial data showed 75.9 per cent of Manitobans had received at least one shot. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca AS a heat dome descended on Western Canada and the temperatures skyrocketed this month, architect Brent Bellamy decided to test a theory. AS a heat dome descended on Western Canada and the temperatures skyrocketed this month, architect Brent Bellamy decided to test a theory. He set out to demonstrate how a citys tree canopy can provide relief from sweltering heat, both in the air and on the ground. He based it on claims from the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. TWITTER Brent Bellamy used a meat thermometer on different sections of Edmonton Street to measure road surface temperature and demonstrate the benefits of trees in keeping the downtown cool during the recent heat wave in Winnipeg. "I wanted to see it for myself, so I bought a meat thermometer, and I went down to Edmonton Street," said Bellamy. "It was a stunning difference in the temperature of the street and the temperature of the air between the two blocks one having trees and one not." On one block of Edmonton Street, close to Assiniboine Avenue, the ash and elm canopy has been preserved. Two blocks away, the trees were cleared to make the street wider. The difference in temperature was stark: under the tree canopy, the surface temperature reached 33.7 C, while the tree-less block was 48.7 C. Air temperatures differed too, from 32.7 C on the shadier part of the street to 40.5 C on the unprotected city block. As extreme heat waves become more common, Bellamy stressed urban tree coverage both existing canopies and newly planted trees are essential in keeping the city at safe temperatures. "We seek out shade on hot days because its cooler than it is in direct sunlight, and that definitely compounds when you take into account these very dark surfaces like concrete that absorb and radiate heat long term," said Martine Balcaen, program director with Trees Winnipeg, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the urban forest. On top of cooling, Balcaen said trees improve the quality of life, health outcomes and property values. As temperatures rise and diseases attack Winnipegs two main tree species the American elm and ash the city has been working on its million-tree planting challenge, operated in collaboration with Trees Winnipeg, with the goal of planting one million trees by the time the city reaches a population of one million. This year, 3,660 elm trees and 1,760 ash trees have been removed because of Dutch elm disease and the ash borer beetle. The city has replanted 1,300 trees as part of its reforestation program, the citys public works department said. "The Winnipeg urban forest strategy will include a strategy for planting, and canopy cover targets, for the entire city including the downtown," a spokesperson said. The city is expected to plant trees on public land such as boulevards. Trees Winnipeg aims to support people in planting and maintaining trees on private land. So far, more than 11,000 new trees have been listed as planted, including in all quadrants of the city. Bellamy noted mature trees are the "real workhorses" for present-day cooling, and stressed both provincial and municipal funding should be dedicated to preserving as many trees as possible. "Its critical that we save the mature trees as long as possible until the replanted trees can begin to take some impact," said Bellamy. "Climate change is going to be a distant rear-view mirror problem by the time those trees are mature." Balcaen said Trees Winnipeg encourages both residents and the city to plant diverse types of trees. "People always ask whats the best tree to plant, and the answer is whatever isnt on your block," said Balcaen. "If we increase our diversity, we increase the resiliency of our canopy." julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers HERE is some free advice from a longtime parliamentary nerd: if you plan to visit Ottawa and want to see the Senate in action, please be advised that it is not located where it used to be. Owing to extensive renovations to the Parliament buildings, senators have been relocated to a former railway station across the street. Opinion HERE is some free advice from a longtime parliamentary nerd: if you plan to visit Ottawa and want to see the Senate in action, please be advised that it is not located where it used to be. Owing to extensive renovations to the Parliament buildings, senators have been relocated to a former railway station across the street. Also, be aware that owing to the pandemic, the Senate has met infrequently over the past 18 months, has now adjourned for the summer and will not reconvene until Sept. 21, assuming we are not into a fall election by then. The image of senators gathered in an abandoned station where trains no longer come and go will be seen by many Canadians as symbolic of an appointed upper house they regard as an anachronism in a 21st-century democracy. For most of Canadas history, the Senate has been seen by large swaths of the public as a useless institution populated by patronage-appointed party hacks who are overpaid, underworked and contribute little or nothing, either collectively or individually, to the national policy process. The Senate has never been, and will never be, a perfect institution. However, it has always performed more useful work in the national governing process, particularly through its committee inquiries into public policy issues, than is popularly imagined. All prime ministers have used Senate appointments as political patronage to reward past or anticipated future service to the governing party. This did not mean that such appointees necessarily lacked relevant experience and knowledge to be effective senators. Many individual senators made valuable contributions until they reached the official retirement age of 75. As a result of developments over the past decade, todays Senate is a much-improved institution. In 2011, Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper proposed consultative elections conducted at the provincial level to select appointees. Three years later, the Supreme Court rejected the proposal, ruling that such a major constitutional reform required the consent of the provinces. In practical terms, this meant Senate reform would have to proceed in a more incremental manner. In the 2015 federal election, the Trudeau Liberals sought to capitalize on the public anger toward the Senate, which was mired in an expense-abuse scandal, by promising to create an independent, non-partisan institution. Having achieved a majority government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established an independent advisory board to make non-binding recommendations for nominees to fill vacant Senate seats. Any Canadian citizen meeting the assessment criteria could apply to be considered for nomination. Initially, informal direction was given to the board to avoid the nomination of partisan individuals, an instruction that meant few of the new senators possessed the political skills of negotiation and compromise required in the parliamentary process. Since 2016 there have been 55 appointments, the most recent being three new senators appointed on June 22. The roster of new senators has included many distinguished, highly accomplished individuals from a wide variety of occupational backgrounds. Many of the new senators were urban professionals who brought small-l liberal attitudes to the job, leading Conservatives to dismiss the Liberal claim that a non-partisan Senate had been created. Among the current 12 vacancies in the Senate are two from Alberta that its conservative UCP provincial government insists should be filled through an election held for that purpose. Not surprisingly, Erin OToole, Conservative leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, has supported Premier Jason Kenney by pledging, should he become prime minister, to appoint the winners of such a contest. Senate elections, OToole insists, would result in accountability to voters but this assumes term limits for senators, which was part of the Harper plan rejected by the Supreme Court. Todays Senate is non-partisan in the sense that most senators are not subject to the discipline of a party whip. Instead, there are organized groupings of like-minded senators, the largest being the Independent Senators Group (41 members today), which has worked most closely with the government. The Conservative Party of Canada (dwindled to 20 members) sees itself as the official opposition. There are also a Progressive Senators Group (12 members), a Canadian Senators Group (12 members) and eight unaffiliated senators. Reflecting this swirling constellation of groups, there have been prolonged negotiations over the rules, the allocation of committee places and the provision of budgetary resources. The Senate was slow to adapt to the pandemic by adopting a hybrid in-person and virtual mode of operation. Since March 2020, the Senate has held just 14 meetings, mostly to pass pandemic-related bills. Its much-vaunted committee system has been dormant. Overall, however, Trudeaus Senate reforms have been constructive. Senate independence has been demonstrated by a greater willingness to delay bills for further study and to amend them. Contrary to the fear of some critics, the new Senate has not used its absolute veto to block a bill, nor has it regularly played "Ping-Pong," moving bills back and forth to the House of Commons to achieve agreement on a common version. In short, the new senators have acted responsibly by providing the "sober second thought" the Constitution prescribes. Paul G. Thomas is professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba. Summer break was underway and yet, for the first time in a long time, Anne Santos was eagerly getting ready to go to science class a welcome slice of normalcy for the 17 year old, even if it meant studying in a stuffy school building in July. Summer break was underway and yet, for the first time in a long time, Anne Santos was eagerly getting ready to go to science class a welcome slice of normalcy for the 17 year old, even if it meant studying in a stuffy school building in July. "I was definitely anxious because Im not familiar with this school, so I was like, Oh no, what if I get lost? But I was also excited, because Im back inside a building again and can actually socialize with people and talk to the teachers more easily," said Santos, who is enrolled in summer school to lighten her Grade 12 workload at Sisler High School in the fall. The Winnipeg School Division is reporting a spike in enrolment for its annual July program at Grant Park High School. In the wake of an unconventional school year that ended with e-learning, nearly 200 students in the city have signed up to spend part of their holidays in a physical classroom to either repeat a course or get a head start for September. Summer student Anne Santos, 17, at Grant Park High School. Enrolment for summer school has skyrocketed in comparison to previous years. Phone lines in Manitoba's largest board were ringing constantly as parents and students were anxious to confirm the classes are, in fact, being held in person this year. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) The phone lines in the summer session office were ringing constantly as parents called in to make 100 per cent sure courses were being held in-person before classes began Wednesday, said Shaun Bright, vice-principal of the program. "Weve got a way bigger uptake this year; I think there was just a lot more interest and necessity for the in-person classrooms. Students had such a weird year, with the remote and in-person and then remote, back and forth," said Bright. There are more than 33 in-person courses being held at Grant Park until the end of July. Overall, the summer session enrolment has increased by 75 per cent, in comparison to 2020 figures. Masks remain mandatory if physical distancing is not possible, bright-yellow arrows still line the hallway floors to direct traffic and tubs of hand sanitizer can be found on every table, but the in-class offerings are a promising sign to staff and students alike. As planning gets underway for next year, teacher Linsey Piel-Glade argues its important for there to be a slow and careful re-introduction to "regular school" that takes students' anxieties into account. "We need to be a little more forgiving and gentle with kids because of everything thats been going on. Some of them have really been thriving with remote learning and its been wonderful, and others have really struggled," said Piel-Glade, who is teaching high school math at Grant Park this month. "Theres lots of talk of how kids are going to be behind and theyre going to be missing things and having gaps in their learning but its a global pandemic." Tech issues, device access and motivation have all been key challenges for students studying at home in recent months. "We need to be a little more forgiving and gentle with kids because of everything thats been going on. Some of them have really been thriving with remote learning and its been wonderful, and others have really struggled." Linsey PielGlade who is teaching high school math at Grant Park this month "When youre in school you can raise your hand and ask a question; when youre online, maybe you have to schedule a Zoom meeting its not as easy as just staying after class," said Dan Latimer, 16, who is taking Grade 12 chemistry at summer school. While Latimer said e-learning forced him to be more self-motivated, independent and organized, he is relieved to finally be back in a classroom with a small group of peers. Chemistry teacher Danny Gomes said his students have repeatedly told him how grateful they are to be back, and educators feel similarly. Something as simple as being able to meet friends to get lunch at McDonalds between classes makes a huge difference to students and their engagement levels, he said. For many students, the unpredictability of school over the last 16 months has sparked realizations about how valuable traditional schooling truly is for their academic learning, social lives and overall well-being. Remote learning has undoubtedly taken a toll on student relationships and mental health, said Ayesha Raza, a 16-year-old who returned to class this week after nearly a year-and-a-half of virtual instruction. Raza opted to take independent virtual courses through Manitobas online high school in 2020-21. Upon her return to in-class learning, she said there is a notable, positive difference in classroom culture. "People are more considerate of each other in the classroom," she said. "No one talks over each other anymore, and its... kinder." maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The toll in lives lost is even harder to face. It includes 2,442 U.S. troops, 1,144 coalition troops and an estimated 3,800 U.S. contractors, in addition to nearly 50,000 Afghan civilians, 72 journalists and 444 aid workers. Continuing our military campaign in Afghanistan would undoubtedly increase all these numbers, but we have no reason to believe it would change the end game. The Afghan people are facing an uncertain future, but whether it will be more violent isnt even clear. Two decades of war have brought mass civilian casualties including from airstrikes by U.S. and coalition forces. Fighting could drop if one actor takes dominant control. Instead of asking whether our military should remain in Afghanistan, we should ask what we need to do to advance our limited interests there now. This includes using intelligence resources and working with partners to ensure that what emerges doesnt develop into a direct threat to the United States. We can continue to use diplomacy and development assistance as leverage to try to sway better outcomes, but we should recognize and accept the limitations of this approach in the near term, and of our national security interest at stake. We should also be taking stock of lessons learned. In the absence of success, the best way to honor those who lost their lives in this conflict is to not make the same mistakes again. No matter how many troops we send, how much firepower we use, or how long we stay, the United States alone cannot will a new and effective government into being in a foreign country. We should have learned this lesson already. Lets hope we dont have to again. Elizabeth Shackelford is a senior fellow on U.S. foreign policy with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She was previously a U.S. diplomat and is author of The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This story has been updated: HELENA Mont. (AP) Wildlife officials said they shot and killed a Montana grizzly bear Friday that had pulled a California woman from her tent and killed her earlier this week in the middle of a small Montana town. The bear was shot by federal wildlife workers wearing night vision goggles shortly after midnight, when it approached a trap set near a chicken coop about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from Ovando, where Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, California, was killed early Tuesday morning, said Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The bear had raided the chicken coop overnight Wednesday, and officials set a baited trap nearby hoping to lure the animal back. Based on the size of the bear, the color of the bear and the nature of the chicken coop raids, were confident weve got the offending bear, Lemon said. On Thursday night, an Ovando woman came home and found her door ripped off and noticed large claw marks, Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles posted on Facebook. A short time later, the male grizzly bear was killed in the area. Of the 970 jobs reported between 2018 and the end of last year, 364 have since been terminated. A WEDC spokesman said all reported jobs will go through the verification process to determine if they meet eligibility requirements in the contract. Under the new agreement, Foxconn will be eligible for up to $29 million in job and capital investment credits if WEDC verifies that the company had 601 cumulative full-time employees in 2020. The state has until the end of the year to certify if the company had met its job creation target. Foxconn and the state agreed to an amended contract in April that drastically reduced both the companys jobs and capital investment requirement, as well as the states subsidy commitment to the project. The contract was ultimately renegotiated after the state told Foxconn it would not receive any state dollars under the previous agreement, as the project being constructed didnt match what was agreed on. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin bishop has taken the unusual step of removing a priest from the ministry after he made a series of divisive remarks about politics and the pandemic. The Diocese of La Crosse said in a statement Friday that Bishop William Patrick Callahan has issued a decree immediately removing the Rev. James Altman as pastor of St. James the Less, a parish in the city of La Crosse on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southeast of Minneapolis. The decree will remain in effect for an undetermined length of time, the statement said. (The bishop) and his diocesan representatives have spent over a year, prayerfully and fraternally, working toward a resolution related to ongoing public and ecclesial concerns of the ministry of Fr. James Altman, the statement said. The obligation of a Bishop is to ensure that all who serve the faithful are able to do so while unifying and building the Body of Christ. Diocese officials didnt release the decree and didnt immediately respond to a request for a copy. Altman didn't respond to an Associated Press email seeking comment Friday morning. The parish's voicemail wouldn't accept messages for Altman or the parish secretary. Xie Changhong, an English teacher in Dehui, Jilin Province, was admitted to a master's degree course in English translation at Changchun Normal University in Changchun, Jilin, at age 49. [For chinadaily.com.cn] Xie Changhong, at age 49, has begun to look forward to life on a college campus this fall. "I believe that I must be the eldest among my classmates," said Xie, an English teacher at a school in Dehui, Jilin Province. "But I will try my best to be a diligent student over the next two years." Xie took the 2021 national entrance exam for postgraduate studies in December and was admitted to a master's degree program for English translation at Changchun Normal University in Changchun, Jilin. After the college entrance examination, or gaokao, in 1993, Xie was admitted to Yanbian University's Medical School. "In fact, it was not my original idea, and after entering the university, I found I was not interested in medicine at all," she said. "I was even scared to dissect animals, which was an important course for medical students." However, during her five years at the university, Xie performed well academically, and after graduation in 1998 she became a doctor at a hospital in Yushu, Jilin. "I still couldn't adapt to my job after several months," she said. Admission letter for Xie Changhong's master's degree course of English translation at Changchun Normal University. [For chinadaily.com.cn] Xie got married immediately after graduation. Because her husband worked in Dehui, Xie resigned and returned to Dehui, her hometown. "I was very interested in English and got good scores in middle school, and after several months of preparation I found a job as an English teacher at a social educational institution near my home," she said. "I never regretted giving up being a doctor." When her son began to prepare for China's 2021 national entrance exam for postgraduate studies, she got the idea of trying it with him. "I suddenly realized that I had found my direction," she said. "I could catch my own star if I passed the exam." Her son gave her great encouragement, she said. Starting in October she spent many hours preparing for the exam and got a good score. "I seized the opportunity with a positive attitude," Xie said. "One is never too old to learn." (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Woodward, OK (73801) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. President Joe Biden fires top official at Social Security Administration after he refuses to resign. Search and rescue teams continue to work in the rubble at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Florida, on July 6, 2021. - Rescuers on combed through the debris of a deadly condo tower collapse in Florida as Tropical Storm Elsa threatened to complicate the delicate search mission with strong winds and heavy rain. The death toll from the June 24 disaster in Surfside, a town north of Miami Beach, rose to 36 as search teams found four more bodies in the rubble, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. (Photo by Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP) (Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images) How to use Google Travel to plan your next vacation Clwyd South MP praises work of community pharmacists and urges more to utilise their services The Member of Parliament for Clwyd South has praised the work of community pharmacists and encourages more people to use their services. Simon Baynes MP met with staff at Rowlands Pharmacy in Overton-on-Dee to find out more about the work carried out by the staff during the pandemic. The team in Overton highlighted to him the NHS initiative Choose Pharmacy which emphasises to patients that your local pharmacist can provide confidential NHS advice and treatment without you having to make an appointment to see your GP. Commenting following the visit Rowlands Pharmacy Regional Leader, Claire Chapman said: The COVID pandemic clearly demonstrated the importance of pharmacy in our local communities providing people with drop-in face-to-face professional healthcare support and advice. Simon Baynes MP said: I was delighted to visit the Rowlands Pharmacy in Overton recently, and to meet with their dedicated staff members. It was also brilliant to hear that they provide so many new services to the community which takes pressure off our GP surgeries. I encourage all Clwyd South residents to look into the services provided by their local pharmacy. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the pharmacists and pharmacy staff across Clwyd South and the rest of North Wales for all their hard work during the pandemic. NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The Tennessee Supreme Court had decided it would not take jurisdiction of the Davidson County Election Commissions appeal surrounding a referendum for a special election. Attorneys for the election commission had petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the appeal because of the time situation. The commission had set a Charter Amendment referendum for July 27 prior to Chancellor Russell Perkins issued a stay on June 22 to halt the referendum pending the resolution of any appeals pertaining (to the case). Davidson County Election Commission appeals ruling on tax referendum The Davidson County Election Commission announced they appealed the ruling on the tax referendum. Perkins also ordered the July 27 referendum to be canceled. The election commission had hoped to hold the referendum in September and had asked for an expedited hearing to meet possible registration deadlines in August. The election commission asked the Supreme Court to assume jurisdiction over its pending appeal in a motion filed on June 30, according to court documents. The Supreme Court denied the motion to assume jurisdiction in a motion filed on Friday. Chancellor issues stay to halt property tax referendum A Davidson County chancellor has issued a stay to stop a referendum to consider Nashvilles property tax set for July 27. The Court has carefully considered the motion, the response, and the reply. Based upon the current totality of the circumstances, including the relevant timeline and the procedural posture of this case, the Court concludes that this case does not warrant the extraordinary action of the exercise of the Courts authority to assume jurisdiction, the order stated. In yet another shocking inferno, at least 52 mostly teenage workers died in a sweatshop factory, when a blaze engulfed a multi-storey food and beverage factory, just outside Bangladeshs capital of Dhaka, on Thursday night. The factory was exploiting cheap labour to export products to Western markets. A firefighter communicates with his colleagues on a walkie talkie inside the burnt food and beverage factory in Rupganj, outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, July 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) Fire officials said 49 of the victims bodies were burned beyond recognition, after they were trapped behind a locked door, a supposedly illegal practice, which is commonly used by employers in the country to prevent workers from leaving their workplace without permission or being searched. Three workers died after jumping off the buildings roof. About another 50 were injured. There may be more victims, because yesterday, the factorys top two floors had yet to be searched. Debasish Bardhan, deputy director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, told reporters: After searching the top floors we will be able to get a complete picture. The blaze broke out on Thursday night at the Hashem Foods Ltd. factory, in Rupganj, an industrial town 25 kilometres east of Dhaka. It was so intense that it sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky, and was still burning 24 hours later. Police initially put the death toll at three, but then discovered piles of bodies on Friday afternoon, after the fire was extinguished. Hundreds of distraught relatives and other workers waited anxiously on Friday, as victims in white body bags were piled in a fleet of ambulances. Angry demonstrations developed outside and around the factory. Earlier, family members had clashed with police, as they waited overnight without any word of the fate of their loved ones. Mohammad Saiful, a factory worker who escaped the fire, told reporters: On the third floor, gates on both stairwells were closed. Mamun, another worker, said he and a dozen other workers ran to the roof after the fire broke out on the ground floor, and black smoke covered the whole factory. Firefighters brought us down by using rope. Dinu Moni Sharma, head of the Dhaka fire department, said the fire took place because highly flammable chemicals and plastics had been stockpiled inside. Substances like polythene and clarified butter made it more difficult to bring the blaze under control, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported. Almost none of the bodies recovered on Friday could be recognised, BSS reported, citing Fire Service and Civil Defence director Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman. Abdul Al Arifin, the Narayanganj district deputy director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said each of the buildings floors was about 3,250 square metres, but were only accessible by two stairways. Many workers could not get out, as the fire spread to the stairs. One of the doors leading from the stairs to the roof was also locked, Reuters reported. According to officials, most of the victims were juveniles. And the toll could have been much worse. Some of the factorys units were closed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic devastating the country. The factory was a subsidiary of Sajeeb Group, a Bangladeshi company that produces juice, under Pakistans Lahore-based Shezan International Ltd., according to Kazi Abdur Rahman, the groups senior general manager for export. Rahman told the Associated Press by phone that the company was fully compliant with international standards, but he was not certain whether the factorys exit door was locked. The groups website states that the company exports its products to numerous countries, including Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and nations in the Middle East and Africa. In a bid to head off working class anger over the fire, the State Minister for Labor and Employment, Begum Monnujan Sufian pledged to take legal action against the factory owner if evidence of negligence emerged. The government promised pitiful payments of 25,000 taka ($US295) for families of dead workers and 10,000 taka ($118) for families of the injured, while speaking of providing further compensation on behalf of the factory owner. The Narayanganj district administration has formed a five-member probe committee to examine the incident, Reuters reported. Such official investigations, following the countrys frequent factory disasters, have proven to be whitewashes of the companies and the Awami League government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in office since January 2009. This has allowed the tragedies to continue. Both the Awami League government and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which have alternated in office since 1990, have been intent on maintaining exploitative conditions and low-paid workforces, in order to satisfy the profit requirements of the national capitalist class and international investors. In 2012, about 117 workers died in a fire when they were trapped behind locked exits in the Tazreen garment plant, in Dhakas Ashulia industrial zone. Supervisors ordered employees back to work, after the fire alarm sounded, leaving workers trapped on the upper floors. The countrys worst industrial disaster came the following year, when the eight-storey Rana Plaza garment factory complex outside Dhaka collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. The building, housing five garment factories, employing thousands of workers, was typical of those serving the needs of global corporations, ruthlessly pursuing greater profits through the employment of sweated labour. In response to the resulting outrage in Bangladesh and worldwide, nearly 200 global brands and some 1,600 employers signed an agreement, purporting to promote safe working environments for workers. However, the latest inferno confirms that nothing has improved. According to Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence statistics, 383 industrial fires occurred in 2020, 273 of them in apparel factories. Between 2012 and 2019, disasters in the apparel industry killed more than 1,300 workers and injured another 3,800. Working class homes have also suffered in industrial infernos. In February 2019, a blaze ripped through a 400-year-old area crammed with apartments, shops and warehouses in the oldest part of Dhaka, killing 70 people. Nine years earlier, a fire in Old Dhaka, in a house illegally storing chemicals, killed at least 123 people. As the latest fire demonstrates, many workers have been forced to stay on the job, despite the Awami League government now implementing a so-called strict national lockdown, because of record numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections. The government reported 201 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, due to the surge of the highly infectious Delta variant, taking the total count to 15,593. Nearly one million infections have now been recorded in the population of some 165 million. As has happened around the world, the government has permitted factories to continue operations during the pandemic, placing workers on the frontline of infection, and allowing mutant strains like Delta to proliferate. On July 1, all remaining COVID-19 public health orders were lifted in the province of Alberta. Hard-right Premier Jason Kenney deliberately chose the date to coincide with Canada Day and precede the beginning of the Calgary Stampede, which is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the province in what can only be described as a criminally reckless policy of mass infection and death. The Kenney governments announcement is merely the most extreme example of the rapid reopening campaign underway across every province and territory in the country. Justin Trudeau (Credit: Twitter) The across-the-board retraction of what little public health measures remain comes in the wake of a newly published report by the Royal Society of Canada that estimates that the number of COVID-19 deaths in the country is likely significantly higher than the officially reported fatality count. The reports findings indicate that the actual death toll in Canada may be as much as two times higher than the 26,000 COVID-19 deaths accounted for to date. It estimates that, by March 31, 2021, some 3.5 million people living in Canada might have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, as opposed to the 1.42 million cases on record. The report stated that the deaths that have not been counted have most likely occurred in low-income neighbourhoods and among essential workers. Reopening in the light of these findings only underscores the complete disregard for the working class by the Canadian ruling class, and the dire consequences of the profit-before-lives agenda that has been pursued throughout the pandemic. Ardent attempts are being made to justify the reopening drive by citing an increase in the percentage of provincial populations that have been vaccinated. The threat of the Delta variant is seldom acknowledged when these inoculation figures are touted at press conferences, even though the highly transmissible strain reduces the effectiveness of one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and mRNA vaccines (such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) to just 33 percent. Furthermore, the widespread prevalence of cases in a given population can undermine the protection that vaccines provide. In Israel, initial data suggests that the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine has declined due to a surge in Delta variant cases. This has occurred despite 56 percent of eligible Israelis having received a full dosage of the vaccine. As of July 6 in Alberta, 73.5 percent of the population aged 12 and over had received one shot of a vaccine. Only 49.6 percent of the eligible population are fully vaccinated as of this writing, meaning more than half of the provinces residents are still at appreciable risk of contracting the life-threatening virus. As of this same day, there are a reported 763 active cases of the virus in Alberta, with 138 people hospitalized and 32 of those people in intensive care units. Yet, on July 1, all remaining health restrictions were lifted in Alberta as Stage 3 of the Open for Summer plan was implemented. There no longer stands a capacity limit on any kind of indoor gathering, and restaurants, bars, gyms and retail stores are permitted to resume normal operation with full occupancy loads. Mask mandates are now nonexistent for indoor public spaces, except for a few settings such as on public transport. Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw delivered her final regularly scheduled COVID-19 briefing on June 29, noting that cases and vaccination numbers would no longer be reported on weekends. Pandemic updates would only be provided when needed, she added. While Alberta public officials have claimed that the impact of the reopening will be closely monitored, Kenney has said he does not plan to bring back restrictions and that the province is not only open for summer but open for good. In neighbouring British Columbia, John Horgans New Democratic Party (NDP) government entered the third step of its reopening plan on July 1. Mask mandates were scrapped and outdoor gatherings of up to 5,000 people were permitted. Restaurants and pubs in BC are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, and this same rule applies to casinos and nightclubs, which were allowed to reopen on July 8 after closing at the start of the pandemic. These last, minor restrictions will be done away with in entirety on September 6, a mere eight weeks from now. Under Horgans leadership, the BC NDP has rammed through this reopening with complete indifference to the fact that, for the eligible population aged 12 and over, only 36 percent of people were fully vaccinated as of July 5. There are a reported 652 active COVID-19 cases in the province, with 87 people hospitalized and five active outbreaks in long-term care facilities. Another province that has repealed its public mask mandate is Saskatchewan. On July 11, Saskatchewan will follow in Albertas steps and lift all of its remaining public health orders, including mask mandates. While mask mandates remain in place in Ontario, other restrictions are being significantly relaxed. As of July 16, social gatherings of up to 100 people will be permitted outdoors, while nightclubs will be allowed to welcome 250 guests. Indoor dining will be allowed without any restrictions on table occupancy, while outdoor sporting events can be attended by 15,000 people. In Quebec, all regional alert levels were lowered to green zone status on June 28. New rules pertaining to fully vaccinated Quebecers went into effect on June 25, meaning that those who are fully inoculated can now forgo wearing a mask and do not need to physically distance themselves. Gyms and restaurant dining rooms were allowed to reopen in the province last month, and sporting events and festivals are currently allowed to host up to 3,500 attendees. At a press conference this week, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube categorically ruled out any return to lockdown measureseven if cases soar in coming weeks due to the Delta variant. Dube stated that the province has no intention of returning to a full-blown lockdown, all the while acknowledging that a resurgence of cases is indeed possible. At some point, well need to make choices as a society, he told reporters. If theres an important increase in cases in September, we cant re-confine people after what we have lived through over the past 15, 16 months. At Dubes press conference, he addressed the severe overcrowding taking place at two Montreal emergency rooms, explaining that residents were asked to avoid the Maisonneuve-Rosemont and Santa Cabrini hospitals last weekend. Dube said that the hospital was overwhelmed not due to a surge in patients, but due to extreme staffing shortages. In late June, Gatineau Hospital was also forced to close its emergency department in the daytime, as so few staff were available that an adequate level of care would have been impossible to provide to patients. A tragic example of the consequences of this drastic overcrowding and understaffing in Quebecs hospitals is the case of Anne Pommainville, a 58-year-old Gatineau woman who went to Hull Hospitals emergency room complaining of extreme stomach pains. Pommainville was in too much pain to sit in a chair, but there were no beds available and so she was forced to lie on the ER floor for hours awaiting treatment. Pommainville eventually saw a doctor. However, she was transferred to a different hospital for surgery without her familys knowledge. Almost 48 hours later, her family was informed of her transferat which time her husband was told that she had died. Such staffing shortages are becoming increasingly common in the health care sector. Emotionally drained nurses and other health care workers have been forced to work in horrific conditions throughout the pandemic. Bearing witness to unprecedented rates of death and illness, they were thrust into the pandemic with severely inadequate personal protective equipment supplies. In caring for the global population, health care workers have risked contracting the virus themselves and spreading it to their loved ones. As these exhausted workers take their deserved leave, the chronically understaffed hospital settings are unable to cope. This crisis in the public health system existed long before the start of the pandemic, as governments have slashed health care funding for decades. All parties that have come to powerfrom the social democratic NDP to the Liberals, Conservatives, Quebec nationalist Parti Quebecois, and Coalition Avenir Quebechave for decades gutted the public health care system. Additional consequences are bound up with this. For example, 145,000 residents of Quebec were awaiting surgery as of June 2021. By this October, Dube has stated that number is expected to have risen to 150,000. Of those currently awaiting surgery, 19,000 have been waiting for over a year, up from approximately 4,000 prior to the onset of the pandemic. On July 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged extreme caution against completely lifting public health measures. This is not a flat curve, this is an increasing curve. Making assumptions that transmission will not increase because were opening up because of vaccines is a false assumption, transmission will increase when you open up. There are consequences, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHOs Health Emergencies Program. For Canadas entire political and financial establishments, committed wholeheartedly to prioritizing corporate profits over human lives, these consequences are of little concern. The reckless policies now being enforced by parties of all political stripes have been facilitated by the federal Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau, which declared in its throne speech last fall that all coronavirus-related measures must be short-term and implemented at the local level, i.e., totally ineffectual. The Trudeau governments determination to keep the economy and schools open led to the deaths of over 10,000 people last winter during the second wave and thousands more this spring during Canadas third wave. Absent the political intervention of the working class to safeguard human lives amid a looming resurgence of the deadly virus, the ruling class will pave the way for yet another deadly wave of infections and deaths. The Pacific Northwest heat wave that shattered temperature records in the western United States and Canada in late June would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, and will become a lot less rare according to a report from the World Weather Attribution Group, a worldwide group of climate scientists. Scientists from the US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland collaborated to assess to what extent human-induced climate change made this heat wave hotter and more likely to occur. Paramedics Cody Miller, left, and Justin Jones respond to a heat exposure call during a heat wave, Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Salem, Ore. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard) Multiple cities in Oregon and Washington and the western provinces of Canada recorded temperatures far above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), including setting a new all-time Canadian temperature record of 49.6 degrees Celsius in the village of Lytton, British Columbia. Shortly after setting the record, Lytton, a town of 250 people with 1,000 more in nearby Indigenous reserves, was substantially destroyed in a wildfire, the report observed. The report explains The heatwave considered in this study is linked to a slow-moving strong high pressure system, sometimes called Omega-blocking or heat dome, which brings descending and thus warm and dry air, as well clear skies, further heating the near-surface air. Recent research suggests that climate change increases the chances for such stagnant high pressure systems in summer through weakening of the summer jet stream. An important feature of this extreme heatwave is that it occurred following a very dry spring over the Western U.S Overall, it is difficult at this stage to assess the extent to which these factors either in isolation or combined provide a good explanation of why the observed temperatures were so much higher than anything ever recorded in this part of the world. Hence, more research is needed to understand the processes as well as potential influence of human-caused climate change on them. The human impact in a region largely unprepared for such an extreme heat event cannot be overstated. The report points out that The exceptionally high temperatures led to spikes in sudden deaths, and sharp increases in hospital visits for heat-related illnesses and emergency calls. Heatwaves are one of the deadliest natural hazards Currently available mortality estimates of at least several hundred additional deaths are almost certainly an underestimate. The full extent of the impact of this exceptional heat on population health will not be known for several months. Among the main findings in the report was the determination that the occurrence of a heatwave with maximum daily temperatures as observed in the study area was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. And even though it was a rare event, as warming continues, it will become a lot less rare. The researchers' findings presented two likely scenarios that caused the extreme jump in peak temperatures. First: This is a very low probability event, even in the current climate which already includes about 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming the statistical equivalent of really bad luck, albeit aggravated by climate change. Second: Nonlinear interactions in the climate have substantially increased the probability of such extreme heat, much beyond the gradual increase in heat extremes that has been observed up to now. The researchers warned that We need to investigate the second possibility further, although we note the climate models do not show it. This event would have been at least 150 times rarer without human-induced climate change. Looking into a future with 2 degrees Celsius of global warming (0.8 degrees Celsius warmer than today, which at current emission levels would be reached as early as the 2040s), this event would have been one degree warmer. An event like this, currently estimated to occur only once every 1000 years, would occur roughly every 5 to 10 years in that future world with 2 degrees Celsius of global warming. The researchers warned, Based on this first rapid analysis, we cannot say whether this was a so-called freak event (with a return time on the order of 1 in 1000 years or more) that largely occurred by chance, or whether our changing climate altered conditions conducive to heatwaves in the Pacific Northwest, which would imply that bad luck played a smaller role and this type of event would be more frequent in our current climate. In either case, the future will be characterized by more frequent, more severe, and longer heatwaves, highlighting the importance of significantly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the amount of additional warming. The latest heat-related death numbers are alarming, yet they are likely a severe undercount and the real toll will only become clear after mortality statistics are reviewed for the role of heat in exacerbating underlying conditions. The report concludes: Our results provide a strong warning: our rapidly warming climate is bringing us into uncharted territory that has significant consequences for health, well-being, and livelihoods. Adaptation and mitigation are urgently needed to prepare societies for a very different future. Adaptation measures need to be much more ambitious and take account of the rising risk of heatwaves around the world, including surprises such as this unexpected extreme. While the federal and state governments tinker around with free market, capitalist solutions to climate change, such as the much-hyped Green New Deal, little to nothing has been done to prepare the infrastructure for the oncoming extreme heat waves that are already occurring and will become much more frequent in the very near future. Extreme weather (both heat waves and deep freezes) affects millions of people and entire communities who are in most cases wholly unprepared to survive such recurring events. Governments have not focused on preparing the infrastructure to help people survive, but rather, on marketing new technologies that enrich already massively wealthy corporations and individuals, such as Tesla, the maker of electric cars, which can only be purchased by an elite few. Human-caused climate change could be re-named Capitalist-Caused Climate Change, a more apt description given the science as we now understand it. Massive multi-national oil companies such as Exxon-Mobil even admit they knew their industry would be causing an extreme global warming problem, as was widely reported in 2015, but covered up the information and kept pumping out fossil fuel filth anyway, harming people and the entire planet. On July 16, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka will hold an online public meeting, to discuss a program to fight the privatisation of education. The government of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse has presented the Kotelawala National Defence University (KDU) bill to parliament this week and is aiming to rush it through using the ruling partys majority. Prageeth Aravinda This bill broadens the powers of the current Kotelawala National Defence University Act. The Defence Ministry will be empowered to set up faculties, which will conduct fee levying for various academic courses that enrol significant numbers of students. This military-controlled institution will function in parallel to the already existing public university system, which functions under the education ministry. This is a major blow to free public education, and a further step towards the privatization of education in Sri Lanka. The bill was first presented during the previous Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government in 2018. However, it was temporarily shelved, amid massive opposition from students, teachers and the working class as a whole. Once again, the Rajapakse government has decided to implement the bill as part of its pro-big business program, which slashes the social rights of the working class and poor, under conditions of an economic crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party, and the Inter-university Student Federation it controls, are pleading with government MPs to defeat the bill in parliament. They oppose students turning to the working class and building a movement to defeat the militarisation and privatisation of education. The IYSSE meeting will discuss the vital issues involved in fighting to defend free education on the basis of a socialist perspective. We urge students, university teachers and non-academic employees, as well as other workers, to attend this meeting and participate in the discussion. The meeting will be chaired by Kapila Fernando, IYSSE convener and the main report will be delivered by Prageeth Aravinda. Date: Friday, 16 July 2021 Time: 7 p.m. Please register for the meeting here. Last weekend, Frances neo-fascist National Rally (RN) assembled for its congress in Perpignan, which endorsed Marine Le Pen as the RNs presidential candidate and president of the party. Le Pen, the only person standing for either position, won 98.35 percent of the vote. Far-right leader Marine le Pen attends a press conference in Toulon, southern France, June 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Le Pens unopposed landslide victory notwithstanding, she came to the RN congress under pressure, after an unexpected setback in the June regional elections. Polls had shown the RN carrying six of Frances 12 regions, but its candidates failed to win a single region. Amid mass disillusionment and anger with European governments stubborn refusal to carry out a scientific fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to over 1.1 million deaths from COVID-19 in Europe, voters overwhelmingly ignored the election. Abstention topped a record level of 65 percent. With voting largely driven by retirees, all 12 incumbent regional presidents, seven conservatives and five social democrats, were re-elected. On election night, as journalists spoke of a crisis of French democracy, Le Pen, visibly frustrated, blamed her voters. She said: The distance between voting intentions as measured by the polls and the actual vote, I say this gravely and solemnly, has only one explanation: our voters did not go vote. That is why I call upon them to wake up. All of those who oppose this government, which is taking our country to the edge of catastrophe, have a duty to react. If you want things to change, you must vote. If you do not vote for your ideas, your voice is no longer heard. The media discussion that unfolded in the lead-up to the Perpignan congress testified to the utter degradation of official public life in France. Since Socialist Party (PS) President Francois Hollande invited Marine Le Pen to the Elysee presidential palace in 2015, after Islamist attacks on Charlie Hebdo magazine, the RN has been entirely integrated into mainstream politics. Moreover, broader layers of the ruling elite now adopt fascistic positions, like President Emmanuel Macrons hailing of Nazi-collaborationist traitor Philippe Petain as a great soldier. A substantial faction of the capitalist media attacked Le Pens de-demonization policy. Le Pen renamed the old National Front (FN) the National Rally and demanded the RN avoid hailing the Holocaust and other crimes of 20th-century European fascism. Instead, parts of the right-wing media demanded that Le Pen react to her defeat by taking a more radical line, with harsher denunciations of Islam or the European Union, and a more explicit defense of her partys historic ties to Petains Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime during World War II. A prominent supporter of this view is Eric Zemmour, the influential former Le Figaro journalist and promoter of the Vichy regime, who has also been convicted for inciting racial hatred. Zemmour, who now works as a lead commentator for billionaire Vincent Bollores far-right CNews television channel, mocked Le Pen as indistinguishable from mainstream conservative politicians, like Xavier Bertrand or President Jacques Chirac, or current President Emmanuel Macron. We heard RN officials, with Marine Le Pen in the lead, berating voters, it was mind-boggling. They looked like stockholders demanding their dividends, Zemmour said, adding: In truth, there is nothing separating her line from Emmanuel Macron or Xavier Bertrand. People are saying that she is abandoning everything, betraying everything, becoming like Chirac, and she is paying heavily for it. Former social-democratic libertarian writer Michel Onfray, now on the far-right, similarly criticized Le Pen for Chirac-izing herself, observing: She writes in LOpinion that the euro, Europe, the free market, all of that is fantastic, she is going all over the place. She is telling herself, How can I get power? What can I say to get there? At the congress, however, the RN rejected the advice of Zemmour, Onfray and others. In her address to the congress, Le Pen made clear that no profound differences separate her positions from theirs, by saluting the RNs fascist heritage. However, she rejected calls to adopt a more explicitly fascistic political line. She said: We will not go backwards. With all the respect that we have for our history, we will not go back to the National Front. We must continue to open ourselves up to all those French people who do not simply want to remain spectators. Le Pen insisted that the RN has concentrated on making the changes necessary to prepare to govern France. She applauded the RN for having supposedly become a party that represents political change and that, more than ever, must be ready to take on the highest office. This healthy and necessary evolution takes shape in what the RN has become, a party open to all, creative and audacious, responsible and demanding towards itself. Le Pens report was endorsed by the congress, which also named Jordan Bardella as temporary party president while Le Pen runs in next years presidential elections. The rise of a far-right, authoritarian regime is a serious danger in France and across Europe. Its election setback notwithstanding, the RN can still win the 2022 elections and take power, especially given the unpopularity of Macron, the incumbent, the president of the rich. Le Pens decision to continue with a de-demonization strategy seems clearly aimed at avoiding alienating workers who might vote for Le Pen in a disoriented expression of political frustration, but who might not vote for a tendency more aggressively endorsing fascism or the Holocaust. Ultimately, the rise of the French far-right can only be fought based on the political perspectives that the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) has developed over the entire period since the Stalinist bureaucracy dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2002, FN leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marines father, advanced to the second round of the presidential elections alongside Chirac, due to the elimination of Socialist Party (PS) candidate Lionel Jospin. A former student protester and member of Pierre Lamberts ex-Trotskyist Organisation communiste internationaliste (OCI), Jospin was discredited by the right-wing policies of his 1998-2002 Plural Left government. Faced with the false choice between Chirac and a neo-fascist, millions of people descended into the streets in mass protests. The ICFI advanced the call for an active boycott campaign, to build an independent political movement in the working class against the policies Chirac would pursue once in office. On the other hand, petty-bourgeois groups like the Pabloite Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) and the Lambert tendency campaigned for a Chirac vote, claiming this was necessary to keep Le Pen from coming to power. Nearly 20 years later, the petty-bourgeois groups perspective stand utterly exposed. The fascistic danger cannot be fought simply by tactically opposing Le Pens party. In the course of two decades of wars and escalating attacks on social and democratic rights, especially after the 2008 Wall Street crash, the entire French bourgeoisie has turned sharply towards fascistic policies. Indeed, after Macron endorsed Petain in 2018 while riot police violently attacked yellow vest protests, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin attacked Le Pen in a public debate for being too soft on Muslims. The fact that political trash like Zemmour or Onfray can play leading roles in the French media further underscores that the fascistic evolution of the ruling class affects not only its political personnel, but the cultural and media establishment. The dangers this poses were further underlined by the recent coup threats made by French active-duty soldiers in the far-right magazine Current Values. Opposing this threat requires the revolutionary political mobilization of the working class. There have been many strikes and protests internationally and in France in recent years, like the yellow vests and the 2019-2020 rail strike. The Socialist Equality Party, the French section of the ICFI, stresses the necessity of developing a left-wing, Trotskyist opposition to the PS and the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left groups, uniting workersboth those who have voted RN out of confused frustration, and those who have notin a movement against capitalism and authoritarian rule. The World Socialist Web Site has uncovered evidence that police departments across the United States have paid thousands of dollars for training by a fascistic private military contractor, Northern Red Inc. Former trainers at the company who have since left and founded their own ventures have continued to train police departments in the death squad tactics honed in the course of US neo-colonial wars overseas. Last month, during a congressional hearing on the January 6 coup attempt that took testimony from US Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton, it was revealed that in 2018 and 2019 the US Capitol Police paid Northern Red Inc. $90,075 to train its Containment Emergency Response Team, or CERT. Bolton confirmed that the same CERT squad refused to fire less-lethal rounds on pro-Trump insurrectionists storming the Capitol and failed to assist in evacuating members of Congress during the violent attack. At the hearing of the House Administration Committee, held on June 15, Bolton also revealed that John-David Potynsky, founder and CEO of Northern Red and a highly-trained former US Special Forces soldier, utilized neo-Nazi iconography for the companys logo and website and on patches worn by his trainers. These symbols continue to be prominently displayed on the Northern Red website and on company-run social media accounts. The Capitol Police as a whole were deliberately under-deployed and under-equipped for the January 6 certification of the Electoral College vote, despite Donald Trumps refusal to accept his defeat in the November election and his repeated calls for far-right militia groups and supporters to come to Washington D.C to Stop the Steal. The stunning revelation that the Capitol Polices emergency response unit had been trained by contractors with an affinity for the Third Reich has been buried by the corporate media and the Democratic Party. To date, not a single article on the use of Northern Red Inc. by the US Capitol Police has been published by the Washington Post or the New York Times, nor has the information been reported on the cable or broadcast television channels. The only publication besides the World Socialist Web Site that has reported on the US governments use of Nazi admirers as police trainers is the Capitol Hill publication Congressional Quarterly Roll Call. It reported in June that not only did the Capitol Police pay Northern Red nearly $100,000 to train its CERT unit, but that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Army and the US Air Force also paid for training by the contractor. The WSWS has found evidence that former employees and collaborators of Potynsky, all of whom are highly trained former US Special Forces soldiers, continue to train law enforcement agencies in the same assassination tactics put to use in Iraq and Afghanistan. This includes the former lead trainer for Northern Red and former Army Delta Force soldier Zack Harrison. After joining the military in 2003 and deploying overseas as a member of Delta Force, Harrison left the military and joined Potynsky at Northern Red in 2014. Harrison appears in several Northern Red social media posts, including Instagram posts and YouTube videos, touting the training that he and Potynsky offered. Harrison left Northern Red in 2020 to form his own company, Hades Consulting LLC, which, like Northern Red, caters to police departments and military personnel. Based on a review of social media accounts for both companies, the WSWS has confirmed as of this writing that current and former Northern Red personnel have trained members of the following police departments: * Jacksonville, Florida Police with the the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office training at Northern Red facility. (Instagram-Northern Red) * Trenton, New Jersey Trenton, New Jersey police shoot targets at Northern Red gun range. (Instagram-Northern Red) * Oakland County, Michigan * Los Angeles, California * San Francisco, California They have also been contracted to train members of the US Secret Service. Instagram photo from Hades Consulting Instagram account showing unit patches and "Challenge coins" from California police departments and the US Secret Service. US military units and law enforcement agencies have their own designed "challenge coin" which signifies membership in the organization. It is likely that other police departments and agencies have paid for the services of Potynsky, Harrison and similar far-right paramilitary contractors. Potynsky had multiple deployments overseas as a Green Beret and later with the private military contractor TigerSwan. In this April 2010 YouTube video, Potynsky, in between shooting targets set to Disturbeds Get down with the Sickness, gives a testimonial on the benefits of the training offered by TigerSwan, which includes combat experience. The video ends with the camera panning to Potynskys back over words emblazoned on a company T-shirt reading: For those who have hunted armed men training will never be the same. The phrase appears to have struck a chord with Potynsky, who continues to emblazon it on the home page of Northern Red Inc. Northern Red Inc. homepage (top) Image still from 2010 TigerSwan YouTube video. (Bottom) TigerSwan is a private military contractor founded in 2007 by former Delta Forces commander James Reese. Retiring as a Lt. Colonel after spending 25 years in the military, Reese ended his career leading an assassination squad in Iraq that hunted alleged Al-Qaeda operatives. After retiring from the military in 2007, Reese worked for the US State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan and then served as director of security operations for Erik Princes infamous mercenary group Blackwater. In 2007, McClatchy reported that as Blackwater was under investigation for the Nisour Square Massacre, it cancelled a deal to buy farm land for a new training ground near Fort Bragg in North Carolina. An offer to purchase the land was originally put forward by Reese, who confirmed that the financing for the property would be provided by Blackwater and that Prince had made a final inspection of the property before agreeing to a price. After leaving TigerSwan, Potynsky launched Northern Red in 2011. On January 1, 2013, Northern Red and Invictus Alliance Group, which was founded in 2010 by former Delta Force Sniper Tom Spooner and his brother Scot Spooner, announced that the two companies had joined forces. On Twitter, JD and Tom posted under the @InvictusAG handle throughout 2013 and 2014. Typical posts from the account glorified the military while attacking Democrats, immigrants and generally anyone to the left of Ronald Reagan. Tom Spooner's official Twitter account retweeting fascist lies about immigrants, which was then retweeted by the Invictus Alliance Group Twitter account. Two months later the same account tweeted images of Oakland County Sheriffs training with Invictus. A December 2013 post by InvictusAG showing police in a hallway is captioned Entry training, AKA CQB [Close Quarters Battle], Oakland County, Sheriff department, Michigan. Beginning in 2014, Hartland, Wisconsin-based gun-manufacturer Bravo Company Manufacturing USA (BCM) began what it termed a Gunfighter sponsorship program, in which the company paid private military contractors to use their equipment as well as appear in promotional videos. Northern Reds website features many links to BCM products. BCM was founded by Paul Buffoni, a former Marine who deployed to Iraq in 2003. Bravo Company Manufacturing sponsored "Gunfighters" Tom Spooner and John-David Potynsky. (bravocompanymfg.com) The first episode of American Gunfighter--produced by BCM was uploaded on July 2, 2014 and featured Potynsky speaking of his desire to kill those allegedly responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks. The second episode of American Gunfighter, uploaded on August 29, 2014, featured Tom Spooner, while the seventh episode of the series, uploaded on November 20, 2016, featured Chris Kovacik, John Ellsion and Zach Harrison. All three men are either former or current Northern Red trainers and former US special operations soldiers. YouTube still of Zack Harrison, speaking for Northern Red. (YouTube) BCM chief executive Buffoni made headlines in 2013 when he cancelled a bid he had won to supply carbines to the Milwaukee Police Department after then-Chief Edward Flynn testified before a Senate committee in support of an assault rifle ban. Spooner and Potynsky have likewise made clear their fanatical opposition to gun control, cutting promos for the National Rifle Association in 2014. Tom Spooner (left) and John-David Potynsky (right) speaking on behalf of the National Rifle Association. (YouTube) On his LinkedIn profile, Spooner lists that from 2014 to 2017 he was a managing partner at Northern Red Inc. After an apparent fallout with Potynsky, Spooner stopped appearing in Northern Red promotional material. The Invictus Alliance Group no longer is in operation. YouTube still of Tom Spooner, speaking for Northern Red, with a symbol of "Thor's Hammer" on his shirt. While the Norse symbol is used by some who are not fascist, the Anti-Defamation League notes it "has been appropriated by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists." (YouTube) However, Spooner and Harrison continue to collaborate, as seen in this Instagram post from March of this year, in which Harrison pledges his support for Spooners company Warrior's Heart, which claims to be healing our nations warriors with an addiction, through our private, licensed & accredited resort-style healing center. Zach Harrison (left) and Tom Spooner (right) (Instagram-Hades Consulting LLC) In addition to being sponsored by BCM, Spooner has provided interviews and appeared in videos sponsored by the Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC). BRCC has branded itself to appeal to the police and military, selling items like the thin blue line Keurig cup, which carries the motto Fresh Roasted Freedom. The CEO of BRCC is Evan Hafer, who, like Potynsky, Spooner and Harrison, is a former Green Beret soldier. Hafer was also a special operator with the Central Intelligence Agency for nine years, according to a bio on his own website. Despite only being founded in 2014, BRCC has received powerful endorsements from major right-wing political figures. In November 2017, Fox News Host Sean Hannity tweeted that he was so buying this coffee!!! Donald Trump Jr. retweeted Hannity, adding: Great coffee, great guys and great Americans @seanhannity Ive had the chance to meet and hang out with them. Try it. #blackriflecoffeecompany Donald Trump Jr. tweet endorsing Black Rifle Coffee Company (left); Eric Munchel (right) (US Department of Justice) In a 2017 interview with Task & Purpose, Hafer embraced the endorsements he received, telling his interviewer, I want people who voted for Trump to know that there is another option for you. Just last month, BRCC opened a new location in North Richland Hills, Texas. As part of the grand opening, Hafer announced he would be donating $10,000 to Spooners Warriors Heart. Last year, BRCC found itself in a bind with sections of its base after a picture was posted on Twitter featuring Kyle Rittenhouse wearing a BRCC shirt while standing alongside his attorney John Pierce and actor Rick Schroder. The photo was originally tweeted by conservative podcast host Elijah Schaffer, whose show, Slightly Offens*ve, is sponsored by BRCC. The text accompanying the photo read: Kyle Rittenhouse drinks the best coffee in America, and featured a discount code under the post. After a widespread backlash, BRCC and Hafer tried to distance themselves from Rittenhouse, putting out a statement saying they were not sponsoring the murderer. However, they did not indicate in their statement if they had contributed to his bail fund. In interviews with right-wing media seeking to shore up the brands far-right bona-fides, Hafer went out of his way to support Rittenhouses right to defend himself. Less than two months later, another fascist was photographed wearing BRCC apparel. On January 6, Eric G. Munchel, or, as he was known until his arrest, Zip Tie guy, was seen jumping over chairs in the US Senate chamber while wearing body armor and holding zip ties. He wore a BRCC-branded black hat featuring an American flag with an overlay of an M-16 rifle. Two years after flames engulfed and destroyed major sections of the 13th-century Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris, including its 19th-century wooden spire, restoration workers continue to work among dangerous levels of lead. The blaze threw an estimated 400 tons of lead from the cathedrals roof into the air. As the smoke cooled, lead caked the streets surrounding the building, where it mostly remains to this day. Since the fire, hundreds of restoration workers have worked on the site continuously. Moreover, tens of thousands of families whose homes are within a kilometer of the cathedral have lived in constant danger of lead poisoning. Throughout 2019, schools and creches near the cathedral were closed after the detection of dangerous levels of lead on outside surfaces. Until March this year, the square was even open for visitors and tourists to walk through. Worker directs a mechanical shovel grabbing pieces of destroyed surfacing to gather up the lead particles in the school yard of Saint Benoit primary school in Paris, France, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) In adults, lead poisoning can cause infertility, memory loss, and high blood pressure. In children, lead poisoning can cause severe developmental delay, learning difficulties, seizures and hearing loss. Furthermore, lead poisoning can occur from any contact with a lead-laden surface, meaning that the contamination around Notre Dame was a danger to anyone passing through the area. On July 6, Francois Lafforgue of the regional Paris General Confederation of Labor (CGT-75) union, the Henri Pezerat Association and two families living near Notre Dame filed a complaint on charges of endangering the lives of others. No defendant was formally named. However, the complaints text focused on Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, arguing that the City of Paris refrained from alerting pupils parents to the risks incurred by their children. The danger at the Notre Dame site and the surrounding area was well-known to union and city officials immediately after the 2019 fire. In the weeks following the fire, Mediapart published an investigation showing lead concentrations in the area surrounding the cathedral 400 to 700 times higher than the authorized threshold. The square in front of the cathedral was closed again in May this year, after a new series of tests detected dangerous levels of lead. Despite this failure to decontaminate the site, however, restoration work continues. Two years ago, Robin Des Bois, an environmental activist group, filed a similar lawsuit accusing Paris authorities of deliberately endangering individuals lives through exposure to lead. The suit was eventually thrown out. In August 2019, the CGT itself proposed that the site be closed off and sealed in an airtight cover until it had been decontaminated, but took no other action. Benoit Martin, head of the CGT Paris federation, told Le Monde the aim of Tuesdays lawsuit is to prove that workers were exposed to risks that could have been avoided, not only on the building site but also around the cathedral, throughout the Cite Island. The CGTs support for the new lawsuit is a cynical attempt to cover up its own criminal role in the violation of workers rights to safe working conditions over the last two years at Notre Dame. Despite clear evidence of deadly levels of lead immediately after the fire, which the CGT acknowledged at the time, the union did not mobilize any part of its membership to oppose unsafe conditions at Notre Dame and in the surrounding area. While the malign neglect of the Social-Democratic Hidalgo administration toward the health of workers and local residents is undoubtedly criminal, the dangerous restoration work could only continue due to the critical support the CGT itself. The main aim of its support for this lawsuit is not to bring justice to those responsible, but to save face despite its complicity in the attack on workers health. The CGTs response to Notre Dame lead contamination was a harbinger of their crucial support to the herd immunity policy of the EU and Macron in response to COVID-19 a year later. While offering platitudes to workers and presenting themselves as opponents of Macron and the banks, the CGT enforced their reckless and politically criminal back-to-work directives, isolating workers in opposition and suppressing strike actions. This had led to the deaths of over 111,000 people in France, and over a million throughout Europe. Schools and creches in the area surrounding the cathedral also became dangerous zones of contamination. In July 2019, Annie Thebaud-Mony, research director at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research told Le Monde that a measurement of 5,000 g/m2 found in a school close to the cathedral was gigantic and will inevitably create victims. Tests performed by the Parisian Regional Health Authority in August 2019 found that sixteen children had lead blood levels requiring continued monitoring (between 20 and 49 micrograms of lead per liter of blood), and that two had levels above 50 micrograms, indicating a risk of lead poisoning. With few discernible immediate side effects, it is possible that many individuals have already experienced some level of lead poisoning, which will have devastating consequences for their long-term health. Efforts to repair Notre Dame have been marred by controversy from its outset. In the days following the fire, the bourgeois media were full of praise for Frances billionaires donating to save the monument. At that time, Bernard Arnault, who has added over 85 billion to his net worth since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, pledged 200 million, or 0.1 percent of his current net worth, to the restoration project. The Bettencourt-Meyers family (current net worth: 74.1 billion) also pledged 200 million, while energy giant Total, which boasted after-tax profits of 11.8 billion euros in 2019, pledged just 100 million. Despite these pledges, and the tiny proportion of these billionaires fortunes they represent, the vast majority of this money has yet to be received. In June 2019, a spokesman for the cathedral told AP: The big donors havent paid. Not a cent. Instead, as of September 2020, the majority of the 184 million collected by came from over 300,000 smaller individual donors, including a number from abroad. In June 2021, the Catholic diocese of Paris stated the funds were still lacking and that it was seeking 5 to 6 million euros more for the renovation of the interior. The false promises of billionaire donations while workers continue to toil at the contaminated Notre Dame site underline the irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the billionaire class and the preservation of human culture in the 21st century. Just as the unions and ruling class conspired to sacrifice workers lives at the altar of corporate profit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to refuse to protect workers and Parisian families from lead poisoning. On June 15, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) national executive confirmed they will continue to participate in the Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG) initiated by Boris Johnsons Conservative government. The title page of the Enabling Framework Agreement (EFA). The RMT and other unions and parties have agreed to address efficiency and cost savings as part of industry-wide plans by the Tory government to rebuild and modernise the railways. The RMT, alongside other rail unions ASLEF, TSSA and Unite, has endorsed an Enabling Framework Agreement (EFA) with Network Rail and the train operating companies. The parties have agreed to address efficiency and cost savings as part of industry-wide plans by the Tory government to rebuild and modernise the railways. Rail franchise contracts forfeited during the pandemic by transport giants Abellio, First and Arriva will be resumed as soon as the reforms are in place. Behind the talk of modernisation and efficiencyeuphemisms for capitalist restructuring and exploitationthe RIRG is set to unleash the biggest attacks on rail workers since the railways were privatised by the Conservative government in 1994-97, a policy the subsequent Blair Labour government refused to reverse. Staff and passengers will be made to pay for billions in government bailout funds handed to the rail companies during the coronavirus pandemic, with the rail unions serving as chief enforcers for the Tories. An exposure of the RIRGs terms of reference published by the WSWS on June 2 was widely read by transport workers. Headlined, RMT joins Conservative governments Rail Recovery Group: A conspiracy against rail workers, the article examined a January 13 Strictly Confidential document, with the WSWS concluding, the RMT has joined the Conservative governments Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG) that is committed to making the very pay freezes, cuts to safety and conditions and austerity the RMT claims publicly to oppose. Since then, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has sought to fend off growing criticism over the RMTs participation in the RIRG. On June 15, Lynch wrote to members announcing the unions National Executive Committee had voted to continue participation in the RIRG despite noting that the Enabling Framework Agreement has the objective of reducing the overall operating costs of the railway as the Government wants to reduce its subsidy. This will affect the overall number of jobs, working practices, roles and other arrangements. Lynch offered the following arguments to justify the RMTs ongoing participation in the RIRG: 1) the RMT should continue to participate in the processes as we need to protect the interests of our members and 2) RMT participation in these processes will not prevent your union from defending our members jobs, pay and conditions. Lynchs claims are deeply cynical. If the RMT were a genuine workers organisation it would boycott the RIRG, denounce the rail franchise companies as pandemic profiteers, and mobilise transport workers in an industrial and political offensive against the Johnson governments plans. But the RMT, despite covering some of the most powerful sections of the working class, is not a workers organisation. Its programme is corporatism, i.e., a direct partnership with the employers and the state in the national interest. To this end, the RMT presents two faces. To rail workers, its leaders claim to be fighting cuts, including a pay-freeze busting campaign that proposes limited and isolated action when its hand is forced by the threat of a broader eruption of workers anger. To the employers and the government, they offer themselves openly as partners in the RIRG to address the efficiency and cost savings required. The RMT postures as a militant and left-wing union for the sole purpose of trying to contain, divert and suppress workers struggles. But as always, the devil is in the detail. The Enabling Framework Agreement signed by the RMT pledges to specifically address the workforce reforms and staff cost challenges the rail industry is facing. RMT officials will participate in sub-groups alongside railway industry executives that will develop detailed outputs to eliminate jobs, cut pay, slash pensions, and introduce agile and flexible work practices across the sector. The parties to the RIRG will report directly to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Whats in the agreement? The agreement identifies a 2 billion annual shortfall caused by lost passenger revenue during the pandemic. The resulting financial crisis is described as an opportunity for industry-wide workforce reforms and cost savings. While train operating companies were handed billions in subsidies over the past year, the working class will be shown no such mercy. The premise of the RIRG is that the working class must foot the bill for the crisis of capitalism. The agreement includes the following: Pay freeze: The current two-year pay-freeze for all but the lowest-paid rail workers (on 24,000 or less) is set to be extended, with the agreement stating, we will review the basis for future annual pay review discussions to take into consideration the longer-term affordability and sustainability of the rail industry. Redundancies: The agreement states that the industry will require fewer, and in some cases changes to roles. As a result, jobs will be targeted for destruction via grossly misnamed Employment Security Measures. These include an Industry-wide Special Voluntary Severance Scheme, an Industry-wide Voluntary Redeployment Scheme and a Re-skilling and Re-training Programme. These will be used to eliminate jobs and pile on workloads for remaining staff. The agreement adds, many future roles are expected to become multi-functional and therefore employees will need to be equipped with the necessary skills. A recruitment freeze will be used to further slash staff numbers. The RMT has given its support to these measures, claiming to oppose only compulsory redundancies. Workers targeted for voluntary severance will have a gun placed to their heads: either take a pay-out now, or risk losing out when you are sacked. Sackings: If the required number of job cuts have not been made by December 31, 2021, the EFA states that compulsory redundancies will begin. Moreover, the agreements supposed moratorium on forced redundancies is tied to reducing overall operating costs. It threatens, By no later than the end of 2021 if there is not sufficient evidence of progress or if discussions break down, the proposed employee support measures in this agreement will be amended or withdrawn. Exactly what interests are served by participating in such a charade? To ask the question is to answer it. By their participation in the RIRG, the RMT, ASLEF, Unite and TSSA are endorsing its outrageous threats against rail workers. RMT officials will use these same threats as a battering ram, telling workers, If we dont accept these cuts, forced sackings will follow. In the next six months, progress must be made on a raft of reforms including flexible working hours, robust working arrangements for Sundays and passenger service roles becoming more flexible and multi-functional both at stations and on-board. Plans for driver-only trains will be progressed as safety-critical guards are replaced by low-paid onboard attendants juggling fare revenue, snacks, drinks, and passenger assistance. The agreement envisages a culture of continuous improvement and removal of outdated practices. This includes plans for reducing the entry age for new train drivers, consideration of Employer Justified Retirement Age, e.g. train drivers and offering employee apprenticeships across the range of industry roles. Mickey Mouse apprenticeships will see young people used as cheap labour based on minimal training. The agreement alludes to this. It calls for, Revising current training methods and practices to a competency-based approach, enhancing the quality of training methods through use of modern technology. Pensions: The agreement states progress must be made to ensure pension arrangements are affordable and sustainable for the medium to long term. This is an explosive issue, and the agreement is silent on the detail. But the RIRG is set to overhaul current pension arrangements that are considered too expensive by private transport operators and the UK government. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Transport Secretary Grant Shapps would be incapable of enforcing this agenda without their partnership with the rail unions. The text of the agreement acknowledges this. While RIRG sub-groups will develop detailed outputs to smash jobs, pay and pensions, implementation will take place through the established collective bargaining arrangements. To top it off, the RMT has agreed a Mutual Respect Code with the employers, pledging to support each other in light of the pressure (from below!) that workplace change will bring. The RMT has pledged to maintain strict confidentiality, including confidentiality over dissemination of any relevant information that is shared notwithstanding that it is understood that all parties will need to periodically report on progress to their executive committees/boards and to key stakeholders including DfT and relevant Government departments, TPR and the RPS Trustee. The agreement promises open communication with the DfT and the Tory government, but secrecy against workers. Socialist Party damage control The RMTs participation in the RIRG is so naked that the pseudo-left Socialist Party (SP) has stepped forward as political attorneys for the RMT National Executive Committee. A June 30 article in The Socialist, written by Socialist Party members in RMT is headlined, Post-pandemic railway battles loom, rail unions must prepare for action. The authors claim, RMT has not signed up to the proposals contained within the document, despite the impression given by reports in the press. The union leadership has already launched a campaign to smash the two-year pay freeze, which is welcome. However, it is important that the RMT leadership makes it absolutely clear to members that by participating in the RIRG it will not endorse or even consider the atrocious proposals within their framework document. Despite RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch emailing members explaining the union's opposition to the proposals, we cannot overestimate the potential for the capitalist media to twist reality and confuse members into believing otherwise. Therefore, the leadership must redouble its efforts to ensure that it is made clear to the bosses, and the membership in particular, that we will not tolerate any attacks on our members jobs and living standards. Traditionally, the way to oppose an agreement is to refuse to sign it. The effect of this in the RMTs case would be to withdraw from participation in the RIRG. But as the RMT has publicly acknowledged, the NEC has done no such thing. The Socialist Partys claim that the RMT has not signed the agreement is a politically desperate deception. The SP promotes the RMTs toothless campaign against the Johnson governments pay-freeze but is clearly worried that such efforts will be insufficient to silence workers suspicions and anger, hence their friendly advice to the RMT leadership to redouble its efforts to deny they support the RIRG. The Socialist Partys concern is not the capitalist media but rail workers emerging opposition to the RMTs dirty backroom deal. This opposition finds expression in the growing authority and readership of the World Socialist Web Site. In April, Socialist Party newsletter The Red Line pointed explicitly to rail workers anger over the unions collaboration with the RIRG: it has alarmed many RMT members that our union has signed joint statements with employers and the government declaring that we are working with the rail industry in the national interest or that we are closely collaborating with employers. It is misleading to suggest that we have one national interest that is the same as our bosses. But support for the national interest, i.e., the profits of the rail companies and British capitalism, is the basic strategy of the RMT and of the corporatist trade unions in general. It is one shared in practice by the Socialist Party, whose members and supporters serve as RMT officials and reps. The Socialist Party merely advises their comrades on the RMT executive to better conceal their pro-capitalist agenda by a more effective use of left-wing rhetoric. But the mask is slipping, social reality is asserting itself, and rail workers are beginning to see the truth. The WSWS invites all railway workers looking for a way to fight back to contact us and discuss the formation of rank-and-file committees independent of the rail unions to prepare to resist the Johnson governments plans. On June 14, at around 7 am, a massive explosion occurred at the Chemtool plant in Rockton, Illinois. A raging fire and large plumes of black smoke forced the evacuation of the plants workers and all residents within a one-mile radius. A fireball explodes out from a Chemtool plant in Rockton, Illinois, as firefighters battle the blaze (screengrab) Firefighters from all around the area, including Wisconsin, responded to the blaze, which could be seen for miles. Soon, however, Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson told responders to stop using hoses and water to put out the fire and instead allow it to burn off, because of possible runoff contamination of the Rock River, approximately 700 feet from the plant. The river is a major resource for Rocktons residents. It took until June 25, over a week after the initial explosion, for the fire to finally go out. Testing is still being done to confirm that there are no harmful pollutants for residents in the air or water as a result of the explosion and fire. While air quality tests have shown there to be no lethal amounts of chemicals in the air, tests of the water remain inconclusive. It will take up to six weeks for the results to be finalized. The plant itself has almost entirely burned to the ground, with virtually nothing salvageable as far as manufacturing equipment and building structures go. All workers onsite at the time of the explosion were evacuated safely and no casualties or grave injuries occurred from the fire. The blaze has been ruled accidental. The cause is attributed to a scissor lift in the plant striking a valve or pipe with sufficient force to cause the release of flammable mineral oil. According to Fire Chief Wilson, however, the investigation has not yet determined the source of the ignition. This implies that there remain significant questions as to how the fire actually started and why it got out of hand so quickly. Chemtools parent company is Lubrizol, a multinational corporation with billions of dollars in revenue that specializes in the production of chemicals. It has been given an exceptional degree of latitude in its response. On the morning of the explosion, Lubrizol called in a private firefighting company, US Fire Pump, to assist local responders. The outside contractor used a foam chemical to try and put out the fire, one that fell under the PFAS class of chemicals. These have been nicknamed forever chemicals and are believed to remain in the environment as well as in wildlife and human beings for extended periods of time. The use of this chemical forced the authorities to carry out immediate water quality tests to make sure the Rock River was not contaminated. On June 19, five days after the explosion and while the fire was still burning, Wilson handed over command of the disaster response to Lubrizol and its own fire chief, Robert Campise. Announcing this change, Wilson declared, With any industrial fire incident, this is their forte, a clear allusion to another massive fire at a Lubrizol plant, this one in Rouen, France in 2019. That fire left multiple people with headaches, dizziness and nausea, and caused eight hospitalizations due to the release of toxic chemical pollutants. Lubrizol has denied that any lethal or harmful chemicals were discharged into the general public, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. Lubrizols contractor has already dug massive trenches around the plant and surrounding area to try and channel runoff away from Rock River. There is also a large floating barrier separating some 2,500 feet of shoreline from the river and a substantial containment shoulder around the plant itself. These measures have been put in place because many large containers holding oil and other chemicals are showing signs of severe structural damage. There are over one million gallons of oil stored at the site. These steps are being taken by Lubrizol without answering to any authority, whether it be the Rockton Fire Department, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or the federal EPA. Rockton Village President John Peterson has petitioned Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to declare Rockton a disaster area and allocate more funding for cleanup efforts, although Pritzker, a Democrat, has to date given no response. The Facebook group Citizens for Chemtool Accountability has been instrumental in arranging town halls for residents to speak to local officials and Chemtool representatives about the damage the fire has done to the surrounding area. Community scientist and group member Jillian Neece has given townspeople important information regarding EPA findings on air and water quality since the explosion, as this data remains largely unknown to Rocktons residents. The group also started a GoFundMe for Brent Loomis, a veteran who fled his house with the windows open during the hurried evacuation. The fire left his entire home covered in black film and harmful smoke, making his residence unlivable. According to MyStateline.com, Chemtools suggestion for Loomis was to hire a cleaning company and send Chemtool the bill. Corporations like Lubrizol have no vested interest in the health or safety of Rocktons citizens. As evidenced in the aftermath of the Rouen disaster, Lubrizols push to take over recovery efforts in Rockton serve only its corporate and profit interests. Since the United States and Germany backed the fascist-led coup in Ukraine in February 2014, the imperialist powers have continuously intensified their pro-war offensive against Russia. The exercise Defender 2021, NATOs largest military manoeuvre since the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy 30 years ago, was held in May and June. The imperialist-backed regime in Kiev is demanding Ukrainian membership in NATO and planning a military offensive to reassert control over the Donbass and retake Crimea. The peninsula in the Black Sea, which is home to the Russian Black Sea fleet, has been part of Russia since March 2014. In a referendum organised by Moscow, a majority of the population voted for the annexation. The measure was the Kremlins response to the fascist-led coup against pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, and the offensive by the Ukrainian army and fascist militias against coup opponents, above all in the east of the country. The ongoing civil war in eastern Ukraine between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists has claimed the lives of some 14,000 people over the past seven years and turned millions of people into refugees. An open NATO-led war against the nuclear power Russia would call into question the survival of humanity as a whole. The recent confrontation between Russian armed forces and a British destroyer in the Black Sea underscored just how great the danger of such a conflict is. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) condemned the far-right coup in Ukraine and the offensive backed by the imperialist powers from the outset. It polemicised against the liberal and pseudo-left organisations and publications who praised the regime change operation in Ukraine as a democratic revolution and covered up and defended cooperation with fascist forces. At the same time, the ICFI is an opponent of Russian nationalism. The Putin regime and its proxies in eastern Ukraine do not represent an antipode to the imperialist war-mongers. They represent the interests of a criminal oligarchy that emerged through the restoration of capitalism by the Stalinist bureaucracy. Their military operations increase the danger of war and promote nationalism to divide the working class. The ICFI advocates the standpoint that the struggle against militarism, fascism and war requires the revolutionary mobilisation of the working class on the basis of a socialist and internationalist programme. With regard to Ukraine in particular, Trotsky warned as early as the 1930s that its independence on a bourgeois basis would have reactionary consequences and turn Ukraine into the plaything of the imperialist powers. As the Stalinist terror raged against hundreds of thousands of socialists, Trotsky fought for an independent Soviet Ukraine as part of the struggle for world socialist revolution. Political tendencies that trample these historical perspectives and political principles underfoot and subordinate the working class to Russian nationalist forces in eastern Ukraine, sabotage the struggle against imperialism and in fact play directly into the hands of the fascist NATO-backed forces in Kiev. One of these tendencies is the Greek Workers Revolutionary Party (EEK), which belongs internationally to the Coordinating Committee for the Refoundation of the Fourth International (CRFI). Other members of the CRFI include the Workers Party (PO) in Argentina and the Workers Revolutionary Party (DIP) in Turkey. On May 10, the general secretary of the EEK, Savas Michael-Matsas, published a statement offering fraternal greetings and congratulations to the people of the Donetsk Peoples Republic (VRD) on its seventh birthday. Savas Michael-Matsas (Photo: Prensa Obrera, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) In his statement, Michael-Matsas attempted to portray himself and the EEK as anti-imperialists and internationalists, and the Donetsk Peoples Republic as a bulwark against fascism and war. For example, Michael-Matsas wrote that the struggle in Donetsk and throughout the Donbass against the fascist coup in Kiev in 2014 is the continuation of the same struggle against the successors of the Bandera gangs and their imperialist protectors. He and his party therefore declared our solidarity with your people and other peoples exposed to the attacks of the imperialists and their collaborators, fascists, successors of Bandera, and oligarchs. It is a fact that the coup, the subsequent military offensive and the crimes of fascist forcesincluding the murder of dozens of coup opponents in Odessa on May 2, 2014triggered enormous opposition among workers in eastern Ukraine in particular. But the claim that the Donetsk Peoples Republic is a weapon in the struggle against these forces is utterly false. The VRD is not a progressive expression of the deep-rooted opposition of Russian and Ukrainian workers to the imperialist-backed regime in Kiev, which lauds Nazi collaborators like Stepan Bandera. The elements which call the shots in Donetsk are themselves right-wing extremists and nationalists and embittered opponents of a socialist movement in the Ukrainian and international working class. The first peoples governor of the Donetsk Peoples Republic from March 3 to November 4, 2014, was Pavel Gubarev, a leader of the pro-Russian movement in Ukraine with a right-wing extremist background. He was a member of the neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic organisation Russian National Unity and was leader of the New Russia Party (PN). The PN was founded in Donetsk on May 13, 2014, and has supporters among representatives of Russian fascism and the far-right, like Alexander Prochanov and Alexander Dugin. Pavel Gubarew (Photo: Andrew Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons) The current leaders of the Donetsk Peoples Republic are cut from the same cloth as Gubarev. Their economic and political rise is directly bound up with the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy 30 years ago, and they generally enjoy close ties to government institutions and intelligence agencies within the capitalist Putin regime in Moscow. The current interim president of the VRD is Dennis Pushilin, leader of the Russian nationalist party Donetsk Republic. Prior to his political career, he volunteered for the notorious shareholder company MMM, which created one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in Russia in the early 1990s and stole the deposits of an estimated 10 to 15 million people. Vladimir Pashkov, the current Prime Minister of the Donetsk Peoples Republic, served in the Russian navy until 1993 and was regional minister for development in Irkutsk oblast in 2008. He went on to become deputy governor of the same administrative region between 2012 and 2015. Reports indicate that Pashkov worked closely with the Ukrainian oligarch Sergei Kurchenko and was involved with his company Vneshtorgservis. Pashkov also owns a company that is part of the Russian Rosneft network. Rosneft is controlled by Igor Setshin, one of Russias richest oligarchs and a close confidante of Putin. Pushilins predecessor, Alexander Sacharchenko, who lost his life in a bomb attack on August 31, 2018, was a Great Russian nationalist who gained notoriety for anti-Semitic statements. According to a Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung report, Sacharchenko called in an interview to bring all territory under control that once belonged to the Russian Empire. Only then would Russias golden epoch begin. The issue was not merely to retake Kiev, and not even take Berlin. One must go beyond that and take Britain as a whole. Our great misfortune as Russians are the Anglo-Saxons. The Austrian daily Die Presse reported in 2015 that Sacharchenko told a press conference in early 2015 that those in power in Kiev were pathetic representatives of the powerful Jewish people who had no right to stand at the head of the successors of the Cossacks. The VRDs domestic and foreign policies are in line with these forces. Like the pro-Western regime in Kiev, the separatist-controlled areas in the Donbass are characterized by a dictatorial law and order policy. As early as 2014, the death penalty was introduced for offenses such as treason and espionage. The regime systematically oppresses ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. According to media reports, there have been repeated attacks by armed militias on Roma and homosexuals. In 2015, the Deputy Minister of Political Affairs of the Donetsk Peoples Republic stated, A culture of homosexuality is spreading Thats why we have to kill anyone who is involved in it. In contrast to Michael-Matsas propaganda, the regime in Donetsk cooperates internationally with the most reactionary imperialist forces. The leaders of the Donetsk Peoples Republic have repeatedly welcomed delegations of far-right and fascist parties over recent yearsincluding the Alternative for Germany, which praises Hitlers Wehrmacht and trivialises the Holocaust and the Nazis war of annihilation against the Soviet Union. The Foreign Minister of the VRD, Nataliya Nikonorova, receives the German right-wing extremist Manuel Ochsenreiter (photo: Screenshot from the official Twitter account of the VRD) Another partner of the VRD is the editor of the German far-right monthly magazine Zuerst! ( First!), Manuel Ochsenreiter. He is currently under investigation by, among others, the state prosecutor in Berlin because he allegedly plotted with the Polish fascist organisation Falange to carry out a terrorist attack on an institution of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Michael-Matsas glorification of a capitalist regime that maintains direct relations with fascist forces is no accident. It flows directly from the political orientation of the EEK and the entire CRFI. At an April 2018 Alliance conference, Michael-Matsas and other CRFI leaders explicitly stated that their envisioned refounding of the Fourth International would be pursued in alliance with Stalinist forces. Significantly, one of the speakers at the congress was the former representative of the Donetsk Peoples Republic Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Darya Mitina. Darja Mitina next to Savas Michael-Matsas in April 2018 in Buenos Aires at the conference on the "new foundation" Mitina is a leading member of the pro-Stalinist United Communist Party of Russia (OKP)a split-off from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF)and an ardent admirer of Stalin. According to her own statements, she lays flowers at the grave of the dictator twice a year. She recently participated in the inauguration of a new Stalin centre. A self-published picture shows Mitina in front of a KPRF placard with the slogan Stalin is with us. Another photo showing her in front of a picture of Stalin was accompanied by the comment, Him and me. Mitina in front of a poster of the KPRF with the slogan Stalin is with us The alliance of the CRFI with Stalinism is based on its repudiation of the historically-rooted programme and principles of the Fourth International, and the significance of history as a whole. For Michael-Matsas and Co., questions like the Stalinist terror, which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Marxists, including Trotsky, have no significance because they stand in the way of their corrupt political alliances. They operate according to the maxim: the only thing that counts is short-term political agreements in the here and now. The World Socialist Web Site commented on this opportunist horse-trading by the CRFI in a previous article, noting that if it can be applied to Stalinist parties whose histories are steeped in betrayals and crimes, why cant it be applied to all organizationsincluding those of the nationalistic, and even fascist, right? This assessment is confirmed by Michael-Matsas glorification of the VRD. Donetsk is a concrete example of how the CRFIs conception of history lays the groundwork for coalitions that unite pseudo-left organisations with fascist forces in the interests of the bourgeoisie. The Donetsk Peoples Republic is a prime example of such red-brown alliances. After the fascist-led coup in Ukraine in February 2014, the Stalinists in eastern Ukraine played a decisive role in retaining control of the resistance among workers and young people to the imperialist offensive by leading it into a nationalist blind alley. For example, the leader of the Communist Party of the Donetsk Peoples Republic (KPDNR), Boris Litvinov, was one of the coauthors of the VRDs declaration of independence. He was chair of the VRDs council of ministers between May 16 and July 29, 2014, and of the supreme council of the VRD from July 23 to November 14, 2014. In the elections in Donbass on November 2, 2014, the KPDNR supported the candidacy of Sacharchenko and joined the parliamentary group of his Donetsk Republic party. They remain members of this parliamentary group to this day, and are thus an integral part of the current government under Pushilin. Boris Litvinov (Photo: Marlenuscom, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) The right-wing capitalist character of the VRD corresponds with the Stalinists political programme. In an interview in July 2014, Litvinov spoke in favour of the building of a peoples democratic state that respects the right to private property. He even boasted that he had held talks with Rinat Akhmetov, the richest oligarch in Ukraine. He understands the concerns of business and the politicians should ideally not intervene into business structures, according to Litvinov. They are also ready to maintain economic relations with the government in Kiev. We are there for them. Ignoring the VRDs products would be silly. They do not carry the imprint of being left-wing or right-wing. The political relations between Michael-Matsas and right-wing Stalinist forces stretch back over more than three decades. Already in the 1980s, Michael-Matsas lauded Mikhail Gorbachev as the leader of the political revolution in the Soviet Union, even though his policies of perestroika and glasnost aimed at restoring capitalist private property in the Soviet Union and reintegrating it into the structures of world imperialism. Ever since, he and the EEK have maintained close ties with the CPSU and its successor organisations. Michael-Matsas has been in close contact with Mitina for over a decade. At the EEKs invitation, the Stalinist spoke in 2007 at an event to mark 90 years of the October Revolution. Michael-Matsas is also a regular guest at conferences organised by Stalinist forces in Russia. Last year, he participated in an online conference to celebrate the VRDs independence day. Savas-Matsas and Darya Mitina on a podium in 2007 Michael-Matsas politics have always been characterized by painting nationalist forces in bright colors. Already as leader of the Workers International League, the former Greek section of the ICFI, he trampled on the principles of socialist internationalism and glorified reactionary regimes like the Khomeini government in Iran. Since supporting the opportunist and nationalist course of the British Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in the 198586 split, he has openly forged alliances with nationalist and pro-capitalist parties. In Greece, Michael-Matsas and the EEK have repeatedly supported alliances with the social-democratic PASOK, the Stalinist Communist Party, and the pseudo-left Syriza. Before the January 2015 elections, EEK supported Syriza and promoted a powerful united front of all workers and popular organizations from KKE, Syriza, Antarsya to EEK, the other left organizations, the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements. After the elections, the united front extended to the far-right Independent Greeks (ANEL), which Syriza leader and later Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras brought into the government to impose the EU austerity dictate against the workers. One of Michael-Matsas closest personal friends and political collaborators is Alex Steiner, who left the Workers League (predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party) in 1978 and abandoned the fight for socialism. As he was later to write, Steiner quite deliberately opted for a comfortable middle class life. He briefly contemplated a return to political involvement, but the SEPrecognizing that Steiners political conceptions had drifted substantially to the right during his long absence from the socialist movementrejected his application for membership. This assessment was substantiated when, in the aftermath of the events of 2001, Steiner became increasingly unstable and became a bitter opponent of the International Committee. Significantly, Steiner gave his stamp of approval to the Kiev regime in 2014 and 2015 and attacked the International Committee for its opposition to the imperialist offensive. In an article published on Steiners blog on May 20, 2014, it was stated, Marxists should oppose the dismemberment of Ukraine. That means opposing any and all annexations, whether by Russia or by other players like Poland and its imperialist partners in NATO. These lines were written after Washington and Berlin had organised a coup based on fascist forces in Kiev that in effect amounted to the annexation of Ukraine by the imperialist powers. When Steiner rails against annexations, however, he means the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation after a referendum. By contrast, he defended the pro-imperialist regime in Kiev with the statement that it emerged from a mass movement that toppled a regime. The reactionary collaboration between Steiner and Michael-Matsas has not been hindered in the least by their differing political lines on Ukraine. The basis for the reactionary nationalist politics of these pseudo-left charlatans is not political principles, but extreme opportunism and pragmatism. In the case of Steiner, this is combined with a pathological personal hatred of all those who were once his comrades in the Trotskyist movement and who have continued the struggle he abandoned decades ago. Scotland is facing a deepening public health disaster as the Delta variant surges, resulting in record daily infections and a resurgence of hospitalisation and deaths. The country accounts for four of Europes top 10 COVID-19 hotspots in the last 14 days according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with the UK as whole accounting for seven regions. The other regions in the top 10 are in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Cyprus. Tayside in northeast Scotland has the highest infection rate in Europe, with 1,223 new cases per 100,000 people recorded over the 14-day up to the July 7. Lothian, home to Scotlands capital, Edinburgh, currently registers third with 1,083 cases per 100,000 behind North-East England. Greater Glasgow and Clyde had the fifth highest rate of cases with 899 per 100,000. The Scottish health boards of Fife and Lanarkshire also feature in the top 10 together with North-West England. Scottish Government COVID-19 press conference at St. Andrew's House, Edinburgh with the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch. (credit: Scottish Government/Flickr) The true infection rate is already far greater as Scotlands overwhelmed Test and Protect system is only picking up approximately half of all cases and contact tracing is experiencing widespread delays beyond the WHO guidance of 72-hours for informing the contacts of positive cases. According to the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app, 1 in 83 of all people in Scotland have COVID-19 against 1 in 159 across the UK. Scotland registered a record daily surge of 4,234 cases on Thursday July 1, although the recent totals have subsequently fallen to around 3,000. While the vaccine has successfully reduced the rate of hospitalisation, serious illness and death, only 64 percent of adults have been fully vaccinated in Scotland. The Delta variant, which capitalist governments have criminally allowed to spread globally, is far more transmissible and deadly than the original variants of coronavirus. Vaccine efficacy has been reduced considerably by the mutation, leaving the health and lives of millions at risk even among the vaccinated. Hospitalisations due to coronavirus still take place at the considerable rate of 5 percent of all cases, compared to rate of 10 percent in the second wave. The latest figures show that 401 Scots are now in hospital with the virus, up 41 since Monday, with 38 people in intensive care. At National Health Service (NHS) Tayside, where admissions doubled recently in the space of 24 hours to 36, operational medical director Dr Pamela Johnston warned, We currently have 36 patients in hospital requiring care for Covid, with some of those requiring more intensive care in our ICU and HDU many of these patients are under the age of 40 and we expect this number to increase over the next few weeks. Our GP colleagues at the Covid assessment centre in Dundee are also very busy, seeing five times as many people as last month, she added, These are people of all ages who are feeling very unwell with the virus and coming for assessment. The strain on the health service is already overwhelming several NHS hospitals. Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, the largest in the Highlands, has been placed on code black status after reaching full capacity, as have Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin at NHS Grampian. The head of the British Medical Association Scotland, Lewis Morrison, told BBC Radio Scotland, Raigmore is an example of what might well happen in other places if we dont take some action to deal with what is a very high level of pressure on healthcare, both in general practice and in hospitals, combined with rising Covid cases leading to a large number of staff having to self-isolate. Cancellations to non-urgent surgery and outpatient services are already widespread. NHS Lanarkshire has reduced elective procedures after 700 people were admitted with the virus across three hospitals over the last weekend. Additional surge wards are being set up at hospitals across the country, including at NHS Fife and NHS Tayside. Tayside now has 60 dedicated beds for COVID-19 patients. Hospital-acquired COVID-19, which has killed 1,600 Scots since the onset of the pandemic, is also again on the rise. University Hospital Hairmyres, in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was placed on high-alert Monday after an outbreak in Ward 15, which has been closed to new admissions and visitors. This is under conditions where hospitals face a spike in demand for emergency surgery and medical attention due to the huge backlog built up over the pandemic, which includes a quarter of a million operations. Around 70 percent of patients hospitalised with coronavirus had not made a full recovery at their five month follow up appointment, the Post-Hospitalisation COVID-19 Study found. With record cases, already dangerously overstretched GP surgeries and outpatient services are threatened with an avalanche of cases of Long COVID, to which children are also susceptible. According to weekly data published by National Records of Scotland, coronavirus related deaths have also begun to climb, albeit from a low level. There were 21 COVID-19 related deaths in Scotland over the week ending July 4, up from 17 deaths recorded in the previous week. Of these, 15 died in hospital, 4 in care homes, and 2 in private residences or non-institutional settings. The majority of fatalities (11) were among people aged 75 or over, with 6 deaths between the ages of 65 and 74, and four deaths among the under 65s. In total there have now been 10,189 deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, amounting to nearly 2 deaths per 1,000 of Scotlands 5.5 million population. The devolved Scottish National Party (SNP) government projects that hospitalisations will reach 1,000 by mid-July, yet it is moving forward with the full reopening of the economy in line with the demands of all sectors of business. Scotlands Finance Secretary Kate Forbes conceded that the pandemic is at a fragile moment but reiterated the governments intention to remove all restrictions by August 9, just a few weeks after Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government is scheduled to end restrictions in England. The Scottish government has dishonestly presented its approach to ending lockdown restrictions as more cautious and scientific than the Conservative governments in London. In truth, it has adopted the murderous herd immunity strategy of mass infection and death pioneered by Johnson as its own. It piloted many of Westminsters socially criminal public health measures in Scotland, including the unsafe reopening of schools and universities weeks in advance of England, with in-person education a major transmission vector in the second and third waves. The SNP is again seeking to disguise its collaboration in social murder with cosmetic timing differences in the relaxation of lockdown restrictions. In line with this, Professor Jason Leitch, the Scottish governments National Clinical Director, parroted the murderous logic of capitalist governments the world over which have justified a bonfire of public health restriction prior to full vaccination as necessary to save the economy, i.e., the profits of big business and the wealth of the super-rich. Speaking to the media this week, Leitch stated, Of course, when you open there is more risk to the population, but you have to balance that with economic harms and social harms. The New South Wales (NSW) state Liberal-National government yesterday flooded Sydneys southwest with almost 200 additional police officers, as it seeks to scapegoat workers and the poor for an escalating crisis caused by its own criminally negligent, pro-business response to the citys COVID outbreak. Long lines of cars at inner-west Sydney COVID-19 testing station [Photo: WSWS Media] NSW authorities this morning reported 50 new infections, surpassing yesterdays record of 44. Up to 27 of the cases announced yesterday were not in isolation for all or part of their infectious period, along with 37 of those revealed this morning. Those numbers are higher than at any time since the outbreak was first detected on June 16. This indicates that the Delta variant, among the most transmissible in the world, is circulating widely throughout Sydney, Australias largest city with a population of over five million. Todays record tally is particularly notable, because it was registered a fortnight after the NSW government belatedly instituted stay at home orders on June 26. Over the ten days prior to that, the government had rejected calls from epidemiologists for a lockdown. Given that the maximum incubation period for COVID is thought to be 14 days, the ongoing rise of infections exposes the gross inadequacy of the stay at home orders. Rather than curbing infections, these orders have allowed them to grow. Almost all retail outlets and workplaces remained fully open. There were virtually no restrictions on movement throughout the city, and limitations on things such as household visits were shrouded in confusion, due to deliberately vague guidelines. In an admission that her governments policies have failed, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday tightened restrictions and foreshadowed that they may last longer than the seven-day extension, until Friday, announced earlier in the week. Outdoor gatherings are now limited to two people, excluding members of the same household, while Sydneys residents are only permitted to travel within a 10-kilometre radius of their homes for exercise and shopping. Only one person per household may go shopping each day. Confusion, however, remains. Browsing in retail shops is banned, but there is no order for the closure of non-essential outlets. Most workplaces will remain open, even though the list of exposure sites indicates that they are prime places of infection. Less than a week ago, Berejiklian proclaimed the green shoots of the lockdown and insisted there were positive signs it was working, even as infections continued to rise. This was part of a push to lift even the limited restrictions then in place. Yesterday, however, without referring to these earlier statements, the premier raised the spectre of thousands and thousands of people in hospital and lots of people, thousands of people, potentially, dying if the outbreak were not rapidly curbed. This morning, as she announced the 50 new infections, Berejiklian said things are going to get worse before they get better. Underlying the shift in tone is the prospect that Sydneys hospital system will collapse. On July 2, there were 17 COVID patients in hospital. In the space of a week, that number has risen to 47. Seventeen of those are now in an intensive care unit, up from six last Saturdaythe highest figure for NSW since April 2020. Among those with a life-threatening illness are a teenager, as well as a person in their 20s and another in their 30s. As has been the case internationally, the Delta variant is changing the age demographic of those seriously stricken by the virus. In last years outbreaks, the overwhelming majority of hospitalisations were among the elderly, including aged-care home residents. Now, 19 of those in hospital are under the age of 55, accounting for more than 40 percent of the total. Eight of them are aged less than 35. The rate of hospitalisation per active infection has been tracking at around 10 percent for the past several days. At the height of a Victorian outbreak in JulyAugust last year, the worst in Australia to date, that figure was closer to 8 percent. Even that comparison is deceptive, however, because by August, thousands of people who had been infected had recovered and were thus not among the active cases. Given the Sydney outbreak has spanned a little over three weeks, the number of recovered cases is far lower. There are already signs of major strains in the health system. Early last week, more than 600 nurses across the city were forced into isolation after potential exposure, 120 at Fairfield Hospital and 500 from North Shore Private Hospital. This morning, the Daily Telegraph reported an internal memo, circulated in a hospital in the citys south-west last week. It revealed that up to 35 percent of nurses remained unvaccinated. In addition to staff and student nurses on clinical placements, they included nurses working in emergency wards. The memo called for unprotected workers to be kept away from hot and red zones in the hospital, where COVID patients were present. Effectively acknowledging that this is unviable, given that more than a third of staff are unvaccinated, the document called for such segregation to be put in place where possible. For months, medical experts have warned that Australias chronically underfunded public hospitals are unable to cope with demand, even when COVID transmission was low. Prior to the pandemic, Australias hospital system had an average of 3.9 beds per 1,000 people, compared with the OECD average of 4.7. Without private hospitals, the figure was just 2.6. Despite the global health catastrophe of the past year-and-a-half, nothing has been done to increase hospital capacity. In a statement yesterday, Australian Medical Association President Dr. Omar Khorshid declared: With hospitals completely full we cant as a medical system even cope with a flu epidemic, let alone a COVID epidemic. Khorshid warned that the consequences would be unthinkable if the Sydney outbreak were not brought under control. On Thursday, Khorshid rejected calls from the corporate elite, along with ministers in the NSW government itself, for the virus to be allowed to circulate so that full business activities could resume. We need to look at India or Indonesia to see what the reality will be in Australia if we let this virus rip through the community, he said. In April, India was frequently recording more than 400,000 infections per day, and over 4,000 deaths. Indonesia is currently registering tens of thousands of cases a day, with a daily death toll approaching one thousand. Khorshids statement was a reference to Australias vaccine rate, which is the slowest and lowest of any advanced country. The crisis-ridden rollout is a consequence of the countrys gutted health infrastructure and a federal government procurement policy that settled on the cheapest vaccine available, AstraZeneca. Only around 9 percent of adults are fully inoculated, with no timetable in place for the rollout to be completed. Combined with the state and federal removal of safety restrictions, and a failed private hotel quarantine program, this has created the perfect storm for a major outbreak. Having presided over the shambles, together with the other state and federal administrations, the NSW government is scapegoating its victims. It has claimed, without a shred of evidence, that the escalating crisis has been caused by residents, especially of Sydneys southwestern suburbs, flouting the official rules. The slander is particularly contemptible, given that large numbers of infections only began in those working-class areas over the past week, as a direct consequence of the state governments refusal to implement more stringent measures. Instead of announcing increased resources for already-stretched hospitals in the southwest, or an influx of medical staff and community workers, the Berejiklian government has dispatched hundreds of police officers. Given that the southwest already has a huge police force, the affected suburbs resemble those under a police occupation. Residents have reported that far from providing assistance, the police, including officers on horseback, are patrolling the areas in a menacing and intimidating manner, some without masks. Many have made the obvious point that similar measures have never been imposed in more affluent areas, including the citys eastern suburbs, which until a couple of days ago, remained the epicentre of the current outbreak. The state Labor opposition, which has marched in lockstep with Berejiklian, has not issued a word of criticism over the police deployment or anything else. The release Thursday of the Department of Labors (DOL) latest weekly unemployment claims report gives an indication of the economic and social crisis facing workers and their families more than 16 months into the coronavirus pandemic. According to the report, 373,000 jobless workers applied for state unemployment benefits, a slight increase over the previous week, and an additional 99,000 filed for assistance under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. The report was received with consternation within corporate boardrooms and both big business parties. They had hoped that the early termination of supplementary unemployment benefits by over half of the states would have forced more workers to accept dangerous and low-paying jobs, despite the new surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the reopening of businesses and schools and the lifting of virtually all remaining social distancing and safety measures, carried out in the face of the spread of the virulent Delta variant. Pedestrians wait in line to collect fresh produce and shelf-stable pantry items outside Barclays Center as Food Bank For New York City provides assistance to those in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) The DOL report also found that more than 14.2 million Americans were still receiving some form of unemployment payment through June 19. Meanwhile, economists estimate that there are some nine million job openings across the US, the majority centered in the low-paying service, retail and seasonal tourist industries. The 472,000 combined state and federal claims filed for the week ending July 3, which is double the pre-pandemic average, came despite the fact that 26 states have announced plans or have already begun to eliminate the meager $300-a-week federal supplement included in the Biden administrations American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law this past March. Biden has already announced that he will not seek to extend the federal benefit when it expires on September 6, and the White House has explicitly endorsed the right of Republican-led state governments to turn down the federal funding and terminate the program prematurely, on the grounds that the extra $300 a week is a disincentive to work. In plain English, this translates into: Either work for poverty wages and risk infection and possible death from COVID, or starve! Economists estimate that cutting unemployment pay prematurely in the 26 states will force some four million jobless workers and their families to participate in what NBC News described last month as a bold experiment in compelling workers to fully resume pumping out corporate profits. However, the bold experiment has to date fallen short of expectations. Economists with Morgan Stanley in a recent analysis reported by Forbes found that: ... generous [sic] unemployment benefits are likely no more of a factor than other impediments, including childcare, transportation and health concerns, to workplace re-entry. The same report found that states that eliminated benefits on June 19, including Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming, had only slightly larger declines in continued unemployment claims through May compared to states that are eliminating benefits but have not yet done so12 percent compared to 8.7 percent. States that have not announced plans to terminate benefits early saw a 4 percent decline in continued unemployment claims through May. The group of economists, led by Sarah Wolfe and Ellen Zentner, wrote that they could find only mixed evidence that ending benefits early had an effect on workers seeking employment, adding: Stripping out the disincentive effect of unemployment benefits on the labor market recovery is not simple. As the ruling class and the entire political establishment rush to fully reopen the economy, they are centrally concerned by the development of a tight labor market, which gives workers, particularly lower paid workers, a degree of leverage in seeking better-paying positions and, in general, pushing for wage increases after decades of stagnating or declining wages. This hinders the drive to utilize the pandemic to further cut wages and increase the exploitation of the working class. The Biden administrations response is three-pronged: Allow the pandemic-triggered relief to expire, support the corporatist trade unions in their efforts to suppress mounting working class militancy, and promote identity, and particularly racial, politics to divide and disorient the working class. Even with the temporary $300-a-week federal supplement, the combined total of state and federal benefits falls far short of meeting the basic needs of working class families. In many states, the amount does not replace even half of a workers normal earnings. Despite having control of both houses of Congress and the presidency, the Democratic Party has not lifted a finger to preserve the $300-a-week stipend, which is already a 50 percent cut from the $600-a-week supplement passed as part of last years CARES Act. The coming expiration of federal unemployment benefits, coupled with the ending of the Centers for Disease Control eviction moratorium at the end of July, has pushed thousands of families into homeless shelters, tents or cramped living situations with friends or relatives. This past week, the Eviction Lab at Princeton University made public data collected in conjunction with the Las Vegas Review-Journal over the past year showing that despite the moratorium, thousands of evictions have been processed in metro-Las Vegas, including 4,559 in November 2020 alone. The fact that in November filings were 50 percent above what they are normallythats not the case in really any of the other cities we track, Jacob Hass, a research specialist at the Eviction Lab, told the newspaper. Haas noted that the November spike occurred after Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak allowed the state-wide moratorium to expire on October 15, before renewing it on December 14. Overall, between March 15, 2020 and May 27, 2021 Clark County (Las Vegas) had an estimated 22,400 eviction filings, which is more than any other similarly sized area studied by the researchers. For comparisons sake, Dallas County, Texas, which has a larger population than Clark County, had nearly 4,000 fewer evictions, 18,600, over the same time period. Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania recorded 5,200 evictions total. An online meeting of over 440 staff at the University of Sydney (USYD) last Wednesday passed a resolution in support of the campaign launched by students to demand the reinstatement of Dr. Frank Valckenborgh, a highly-appreciated mathematics lecturer at Macquarie University who was told last month that he was being made redundant. University of Sydney [Source: Facebook] The resolution, which was presented from the floor by a member of the Committee for Public Education (CFPE), established by the Socialist Equality Party, stated: This meeting of the University of Sydney National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) branch supports the fight initiated by students at Macquarie University for the reinstatement of Dr. Frank Valckenborgh. We oppose the Hunger Games-style destruction of jobs at Macquarie University, the University of Sydney, and all other universities. University staff are not responsible for the pandemic, or the pro-market restructuring of universities and we should not have to pay for it. According the NTEU officials, 96 percent of those present voted for the motion. That is another indication of the underlying striving by university workers and students to fight the ongoing historic offensive against jobs and conditions, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This sentiment contrasts with the opposition of the NTEU to any unified nationwide struggle, which has allowed the assault to deepen, with the latest being the axing of 130 professional staff jobs at Adelaide University, rationalisation of underperforming programs and courses, and a review of the academic workforce. Moving the resolution, the CFPE member said: We should take our lead from the students at Macquarie University. The NTEU has shown it will not carry forward a unified struggle. Last year it allowed up to 90,000 university jobs to be destroyed. The brutal spill and fill regime used by Macquarie University to sack Valckenborgh by forcing educators to compete with each other for a slashed number of jobs has been paralleled at other departments and universities. That includes the architecture department at the University of Queensland, where the NTEU responded by convincing five academics to take voluntary redundancies. In November last year staff in USYDs pathology and physiology departments were told the number of academic positions in the two departments were being reduced from 41 to 25, and they would have to reapply for jobs. Wednesdays meeting was called to vote on the NTEUs log of claims for the start of union-management negotiations on a new Enterprise Agreement (EA). The meeting exposed the line-up behind the union leadership by representatives of pseudo-left groups, who all hailed the deliberately vague log of claims. NTEU state secretary Damien Cahill set the leaderships tone for the meeting by saying the current Liberal National government was actively attacking universities. He was silent on the role of previous Labor Party governments in cutting university funding and implementing pro-market reforms. Cahill claimed that enterprise bargaining is our opportunity to come together collectively as union members and begin the process of building back better. The record shows that the opposite is true. Over the past three decades, enterprise agreements have been the mechanism for the imposition of sweeping pro-business restructuring measures, as well as the job destruction over the past 18 months. Likewise, USYD NTEU branch officials insisted that the log of claims would improve working conditions, despite the largely meaningless language leaving wide scope for the union to strike further regressive deals with management. The CFPE member who moved the resolution on Valckenborgh called for the entire log to be rejected. By contrast to the empty proposals for protections against excessive or uncompensated overtime, the only concrete measures were for closer partnerships between the management and union representatives on consultation committees. The CFPE member warned that the union-management committees would be the mechanisms for implementing further cuts. He also opposed the unions acceptance of casual contracts and called for them to be abolished in favour of full permanency for all staff. We need to oppose the decades-long restructuring agenda by Labor and Coalition governments at the behest of corporate elite, which the NTEUs enterprise agreements have facilitated, he said. Universities must be transformed into educational institutions and not businesses. We need a broad movement of academics, staff, and students against the restructuring. The CFPE member called for the formation of a rank-and-file committee to organise a fight against the assault on jobs and conditions, and concluded by inviting those present to attend the joint CFPE and International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) online public meeting on Saturday July 17 at 4 p.m.: Oppose the job cuts at Macquarie University! Build rank-and-file committees to defend public education! By contrast, members of various pseudo-left fronts, such as NTEU Fightback, the Casuals Network and the National Higher Education Action Network, spoke or posted chats to praise the log of claims and defend it against criticism by rank-and-file union members. One told the meeting she was really happy with this log of claims. It was actually quite impressive and the most concrete log of claims weve ever had. That was straight after a casual academic objected that the log was too vague on the conversion of casuals to permanent staff. The casual educator said the document could mean a continuation of being employed in both semesters every year for seven years, but denied full-time status. Other pseudo-left representatives hailed the consultative process through which the log was drafted. Small working groups had discussed aspects of the log. Essentially the purpose was to incorporate people into the union-management bargaining straitjacket. For the pseudo-lefts, this was another opportunity to seek posts within the union hierarchy. In this way the pseudo-left members sought to shut down all opposition from staff, helping the NTEU officials to secure a vote to endorse the log of claims, with 12 votes against. That underscores the necessity for the formation of a network of joint rank-and-file committees of staff and students, completely independent of the union, to initiate a unified fight against the assault on jobs and conditions, and link up with students, educators and all workers internationally who are facing similar critical struggles against the impact of the worsening global public health and economic crisis. That means rejecting the dictates of the financial elite and turning to a socialist program based on the working class taking power in order to totally reorganise society in the interests of all. The joint CFPE-IYSSE meeting on July 17 will outline and discuss this perspective. To participate you must register here. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said vaccinated teachers and students dont need to wear masks inside school buildings, further loosening guidelines for reopening schools even as COVID-19 cases surge throughout the country. The CDC likewise advised schools to reopen even if they cannot guarantee three feet of distance between students. The new measures are a blunt and provocative stand by the Biden Administration, making clear that no matter how widely the Delta variantwhich is particularly dangerous to childrenspreads, there will be no reversal of the plan to return to full in-person instruction. Teachers condemned the CDCs mandate, which will inevitably lead to the deaths of students, teachers and family members. I think its dangerous, said Mike Hull, a former history teacher in Texas. While the vaccine may lessen serious symptoms, there remains a possibility that coronavirus can be spread to unvaccinated people and eventually take on more problematic mutations. The best policy would be to continue wearing masks, especially with so many unvaccinated people out there. What does it hurt, especially in schools where many of the younger kids wont be vaccinated? There are more than 50 million school-aged children that are enrolled in classes throughout the US. Of those aged 12 to 17, who make up about half of all school attendees, only one out of three have received a COVID-19 vaccine. The implication here is that about 42 million children will be forced to return to school where little has been done to improve ventilation and air-conditioning systems while attempting to adhere to at least three feet of social distancing. Masks are encouraged for those unvaccinated. All the while, the CDC continues to ignore the now established fact that COVID-19 is an airborne disease, and these measures will do little to mitigate infections throughout schools. Despite the rising contribution children make to infections, with the American Academy of Pediatricians highlighting they comprise 14 percent of all cases to date, proponents of school reopening like economist Emily Oster of Brown University have touted that death among children is infrequent and continue to endorse now the refuted rationale that they are less likely to transmit the coronavirus. This is simply irresponsible and unsupported by the facts! The current rise in cases across the UK has been fueled by young people, despite the present restrictions that remain in place. In the Imperial College Londons ongoing real-time assessment of community transmission (REACT1) study, they showed that the surge that began in late May was driven by school-age children with a five-fold higher rate of COVID-19 test positivity among this group compared to those over the age of 65. Epidemiologist Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, who has been a staunch advocate for a policy to eradicate the virus, tweeted, The spread among school-age children and young adults is frankly quite shocking. The almost vertical line here says it all. Yet, Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to endorse easing most COVID-19 restrictions and dropping quarantine requirements by July 19, 2021. Figure 1 Weekly confirmed COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by age group in the UK On Wednesday, a group of more than 4,000 health and science experts published a letter in the Lancet calling the governments go-ahead with Freedom Day a dangerous and unethical experiment. Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organizations health emergencies program, said of the UKs policy, The logic that more people infected is better is logic that I think has proven its moral emptiness and epidemiological stupidity. In tourist hotspots in Spain and Portugal, teenagers and young adults have seen a similar rise in cases. For those 20 to 29 years of age, the infection rate has risen above an astounding 2,000 per 100,000 people over two weeks. Germany and Belgium have placed Catalonia and several areas of Spain on their red list advising travelers of the dangers of travel to these regions. In Israel, with most adults vaccinated, over half of the countrys new COVID-19 infections last month were in those 19 years or younger. To suggest that only two percent of children develop serious illness requiring hospitalization and only a tiny fraction of this number die is a callous and irresponsible approach. With millions of children potentially vulnerable, these will amount to thousands of unnecessary deaths cutting down those who have not even reached the prime of their lives. Already, 4,200 children have developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare but serious condition that affects its victims hearts and blood vessels. Additionally, public health officials have been reluctant to acknowledge the potentially devastating impact Long COVID will have in this age group. It is not an adults-only phenomenon, as STAT News characterized it. Numbers are difficult to come by. Studies on adults place the number affected by prolonged symptoms of the complication at one in three COVID-19 patients. Pasting together data from small studies out of Italy and more extensive population studies in the UK, experts surmise that somewhere between seven to 20 percent of children and adolescents infected with the virus will develop the condition, which includes fast resting heart rates, headaches, stomach aches, fatigue and sleep disturbances, brain fog, to name just a few of the maladies. Dreaded conditions include heart and lung dysfunctions. Recent studies have also elucidated that COVID-19 can impact the brains gray matter in regions where memory is registered. Much of this data has been elucidated from previous strains of the coronavirus. Information is emerging that the Delta variant may also be more deadly and lead to more severe disease, which may skew these numbers upward even for young people. Scientists at the Guangdong Provincial CDC have found that those infected with the Delta variant were more infectious in the early stage of the disease, harboring viral loads 1,000 times higher than those infected with the original strain first detected in Wuhan, China. Cases and hospitalizations across the US are climbing in line with every other nation that has seen the Delta variant dominate. The strain, which now accounts for more than 50 percent of all genetically sequenced cases in the US, is proving to not only be more transmissible but immune evading. Efficacy data between the Delta and Alpha variants has shown a higher rate of breakthrough infections with the newer strain. Figure 2 Seven-day rolling average of the percent of B.1.617.2 9 (Delta variant) sequences in the US The recent data out of Israel had officials most concerned that the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was only 64 percent effective at preventing symptomatic infection after complete vaccination, implying a high breakthrough infection rate and the concern that fully vaccinated individuals may very well be vectors of transmission. Yet, the CDC has advised that vaccinated people should not be tested unless they are symptomatic. Perhaps the most critical aspect of the pandemic has been the seminal impact large clusters of infection have had on the perpetuation of the pandemic through the emergence of new strains of the coronavirus. By converging evolutionary pathways, the coronavirus has found mechanisms to increase its contagiousness and potentially become more immune evading, decreasing the efficacy of current vaccines against it. Besides the health of young children, which must be furiously guarded, the reopening of schools and the abandoning of all public health measures creates a situation that has been repeated in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, India and Peruthe potential emergence of a still more vicious iteration of the coronavirus. Warrior Met Coal miners remain kept in the dark on negotiations by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) as their strike reached its 100th day on Friday amid intensified violence by Warrior Met Coal employees. A rash of vehicular assaults in June sent more than one picket to local hospitals. Miners have alleged that scabs have pulled guns on them as they enter and exit the mine. On July 8, a miners wife picketing on the side of the road was struck by a scabs car as he turned in at the Warrior Met Campus. Screenshot from video of worker struck by truck. (Source: United Mine Workers of America) He hit me on the right side of my body and just kept on going! the victim said on a video provided by the union. The sheriff told me that another sheriff would have to see it for there to be probable cause. Another picket remarked: They saw it! And she wasnt even in the road. He just literally hit her with his car. They mess us over with our jobs, with our insurance. They mess us out of our jobs, and our families are paying for it. And on top of that, they want us to be mistreated on the picket lines. Warrior Met has refused to address the violence against the miners. The company alleges that transformers that power the mines have been shot out or otherwise damaged on three different occasions between May 15 and June 12, implying that these acts were carried out by pickets. On June 30, the Alabama Mining Association (AMA) announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the damage. The AMA states on its website, Damage to this equipment impacted public utility service and can seriously endanger the health and safety of the companys workers. On the public Facebook page Whats Really Happening in Brookwood, Alabama, scabs and their supporters have claimed that the destruction of the transformers amounted to attempted murder, saying that the transformers interrupted the power to the ventilation systems used by miners underground at the time. Others pointed out that the mines all have backup generators. None of these allegations were raised until June 30, despite the first incident occurring in May. In the midst of these attacks against striking miners, the UMWA is continuing its efforts to isolate the Warrior Met strike while keeping workers in the dark about negotiations. The union isnt telling us anything, a miner told the WSWS this week. The same miner also alleges that the union leadership was encouraging violence on the picket lines. UMWA President Cecil Roberts has continued to perform acts of political theater. On June 15, Roberts had pickets and supporters park their trucks end-to-end to block company driveways as members shouted, You aint working tonight! at the frustrated scabs. The police ordered the trucks towed and broke up the pickets. This act followed a stunt protest Roberts organized in May, when he staged a sit-in, encouraging miners to walk onto Warrior Met property and sit down to block an entrance to Number 7 Mine. Eleven were arrested and held overnight in Tuscaloosa County Jail, with police warning that future arrests would result in being held until trial. The entire labor bureaucracy has likewise attempted to spin gold from the miners struggle. On July 9, Jacob Morrison, an AFL-CIO functionary in Alabama, penned an article for the UMWAs website, framing Roberts theatrics as the democratic actions of the entire rank-and-file. He also stated that Warrior Met CEO Walter Scheller III was negotiating in good faith. Morrison finished with an account of the unions stunt protest held on June 22 in Manhattan, when 14 UMWA members demonstrated against Warrior Mets investors. Morrison proudly pointed out that labor leaders Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union [RWDSU], and Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, marched alongside them. Last month, Morrison tweeted that miners demands for higher strike pay would liquidate the UMWAs assets, characterizing the demand as clueless. Throughout the United States, union membership has dropped precipitously over the past decades. This is the direct result of tactics such as the UMWA has used at Warrior Metprotracted, isolated strikes, pushing unbearable contracts down their throats, and behaving as if picket lines are the personal pulpits of the AFL-CIO leadership. This is the reason the RWDSU failed in its push to unionize Amazons Bessemer facility. This is also the reason that the entire AFL-CIO is using the Warrior Met strike to rehabilitate its image from that of a corrupt and pandering syndicate, a branch of management to which workers must pay dues. Workers are not complacent; this is obvious in the resolve of Warrior Met pickets, and it is increasingly obvious throughout the US. Also on Friday, Volvo Trucks workers in Dublin, Virginia, powerfully rebuffed the third concessionary contract negotiated by the company and the United Auto Workers (UAW). In Topeka, Kansas, 600 Frito-Lay workers have gone on strike after rejecting four tentative agreements pushed by the company and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) union. In 2016, the UMWA pushed a contract upon Warrior Met miners that resulted in the longest hours for the least pay of any unionized mine in the country. Certain terms of the contract echoed conditions miners faced 100 years ago, with miners bonuses tied to their production rates and to the price of coal. These were terms the UMWA rejected militantly in its early days. The union promised that they would negotiate better terms when the contract came up for renewal. Instead, the union, fully cognizant of all that the miners had given up, reached a tentative agreement with the company at the end of March that offered miners a mere $1.50 per hour more over a three-year period. This pittance, coming after the $6 pay cut miners took in 2016, would be eaten up by the skyrocketing cost of living and was thus roundly rejected by the rank and file. To take forward their struggle, Warrior Met miners must immediately form a rank-and-file committee to assert their own, independent interests in opposition to the UMWA bureaucracy, which is doing everything in its power to isolate and betray their strike. Warrior Met miners must follow the lead of the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee (VWRFC), which has played a major role in defeating the three sellout contracts negotiated by the UAW, and has forged links with autoworkers and other workers throughout the US and globally. A combined, cross-industry struggle by Warrior Met miners, Volvo workers, ATI steelworkers in Pennsylvania and other states, St. Vincent nurses in Massachusettsall of whom are currently on strike and being isolated by their unionswould send shock waves internationally and galvanize broader sections of the working class to enter into struggle. We urge all Warrior Met miners to contact the World Socialist Web Site today to take up this fight. We will provide assistance in every manner possible to connect your struggle with those of the international working class. Ever dreamed of opening an artisan boutique and settling down for good in an idyllic village in Italy's deep south where it's warm almost all year-round -- and get paid to do it? For those willing to take the plunge, it could soon no longer be just a dream. The region of Calabria plans to offer up to 28,000 ($33,000) over a maximum of three years to people willing to relocate to sleepy villages with barely 2,000 inhabitants in the hope of reversing years of population decline. These include locations near the sea or on mountainsides -- or both. This isn't money for nothing, however. To get the funds, new residents must also commit to kickstarting a small business, either from scratch or by taking up preexisting offers of specific professionals wanted by the towns. There are a few other catches, too. Applicants must take up residency and -- sorry boomers -- be a maximum of 40 years old. They must be ready to relocate to Calabria within 90 days from their successful application. It's hoped the offer will attract pro-active young people and millennials eager to work. Gianluca Gallo, a regional councilor, tells CNN the monthly income could be in the range of 1,000-800 for two to three years. Alternatively, there could be one off funding to support the launch of a new commercial activity -- be it a B&B, restaurant, bar, rural farm, or store. "We're honing the technical details, the exact monthly amount and duration of the funds, and whether to include also slightly larger villages with up to 3,000 residents," he tells CNN. "We've had so far a huge interest from villages and hopefully, if this first scheme works, more are likely to follow in coming years." New life Dubbed "active residency income," the project aims to boost the appeal of Calabria as a spot for "south-work" -- the rebranded southern Italy version of remote working -- explains Gianpietro Coppola, mayor of Altomonte, who contributed to the scheme. He says it's a more targeted approach to revitalizing small communities than the one euro house sell offs that have recently hit headlines. "We want this to be an experiment of social inclusion. Draw people to live in the region, enjoy the settings, spruce up unused town locations such as conference halls and convents with high-speed internet. Uncertain tourism and the one euro houses are not the best ways to revamp Italy's south," says Coppola. The "active residency income" project -- and application process -- are expected to be launched online in the next few weeks. The region has been working on it for months and has already earmarked more than 700,000 for the project. The region of Molise and the town of Candela, in Puglia, have adopted similar schemes in past years as an alternative to selling crumbling homes for the cost of an espresso. Over 75% of Calabria towns -- roughly 320 -- currently have fewer than 5,000 residents, leading to fears that some communities could die out completely in a few years unless regeneration occurs. "The goal is to boost the local economy and breathe new life into small-scale communities," adds Gallo. "We want to make demand for jobs meet supply, that's why we've asked villages to tell us what type of professionals they're missing to attract specific workers." As global travel resumes and Italy welcomes back tourists, visiting the region this summer might be a good way to get a feel of the Calabrian village life. Here's a roundup of the most picturesque places you might end up living in. Civita At first even Italian speakers might feel a little lost here. Locals speak a weird-sounding slavic dialect called Arbereshe. The community was founded in the 1400s by Albanians fleeing the Turkish empire. Perched on a rocky cliff within the wild Pollino national park once inhabited by bandits and outlaws, this tiny hamlet of barely 1,000 people is what "authentic" Calabria is all about. The Raganello river gorge, Italy's largest canyon, is dotted with human-shaped rocks. A serpentine path goes down to the "Devil's bridge." Old traditions, Byzantine rituals and peculiar foods live on. Old houses are connected by circular narrow alleys dubbed "wrinkles" and have scary-looking chimneys believed to keep evil at bay. Samo and Precacore You'll get the thrill of living in two ancient hamlets at the same time here. Samo was founded by ancient Greeks looking for shelter on the hills but not too far from the shore, turning the village into their "harbor." Time stands still. In the morning the smell of newly baked bread and fresh cheese wafts over the village as women leave their low-cut peasant stone houses carrying baskets of food on their heads, just like in the old days. The best part of Samo is its sister-ghost hamlet of Precacore, rising right in front over the valley. From Samo's main piazza a little winding road departs uphill to the abandoned district. Locals fled following a series of quakes but today Precacore has been brought back from the grave and comes to life during summer. Hikers, tourists and descendants of former families flock here to admire the Greek-Byzantine ruins. Aieta Founded on the ashes of a Greek settlement, the village lies close to the cozy beaches of Maratea and Praia a Mare. It's tiny but elegant. Dwellings with red tiled roofs are clustered at the feet of a majestic fortress with panoramic loggia. Renaissance palazzos and lavish stone portals offer a glimpse of Tuscany in Calabria. Eagles and wolves inhabit the woods. Trekking routes lead to the nearby villages of Papasidero, Laino Borgo and Laino castello. Bova Legends says an Armenian queen built this village on a hill where cows grazed -- hence the name which nods to the term "cattle" in Italian (bue). Known as the region's "natural balcony" for the mesmerizing coastline scenery, it's located right on the tip of Italy's boot close to Sicily, in the heart of "Greek Calabria" which flourished with settlers from ancient Greece. Noble stone mansions with elaborate portals are situated below the cliffhanging ruins of a Norman castle. Strolling through the narrow alleys you can still hear the clacking of old looms. Weaving tradition dates back millennia, and the unique fibre broom plant is still picked on the peaks of the nearby Aspromonte mountains. Fresh goat milk is on sale each day. Ethnic music festivals, a Byzantine Easter party with fruit decorations and a picturesque carnival are top events. Caccuri This spectacular hilltop castle, built as a lookout post against pirate raids, overlooks a maze of alleys, stone homes and tiny piazzas with private entrances. Across centuries powerful feudal families ruled over the village, killing and poisoning each other. Olive groves dot the hills and produce a premium extra virgin olive oil. Part of the fortress, featuring high walls and a loggia tower hiding inside a cistern, has been turned into an elegant designer resort. Albidona Set at an altitude of 850 meters but with territory stretching all the way to the sea, this community enjoys an enclosed pinewood and a cozy beach featuring a Saracen tower. It's close to the border with Basilicata and Puglia, making it an ideal spot for touring all three regions and getting the most from the Pollino national park and the warm sunny coast. With a 10-minute car ride locals can hop downhill for a swim or uphill for a refreshing yoga or trekking session. Legend says it was founded by a blind seer fleeing from burning Troy. Ruins of a crumbling castle overlook cherry, almonds, and wild apple orchards. The terrain is made of the same stuff as that of the Ionian Sea in Greece. Sant'Agata del Bianco A rural vibe survives in this collection of humble peasant dwellings where thick yellowish stone walls and painted green doors whisk tourists back into the past. The entire village and its rough cobble alleys have been neatly restyled. The local "Palmenti Route" trail takes in a network of old wells cut into the rocky ground and once used to make wine. Dating back to Greek and Byzantine times, these are an open-air piece of history. Colorful wall paintings show poem verses, faces of smiling children and people drinking at the bar. Fun attractions include the wine museum and the museum of "lost things" belonging to the rural world. Santa Severina This village rises on a tuff rock cliff overlooking the Neto River. It's built in layers depending upon wealth: palazzos belonging to the richer families are at the top of the hill, the humble dwellings below, dug into the rock. There's a Greek and Hebrew district with palm trees. The baptistery here is the oldest Byzantine monument in Calabria, while the impressive well-kept castle features frescoed undergrounds and stables. Santa Severina is known for its oranges. Villagers are dubbed Aranciaru, meaning "orange-eaters" in local dialect. Oranges grown here are the pride of Calabria, due to the fertile soil and exceptional nutritional qualities. They're sought after in top restaurants and fruit shows. San Donato di Ninea Dating back to before Greek colonization, this charming village lies in the deepest area of Calabria's Pollino national park. It's so remote and tucked away on the hills that barely anyone outside of Calabria knew it existed up until the 1970s. The view from high up on the peaks takes in the region's two seas: the Ionian and Tyrrhenian. This untouched and pristine location is home to many wild animals and plants and is considered one of Italy's top wilderness reserves. Orchids grow along mountain trails unwinding to panoramic huts. It's a chestnut heaven with popular food fairs. Keep an eye on the region's website for news of the project. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Local businesses around the Wabash Valley are stepping up to show their support following the death of Detective Greg Ferency. Baesler's Market wanted to step up and do something for the entire community. The store delivered flower arrangements to the department. Kristine O'Hare with Baeslers tells us the community needs to support the department at all times, not just when tragedy strikes. "In times like this people just need to know that others care, and we are here for them. And everyone involved, we just wanted to show that we are here for them and wanted to do our best to show them that." Another business that is showing its support is Maggie and Moe's Flower Shop. You see on your screen that the business now has a thin blue line around the building. Local law enforcement say displays like these mean the world to them. "The outpouring of community support, it just shows Greg's life meant something. It shows what we do everyday matters to the community," says Sheriff John Plasse. It's tough and it affects us all. And it affects the community and local law enforcement. It just rocks your foundation," says Sheriff Clark Cottom. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - We are learning more about the shooting that killed Detective Greg Ferency. News 10 has been going over the criminal complaint filed in federal court. Here's a breakdown of the events according to those documents. July 7 - The FBI resident agency office at 21 West Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute The probable cause, filed by an FBI Special Agent, says Detective Ferency was working as an FBI Task Force Officer the day he was killed. The document alleges at 2:03, Shane Meehan pulled up to the gate of the secured entrance. He allegedly got out of his truck and tossed a Molotov Cocktail at the FBI office. Soon after Meehan allegedly tossed the Molotov Cocktail, Detective Ferency came out of the building. Meehan allegedly shot Ferency. Ferency was able to return fire but ultimately died from his wounds. Hearing the gunshots, FBI Special Agent Ryan Lindgren ran out of the office and got into a shootout with Meehan. Officials say after he was shot twice, by either Ferency or Lindgren, Meehan took off in his truck. July 7 - Terre Haute Regional Hospital - South 7th Street in Terre Haute Police later found Meehan at Terre Haute Regional Hospital on the city's southside. At Regional, Meehan went into surgery for his gunshot wounds. Meehan's truck was in the Regional Hospital parking lot. Law enforcement received a federal search warrant to search the truck. During the search, officials said they found a Smith & Wesson M&P 45 semi-automatic handgun with one round loaded in the chamber. They said two more rounds of .45 ammo were found in the front seat. Along with the gun and ammo, federal officials said they found three Molotov Cocktails, two empty boxes of ammo, and another handgun magazine. July 9 - Charged while still in the hospital A minute entry in the federal court log shows Shane Meehan had an initial hearing and has been formally charged in the death of Terre Haute Detective Greg Ferency. The hearing happened Friday at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. According to the court filing, Meehan was not able to fully take part in the hearing. The filing cited physical discomfort and the administration of pain medication. The court ordered Meehans court-appointed counsel to file a status report every Friday with an update on Meehans readiness to appear and court and to fully participate in future proceedings. Meehan was remanded to the custody of the US Marshal pending further proceedings before the court. Meehan faces a charge of the premeditated murder of a federal agent. If he is convicted, he could receive life in prison. Who was Detective Greg Ferency? Detective Ferency was a 30-year veteran with the Terre Haute Police Department. He's worked as a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2010; Ferency was a teacher, training officers on how to handle the toughest of situations. He did many risk assessments of violent crime scenes. Above all that, he was a family member. Ferency was the father of two adult children. A memorial for Ferency is in place out outside of the Terre Haute Police Department on Wabash Avenue. People have dropped off flowers, signs, shirts, and other things to honor the police veteran. On Friday, the Terre Haute Police Department announced service information for Detective Ferency. Visitation will be Monday, July 12, from 2 pm to 7 pm at the Hulman Center. The funeral will be held at the Human Center on Tuesday, July 13, starting at 11 am. Memorial Fund The Terre Haute Police Department says a memorial fund has been set up for Detective Greg Ferency. If you'd like to show support and donate to the fund, it is set up at First Financial Bank. You can stop in at any location. The donations will go directly to the Ferency family. Who is Shane Meehan? In 2019, Shane Meehan was one of four candidates running for Terre Haute mayor. News 10 interviewed Meehan in the studio. He did not take part in any of the mayoral debates or candidate forums. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed with News 10, Meehan was a correctional officer at the Terre Haute facility from 2005 to 2017. We've submitted a Freedom of Information request to learn more about how Meehan's employment ended at the prison. We've also requested information on disciplinary records. So far, we haven't heard back. SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTHI) - We have an update about a problem with an emergency outdoor siren in the town of Sullivan, Indiana. Many people reported hearing sirens near Park View Terrace on the night of June 27th. Officials confirmed it was a malfunction with the siren itself. News 10 reached back out to Jim Pirtle, the Sullivan County EMA director, to see if the siren has been fixed. He says they are ordering a part that needs to be replaced. However, Pirtle mentioned the siren is currently fixed and operational. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Tupelo police arrested and charged Martin Alcala for burglary and the theft of approximately $15,000 worth of goods. On Friday, July 9, 2021, Tupelo police detectives arrested 35-year-old Martin Candelario Alcala of Walls, Mississippi for burglary of a commercial building. The initial incident happened on July 7, 2021. On that day, Alcala stole approximately $15,000 dollars in tools and equipment from a construction site on Parkgate Extended. The investigation into that theft led officers to arrest Alcala just two days later. A judge at the Tupelo Municipal Court set Alcala's bond at $150,000 for one count of burglary of a commercial building. Because the investigation is still ongoing, other charges are pending. Anyone with information about this incident or other crimes is asked to contact the Tupelo Police Department at 662-841-6491 or Crime Stoppers of North East Mississippi at 800-773-TIPS. Update - Suspect faces more charges for construction site burglaries in Tupelo President Joe Biden is spending Saturday at a cherry farm in Michigan where he plans to talk up his bipartisan infrastructure package and additional investments in families and education Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. West Virginia Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, represents the 15th Senatorial District, which includes Morgan and Hampshire counties and parts of Berkeley and Mineral counties. Prior to being elected Senate President in 2021, he served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Government Organization. Morgantown, WV (26505) Today Mostly cloudy. High 82F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Senior staff writer Kailee Kroll can be reached at (304)626-1439, by email at kkroll@theet.com or on Twitter at @kaileekroll. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/white-gen-x-and-millennial-evangelicals-are-losing-faith-in-the-conservative-culture-wars-162407 . Good Morning America England, which has faced more than 14 months of lockdowns as the COVID-19 pandemic raged and waned, is set to fully reopen July 19, despite a rising caseload in one of the most vaccinated places in the world. While the other nations of the U.K. -- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- are responsible for setting their own restrictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has moved forward with the plan to end social distancing in England, having already delayed reopening by a month. The vulnerable section of the population has been told by the government follow the same guidance as everyone else, but they may wish to think particularly carefully about additional precautions you might wish to continue to take. A plow maintains the beach out front as search and rescue personnel work atop the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo building, where scores of people remain missing one week after it partially collapsed, Friday, July 2, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Mark Humphrey/Associated Press The death toll of the Surfside building collapse has jumped to 86, officials said Saturday. Recovery efforts remain underway, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. Of those dead, 62 victims have been identified so far, Levine Cava said. The death toll in the Surfside, Florida condominium that collapsed has risen to 86 amid ongoing recovery efforts, local officials said. "The team has recovered additional victims since our last report so the total number now of confirmed deaths is 86," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a press conference on Saturday morning. Officials on Wednesday shifted their efforts from rescue to recovery. Levine Cava said that 62 of the victims have been identified and 43 people still "potentially unaccounted for" at the site. "It's also important to note that we can only truly account for a missing person who is deceased once the identification is made," Levine Cava said. The Champlain Towers South Condo partially collapsed on June 24. The remaining part of the building was demolished on July 4 as authorities sought to avoid potential issues related to Tropical Strom Elsa. Since the initial collapse, an inspection report from 2018 revealed that the building had "major structural damage" including "abundant" cracking. A resident filed a lawsuit in 2015 regarding the maintenance of the building. Structural engineers have been at the scene of the collapse since July 5 to gather more information alongside emergency authorities, NPR reported. Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology were also deployed to examine clues around the building's breakdown and have made "significant progress," Levine Cava said on July 9. "They've now collected over 200 pieces of evidence and they recently deployed scientists from the physics measurement lab in Washington to assist with the analysis," she said, according to the Miami Herald. "Please pray for all of those who lost love ones and whose hearts are broken from this unspeakable tragedy," Levine Canva said on Saturday. Read the original article on Insider BIA is taking the music industry by storm with her remix of "Whole Lotta Money" featuring Nicki Minaj. Barbs, meet BIA. Nicki Minaj joined rapper BIA on the remix of her pretty girl anthem "Whole Lotta Money," which the duo (dubbed "BarBIA") rolled out on Minaj's Instagram Live Friday. BIA's 2020 hit single went viral on TikTok with over 275,000 streams, attracting star support from Cardi B, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and even Minaj, who said she wanted to jump on the official remix after being impressed with BIA's lyricism. "The lines felt fresh to me. It felt fresh for hip-hop," Minaj said on Instagram Live. "Blessings on the future of your career. Thank you for being a genuine sweetheart." Here are some things to know about the up-and-coming rapper BIA: Nicki Minaj is back! Rapper rereleases 'Beam Me Up Scotty' mixtape on streaming services with new songs This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She's Boston bred BIA, whose full name is Bianca Landrau, is from Medford, Massachusetts, mere miles from Boston, which would hardly be considered the rap mecca of the world. She said her hometown has definitely made her feel like an "underdog." "When you live in a certain place or youre from a certain place," the rapper told Spin in May, "they dont really respect it as much." The Puerto Rican and Italian-American rapper graduated from Medford High School and briefly attended college before dropping out ("School wasnt for me") to pursue music full time. "I was bartending and working all types of jobs to make things happen," she told Latino USA in 2017. BIA moved to Los Angeles in 2017. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. She's a former reality star BIA appeared on rapper T.I.'s Oxygen series, "Sisterhood of Hip Hop," which followed five female rappers trying to make it in the male-dominated music industry. She was a cast member on the first two seasons in 2014 and 2015, but not the third: "With reality television, you gotta know when to get in and when to get out." Story continues When asked in 2014 what she wanted people to know about her after watching "Sisterhood of Hip Hop," BIA told Oxygen, "I just want to be an inspiration to people, especially girls." She was discovered by Pharrell Williams, propelled by Rihanna After catching the attention of rapper Fam-Lay through YouTube, BIA was introduced to Grammy award-winning musician Pharrell Williams, who presented her with a "do or die" opportunity during their first encounter. "He threw a song on and said, 'Write a 16 (bar verse) to this. If its good, Ill keep you on (his music label) and if its bad, Im gonna take you off.' That was the first day I met him," she recalled in 2014. "It took me 15, 20 minutes. I went in the studio, recorded it and came out and it was history." As a result, she signed with Williams' I Am Other music label, in partnership with RCA Records, in 2014. She left the label in 2019 after claiming that RCA Records was preventing her from releasing music. She signed with EPIC Records in 2020. BIA released her first EP, "Nice Girls Finish Last: Cuidado," in 2018. She released her second EP, "For Certain," in 2020, which features her hit single "Whole Lotta Money." But she first gained mainstream attention for her features on "Safari" by J Balvin in 2016 and "Best on Earth" by Russ in 2019, which went viral thanks to Rihanna's show-stopping Instagram post. Rihanna called "Best on Earth" her "new fav song." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. "That was one of the best days for me of my career," BIA told HipHopDX in 2020. "Because Rihanna, she is one of my favorite people in the world. And to have a co-sign like that from a peer, it already means a lot." It was a full-circle moment. Just a year earlier, BIA said her dream collaboration would be with "Rih Rih." She's toured with Ariana Grande, Pusha T BIA was an opening act for Pusha T's "Darkest Before the Dawn Tour" in 2016 and a main opener for the European leg of Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman Tour," alongside Victoria Monet. The rapper was on tour in England in May 2017 with Grande when the Manchester Arena bombing occurred, claiming the lives of 22 people as they were leaving the concert. BIA issued a statement after the bombing, telling Billboard, "My heart is heavy today as I extend my prayers to the children and families affected by last nights horrible tragedy in Manchester. We are sending our love to all of Manchester during this incredibly difficult time. We ask each one of you to join us in keeping all who are suffering in your thoughts and prayers." She's a 'girl's girl' BIA said she creates music that makes women feel "powerful because I didn't have nobody that really made me feel like that," she told Nylon in 2018. "I represent women with everything that I do. That's really what it is," she added. "That energy has to really feed and resonate with other women." BIA listed her personal muses as Rihanna, Aaliyah and Selena and previously said she was inspired by Nicki Minaj's flow. The feeling is mutual, leading to their "Whole Lotta Money" collaboration. "I love you @NICKIMINAJ," BIA tweeted Friday after the remix dropped. "I know you didnt have to and you did and you will always have my heart for that. Nothing will ever change that. Thank you." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is BIA? Meet rapper on 'Whole Lotta Money' remix with Nicki Minaj Matt Fitzpatrick will make a last-minute dash to Wembley for Englands Euro 2020 final with Italy and has every chance of doing so as the abrdn Scottish Open champion. Fitzpatrick carded a third round of 67 at the Renaissance Club to share the lead with Belgiums Thomas Detry on 14 under par, although US Open champion and world number one Jon Rahm was ominously poised a shot behind. Australias Lucas Herbert, who won the Irish Open last week, was two shots off the pace following an eagle, birdie, birdie finish to his 64, but Lee Westwood fell four strokes back after two double bogeys in the space of three holes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Fitzpatrick had passed it off as a joke on Friday when he said he had not wanted to play so well in order to get an early tee time on Sunday, but admitted: Im going regardless. Im just going to try. Even if just for the second half, Ill get in. My mates will be there. My brother and three of my pals and Ill just join up with them. Im going to go on a plane, then a car and itll drop me off. Its quite funny because once it happened on Wednesday (the semi-final win over Denmark), I was just telling the lads I have to try and go. I dont care how, Ill just get there and, hopefully, the tee-times work out. I literally could not have put myself in a worse position. I know Im going to switch my phone on and Im going to see a million texts from my mates. Matt Fitzpatrick on the 11th during day three of the abrdn Scottish Open (Jane Barlow/PA) The funny thing is that, deep down, I just knew it was going to happen. But it does show me that, in a way, you have to go out there and not care. Every time something hasnt gone my way Im genuinely thinking Oh well, Ive got more chance of getting there. I think it just shows that, in my personal attitude, I have to be more like that, really. Rahm shared the halfway lead with Detry and Jack Senior, but three-putted the first and third to fall four shots off the pace before recovering superbly with five birdies in the space of eight holes from the sixth. Story continues The 26-year-old Spaniard then missed from a matter of inches on the par-five 16th and conceded: It was not my day on the greens. Ball-striking was great but I left three or four shots out there and some of them should have been an obvious make. Jon Rahm reacts after leaving the 16th green during day three of the abrdn Scottish Open (Jane Barlow/PA) Its easy to blame the conditions or the greens but the truth is I missed them. It is unfortunate that its been happening quite a bit the last few days. Im usually very, very solid inside five feet. Its definitely unusual. But Im making it up with a couple of other longer putts and hitting really, really good shots out there. My iron play was exceptional and it was great off the tee. Hopefully I can keep that going tomorrow and clean up the little mistakes and come out on top. Herbert led from start to finish to win at Mount Juliet last week and felt he had reaped the rewards of taking it easy on his arrival in Scotland. Last week was brutal, just trying to sleep and function off the golf course with the lead and once you get on the course it was another beast, he said. I didnt really do a hell of a lot Monday, Tuesday. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I took it very, very easy and it would have been pretty easy to kind of look at that and feel like I was under prepared, but then I think it was the perfect preparation for me. Its nice to feel like I made the right decision earlier in the week and its nice to get back up near the lead. Westwood had surged into the lead with four birdies in his first seven holes, but fluffed his third shot on the 11th to run up a double bogey and then pulled his drive into a bush on the 13th to repeat the costly error. Senior did well to birdie two of his last three holes to return a 73 and finish nine under after needing four attempts to get out of thick rough to the left of the green to run up a triple-bogey seven. Jul. 9The drug epidemic has been overshadowed by the coronavirus for months, but that doesn't mean it disappeared. Now that the hold of the virus is decreasing, local and federal officials think it's time to bring public awareness of the drug problem back to the forefront. A summit planned for Wednesday at Saint Vincent College will address trafficking trends and the latest advancements in treatment and recovery. "The problem certainly hasn't lessened during the pandemic," acting U.S. Attorney Steve Kaufman said. He has been coordinating the 2021 Western Pennsylvania Drug Summit with staff members in his Pittsburgh office, Saint Vincent officials and others throughout the region. The event will include information on drug trafficking trends and best practices in treating addiction as well as a range of panelists discussing treatment and research. There will be recorded remarks from Regina LaBelle, acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and other speakers will be in person. "We really want to put some possible solutions out there for folks it is possible to recover," Kaufman said. On the trafficking side, there is new information organizers want to get out to the public, in particular about the prevalence of fentanyl, counterfeit pills and methamphetamine. Powerful opioid fentanyl, the top contributor to overdose deaths in Westmoreland County, is being included in counterfeit pills, and methamphetamine is becoming more prevalent in Southwestern Pennsylvania. "We think there are some changes in drug trafficking and drug distribution since before the pandemic," he said. More than 100 police officers in the region will get their own session earlier in the day, with discussions focused on trafficking trends and search-and-seizure issues. The session open to the public will be from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Fred Rogers Center. Anyone who would rather attend remotely can do so via Zoom at https://stvincent-edu.zoom.us/j/98611228340?pwd=Sk5PszRoMFMwN1ArMGVcU5WRDFDZz09 with the passcode aUaC3K. Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter . Jul. 10BUFFALO Scientists from the U.S. and South Africa are launching a campaign to map marine, freshwater, and terrestrial species and ecosystems in one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots: the Greater Cape Floristic Region at the southwestern edge of South Africa. NASA will fly planes over the area for six weeks in 2023 to measure the height and structure of vegetation and collect ultraviolet, visual, thermal, and other imagery across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Satellites will gather additional data. Teams on the ground will make observations at locations of particular interest, logging plants and, possibly, animals they detect. Using this data, the team will map the region's biodiversity, providing estimates of the distribution and abundance of species, and the boundaries of ecosystems, and researching how biodiversity impacts the physical environment and vice versa. In other words, the campaign will help scientists understand the structure, function and composition of ecosystems in the study area. "This is a broad collaboration between several organizations," says Adam Wilson, PhD, principal investigator and a biogeographer at the University at Buffalo. "The Greater Cape Floristic Region is a really fascinating place it has extremely high plant diversity, and there's been dramatic environmental change over the last 50 years, due to both climate and land use change. "Our data will capture this region's biodiversity in greater detail than ever before from a plane or satellite. In combination with the field observations, these new data will help us understand this dynamic region and improve our ability to monitor biodiversity from space globally." The project titled, "Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape)" is funded by NASA, with UB researchers receiving $873,000 in NASA funding to complete their share of the work. Story continues The leadership team includes Wilson, associate professor of geography in the UB College of Arts and Sciences; Erin Hestir, PhD, at the University of California, Merced; Jasper Slingsby, PhD, at the University of Cape Town; and Glenn Moncrieff, PhD, at the South African Environmental Observation Network. Other institutional partners include the South African National Biodiversity Institute, South African National Parks, CapeNature Provincial Parks, and the South African National Space Agency. "Much of the research in Earth observation has been conducted in the world's forested ecosystems, like the Amazon or northern temperate forests," says Moncrieff, scientist with the South African Environmental Observation Network. "But non-forest ecosystems harbor a substantial proportion of the world's biological diversity, and perhaps the most diverse of these non-forest ecosystems are the shrublands of the Greater Cape Floristic Region in South Africa. "BioSCape will bring the most advanced NASA remote sensing technology to this region, facilitating a large amount of research into remote sensing of biodiversity beyond the forest edge. We hope that by mapping plant biodiversity and its function, we will be able to show the link between important ecosystem services that many people here depend upon and the unique flora of the region." Slingsby, lecturer at the University of Cape Town, adds, "The BioSCape campaign really is a great opportunity, not only for boosting the use of remote sensing in the region, but for driving innovation in remote sensing of biodiversity in general. The shrubland ecosystems in the region are hyperdiverse and have complex spatial and temporal natural dynamics due to fire, seasonality, habitat heterogeneity, etc., and will really put the science teams to the test. The aquatic ecosystems will be no less challenging." "The world is facing an extinction crisis," says Hestir, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Merced. "We are experiencing the sixth great extinction in the history of the Earth, with unprecedented rates of species loss. Understanding the diversity of life, what drives it and how it might change in the future is critical to maintaining and protecting life on Earth for us and all creatures." The UB Department of Geography is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to fill the position of BioSCape's science project manager. The team is committed to building a diverse and inclusive project, Wilson says. A second project In a separate but related project in the Cape Floristic Region, Wilson is working with a team that includes some of the same partners to develop a tool that uses satellite remote sensing and AI to monitor ecosystems in the area. The goal is to detect fires, land-clearing, the spread of invasive plant species and other unusual damage to vegetation. The $483,000 effort also funded by NASA is a collaboration among UB, the South African Environmental Observation Network, the University of Cape Town, CapeNature, the Nature Conservancy in South Africa, and South African National Parks. "The idea is to create a decision-support tool that can support monitoring and management of biodiversity," Wilson says. "The system will flag unusual ecosystem changes, such as invasive species outcompeting native species, or land cover change in protected areas, so that teams on the ground can then go check it out to learn more about what's happening." This project will also leverage the expertise of Yingjie Hu, PhD, UB assistant professor of geography and a co-investigator on this project. Hu is an expert on geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI). One challenge of monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem changes in the Cape Floristic Region is distinguishing between natural changes such as wildfires that occur regularly and are vital to the health of the local ecosystem and anomalous changes that threaten biodiversity. Hu's work will integrate AI and ecological modeling to facilitate development of a system that can make these distinctions. News Houston, Texas - A Louisiana man pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with members of the Aryan Circle (AC) and others to sell methamphetamine. He is the fourth and final defendant charged in the conspiracy to enter a guilty plea. According to court documents, Shane Louque, 46, of Gonzales, purchased substantial quantities of methamphetamine at least two kilograms from an AC member based in the Houston area over a number of occasions in 2016. Louque then personally distributed the methamphetamine to other buyers in Louisiana. While Louque himself is not known to be an AC member, the drug conspiracy was uncovered as part of Operation Noble Virtue, an investigation into the AC that has targeted AC leadership. Previously entering guilty pleas as part of this conspiracy were Jeremy Klintman, 38, of Texas; Eulalio Torres-Cadenas, 43, of Mexico; and Breanna Beckley, 40, of Texas. Louque pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum prison sentence of life. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Eastern District of Texas made the announcement. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Trial Attorneys Alexander Gottfried and Bethany Lipman of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. New Delhi: In the past few weeks, gold prices have been falling constantly. On Friday (July 9), the trading session for gold September futures ended at Rs 47,920 per 10 gram on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). In June, gold prices had touched the Rs 49,000 mark, which means that gold is still trading a lot cheaper than recent rates, offering the right investment opportunity to the investors of the precious metal. In Delhi, the 24-carat gold per 10 gram is retailing at Rs 47,810. The 22-carat gold per 10 gram is retailing at Rs 46,800 per 10 gram in the national capital. The 22 carat gold per 10 gram and 24-carat gold per 10 gram are selling at Rs Rs 46,800 and Rs 47,800 per 10 gram in the financial capital of India. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, the 22-carat gold and 24-carat gold are retailing at Rs 47,200 and Rs 49,900, respectively. The 22-carat gold is selling at Rs 45,250 per 10 gram while the 24-carat gold per 10 gram is selling at Rs 49,370. Gold prices in Indian cities: City 22-carat gold price 24-carat gold price Bangalore Rs 44,750 Rs 48,820 Hyderabad Rs 44,750 Rs 48,820 Pune Rs 46,800 Rs 47,800 Jaipur Rs 46,910 Rs 50,960 Lucknow Rs 46,910 Rs 50,960 Patna Rs 46,800 Rs 47,800 Chandigarh Rs 46,910 Rs 50,960 Surat Rs 47,150 Rs 49,150 - The data is sourced from Good Returns. Gold cheaper by around Rs 9,300 from all-time high Gold prices hit record highs in 2020. At that time, stock markets crashed due to fears related to COVID-19 led economic downturn. The price of gold per 10 grams reached its all-time high of Rs 56,191 per 10 grams on MCX in August 2020. Also Read: Sovereign Gold Bond subscriptions open on July 12: Buy gold at great prices for 5 days Overall, in 2020, gold gave a 43% return. However, gold has so far declined by around 25% from its record highs. Also Read: Nokia sues OPPO over patent infringement, Chinese brand hits back New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is opening the fourth tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021 for subscriptions on Monday (July 12) for five days. Investors planning to invest in gold can choose the option of the sovereign bond, as it is usually more affordable than current rates. RBI has fixed the issue price at Rs 4,807 per gram for the latest Sovereign Gold Bond offering. In an official announcement, RBI said, The nominal value of the bond based on the simple average closing price (published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd (IBJA)] for gold of 999 purity of the last three business days of the week preceding the subscription period July 07, July 08 and July 09, 2021, works out to Rs 4,807/- per gram of gold. What are Sovereign Gold Bonds? The RBI had introduced Sovereign Gold Bonds in 2015. Basically, these bonds are similar to other government bonds. However, Sovereign Gold Bonds are denominated in grams of gold, instead of money. Who can buy Sovereign Gold Bonds? At present, Resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions can subscribe to Sovereign Gold Bonds. What is the minimum investment in Sovereign Gold Bonds? According to the current rules, an investor has to buy at least one gram of gold during the subscription window. This means that youll invest at least Rs 4,807 in Sovereign Gold Bonds. Meanwhile, an individual investor can buy a maximum of 4 Kg gold. However, the upper cap limit for trusts and similar entities is 20 Kg. What is the minimum tenure of Sovereign Gold Bonds? Sovereign Gold Bonds are offered with a tenure of eight years. However, investors are given an option to exit after the fifth year itself. How to buy Sovereign Gold Bonds? Investors can buy gold bonds from commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), post offices designated by RBI and recognised stock exchanges. Customers can buy gold bonds directly or even through their agents. Also Read: Facebook removed 5,381 malicious accounts, Groups in June How to get Sovereign Gold Bonds at a discounted price? Investors can also invest in gold bonds online. RBI is offering a discount of Rs 50 per gram to investors buying bonds completely online. Also Read: SBI alert! Net banking services will remain suspended on July 10, 11, check timings Live TV #mute New Delhi: The much-awaited and revered festival of Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra in the temple town of Puri, Odisha will begin from July 12 this year. All the preparations are in full swing, the administration is ready keeping the COVID protocol in place and safety measures too are taken care of. RATH YATRA 2021 TIMINGS: Ratha Yatra on Monday, July 12, 2021 Dwitiya Tithi Begins - 07:47 AM on Jul 11, 2021 Dwitiya Tithi Ends - 08:19 AM on Jul 12, 2021 (as per drikpanchang.com) The 15-day long festival was celebrated with much gusto and fervour in Odisha, Bhubaneswar. The temple town of Puri attracts tourists from across the globe who visit the place, just to get a glimpse of the Lord and witness the majestic Rath Yatra. However, this year due to the deadly novel coronavirus COVID-19 second-wave outbreak, restrictions have been imposed. According to the Administrator of Puri Jagannath Temple, Ajaya Jena, the servitors testing negative for COVID-19 would be allowed to participate in the pulling of the chariots. "Like last year this year also Rath Yatra will be held without devotees on July 12, 2021, as per the order of the Supreme Court and SOP issued by the Odisha Government. No devotees were allowed to participate in Rath Yatra. Chariot pullers who test RT-PCR negative and have been fully vaccinated will be permitted to attend the yatra. Around 1,000 officials excluding police personnel will be deployed," Jena told ANI. As per the Administrator, three thousand 'sevayat' (servitors) and 1000 temple officials will be allowed to perform all rituals and RTPCR tests are going on at four places at Puri since July 8. Rath Yatra is a festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri annually in the state of Odisha. PURI JAGANNATH RATH YATRA SIGNIFICANCE: Also known as the chariot festival, this year marks the 144th Rath Yatra of the Lord. The three chariots used to carry the Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra (sister) are different in size and other detailing. The chariots are beautifully and intrinsically designed and painted every year. Ratha Yatra commemorates Lord Jagannatha's annual visit to Gundicha Mata temple. It is believed that in order to pay their respects to Queen Gundicha, wife of the legendary King Indradyumna, who built the Puri Jagannatha temple, Lord Jagannatha along with brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra leave their regular abode from the main temple and spend some time in this temple built by Gundicha in their honor. As per drikpanchang.com, it is said that after the Lord Jagannath along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra take rest for 8 days at Gundicha Mata Temple, they set out on their return Jatra to the main abode. This day is known as Bahuda Yatra or Return Yatra, observed on the eighth day after Ratha Yatra on Dashami Tithi. On his return, the Lord also stops at Mausi Maa Temple which is dedicated to Goddess Ardhashini. Here's wishing everyone a very happy Jagannath Yatra! New Delhi: Young and promising new actress, Ashlesha Thakur aka Dhriti from The Family Man series shot to fame for portraying her part too well, especially in the second installment of the Manoj Bajpayee starrer. She plays Bajpayee and Priyamani's teenage daughter in 'The Family Man' series. In an interview with News18, Ashlesha Thakur opened up on kissing on-screen. I was very nervous. It was a very new thing for me to do. I had to bring maturity to the character and not have that kidd-ish way of acting. I wanted to make it look very natural and spontaneous. I watched a lot of web series where there is a love interest involved. I researched and studied a lot. Shooting the kissing scene is very technical. It is no fun. It is my work and whatever the requirements are as an actor, I should be comfortable with it...I trust my directors and did not worry about what it would look like on screen because I know how meticulous they are with their writing," she said. About the kidnapping scenes in The Family Man 2, the young actress said, "It was exhausting and emotionally and mentally challenging for me. Getting kidnapped was something that was making me very nervous. I did not want to do that scene. I was telling Raj and Suparn sir, lets do it another day. When I did the first take, I was confused whether I was doing the correct thing. When the directors supported me, I knew I was on the right track." She also spoke about receiving proposals on social media platforms. I have a lot of rishtas in my DMs and people are sending me the creepiest and the sweetest of messages. I like the attention but I dont know how much of it is true." The Family Man is directed by Raj and DK and its second season The Family Man 2 streamed on Amazon Prime Video in June. It marked the digital debut of South star Samantha Akkineni in a pivotal role. The show will reportedly be back for a season 3 and the buzz is already high. Patna: As the COVID-19 cases are declining in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has permitted schools, colleges, and other institutions to resume in an offline mode from July 12. All government and private schools in Bihar can reopen for Class 11th and 12th students from July 12. According to orders, schools can open on alternate days with 50 per cent capacity and strict covid protocols. 12 th july onwards. https://t.co/k0hd8iSwpj Sanjay Kumar (@sanjayjavin) July 9, 2021 Taking to Twitter, Additional Chief Secretary of Education (Bihar) Sanjay Kumar said, #bihar is opening its universities, colleges, and class 11th and 12th with 50% attendance on alternate days and full COVID safety protocol. In another tweet, he mentioned the date of the reopening of schools as of July 12. Prior to this, Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhury had announced plans to reopen schools and colleges in a graded manner. Guidelines for holding classes in schools were also issued for the safety of students and teachers amid the ongoing pandemic. Bihar school reopening guidelines: 1. Schools with a maximum number of students will be required to hold classes in two shifts. 2. Staggered entry and exit of students and staff will have to be followed. 3. Before reopening, seating and sanitization plans need to be worked out. 4. Schools and colleges are barred from holding functions or cultural events. 5. Schools, colleges will have to make special arrangements for vaccinating teachers, staff, and students above 18 years of age against Covid-19. Live TV New Delhi: The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) expert, Dr Samiran Panda on Friday (July 9, 2021) addressed the myth surrounding the vaccination of new mothers. Dr Samiran Panda, who is the head of the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, said that breastfeeding mothers should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 without any hesitation. "Breastfeeding mothers should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 without any hesitation. The anti-bodies that are developed in the mother as a result of the vaccination get passively transferred to the baby while breastfeeding and could be helpful to the child," he said. Dr Samiran Panda also spoke on the COVID-19 vaccines and urged everyone to get themselves vaccinated right now, rather than waiting for other COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in the country. "Please understand that while people may be waiting for other vaccines which they may consider more convenient or superior, the virus is not waiting. The virus is still spreading in the country. What if you get infected, while you wait?" he said. ALSO READ: When will India be free of coronavirus? ICMR expert says COVID may become a flu-like endemic Dr. Panda also said it is futile to go for anti-body tests as immunity does not depend only on anti-bodies. "The anti-bodies that are seen using the commercial kits available in the market are not necessarily the anti-bodies that can protect from COVID disease. Whenever a person gets vaccinated, two types of immunity emerge. One is known as neutralizing anti-body or anti-body mediated immunity. The second one is cell-mediated immunity. The third and the most important one is immune memory. Immune memory is generated after vaccination and is present in cells and whenever the virus enters the body, this gets activated," he explained. Dr Panda stated that the COVID-19 vaccines are absolutely safe for everyone, including people with normal allergies like asthma, dust allergy, allergy of pollen grains, and have gone through three phases of clinical trials. "Patients with co-morbidities can take the vaccine if they are stable. It is advisable for people suffering from diabetes and other immuno-suppressed conditions to get vaccinated because they are at a higher risk," he added. (With ANI inputs) Live TV Mumbai: After Maharashtra relaxed several curbs and restrictions, tourists were seen flocking Maharashtra's Lonavla of Pune district. Police personnel have been deployed at picnic spots to control the tourists and make sure that the COVID-19 guidelines are followed. A video shared by news agency ANI, shows tourists thronging a picnic spot with several citizens not following the COVID-19 protocols. #WATCH | Maharashtra: Tourists visit Lonavla of Pune district, amid relaxations in #COVID19 restrictions. Police personnel deployed at picnic spots to control the tourists and make them follow COVID guidelines. pic.twitter.com/VInOAC0fuE ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2021 Similar scenes have been witnessed in other tourists places across the country as many states move towards unlocking. Recently, the Himachal Pradesh government decided to step in after taking note of a viral image of tourists thronging Manali. The Jai Ram Thakur-led government in the state instructed local authorities to ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour to stem the transmission of the virus, IANS had reported. While the situation in Uttarakhand is equally bad where a large number of tourists were clicked taking a splash at Mussoories Kempty falls, without masks or maintaining social distancing norms. Forced to act, the governemnt has now limited the number of tourists at the spot. "Now only 50 tourists are allowed at Kempty Falls (waterfall) in Mussorie; can't stay at the spot beyond half an hour. A check-post to be set up to monitor the tourists," Iva Ashish Srivastava, Tehri Garhwal District Magistrate, was quoted by ANI. With a third wave of COVID looming large, such overcrowding and callous behavivour have made experts and state administration worried. Meanwhile, nearly 57 per cent people told IANS C Voter Tracker that if a third COVID-19 wave strikes India, the major reason will be the violation of the coronavirus rules by the general public. New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Friday (July 9, 2021) urged the tourists visiting the state to follow COVID-19 norms. The state has been witnessing a rapid rise in the inflow of tourists after it eased COVID-19 restrictions in the state. Speaking to ANI, Jairam Thakur said, "We are concerned about the number of tourists coming to the State. Tourists are welcome here but I appeal to them to follow COVID19 norms." "We need to save the tourism industry also. I held a virtual meeting with districts officials and directed them to monitor and regulate the crowd. COVID19 is not over yet. Hotels are being asked to follow SOPs," he added. A major influx of tourists is moving to hills in search of some much-needed respite from the heatwave, which has hit the plains. This has been leading to gross violation of COVID-appropriate behaviour. #WATCH | Tourists throng Himachal Pradesh's Dharmshala, many were not wearing face masks pic.twitter.com/lmFSlmKNEM ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2021 While many experts believe that the nation is not yet out of the woods, some defiant tourists believe otherwise. As the second wave of COVID-19 sees a significant decline in the country, many people are seen bathing in the river Ganga in Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. When asked about their visits, these tourists said that they are not afraid of COVID-19 and were confident that they arrived before the third wave. ALSO READ: Mussoorie steps in to avoid COVID disaster: Only 50 tourists allowed at Kempty Falls "We feel like we have come out of jail after two years. There is a huge crowd. We are not scared of COVID-19. We have come here before the third wave," a tourist said. Abhay Singh, a Haridwar city police official, on Friday said that the efforts are being made to bring awareness among people. "We are trying to make people aware and we had a meeting with hotel and vanshala unions. Everyone wants to see Har ki Pauri. After a certain limit, we are requesting remaining travelers to not go to the ghat," Singh said. Live TV New Delhi: The Dehradun district administration on Saturday (July 10, 2021) made it mandatory for people visiting Mussoorie to bring negative RT-PCR report. The decision comes as tourists continue to throng places in Uttarakhand and many reports of COVID-19 protocol violations have come to light. Registration at Dehradun Smart City portal, proof of hotel booking & negative COVID-19 report not more than 72 hours old is necessary to visit Mussoorie, said Dehradun District Magistrate Dr. Ashish Kumar Srivastava. Uttarakhand | Registration at Dehradun Smart City portal, proof of hotel booking & negative #COVID19 report not more than 72 hours old is necessary to visit Mussoorie: Dehradun District Magistrate Dr. Ashish Kumar Srivastava ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2021 According to the local authorities' guidelines, the tourists who wish to visit Mussoorie will have to make an online booking, after getting the negative RT-PCR report. Those not having negative RT-PCR report won't be allowed entry beyond Kolhukhet. Earlier, on Friday the Uttarakhand government had decided to restrict visitors at the falls after a video showing a large number of tourists at Mussoories Kempty falls, without wearing masks or maintaining social distancing norms, went viral on social media platforms. "Now only 50 tourists are allowed at Kempty Falls (waterfall) in Mussorie; can't stay at the spot beyond half an hour. A check-post to be set up to monitor the tourists," said Iva Ashish Srivastava, Tehri Garhwal District Magistrate. Srivastava also said that he has asked Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dhanaulti to set up a check post to monitor the tourists coming to Kempty. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Friday cautioned that the second wave of COVID-19 is not over yet. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, "The country is still dealing with the second wave and we need to introspect if we can afford the misplaced belief that COVID-19 is over." Live TV New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday sounded a note of caution against reported blatant disregard of COVID-appropriate behaviour at hill stations and other tourist locations, stressing that the second wave of the pandemic is not yet over. The Home Secretary was reviewing the steps taken by the state governments for checking the spread of COVID-19 at hill stations and tourist locations, a home ministry statement said. During the meeting, the overall management of the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination status in Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal were discussed. The meeting was conveyed that the decline of the second wave is at variable stages in the different states and UTs in the country, and while the overall case positivity rate may be declining, the case positivity rate in certain districts of Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over 10 percent, which is a cause for concern, the statement said. The Union Home Secretary sounded a note of caution in the wake of media reports showing blatant disregard of COVID-appropriate behaviour at hill stations and other tourist locations, the statement said. Bhalla emphasised that the second wave of COVID was not yet over and states should ensure strict adherence to the protocols prescribed in respect of wearing of masks, social distancing and other safe behaviour. States were also asked to follow the five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and COVID Appropriate Behaviour, as has been laid out in the MHA order dated June 29, 2021. Adequate health infrastructure preparedness, especially in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas, was also advised to tackle any potential future surge in cases. The meeting was attended by V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research; and Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police and Principal Secretaries (Health) of the eight states. Live TV New Delhi: In view of the decline in COVID-19 cases, the Haryana government on Friday (July 9) announced the reopening of schools for Classes 9 to 12 from July 16. For students of Classes 6 to 8, they will be permitted to come to schools from July 23, an official spokesperson told PTI. The students will be allowed to come to schools with the permission of their parents. The spokesperson added, however, it would not be mandatory for the students to join school as online classes will continue. Students will be called to school while maintaining strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. Social distancing and other rules will be applicable for the students coming to the schools, the spokesperson said. There is no decision yet on resuming physical classes for students of standard 1 to 5. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday had said that a plan should be made to reopen the educational institutions subject to the strict adherence of the COVID-19 protocols. Given the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, a plan should be made to reopen the schools at the earliest, he said. On July 4, Haryana had extended the lockdown till July 12 while also allowing additional relaxations. Meanwhile, 57 fresh infections pushed the case count to 7,69,205, according to the Health Department's daily bulletin on Friday. Nine people succumbed to COVID-19, taking the cumulative toll to 9,534. The state currently has 993 active cases in the state, while 7,58,678 people have recovered from the infection so far. (With agency inputs) Live TV Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (July 9) informed that a 'Graded Response Action Plan' formulated by the AAP government to deal with the possible third wave of COVID-19 in the national capital has been cleared by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The 'Graded Response Action Plan' was passed in the DDMA meeting today. No doubts will remain about when the lockdown will be imposed or when it will open," the CM had tweeted in Hindi. The DDMA gave approval to the 'Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)' prepared by the Delhi government to deal with the possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic that includes shutting down of most of the economic activities at the highest `red` level alert when the positivity rate breaches 5%. The colour codes, also known as alerts -- yellow, amber, orange and red -- will be based on coronavirus positivity rate on two consecutive days, cumulative figures of fresh infections over a week and the average weekly occupancy rate of oxygen beds for a week. Here is what the 'Graded Response Action Plan' is all about and here are the details of each alert and what you need to know about them: Yellow If Delhis positivity rate remains more than 0.5% for two consecutive days, or overall new positive cases for seven days reaches the 1,500-mark, or the average occupancy for oxygen beds in hospitals stays at 500 for a week, this alert will be issued. When an yellow alert is issued, shops and markets offering non-essential goods and services will be allowed to open on an odd-even basis within a fixed time period of 10 am to 8 pm. One weekly market, with 50% vendors, will be permitted to operate in each municipal zone. When it comes to construction activities, manufacturing agencies and industrial set-ups, these all can operate. Amber When the capitals positivity rate stays over 1% for two successive days, or 3,500 new positive cases are recorded in a week, or average oxygen bed occupancy remains over 700 over the course of a week, then an amber alert will be issued. Under this condition, market, shops and shopping malls will be allowed to remain open between 10am and 6pm, on odd-even basis. One weekly market can operate per municipal zone with half vendor capacity. Like in yellow alert, construction activities, industrial set-ups and manufacturing agencies can function. Orange If Delhi's Covid-19-positivity rate goes over 2% for two consecutive days, or 9,000 overall cases are reported for more than a week, or the average bed occupancy is more than the 1,000-mark for a week, an orange alert will be issued. In this case, only shops selling essential items and offering essential services will remain open. Rules will be stricter for manufacturing agencies too. Only those pertaining to essential items and defence goods will be permitted to function. Shopping malls and weekly markets will remain closed.Transportation will be restricted, metros to remain shut. "However, the movement of intrastate buses and auto, taxis will be allowed... Buses will ply with 50% seating capacity for transportation of only exempted category people and only two passengers will be allowed in e-rickshaws, autos and cabs," a government official said. Red Of course, as it's clear from the colour, the red alert will be issued when the situation is at its gravest. When the citys positivity stays over 5% for two successive days, or its overall new positive cases in a week touches the 16,000-mark, or the average oxygen bed occupancy stays 3,000 or more for a week, a red alert will be issued. Most economic activities under the orange alert, including construction activities with on-site labourers, and industrial set-ups of essential and defence goods and services, will be allowed. Shopping malls and weekly markets will remain closed. Transportation restrictions will be similar to orange alert. (With Agency inputs) Live TV On July 10, the Jammu and Kashmir administration nominated nodal officers with the Delimitation Commission at the district level for providing timely information to it and receiving representations from stakeholders. In an order issued by the General Administration Department, one officer has been nominated in each of the 20 districts of the union territory for liaisoning with the commission, which wrapped up its four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday during which it interacted with political parties and district administrations. The order said the nodal officers shall be responsible for assisting the deputy commissioners in providing timely information as may be sought by the commission. "The nodal officers shall receive representations from stakeholders for submission to the commission and shall also be responsible for any other work as may be assigned by the commission," the order read. On Friday, the Delimitation Commission headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai concluded the four-day visit to J-K to gather first-hand inputs on the conduct of the exercise to redraw constituencies and carve out new ones in the UT. Except for the Peoples Democratic Party and the Awami National Conference, the commission interacted with all political parties and officials concerned during the visit. Justice (retd) Desai has assured the exercise would be transparent and completed by following due process as laid down in the law. Live TV New Delhi: After Uttar Pradesh reported two cases of Kappa variant of COVID-19, the Centre on Friday (July 9) termed it a variant of interest. NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul said that Kappa strain was also found in India in the months of February and March, however, it was suppressed after Delta variant became dominant, PTI reported. Paul added that Kappa is much less in intensity and has been replaced by the Delta variant. "Kappa variant was present in the country even during February-March but Delta variant which is similar to Kappa variant. It was suppressed when the Delta variant surfaced and we had this variant (Kappa) for sometime in our nation, it has been overwhelmed by the delta variant which is a related variant and is much more transmissible and that has been responsible for the second wave we saw. This variant (Kappa) is much less in the intensity, it is on the margins and has been replaced by delta largely," he was quoted as saying by the news agency. The NITI Aayog Member also laid emphasis on monitoring this new variant for its transmissibility and severity. He said, "We should scientifically keep a watch on its severity, transmissibility and vaccine effectiveness and like in other variants we have kept a watch same goes for this. The Kappa variant is also a variant of interest. Two cases of Kappa variant have been detected in Uttar Pradesh, as per an official statement by the state government on Friday. During the genome sequencing of 109 samples performed at King George's medical college, the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 was found in 107 samples, while the Kappa variant was found in two samples, the official statement said. As per IANS report, a 66-year-old man, who tested positive for Kappa variant in UPs Sant Kabir Nagar has died. Amresh Singh, head of microbiology department at BRD Medical College, said the man had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 27 and was shifted to the medical college on June 12. "The patient died in the course of treatment on June 14. He had no travel history," Singh divulged. Meanwhile, allaying fears about the Lambda variant, detected in over 30 countries, the Centre said that no case of the Lambda variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in India so far. Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the health ministry, said Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is closely monitoring the variant. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: In a major bust, the Delhi Police Special Cell on Saturday (July 10) seized more than 350 kilograms of heroin valued at around Rs 2,500 crores. Four people - three from Haryana and one from Delhi - have been arrested so far in the case bringing down the cutains on a huge international drug syndicate. According to Special CP Neeraj Thakur of Delhi Police Special Cell, the team of DCP Pramod Singh Kushwaha, ACP Lalit Mohan Negi and Sub Inspector Sundar Gautam received information about the International Drug Syndicate after which the team of Special Cell got information. This huge consignment of heroin was recovered from a house in Faridabad, Haryana and four people were arrested. They have been identified as Gurjot from Punjab, Gurpreet, Rizwan from Kashmir and Hazrat Ali from Afghanistan. Rizwan, a resident of Kashmir, was arrested. While he was going to deliver one kg of drugs. After questioning him, the other three accused of the syndicate were also caught. He also gave information about the factory in Faridabad. "It was supplied in the legitimate export material from Afganistan through Iran port and then sent to Mumbai. They have also made a make-shift factory in MP. Their Faridabad location was also busted," Thakur said. Opium grown in some parts of Afghanistan is hidden in imported bags such as talc stone, gypsum powder, basil seeds and packaging materials such as guinea bags or cartons. This consignment of heroin is sent from there to JNPT Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Mumbai. After being brought to India, heroin was separated from the imported goods and brought to Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh for processing. The raw material was converted into fine quality and further supplied. This heroin was also supplied to different cities besides Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from heroin, about 100 kilograms of chemicals have also been recovered. It is being touted to be one of the biggest consignment of drugs to ever be seized by the Special Cell and one of the largest drug syndicates to be exposed. The police is investigating narco-terrorism angle in the case. Interrogation of suspects is currently underway. Live TV New Delhi: Kalyan Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister who is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital in Lucknow, is considered as one of the leaders who spearheaded the Ram Mandir agitation. He is widely known for his role in paving the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. On December 6 in 1992, when thousands of 'kar sewaks' had gathered in the holy city of Ayodhya, Singh was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. "No regrets, no repentance, no sorrow, no grief," Singh had said in a TV interview on the demolition of the Babri Masjid structure. In the viral interview, he also claimed that he had made proper security arrangements and had clearly directed officials to protect the structure of Babri Masjid at any cost. However, Singh that said he had also ordered officials to not fire at lakhs of kar sewaks as it would have resulted in thousands of deaths and stampedes. Singh expressed, "There are people who call the incident a thing of national shame, but I say it is a thing of national pride." On being asked that his order had led to the division of the country, Singh said that it has not been divided to date and that it's the politicians who are trying to divide people. Live TV New Delhi: India has restricted New Zealand YouTuber Karl Edward Rice, better known as Karl Rock, from entering the country after he was found to violate a number of visa conditions. Among other things, Rock has been accused of taking part in anti CAA protests in the country and also hurting religious sentiments via his youtube video. Karl has accused the Indian government of denying him entry without specifying any reasons leading to his "separation" from his Indian wife, a charge the Home Ministry rejected saying he was barred due to violation of visa conditions. Ministry of Home Affairs officials pointed out that he was a "habitual offender" and in the past, he has been to restricted areas in India like Nagaland and Jammu, and Kashmir without permission (restricted area permit for foreigners) and made a number of videos. He earlier had a tourist visa, but it got converted to X2 visa after his marriage to an Indian national. Under X2 visa, foreign nationals are not supposed to indulge in business activity, which he did by creating content on youtube and getting monetary benefit from it. He held a tourist visa from 2016 to 2018, another tourist visit from 2018 to 2023, and X2 visa from 2019 to 2024. He published the book Indian Survival Guide and visited restricted areas, activities not allowed on tourist visa. He also covered CAA protest on YouTube which is not allowed on X2 visa. Particularly one of his videos, "Do Indians eat beef? A guide to eating beef in India", raised concerns, given it risked disturbing social harmony. MHA officials say, "Karl Edward Rice, has been restricted from entering India till next year, due to violating the terms and conditions of his visa. He was found doing business activities, on a tourist visa and also violating certain other visa conditions". On July 9, Karl had uploaded a video in which he said, "The government of India has stopped me from returning to India", "separating me from my wife and family". Karl is a popular YouTuber who makes videos about travel, especially around India, and also speaks Hindi. Last year, he donated plasma amid the COVID pandemic drawing praise from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He is married to an Indian, Manisha Malik, and they got married in April 2019. Live TV New Delhi: Two men have been held and 6 cops have been suspended after the National Commission for Women (NCW), taking suo motu congnisance on Saturday (July 10) of an incident wherein a woman was allegedly attacked and misbehaved when her sari was pulled in full public view in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, wrote to state`s Director General of Police to take strict action against the culprits. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the UP police to immediately take action against two men who misbehaved with a woman, pulling her sari, during the filing of nominations for the block chairman polls in Uttar Pradesh' Lakhimpur Kheri. As a video of the incident involving the woman proposer appeared online, sparking condemnation, the women's body said that NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma had, in a letter issued on Thursday, sought strict action against the men. "National Commission for Women (NCW) on July 8th had taken suo motu cognisance of an incident wherein a woman was allegedly attacked and misbehaved with and her sari was pulled in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh," the Commission said. It took action after it was tagged on Twitter to a video clip of the incident posted. Sharma had written to the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh to immediately intervene in the matter and take strict action against the men, it said. Voting was held on Saturday for 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs in the state, with sporadic incidents of violence. The opposition Congress has attacked the BJP government over the violence during the polls including the Lakhinpur Kheri incident and demanded that it apologise. Families with two children or less will be given incentive while non-adherence to the two-child norm will lead to disincentives in Uttar Pradesh. With an aim to control the population, the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission on Friday released the first draft of the bill that is focused on this objective. The government has sought comments from the public within ten days, that is by July 19, as per media reports. Earlier, CM Yogi Adityanath has said the government will bring in a new population policy for 2021-2030, which is expected to be announced on World Population Day on July 11. Families with more than two kids will be debarred from availing state-sponsored welfare schemes and receiving subsidies, say sources. Other disincetives include bar on contesting local body elections, bar on applying for government jobs as well as a bar on promotion in government services. The rules will not apply to those who are already part of government jobs or local councils. Ration card units will also be limited up to four. There will be incentives for anyone who adopts two-child norm by undergoing voluntary sterilization operation upon himself or spouse. This will include soft loan for construction or purchasing a house on nominal rates of interest and rebate on charges for utilities such as water, electricity and house tax. Those who undergo voluntary sterilisation after having one child will be given further benefits like free education up till graduation. Public servants will be entitled to additional increments during their service and a 3% increase in employers contribution fund under the National Pension Scheme, among others. Similarly, BPL couples will be entitled to a one-time lump sum amount of Rs 80,000 (for single boy child) and Rs 1 lakh (for single girl child) from the government if they limit the family to one child. The draft law, which comes ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, said that it is necessary to control and stabilize the population due to limited resources in the state. "Poverty and illiteracy are major factors for population expansion. There is also a lack of awareness about population in certain communities and we therefore need community-centric awareness efforts, CM Yogi Adityanath said in a statement, as per India.com. Live TV New Delhi: Newly appointed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him about the ongoing Covid-19 situation as well as other issues related to the state. In the nearly 40-minute meeting with the Prime Minister at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, sources said the Uttarakhand Chief Minister informed him about the preparedness to deal with the possible third wave of Covid-19 and the procedures being taken to enhance vaccination in the state to contain the spread of the disease. It was the first formal meeting of Dhami with the Prime Minister after he took over the charge of Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Dhami also has plans to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the national capital on Saturday evening. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister is also learnt to have fixed a meeting with BJP national president J.P. Nadda to discuss the preparations for the upcoming 2022 election in the state. Two-time MLA from Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district, 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami took over on July 4 as Uttarakhand`s new Chief Minister. He replaced Tirath Singh Rawat, who last week submitted his resignation to the Governor. Dhami is the third Chief Minister of the state in nearly four months. Taking charge, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister had on Friday reviewed the state`s preparedness in view of a possible third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and directed the departments concerned to ensure all arrangements by the end of July. He directed to fix separate pediatric wards at all district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs besides adequate oxygen, ICUs and ventilators in the state to deal with a possible third wave of the deadly disease. Dhami has also asked officials to pay heed to the maintenance of medical equipment and tools provided to the state under the PM CARES Fund and corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from companies. He has also stressed on the need to vaccinate maximum people as soon as possible and increase testing to build a protective mechanism against the virus. New Delhi: Newly-appointed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday (July 10) and requested him to set up an AIIMS in the Kumaon region. The meeting between Dhami and Prime Minister Modi lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes exceeding the scheduled 15 minutes duration. Dhami said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Uttarakhand is moving ahead on the path of development at a rapid pace. According to an official release, the chief minister apprised the Prime Minister about the preparations of the state government in view of the possible third wave of COVID. He also discussed the Chardham Yatra and the Kanwal Yatra.The Chief Minister said that the construction/reconstruction work of the second phase is to be started in Shri Kedarnath Dham at a total cost of around Rs 108 crore. He requested the Prime Minister to provide time for the foundation stone laying of the second phase of construction/reconstruction works at Shri Kedarnath Dham. The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to set up an AIIMS in the Kumaon region keeping in view the geographical conditions of the state. He said that the state government would provide land for this. With the establishment of AIIMS in Kumaun, the people of the region will be benefited from world-class health facilities. Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to get the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for the speedy implementation of the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project. Dhami said, "The 300 MW Lakhwar Multipurpose Project would increase water availability in the Yamuna river and six states namely Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh would be benefitted." Earlier on Saturday, Dhami met President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president JP Nadda. This was Dhami`s maiden visit to the national capital after taking oath as Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Earlier on July 4, BJP MLA Pushkar Singh Dhami was sworn in as the 11th chief minister of Uttarakhand. The two-time MLA from Khatima constituency has never been a minister in the state government but Dhami became the youngest chief minister of Uttarakhand. He is the third chief minister of the state in nearly four months.Dhami replaced Tirath Singh Rawat who resigned on July 2. Live TV Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said lack of a dipin COVID-19 cases in the State when compared to other States was not a cause for concern or fear as things are under control. He said the endeavour of the State from the beginning was to protect as many people as possible from being infected or succumbing to the virus until the vaccine was available for all. "Many are wondering as to why the number of patients in Kerala has not decreased. This comes as no surprise when examined in terms of public health principles. We can confidently say there is no need to be fearful and that things are under control," he told reporters. He said the Delta variant which has a higher chance of spreading struck Kerala during the second wave of COVID-19 and that the number of people infected by it increased because of the huge population in the State. "In addition, the disease spreads rapidly across the State due to the interconnectedness of rural and urban areas," he said. Since people already infected by COVID and those who have been vaccinated have limited immunity against the Delta variant, it can lead to infection recurring in those infected in the past, he said. "Many of those who are now positive fall into these categories. It is reassuring that they have no serious symptoms and no risk of death," he said. He said the sero prevalence study of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the end of the first wave revealed the prevalence rate in Kerala was only about half (11.4) compared to other States (21.6). "Therefore, the infections in the second wave were higher. Consequently, the number of tests have also increased," he said. He further said the study found 70 to 80 per cent of people in many cities in country were infected. The Chief Minister said though thenumber of infections are not going down, restrictions like lockdown cannot be continued indefinitely and things need to go back tonormal as soon as possible. That is why the restrictions are being eased or phased out. However, the relaxations should not be misused or abused by people by not following COVID-appropriate behaviour like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing, he said and added that overcrowding should be avoided. He further said the State has beenable to provide appropriate treatment to patients in hospitals and ICUs even when the number of cases was high and even then more than 60 -70 per cent of COVID hospital beds were never used. "About 90 per cent of the total patients are being treated free of cost in government hospitals. This is an achievement no other State has achieved," he said. He said there are 252 private hospitals affiliated with the government's Karunya Health Care Scheme for providing treatment to the poor and vulnerable families and that the cost of treatment in other private hospitals has been controlled. "The government and the private sector are working together to deal with the COVID situation," he said. On reporting of deaths due to COVID, the Chief Minister said it was not something that could be done easily. Again referring to ICMR studies, he said they show Kerala was better at reporting deaths than most other States. On the vaccinations in the State, the Chief Minister said 43 per cent of people in the above 18 years category have received the first dose and 12 per cent have received the second dose. In terms of vaccination numbers, the State was ahead of the others, he said and added that the State was also ahead in non-wastage of the vaccine supplied by the Centre. "Vaccine distribution has now started through private hospitals as well. In addition to the COVISHIELD and COVAXIN vaccines, some hospitals are also offering the SPUTNIK vaccine. Other vaccines from Indian and American companies are expected to be available soon," he said. He said experts opine immunity can be achieved only if around 70 per cent of the people in the 18 years plus group are vaccinated. Since at least 60 per cent of people in that category have been infected without being vaccinated and have some immunity, he told reporters that steps would be taken to vaccinate another 15 per cent soon to achieve herd immunity. Vaccination is recommended for pregnant and lactating mothers as per the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation as scientific studies have shown that COVID infection during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth. He said the State was trying to vaccinate 2.5-3 lakh people per day for which a campaign called 'Vave' (Vaccine Advancement for Vaccine Equality) was launched for the registration of marginalised people like those below the povertyline who do not know how to register or do not have the facilities for the same. Live TV New Delhi: The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) expert, Dr Samiran Panda on Friday (July 9, 2021) said that the coronavirus may reach its endemic stage after a while, just like influenza. Dr Samiran Panda, who is the head of the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, also added that this will just mean that the vulnerable population may have to take the vaccine shot annually. "The COVID-19 virus will reach its endemic stage like Influenza after a while and then vulnerable population may have to take the vaccine shot annually," Dr Panda said. "Influenza, commonly known as flu, was a pandemic 100 years ago but today it is endemic. Similarly, in the case of COVID-19, we expect that it will gradually become endemic from its current state of being a pandemic. Currently, we recommend the elderly to take annual flu shots. As the influenza virus keeps on mutating, we simultaneously make minor changes in the vaccine. So, there is no need to panic," he added. The experts revealed that the mutations of the virus are normal, and there is nothing to panic about. While addressing the concerns over the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the newer strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in India, Dr Panda said, "The vaccines available now largely are effective against the new variants. Vaccines are not infection preventing, but disease-modifying. Experiments at ICMR have proved that the vaccines presently available in India are effective against the new variants as well. However, the efficacy may differ for different strains." Additionally, Dr Panda urged all the citizens to take the vaccine available in India right now, rather than waiting for other COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in the country. "Please understand that while people may be waiting for other vaccines which they may consider more convenient or superior, the virus is not waiting. The virus is still spreading in the country. What if you get infected, while you wait?" he said. Dr. Panda said it is futile to go for anti-body tests as immunity does not depend only on anti-bodies. "The anti-bodies that are seen using the commercial kits available in the market are not necessarily the anti-bodies that can protect from COVID disease. Whenever a person gets vaccinated, two types of immunity emerge. One is known as neutralizing anti-body or anti-body mediated immunity. The second one is cell-mediated immunity. The third and the most important one is immune memory. Immune memory is generated after vaccination and is present in cells and whenever the virus enters the body, this gets activated," he explained. (With ANI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Karnataka is on alert after neighbouring state Kerala reported 14 cases of Zika virus. The Karnataka government on Friday (July 9) issued guidelines in order to prevent the spread of the disease in the state. The districts bordering Kerala including Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi have been directed to stay vigilant. The order by state Health Commissioner Trilok Chandra said that surveillance should be carried in rural and urban areas across the state. "As monsoon season allows proliferation of Aedes mosquito, which is a vector for Zika virus disease, surveillance should be carried in rural and urban areas across the state on war footing," IANS quoted the order as saying. The authorities have been asked to dispose solid waste to prevent Aedes breeding in peri-domestic areas. "The vector management should include surveillance of larvae, biological and chemical control at household, community and institutional levels," the order read. Pointing out the symptoms of the virus, Chandra said, "Zika virus presents symptoms like fever, rashes, conjunctivitis and joint pain. Travel history or visit of guests should be considered for suspecting the disease. The local authority has been recommended to collect samples from suspected cases and send them to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Bengaluru for testing. "During ultra-sound scanning for pregnant women, focus should be given for presence of microcephaly. If detected, the serum sample of the pregnant women should be sent to NIV for testing," it added. Chandra also directed authorities to conduct Aedes larval surveillance and source reduction activities in airports, sea ports and in rural and urban civic wards. Meanwhile, a six-member central team of experts has been dispatched to Kerala to monitor the Zika virus situation and support the state government in management of cases, the Union health ministry said on Friday. Zika virus, first reported in India at Ahmedabad in January 2017, spreads mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which bites during the day. The same mosquito is responsible for transmitting other diseases like dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi shocked fans on Saturday when he unveiled his drastic physical transformation ahead of the shooting of his next 'Tiger 3'. The actor had taken to Instagram to share the picture of his ripped body and showed off his washboard abs in it. In the picture, he was wearing a stylish red headband and joggers, the actor was shirtless giving fans a peek into his transformation. He looked fitter than ever and fans were thrilled with his new avatar. The 'Mumbai Saga' actor wrote in the caption, "Only just the beginning!!!". Check out his latest look: Fans took to the comments section to praise the actor and his commendable physical transformation. They bombarded the comment section with the fire and heart emojis. On the work front, the 'Mr. X' actor was last seen in the action-thriller film 'Mumbai Saga' directed by Sanjay Gupta and will next be seen in the mystery thriller film 'Chehre' co-starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan. He will also star in the third instalment of the 'Tiger' franchise along with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Earlier in April, Emraan Hashmi's song Lut Gaye had hit an all-new high as the romantic track had become the first single to garner the fastest 500 million views on T-Series' YouTube channel within just 60 days of its release. New Delhi: Ever since the big breaking of Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukones collaboration for an upcoming project Fighter has come out, fans cant keep calm. In order to increase their excitement to another level, Hrithik shared a series of pictures on his Instagram handle along with the cast of his upcoming film Fighter. Along with the duo, we can also see film's director Siddharth Anand and his wife Mamata posing with the superstars. Hrithik captioned the pics as, This gang is ready for take-off. #Fighter. While their fans were going gaga over their sizzling chemistry, Deepika was quick to respond on the post. She wrote, Yes! As soon as we digest that food though! Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film will be shot using the latest technology and filming techniques, and at locations across the world. "Fighter" is slated for release in 2022. The film will be produced by Viacom18 Studios, Mamta Anand, Ramon Chibb and Anku Pande. On the workfront, Deepika has a number of projects in the pipeline. She is awaiting the release of Ranveer Singh-starrer 83. The actress has also wrapped up the shoot of Shakun Batra's next. Apart from these, the actress will be seen in The Intern, and Pathan in her kitty. On the other hand, Hrithik is all geared up with his upcoming film Atrangi Re. He is also set for his upcoming project which is Krrish 4 and will be directed by his father Rakesh Roshan. New Delhi: Late actor Irrfan Khans son Babil, who is all set to make his Bollywood debut with his upcoming film Qala has penned an emotional note in remembrance of late legendary actor Dilip Kumar. Sharing the picture of Dilip Saabs autobiograpHY, Babil Khan wrote, I was at our farmhouse, preparing for Qala when I got the news, how ashamed I was to have not been able to do this in time, for the death of a man that inspired Baba and I for uncountable ages. I didnt have any telecommunication network and I literally rushed back to Mumbai just to be able to pay tribute to the master. Baba used to watch Dilip saab in complete Awe, and trust me there were very very few instances when Baba would feel awe-struck, the great Dilip saab was one to demand that from him through his irreplaceable charm and subtlety. I remember the first time I fell in love with Dilip saab, it was Andaz. His portrayal of the immensely complicated emotion that he had to project in the song Toote na dil Toote na , I knew I was in love. I am so grateful that we as a family had a chance to be mesmerised by him together. Thank you so much Dilip Saab, you were way ahead of your time. | When we received this copy of his Autobiography signed by him, baba and I were a little overwhelmed, in the best way. To touch these pages. I cannot explain how it feels. May your soul travel into a world that you wished for when all the fame and money became clear as an illusion, and the true purpose of evolution started to dawn on your being. May you travel safe and peacefully. Thank you for your immense contribution to the craft of applying honesty to acting . I dont want to cry right now. Remembering the veteran actor, he regretted the fact that how he was unable to pay tribute to Dilip Kumar for one last time before he was laid to rest forever. He also shared that his father was greatly inspired by him and was completely awestruck by his aura. Babil is the son of late actor Irrfan Khan and film producer Sutapa Sikdar. Irrfan died last year in April after having a colon infection. The actor was just 53 years old. He was first diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Tumour in 2018 for which he had undergone treatment and even chemotherapy. However, later he developed an infection and succumbed to the deadly Cancer. His untimely demise has created a huge vacuum in the Hindi film industry. For the unversed, Babil recently, dropped out of his University of Westminster in London to focus on his acting career in Bollywood. He is all set to follow in his fathers footsteps and is going to pursue a career in acting. He has bagged his first movie with Anushka Sharmas production house Clean Slate Filmz and will be seen in Tripti Dimri starrer Netflix film Qala. He is also working on a project with director Shoojit Sircar and producer Ronnie Lahiri. New Delhi: Bollywood fitness enthusiasts and rumoured couple Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani have been dating each other for quite sometime now. Though they havent made their relationship official, their closeness is quite evident through social media posts and pictures together. Well, Disha shares a great rapport with Tigers sister Krishna Shroff and the trio is often seen partying together. While talking about her brothers bonding with Disha, Krishna shared that whenever they are together, there is never a serious or any dull moment. While sharing more deets about it to Times Now, Krishna Shroff said, "Every time we hang out, it is always jokes and laughs. There's never a serious moment and a dull moment. I think it is cool, I am happy to see my brother who has someone - a friend, best friend or a close friend or whatever they wanna call their relationship. It is cool to see him happy, to see him be able to be himself around someone. Because in his industry that's very rare, to be able to have (someone) outside your family. And I think as long as he is happy and she is happy - they are always laughing. We all have a great time together. I mean, it's great. I want to see my brother happy at the end of the day. As long as he is happy, I am happy." Veteran actor Jackie Shroff and wife Ayesha have two kids - daugher Krishna and actor son Tiger Shroff. Krishna is quite popular on Instagram for her bold and edgy avatar as the diva often shares her bikini shoots on her social media. While Krishna is not interested in facing the camera or making Bollywood debut anytime soon, her brother Tiger debuted in Bollywood with Heropanti in 2014 alongside Kriti Sanon. He later shot to fame with films like Baaghi, Student Of The Year 2, War, and Munna Michael to name a few. New Delhi: Actor Vicky Kaushal took to social media on Saturday and shared a memory of his first audition. The actor shared an old picture on Instagram Stories of his first audition as an actor held on July 10, 2012. The actor expressed gratefulness for his journey in the film industry. "Today. 9 years back. Shukr," he wrote. In the picture, Vicky is seen holding an audition whiteboard wearing a white T-shirt. Vicky Kaushal's first leading role was in Neeraj Ghaywan's critically acclaimed and much-feted film "Masaan" in 2015. Later, he rose to prominence with roles in films like "Raazi", "Sanju", "Raman Raghav 2.0", "Lust Stories" and "Manmarziyaan". His defining role was in the 2019 war drama "Uri: The Surgical Strike", for which he won the National Award as Best Actor. Vicky's upcoming films are "Sardar Udham Singh", "Takht", "Sam Bahadur", "The Immortal Ashwatthama" and "Mr Lele". In what could be seen as a piece of good news for Central Government employees and pensioners, the Dearness Allowance (DA) increase for July 2021 is expected to get a go-ahead soon. According to a report, the government will soon announce the development. Meanwhile, the AICPI (All India Consumer Price Index) data for January 2021 to May 2021 has been released, and based on the above-mentioned data, the DA hike for July 2021 should be around 3 percent. This further means that the 3 percent DA hike is supposed to be added to the actual Dearness Allowance and that will happen in September. Presently, the employees receive 17 percent DA and the DA for the month of July will also be added in the month of September. Earlier, 4 percent, 3 percent, and 4 percent DA were supposed to come but it got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the AICPI data, it is expected to have a hike of 3 percent, and that DA would further be added which means that central government employees will get 31 percent DA in September 2021. The AICPI data released in the month of May 2021 brought an increment of 0.5 percent, taking it to 120.6. According to the secretary of the National Council of JCM, Shiv Gopal Mishra, the data suggests that DA may get increased by 3 percent by June 2021. The June data is not official yet and it is therefore anticipated that the DA hike will not be more than 4 percent for the month of June 2021. If that becomes the reality, then the AICPI data should be 130 points. With the June 2021 DA, the central government employees would get only 31 percent DA in September. Live TV #mute Are you facing issues with net banking or online bank transfer? It is important to note that with the recent mergers between many public-sector banks, many bank account holders will be asked to delete their old IFSC codes (Indian Financial System Codes) and instead get a new one. If you see that your bank belongs to those listed in the mergers, the old IFSC codes will remain invalid for online transactions through NEFT, RTGS or IMPS routes. Syndicate Bank, Allahabad Bank, Dena Bank, United Bank of India, Vijaya Bank, the Oriental Bank of Commerce, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank are those public sector banks whose mergers have already been announced. Due to this, the account holders in these banks will be asked to update their IFSC codes on the web portal to continue availing online banking facilities. Heres how to change the IFSC of your bank branch: In order to change your IFSC code, you have to go to the official website of your bank and register for the new IFSC codes by filling in your details again. Customers can also call the toll free number of banks so that they have a clear understanding of the process. If you are looking to make a bank transfer to account holders of one of these banks, you will have to delete the beneficiary details from the list of payees and add it again under the new conditions. These rules apply also when it comes to mobile banking. Customers are advised to reach out to their respective banks for further details. Failure to make these changes would result in the non-conduction of any monetary transactions. In August 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the merger of 10 public sector banks into four banks. As such, Syndicate Bank was merged with Canara Bank, Indian Bank with Allahabad Bank, Union Bank of India with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank, and Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank were taken under the Bank of Baroda. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Public Provident Fund or PPF scheme is one of the most secure investments which offers impressive returns to investors. However, if youre planning to turn your little investments into something big, then you need to have a little patience if youre planning to put your money in Public Provident Fund. The investment scheme is for long-term investors, and becoming a crorepati by investing in PPF needs a serious patience level. An investor will have to invest roughly around Rs 1.5 lakh in a year, which is around Rs 12,500 per month for a really long time to turn your investment into one crore rupees, and for you to become a crorepati. At present, the government gives an annual interest of 7.1% on the PPF account. Investment in the scheme is made for a minimum of 15 years. So, if you invest Rs 12500 a month for 15 years, it will turn into Rs 40,68,209 at the time of maturity. The total investment would stand at Rs 22.5 lakh and interest at Rs 18,18,209. However, instead of withdrawing the funds, an investor can continue investing in the PPF scheme for ten more years to become a crorepati. In the next five years after maturity, your investment will turn into Rs 66,58,288. And in the next five years, which means after 25 years after you start investing in PPF, your investment will finally turn into Rs 1,03,08,015. Also Read: Nokia sues OPPO over patent infringement, Chinese brand hits back So, youll be a crorepati in 25 years if you invest Rs 12,500 per month in the PPF scheme. Also Read: Gold Price Today, 10 July 2021: Gold selling at Rs 47,810 in Delhi, check prices in your city Live TV #mute A report released by Gera Developments revealed that almost all the new residential property launches in Pune have seen a downfall by 30 percent due to restrictions imposed following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The available inventory for sale plunged to a 9-year low. Reasons for the decline in saleable inventory is robust sales but lack of new supply to replace the sales. For every 100 units sold only 59 units were added, according to the Gera Pune Residential Realty Report that was released on July 7. According to the report, H1 2021 saw a fresh supply of 26,611 units which is 26 percent higher than H1 2020. However, sequentially it has come down by around 30 percent compared to H2 of 2020, it said. Compared to pre-COVID times, it is still half of what it was in December 2019 just before COVID-19 hit the country. This clearly suggests a supply squeeze prevailing in the Pune residential real estate space. In fact, comparing the period from January 2020 to June 2021 against the corresponding period, there is a reduction of 39% in new inventory being added to the market, the report said. Inventory levels plunged to a 9-year low in June 2021. According to the report, the inventory available for sale has also reduced to 59,224 units, a reduction of 21% from 75,421 units a year ago. The total number of ongoing projects has also dropped significantly from a peak of 3,733 projects in Jun 2017 to 2,730 in Jun 2021. According to the report, new projects launched over a 12-month period since June 2020, the premium segment has seen a whopping 64% surge from 13,199 units to 21,634 units. The premium segment typically comprises an average price per square feet of Rs 4,898 to Rs 5,876. On the other hand, the budget segment (average price of less than Rs 3,917 per square feet), which saw a 34% drop in the new project launches in the past year i.e. since June 2020. The new supply dropped from 23,390 units to 15,469 units. Clearly, there is an evident shift in the customer preference migrating to more premium homes. Comparing the launch of premium segment properties since 2018, there is certainly a reduction in the fresh launches thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The market has been in an ongoing state of consolidation. With the number of new project launches declining, the unsold inventory has plunged to a seven-year low. Going forward, we believe that the price rise seen in the past one year will gain further momentum. The surge in residential real estate prices will be due to a decline in adequate inventory to meet the growing demand. Whenever demand outstrips supply, prices tend to go up, Rohit Gera, Managing Director, Gera Developments has said. With new project launches at unprecedented lows, the robust demand will face supply-side bottlenecks. This has already propelled a 3.73 percent surge in property prices on an average, over the past 12 months. However, as new project launches firm up, the prices, while maintaining their upward bias, will stabilize in the medium term, Gera added. He further revealed that there was an increase in the cost for developers. In addition to the supply crunch, there is a tremendous increase in the cost structures for developers. The last 15 months have seen slower construction and project launches and as a result, the overhead costs for developers have increased. More significantly, the cost of several raw materials including the most critical items such as cement and steel has risen by 25-40 percent, he said. Sales grow by 7 percent Against the first half of 2020, there is a clear 7% increase in off-take for new homes in the corresponding period of 2021. However, as compared to H2 of 2020, sales have declined by 9%. Sales had bounced back to pre-COVID levels soon after the first wave; which was primarily driven by the two-tiered stamp duty waiver extended by the state government, that incentivized new home buyers. However, the momentum slowed soon as the second wave hit. During this period, the strongest growth however is seen in the premium segment, in which a robust 54% growth is seen, suggesting customers demand for more aspirational homes. Live TV #mute Chennai: Popular Telugu actor, film critic, political analyst, satirist and Dalit intellectual Kathi Mahesh on Saturday died in a Chennai hospital while undergoing treatment for injuries suffered in an accident a fortnight ago in Andhra Pradesh`s Nellore district. "Shocked and saddened to hear the news about the demise of Kathi Mahesh. My deep condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace! Om Shanti," said Tollywood actor Manchu Manoj. Sudheer Babu, another young and upcoming hero in the Telugu movie industry said Mahesh's demise came as a shock. On June 26, Mahesh, a native of Chittoor district met with an accident when his car hit a container truck at the rear. Many believed the film critic would survive but he succumbed to his injuries. Mahesh was a vociferous critic of actor-politician and Janasena party founder Pawan Kalyan and was known for his comments and observations on various subjects. The University of Hyderabad passout had acted in several movies and most recently campaigned for the ruling YSRCP in the Tirupati Parliamentary bypoll. As an intellectual from the Dalit community, Mahesh would campaign and deliberate for their rights and protection regularly. New Delhi: Finnish telecommunications company Nokia has filed numerous patent infringement complaints against smartphone brand OPPO regarding standard-essential patent (SEP) and non-SEP patents, the media reported. According to GSMArena, these patents are about connectivity, interface and security features and the complaints are filed in European and Asian markets. Smartphone brands OPPO and Nokia had signed a multi-year licensing agreement back in 2018 and it appears that the contract is over, the report said. The Finnish telecommunications company put out an official statement that OPPO has rejected the offer of renewing the contract so it had to take legal actions since Oppo continues to use those patents. Media reports said that OPPO found Nokia`s action "shocking" and accused it of dishonouring the patent licensing under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. "OPPO respects and protects its own and third-party intellectual property rights, and has been committed to benign patent licensing cooperation in the industry. OPPO opposes unreasonable consultations such as using litigation as a tool," the smartphone company said. The spokesperson for Nokia "believes that there is still a more constructive way to deal with the situation". Nokia has quite a lot of patents up its sleeve and has signed royalty-bearing agreements with Samsung, Apple, LG, Lenovo and even Blackberry, the report said. Also Read: Facebook removed 5,381 malicious accounts, Groups in June Both the companies have not revealed how closely they would integrate. A new leaked memo has disclosed that OnePlus will become OPPO`s sub-brand. Also Read: Sovereign Gold Bond subscriptions open on July 12: Buy gold at great prices for 5 days New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed a "historic victory" in the Uttar Pradesh Block Panchayat Chiefs on Saturday. Polling for the 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs concluded at 3 pm and results declared the saffron party's victory 635 posts. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a news conference said, "In the elections for Block Panchayat Chiefs, the BJP is winning more than 635 seats with its allies and supporters. This number will increase further after the final results are out." The CM said almost 85 per cent seats in the polls went in favour of the ruling BJP. The results show that the BJP has won a thumping 635 posts while the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates won in 103 block levels and others managed to bag 87 posts. While, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated Adityanath and other BJP leaders for the party's victory in the elections and said it happened due to people's faith in the state government's welfare programmes. "This grand victory of BJP in the Uttar Pradesh block chief election is a result of the public's faith in the welfare policies of the Yogi government under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. Congratulations to Yogi Adityanath and all the hardworking workers of the party on this victory," Shah tweeted in Hindi. As many as 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs went to polls on Saturday, the voting began at 11 am till 3 pm, and the results were announced soon after. Notably, around 349 candidates for the block panchayat chief posts were elected unopposed on Friday. The election was marred with violence and gun shots reported from several distrcits during nomination filing on July 8. The majority of the incidents took place when the opposition candidates were prevented from filing their nomination papers. Violence was reported from various districts, including Siddharthnagar, Sitapur, Gorakhpur, Sambhal. Meanwhile, the opposition parties including former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party alleged widespread rigging and manipulation by the BJP. Live TV Bogota: Haiti has requested U.S. and U.N. security forces to help it protect key infrastructure like the airport and ports after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by foreign mercenaries, a government minister said on Friday. The assassination of Moise by a squad of gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday morning at his home in Port-au-Prince pitched Haiti deeper into a political crisis which may worsen growing hunger, gang violence and a COVID-19 outbreak. Elections Minister Mathias Pierre said a request for U.S. security assistance was raised in a conversation between Haiti`s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. Haiti also made a request for forces to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Pierre said. "We were in a situation where we believed that infrastructure of the country the port, airport and energy infrastructure might be a target," the minister told Reuters. Another aim of the request for security reinforcements would be to make it possible to go ahead with the scheduled presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 26, Pierre said. A letter from Joseph`s office to the U.N. offices in Haiti, dated July 7 and reviewed by Reuters, requested the dispatch of troops to support the national police in reestablishing security and protecting key infrastructure across the country following Moise`s assassination. A similar letter, also dated July 7 and seen by Reuters, was sent to the U.S. embassy. The 15-member U.N. Security Council would need to authorize a deployment of U.N. peacekeepers or police to Haiti. The United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. Asked about the request, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the Haitian government had requested security and investigative assistance and said it would remain in regular contact with Haitian officials to discuss how the United States can assist. The United States and Colombia had already said they would send law enforcement and intelligence officials to assist Haiti after a number of their nationals were arrested for Moise`s murder. Police in Haiti said the assassination was carried out by a commando unit of 26 Colombian and 2 Haitian-American mercenaries. The two Haitian Americans were identified as James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, both from Florida. Seventeen of the men were captured - including Solages and Vincent - after a gun battle with Haitian authorities in Petionville, a hillside suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince where Moise resided. Three others were killed and eight remain at large, according to Haitian police. Authorities are hunting for the masterminds of the operation, they said. A judge investigating the case told Reuters that Moise was found lying on his back on the floor of his bedroom. The front door of the residence had been forced open, while other rooms were ransacked. "His body was riddled with bullets," Petionville tribunal judge Carl Henry Destin said. "There was a lot of blood around the corpse and on the staircase." COMMANDO UNIT The United States on Thursday pledged to send senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Haiti as soon as possible to assess the situation and see how best they can assist, the White House said. A State Department spokesperson said, "We are aware of the arrest of two U.S. citizens in Haiti and are monitoring the situation closely." The head of Colombia`s national intelligence directorate and the intelligence director for the national police will also travel to Haiti with Interpol to help with investigations, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday. Haitian officials have not given a motive for Moise`s killing or explained how the assassins got past his security detail. He had faced mass protests against his rule since taking office in 2017 - first over corruption allegations and his management of the economy, then over his increasing grip on power. Moise himself had talked of dark forces at play behind the unrest: fellow politicians and corrupt oligarchs who felt his attempts to clean up government contracts and to reform Haitian politics were against their interests. Investigators in Colombia discovered that 17 of the suspects had retired from Colombia`s army between 2018 and 2020, armed forces commander General Luis Fernando Navarro told journalists on Friday. Jorge Luis Vargas, director of Colombia`s national police, said initial investigations had shown that 11 Colombian suspects had traveled to Haiti via the resort city of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Two others traveled via air to Panama, before flying to Dominican capital Santo Domingo and then Port-au-Prince, Vargas said. CONFUSION OVER POLITICAL CONTROL In Haiti, the government declared a 15-day state of emergency on Wednesday to help authorities apprehend the killers but has since urged businesses to open up again. Stores, gas stations and commercial banks re-opened on Friday. The streets were quiet, although some supermarkets bustled with people stocking up amid the uncertainty. Moise`s killing has sparked confusion about who is now the legitimate leader of the country of 11 million people, the poorest in the Americas. "The assassination... has provoked a political and institutional vacuum at the highest level of state," said Haitian opposition politician Andre Michel. "There is no constitutional provision for this exceptional situation." The 1987 constitution stipulates the head of the Supreme Court should take over. But there is no one currently in that role. Nor is there a sitting parliament, following the postponement of elections in 2019. Just this week, Moise had appointed a new prime minister, Ariel Henry, to take over from Joseph, although he had yet to be sworn in when the president was killed. Joseph has appeared to take charge of the situation, but Henry - who is viewed more favorably by the opposition - told Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste he did not consider Joseph the legitimate prime minister. Live TV Kavrepalanchok: A flooded workplace every monsoon brings no surprise to Ram Krishna Shilpakar, a wood architect of Bhaktapur, as water in the Hanumante River always makes its way into his tin thatched structure, where he has been making wooden scriptures since nearly a decade. "It`s been about a decade that I am running my business here, it`s a phenomenon that takes place annually," Shilpakar told ANI. "On an annual basis, I have been incurring losses of about 30 to 40 thousand. Machines stop working after being submerged in water, other materials and essentials used for produces gets soaked and damaged. We cannot come and work in such situations which ultimately would increase loss. Also, flood water dumps wastages inside, forcing us to shift to other places," Shilpakar added. Along with the business of Shilpakar, temples, paddy fields and houses around the ancient city of Bhaktapur submerged in the water after heavy downpours in early Friday morning. Monsoon- annual rainfall pattern which remains activated in the Himalayan Nation from June to August recharges most of the rivers and its tributaries which often results in flooding and sometimes sweeps away landmasses. As many as 51 people have already lost their lives in less than a month since the start of the monsoon as floods, landslides, and inundation induced by heavy rainfall is wreaking havoc across the nation. As per data from the Nepal Police headquarters, 26 men, 15 women and 10 children are among those killed. Of them, five are from Sindhupalchowk, four from Doti, three each from Rolpa, Dang, Palpa, Darchula and Gorkha. According to Meteorological Forecasting Division, the present monsoon trough will remain active till Saturday afternoon in many parts of the country including Province No 1, 2, Bagmati, and Lumbini. There is a chance of very heavy rainfall in one or two places of Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces this week. Meanwhile, water flow in Narayani and its tributaries, especially Budhigandaki, Trishuli, Marsyangdi, and Kaligandaki, has increased significantly and some of them reached alarming levels on Thursday afternoon. Also, water flow in Saptakoshi and its tributaries Sunkoshi, Bhotekoshi, Tamakoshi, Dudhkoshi, Arun, Tamor, and other rivers is expected to increase and some of them will reach near alert level while the flow in the Tinau, Kankai, Kamala, Bagmati, and their tributaries will increase significantly till Saturday. As the monsoon takes destructive form in the Himalayan Nation, major road sections are facing inundation or disruption in operation. A section of Arniko Highway that links capital Kathmandu with some districts of Southern Plains got disturbed for hours on Friday as it was submerged in water, throwing traffic out of gear. Meanwhile, the vehicular movement on Saturday got affected following heavy rainfall causing waterlogging in parts of Kathmandu."Every single year, that too for over dozen times, we have been facing inundation in the area we have to go through this situation time and again," Krishna Kumar Ranjitkar, a flood victim resident of Banepa in Kavrepalanchok District complained ANI. "We face a lot of problem with this (inundation after rainfall), my house is flooded with water. A few years back also, the river flooded my house. Crossing a bridge, it entered all residential homes," Krishna Kumar added. Meteorologists of Nepal and other South Asian nations earlier have forecasted that the monsoon for the year 2021 will arrive earlier than last year and Nepal and some other Asian countries are expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall. As per Nepals Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), the monsoon has already set off in Nepal from June 1st which will continue for about three months. Live TV New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh will be speaking to each other on Saturday (July 10, 2021). The talks will happen around 11:15 am IST and comes as part of growing engagement between the two countries. This is the first conversation between the two leaders after Pham took charge as the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Pham Minh Chinh took charge in April this year and has served in various positions of the government. The key focus, during the talks, will be on dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, vaccines, engagement in Indo pacific, and other related areas. Amid the second wave of the COVID pandemic, Vietnam had reached out to India with supplies. Vietnam's envoy Pham Sanh Chau speaking to a leading news channel recently on vaccines said, "We also have the opportunity to purchase Covaxin. Covaxin is not approved yet by WHO for emergency use, that is why we are waiting for this approval by WHO and then we will intensify the discussion and drafting of the contract for the purchase of this COVAXIN for Vietnamese people." In December of last year, Indian PM Narendra Modi and the then PM of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a virtual summit. During the summit, India handed over the first of 12 High-Speed Guard boats to Vietnam under the $100 million Defence Line of Credit extended by New Delhi to Hanoi. Defence in fact has emerged as one of the pillars of the relationship. On the first of this month, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the Defence Minister of Vietnam, Sr. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang. Tweeting after the meet, he said, "India and Vietnam continue to make forward movement in overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19." India and Vietnam continue to make forward movement in overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19. I thank my Vietnamese counterpart for inviting me on an official visit to his beautiful and amazing country. I look forward to it. 3/3 Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 1, 2021 Live TV New Delhi: As the world observes Population Day on July 11 every year, it reminds itself of the challenges faced globally due to overpopulation. The alarming trend shows that after hundreds of thousands of years the population reached 1 billion, and then in just another 200 years, it grew sevenfold, as per United Nations. The worldwide population reached the 7 billion mark in 2011, and today it has climbed to about 7.7 billion. It is expected to grow to nearly 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100, the worrying UN trend shows. History: July 11 marks World Population Day when people remind themselves of the hazards of overpopulation and raise awareness about how overpopulation can harm ecosystems and hamper progress of humanity. The United Nations Development Programmes Governing Council created World Population Day in 1989. On July 11, 1987, the population day witnessed the Five Billion Day, or the estimated day when the worlds population surged above five billion people. Further, the day was commemorated by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1990 with Resolution 45/26. The topics of discussion on the day include family planning, poverty, sexual equality, maternal health, civil rights, among others. The theme this year for World Population Day- Rights and choices are the answer: Whether baby boom or bust, the solution to shifting fertility rates lies in prioritizing the reproductive health and rights of all people. India has the worlds second-largest population after China. While China contributes to 18.47 % of the worlds share, India is not far behind with 17.70 % share of the global population. Following India, the United States has a share of 4.25 % of the entire world population, according to data by Worldometer. Why has the population grown so dramatically? As UN states, the growth in populace has been driven largely by 'increasing numbers of people surviving to reproductive age, and has been accompanied by major changes in fertility rates, increasing urbanization and accelerating migration'. It warns that these trends will have far-reaching implications for generations to come. In order to overcome the problem of overpopulation, the focus must be on population management on a worldwide scale. Live TV